Directions

A note before you start: Khorasan’s gluten is more delicate than what you’re used to, wonderfully stretchy but not eager to hold its own shape, which is why this dough leans on Artisan Bread Flour for structure. Scalding part of the flour lets the dough drink up more water while staying easy to handle, and taking on the rest of its water in two stages helps it absorb slowly and evenly. And if your kitchen runs hotter than the temperatures below, your dough will move faster than the times listed, so keep an eye on the dough rather than the clock.

1. About 8 to 12 hours before mixing the dough, prepare the leaven. In a large bowl, stir together the starter, water, and flour until no lumps remain. Cover loosely with a lid and let it ferment at room temperature. It’s ready when it has at least doubled in size, developed small cracks and fissures across the surface, and smells fragrant and buttery.

2. Prepare the scald at the same time as the leaven. Place the flour in a small bowl, then pour in the boiling water. Stir to combine, cover with a reusable bowl cover, plate, or lid, and set aside at room temperature until ready to mix the dough.

3. To mix the dough, add the scald to the bowl with the leaven. Pour in 650 g of the water and add the salt. Stir to combine, breaking up the scald lumps with your fingers. Measure the flours into the bowl and, using your hands, mix and squeeze in a circular motion until no lumps remain, scraping down the sides with a bowl scraper as needed. The dough will be shaggy and should feel somewhat stiffer than a typical high-hydration sourdough.

4. To bulk ferment the dough, cover and set aside to rest for 20 minutes. Perform stretch-and-folds every 30 to 45 minutes for 3 hours at room temperature (75 to 80°F). With a wet hand, release one side of the dough from the bowl, gently stretch it 3 to 4 inches, and fold it over toward the center. Rotate the bowl and repeat, working your way around the dough until you return to the first fold. The dough is ready to shape once it looks mounded and feels bouncy, with a spongy, almost marshmallow-like quality.

5. To pre-shape, dust your work surface with flour and set two 9-inch proofing baskets, lined with a tea towel, to the side. Use your bowl scraper to transfer the dough to the floured surface, being careful not to pull or tear it. Using a bench knife, divide the dough in half. With floured hands, arrange each piece into a rectangle running vertically to your body. Perform a letter fold: fold the top third toward the middle, then fold the bottom third up to overlap, pinching the seam closed if it wants to pop open. Rotate the dough 180 degrees and perform a triangle fold: fold the top 2 to 3 inches toward the middle, then overlap with the two sides to form a triangle tip. Finish with a tuck-and-roll: roll from the top down the length of the dough until the seam is on the bottom, then pinch the ends and tuck them under. Set aside to relax for about 15 minutes. Repeat with the second piece of dough.

6. For a batard: use your bench knife to turn the first pre-shaped dough over. Perform a triangle fold: fold the top 2 to 3 inches toward the middle, then overlap with the two sides to form a triangle tip. Then perform a tuck-and-roll, this time tucking more intentionally with your thumbs to build tension as you roll the loaf, until the seam is on the bottom. Dust the top well with flour, then use your bench knife to tuck it into the seam, sealing the loaf and releasing it from the work surface. Turn it over in your hands and cradle it into the basket, seam side up, pinching the seam closed if necessary. Repeat with the second loaf.

7. For a round loaf: transfer the pre-shaped dough to a clean work surface, seam side down. Pull it against the surface and toward you, cupping and rotating it with both hands, gently tucking the dough under as you work to build tension across the top. Dust generously with flour. Seal the seam by tucking your bench scraper under the dough while releasing it from the work surface, then turn it over, cradle it in your hands, and settle it seam side up into a round 9-inch linen- or cotton-lined proofing basket.

8. Cover the loaves with bowl covers or dry tea towels, then place them in a reusable plastic bag. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or up to 16, to develop flavor. The longer the cold proof, the more pronounced the sourdough flavor, though this dough won’t hold much beyond that window before it needs to bake.

9. The next day, remove the loaves from the refrigerator and let them proof at a warm room temperature until puffy, with gases visibly trapped just under the surface. The loaves may be ready to bake straight from the fridge, or may need up to 3 hours, depending on the health of your starter and the temperature of your kitchen and refrigerator. When one loaf is almost proofed, place the other back in the refrigerator to hold until it’s ready to bake.

10. About 30 minutes before the first loaf is ready to bake, preheat a Dutch oven (or a baking steel topped with a baking dome) on the middle rack to 500°F. Cut a piece of parchment paper about 3 to 4 inches longer and wider than your proofing basket, or use a silicone bread baking mat. Turn the loaf out onto the parchment or mat, dusting lightly with flour if you like and rubbing it gently into the top for an even layer. Using a bread lame, score the loaf 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep along its length, halfway or three-quarters of the way across. This is where the loaf will open and bloom in the oven as steam and gases escape. Add decorative cuts if desired.

11. Using heavy-duty oven mitts or pads, remove the Dutch oven and set it on the stovetop. Remove the lid and use the parchment rim or mat handles to carefully lower the loaf in. Replace the lid and return the Dutch oven to the oven. Bake for 20 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 475°F and bake for another 20 minutes. If you have a gas oven with the flame on the bottom, or your loaves tend to burn before they’re done, adjust the schedule: after removing the lid and lowering the temperature, bake for about 7 minutes to set the crust, then carefully lift the loaf out by the parchment or mat and finish baking directly on the middle rack for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until it reaches your desired crust color. The loaf is done when it’s a deep, golden brown and sounds hollow when thumped on the bottom.

12. Remove the loaf from the Dutch oven and let it cool on a wire rack for at least 2 hours before slicing. Repeat with the second loaf.

Storage

Store in a fabric bread bag at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in a beeswax-coated fabric for up to 5, toasting as desired. Or slice and freeze in a bag for up to a month, pulling out individual slices to toast whenever the craving hits.

Makes 2 loaves

Recipe contributed by Sarah Owens.