Not really. You're no dummy. You're making sourdough...that makes you smart, self-sufficient, and an Epicurean!
"Dummies" in this case refers to how I'll break down the recipe I use, and how each step is completed, so you'll see how it's done, from start to finish. Oh - I do need to mention though, in case you weren't aware, that sourdough is a labour of love...from start to finish you're looking at a time commitment of 20-24 hours, but trust me, when that beautiful, crusty boule (more fancy words - literally, French for ball! Thank you, Catherine Tee, for your help - learn French, everyone!) comes out of the oven, you'll feel like you just gave birth without meds. Okay, not quite, but you'll feel accomplished, I promise.
In case you can't read my messy handwritten recipe from my previous post, here it is. Note that everything is by WEIGHT, so get a kitchen scale if you don't have one for consistent results! Another requirement - and honestly, you REALLY need one to get that iconic sourdough crust, is a dutch oven. It's not an oven, but a thick casserole made from cast iron. I use a Staub, which is ridiculously expensive, but it was a splurge gift to me from my husband 14 years ago, and still in perfect condition; my oldest daughter (she's 8) has already called dibs on it when I'm no longer around (or using it for sourdough?).
FULL DISCLOSURE - I am not a professional baker, and I know I may not be using traditional or "correct" methods or techniques - but this is what works for me, and gives me consistently good loaves...so please, no comments on how I'm bastardizing the art and science of sourdough, or I'll go bitch lawyer mode on you. Just kidding. Maybe.
This recipe will yield 2 boules:
735 grams AP flour (unbleached where possible)
185 grams whole wheat flour
18 grams salt
655 grams lukewarm water (filtered or bottled, we don't like chlorine, remember?)
165 grams mature starter (your starter should be active, so make sure to feed about 6-8 hours before you plan on starting your dough)
Step 1 - Weigh out your ingredients into a large ceramic or glass (non-reactive) bowl, including your salt. I don't care what traditionalists say about having to add it after autolyse - just dump everything in. Start mixing by hand (CLEAN, of course!) and mix well until fully incorporated. The dough will be sticky, messy, and what many sourdough bakers term "shaggy". I like to keep a small silicone spatula close by to scrape off the dough from my hands/fingers.
Step 2 - After mixing, this is what your dough will look like. Do not be alarmed, this will turn into loaves of sourdough., I promise! Cover with plastic wrap and throw a towel over it, and leave in a warm place undisturbed for about 40 minutes. This is the "autolyse" phase, which, as I mentioned in a previous post, is a fancy word for letting the flour hydrate properly. After autolyse, your dough, although still pretty wet, will be much stronger and the gluten in the flour will have a chance to work its magic.
Step 3 - After autolyse, wet your hands slightly (just enough so the dough won't stick...too much water and we'd be changing the hydration level of our dough), and you'll start your first set of folds. Folding, in this case, is stretching one side of the dough, and folding it over to the opposite side. Do this for each "corner". Complete 4 folds, and that's your first set. Cover again with the plastic wrap, throw your towel back on, and put it back into its warm little corner for another 30 minutes. Then repeat the set of folds, and rest again for 30 minutes, before one last set of folds. My handwritten recipe says 4 sets, but depending on how late it is, I'll just do 3 sets. Haven't noticed any difference really, to be honest. Cover again with plastic wrap and the towel, and leave it alone in its warm corner for 4-6+ hours for bulk ferment. This is where the adage, "Watch the dough, not the clock" comes in. Depending on the temperature of your house, bulk can be relatively short (your house is a sauna - I don't want to guess what your gas bills are) or pretty long - the warmer it is, the faster your bulk will be. Bulk fermentation is the process where your starter begins to eat, and give off carbon dioxide. My friend, Michael Law, the sourdough guru, bulks his dough in his oven with the light on - basically he turned his oven into a proofing box. This works for him since his oven is a balmy 26 degrees Celsius, but I measured my oven, and it's 22. I tried to turn it into a proofing box by adding a pan of boiling water, but got lazy and gave up. So personally, since my house is around 21, I tend to make my dough at night, then start bulk before I go to bed. Wake up 6-7 hours later, and my bulk is done.
Step 4 - Your bulk ferment is done when your dough has doubled in size and "jiggles" when you shake it. Be watchful, because there is such a thing as overdoing the bulk (I learned this when I forgot about a batch and let it bulk for about 13 hours...I pretty much made flatbread that day).
