Sourdough Bread La Bella Italia
I love making white sourdough bread, but this one is my favourite. It has everything what one typical Italian bread should have. Crispy caramelised crust, airy crumb and amazing flavour. It is made from real Italian flour type 00.
Servings: 1 Loaf
Ingredients
Leavening
- 40 g Active Starter
- 40 g White Flour
- 20 g Water
Dough
- 400 g White Italian Flour Type 00
- 300 g Water
- 100 g Leavening
- 12 g Butter (Optional)
- 9 g Salt
Instructions
Leavening.
- In a glass jar mix all the ingredients for the leavening and let it double at room temperature. It takes about 6h.
Dough
- One hour before the leavening reach the double volume, in a bowl mix by hand or mixer flour and water. Cover with cling film and let it rest one hour (outolyse)
- After one hour add leavening and knead by hand or mixer until dough become smooth and silky. It takes about 10min. Let it rest for another 30min.
- At the end we add salt and butter and knead for 10 min. Cover it and let the dough proof until double in volume.
- Meanwhile, we need to make four S&F ( stretch and folds) every hour. This help to organize the gluten net.
- Ones the double place the dough on the lightly floured worktop and a ball and leave to rest for 30min. This we call bench rest. Do not skip it.
- After that, we shape it into a batard and place it upside down into a proofing basket to do the final proof. This will be done in the fridge to retard the fermentation and develop more flavor. Usually, it takes 12h. It should double.
- Bake in preheated oven in cast iron oblong pot with lid at 250C for 30min. After that remove the lid and bake for another 20min at 180C for 20min or until dark brown.
