Artisan Country Sourdough Boule

Autolyse: In a mixing bowl, combine bread flour, whole wheat flour, and 350g of water (reserve 25g). Mix with your hands until no dry flour remains. Cover and rest for 45 minutes. This rest (called autolyse) lets the flour fully absorb the water, and gluten starts forming on its own.

Incorporate Starter & Salt: Dimple the 100g active sourdough starter and 10g salt onto the dough with the reserved 25g water. Squeeze and fold the dough with a wet hand for 4-5 minutes until the starter and salt are fully mixed in and the dough feels smoother.

Bulk Fermentation & Stretch-and-Folds: Over the next 4 hours at room temperature (~75°F / 24°C), perform 4 sets of stretch-and-folds spaced 30 minutes apart. The dough is ready when it has grown by about 40-50%, feels airy, and shows bubbles on the top and sides. In a cooler kitchen this can take longer, so go by the dough, not the clock.

Preshape & Cold Retard: Tip dough onto a lightly floured surface, round into a loose sphere, and rest 20 mins uncovered. Shape into a tight round boule and place seam-side up in a rice-flour dusted banneton. Cover and chill in the refrigerator at 38°F (3°C) for 14-16 hours.

Bake in Dutch Oven: Preheat a cast-iron Dutch oven inside your oven to 450°F (230°C) for 45 minutes. Turn the cold dough onto parchment, score an arc 1/2-inch deep with a sharp razor blade (lame), and load into the pot. Bake with the lid on for 20 minutes (this traps steam so the loaf can rise), then remove the lid and bake 22-25 minutes more, until the crust is deep brown.