Dutch Oven Sourdough Bread

Option: To use up some sourdough discard, replace 100 g of water and 100 g of flour with 200 g of starter discard.

In a large bowl, add the starter and the water. Whisk gently until no longer lumpy. Add the flour and salt, and stir until well combined. (It’s OK if it’s still a little shaggy.) Cover and let rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes.

This is a no-knead dough, but the gluten can still use a little assistance. Keeping hands wet to avoid sticking, leave dough in the bowl, lift from underneath one side of the ball, stretch, and fold it back on top of itself. Rotate a quarter turn and repeat the stretch and fold. Continue all the way around the ball. Cover and rest again. Repeat the stretch-and-fold procedure every hour. After the third repetition, cover and refrigerate the dough at least 12 hours.

Turn dough out onto a floured surface and allow to relax for 15 minutes. Place a sheet of baking parchment in a 4‑quart dutch oven with oven-safe lid. Dough will still be a little sticky, but scrape dough together into a rough ball and place in the dutch oven. Cover and allow to rise just until the dough doesn’t immediately spring back when pressed. This could take from 2½ to 4 hours.

Half an hour before ready to bake, set rack to center, and preheat the oven to 450° F. Just before baking, slash the dough with sharp knife or bread lame. With lid on, place dutch oven on the center rack. Bake for 25 minutes, reduce heat to 400° F, and bake another 10 minutes. Remove lid and bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 205° F.

Remove from oven, turn out onto a wire rack, and let cool completely before slicing (if you can help it).