Rustic Sourdough Bread, 6/20/20

 Rustic Sourdough Bread, King Arthur- Recipe HERE

Ingredients

• 1 cup (227g) ripe (fed) sourdough starter
• 1 1/2 cups (340g) lukewarm water
• 1 to 2 teaspoons instant yeast*
• 2 1/2 teaspoons (15g) salt
• 5 cups (602g) Flour

Instructions

1. Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. Combine all of the ingredients, kneading to form a smooth dough.

2. Allow the dough to rise, in a lightly greased, covered bowl, until it's doubled in size, about 90 minutes.

3. Gently divide the dough in half; it'll deflate somewhat.

4. Gently shape the dough into two oval loaves; or, for longer loaves, two 10" to 11" logs. Place the loaves on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover and let rise until very puffy, about 1 hour. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 425°F.

5. Spray the loaves with lukewarm water and dust generously with flour.

6. Make two fairly deep diagonal slashes in each; a serrated bread knife, wielded firmly, works well here.

7. Bake the bread for 25 to 30 minutes, until it's a very deep golden brown. Remove it from the oven, and cool on a rack.