Starter-Along Sourdough Bread Recipe | Bread Baking

1. Put the prepared starter, flour, and water into the bowl of your stand mixer. (You can also do this by hand—it doesn't require a lot of kneading.) If you're using a stand mixer, knead with the dough hook until the mixture becomes elastic, just a few minutes, then add the salt and oil and knead until combined. Turn dough out onto your work surface and knead by hand until the mixture is elastic.

2. You have your choice of baking today or tomorrow. If you want to give this an overnight rest, drizzle the dough with olive oil and put it into a plastic bag. Let it rest in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, remove from the refrigerator, give it a little massage in the bag, and let it come up to room temperature, about 2 hours, then continue with step 4.

3. To bake today, form the dough into a ball, drizzle with olive oil, and place it into a bowl to rise until doubled, 2 to 3 hours.

4. Remove the dough from the bowl (or plastic bag) and gently form it into your desired shape. Place it seam-side down on a baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise until doubled, 1 to 2 hours. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F.

5. When the loaf has fully risen, slash the top and bake at 350°F until the crust is golden, about 40 minutes. Let it cool completely on a rack before slicing.

This Recipe Appears In

• Sourdough Starter-Along: Day 10 - Second Harvest