Overnight Sourdough Recipe

Submitted by Michelle Hintze - added 5/1/24

Ingredients

• Ingredients:
• 1/2 cup bubbly sourdough starter
• 1 1/3 cups warm water
• 3 cups flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• Materials:
• 1 5-quart Dutch Oven (roaster pan or deep casserole dish with a lid will work)
• parchment paper
• thin kitchen or 'cheesecake' towel
• plastic wrap
• 1 glass, ceramic or plastic bowl
• whisk
• flour sifter (not necessary but nice to have)

Instructions

1. Feeding your Sourdough Starter:
2. Feed your starter equal parts flour and warm water. (Example: If you have 1/2 cup of starter, add 1/2 cup of warm water and 1/2 cup of flour.)
3. Feed your starter once every 1-2 weeks. Store in your refrigerator when not trying to activate it to make bread. (The starter seems to be pretty resilient. So, if you don't feed it every single week it still should survive.)
4. Depending on how often you use the starter to make bread you can discard extra starter. I like to keep about 1/4 cup to 1 cup of starter at all times.
5. Tips to Consider Before Starting:
6. I like to use a very bubbly sourdough starter. Typically, I'll feed my starter about 3-4 hours before I start making the bread to make sure the starter is active and bubbly. (see feeding your starter section below)
7. When preheating the oven, place the dutch oven in the oven while it's warming up. The warmth will give the bread a little more color and crisper crust.
8. I was told once to not make your dough in a metal bowl. I'm not sure if this actually makes a difference but I always use a glass, plastic or ceramic bowl.
9. The internet can be filled with an overwhelming amount of info about sourdough bread and starters. My advice, keep it simple! Stick to this recipe and you'll be just fine.
10. Make sure not to overwork the dough! For the best results, the dough should be sticky.
11. I like to sift my flour and salt together before adding it to the dough. It's not absolutely necessary but I think it makes a difference. Plus, it feels fancy.
12. Making the Bread:
13. Before Bedtime – Making the dough
14. Close to your Bedtime add the bubbly sourdough starter and warm water to a ceramic bowl. Mix them together with a whisk until well combined.
15. Then add the flour and salt (I sift my flour directly into the bowl) and combine together with a stiff spatula. You can also use your hands to get the flour fully incorporated. *Do not overmix at this point* Err on the side of under-combined. The dough will look a little scraggly and stick to your fingers. Then cover the bowl with plastic wrap for 30-60 minutes.
16. After 30-60 minutes, flour your hands and work the dough into a smooth ball. Do this by folding the dough over and pressing it into the center until the dough starts to turn into a smoother ball.
17. Place the dough back in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let it rise OVERNIGHT for 8-10 hours (around 70º F). The next morning the dough will have risen in the bowl and look puffier than it did the night before.
18. In the Morning - Making & Baking the Bread
19. In the morning, dust your hands with flour and gently pull the dough from the bowl onto a lightly floured work surface. Start at the top and fold the dough over to the center, repeating on all sides (add more flour if needed).
20. Line an 8-in bowl with a towel (mentioned in materials) and dust generously with flour. Pick up the dough and place it in the bowl with seam side up.
21. Cover the bowl and let it rest for 30-60 minutes. In the meantime, preheat your oven to 450º and place your baking dish in the oven to preheat.
22. Next cut a piece of parchment paper to fit your pot, leaving excess so you can grab the bread and take it out of the pot. Place your parchment paper over the bowl and invert the bowl to allow the bread to release onto the paper.
23. With a small razor blade or serrated knife, score the bread with four slashes (or however you would like).
24. Pick up the parchment paper and carefully place your bread in the pot.
25. Place the lid on the pot and place in the oven for 20 minutes. Then remove the lid and continue baking for 20 more minutes.
26. When bread is done, take bread out of the pot and place on a wire rack to cool for about 20 minutes to an hour, although we often can't wait to eat it!