Overnight Sourdough Bread

This is my favorite way to make bread. The overnight ferment makes it more digestible, and by baking it in a pot the bread is steamed and rises beautifully. You're going to make this bread in the evening before bed, so make sure your sourdough starter is ready and bubbly. (See the first step in instructions for more help.) You will also need a few items that make a huge difference in the finished loaf. You will need a 5 Quart Dutch Oven - a roaster pan or deep casserole dish with a lid will work too. A dough scraper is my new favorite tool while working to fold and knead my bread. You'll also need a Kitchen Scale for measuring all ingredients. I found that my cup of flour and your cup of flour can vary greatly, and will affect the outcome. I promise you this bread will be worth it. You'll feel like you've accomplished something great and your next loaf will be a breeze!

Servings: loaf

Equipment

Ingredients

50 grams Bubbly Sourdough Starter (¼ cup. See step 1 of instructions)
350 grams Warm Water (80° F) (1 ⅓ cups plus 2 tablespoons)
500 grams Bread Flour (4 cups plus 2 tablespoons) You can use other flours, too: white unbleached flour, white whole wheat, or spelt. Whole wheat flour will be denser and won’t rise as much as white flour. For your first few loaves, you'll have more success if you don't use it. Don’t use gluten-free flours.
9 grams Celtic Sea Salt (finely ground) (1½ teaspoons) or Himalayan salt

Instructions

You need to make sure your sourdough starter is bubbly and ready to go. If it has not been fed recently then take a few spoonfuls of sourdough starter from your fridge and give it that much flour and water and let it ferment for 6 - 8 hours. Here is more help for a bubbly sourdough starter. How to care for your sourdough starter

Before Bedtime ~ Making the dough

Gather ingredients and materials.
Close to your bedtime, add the bubbly sourdough starter and warm water to a ceramic bowl. Mix them together with a whisk until well combined.
Then add the flour and salt and combine together with a stiff spatula. You can also use your hands to get the flour fully incorporated. The dough will look a little scraggly, feel dense, and stick to your fingers. Try and scrape off as much dough from your hands as possible but don't overmix it at this point. Then cover the bowl with plastic wrap for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, flour your hands and work the dough into a smooth ball. Do this by folding the dough over and pressing it into the center until the dough starts to turn into a smoother ball.
Place the dough back in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let it rise overnight for 8-10 hours (around 70°F). The next morning the dough will have risen in the bowl and look puffier than it did the night before.

In the Morning ~ Making and Baking the Bread

In the morning, use your spatula and gently pull the dough from the bowl onto a lightly floured work surface. Dust your hands with flour and start at the top and fold the dough over to the center, repeating on all sides (add more flour if needed).
Then flip the dough over and let it rest for 5-10 minutes.
Line an 8-inch bowl with a towel and dust generously with flour. Make sure your hands are still floured and pick up the dough and place it in the bowl with seam side up. Cover the bowl and let it rest for 30-60 minutes. In the meantime, preheat your oven to 450°F.
Cover your bowl with a sourdough sling or a piece of parchment paper. Invert the bowl to allow the dough to release onto the sling or paper.
With a bread lame or small razor blade or serrated knife, score the bread with four slashes.
Pick up the sling or parchment and carefully place your bread in the pot. I usually fold in the arms of the bread sling and put the lid on.
Place the lid on the pot and place in the oven for 20 minutes. Then remove the lid and continue baking for 30 more minutes.
You can take it out of the pot and onto the rack to bake for 5 minutes longer to darken the bread if you'd like.
When bread is done, take bread out of pot and place on a wire rack to cool for about 20 minutes to an hour, although we often can't wait to eat it! Store loaf in a bag on the counter, or this bread freezes beautifully.