Day 221: It's almost impossible to kill a sourdough starter, but between refrigerator failure and stress overload which compelled me to make quicker breads, my starter died. Or at least I thought it did, which is one and the same thing because I threw it out. Maybe there was something else going on. I'm not sure. In any case, I was unable to make sourdough for several months until my weaving friend Ed gave me a fresh start; literally, as in "half a cup." It needed to be bulked up before there was enough to make my usual recipe, but it turned out a nicely tangy loaf, although the rise could have been better. I settled down with YouTube in the hopes of finding some clue as to the reason, and in so doing, I discovered the enchanting subject of making bread in a Dutch oven. The technique is particularly suited to sourdough.
These days, anyone who has a camera and the ability to process videos can make themselves sound like they know their business. There are a lot of people on YouTube who do not. After watching any number of self-proclaimed experts, I turned to my favourite British chef for a workable recipe. John Kirkwood's instructions are clear, simple and virtually idiot-proof, as my first Dutch oven loaf proves. I did make a few minor adaptations, the first being that he did not allow for saving any of the sponge for a subsequent loaf. I fed my starter a couple of days ahead to be sure I had enough in reserve after removing the amount called for in his recipe. The second alteration I made was that I dumped the final proof out of the banneton onto a sheet of parchment paper which I then lifted into the hot Dutch oven rather than turning it directly into the pot. Otherwise, I followed his instructions exactly. The crust was a little less crisp than I'd expected, so next time, I will raise the oven temp from his recommendation of 430° F to 450° F, and will pre-heat the Dutch oven for 45 minutes instead of 30. Those changes are noted in the recipe below.
Sponge
100 g starter
100 g water
100 g bread flour
Dough
460 g bread flour
230 g water
1 Tbsp veg oil
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt (or 1 tsp table salt)
Feed starter 1:1:1 two days before Baking Day.
From the newly fed starter, make sponge the night before (at least six hours). No sponge will be returned to the starter jar.
Using the 300 g sponge, add water and mix well. Add oil and mix well. Add all the flour and the salt. Mix well. Dough will be wet at first, then may seem too dry. DO NOT ADD MORE FLOUR OR WATER. Cover and proof for 45 minutes. Pour dough out onto work surface and do a few rounds of stretch-and-fold. Wet your hands to keep the dough from sticking to them. Cover and proof for an additional 45 minutes.
Coat banneton with rice flour. This is how the dough is shaped for transferring to the Dutch oven. Alternately, if you want to dust some seeds on the surface of the bread, use a round-bottomed pan which has been greased with a little butter and oil instead of a banneton. Sprinkle seeds into pan.
Do another quick stretch-and-fold. Shape the loaf gently into a round ball, smooth on top. Transfer to the banneton/pan with the smooth side down. Dust lightly with flour and cover. Let rise for another hour. Fifteen minutes in, start preheating the Dutch oven in a 450 degree oven. It will be nice and hot at the end of the 1-hour rise period.
When the final rise is complete, tip the dough out onto a sheet of parchment paper and place into the HOT Dutch oven. Slash the loaf if desired. Put the lid on and bake for 30 minutes. Remove lid and bake for an additional three to five minutes to brown the surface.
