Amy's Super Simple Sourdough

The Evening Before:

1. Using a spatula, mix together; your starter (however much you're maintaining), 200g water, and 200g all-purpose flour in a large bowl.
2. Cover loosely and let it rest overnight at room temperature (12 hours). (TIP: I use a damp tea towel topped with a metal or glass pot lid)

Day 1:

• Morning:
  1. IMPORTANT: Save 30g of starter from your large mixing bowl for future use (store in a jar with a loose-fitting lid)
  2. In the bowl, combine 700g water, 20g salt, and any discard you have (this is a great way to use your discard, it just makes your loaves a little bigger:).
  3. Add 1000g bread flour and mix it all together well. Let it rest in a warm spot (75-80°F).
  4. Do 4 coil folds (or your preferred folding method) every 15 minutes. (YES! you can knock out all of your folds in one hour and then ignore it all day.)
  5. Cover with a damp cloth and let it sit on the counter until evening.

• Evening:
  1. Flour your hands and bench scraper.
  2. Shape your dough
  3. Turn the dough over, placing the bottom seam at the top.
  4. Carefully place the dough into a banneton (you can stitch it if you like).
  5. Cover with a loose-fitting lid and place in the fridge for an overnight cold proof.

Day 2:

1. Remove the dough from the fridge and carefully turn it out onto parchment paper.
2. Score the dough about ¼”-½” deep at a 30-45 degree angle.
3. IMPORTANT TIP: Be Careful, the first time I baked a loaf I grabbed the pre-heated lid with my bare hands- tough way to learn.
4.  Preheat your oven to 500°F.  CAREFULLY lower your dough (holding onto the parchment paper) into a preheated baking vessel (like a Dutch oven)
5.  Place three ice cubes into the Dutch oven, but make sure they fall underneath the parchment paper. If the ice cubes are on top of the parchment paper, they could make the bread wet, which you want to avoid. 
6. CAREFULLY add lid to Dutch Oven.
7. Bake at 500°F for 20 minutes, then remove the lid and lower the oven to 450°F.
8. Bake for another 20 minutes, checking that the internal temperature reaches 205-210°F (96-99°C).
9. Let the bread cool for 1-2 hours before slicing. 

Enjoy!-Amy 

Questions?