Bread that Changed my Life

 I fell in love with sourdough ever since I developed a taste for high quality olive oil. Although making a successful loaf still yield inconsistent result. Sometimes it take a day only to ferment the starter and some days takes over a month and still getting nothing.

But I'm committed keep trying. Here’s a recipe that I have so far. Maybe you can help me refine it? 

1. With 100g of flour and 100g of water mixed, sit in a glass for 2-3 days until the starter grow and shows bubbles (using a rubber band to mark the line) 
2. Remove some starter and leave 100g in the jar and begin the feeding cycle by repeating the process of adding 100g of flour and 100g of water, stir. Sit for a day for the starter grow double. 
3. Repeat the remove, add, stir, sit process till the 6 days where the starter grow 5 times more. 
4. Then use 100g of this starter for bake and save the rest in the fridge for a week
5. Before putting the rest away for refridgiating, feed the starter one more time in a few minutes to ensure it has enough food to sustain its slow growth in the fridge. 

Baking

1. With the 100g fermented starter combing with 100g of all purpose flour. Let it ferment for 4-6 hours. For the starter to grow double in volume 
2. To start, use any flour (all purpose, coconut, rice flour, etc) then add some rye flour and wheat flour to add some flavor and texture 
3. Add salt and whisk everything well in a big bowl
4. Add lukewarm filter or spring water
5. Add 100g active starter 
6. Stir with spatula then use hands to neat them thoroughly
7. The dough would be sticky and wet 
8. Cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel and sit for 4 hours (Bluk fermentation stage)
9. BUT go in to “stretch and fold” the dough every hour with a clean wet hand until the dough resist pulling. This strengthen the gluten add more chewy texture. 
10. Make sure the dough is left in a 70-75 feranheigh room.
11. After last or the 4th round of”stretch and pull”, its time to shape the dough. The dough might be as big as 4 fists of my hand (Cover the work surface with some flour) 
12. Pour the dough out of the bow, DO NOT grab to stretch it out of the bowl to reserve the bubble in the dough. 
13. Shaping the dough by gently flatten it into a thick planket and begin foldening it from the edge. And tuck in the corners to make it look like a ball.
14. Cover the dough ball with the towel and let it sit for 20 mins
15. Re tighten the ball to make sure it stays in a ball shape. Then transfer to a round basket. Make sure the basket is covered with flour
16. Refriage for at least 8 hours to maximum 48 hours. (Cold fermentation process) 

Baking 

1. 30mins before removing the dough, preheat the oven and the baking pan for 500 Fahrenheit 
2. When ready, CAREFULLY remove the preheated baking pan/pot with a glove, slide in a parchment baking sheet onto the bottom, 
3. Score the dough ball, like toss it into the center of the hot pan without touching it with the hands 
4. Cut the center open into a crescent shape with 1/4 inch deep 
5. Poke the surface with a sharp tools and create a uniformed cuneiform scales looking thing across the top surface of the dough 
6. Cover the whole dough with the baking pan or pot and slide it back into the oven to begin baking at 450 Feireheight for 20mins 
7. Remove the top baking pan and continue to bake for 20 mins or until ready 
8. After, remove from the baking pan and let it cool on the counter completely before serving