Perfect Slow Risen Sourdough Recipes

PERFECT SLOW-RISEN SOURDOUGH

Steps:

• Combine sourdough starter, yeast and salt in a large bowl and leave to stand while you measure out the flour.
• After a few minutes, add flour to the sourdough mixture along with the buttermilk or yoghurt, also add the 500 ml of water and stir the dough together using either your hands or the dough attachment for your machine.
• Once the dough has come together, knead for at least 20 minutes by machine, 30 minutes by hand on a well-floured kitchen counter, slowly adding in the extra 100 ml of water as you go if needed. The dough should be wet and sticky, but not unmanageably runny.
• After your kneading time is up,your dough should be quite sticky still but manageable, even by hand. Tear off a small bit of dough, and hold it up to a window or other light source. Then stretch it carefully with your fingers. If you can stretch the dough so far that it becomes see through, you're done. If it tears before reaching that stage, guess what, you've got more kneading to do!
• Once done kneading, put your dough in a lightly oiled bowl and leave it to rise in the fridge for 24 hours.
• After a good, quick 24 hour rest, remove the dough from the fridge and let stand on the kitchen counter for a few hours. While the dough acclimatizes, heat your oven as high as it will go.
• Grab a baking tray, line it with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, then carefully slide the dough onto the tray, divide it in two and carefully nudge it into the shape of two loafs.
• Slide the tray into the center of the hot oven, then immediately decrease the temperature to about 250C.
• Bake for about 20-30 minutes or until the loafs are golden brown, crusty and produce a hollow sound when tapped. For perfect results, use a probe thermometer and pull the loafs when they reach an internal temperature of 99C.
• Allow the loafs to cool to room temperature before cutting thick slices and smearing them with butter and/or quality cheese for one of the best freshly baked experiences you've ever enjoyed.

SLOW, LAZY SOURDOUGH BREAD

Steps:

• Combine starter into water, stirring until starter is fully dispersed.
• Combine salt with flour in the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment, turn on low speed, and slowly add water / starter mixture (see video "Lazy Mixing and Kneading").
• After fully combined, set mixer to medium speed and allow it to knead dough for 3 - 5 minutes until dough is forming a relatively smooth ball around the hook.
• Transfer dough into a mixing bowl or rising bucket and let sit until dough just starts to visibly rise (~ 6 - 8 hours). At this point you may optionally want to perform one or two rounds of stretching and folding (separated by half an hour) to build some strength / tension in the dough. I usually do this, but it's not a hard requirement.
• Keep an eye on the rising dough, checking in with it at least once an hour.
• When it has risen to twice its initial volume (or whenever you feel the bulk proofing has come to a good ending point), prepare a lined proofing basket by flouring the inside and set it aside.
• Moisten a work surface with a small amount of water, moisten your hands, and turn the dough out onto the moist work surface.
• Build tension and shape the dough into your preferred shape (boule, batard, oblong) and then transfer into the proofing basket, cover and place in the refrigerator for 12 - 16 hours. The length of this cold second proof can be stretched to suit your schedule. Shoot for a minimum of 12 hours, but the maximum can be pretty long; 24, 36, maybe even 48 hours would probably be fine.
• When ready to bake, pre-heat oven and baking vessel to 450f.
• Transfer cold dough into pre-heated baking vessel* and score as you like.
• Cover and bake for 30 minutes at 450f.
• Reduce oven temperature to 375f, uncover and bake for an additional 25 minutes.