8 hour Sourdough bread (2 loaves)

 From Facebook Gale Elm

250 gr active starter

625 gr room temp water

1000 gr flour

25 gr salt.

Mix first two ingredients, add the remaining two and mix well. You can start with danish whisk but you will finish with your hands.

Let sit, covered for 1 hr.

Do 4 sets of stretch and folds, 30 minutes apart. By the 4th stretch, it should no longer be sticky.

Bulk ferment for 2 hours or until you get at least a 75% increase in size.

Flour your counter and top dough out. Cut into 2 pieces.

Shaping:

* Stretch dough into a rectangle.

* Fold bottom to just past the middle and fold down the top to cover the bottom.

* rotate so that the long part goes away from you and roll up. If you are making a loaf, pinch up the ends and place in buttered loaf pan

If you are making boules, take the roll and start to make it round by pushing it away against your hand and using that hand to inch the dough under. Keep moving your dough as you do this and soon you will have a nice boule.

Repeat with second loaf.

Tip each loaf into a floured baneton or proofing basket so that your nice smooth top is at the bottom of your basket.

Proof two hours in the fridge.

Preheat oven to 500°F with your Dutch oven in it.

Tip out your dough onto a sling or parchment paper.

Score the top and put into your Dutch oven and cover it.

Lower temp to 475° and put the bread in the oven for 35 minutes.

Remove lid and lower oven temp to 425°. Cook for 8 minutes more.

Let cool completely before cutting.

I’ve made this bread twice and it was gobbled up almost immediately.

And you can change it to add inclusions like cinnamon and raisins, chocolate chips, cheese and olives, whatever fancies you. Just add them before you fold and roll.