Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread

Updated: Aug 20, 2022

Ingredients:

get a jar and add 50g of sourdough starter
add 50g each of whole wheat flour and water to the starter and mix together until there are no dry bits of flour left
set the starter aside in a warm and dry space for 3-4 hours until it has doubled in size, then it's ready for use

get a large mixing bowl and add 450g of whole wheat flour
add 350 grams of water to the bowl
add 100 grams of the active starter that you had set aside for 3-4 hours
add 10 grams of salt to the bowl and use a mixing spatula to mix all the ingredients together until there is no dry flour remaining and it forms a rough dough

once a rough dough is formed, cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let it rest for 30 minutes
next, perform the first set of stretch and folds by grabbing an edge of the dough and pulling it up and over, then grab the next edge and pull it up and over
keep going around the bowl until you go around the dough once then cover the bowl and let it rest for another 30 minutes
next, do the second set of stretch and folds the same way you did the first ones then cover the bowl and let it rest for another 30 minutes
next, perform the third and final set of stretch and folds; at this point, you should find that the dough keeps building more and more strength during each set of stretch and folds and rest periods and the dough should now be nice and smooth without any clumps
now that you've done all the stretch and folds, move the dough to a clean, lightly oiled bowl and cover it with a towel
set the dough aside in a warm place for 4 1/2 hours or until doubled in size

sprinkle a little bit of flour onto a clean work surface
gently remove the dough from the bowl by performing a few stretch and folds to release the dough from the sides of the bowl and place it on your work surface with the seam side facing up
shape the dough into a ball by performing some stretch and folds to perform a tight ball of dough
slip the dough over so that the seam side is down now
and cup and pull the dough with your hands a bit to smooth out the edge of the dough
cover the dough up with a towel as it is on the counter and let it rest for 30 minutes
while your dough is resting prepare your banneton basket by very lightly dusting it with cassava flour so your dough doesn't stick and set it aside
once your dough is finished resting, it's time for the final shaping
sprinkle the top of your dough with a little pit of cassava flour and rub it over the top
flip your dough over so the seam side is now facing up
fold the left third of the dough over the middle third
then fold the right third of the dough over the middle third and crease the seam so it closes
starting at the end of the dough, tuck and roll the dough to create a long cylinder loaf
pull the flap of the dough at the end under the dough on each side toc create a smooth and tight surface

sprinkle a little cassava flour on the surface of the dough and gently rub it in
carefully flip the loaf over and transfer it into the prepared banneton basket seam side up
transfer the loaf in the banneton basket into the fridge, uncovered, for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours
alternatively, you can leave the banneton basket on the counter covered for 2 hours

place a dutch oven in the oven and preheat to 500°F for 30 minutes
remove the dough from the fridge and turn it out onto a sheet of parchment paper seam side down
score the dough with one long slash of a razor blade on the surface of the dough

transfer the dough with the parchment paper and all into the hot dutch oven
then close the dutch oven with the lid and place it in the oven at 500°F for 20 minutes
after 20 minutes of baking, remove the lid of the dutch oven and place it back in the oven, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes
let the bread cool for at least 1 hour before slicing

Keep bread covered on the counter or in the fridge to last longer.