Recipe courtesy Allen Meyer

First establish your own sourdough starter (125 grams) and keep in sealed glass jar (with lid slightly loose) in fridge (check method online).

Armamentarium:

• Electronic kitchen scale
• 9- or 10-inch Banneton for proofing
• Metal Dough Scraper
• Exacto knife for scoring bread
• Dough Whisk
• Flour Scoop
• Items above available on Amazon
• 10 cup mixing bowl
• 10 cup Dutch oven with lid
• Plastic bag to cover mixing bowl and banneton
• Parchment paper

Ingredients:

• 250 grams stone-ground whole-wheat flour (Available at Nootka Rose Milling, 4480 Happy Valley Rd., Metchosin. Phone ahead 250-800-1207 for store hours and orders of more than 2.5 kg.)
• 200 grams all-purpose flour
• Additional all-purpose flour as necessary for dusting dough and adding to starter
• 350 grams water
• 140 grams Sourdough Starter
• 10 grams coarse salt
• 50/50 flour/stone ground white rice mixture for dusting the banneton

Method:

1. Remove starter from fridge, add 25 grams of all-purpose flour, 25 grams of hot tap water to jar and mix very well. Place jar in hot water leaving lid slightly loose for one hour.

Add whole wheat and all-purpose flour to mixing bowl, mix with whisk, add 350 grams water, mix well and let sit for one hour.

2. After one hour add 140 to 150 grams of sourdough starter to the flour, mix well with the dough whisk, cover with plastic bag and keep at about 85 degrees F for 30 minutes. During this time add 50 grams of all purpose flour and 50 grams of flour to the remaining starter, mix well, leave on counter for 30 minutes and place in fridge for next baking session.

3. After 30 minutes add 10 grams coarse salt on dough mix, with wet hands poke into dough, fold and stretch until elasticity eliminated and cover for another 30 minutes at 85 degrees F. Wet hands under cold water as necessary to prevent sticking for steps 3 thru 6.

4. Fold and stretch dough again, cover and leave for another 30 minutes at 85 degrees F.

5. Repeat #4 and leave for 45 minutes.

6. Repeat #4 and leave for 1 ½ hours.

7. Remove dough from bowl onto counter, sprinkle flour all the way around and on top. Use the metal dough scraper to push into a slight ball making sure not to lose too much air, cover with bowl and let sit for 30 minutes.

8. Remove the bowl, sprinkle flour beside top and bottom sides of dough ball and using scraper stretch top and bottom to form a rectangle. Then roll from bottom to top. Pinch each side of this roll to seal the folds, sprinkle more flour all over and spread with hands. Then flip over into banneton (previously brushed with a 50/50 flour/stone-ground white rice mixture), cover with the plastic bag and let sit on the counter for another 30 minutes. After 30 minutes place in refrigerator to proof overnight.

For baking:

Set the Dutch oven and lid into an oven, turn to 515-degree F and leave for 30 minutes.

Remove the dough from fridge about 10 minutes before Dutch oven ready. Place banneton upside-down onto parchment paper and gently use fingers to encourage the dough onto the paper.

Cut an S curve into the top of the dough and three one-inch slits on either side to allow steam to escape.

When the temperature reaches 515 F, remove the Dutch oven and place the parchment paper and dough in, place lid and return to oven for 17 minutes.

Reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees F after 17 minutes. Gently remove the dough from the Dutch oven by tipping and pulling the parchment paper onto the counter. Slide the dough off of the parchment paper and return to the oven for another 22 minutes.

When done (tap the underside of the bread – it should sound hollow) place on cooling rack for several hours. Wrap in tea towel and let stale for at least several hours or overnight before using. It is best to leave wrapped in towel on counter rather than storing in refrigerator and can be kept like this for up to 6 days. For best results place slices in toaster to un-stale before serving.

Enjoy.

(Recipe/Methodology courtesy Allen Meyer)