Ingredients
- 3 ½ cups (450g) Bread flour (plus extra for dusting)
- ½ cup (50g) Whole wheat flour
- 1 ½ cups (350ml) Warm water
- ½ cup (100g) Active, bubbly sourdough starter
- 2 tsp (10g) Fine sea salt
Instructions
- Mix the Dough: In a large bowl, whisk together warm water and active starter until dissolved. Add the bread flour and whole wheat flour, stirring until a shaggy dough forms with no dry spots. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes (autolyse).
- Add Salt & Build Strength: Sprinkle the sea salt over the dough. Perform 4 sets of stretch-and-folds over 2 hours (one set every 30 minutes) by grabbing the edge of the dough, stretching it upward, and folding it over the center while rotating the bowl.
- Bulk Fermentation: Cover the bowl and let the dough rise at room temperature until it expands by about 50–70% and shows visible air bubbles on top.
- Shape & Cold Proof: Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gently shape into a smooth round boule by pulling the dough toward you to create surface tension. Dust a banneton proofing basket (or a towel-lined bowl) heavily with flour, place the loaf inside seam-side up, and cover. Refrigerate overnight for 12–16 hours.
- Preheat: Place a Dutch oven with its lid inside your oven and preheat to 450°F (230°C) for 45 minutes.
- Score the Loaf: Turn the cold dough out onto parchment paper. Dust the surface with flour. Using a razor or lame:
- Cut a deep curved slit across one half of the loaf at a 45° angle (this forms the “ear”).
- On the other half, make small, shallow diagonal nicks straight down to form decorative wheat stalk patterns.
- Bake: Carefully drop the loaf (with parchment paper) into the hot Dutch oven. Cover with the lid and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the lid, lower temperature to 400°F (200°C), and bake for another 20–25 minutes until the crust is deep golden-brown and blistered.
- Cool & Serve: Let the loaf cool completely on a wire rack for at least 1–2 hours before slicing into it to preserve the open, pillowy interior crumb.