Step 5 - Lightly flour your working surface (not too much, once again, we don't want to change the hydration level of your dough), and scrape your dough out. I have this broken silicone spatula (the handle is long gone) that I use to help get the dough out of my bowl, but if you want to be all pro, you can get a bench scraper (I totally want to look all pro, so I ordered one from AliExpress, and only have to wait 3 months for it to get here...super excited! But not so excited I wanted to pay for EMS shipping). Now, it will be quite sticky still, so lightly flour your hands, and give it a quick little pat down, just enough to make the dough easier to work with.
Step 6 - If you used my recipe, it will yield 2 boules, so divide your dough (floured knife, or bench scraper), and loosely shape each half into a boule. Doesn't have to be pretty, this isn't quite your loaf. Once again, flour your hands lightly to make it easier to work with your dough. Let rest for about 30 minutes - your boules will relax outwards and flatten out during this time. This pic shows my boules after the 30 minute rest.
Step 7 - Shaping your boules! Here's a quick little video on how to shape your boules, since it's kind of hard to explain that I fold my dough into an envelope then pull and tighten it into a boule. I'm still not quite an expert at it (at all), but my method gives me a nice, tight boule...flour hands only lightly to prevent sticking. You'll see in the video that my preferred method is to take a pinch of flour and rub it between my hands (like I'm a gymnast at the uneven bars!), then shake off the excess. You only want to use just enough.
Step 8 - Prep your proofing cloths and bowls. I use these glass 2.5 quart glass bowls from the Dollarama, and tea towels (100% cotton, also from Dollarama, I love that place) that I've cut in half. Liberally flour your cloth and kind of rub the flour into the cloth in in a circle...basically where your dough will be resting. Then take your boules that you've finished shaping, and flip them, seam side up, onto the proofing cloths (which are in the bowls, of course). Once again, I want to look pro, so I ordered bannetons (or brotforms) from AliExpress, which are rattan proofing baskets. Will update in 3 months when I get them...once again, was too cheap to pay for EMS shipping!
Step 9 - Loosely fold over the edges of your cloth, and cover your bowls for cold proof (basically, you're throwing your bowls of dough into the fridge for 16+ hours, during which time your fermentation will slow down, and the "sour" really starts to develop). Michael, the sourdough guru, throws his bowls in the fridge as is with the loose cloth covering, I prefer to cover in plastic. Up to you! Which is why the next step is completely optional.
Step 10 (optional) - My cold proof set up is I throw my bowls into clean plastic grocery bags and loosely tie it off. Leave it in the fridge for a minimum of 16 hours. The longer you leave it, the more tart it gets - one of my best batches was left for over a day...the flavour was fantastic...but 16 hours will generally be enough to give you that characteristic "sour".
Step 11 - After your cold proof is done, take your first boule out of the fridge (unless, you lucky duck, you have 2 dutch ovens, in which case you can bake both at the same time), uncover it, and get a piece of parchment and flip your boule onto it. Gently remove the cloth (if you floured enough, it will lift right off), and flour the top of the boule. Lightly "fix" your boule if your bowl wasn't quite circular, and use a very sharp knife, or a razor blade (which is what I use right now, a single edge razor blade), and score the top of your boule. You can get creative with scoring techniques, and there are a plethora of YouTube videos about how to make pretty designs. But the point of scoring is to let steam escape, since - during your first "bake", you'll be steaming your boule - which gives you that nice "pouf" or oven spring. If you want to look pro - get yourself a lame, which is a special blade just for scoring. And yes, I ordered one from AliExpress - update in 3 months when I get it!
Step 12 - Put your boule carefully in your dutch oven (and no, you don't have to preheat like the traditionalists say), and cover it. Put it into your oven, preheated to 450F, and bake, covered, for about 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, take it out and remove the lid - your boule will be pale and pouffy (see pic), and then put it back in the oven, uncovered, for a further 30 minutes. Some people prefer a darker crust, so feel free to leave it for longer, but keep an eye on it so you don't burn your bread baby.
Step 13 - When done, place your boule on a cooling rack, and...this is the hard part...let it cool for at least 2 hours. If you cut into it before then, your boule may end up gummy, so patience. You can "knock" on the bottom of the boule and if it sounds hollow - you're good. You'll also notice a lovely crackling sound when it's cooling - I love that. Use a good, strong serrated bread knife when cutting into it, because your crust will be thick and pretty hard. ENJOY!