SOURDOUGH BOULE
ACTIVE: 1 hr 10 min
TOTAL: 8 hr (plus overnight resting)
MAKES: one large boule5 cups all-purpose flour,
plus more for dusting
1½ cups plus 3 tablespoons water (80 ̊)
½ cup active sourdough starter
(see page 107)
2 teaspoons kosher salt- Mix the flour and 1½ cups of the water
in a large bowl until a shaggy dough forms.
Cover the bowl with a lid or plate and let
stand until the flour absorbs the water,
30 to 45 minutes. - Add the sourdough starter, salt and
remaining 3 tablespoons water to the
dough. Squeeze and twist with your hands
until a sticky dough forms (it will be soupy
at first, but continue mixing). Knead the
dough in the bowl by scooping under
the dough, stretching it up and twisting
it while you rotate the bowl a quarter
turn; slap down the dough and repeat.
Continue kneading until the dough
smooths out and pulls away from the
bowl, 5 to 7 minutes. Scrape down the
sides of the bowl and cover with a lid.
Let rest in a warm place, 30 minutes. - Uncover the dough. Gently reach under
the dough with a wet hand, stretch it up as
far as it will go without tearing, then fold
the dough over itself. Rotate the bowl a
quarter turn and repeat three times; this
is a set of turns. Do another set of turns,
then re-cover the bowl and return to a
warm place to rest, 30 minutes. - Do two sets of turns every 30 minutes
until the dough has increased in size by
one-third and has large bubbles in spots,
2½ to 3½ more hours, covering the bowl
after each time. After the last set of turns,
cover the bowl and let the dough rest
another 30 minutes. - Turn out the dough onto a generously
floured work surface. Slide a bench scraper
Sourdough is much more than the rustic European-style boules you
see on Instagram. In New World Sourdough ($28, Quarry), baking
blogger Bryan Ford turns sourdough starter into Jamaican hard
dough, Guadalajaran birote, Honduran pan de coco and more. Bryan
wants home bakers to respect breads from different cultures equally.
“There’s a whole world of bread out there,” he says. artisanbryan.comweekend
cookingor large spatula underneath and fold
the dough in half. Cup floured hands
around the dough and gently roll it in a
circular motion into a taut ball. Let rest,
uncovered, 20 minutes (the dough will
flatten a little).- Line a medium bowl with a clean lint-
free towel and dust generously with flour.
Lightly dust the top of the dough with flour,
then slide a bench scraper or large spatula
underneath and flip it over. Working gently
to not deflate the dough, pull each of the
four “sides” of the dough up and into the
center, folding the last side to cover the
whole top of the dough (figs. A to D). Roll the
dough over so the seams are on the bottom.
Slide a bench scraper or large spatula
underneath and gently invert the dough
into the towel-lined bowl with the seam up.
Cover loosely with the overhanging towel.
Let rest in the refrigerator, at least 8 hours
and up to 18 hours.
7. About 30 minutes before baking, place
a 10- to 11-inch dutch oven with a lid in the
middle of the oven and place a baking stone
or large cast-iron skillet on the bottom
rack to absorb the heat; preheat to 450 ̊.
Carefully remove the dutch oven from the
oven and uncover. Remove the dough from
the refrigerator, uncover and lay a large
round of parchment on top. Invert the
dough onto the parchment. Carefully lower
the dough (on the parchment) into the hot
dutch oven. Using kitchen shears or a sharp
knife, make a few ¼- to ½-inch-deep cuts
in the top so that the dough can expand.
8. Transfer the pot to the oven; cover with
the lid. Bake until the bread has risen and the
crust is pale, about 20 minutes. Uncover and
bake until the crust is browned and crisp
and a thermometer inserted into the center
registers 210 ̊, 25 to 35 minutes. Let cool
10 minutes in the pot, then transfer to a rack
to cool completely, about 2 hours.
ACBD
108 FOOD NETWORK MAGAZINE ●NOVEMBER 2020
PORTRAIT: TINY HOUSE PHOTO.