The Fantabulous Chronicles

Happy May the 4th!
After months of attempts and several lost loaves, we have successfully baked and protected our first loaf of sourdough bread. How you might ask was this task accomplished? Three words Multipurpose Cake Stand! This heavy duty glass contraption provides the perfect durable barrier between our delectable loaves and the fluffy beast that wanders our halls.

Bonus: This recipe also did not take overnight to achieve a airy and great textured sourdough loaf.

Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Sourdough Starter – Active and bubbling
3-1/2 Cups Bread Flour
2 tsp Salt
1-1/3 Cup Warm Water
Everything Bagel Seasoning to Top it off

Directions:

1. Prepare the Ingredients: As a Jedi prepares their lightsaber, measure out your ingredients with precision. Combine them in a medium-sized mixing bowl like a padawan focusing on the Force.
2. Rest in Warmth: Just as a Jedi takes refuge in meditation, set your dough in a warm resting spot for 30 minutes. Let the flour absorb the water, covering the dough like a Jedi robe.
3. Stretch and Fold: Over three cycles of 30 minutes, stretch and fold the dough like a lightsaber duel, allowing the dough to rest between each cycle. Keep the dough in a warm location as you shape it with mastery.
4. Bulk Rise: After the final stretch and fold, cover your dough like a stormtrooper helmet and let it rise for 6-12 hours. The Force of your sourdough starter and the warmth of your surroundings will guide the rise.
5. Shape the Dough: After the rise, place the sourdough onto a lightly floured surface. Stretch it into a rectangle and fold it in from the corners like folding the wings of an X-wing. Form a dough ball and flip it seam-side down.
6. Second Rise: Return your dough ball to your bowl or proofing basket, and let it rise in a warm spot for 3-4 hours or until it has doubled in size. Optionally, store it in the refrigerator for 12 hours to awaken the flavor within.
7. Preheat the Oven: Transfer your dough ball to parchment paper and preheat your oven to a blazing 500 degrees, as if igniting a Sith lightsaber.
8. Decorate and Score: Add any toppings like an “everything bagel” blend, patting them onto the loaf like placing stars in the galaxy. Make a deep score mark across the loaf, and feel free to embellish it with smaller scores.
9. Baking Begins: When your oven is ready, carefully place the parchment paper with your dough ball into the hot Dutch oven. Replace the lid like closing the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon, and bake for 20 minutes.
10. Final Bake: Remove the lid and reduce heat to 475 degrees. Continue baking for 15-25 minutes, or until the bread turns a golden brown like Tatooine at sunset.
11. Cool and Enjoy: Remove the Dutch oven from heat, lift the parchment paper with the loaf out carefully, like retrieving the Death Star plans. Let the bread cool and enjoy your Jedi-crafted sourdough!