Chef John Sourdough Bread Recipes

CHEF JOHN'S SOURDOUGH STARTER

Steps:

• Day 1: Mix 70 grams flour and 70 grams water together in a container with a lid. Container needs to be large enough to accommodate another 70 grams water and flour. Cover loosely so gases can escape. Leave for 24 hours at 70 degrees F.
• Day 2: Add 70 grams flour and 70 grams water. Stir. Cover loosely and leave for 24 hours at 70 degrees.
• Day 3: Remove half (140 grams) of the starter. Add 70 grams flour and 70 grams water. Stir. Cover loosely and leave for 24 hours at 70 degrees.
• Day 4 through about Day 10: Repeat Step 3 each day until starter smells fruity, yeasty, and is beautifully fermented. You can test this by seeing if the mixture doubles within 2 to 3 hours of feeding.
• Refrigerate until needed. Most people recommend you feed the starter once a month or so (Step 3).
• To make bread using a refrigerated starter: feed it at room temperature for two days. Use your refreshed starter to make bread on the third day. Remember to set aside 140 grams of starter and feed it again before returning it to the fridge.

CHEF JOHN'S SOURDOUGH BREAD

Steps:

• Measure out starter into a bowl. Add water, salt, and bread flour. Mix until ingredients are well blended into a very sticky dough. Cover with aluminum foil; let rest 4 hours at 70 to 75 degrees F (22 degrees C).
• With wet hands, fold dough over on itself 3 or 4 times. Cover with foil and allow dough to ferment for 2 more hours.
• Generously dust a bread form with rice flour (see Chef's Note for banneton substitution).
• Scrape dough out onto a lightly floured work surface (you can use bread flour or all-purpose flour). Shape into a ball with a smooth, unbroken surface, using just enough flour on the surface to keep it from sticking. Transfer smooth-side down to banneton. Pinch together the rougher edges of the surface toward the center to smooth them and maintain the round ball shape.
• Cover and refrigerate 12 hours to slow the fermentation process.
• Remove loaf from the refrigerator and let it rise in a warm spot until the dough springs slowly back and retains a slight indentation when poked gently with a finger, about 3 to 5 hours.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Dust surface of dough with flour. Gently invert banneton over the baking sheet and transfer dough onto parchment paper. Gently brush off excess rice flour. Score the top of the dough about 1/8-inch deep with a sharp knife to create a shallow slit running across the center. Mist entire surface lightly with water.
• Bake in the center of preheated oven until beautifully browned, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Transfer to a rack to cool completely (do not slice loaf while it is still warm).

CHEF JOHN'S PANETTONE

Steps:

• The day before baking, mix flour, cold water, and sourdough starter together in a bowl. Cover and leave out at room temperature, 8 hours to overnight.
• At the same time, combine raisins, cherries, and pineapple in a separate bowl. Stir in rum. Let fruit soak, tossing occasionally, 8 hours to overnight.
• Pour warm water into large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. Add yeast and let dissolve for 10 minutes. Add eggs, 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, vanilla extract, orange zest, and lemon zest. Whisk together. Scoop in the panettone starter. Add flour and salt.
• Knead until dough is very smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Stop and scrape down the sides if needed. Add butter; knead until butter is completely mixed in and dough is soft and somewhat sticky, about 5 minutes. Transfer to your work surface.
• Toss and fold your dough into a rough ball shape using wet fingers and a bench scraper. Transfer dough back to the bowl. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 3 hours.
• Transfer dough back to your work surface and shape into a rough ball. Place into a resealable plastic bag. Refrigerate, 8 hours to overnight.
• Remove dough from the bag and press out into a flat rectangle. Sprinkle with flour and roll out to at least 1/2-inch thickness. Spread the dried fruit all over the surface. Roll dough up into a log, sealing in the fruit. Roll both ends of the log toward the middle and smooth it over into a ball.
• Place dough ball into a short, wide paper panettone mold. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until dough is at least 2/3 of the way up the sides, 3 to 4 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Mix egg and water together and brush mixture on top of the panettone. Cut 2 slits crosswise on top.
• Bake in the preheated oven until beautifully browned, 40 to 45 minutes. Poke 2 skewers through either side of the panettone and flip it over into a panettone hole or a Dutch oven. Let cool upside-down for 2 hours.
• Pull out the skewers and slice into pieces.