568gramsRipe Sourdough StarterCheck out this post to make a sourdough starter.
340gramsWhole Wheat Flourwhite or red whole wheat, your choice
284gramsAll-Purpose Flour
368gramswatertemperature to be determined
18gramssalt
28gramsmolasses or maple syrup
Get Recipe Ingredients
Instructions
Determine Water Temperature
Take the temperature of your room, flour, and sourdough starter. Add these together. For example:Room temperature: 70Flour temperature: 66Sourdough temperature: 68Friction temperature: 0, because we're kneading by hand= 204
You want your combined dough to be in a range of 75-78 degrees (75 degrees ferments slower, 78 degrees faster). Take your desired temperature and multiply by 4 (because we have four variables, room, flour, sourdough, and friction temps). For example:78 x 4 = 312
Subtract combined temperatures from desired temperature. This is the water temperature you want. For example:312 - 204 = 108°F water needed
Make Dough
Put sourdough starter in a large bowl. Add flours, salt, and molasses/maple syrup. Pour in almost all the water, but reserve some for adjusting the dough in a bit, if necessary.
Mix together. You are looking for a wet, sticky dough. Add some of the reserved water if it's too dry. Let it rest in the bowl 15 minutes to hydrate the bran.
Knead
Use slap and fold method to knead the dough and develop the gluten. about 5-10 minutes. Do not add any flour to counter or dough. It should firm up and become smooth. Form into a ball.
Ferment
Put dough back into mixing bowl. Cover and place in warm location for 2 hours.
After 1 hour, do a fold. Cover and continue fermentation.
Pre-Shape
Divide the dough into two loaves. Shape into boules.
Leave on counter, covered with towel, 20 minutes.
Prepare proofing basket or bowl. Sprinkle banneton with AP flour or line a medium-sized bowl or basket with a towel and sprinkle with AP flour.
Proof
Shape into boules. Place them in prepared bannetons, baskets, or bowls.
If baking the same day, cover and place in a warm spot until risen and jiggly, about 1½-2 hours.
If baking the next day, cover and place in the refrigerator overnight.
Baking
Preheat oven to 500°F
If using an electric oven, bake on pizza stone, preheated to 500°. (If don't have a pizza stone, use gas oven method)Position pizza stone in center of oven. Position another rack below pizza stone to hold a cast iron pan.Bring some water to a boil. Turn risen boule out onto parchment, or a cookie sheet or pizza peel with a slight amount of flour to keep it from sticking. Slash top as desired.Slide dough onto heated stone. Pour 1/2 cup boiling water into cast iron pan and put on rack beneath pizza stone (water will evaporate out in 15 minutes).Bake 500° for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 400° and bake 20 minutes more, until crusty and golden. Remove from oven and cool.
If using a gas oven or don't have a pizza stone, place Dutch oven with lid on in cold oven and preheat to 500°. Turn risen boule out onto parchment . Slash top as desired.Carefully remove hot lid from Dutch oven and use parchment paper to move boule into the pot. Put lid back on. Bake 500° for 15 minutes. Remove lid and check. If you see color on the top of the boule, keep lid off, reduce heat to 400° and bake 20 minutes more, until crusty and golden. If no color yet, bake 5 minutes longer with lid on, then remove lid, reduce heat to 400° and bake 15-20 minutes longer, until crusty and golden.Remove from oven and cool.