Rosemary Olive Sourdough Bread

Mix the dough

At night, in a large bowl, mix flour and salt together. In a small bowl, mix starter and water together using a fork. Pour the starter-water into the flour mixture and stir with a fork until relatively combined. Using a wooden spoon, or dough mixer, scrape sides and mix dough for one minute, incorporating all the flour. The dough will feel thick and heavy and shaggy. Just do your best to incorporate all the flour. If for some reason the dough will not incorporate all the flour, add a tablespoon of water at a time to get it incorporated. Cover with a damp kitchen cloth, wait 15 minutes and do 2 sets of stretch and folds, 15 minutes apart. See video.

RISE

Let rise overnight on the counter 10-14 hours. 65F-70F is ideal. In the morning, the dough should have swelled, but not quite doubled. Do the poke test.

Prepare your banneton dusting the banneton with rice flour and perhaps some olives and rosemary in the bottom ( which will end up being the top.) See notes for using a regular bowl.

SHAPE

Using a wet dough scraper, or wet fingers, loosen the dough around the edges and pour it onto a well-floured surface. Treat the dough gently, flattening lightly with your fingertips into a rough rectangle about 1 1/2 inches thick. It need not be perfect. Sprinkle the olives, rosemary and garlic over the surface. Using the dough scraper, lift up one side, stretching just a bit up and over to the middle, then fold up the other side, like a tri-fold envelope. You want the dough to be inbetween the filling so all the filling is not in one area. (See notes) Turn the dough horizontally. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes. Then repeat. Gently flatten with fingertips (it needn’t be as flat as the first time), then do another tri-fold. Pinch the seams closed and lift into the prepared banneton, seam side up.

REST & PREHEAT

Place dough in the fridge uncovered for 1 hour, while you preheat the oven to 500F (or 475F) with your lidded dutch oven inside.

SCORE

Pull the dough from the fridge and have your lame (or sharp knife or razor blade) ready to score. Place a piece of parchment over the banneton and flip the dough, setting down on the counter over the parchment. Score 3/4 -1 inch deep at a 45-degree angle- basically wherever you want the dough to puff up. One slash is fine, or create a design.

Pull the Dutch oven oven from the oven and close the oven door. Remove the lid, place the scored dough into the Dutch oven, lifting it by the corners of the parchment. (See notes) Quickly cover and place back in the oven.

BAKE

Place in the middle of the oven for 20 mins with convection on, (or 25 minutes w/no convection ) or 28 minutes at 450F. Remove the lid, and the interior should reach 200F ( if not replace the lid until it does). Once 200F, uncover the bread, lower heat to 450F, and continue baking 10-15 minutes until deeply golden and internal temp reaches 204- 208F. No pale loaves please, let them get golden!

COOL

Remove from the dutch oven, let it cool 1 hour on a rack or tilted up on its side, before slicing so you don’t let the steam out and don’t smash it- be patient. This is the hardest part. 😉. Take a picture! Feel proud. You did it!