Recipe

Jerry Cheung

• 200g levain
• 700g water
• 25g salt
• 800g bread | all-purpose
• 200g wheat flour

1. Feed night before starter/flour/water 1:1:1 (most sour) to 1:5:5 (least sour)
2. Ferment by volume using a small clear glass (e.g. shot glass)
3. Stir: 200g levain, 700g water, 25g salt
4. Stir: 800g bread flour, 200g wheat flour
5. Hand knead 10 minutes
6. Shape and rise until doubled. Optional stretch and fold, coil folds.
7. Preheat oven for 60 minutes at 500F with pizza stone

Notes

1:1 ratio water/flour for levain makes it easier to stir. Control sourness with how much existing starter to use.

Easy math: (100g levain water + 700g water) / (100g levain flour + 1000g flour) = 72.7% hydration. 25g salt / 1100 = 2.3% salt.

Stirring levain, water, and salt together first makes it homogeneous before adding flour.

I hand kneading over autolyse for initial gluten development because it guarantees a well mixed dough. It lets me do all the steps before bulk rise at once and fits well with a work schedule.

To measure bulk rise, I tear off a small piece of dough, put it into the bottom of a shot glass, and wrap a rubber band on the outside to mark the initial height. I bulk rise at room temperature between 5-8hrs.

I use Bulka round bannetons and a Lodge cast iron loaf pan if I cold proof overnight.

Thanks Sarah for sharing your starter with me!

Schedules

• Default: levain overnight, mix everything in the morning, bulk rise during work, bake after work.
• Fast morning: levain overnight, autolyse overnight, mix levain with dough, bulk rise during work, bake after work.
• Busy afternoon: cold proof overnight, bake in the morning.
• Split rise: if dough isn't risen by bedtime, cold-proof overnight, take it out in the morning for additional rise.