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bread stuff

my go-to sourdough formula

  • Flour: 50% hi gluten bread flour, 40% T70 or T85 wheat, 10% whole wheat
  • Water: 72-78%
  • Starter: 19% @ 85% hydration
  • Salt: 2.1%


"But Asher, I just want to make one dang loaf of bread"

... Gotchya fam:

  • 380g bread flour + 35g whole wheat flour
  • 300g water
  • 80g ripe sourdough starter
  • 10g salt

That there should give ya like 800g of dough- party on

The long & short:


  • I don't autolyse unless I'm working with weaker flours or in warmer conditions/higher humidity. Or if I feel like it sometimes I feel like it. But most of the time I mix all but salt and rest for 90-120 minutes, then add salt and move on.
  • I usually bulk for between 6 and 10 hours, or even do an overnight cold bulk stage after 5-6 hours at room temperature (as shown in the video). When I do this is governed more by my schedule than anything else.
  • I scale & round -> shape -> directly into fridge -> baked directly from fridge
  • I bake at 505º-515º F on a stone in a standard electric home oven. I cover the loaves with a steam table pan for 20 minutes then finish for 10-15 minutes on the oven rack above the stone. A dutch oven works too. Or a big covered roaster pan thing. Do you.


*times & temps & how to bake might change in your kitchen

NO NO NO TELL ME HOW!!

okay here's one way you can try BOOM:


  1. Add all the flour and 280g of the water (save 10g for later) to a large bowl or stand mixer
  2. Hand mix or machine mix on the lowest speed for about 2 minutes, until combined
  3. Cover and rest 45 minutes
  4. Add sourdough starter to the bowl and mix. If hand mixing, scoop your hand under the dough repeatedly, gently lifting it up, while slowly rotating the bowl for 3-5 minutes. If machine mixing, mix on lowest speed for 1.5-2 minutes, until combined
  5. Cover and rest 30 minutes
  6. Add salt and remaining 10g of water to bowl
  7. Repeat chosen mixing process from step 4 until combined.  *At this point (if you like) you can transfer dough to a lightly oiled bin or bowl  
  8. Cover and rest 30 minutes
  9. Wet your hands. Gently stretch the sides of the dough up and fold them over the top; imagine a compass and fold the North side over towards the South edge, then E over to W, S up to N, and W to E.
  10. Cover and rest 45 minutes
  11. Perform the “stretch and fold” process from step 9 three (3) times, resting 45 minutes after each time *Get ready to shape your dough! You’ll need your bench scraper, proofing basket, and flour to dust the basket & your work surface.  
  12. Scoop the dough out of its container onto a clean surface. Using a bench scraper or your hands, gently work the edges of the dough in a circular motion, pushing in towards the center of the dough to round it; the side that faces up is now the “top” of your dough  
  13. Let it rest for 30 minutes 
  14. Lightly flour your work surface and using your bench scraper flip the dough over onto the floured surface so the top is now down 
  15. Gently fold the 4 “sides” of the dough into each other, meeting in the middle, and press so they stick together 
  16. Repeat with the 4 “corners” 
  17. If forming a round loaf (boule): flip the dough over and push it around in a circle as in step 12, to create tension. 
  18. If forming a long loaf (batard): Roll the dough up from the bottom, cinching it in on itself to create tension on the outside of the roll. 
  19. Lightly flour your proofing basket and place the dough top down/seam side up in the basket 
  20. If the dough is loose, pinch the edges of the dough in towards the center, overlapping/stitching them together so they stick 
  21. Cover with a kitchen towel and place in the refrigerator for 12-16 hours (if your fridge is much cooler than 38° F or warmer than 42° F, the final proof could be longer or shorter, respectively; the dough should look slightly “full” of gasses, with a lightly rounded seam side and the sides pulling away/in from the sides of the basket)
    *You can let the dough proof in the fridge for more than 16 hours to promote slightly tangier flavors.

BAKING IT

*Before baking the dough should look “full” of gasses, with a lightly rounded seam side, and the sides pulling away/in from the sides of the basket 


  1. Preheat oven with dutch oven inside to 500° F° 
  2. Pull dough from fridge, and dump out (seam side down now) onto a piece of parchment paper (paper should be large enough to pick up by edges to lift loaf into Dutch oven) 
  3. Using a razor, sharp knife, or scissors: (for a boule) make 2 slashes in an X across the top of the loaf, (for a batard) make a slash along the length of the loaf roughly 1" to either side of the middle, with the blade angled at about 45 degrees
  4. Carefully remove preheated dutch oven from oven, lift loaf using parchment paper, and drop into Dutch oven. Place lid on, and return to oven 
  5. Drop temp to 475° F and bake with the lid on for 20 minutes 
  6. Take lid off dutch oven to release steam 
  7. Drop temp to 450° and bake 10 minutes with lid off 
  8. If you like a slightly darker crust, remove loaf from Dutch oven and bake for another 5-10 minute directly on the oven rack  
  9. Cool loaf for at least 2-3 hours before cutting; enjoy!

sourdough focaccia

  • 420g strong white flour
  • 5g diastatic malt (~1.2%)
  • 387g cold water (~85% hydration)
  • 160g active sourdough starter (~38%)
  • 5g honey (~1.2%)
  • 11g salt (~2.5%)

method:

  1. hand mix flour, starter, honey, & water (holding back 10g water). cover & rest 75-90 minutes
  2. add salt & remaining water, hand mixing until fully incorporated. rest 30 minutes
  3. perform a second short hand mix, gently bringing dough together. move dough to oiled container
  4. bulk for 1.5 hrs, gently coil folding 2x throughout
  5. divide dough into 2 ~475g halves, & place in oiled 8" or 9" pans 
  6. proof at room temperature (ideally not above 75º F) for 10-14 hours
  7. heat oven to 450º F
  8. carefully dimple tops with wet hands
  9. add olive oil, salt, & anything else you want
  10. bake 20-24 minutes until desired color

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