Let me start by saying it has taken over a month of making different recipes to finally get a loaf to rise correctly. Apparently, I tried to make bread with my starter before it had the proper amount of time to create the right amount of yeast bacteria. Even though the starter would bubble and rise in the jar, it still needed to be fed daily for 2 more weeks before using it. I did make it from scratch and certainly underestimated how long it would take to become a good starter.
You can see that the starter is finally acting like it should. Once you see what it should look like, you know the dough will rise properly when baking.
Sourdough Bread Recipe:
226 g (1 cup) filtered water
339 g (2 1/4 cups) bread flour
120 g (1/2 cup) active sourdough starter
9 g (1 1/2 tsp.) salt
I did not measure the inclusions, but just eyeballed it, not using too much.
I mix the starter with the correct amount of filtered water before adding the flour. The dough will be shaggy and sticky. I knead it in the bowl for 5 minutes or so to form a dough ball. Then it rests covered for 30 minutes.
It's time to start the six rounds of stretch and folds every 20-30 minutes. Patience is the key when making sourdough bread.
Every time you do this process, the dough builds strength and a strong gluten network. You know the dough is ready when you can gently stretch the dough between your fingers into a thin membrane without tearing; you know it has built up enough gluten.
Once you reach this stage, let the dough rest in a covered bowl in a warm spot until it rises at least 40%. If you look closely, you can see where it has doubled, and small pockets of air bubbles are forming on the surface of the dough.
For this bread, I chose to add green olives, fried garlic bits, basil salt, and cheddar cheese for the inclusions. I laid the dough out and gently pulled it into a long rectangle, and spread some of the ingredients onto the dough.
Then you gently fold each long side towards the middle, then begin rolling the dough into a log.
Once shaped, it goes into a floured banneton so the dough doesn't stick when removing it. I pinched the ends of the loaf and down the middle to secure the inclusions.
The dough is covered with Saran Wrap and placed into a Ziploc bag to continue to proof overnight in the refrigerator. This is called cold proofing.
On day two, it is time to bake. First, the Dutch oven needs to be heated for a good 45 minutes in a 450°F oven to ensure it is hot enough before gently placing the dough in it.
Once the Dutch oven is hot, it's time to carefully turn the dough out onto a sheet of parchment. Using a sharp knife or lame, slice the dough about a 1/4" deep down the middle. This creates a weak point in the loaf, allowing steam to escape and the bread to rise during baking.
The bread bakes for 30 minutes with the cover on the Dutch oven, then uncovered for 10 - 15 minutes depending on how dark you like the crust to come out. My oven runs a little hot, so the bread browned more than I would have preferred.
This loaf came out perfect, and surprisingly it tasted really good.
Since this bread did so well, I have made four different ones with different inclusions. I will share them at a later date. Have you tried making sourdough bread, and how long did it take you to get a successful loaf?