Gerald's Country Loaf
prep time
30 min
cook time
45 min
serves
1 loaf
difficulty
Hard
Ingredients
- 450gbread flour
- 50gwhole wheat flour
- 375gwater, room temperature
- 100gactive sourdough starter (100% hydration)
- 10gfine sea salt
Method
- 01
Mix flour and 350g of the water until no dry flour remains. Cover and rest 30 minutes (autolyse).
- 02
Add starter and salt. Squeeze and fold until fully incorporated. Add remaining 25g water gradually if dough feels stiff.
- 03
Bulk ferment at room temperature 4–5 hours. Perform 4 sets of stretch-and-folds in the first 2 hours, every 30 minutes.
- 04
Shape into a round or oval. Place seam-side up in a floured banneton or bowl lined with a floured cloth.
- 05
Cover and refrigerate overnight, 10–16 hours.
- 06
Preheat oven to 500°F (260°C) with a Dutch oven inside for at least 45 minutes.
- 07
Turn dough onto parchment. Score with a sharp blade. Lower into Dutch oven, cover, and bake 20 minutes.
- 08
Remove lid. Reduce to 450°F (230°C) and bake another 20–25 minutes until deep brown. Cool on a wire rack at least 1 hour before cutting.
Notes
- ✦
Gerald needs to be active and bubbly — fed within 4–8 hours of use. If he's sluggish, give him another feed and wait.
- ✦
The cold proof is not optional. It develops flavor and makes scoring easier. 36 hours by accident is also fine.
- ✦
The Dutch oven is doing the work of a professional steam-injected oven. Don't skip it.
✦ Recipe Card
Gerald's Country Loaf
prep
30 min
cook
45 min
serves
1 loaf
Ingredients
- 450gbread flour
- 50gwhole wheat flour
- 375gwater, room temperature
- 100gactive sourdough starter (100% hydration)
- 10gfine sea salt
Method
- 01Mix flour and 350g of the water until no dry flour remains. Cover and rest 30 minutes (autolyse).
- 02Add starter and salt. Squeeze and fold until fully incorporated. Add remaining 25g water gradually if dough feels stiff.
- 03Bulk ferment at room temperature 4–5 hours. Perform 4 sets of stretch-and-folds in the first 2 hours, every 30 minutes.
- 04Shape into a round or oval. Place seam-side up in a floured banneton or bowl lined with a floured cloth.
- 05Cover and refrigerate overnight, 10–16 hours.
- 06Preheat oven to 500°F (260°C) with a Dutch oven inside for at least 45 minutes.
- 07Turn dough onto parchment. Score with a sharp blade. Lower into Dutch oven, cover, and bake 20 minutes.
- 08Remove lid. Reduce to 450°F (230°C) and bake another 20–25 minutes until deep brown. Cool on a wire rack at least 1 hour before cutting.
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