Step 1

Mix together ripe/active sourdough starter with all-purpose or bread flour and water. Cover loosely and let sit 3-4 hours at 78-80°F until doubled, bubbly & peaked.Note: If you have a ripe, bubbly, active sourdough starter that is fed equal parts flour and water –you can substitute 100 grams of the starter for the levain in this recipe.

Step 2

Oatmeal Porridge: About 30 minutes to an hour before the levain is ripe and active, mix together the oats and the very hot/boiling water. Stir together and set aside to thicken and cool. The porridge will quickly thicken up as it sits. You may need to stir the mixture every few minutes to release the steam and encourage it to cool.

Step 3

Mix Dough: To a large bowl, mix together ripe levain, oatmeal porridge, water and honey until incorporated (you will still have a few chunks of oats floating throughout the bowl, but the oatmeal porridge will be broken up). Add the salt, bread flour and whole wheat flour and mix together with a dough whisk until a wet and sticky dough forms and the ingredients are fully combined. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.

Step 4

Stretch and Folds: After the dough has rested, you will perform a series of “stretch and folds” over the next 1 ½ hours. The goal is to strengthen the dough through a gentle kneading process. To “stretch and fold,” wet your hand (so it doesn’t stick to the dough). Reach around the dough down to the bottom of the bowl, pull the dough up and over and place it on top of the dough. Turn the bowl a quarter turn and repeat the stretch and fold. Turn another quarter turn and repeat. Perform one more quarter turn, stretching and folding the dough. Cover and set aside. Take note of how the dough feels through this process. It will go from feeling a little shaggy to smooth and elastic. Cover the bowl and wait about 30 minutes in between stretch and folds.

Step 5

Stretch and fold #1: 30 minutes into bulk fermentationStretch and fold #2: 30 minutes later, the dough will spread out. Stretch and fold again.Stretch and fold #3: 30 minutes later, stretch and fold again.Stretch and fold #4: 30 minutes later, stretch and fold again. You should notice the dough feeling more cohesive and strong during this stretch and fold and not needing very much folding to come together. If your dough still feels loose, add in another couple stretch and folds to help strengthen and tighten the gluten strands.

Step 6

Rest: Cover the dough and let rise for 1.5-2 more hours. You will know the dough is ready to shape when the dough is puffed up and risen about 40%, jiggles when you shake the bowl and has scattered bubbles visible on the sides and top.

Step 7

Pre-shape: Tip the bowl upside down, allowing the dough to fall onto a clean counter surface. Be gentle to avoid degassing the dough as much as possible. Wet your hands and the bench knife if needed and push the bench knife under the dough on one side and your free hand on the other side to tuck the dough under itself. The goal is to introduce some tension into the dough. Repeat this process, going around in a circle until you have a ball of dough.

Step 8

Bench Rest: Let the dough rest uncovered for about 30 minutes at room temperature. The dough will flatten a little as it sits. This allows the gluten in the dough to relax and prepares the dough to be shaped.

Step 9

Shaping: Prepare a shallow bowl with oats for the topping. Line a bowl or banneton with a kitchen towel or hair net in the bowl and liberally flour as needed. Using a bench knife, lift the dough up off the counter and place it on top of the countertop. Going around in a circle, pull the dough sideways towards you and then fold up to the top of the round. Move 90 degrees and repeat the same process pulling the dough sideways and then folding up to the top. As you continue this process around the dough, increase the tension as you pull. Gather the bread into a circle. Dip the outside of the bread in the oats, rocking the loaf back and forth to cover as much of the loaf in oats as possible. Place into the lined bowl.

Step 10

Cold Fermentation: Cover the dough with the tea towel/shower cap/plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or up to 14-20 hours. If you want to bake the same day, you can let the dough rise for about 3-4 hours until puffed up and risen. Then bake according to recipe directions.

Step 11

Preheat the oven: Put a Dutch oven (top and all) into the oven and preheat to 500°F for 30 minutes. You are working with very high temperatures, so make sure you have some good hot pads. Once preheated for 30 minutes, pull the loaf out of the refrigerator. Remove the covering. Place a piece of parchment paper on top of the dough. Flip the dough over so it is now sitting on the parchment paper. Take off the bowl/banneton and the kitchen towel.

Step 12

Scoring: Use a very sharp knife or bread lame to score the dough. Take the bread lame and score on one side of the dough, at a shallow angle about 30º and 1 inch deep. Score straight from the refrigerator on the cold dough for best results.

Step 13

Baking: Carefully remove the Dutch oven from the 500°F oven. Take the lid off and place your bread into the Dutch oven (including parchment paper – this helps with the transfer). Put the lid on and put back in the oven. Lower the temperature to 450°F and bake for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes, take the lid off the Dutch oven and continue baking for 20 minutes until the bread is a crackly deep brown. It will register 205-210ºF when baked through. Remove the bread from the Dutch oven and let the bread cool before slicing. Enjoy!