Overnight Sourdough Bread

Step 1

Feed 60g of active starter with 60g flour and 60g lukewarm water. Leave for 4-6 hours until doubled in size, bubbly and floating in water (float test).

Step 2

Add 150g of bubbly starter in a large mixing bowl. Pour in 300g of water* and mix well - I use my dough whisk. *remember to use filtered, bottled or boiled and cooled tap water.

Step 3

Add the bread flour, saltand mix well with the dough whisk or your hands. It’s easier to have a feel for the dough if you use your hands. You will have a shaggy, slightly sticky dough.

Step 4

Transfer the dough into a rectangular container (I like a glass pyrex dish), cover and leave to rise at room temperature overnight (8-10 hours). If it is a hot night then place the dough in the fridge where it will need 10-12 hours.

Step 5

The following day take a look at your dough - it should have almost doubled. Mist your worktop with water and scrape the dough onto it – do not punch the dough down. If the dough is really sticky then you can dust the worktop with a little flour – I prefer to use water with this recipe.

Step 6

Gently stretch the dough to form a rectangle.

Step 7

Fold into three sections, like a letter.

Step 8

Roll the dough into a tight ball.

Step 9

Flip over, seam side down, and shape into a round loaf (known as a “boule”). Use your hands and a bench scraper to roll the loaf in your hands, slightly tucking the edges under as you go (please check the video for a demo).

Step 10

Line a bowl or basket with baking paper and lightly dust the paper and your loaf with gluten free flour or rice flour to prevent the bread from sticking to the paper.

Step 11

Gently cup the loaf in your hands and place into the prepared bowl seam side down. Cover loosely with a plastic bag and leave to rise again for 30 minutes to a couple of hours at room temperature (again, this will be temperature dependent).

Step 12

Preheat your oven to 450F (230C) half an hour before the end of proving. Place a lidded pot (Dutch Oven) in the oven to preheat.

Step 13

Score the top of your loaf using a sharp knife, razor or lame.

Step 14

Remove the pot from the oven using pot holders (please be very careful as it can easily give you very bad burns, as I can testify). Carefully place the dough into the pot, lifting it by the baking paper.

Step 15

Cover and bake for 20 minutes.

Step 16

Reduce the temperature to 425F (220C). Take the lid off the pot and cook for another 20-25 minutes. You can lift the bread out of the pot and cook directly on the oven shelf for the final 5 minutes.

Step 17

Cool the bread on a wire rack for at least an hour before slicing.