Sourdough Loaf

Instructions

1. 1

   In your metal or glass mixing bowl — no plastic — add your starter and water; mix until milky white. Add flour and salt; mix by hand or with a wooden spoon until the mixture is very shaggy but most of the flour is mixed in.

   Pro tip — Marc: use your starter at its peak — you get a better spring, a "pop" on your scores, after the bake. No starter yet? Marc’s is at warmly.us/recipes/sourdough-starter.

2. 2

   Cover with a damp towel for 1 hour.

3. 3

   With the dough bowl directly in front of you, dip your fingers into water, then slide them under one edge of the dough, down to the bottom of the bowl — start at 12:00, the top. Pull that section of dough up, stretch it over the center, and press it down into the dough to help hold it in place. Turn your bowl a quarter turn and repeat the stretch and fold 4 times round. Cover the bowl and rest 20 minutes.

4. 4

   Continue the stretch-and-fold process 3 more times, every 60 minutes. You should be able to stretch further with each pull.

5. 5

   Lightly flour your work space; pull the dough out and shape it into a ball. Oil a clean bowl, place your dough ball in it, and cover 4 to 6 hours.

6. 6

   The ball should have a nice spring to it now. Turn it out on your floured surface and shape into a loaf.

7. 7

   Line a bowl or banneton with a clean, floured kitchen towel and place your loaf in it, seam side up. Cover with a clean towel and refrigerate overnight.

8. 8

   Place your dutch oven into the oven and preheat to 500°F. Let the oven preheat a full hour with the dutch oven in it.

9. 9

   Turn your loaf out onto the middle of a large piece of parchment. With your bread lame, score your loaf. Pick up the edges of the parchment and lower it into the heated dutch oven. Add 6 ice cubes behind the paper and cover quickly to create steam.

10. 10

    Bake 20 minutes, then reduce to 450°F. Remove the lid and bake another 20 minutes, until golden brown. Internal temp between 195 and 205°F.

    Pro tip — That lid is VERY hot — mitts, and mind where you set it down.

11. 11

    Let cool on a rack before slicing.