This is an easy artisan sourdough bread that you start mixing in the morning and then baked in a cast-iron Dutch oven for the best results of a perfect crust and chewy interior.
The ingredients for this easy sourdough artisan bread recipe are mixed, kneaded in a stand mixer, and left to rise with minimal extra steps. The crispy crust and delicious soft interior come from using a cast-iron Dutch oven.
The best way to make this bread recipe is to use a stand mixer, but you can make it by hand - you will just have to work a little more.
Mediterranean Gourmet Tips:
New sourdough starters typically do not make the best bread, as it needs time to strengthen and grow and to be able to rise bread. It may work if you are doing a lot of feedings, but it usually takes a few weeks or months for the starter to be strong enough to raise bread.
How do I know it is ready? If your starter can double in less than 6 hours, it is strong enough to raise bread.
I usually mark the jar of my starter with a grease pencil. You can also use a piece of tape or rubber bands that can help you determine before and after to see if it's doubled.
The timing of sourdough bread can be tricky to figure out initially, but I help the sourdough starter with fresh instant yeast as a booster, although my starter is strong enough. It helps with the timing and to cut down the overall time.
Although you will have the best results using a Dutch oven, you can still get great results without one. Substitute some type of pot with a heavy lid.
Without the Dutch oven, you will need to create some steam to get the great crust we all love. You can put a pan with water on the bottom rack of your oven to heat while the bread is baking, or spray the dough with water right before you place your bread into a preheated hot oven to see which you like and which works best. Alternatively, you can try a deep lid that can fit over the dough and allow it to rise or even aluminum foil over the top of the bread by creating a tent.
Use good flour. I like to use Einkorn flour for the best healthy options, which is derived from the oldest wheat known to scientists and is considered man's first wheat. The nutty flavor is delicious and one of the best types of wheat for your health. Try and use the best wheat you can find and afford.
Use a proofing basket to give your artisanal bread the extra special fancy treatment. Although optional, a proofing basket lends support and shape to the dough, which helps ensure you can both cut the dough a bit easier ('scoring') and that the bread can open nicely during baking. The fancy designs are a nice touch as well!
Always use a good, serrated knife to cut the bread to ensure it slices evenly and adequately.
If you would like to have this sourdough artisan bread ready for an evening dinner:
1. Feed the sourdough starter the night before you want to bake the bread.
2. Start making the bread recipe the following day in the morning.
3. Let the dough rise until the afternoon before baking the bread and allowing it to cool in time for dinner.
Sourdough Artisan Bread
Prep Time: 15 mins
Rising Time: 4 hours
Cook Time: 30 mins
Total Time: 6 hours
Yield: Makes 1 loaf
Ingredients
3+ cups (360-400 gr) einkorn wheat flour, white whole wheat, whole wheat, unbleached, or a combo
1 ¼ cups (300 ml) warm water*
3/4 cup (175 ml) active sourdough starter
1 teaspoon (7 gr) fresh instant yeast (optional)
1 tablespoon (15 ml) honey** (optional)
1 ½ teaspoons (10 gr) salt
Directions
Mix all the ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer (or large mixing bowl) until just combined and let sit for 15 minutes.
Knead the dough for about 5 minutes in the stand mixer using a dough hook. If making by hand, knead the dough for about 8 to 10 minutes until the dough is silky and smooth. (TIP: You can add a bit more flour as needed, but just a little. You are trying to create a dough that is still clinging to the bottom of the bowl but also clearing the upper part of the bowl. The dough should be tacky but not sticking to your fingers.)
Transfer the kneaded dough to a medium-sized bowl, lightly coated with olive oil. Cover with plastic (or a fancy shower cap, in my case) and let rise for 2 hours, turning and folding the dough once or twice.
Remove dough, turn and fold again, and place it back in the bowl, seam-side up, or into a pre-floured proofing basket, if using one. Let rise for another 2 hours.
After the second rise, place a square of parchment paper on a cookie sheet or your cooking area, and sprinkle the dough with flour. Gently shape the dough into a ball or oval and set it on the parchment. Ensure there's a good coating of flour on the top of your shaped dough, making slicing the top later easier.
To Bake with a Dutch Oven:
While the shaped dough is resting, insert an empty cast-iron Dutch oven into a cold oven and turn heat to 450°F (230°C) (alternately, you can use a baking stone), and set the timer for 45 minutes.
When the timer goes off, slash the top of the loaf with a serrated knife or bread lame (in 2-3 places) and transfer the dough into the hot Dutch oven (or stone) by holding the edges of the parchment paper and gently lowering the dough into the Dutch oven. The bread will bake while on the parchment paper.
Replace the hot lid and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the cover and continue baking for another 10 minutes until golden brown.
Remove the baked bread to a wire rack to cool at least 30 minutes before cutting. It will smell delicious, and I know you want to cut right into it like I always want to create a delivery mechanism for fresh butter, but wait 30 minutes to help the bread stabilize.
To Bake without a Dutch Oven:
After shaping the loaf on the parchment paper, place either a baking stone, a cast-iron skillet, or a cookie sheet into a cold oven and preheat to 450°F (230°C).
To create steam: The secret to the great crust is creating some steam (that's what the Dutch oven does by trapping the steam): place a pan with water on the bottom rack of the oven to heat while the stone heats or spray the dough with water right before putting in the hot oven to bake.
Baking: Slash the dough and use the parchment paper corners to transfer the dough to your hot stone and bake 15 minutes, turn the dough halfway, and then bake until done, another 15 to 20 minutes.
Remove the baked bread to a wire rack to cool at least 30 minutes before cutting. It will smell delicious, and I know you want to cut right into it like I always want to create a delivery mechanism for fresh butter, but wait 30 minutes to help the bread stabilize.
Variations: If you want to add things to your bread like chopped herbs or olives, knead them into the dough at step 2.
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