JUST DOUGH IT / BREAD

Lazy sourdough.

One bowl. No autolyse, no kneading, no folding schedule. Weigh, stir, wait, bake.

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THE FORMULA

Change the weights to scale the loaf. Up to three flours; percentages below are of the total.

Ingredient

Baker's %

Weigh

Water

375 g

Starter

100 g

Salt

11 g

Dough weight

986 g

Starter hydration

Water, starter and salt are percentages of the flour weight (salt also counts the starter's flour); hydration is the starter's own water-to-flour ratio. Assumes the starter comes straight from the fridge. Water temperature is set in the rise step.

THE METHOD

Mix

about 5 min

Stir the starter, water and salt together in a large bowl. Add the flour and mix with a spoon or your hand until no dry flour is left. It will look shaggy. That's fine. Cover the bowl.

Feed what's left in your starter jar with equal weights of flour and water (about 50 g of each), stir, and put it back in the fridge.

Rise

about 7 h

Room temp

°C

Water temp

°C

No tap temperature for your location, so the water is assumed to be at room temperature. Type one to override.

Leave it covered on the counter. It is ready when it has roughly doubled, the top is domed with bubbles, and it jiggles when you shake the bowl. The dough decides, not the clock.

Walking past? One stretch and fold helps, but you can skip it.

Shape

about 2 min

Cocotte

Lidded pot

Loaf tin

No shaping skill

Wet your hands. Tip the dough onto the counter, tuck the edges underneath to make a rough ball, and lift it onto a sheet of baking paper in a bowl.

Proof

about 4 h, or overnight

Cover and leave until puffy and a floured finger leaves a dent that springs back slowly. Or put it straight in the fridge and bake tomorrow, straight from cold.

Bake

240°C · 45 min

Heat the oven with the cocotte inside to 240°C for 30 minutes. Lift the dough in by its paper, put the lid on and bake 25 minutes. Take the lid off and bake 15–20 minutes more, until deep brown.

The pot is very hot. Use thick oven gloves.

Cool

1 h

Cool on a rack for at least an hour before slicing. The crumb is still setting.

ASK THE BAKER

Your question