24 Hour Sourdough

24 Hour* Sourdough Loaf

Makes: 1 loaf

Takes: 24 hours

Active hands on time: 2 hours

Baking time: 55 minutes

Notes on starting your sourdough starter:

The most important part of making a sourdough loaf is having a really active starter. My first few attempts at sourdough this year failed, as my starter just wasn't active enough. Once I switched to making a rye flour starter, I've had an active starter since.

• You'll need to use a clean pint sized mason jar to house your starter.
• You'll want to feed your starter every 24 hours, at approximately the same time each day.
• Store your starter on your kitchen counter for at least the first five days.
• Always use equal parts by weight, flour and water to start and to feed you starter.
• When feeding your starter, you always want to add more flour/water then there is starter. Most people do this by discarding some of the starter in the jar from the previous day, before feeding it. 
• Your starter should be at least five days old before attempting your first loaf.
• Feed your starter between 5 and 8 hours before you want to start your bread (this is included in my 24 hour sourdough method). 
• Your starter should double in size before using it.  
• Once you've grow an active and mature starter, you can store it in the fridge for up to 14 days between feedings. 

Notes on making your first loaf:

• Sourdoughs are best baked in a Dutch Oven pot with a tight fitting lid which will create steam for the dough when baking. 
• Remove lid after 30 minutes of baking which allows the bread to darken up and form a hard crust.
• Bake with an oven fan on, on or near your ovens highest temperature. I typically bake my at 475°F
• Always let your loaf cool for at least an hour or two before cutting into it. 

Ingredients: 

• 150 g strong sourdough starter
• 350 g water
• 500 g flour
• 11 g sea salt 

Method: 

First Day 

9:30 am - Remove starter from fridge and feed. I typically discard down to about 20 g starter and add 75 g water, 75 g rye flour. This will make your 150g of sourdough starter. Leave on counter.

3:15 pm - In a large bowl, weigh out 500g flour. In a separate measuring cup, measure out 350g water. Add 150g starter to water; if your starter is active, it should float. Your sourdough jar will be left with about 20 g of starter, give it a feed and leave on the counter for one hour before returning to the fridge until your next use. 

Mix starter into water and add into flour. Mix for one minute with one hand until a sticky dough forms. All flour should be combined. You don't want any dry flour patches. Cover and rest for one hour.

4:20 pm - Measure out your sea salt and sprinkle onto dough. Mix salt into dough and scrap dough out onto a clean and dry work surface. Do not be tempted to add addition flour to the dough or work surface. The dough will stick to your work surface which is fine. Use a bench scraper to help bring it back together. You'll need to strengthen your dough, with the "slap & fold" method. Which will require you to work your dough for about 5 - 7 minutes, by pulling it up, slapping it down on the counter, and folding it over itself, then picking the dough up with a 90-degree turn and repeating the process until the dough comes together and stops sticking to the counter. You may need to use a bench scraper to bring the dough back together a few times. After you've done the strengthening method, your dough should be tightening up and forming a ball. Use your bench scraper to pick up the dough and put it back into the bowl you used earlier. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, beeswax wrap, or a towel and let rest for an hour. 

5:30 pm - Now it's time to give your dough some folds. To fold the dough, I like to think of these as 

N-E-S-W folds. Pick up the north side of the dough folding it to the south, next pick up the east side folding it to the west, south up to north and west to east. Now rest the dough for one hour. You'll want to repeat this process by giving it two more folds, resting the dough for an hour each time. Be sure to cover the dough after each fold. 

8:30 pm - By now, you've folded the dough three times, and it has just rested for an hour. The dough should have risen and be pillowy when gently jiggled. If it's not, give it a fourth fold and let is rest another hour. Once your dough reaches the pillowy stage, it's time to shape the dough.

Find a bowl or colander about the size of your dough or use a proving basket if you have one. Grab a clean and flat cotton tea towel and give it a generous coating of flour or rice flour. I something sprinkle a few rolled oats in as well, for fear of the towel sticking to the dough the next morning. It has happened. Have both ready and waiting for your shaped dough. 

Next, lightly flour a clean and dry work surface and tip your dough out, making sure it comes out in one piece. Move the dough around to make sure it has a light coating of flour on the bottom and sides, and that it isn't sticking to the work surface. Wet your hands with cold water to avoid sticking. Keeping with the N-E-S-W method from earlier, fold east to the centre, then west to the centre. Next, roll south up to north, making sure to be gentle with the dough. Pinch the seam together. Gently pick up your dough ball and place it on your prepared tea towel, seam side up, sprinkle lightly with flour. Pick up the tea towel by the corners and place it in you proving vessel. Check to make just the dough isn't sticking to the towel, then fold the towel corners over the dough and leave to rest for one hour. 

9:45 pm - Enclose your wrapped up dough in a plastic bag, and put it in the fridge for the night. 

Second Day

6:30 am - Take the dough out of the fridge, and remove it from its plastic bag, but keep it in its proving vessel wrapped up. Leave it on the counter to rest for two hours. 

7:50 am -  Turn your oven on to heat up. This time will vary, depending how long your oven needs to get up to 475 °F. Place your Dutch Oven in the oven to heat up as well.

8:30 am - Unwrap the tea towel; there should be some gas bubbles trapped in the dough when you gently poke it. Get a piece of parchment paper ready, large enough to house your dough. Remove the Dutch Oven, using caution as it will be very hot. Gently tip dough out of the tea towel, onto the parchment, making sure to flip it so the seem is on the bottom. Grab a sharp knife and slash your dough in one quick motion on the top of your dough. This will help your dough "spring up" and release steam inside the Dutch Oven. Pick it up using the parchment and place it in the Dutch Oven. Cover with the lid and place it in the oven. Bake with the lid on for 30 minutes.  

9:00 am - Remove lid, and quickly return dough to oven. Bake for 20 - 25 more minutes; this will darken and harden up the crust. 

9:25 am - Remove dough from oven. If your oven runs hot or cool, adjust this finally baking time by five minutes either way. Make sure to let you loaf cool on a rack for at least two hours before cutting into it.

That's it! I hope this method helps in your sourdough journey. This method works for me, you may find you'll need to adjust things for your baking lifestyle. If you don't succeed, don't give up! I've had many of failed loaves. What works for me in my kitchen environment and with my ingredients may turn up differently for you. 

Good luck!