The whole ceremony: active starter, folds instead of kneading, an overnight cold proof, and a thunderous oven with steam. A weekend well spent.
100 g
🍞 Sourdough Starter ›
active and doubled
350 ml
💧 Sparkling Water ›
still water, 350 g
Mise en place
Before you start
Yield: One large boule
Prep checklist
Sourdough Starter — active and doubled
Sparkling Water — still water, 350 g
Mix flours and water; rest 45 minutes (autolyse). Add starter and salt; squeeze through until unified.
Four sets of stretch-and-folds over 2 hours: grab an edge, stretch, fold over, quarter-turn, repeat. The dough transforms from shaggy to silken.
💡
Folds build the same gluten as kneading with a tenth of the work and none of the mess.
Bulk ferment until pillowy and ~60% risen (2–4 more hours), shape into a taut boule, and cold-proof in a floured basket overnight in the fridge.
Bake from cold in a preheated Dutch oven at 250°C: 20 minutes lidded (the trapped steam is the oven-spring engine), then 20–25 uncovered at 230°C to a deep chestnut crust. Cool 1 hour minimum — cutting hot bread collapses the crumb.
Taste before serving and adjust salt and acid — the last 30 seconds of seasoning matter more than any single ingredient.
Afterwards
Keep, reheat & pair
Storage
Refrigerate up to 3 days.
Freezing
Depends on the vegetable — roasted things reheat better than they freeze.
Reheating
Roasted vegetables re-crisp in a 200°C oven for 6–8 minutes; mashes loosen with a splash of warm milk over low heat.
Make ahead
Blanch or par-roast ahead, then finish with high heat just before serving.
Wine pairing
Follows the main.
Beer pairing
Follows the main.
On the plate
Serve it with
Sides
·
This is the side — pick a main.
When it goes sideways
Troubleshooting
Dense and flat. Starter wasn't at peak, or bulk fermentation was cut short. The dough should feel airy and jiggle before shaping.
Spread instead of rose. Under-shaped: build more surface tension when shaping, and proof in a basket for support.
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