How to make all-purpose flour sourdough bread with pretty scoring pattern
This all-purpose flour sourdough bread has a beautiful scoring pattern. It is an everyday bread. This no-knead sourdough boule has a crispy crust and a chewy flavorful interior.
Ingredients
- 412 grams All-purpose flour
- 38 grams Vital wheat gluten
- 75 grams Ripe Starter
- 10 grams Salt
- 340 grams Water
Instructions
- Start by activating the starter: Feed the starter and make sure that it is ripe and bubbling before starting with the bread.
- Autolyse:° Add vital wheat gluten to the all-purpose flour and mix well. Now add the measured quantity of water. Retain about 1 ounce of water. °Using the back of a wooden ladle just combine the flour and water till no dry flour is left. °Clean the flour stuck to the sides of the bowl by a wet hand and cover the bowl with a cling wrap or a kitchen towel. Let it rest for an hour.
- Add the starter and salt: °Spread the starter over the dough. °Now using the tip of your fingers push the starter into the dough. Keep poking the dough with the fingers of both hands for about half a minute. °Then add salt to the retained water and spread over the dough. Repeat the poking process for another minute with slightly wet fingers.
- Stretching and Folding: °Now start from a side away from you, stretch the dough from on side, lifting it upwards and bring it towards yourself and fold it under the opposite side of the dough. Slightly turn the bowl about 45 degrees and again reach under the dough with wet fingers stretch upwards and fold under the opposite side. Keep repeating until you are satisfied that the starter has been well incorporated. °Ideally, a full circle of 5-6 stretches and folds should suffice. It should take about a minute or so. Now let the dough rest for about 35 minutes.°After 35 minutes repeat the stretching and folding. Let rest for another 35 minutes. °Repeat this 3 more times till you can stretch the dough without breaking. °Before the final stretch and fold, the dough should have retained a mild dome structure. °Do the windowpane test and if the dough passes the test stop folding and stretching. ( ideally, 4 sessions should suffice. In case it does not, give another stretch and fold)
- Bulk rise: °Cover the dough and leave it for bulk rising in a warm and humid corner of your kitchen. °It should become fuller and increase in volume ( about twice the initial volume). °It could take 2-6 hours depending on the ambient temperature. °Do the poke test. If the dough bounces back slowly on poking leaving behind an indentation. It is ready to be shaped.
- Shaping: °Take out the bulk risen dough on to a flour-dusted work surface. Stretch the dough in opposite directions using both hands making two wings. °Then bring these stretched ends towards the center and tuck them in the center one over other. Pick the bottom edge to roll towards the center and keep rolling all the way to the top till the dough has eventually flipped over with the seam facing down.° Let it bench rest in this position for 15 minutes before final shaping.°For final shaping flip over the rested dough so that the seam side faces up. Now gather the sides and bring them towards the center. Tuck the left side to the middle and the right side on the left side. Grab the bottom and tuck over the right side in the middle. Now similarly grab the top edge and tuck over the bottom flap in the middle of the boule. Now use a bench scraper to lift the dough and flip over.°Hold the dough using the fingers of both hands away from your body and gently drag it towards you, building the tension on the outer surface. Rotate the dough and repeat till a firm and evenly round boule is formed.
- Final proofing: °Dust the top of the dough with flour. Place a bench scraper under and flip the shaped dough into a flour-dusted proofing basket. °Cover with a kitchen towel and let it proof overnight in the refrigerator (8-10 hours).°Make a gentle poke into the dough, if it bounces back slowly leaving an indent, it is ready to go into the oven.
- Scoring the pattern on sourdough bread and Baking: °Preheat the oven to 500 0F with the Dutch oven inside.°Flip the dough on to a parchment paper. °Give a gentle spray of water and dust evenly with flour. Use your hands to gently spread it evenly on the dough. °Using a thread makes 4 crisscross lines across the dough. °Then, score holding a scoring blade/ lame at 45 degrees angel to create 8 even wheat stalks.°Pull out the Dutch oven and transfer the dough by lifting it with the parchment paper into it. Carefully put it back in the oven.°Bake for 20 minutes and then remove the lid of the Dutch oven and reduce the temperature to 450 0 F. Bake for another 20 minutes.
- Slicing and storage: °Remove from the oven and let the bread cool for 45 minutes before slicing.°Using a bread knife, slice the bread into half or quarters depending on your choice.°Store the leftover bread at room temperature by wrapping it in kitchen towels. It will keep fresh for 4-5 days. °For prolonged storage transfer to a freezer-safe bag and put it in the freezer.
Notes
- Drop test: Use it to check if the starter is ripe. Into a small bowl take cold water. Now, add a drop of the starter. If the drop of starter floats, it's ready.
- Windowpane Test: Use it to determine whether the dough is ready to be shaped. It confirms the optimum gluten development. Using both hands hold the dough between your first two fingers and respective thumbs. Stretch them in opposite directions till it forms a thin translucent dough window pane. If the dough does not tear while doing so, it is ready. And if it tears apart easily, consider performing another round of stretch and fold.
- Poke test: Use it to determine if the dough has proofed enough.If the dough bounces back slowly on poking leaving behind an indentation. It is ready.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition Info
Nutrition
Calories: 241kcal
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