Our 85% Extraction Red Fife Sourdough is suited to the characteristics of this heritage bread flour. Heritage wheats are generally more extensible and less elastic than their modern counterparts and don't benefit from prolonged fermentation times which can allow enzyme activity to break apart proteins, creating even further extensibility. In addition, freshly stoneground flour is high in enzymes. We recommend watching the dough carefully to ensure that bulk fermentation doesn't go too long, and erring on the side of slightly under-proofing the dough to improve structure and oven spring.
This is a 70% hydration dough, however it can be increased to your liking. Once you have read through the recipe and understand the times required in each step you can adjust to suit your schedule.
Makes 2 loaves
Leaven:
2 Tbsp mature starter
100g warm water (24C)
100g EX 85 Red Fife flour
Bread:
200g leaven
700g warm water (24C)
1000g EX 85 Red Fife flour
18g fine sea salt
Day 1 (morning):
Make the Leaven: Discard all but about 2Tbsp of starter. Add 100g of warm water, stir to dissolve starter in water. Add 100g Red Fife flour. Stir to combine, cover and let sit at room temperature 4-5 hours. In should look aerated with tiny bubbles throughout, will have increased in size by about 60 percent, and should be able to float on water. It should also smell sweet, rather than sour.
Mix the dough: Pour the warm water into a large mixing bowl. Add 200g leaven and stir to combine. Add the flour and salt and mix thoroughly. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for 45 minutes.
Bulk fermentation: After the rest, stretch and fold the dough: Using a wet hand, grab the underside of the dough, stretch it up, and fold it back over the rest of the dough. Repeat this 3 or 4 times so that all of the dough gets worked. This is considered 1 turn. Cover, allow to rest 40 minutes and then complete another turn. Repeat until you have done 4 turns. After the 4th turn, cover the dough and allow it to rise until it has increased in size by 20-30 percent, about 1 hour. If your kitchen and dough is cool this final rise time may increase.
Shape and final proof: Using a wet hand, gently turn the dough out onto your bench and divide into 2 equal portions, about 1000g each. Fold the dough in half, and using your bench scraper and damp hand shape the dough into a tight ball, seam side down. Do the same to your second portion of dough. Line 2 9-inch proofing baskets or bowls with clean kitchen towels and sprinkle with a mix of Red Fife flour and whole rice flour. The rice flour acts like ball bearings and will prevent the dough from sticking to the towel or basket. Lightly flour the surface of one dough ball, and then flip it over into the basket or lined bowl so that the seam side of the dough ball is up. Repeat with the second loaf. For additional surface tension, the seam can be pulled tighter and 'stitched together', although this is not necessary. Cover with a kitchen towel and place in the fridge for overnight cold fermentation.
Day 2 (morning):
Put a deep dutch oven/combo cooker in the oven and pre-heat to 500F for half an hour. Just before baking, remove one loaf from the fridge. Remove the base of the dutch oven from the oven and gently transfer your loaf, seam size down, into the shallow base of the dutch oven. Score (cut a slit along the top to direct the expansion of the bread), cover with the deep lid of the dutch oven and put into the oven. Immediately reduce the temperature to 450F and bake for 20 minutes, then remove the lid and bake for another 20 minutes at until deep golden brown. Carefully remove the loaf from the dutch oven and allow to cool on a wire rack. Allow the dutch oven to return to 500F before baking the second loaf.
Updated Nov 5/25 to simplify the method.