🥛 Starter
Take a jar that can hold about 0.5 - 1 liter and mix 2 dl flour 🌾 and 2 dl water 💧 together with an unwashed grated apple with peel (from garden works best) and a teaspoon of honey. Let it sit for 24-48 hours in a warm place until it starts to increase in volume and begins to bubble properly like foam on beer.
If you don’t see bubbles after 24 hours, you can add 0.5 dl wheat flour 🌾 and 0.5 dl water 💧 and let it sit for another 24 hours. For a more stable starter, feed daily for 5-7 days before refrigerator storage: remove half, add 1 dl flour + 1 dl water, repeat daily. The starter is ready when it doubles in 4-8 hours after feeding.
Once you have a working sourdough starter, store it in the fridge until the day before you want to bake next time.
👨🏻🍳 Baking
📖 Timeline
- 20:00 Preparation: Feed the sourdough with 1 dl flour 🌾 and 1 dl water 💧 the night before and place in warm spot overnight ==(Starter)==
- 07:00 Start: In the morning mix 4 dl flour 🌾 and 2.5 dl water 💧 and let sit at room temperature with cloth cover ==(Autolyse)==
- 08:00 After 1 hour add 1 tsp salt 🧂 and 1 dl sourdough starter 🥛 and fold together. For better flavor development you can try 1-1.5 dl starter instead (gives longer fermentation time)
- 08:30 Every 30 minutes fold and let sit for 30 minutes × 4 times ==(Stretch and fold)==
- 10:30 After 2 hours let the dough sit and ferment for 2 hours ==(Bulk rise)==. Ideal temperature: 21-24°C - warmer = faster, cooler = longer time. Dough is ready when it’s airy and nearly doubled
- 12:30 After 2 hours shape the dough ==(Shaping)== and let it sit and proof for 30 minutes ==(Proofing)==. Can take 1-4 hours depending on temperature. Poke test: press gently - should spring back slowly. For example in a cast iron pot as you get free steam. Use parchment paper in pot to prevent bread from sticking, or sprinkle cornmeal/semolina in bottom. Alternative: proof dough in bowl and transfer to hot pot just before baking. Dust dough with flour to be able to handle it. Preheat oven to 250°C
- 13:00 After 30 minutes put dough in oven and bake: 20 min with lid at 250°C, then 20-30 min without lid at 200°C ==(Baking)==. For extra steam: wet towel in oven or ice cubes on hot pan