← Baking the BreadTCR’s Sourdough BreadPhoto Gallery TCR sourdough bread, September 29, 2019 Sourdough starter in storage jar Sourdough starter ready for feeding Starter with added flour Mix flour and water into starter Whisk starter Cover bowl of starter after feeding Place covered bowl with starter in warmed oven Starter with yeast beginning to bubble Digital scale to measure flours and water Newly mixed leaven Leaven covered Leaven ready to use Scrape leaven into bowl with water Pour in mixed and warmed flours Empty flour from plastic container into mixing bowl Stir flours, water, and leaven Stir to moisten all flour Continue to stir until dough is too stiff to mix in more flour Dough scraper Scrape flour from side of bowl Cut flour into dough Scrape and cut until all flour in mixed into dough Dough after flours, water, and leaven are mixed Cover dough Covered bowl with freshly-mixed dough Sprinkle salt onto dough Spread salt evenly across surface of dough Sprinkle water onto salted dough Spread water evenly across surface of dough Wet hands so dough won’t stick to them Poke salt into the dough Poke salt into the dough Squeeze dough to distribute salt Squeeze dough to distribute salt Squeeze dough to distribute salt Let dough squish out between fingers or hands Stretch dough Fold stretched dough into plastic container Digital thermometer to test temperature of dough and bread Test dough temperature Dough temperature should be 80° to 85° F Seal plastic container Dough in sealed container Wet hands so dough won’t stick to them Reach under dough along side of plastic container Grab dough Stretch dough Fold dough to opposite side of container and press down Folded dough Flour cookie sheet Turn dough onto cookie sheet Turn dough onto cookie sheet Dough on cookie sheet Wet hands so dough won’t stick to them Gently flatten the dough Dough after flattening Fold dough from first side Fold dough from second side Fold dough from third side Fold dough from fourth side Seal seam by pinching Proofing basket for sourdough bread Flour-sack dish towel to line proofing basket Line proofing basket with cloth and sprinkle with flour Lift dough ball Dough ball in proofing basket Fold ends of cloth to cover dough ball in basket Dough after rising Aluminum pot with cover for baking sourdough bread Heat baking pot and lid Lame handle and blades to score top of dough ball Lame handle before attaching blade Lame ready to use Prepare to make first cut Pull lame through dough Start second cut Finish second cut Scored dough Auxiliary pot with lid Lid can rest inverted on auxiliary pot Lay second cloth over proofing basket Place lid over proofing basket Lift basket and lid Hold the lid Invert lid with cloth and basket Position inverted lid over auxiliary pot Rest inverted lid with basket lid on auxiliary pot Inverted basket resting on inverted lid Remove basket Inverted dough ball (after cloth lining proofing basket has been removed) Tilt lid with dough ball toward heated put, holding onto cloth Lift handle of pot to angle it toward lid with dough ball Flip the dough ball into the pot, maintining a grip on one corner of the cloth Dough in pot ready to bake Phase 1: Bake in covered, preheated pot Phase 2: Remove covered pot from oven Phase 2: Remove lid from pot Phase 2: Return uncovered pot to oven Phase 2: Finish baking the bread uncovered Test inner temperature of bread Bread is done at 205° F Bread just out of oven Cool bread on rack Slice the bread End sliced off Stretching and folding the dough produces light and airy texture TCR sourdough bread, sliced ← Baking the Bread↑ Back to TCR’s Sourdough Bread