This is an adaptation of a recipe in King Arthur Flour’s Intermediate Sourdough on-demand course, which I baked in a Brod & Taylor Baking Shell in combination with a baking steel. Lately I have usually retarded shaped dough in the refrigerator and baked first thing in the morning, but this time, since I started early in the morning, I baked it in the same day that I started the dough.
A key step is to have an active healthy sourdough starter. I started refreshing and building my starter two days before I mixed the levain. Another key is to handle the dough gently to avoid unnecessarily degassing it. A last point is that since sourdough starters are slower and less powerful than commercial yeasts it is important not to rush the process. Give the sourdough the time it needs. More time is usually not a problem, but less time can be.
For the Levain
150 g. all-purpose flour (I used King Arthur)
94 g. room temperature water
28 g. active sourdough starter
For the Dough
482 g. room temperature water
630 g. all-purpose flour (I used King Arthur)
53 g. rye or pumpernickel flour (I used King Arthur Rye)
18 g. (1 Tbs.) salt
Timetable
Day 1 Time Cum
1 Mix Levain …………………………………………………………………..0:05 0:05
Ferment Levain overnight ………………………………………….12:00
Day 2
Mix dough ………………………………………………………………………0:05 0:05
Rest …………………………………………………………………………………..0:30 0:35
Knead in stand mixer – medium low…………………………. 0:01 0:36
Rise in greased bowl ……………………………………………………..1:00 1:36
Bowl fold ………………………………………………………………………….0:01 1:38
Rise in greased bowl until soft & puffy ………………………1:00 2:38
Divide and preshape into rounds ………………………………..0:05 2:43
Rest ……………………………………………………………………………………0:20 3:03
Shape into boule or batard ………………………………………….0:05 3:08
Place in refrigerator for overnight rise ……………………….0:01 3:09
Heat oven and baking steel in oven at 475 degrees .0:30 3:39
Score first loaf, put in oven and cover ……………………….0:01 3:40
Bake 20 minutes covered ……………………………………………..0:20 4:00
Bake uncovered ……………………………………………………………..0:15 4:15
Remove from oven ………………………………………………………..0:01 4:16
Score second loaf, put in oven and cover …………………0:01 4:17
Bake 20 minutes covered …………………………………………….0:20 4:37
Bake uncovered …………………………………………………………….0:15 4:52
Remove from oven ……………………………………………………….0:01 4:53
Cool on wire rack before slicing ………………………………..0:30 5:23
In the afternoon/evening of the first day, mix together the levain ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer. Knead and mix until smooth. This is a stiffer levain than in other recipes. Cover the bowl and allow to ferment for about 12 hours.
On the second day, put the levain in the bowl of a stand mixer, with the water and break up the levain thoroughly with your hand. (You want it almost totally dissolved in the water to spread the leaven evenly through the dough.) Add the flours and salt. Mix well with a dough whisk until there is no dry flour. Cover and allow to rest for 30 minutes.
Knead the dough in the stand mixer with a dough hook for 1-1/2 minutes on low. Oil a hand and ball the dough in the bowl to coat it with oil. Cover and allow to ferment for an hour.
With a wet hand, do a bowl fold. (Go around the perimeter of the dough, grabbing it, stretching it, and folding it toward the center.) Allow to ferment for another 1-2 hours until the dough is puffy and soft, but not necessarily doubled.
On a lightly floured surface, divide the dough into two equal pieces. With lightly floured hands form each piece into a ball. Cover and rest for 20 minutes.
Form each dough into a Batard shape. If using a Brod & Taylor baking shell, be careful to keep the dough within 11 inches long. Put each piece on a well floured couch or banneton and cover. Allow to proof for 1 to 2 hours.
30 Minutes before the proofing is done, preheat the oven and a baking steel/stone/combo cooker, etc. at 475 degrees.
If using the baking shell, start on the first loaf. Transfer it gently with floured hands to a piece of baking parchment. Score it with one slash along the length. Put in the oven and cover with the baking shell. Bake covered for 20 minutes and then uncovered for 15 minutes, until the crust is well browned and the interior temperature is at least 190 degrees. Repeat with the second loaf. (To save time, push the first loaf to a side of the baking steel for the uncovered bake and start the covered bake of the second loaf on the other side.
Remove the baked loaves to a wire rack. Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing.