Artisan Sourdough

1. In a 4 1/2 to 5-qt. bowl whisk together starter and water until combined. Using a rubber spatula and your hands stir in both flours until the flour is incorporated and no dry bits remain. (This is the autolayse. The dough should not feel too wet or sticky. It's okay if dough is a bit shaggy. You'll be adding more water in the next step.) Cover with a towel and let rest 30 minutes.

2. Sprinkle salt over dough; add water. Mix the salt and water into dough by squeezing with hands until well mixed. Cover and let rest in a warm place (about 75°F) for 30 minutes. (This starts bulk fermentation which will take 3 to 4 hours.)

3. After 30 minutes, with dampened hands stretch and fold dough by grabbing the underside and stretching it up and folding back over on itself. Rotate bowl one quarter turn and repeat this folding process 3 more times (for each quarter turn of the bowl). Cover and return dough to a warm resting place. Repeat this process twice after 45 minute intervals of rest. Be gentle during the final stretch; fold gently to avoid knocking out any bubbles. (The dough should be soft and elastic.) Cover and let dough rest during the remainder of bulk fermentation. Your dough is ready to shape when domed, almost 50% larger, and some air bubbles are visible.

4. Gently turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide in half and shape each into a loose round; cover with a towel and let rest 30 minutes. Meanwhile, line two 2- to 2 1/2-qt. bowls with floured towels or flour two proofing baskets.

5. Flip one dough round over. With lightly floured hands, stretch the bottom of the dough up and over the middle. Take the left side up and stretch over 2/3 of the middle and repeat with the right side (you are creating an envelope shape). Finally, stretch and fold the top down over the middle. Flip over the entire bundle so the seam side is down. Gently cup and rotate the dough by dragging the ball toward you. Use the edge of your hand to tuck edges under your dough. Repeat this motion a few more times, creating a taut surface tension on the dough until you have a uniform shape.

6. Gently place dough in prepared proofing basket. (Use your bench scraper to assist in moving the dough.) The seam side should be up. Repeat with remaining dough. Cover each with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place until almost double in size (3 to 4 hours total). (Alternately, refrigerate 12 hours. If you refrigerate your dough it may not double in size and that's okay. Before baking, let chilled loaf stand at room temperature 45 to 60 minutes before baking.)

7. Place a 6-qt. Dutch oven with lid on the lower rack of your oven. Preheat oven to 475°F. Fold two 18x12-inch pieces of heavy foil into thirds lengthwise so the cut edges of the foil are inward. Lay the smooth side of one piece of foil on top of the dough in your rising bowl or basket. (You don"t want the rough foil edges touching the dough; reserve the other piece of foil for the second loaf. Leave the second loaf in the proofing bowl until the first one is done baking.) Place a cutting board or baking sheet on top of the foil. Quickly invert the dough onto foil-lined cutting board. Score* the top of dough with a razor, lame, or sharp knife, cutting about 1/2-inch deep. Using the foil sling, carefully transfer the dough to the preheated pan and bake as directed. Carefully lower into the preheated Dutch oven. Cover with lid and bake 20 minutes. Remove the lid and bake 20 to 25 minutes more or until crust is golden brown, loaf sounds hollow when tapped, and a thermometer inserted in bread registers 208° F. Repeat with remaining dough. Allow loaves to cool on wire rack at least 2 hours before slicing.

Timeline for doing an overnight ferment:

1. 8am - Feed starter in the morning 5pm - Make dough and then let rest (autolyse) 5:45pm - Add salt and additional water 6pm - 9pm Bulk Ferment 6:30 - First stretch/fold 7:15 - Second stretch/fold 8 - Third stretch/fold 9-10 pm Shape dough; refrigerate overnight NEXT DAY bake around 8-9am.

Wild Yeast Sourdough Starter

1. Using a rubber spatula, in a quart jar thoroughly mix whole wheat or rye flour and water. Cover with a damp kitchen towel or loose-fitting lid and let stand at room temperature 24 hours. On Day 2, stir mixture and measure out 110 g (1/2 cup) of starter into a fresh container, discarding the rest. Feed with 110 g each flour and the water. Repeat this same process for Days 3 and 4. Cover with a loose-fitting lid to prevent starter from drying out.

2. By Day 5 your starter should be bubbly, double in size in a day, and smell nutty and sour. (If it doesn't yet look or smell like this, continue with feedings until it does.) At this point, switch to a blend of 50% bread flour and 50% whole wheat flour. (In a large container combine half of a 5-pound bag each of bread and whole wheat flours to use for feedings.) For the next two days (Days 6 and 7), increase feedings to twice a day: once in the morning and once at night.

3. On Day 8, if your starter is rising and falling at regular intervals and smells fermented, then it's ready to use. Use the starter at peak activity (that's when it doubles more quickly, about 4 hours after feeding).

4. Sourdough Starter Timetable Day 1: 110 g whole wheat flour + 110 g filtered water Day 2-4: 110 g starter + 110 g whole wheat flour + 110 g filtered water Day 5-7: 110 g starter + 110 g flour blend (50% whole wheat, 50% bread flour) + 110 g filtered water x 2 Day 8: Continue feeding starter/make bread/store starter in refrigerator

Store bread in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag at room temperature up to 2 days or freeze up to 2 months. (Crust will soften upon storage.)

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Making your cuts at a slight angle on top of your dough creates a raised area on the surface of the bread, often referred to as an "ear". The flap of dough raises up during baking.

Maintain a regular feeding schedule

If baking often, store starter at room temperature and feed it at regular intervals. Otherwise, cover the jar of starter loosely with a lid and refrigerate 1 hour after feeding. Feed starter once a week to maintain. When ready to use, let stand at room temperature and continue with feedings twice a day. We recommend 2 to 3 feedings before using the starter to make bread.To feed starter to make the Artisan Sourdough, carry forward 110 g starter and feed with 110 g water and 110 g flour. The remaining starter becomes discard which can be used in Sourdough Waffles, Seedy Sourdough Crackers, and Sourdough Buckwheat Banana BreadTo maintain less starter, remove 75 g starter and feed with 75 g filtered water and 75 g flour. The remainder becomes discard. If you reduce the amount of starter to keep, you will want to build it up by feeding a couple of days before using.

Storing discard

Store the starter discard in a separate jar in the refrigerator. Let it come to room temperature before using in recipes that call for discard. For best results, use within a week. If liquid collects on the top of the discard, stir it in before using.

Notes on feeding and temperature

Cooler temperatures slow starter fermenting and result in a stronger acid profile. Warmer temperatures speed up the process and encourage more fruity, sour notes.Use a rubber band to mark the level of the starter in the jar just after feeding so you can tell when it doubles in size and is ready to use.Don't worry if you've forgotten to feed the starter longer than 24 hours at room temperature. Discard any liquid that may have separated, then continue with regular feedings. This liquid (called hooch) is alcohol released during fermentation. It doesn't mean the starter has gone bad, it just needs to be fed. The starter may darken over time. It's still safe to use. However, discard if starter develops mold or any pink or orange discoloration. For starters that become very acidic, bring back more of the fruity notes by carrying over less starter but feeding with the same amount of flour and water. Continue as usual. If you like, switch to feeding the starter with 100% bread flour or 100% all-purpose flour. However, using the whole wheat or rye flours will encourage more fermentation.