Step 1

Levain: Mix together 35 grams ripe sourdough starter, 35 grams all-purpose or bread flour and 35 grams water. Set aside to ripen for 3-4 hours, keeping the temperature at 78ºF. Levain is ready when it has doubled in size, is very bubbly, smells milky sweet and is just about to fall.Note: Ripe, bubbly, active sourdough starter can be substituted for the levain in this recipe.

Step 2

Mix the Dough: Use a dough hook or wooden kitchen spoon to mix together ripe levain, water, sugar, salt, finely crushed freeze dried strawberries and flour. Cover and set aside for 30 minutes.

Step 3

Bulk Fermentation: Perform 3-4 sets of "stretch and folds" to help strengthen the gluten in the dough during the first 2 hours.To “stretch and fold,” wet your hand (so it doesn’t stick to the dough). Reach down to the bottom of the bowl of dough and pull the dough up and over the top of the dough. Turn the bowl ¼ turn and repeat the stretch and fold. Turn another quarter turn and repeat. Perform one more ¼ turn with stretching and folding the dough. Cover and set aside for 30 minutes.Repeat this process again two or three more times with 30 minutes between sets of folds.

Step 4

Bulk Fermentation Continued: Let the dough rest in a warm place, for the rest of bulk fermentation, about 2-3 hours at 78ºF. During this time the dough will puff up about 30-40%, become more aerated, start to pull away from the edges of the bowl and have a few scattered bubbles around the edges/top of the dough. If your dough is not showing these signs, warm it up a little and give it more time until it's showing signs that it's ready to shape. Note: Colder dough will take longer to rise and will need to rise a little more (look for 50-70% rise) than a warmer dough before it's ready to shape.

Step 5

Prepare Bowl: Prepare a bowl or banneton with a liner or dishtowel. Sprinkle liberally with rice or white flour.

Step 6

Shaping: When the dough is showing signs that it's risen and ready to shape, dump the dough out onto the countertop. Gently pull the dough into a 12 by 12 square shape. Sprinkle 3/4 of the white chocolate chips over the dough and most of the reserved freeze dried strawberries on top of the dough. Fold one side of the dough to the middle and then the other side of the dough to the middle. Add the rest of the white chocolate and crushed freeze dried strawberries on top of the dough. Roll the dough up into circular shape. Immediately place the dough in the prepared banneton basket without too much handling of the dough.

Step 7

Cold Bulk Fermentation: Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a shower cap and store in the refrigerator overnight for about 18-24 hours. Alternatively let your dough rise outside the fridge for another few hours and then bake your loaf the same day. If you choose this method, sticking your banneton or bowl of dough in the fridge or freezer to chill it for 10-15 minutes can help with scoring.

Step 8

Pre-heat the Oven: Put a Dutch oven (top and all) into the oven and preheat to 450ºF. Once preheated, pull the loaf out of the refrigerator. Remove the plastic wrap or shower cap and place a piece of parchment paper on top of the bread dough. Flip the dough over so that the dough is now sitting on the parchment paper. Take off the bowl banneton and liner.

Step 9

Scoring: Smooth flour over the top of the dough (add a little extra for more contrast if desired) or leave the flour off completely for no contrast. Use a bread lame or very sharp knife to score the dough. Bread with inclusions typically do not score quite as well as bread without. This is not a loaf for intricate scoring. One or two large slashes, about 3/4 to 1-inch deep is sufficient.

Step 10

Bake: Carefully remove the Dutch oven from the 450ºF oven with hot pads. Take the top off and place your bread into the Dutch oven (including parchment paper – this helps with the transfer). Be very careful not to touch the sides of the hot Dutch oven. Put your hot pads back on before you pick up the lid of the Dutch oven and place it on top of the bread. Put the whole Dutch oven back into the oven. Bake the loaf for 25 minutes. Once 25 minutes are up, take the top off the Dutch oven and lower the temperature to 400ºF. Continue baking for 20 minutes until the bread is fully baked with an internal temperature of 205ºF. Note: If your oven runs hot or you are using a dark cast iron pot, there's a tendency for the bottom of the loaf to burn. Make sure to put a sheet pan on the rack underneath the pot to deflect the heat and decrease the temperature to 425ºF instead of 450ºF.

Step 11

Remove loaf to a baking rack to cool completely and enjoy!