Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (50 g) sourdough starter or “levain” (active)
• 1 1/3 cups (325 g) water
• 1 teaspoons fine sea salt
• 4 cups (500 g) bread or all purpose flour (unbleached)

Instructions

• Prepare sourdough starter: Remove starter from fridge, feed and let rise until doubled (approx. 12 hours depending on temp).
• Mix the dough: Transfer the 50g of active starter and 325g water into a large mixing bowl. Stir to distribute the starter evenly. Add 500g bread flour and sea salt to the bowl and use a stiff spatula or your hands to work the ingredients together until it forms a shaggy ball, making sure all bits of flour are incorporated. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 1-3 hour.
• Prepare and Stretch Dough:  Every 30 minutes during the resting period, pick up the dough on one side and stretch it up and over itself. Do this four more times, once with each side. This helps create mass during final bake.
• Bulk Fermentation: Cover the bowl and let the dough ferment for 7-10 hours (or overnight) in a 65-75°F area of your home. The dough should have risen by 50% and show signs of fermentation, bubbles on top and sides of the dough.
• Shape and Second Rise: Place the dough on a lightly floured surface. Shape the dough into a ball by pulling 4 sides of the dough into the middle of itself. Turn the dough seam side down and gently cup the dough, pulling and twisting until it forms a tight skin. Center the dough onto a piece of parchment paper, covered with cornmeal seam-side down. Place the dough, along with the parchment paper into a bowl and cover. Let the dough rise for 1-3 hours or until it has risen by about 20%. You can cold proof in refrigerator instead for 18-24 hours.
• Score and Bake: 30 minutes before you’re ready to bake, preheat the dutch oven to 450°F. Right before baking, use a sharp razor to score the top of the dough. Transfer parchment paper with dough to the dutch oven. Cover and bake for 20 minutes, uncover and bake an additional 25-30 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Let the bread cool on a cooling rack until completely cooled before slicing.