Union Sourdough Bread Recipe

Baking Instructions

1. 1

   Mixing the Dough

   In a large bowl, combine the bread flour and salt. In a separate bowl, mix the sourdough starter with the water until well combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until a shaggy dough forms.

2. 2

   Autolyse

   Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and let it rest for about 30 minutes. This allows the flour to hydrate and gluten to begin developing.

3. 3

   Kneading

   After the autolyse, knead the dough in the bowl for about 5-10 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic. If the dough is too sticky, you can add a little more flour, but be careful not to add too much.

4. 4

   Bulk Fermentation

   Cover the bowl and let the dough rise at room temperature for about 4-6 hours, or until it has doubled in size. Every hour, perform a stretch and fold by grabbing one side of the dough, stretching it up, and folding it over itself. Repeat this for all four sides.

5. 5

   Pre-shaping

   Once the dough has doubled, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Pre-shape the dough into a round ball and let it rest for 20-30 minutes.

6. 6

   Final Shaping

   After resting, shape the dough into your desired loaf shape (round or oval). Place it seam-side up in a floured banneton or seam-side down in a floured bowl.

7. 7

   Final Rise

   Cover the dough and let it rise for another 2-4 hours at room temperature, or overnight in the refrigerator for a slower fermentation.

8. 8

   Baking

   Preheat your oven to 450°F (232°C) with a Dutch oven inside. Once preheated, carefully transfer the dough to the Dutch oven, cover it, and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes until the bread is golden brown.

9. 9

   Cooling

   Once baked, carefully remove the bread from the Dutch oven and let it cool on a wire rack for at least an hour before slicing.