Build the Levain:In a clean jar, mix the sourdough starter, bread and spelt flour, and water for the levain.Cover and set in a warm location (between 75-80ºF) for about five hours until it is ripe. The ripe levain should at least double in size and be full of bubbles and gases.
Autolyse:About 30 minutes before the levain is ripe, begin autolyse. In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the flours. Create a well in the center of the bowl and pour in 290 grams of water.Mix together the flour and water just until it comes together and there are minimal dry bits of flour left. The dough will be very sticky during mixing.Cover and rest 30 minutes or so until the levain is ripe.
280 grams Bread Flour, 120 grams Spelt Flour, 300 grams Water
Add Levain, Salt, and Mix:Add all the levain to the mixing bowl. Dimple the levain into the dough and stretch and fold the dough upon itself for a few minutes to combine.Cover and rest 30 minutes.Sprinkle the sea salt on top of the dough along with 10 grams of water. Dimple the salt and water into the dough. Stretch and fold the dough upon itself for 7-10 minutes until thoroughly mixed. At the end of mixing, the dough will be smooth, you should not feel any individual salt granules between your fingers, and the dough will be more extensible.Cover and rest 15 minutes.
80-90 grams Levain, 8 grams Sea Salt
Bulk Fermentation:At 78ºF (26ºC), bulk fermentation typically takes about 3.5-4 hours.Perform two stretch & folds in 15-minute intervals, another two in 30-minute intervals, and the final fold in one hour (a total of 5 folds). Add more stretch and folds if the dough is still very slack after the last fold. The dough rests in bulk fermentation for the remainder of the time.At the end of bulk fermentation, the dough should be smooth and rounded, feel full of air, have visible bubbles, and should wobble/jiggle if shaken. The dough should rise about 50%.
Shaping:Lightly flour the top of the dough in the mixing bowl and the bench/counter. Gently loosen the dough from the sides of the mixing bowl to turn the dough out onto the counter.With the help of a bench scraper, shape the dough into a batard (oval) or boule (round) and place it seam-side down into a floured banneton.Stitch the dough in the banneton if it is still loose or lost any shape.
Cold Overnight Proof:Cover the banneton and place in a cold refrigerator to proof overnight and up to 48 hours.
Bake:Place the empty dutch oven with lid in the oven and preheat for an hour at 500°F (260ºC).When the dutch oven has preheated for an hour, remove the banneton from the refrigerator. Turn the dough out onto a piece of parchment paper. Using a bread lame or sharp knife, score the dough with one slash for a batard (oval) or a cross-section for a boule (round). The score should be ¼-½" deep.Transfer the scored dough to the baking vessel and cover it with the lid.Bake at 500°F (260ºC) for 20 minutes. Remove the lid, lower the oven temperature to 450ºF (232ºC) and bake for 20 minutes with the lid off.Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for at least an hour before slicing.Slice and enjoy!
Notes
Try to keep the dough at a constant, warm temperature (between 75-80ºF) as much as possible throughout fermentation. I use the Brød and Taylor bread proofer to keep my dough at a constant 78ºF. If your dough and environment are cooler, bulk fermentation will take longer. Conversely, in warmer conditions, the dough will ferment faster.
Read my guide above for a detailed walkthrough with photos and videos for shaping, scoring, and baking this bread.
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