Dutch Oven Sourdough Bread

In a large bowl, add the sourdough starter. Add in water and use a dough whisk or a wooden spoon to stir until dissolved. Stir in the flour and salt until a shaggy looking dough forms. Finish mixing dough by hand in the bowl until all the flour has been absorbed. Cover the bowl with a clean, damp kitchen towel and let the dough rest for 30-45 minutes.

Stretch and fold the dough for 15 seconds, either in the bowl or on a lightly floured surface (see the step-by-step video). If removing it from the bowl, I recommend using a dough scraper to get all the dough from the bowl. Grab the edge of the dough and bring it straight up about 4 inches and tuck it into the center of the dough. Then, turn the dough 1/4 a turn. Continue this process until the dough has come full circle and it has tightened.Return the dough to the bowl, cover with a damp towel (or plastic wrap if you live in a dry area) and let rise at room temperature or a warm area 4-12 hours (see chart in notes) to ferment. Do not refrigerate the dough. The dough should be about double in size and look puffy on the surface and bubbly under the dough when fermented.

Lightly flour your countertop or surface. Pull the dough from the bowl and shape the dough by stretching and folding it again. Then let the dough rest 10 – 15 minutes.Line a medium sized bowl with a towel, or use a banneton bowl with linen cover (see photos), and dust heavily with flour. Let dough rise in it for 45-60 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 450ºF. Do not add your Dutch oven or baking pot to the oven, it does not get preheated.Cover the dough bowl with a long piece of parchment paper, about 20 inches long, and turn it over onto the countertop (see video). Slash the top of the loaf with a lame or sharp serrated knife. Gently lower the parchment paper dough into a heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid. NOTE: If using a Dutch Oven with a dark interior, see recipe notes below.

Place the covered pot in the oven and bake the bread at 450ºF covered for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake 20 minutes. Using oven mitts, carefully remove the bread from the pot. Bake it directly on the oven rack for 5-10 minutes to crisp the exterior (if needed). To ensure your bread is cooked through you can check the internal temperature. It should be 195ºF to 205ºF.

Let cool for at least 1 hour before serving.