Classic King Arthur Sourdough Recipe

Step 1

Combine 2 tablespoons of starter, 1/2 cup of King Arthur Unbleached All Purpose flour, and 1/2 cup of room temperature water into a claen jar and stir. Allow it to rise and ferment for 4-12 hours or overnight.

Step 2

After your starter has doubled, place 1 3/4 cups of room temperature water into a large bowl. Add 2 cups of your active starter to the water and stir. Mix in 5 cups of King Arthur Unbleached All Purpose flour and 3/4 cup of King Arthur Whole-Wheat flour into your bowl. Mix well until all bits of flour are moistened and you’ve formed a soft tacky dough.

Step 3

Cover with a damp towel and let rest for 20 minutes.

Step 4

After letting your dough rest, add 2 1/2 teaspoons of salt and knead the dough for an additional 4-5 minutes. You want a soft dough that’s somewhat tacky. Place the dough back into the bowl, cover with a plate or plastic wrap and let your dough rise for 1 hour.

Step 5

After an hour, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Fold it like a business letter. Then do a quarter turn and fold it again and once more. Place to dough back into the bowl and let it rise for an additional hour.

Step 6

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and divide in half with a dough scraper. Gently shape it into two rounds by gently cupping the dough, pulling and twisting it towards you while building surface tension.

Step 7

Leave each round on the counter and cover with an upside down bowl. Allow 20 minutes for the rounds to rest. Then, place each round into a fabric lined banneton basket sprinkled with rice flour. Cover and rise for 2 1/2 hours

Step 8

About half an hour before baking, place your empty dutch oven inside the oven and preheat to 450°F. At the end of the rising time, turn your rounds out onto a piece of parchment paper. Using a bread lame, razor blade, or sharp knife, make 2 deep diagonal slashes into the rounds. Carry the dough by the corners of the parchment paper like a sling and very carefully place it into the preheated dutch oven.

Step 9

Bake with the lid on for 20 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for an additional 25-30 minutes until the crust is golden brown.