Sourdough Harvest Loaf

Healthy Elizabeth

5 from 1 vote

Servings 1 large loaf

500 grams organic, unbleached, all-purpose flour
125 grams active sourdough starter, fed, bubbly, and doubled in size (fed 8-12 hours before assembling dough) A typical sourdough feeding for me is: 45g sourdough starter, 150g water, 150g water. I like to make enough to always have some discard.
340 grams filtered water slightly warm
1½ tsp sea salt
2 tbsp maple syrup
½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup dried apricots, chopped
⅓ cup raw walnuts, chopped
1 tsp ground cinnamon
⅛ tsp ground cloves use ¼ tsp for a spicier loaf
⅛ tsp ground fresh nutmeg use ¼ tsp for a spicier loaf
zest of 1 orange

Get Recipe Ingredients

In a large mixing bowl add the warm filtered, sourdough starter, and maple syrup. Mix together using a dough hook.
Next, add the flour and spices. Mix together with a dough whisk until a shaggy dough forms.
Set aside for 30 minutes.
After the rest, add the salt to the top of the dough with 1 tablespoon of water, orange zest, and mix-ins: dried cranberries, dried apricots, and walnuts.
Mix the dough by hand, squeezing the dough and folding it onto itself until the salt and mix-ins are fully dispersed in the dough.

Cover the dough with a plate, plastic wrap, or beeswax, and let it ferment on the counter for 2 hours.
During the 2 hours, perform 2 sets of stretching and folding the dough to build structure.

Place the covered bowl in the fridge for 6-12 hours so that the dough ferments slowly, then remove from the fridge and let rest on the counter for 1 hour.
Shape the dough into a tight round boule and place it in a floured banneton basket.
Ferment again on the counter for 1 hour.

Before baking the bread, place the banneton basket in the fridge to allow the dough to firm up and get cold before scoring and baking, anywhere between 1-6 hours.

Preheat the oven to 450℉ and place your dutch oven in the oven to allow it to preheat along with the oven.
Once the oven has preheated, remove the banneton from the fridge and turn it out on a piece of parchment paper or silpat and lightly sprinkle it with semolina flour (optional for a coarse botton crust).
Score the top of the loaf and place it in your Dutch oven.
T**oss in 2 ice cubes in the bottom of the dutch oven to create more steam, optional, and place the lid on top.
Bake the loaf for 40 minutes with the lid on, then remove the lid and bake for another 10-15 minutes with the lid off to allow the crust to darken and become golden.
After baking, carefully remove the loaf from the Dutch oven and place it on a cooling rack for a minimum of 1 hour before slicing into it.
*Cutting the bread too soon will cause the bread to be gummy and not finish cooking through properly.