Rachie's kitchen: Sour dough loaf

Once you have a mature starter, that doubles in size after each feed you can make a loaf with it. Baking sour dough loaves take LOTS of time, but not lots of effort.

Step one
Make a sponge:
300ml starter
225ml water
225g bread flour

Mix the sponge ingredients together in a large bowl, cover and leave at room temperature for 8 hours.

Step two
It should now look puffy, add:
300ml starter
225ml water
225g bread flour

Once again mix and leave to stand at room temperature for 5-6 hours, it will have increased in size and will be light and bubbly.

Save 300ml of your sponge and pout back in your starter container.

Step three
Make the loaf
75ml (100 ml for a higher hydration) water
350g/12oz bread flour
1tbsp rye four or wheat germ

Mix the sponge and the loaf ingredients into a dough and leave to sit for 20 minutes.
Add 1 and 1/2tsp salt and knead for 15 minutes by hand or 6 minutes by machine. The consistency should be slightly sticky and easy to stretch, knead more if necessary.
Cling film the bowl and leave at room temperature for 6-8 hours.

Step four
Knock back the dough by punching the air out of it for a few seconds.
Shape into a loaf (I chose a round loaf) and leave to prove. I places my loaf into a floured sheet of greaseproof paper (to help move the loaf into the oven) then placed into a bowl (this helps the dough keep its shape as it rises).

Prove the dough in the fridge for 8 hours or longer.

Then prove at room temperature for an hour and a half, meanwhile heat the oven to 220 degrees C

I baked my loaf in a large cast iron casserole dish with a lid, I pre-heated this too.

just before baking I slashed the loaf

Using the grease proof paper I lifted the loaf up and put inside the casserole dish and replaced the lid (its mega hot so be careful)
Bake for 20 minutes with the lid on to keep the steam in, and then 20 minutes with the lid off to get the loaf nicely browned.