Recipe/Easy Sourdough Bread

Starter:

1 cup unbleached flour

1/2 cup Sourdough Starter

1/2 cup lukewarm water

Bread

1 cup Sourdough Starter

5 cups unbleached flour, divided

1 ½ cups lukewarm water

2 ½ teaspoons kosher salt

Day 1: Feed the Starter:  

Feed your starter first thing in the morning; the earlier the better.

Mix all starter ingredients together and place in quart jar, leave on the counter. Wait most of the day to watch the goodness explode into nice healthy bubbles.  

Make the Bread:(start this process at least four hours before going to bed) 

Measure one cup of freshly made sourdough starter into measuring cup.  Set aside for bread.

Use the remaining 1/2 cup to feed another batch of starter, using the recipe above. Once made, leave it on the counter for 2 hours and then refrigerate until needed.

Using a stand Mixer with the paddle blade, combine 1 cup starter (that was set aside), 3 cups unbleached flour, and 1 1/2 cups of lukewarm water to stand mixing bowl.  Mix until combined.  Place mixture into large glass mixing bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 4 hours.  After 4 hours place the bowl in the refrigerator.  

Day 2: Finish the Bread

Begin this process first thing in the morning as it takes ten hours to complete.  

Remove bread dough from refrigerator.  Move bread to a heavy duty stand mixing bowl.  With the dough blade in place, add 2 cups unbleached flour, 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt.  Mix/knead well on speed two until a smooth ball. Place back in glass bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  Let rest at room temperature for 5 hours.  For best results, gently deflate the dough once an hour by turning it out onto a lightly floured work surface, stretching and folding the edges into the center, and turning it over before returning it to the bowl.  Adding these folds will give you a better sense of how the dough is progressing, as well as strengthen it.

Next divide dough in half and shape in two loaves (or one large). Place both loaves in a 5 1/2-quart cast iron Dutch oven lined with parchment paper. 

Cover with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 4 hours. 

After 4 hours, preheat oven to 425 degrees, remove plastic wrap, brush top with a small amount of warm water, then make slices in top using a bread lame (or serrated knife) and cover with cast iron lid. 

Bake 30 minutes with lid on, then remove lid and bake another 10-15 minutes (or 15 minutes for one loaf) or until golden brown (internal temperature of 200 degrees).  Baking time isn't much difference between two loaves or one loaf since they are both in the same pan.  Remove from oven, lift the bread out of the pan holding on to the parchment paper, and set on a rack to cool. 

Once cooled, pull the two loaves apart in the middle. Wrap the first loaf in wax paper, and place in zip lock freezer bag and freeze.  Wrap the 2nd loaf in the used parchment paper and place in zip lock bag.  Store at room temperature for a week.  Cut with bread knife and enjoy!