Directions

Desired dough temperature: 78°F

Prepare the levain (9 am)

To make the levain, mix the levain ingredients in a jar and leave them covered at a warm temperature, 74-76°F, to ripen for 4 hours.

Autolyse (11:30 am)

Warm or cool the autolyse water so that the temperature of the mixed dough meets the FDT (final dough temperature) of 78°F (25°C) for this recipe.

Using dough whisk, combine Autolyse ingredients together, making sure there are no dry bits. Cover to allow dough to hydrate for about 90 minutes. Note: This dough will feel stiff but will soften up greatly during this resting time.

Make Porridge Element (12 pm)

Place Farmer's Porridge in a pan on low heat to toast for 5 minutes. Add 450 grams water and cook until water is absorbed into the porridge (about 10 minutes). Pour onto a baking sheet and cool completely.

Make Main Dough (1 pm)

In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, combine the autolyse and porridge element and knead on low for 3-5 minutes or until the dough is fully incorporated.

Add the salt, then slowly add butter, a few cubes at a time, until the butter is fully incorporated.

Bulk Fermentation (1:15 pm - 4:45 pm)

Transfer the dough to a bulk fermentation container and cover.

This dough will require 4 sets of stretches and folds during bulk fermentation. After the first 30 minutes, wet your hands, grab one side of the dough, and lift it up and over to the other side. Rotate the bowl 180 degrees and repeat. Then rotate the bowl a quarter turn and stretch and fold that side. Rotate the bowl 180 degrees again and finish with a stretch and fold on the last side. The dough should be neatly folded up in the bowl.

Cover and repeat these folds 3 more times, at 30 minute intervals.

After the 4th stretch and fold, allow the dough to rest, covered with a damp tea towel, for the remainder of bulk fermentation.

Divide and preshape (4:45 pm)

Scrape the dough onto a clean counter. Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces and pre-shape the pieces into loose rounds.

Cover with a damp tea towel and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.

Shape (5:30 pm)

Flour the top of the preshaped rounds and your work surface.

Using your bench knife, flip one of the rounds over onto the floured area.

Using floured hands, shape the dough into a round or oval loaf.

Gently transfer loaf into a well-floured proofing basket, seam-side up, cover with a floured tea towel.

Repeat with the remaining dough.

Final Proofing (5:45 pm-6:45 pm)

Set covered dough baskets in a warm spot in the kitchen for one hour to proof.

Overnight Cold Fermentation (6:45 pm-8 am)

Placed covered dough baskets in refrigerator overnight.

Bake (8 am-9 am)

Place an oven rack in the bottom-third of the oven.

Place Dutch oven on middle rack of oven and preheat your oven to 500 F for 30 minutes.

When the oven is preheated, take one of the proofing baskets out of the fridge, uncover it, and put a piece of parchment paper over the basket. Using both hands, flip everything over. Gently remove the basket and score the dough, then transfer to the preheated Dutch oven.

Place in the oven, cover with the lid, and bake at 500 F for 20 minutes. After this time, remove the lid (you can keep it in the oven or remove it) and continue to bake for 20 minutes more. When done, the loaf should have an internal temperature of around 204°F (95°C), with an even golden crust. Let the loaves cool on a wire rack for at least 2 hours before slicing.

Repeat for the second loaf.

Share and enjoy!

Makes 2 loaves.

Recipe contributed by A Sourdough Story