Cranberry Walnut Sourdough Bread

Step 1

In a large mixing bowl, combine 150g of active sourdough starter with 330g warm water until mostly combined.

Step 2

Add 500g bread flour to the bowl and mix until a shaggy dough forms. Knead the dough with your hands until all the shaggy bits are incorporated.

Step 3

Cover the bowl and set aside for 45 - 60 minutes.

Step 4

Uncover the bowl, sprinkle 10g of salt on top of the dough, then, using damp hands, grab the dough and gently pull it until the flap is long enough to fold over itself, then fold the flap, rotate the bowl 90 degrees, repeat 4 times. Recover the bowl, and set it aside for 30 minutes.

Step 5

Add 100g dried cranberries and 80g chopped walnuts to the bowl, then repeat the stretch and fold process at least 3 more times. The intervals can be as short as 15 minutes, or as long as 60 minutes, but it should be completed at least 4 times during the BULK FERMENT.

Step 6

Lightly flour the work surface and use a bowl scraper to turn the cranberry walnut sourdough out onto the floured surface.

Step 7

Fold the edges into the middle, alternating sides as though lacing the dough together. Then starting from the bottom, tightly roll the dough into a batard. Stop there if making a batard, or tuck the long ends underneath to create a boule. Allow the dough to rest covered for 20 minutes.

Step 8

Place your hands underneath the dough and using your pinkies, apply pressure to the dough and drag it along the work surface to increase surface tension in the dough. Avoid overtightening the dough because it may tear with the inclusions.

Step 9

Dust the top of your boule or batard with rice flour, then use a bench scraper to pick up the dough, flip the dough, and place it upside down, or seam side up, into a banneton to prove. Don't have a banneton? Check out these BANNETON ALTERNATIVES.

Step 10

Cover the banneton with a reusable plastic bag and place it in the fridge. During the proving period, the dough will rise in the banneton, but due to the cool temperatures in the fridge, it won't be a marked difference. See my post on PROOFING SOURDOUGH IN THE FRIDGE for more information.

Step 11

Place your dutch oven, cloche, or desired baking dish in the oven and preheat to 450f. If you don't have a dutch oven, I do have a recommendation on HOW TO BAKE SOURDOUGH BREAD WITHOUT A DUTCH OVEN.

Step 12

Once the oven is preheated, remove the dough from the fridge and invert the banneton onto a sheet of parchment paper.

Step 13

Use a lame, sharp knife, or clean razor blade to score the dough, I usually like to make one deep curved slash when adding inclusions, but you can get as fancy as you like!

Step 14

Carefully remove the dutch oven from the oven, and using the parchment paper as a sling, transfer the sourdough loaf from the counter into the dutch oven.

Step 15

Bake the dough at 450f covered for 20 minutes and uncovered at 450f for 25-30 minutes, or until the loaf is cooked through. You can test the doneness of the loaf with an instant-read thermometer. Bread is cooked once it reaches 205 - 210 degrees Fahrenheit internal temperature.

Step 16

Remove baked bread from the dutch oven and transfer it to a wire mesh cooling rack to cool completely before slicing. I like to leave it for at least 2 hours before slicing, as slicing too soon can affect the crumb and texture of your loaf.