Sour Dough Bread

Here's an easy sourdough bread recipe for beginners:

Ingredients:

• 150g active sourdough starter

• 350g water

• 500g bread flour

• 10g sea salt

• Olive oil (for greasing)

Preparation Steps:

Starter Preparation

First, prepare your sourdough starter about 12 hours before mixing the dough:

• Mix 10g unfed starter, 25g water, and 25g flour

• Let it rest at room temperature until doubled in size

Mixing the Dough

1. Combine starter and water in a large bowl, stirring to distribute

2. Add bread flour and salt

3. Mix until a shaggy dough forms

4. Cover and let rest for 1 hour (autolyse period)

Stretch and Fold

1. Form the dough into a ball

2. Perform stretch and fold technique:

   • Stretch top of dough up and over

   • Rotate 90 degrees

   • Repeat 4 times

3. Let rest for 30 minutes

4. Repeat stretch and fold process every 30 minutes for 4-6 hours

Shaping and Proofing

1. Gently deflate dough on a floured surface

2. Shape into a rectangle

3. Fold sides into center

4. Roll into a tight log

5. Place in a greased bread pan

6. Cover and refrigerate overnight (12-24 hours)

Baking

1. Preheat oven to 450°F

2. Remove dough from refrigerator

3. Score the top of the loaf

4. Bake covered for 30 minutes

5. Uncover and bake 20-23 more minutes

6. Internal temperature should reach 206-208°F

7. Cool for 1-2 hours before slicing