Claypot Sourdough Bread

NOTE: This is an OVEN BAKE ONLY recipe and does NOT require the use of the Claypot Oven Base. 

Levain Ingredients (Start the night before):

• 30 grams of Lievito Madre (or other sourdough starter)
• 130 milliliters/grams of Filtered Water (100°F)
• 120 grams of Flour (I use All Purpose Einkorn Flour. See notes)
  

Main Dough Ingredients (The next day):

• All of the Levain
• 664 grams of Bread Flour (See notes)
• 393 milliliters of Filtered Water (100°F)
• 12 grams of Salt
  

Instructions: 

1. Begin by prepping your levain the night before making your dough. This is standard for all of my recipes and yields great bread.
2. Mix your Lievito Madre or other types of sourdough starter, like a 100% hydration starter, with the water and flour until a dough forms.
3. Place the levain into a container with a tight lid.
4. Leave it overnight to proof until it is doubled or tripled. This may take longer in winter, so if it still looks sluggish in the morning, you can pop it in the oven with a light on for about an hour or so or until it has changed in volume before adding it to your dough.
5. Place all the levain and dough ingredients directly into the bowl of your stand mixer.
6. Turn your mixer on a low speed to move the dough, then increase the speed slightly. Let your dough knead in your mixer with the dough hook for precisely ten minutes or until the dough goes from scraggly to sticky to smooth.
7. After ten minutes, remove your dough from the stand mixer using damp hands and place it into a straight-sided container with a tight lid.
8. Let your dough rest in the container in a warm spot until it has doubled in size. If you find it helpful to compare and know when your dough has finished bulk fermenting (also known as bulk proofing), you can take a before photo.
9. Once your dough has doubled, lightly flour the top of it inside your container and tip it out onto a clean countertop.
10. In this step, you can either make one larger loaf or two smaller ones by simply dividing the dough into two equal pieces.
11. Laminate the dough into a thin rectangle. This will help redistribute the air bubbles the yeasts have created and give you a more even crumb when your bread has finished baking.
12. When your dough is laminated, roll it back up, fold it like a letter, and then put it into a short log. You can roll it up using any method that feels natural to do this step.
13. Let the dough rest on your countertop with a tea towel, covering it for 15 minutes.
14. After 15 minutes, lightly flour the top, flip it upside down on your countertop, and perform the final shaping of your dough.
15. Place your dough into a lightly floured banneton and rest for 15 minutes. If you divided the dough to make two small loaves, place each into two small bannetons. This step is optional, but I also like to stitch my dough. This helps the dough have a better oven spring!
16. Let your dough rest in your banneton for 30-60 minutes before baking, or let the dough cold ferment overnight in the fridge for baking the following day.
17. Place your sourdough loaf right in the center of your room temperature Claypot.
18. Brush water on top of your loaf, score the dough, and put the Lid on your Claypot.
19. Bake in your home oven at 446°F for 30 minutes.
20. Remove Lid, lower the oven temperature to 395°F, and bake uncovered for an additional 20 minutes or until golden brown.
21. Let your bread rest until thoroughly cooled before cutting to allow the crumb to set fully, if possible!
    

Notes:

1. Bread Flour: Different bread flour types have varying water absorption capacities, meaning some flours may require more or less water than the recipe states. Knowing your flour's characteristics and adjusting the water content accordingly is essential to achieve the desired dough consistency.
2. Size and Shape: You can shape this sourdough into a boule or battard. An oval battard shape works best for the Claypot vs. a round Boule. You can even make smaller mini loaves for a fun twist! To make smaller loaves, divide the dough right after it has doubled in size before the lamination.