If you're new to sourdough, and you decide to google a recipe, you'll be met with a LOT of different recipes - some written by traditionalists...some by "cheaters" who add a bit of quick rise yeast...and some in between. I'm definitely an in-betweener.
I started off with a great recipe (and SCHEDULE!!! In case you didn't know - sourdough is a time consuming process...it takes about 20-24 hours and is definitely a labour of love!) which I have since tweaked a bit here and there to get to the one I now use. The recipe I started with is from The Perfect Loaf - https://www.theperfectloaf.com/simple-weekday-sourdough-bread/(I mean, it IS pretty perfect, really!) and the entire site is a FANTASTIC resource - I've literally spent HOURS exploring the site!
Here's my recipe - shorthanded!
I'll post my process with pics of each step as soon as I can!
Follow the steps from The Perfect Loaf when using my recipe - I tend to shorthand my recipes and just put in the pertinent info, which yields two boules.
I'll post my process in another post soon, with pics.
Also - you may notice that some recipes if you're googling will SWEAR that you need to add salt after autolyse (a fancy word for letting your flour and water hydrate), and that you need to preheat your dutch oven (which is a MUST by the way for a perfect crust on your bread) - I've tested both methods, and you DON'T. Save yourself the steps...trust me....you'll still get an awesome loaf of sourdough.
One last note - and probably the 2 most important things you will EVER need to know about sourdough...1) WEIGH your ingredients. Measuring cups are for liquids - weight is probably the single most important thing when baking for consistency. Don't have a scale? GET ONE; and 2) Watch your dough, NOT your clock. I know in my recipe I say to bulk ferment for 4 hours (another fancy word - this means to let your yeasties eat the "food" (flour) and form lots of gassy bubbles to make your bread rise), but this is completely dependent on the temperature of your house. 4 hours is probably the bare minimum if you keep your house at a balmy 24 degrees Celsius...if your house is cooler, you'll need more time. My house is kept at around 21 degrees Celsius, and what I find works for me is I'll make my dough a couple of hours before bed, get my folds in, and leave it alone while I sleep - that way, by the time I wake up, it's at the perfect stage for me to shape and start cold proof (fancy word again - SO MANY FANCY WORDS! - for sticking it in the fridge for 16+ hours!).
My bread babies from my tweaked recipe.