Sourdough bread

Sourdough

Place the starter culture in a bowl, combine with the flour and water, cover and leave to rise at room temperature for approx. 8 hrs. or overnight.

Starter dough

Pour the water into the sourdough, mix. Add the flour, knead into a moist dough, cover and leave to rise at room temperature for approx. 30 mins. Combine the salt and water, knead into the dough. Using a food processor, knead for approx. 10 mins. on a low setting, leave to rise again at room temperature for approx. 1½ hrs.

Folding & rising

Ease four sides of the dough away from the edge of the bowl using a dough scraper, pull upwards in the bowl and allow to fall in the middle. Cover and leave to rise again at room temperature for approx. 20 mins. Repeat this step three more times.

Cover the dough and leave to rise again at room temperature for approx. 3 hrs.

To bake

Place the cooking pot (incl. lid) in the lower half of a cold oven. Preheat the oven to 240°C. Remove the pot. Separate the dough from the edges using a dough scraper, transfer to the pot, dust with a little flour, score crosswise with a sharp knife, cover and bake for approx. 30 mins. Remove the lid and cook for a further 15 mins. Take the pot out of the oven, remove the bread from the pot, leave to cool on a rack.