Sourdough

Sourdough    (thank you Mel T)

• In the morning get starter out of the fridge (I'm always happy to share starter with anyone who'd like some)
• Add a few spoonfuls of plain white flour (whatever brand I have) and a few spoonfuls of cool/lukewarm water. 
• Mix and leave on bench til the next morning. Repeat for another 24hrs if not really bubbly but mine always is so I move onto the next step.
• Take 200g of starter and put in a large bowl. Put remaining starter and bit more flour and water in a jar, mix and put back in the fridge with a lid until ready to go again (feed again after 6 days or so if not baking again quickly)
• To the 200g starter add 700g lukewarm water and mix.
• Then add 1kg flour (I usually use 600g plain white flour and 400g wholemeal spelt, but really I have substituted 400g GF flour once when I had no spelt and the bread was no different!) 
• Mix into a dry dough mixture, cover bowl with tea towel and leave for 30mins.
• Dissolve 20g salt in 50g boiling water
• After 30mins add salty water to dough and squeeze mix with hands until a wet even dough.
• Cover bowl with tea towel again and leave on bench for 30mins.
• Every 30mins throughout the day wet your hands then turn sticky dough over in the bowl. Recover and sit again. I flip the dough every 30mins when I'm about but have left it for a number of hours then flipped it every 30mins when I got home again, always seems to work)
• An hour before bed get dough out of bowl (should be far less sticky after a day of flipping and bench sitting) and put on floured bench. Cut firmly in half but don't knead. Lightly flour, cover with tea towel and leave on bench for 30-60mins.
• Line two medium sized bowls with floured tea towels.
• After 30-60mins on bench, choose one half and fold the dough in on itself at the top, sides and bottom (like you're making an envelope). Place folded dough bundle into one of the prepared lined bowls. Fold tea towel over the dough and place in fridge overnight. Repeat for other loaf.
• In the morning, place a large Le Creuset/cast iron casserole dish with lid in oven and heat to 250 degrees Celsius.
• When oven hot enough, flip one of the doughs into it, snip a few mark with scissors in the top, quickly replace hot lid and into oven 20mins 250 degrees.
• After 20mins remove lid, reduce temperature to 200 degrees and cook another 20mins.
• Repeat for second loaf.

I know this isn't your usual temperature-controlled way of making sourdough, but I followed these instructions (http://phickle.com/sourdough-starter-school-step-1-tartine/) first, then modified over time! So I sometimes forget the salt and extra water, I sometimes leave it on the bench overnight accidentally, as I mentioned I sometime don't have enough flour so substitute for something else (rice flour etc). They all seem to work just fine. So this method and technique work for me and my style of slightly distracted cooking. I'll try and bring starter to the next swap table but happy to share anytime of someone wants some.