Photo of a sourdough

Sourdough

Based on this recipe

  • Prep time: 9 hours
  • Cook time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 1x 900g loaf

Ingredients

  • 500g strong white flour
  • 300g sourdough starter
  • 1 tsp fine salt
  • 1 tbsp malt extract or honey
  • 225ml warm water

Steps

    Prep

    • Add everything into a large mixing bowl, and stir/mix on slow speed until combined. Add a little extra water if it’s too dry.
    • Mix or knead until soft and elastic (10 minutes). The dough is ready when it bounces back when gently pressed with a finger.
    • Leave the dough in a well oiled bowl, covered, to rise for 3 hours. It might not rise much during this time.
    • Line a bowl with a clean, floured tea-towel, or flour a proving basket.
    • Tip the dough out and knead briefly to remove bubbles. Shape into a ball, dust with flour and place into the bowl/basket seam-side up.
    • Leave to prove until doubled in size (~8 hours).

    Baking

    • Put the cast-iron pan in the oven and preheat to 210℃.
    • Add a small roasting tin of water at the bottom of the oven, to create steam.
    • When preheated, carefully tip the dough onto baking paper and place in the cast-iron.
    • Make deep slashes in the top of the loaf.
    • Bake for ~35 minutes until deep brown and hollow-sounding.
    • Remove and allow to cool.