Sourdough starter must be activated before dough can be prepared.
These instructions give approximate start times of various steps for the first day of the Two-Day Process and for the One-Day Process.
To prepare the dough:
- Make the leaven.
2-day: 8:30 am
1-day: 6:00 am - Let the leaven rise for 3 to 6 hours. I typically allow 3 hours for the One-Day process and up to 6 hours in the Two-Day process, depending on my schedule. Bubbles on the surface indicate that the leaven is ready.
While waiting for the leaven to rise, proceed with Steps 3 and 4.
- Mix the flours.
Measure into the plastic container:
- 380 gm unbleached white bread flour
- 20 gm gluten flour
- 100 gm whole-wheat flour
- 25 gm corn meal (optional)
Shake the container to mix well.
Put the containter in the 80° F oven along with the leaven to let the flours warm.
- Store the sourdough starter.
- Discard a little of the starter, leaving about a cup.
- Feed the starter.
- Use a spatula to transfer the starter from the mixing bowl to the (clean) storage jar and then return the jar to the refrigerator for later use.
- Make the dough.
2-day: 1:00 pm
1-day: 10:30 am - Let the dough rest in an 80° F oven for 30 to 40 minutes.
- Salt the dough.
2-day: 2:00 pm
1-day: 11:30 am - Keep the dough in the plastic container at around 80° F, allowing it to rest and ferment for about 3 – 3.5 hours, stretching and folding it every 20 – 30 as described in Step 9.
- Stretch and fold the dough.
2-day: first folding 2:30, last folding 5:00 pm
1-day: first folding 12:00 noon, folding fold 2:30 pm - Form the dough ball.
2-day: 5:30 pm
1-day: 3:00 pm - Keep the the covered proofing basket at around 80° F for about 30 – 60 minutes to let the dough rise and recover from folding and forming.
The dough ball will almost doubled in size.
- Refrigerate overnight.
2-day: 6:30 pm
1-day: Omit this step.Place proofing basket with covered dough ball in the refrigerator.