Simple Sourdough Bread

1/4 cup active starter (50 grams)

1 1/3 cups warm water (350 grams)

4 cups sifted all-purpose or bread flour (500 grams)

1 1/2 teaspoons salt (10 grams)

1. Feed your starter 3-5 hours before you plan to make your bread. It is best to use when it is at it's peak before it starts to fall.

2. Measure your starter into a mixing bowl - starter reacts with certain metals so it is best to use stainless steel, ceramic, glass or wood mixing bowls.

3. Add water and stir well with a fork to combine

4. Add the flour and salt and stir with a fork to create a shaggy dough, it will not look like a ball of dough at this point, just stir it well enough to incorporate all ingredients and clumps.

5. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and let rest for an hour at room temperature.

6. After letting it rest for an hour wet your hands and gently pull the edge of the dough from the side of the bowl and push it down into the middle of the bowl, turn the bowl one quarter turn and repeat. The dough should start to resemble a ball after going around the bowl once or twice.

7. Cover the dough in the bowl with a damp kitchen towel and let it rise for 8-10 hours at room temperature. The dough should roughly double in size.

8. Gently remove the dough from the bowl onto a floured surface. Gently stretch the dough, then tuck the edges of the dough into the center, turn the dough a quarter turn and repeat until you have done a full circle.

9. Gently pull the dough ball towards you, it will stick slightly on the counter helping to pull itself into a tighter ball. Rotate and do this again until you have a tight ball.

10. Prepare a proofing basket or bowl by lining it with a kitchen towel and dusting it with flour.

11. Place your dough ball, with the seam side up, in the prepared basket or bowl and cover with a kitchen towel. Place in refrigerator for 1-2 hours.

12. When ready to bake preheat your oven, with your dutch oven inside it to 450°

13. Tip dough from bowl onto a piece of parchment paper. Score the top with a lame or sharp knife.

14. Lift the dough using the corners of the parchment paper into your dutch oven, for a softer crust place 4-6 ice cubes in the dutch oven beneath the parchment paper, and put the lid on.

15. Bake for 30 minutes

16. Remove the lid and bake for another 20-30 minutes to develop a darker crust.

17. Remove the dutch oven from the oven and lift the bread out with the parchment paper and let cool for 1 hour on a wire rack.