Baking sourdough bread can look and sound quite intimidating, but once you try it out, you'll fall in love! Baking homemade bread can feel so rewarding and your family and friends are surely going to be impressed (unless they make bread a lot).
Why use the Larder & Vine 5.7 Qt Dutch Oven?
Choosing a pot that is big enough for your desired recipe is the first step and our classic 5.7 Qt Dutch oven fits almost any recipe. For this specific recipe, you can even double the serving size and still use the same Dutch oven.
Now what sets our Dutch oven apart from the rest? Designed with flavorful recipes in mind, the lid comes equipped with drip bumps to keep all your meals moist and full or flavor with its self basting technology.
Functionality and versatility are a huge focus here at Larder & Vine when we are creating new pieces for your home. Not only is this a vessel made for soups, but also for bread, desserts, pastas, casseroles, roasts, and so many more recipe styles.
Discover more recipes using Larder & Vine's enameled cast iron cookware line here!
Homemade Sourdough Bread
7 - 9 hours
45 -50 min
1 Loaf
Baking/Bread
Recipe Ingredients
For the Starter
- 2 teaspoons sourdough starter (can be found at most grocery stores)
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 5 teaspoons water
For the Dough
- ¼ active starter dough (what you made above)
- 1⅓ cups + 2 tablespoons water
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
- 4 cups + 2 tablespoons bread flour
Recipe Directions
1. Make the Starter
First you will mix these ingredients together in a clean jar and you should end up with a little over ¼ cup of active sourdough starter. Loosely cover the jar and let it sit at room temperature until it has doubled in size, about 12 hours. Some of the starter will stick the to jar and that's okay because you only need ¼ cup.
2. Make the Dough
In a large mixing bowl, add your active starter and water and stir until evenly distributed. Using your hands, add the bread flour and sea salt to the bowl and work the ingredients together until you have formed a mass and there are no dry bits of flour left. Cover the bowl with a towel and let rest for one hour at room temperature.
3. Stretch & Rest
After one hour, wet your hands and pick up the dough on one side to stretch it over itself. Turn the bowl a quarter turn and repeat this step until you have turned the bowl a full circle. The dough should form into a tight ball. Then cover the bowl again and let rest for 30 minutes.
4. Repeat
Repeat the folding process above once more to build volume. Cover the bowl again and let the dough rise for 7 - 10 hours at room temperature.
5. Form the Dough
After 7 - 10 hours, turn over your bowl to place your dough onto a lightly floured surface. One at a time, pull 4 pinches from the sides and pinch them into the middle of the dough to form a seam. Turn the dough over so it's seam-side down.
Cup the dough from the bottom and sides to form a tight skin on the outside of the dough. It should look like a tight ball.
6. Rest Again
Place your dough seam-side down onto a piece of parchment paper, then lift the parchment paper and dough and place both into a large bowl. Cover with a towel to let rise for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
7. Preheat the Oven
About 30 minutes before you're ready to bake, preheat your oven to 450ºF and place your empty Larder & Vine Dutch Oven inside to heat up.
8. Slice the Dough
Once your dough is ready, use a sharp razor to score the top of the dough.
9. Bake the Bread
Use oven mitts to remove the Dutch Oven from the oven and remove the lid. Grab the edges of your parchment paper and set the paper and dough into your Dutch oven. Cover with lid and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and remove the lid and bake uncovered for another 25 - 30 minutes, until the crust is a golden brown.
