Ingredients
Step 1:
75 gram Sourdough starter
2 dl Water
3 1/3 dl AII purpose flour
Step 2:
175 gram Pre-ferment
11 1/2 dl Knådas "Mjöl" flour or organic all purpose flour
5 dl Room temperature water
15 gram Finer sea sait
Step 1 - Make the pre-ferment
The pre-ferment is the stage between the sourdough starter and the bread dough. You take a small partion of the sourdough starter and activate it. The pre-ferment is what you use in all sourdough baking recipes.
Place 75 grams of sourdough starter in a large bowl and mix in water. Add flour and stir with the Knåda Dough Whisk or use your hands to form a thick dough. Loosely cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit for at least 4 hours at room temperature. After 4 hours, the dough will start to bubble, indicating that it's ready to be used. The pre-ferment remains active for up to 3 days if stored covered on the kitchen counter - just be sure to stir it thoroughly before using it. After 3 days, it becomes thin and runny again. At that point, set aside 75 grams to use as the sourdough starter for the next pre-ferment. (Just like before, you'II need to mix it with 2 deciliters of water and 200 grams of Knådas "MJÖL" or organic all purpose flour, and then let it sit on the kitchen counter for between 4 hours and 3 days until you need it.)
Step 2 - Make the bread dough
Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix them together to form a wet and sticky dough using the Knåda dough Whisk. Let it sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes, covered with plastic wrap. Gently knead for 2-3 minutes and then let it stand for 1 hour, covered with plastic wrap. The dough is still quite wet and sticky, and it has not increased in volume yet.
Don't worry if you see streaks of flour in the dough. Handle the dough gently instead of kneading it because excessive kneading can make the bread compact.
Turn the dough out anto a floured work surface. Lift ane end of the dough and fold it toward the center. Rotate the dough a quarter turn and repeat this four times. With the Knåda Bench Scraper partially underneath the dough and with its edge flat against your work surface, push the dough forward (away from you). Then turn the bench knife 90 degrees and bring it back towards you, in a gentle "U-turn" motion. This will encourage the bread dough to start tucking under itself to create tension across the top. Keep repeating this action until your dough has formed a gently domed circle. Place the dough with the rounded side down and the seam side up in a well-floured proofing basket, and cover it with a damp kitchen towel (to prevent the dough from drying out). Place the basket in a warm spot, and let the dough rise for 4-6 hours. During this time, it should have risen to the edge of the proofing basket. You can allow the dough to rise for up to 12 hours, which will give the bread a tangier flavor. lf you need to extend the rising time, you can keep it in the fridge to slow down the fermentation process.
Preheat the oven to 230°C and place a baking sheet or a cast-iron pan with a lid inside. Just before you are ready to bake the bread, remove the pan from the oven and generously sprinkle flour on the baking surface (if you are using a cast-iron pan, you can use parchment paper under the bread). Turn out the bread anto the floured surface and score the surface with a sharp knife. Bake the bread for 45-60 minutes until the surface is brown and crispy (if using a cast-iron pan, remove the lid after the bread has been in the oven for 20 minutes). Allow the bread to cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.
The bread keeps very well and is perfect for toasting when it's a few days old.
"Where every dough is a celebration"
