Sour Dough Bread

Sour Dough Bread
Yields 3 loaves

3pm the day before baking, mix together:
1 TBSP Sour dough starter
1 TBSP Purified water
2 TBSP all purpose flour

Before going to bed the night before baking, add:
5 TBSP water
8 TBSP all purpose flour

The morning of baking, add:
4 to 4 1/2 cups Purified water
4 1/2 cups Fresh ground wheat flour
5 1/2 cups All purpose flour

All to rest 15-60 minutes, then add:
3 1/2 tsp. non-idolized salt

Mix for 8 minutes, then proof in an oiled bowl.  Cover with saran wrap.

Punch down after a few hours and allow to rise again.

In the early afternoon, shape loaves with plenty of tension and allow to rise in banneton bowls.

Allow to rise 30% in the bowls while oven preheats.

Bake at 450 F for 26 minutes or until center is 190 F.

*****
To maintain starter, remove an additional 1 TBSP of starter from the original jar and place in a clean new container (discard any remaining or use in a different recipe).  Feed at 3pm and 10pm following the same directions for the bread.  The morning of baking, place your well fed starter back in the fridge.  Feed starter in this manner at least every 5 days.

Sour dough breads can be rather technical and complicated at first.  This recipe assumes baker has a basic understanding of sour dough and free form loaves.