Recipes — Carey On Vagabond

Discover the amazing taste of sourdough with Suzan's Sourdough – a favorite recipe passed down from our friend Suzan. Perfect for beginner bakers, this simple and easy recipe brings out all the delicious flavors of sourdough in a way that even experienced bakers can appreciate. Try it for yourself and it will become your new go-to sourdough recipe!

YOU WILL NEED:

500 grams bread flour (I use King Arthur)
150 grams fully active sourdough starter
9 grams salt (I use kosher)
285 grams lukewarm water
approx 1 tbs all purpose flour for dusting

In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together until a ball forms. Be sure to incorporate all the flour. After a shaggy ball is formed, cover the bowl and let rest for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes use the pull and fold method around the ball of dough. You will start by grabbing from under the side of the ball gently stretching a portion of the dough and then folding it back onto itself. Continue to pull and fold each section of dough until you have gone around the entire ball of dough two times. This process helps align the gluten strands in the flour which will result in a light and airy texture when baked. As you move around the dough, be sure to keep tension so that it retains its shape as you go along. Cover and let it sit overnight or at least 5-6 hrs. You will know its ready when it has doubled in size.

Once it is ready to bake, gently scrape it out of the bowl onto some parchment paper lightly floured with all purpose flour. Form it into a ball to form your loaf shape. Be sure to not push down or knead it, just gently form it into a ball. Let it rest there while you preheat your oven. Set oven to 475f with your Dutch oven inside. After 30 minutes pull out the Dutch oven and lower the heat to 425f. Cut a slit down your loaf. This helps create a more even rise and allows for steam to escape during baking. Carefully place your bread on the parchment paper inside your Dutch oven. Bake covered for 20 minutes, remove the lid and bake for another 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the loaf cool on a rack. I usually let it rest at least a half hour before cutting but sometimes it’s too hard to resist the smell and I give in after 15 minutes. This resting time allows the crust to set, ensuring that the loaf maintains its shape. It also gives the internal structure of the loaf time to cool and firm up, which will make it easier to cut into slices without crushing or tearing the loaf. Once it has cooled, dig in! You have completed the journey from starter to dough to oven-baked masterpiece – now it's your time to reap the rewards of your work!