1. Take a deep breath. YES, sourdough bread is a process. And once you master it, you’ll be so happy and confident. I promise.
2. *A note about yeast: If your starter is sluggish and not very active use 2 teaspoons of yeast. If your starter is slightly active (minimal rise), use 1 teaspoon of yeast. If your starter is raring to go after feeding, omit the yeast.

Create a starter slurry:

1. In a large bowl, mix the starter, water, and olive oil together and let it sit for about 5 minutes. Make sure the water is warm ~85 degrees F. If you are using yeast, add it now.

Make the dough:

1. Add the flour to the starter slurry and mix together. Your hands are the BEST way to mix the slurry and flour. You could also use a dough whisk.
2. Mix the dough until it just comes together in a ball. It will be a little sticky, that’s okay.
3. **Do not add the salt yet. I know, some people do, however, I’ve tried it both ways and I can see a difference in my rise when I add it later.

Time for the bread to autolyse.

1. Let the dough sit at room temperature for 30 minute and rest. Cover with plastic wrap and a dishtowel.

Time for bulk fermentation.

1. Add the salt by sprinkling the salt over the top of the dough. Now, fold the dough into itself about 10 times, turning the bowl as you fold the dough over and over. Push the salt into the dough with the folds.
2. Reshape the dough into a ball in the bowl you mixed everything in.
3. Prep a bulk fermentation bowl. Put about 2 teaspoons of olive oil in the bowl and rub around to coat the sides.
4. Add the dough ball to the bowl, cover with plastic and a towel and let it rest.
5. You can leave it on the counter or put it away in the refrigerator (this will take much longer if you do — it’s great for an overnight proof.)
6. I’ll put mine in a cold oven before I go to bed and let it rise overnight.

What you are looking for:

1. You want it to double in size. Depending on your starter and the temperature you are letting it bulk ferment at, this could take anywhere from 4-10 hours.

Stretch and fold time:

1. During the bulk fermentation you will want to do a series of stretch and folds. Some people say it isn’t necessary, but I think it is crucial to get the rise you want. Here’s a good video about the stretch and fold process.
2. Do it 4 times. I usually make my dough, begin bulk fermentation and let it go for about an hour. Then I do a stretch and fold every 30 minutes or so for the next 2 hours. Then I let it continue to bulk ferment overnight.

Prepping for the second rise:

1. Now that your bread has bulk fermented, you are ready to prep it for it’s second rise.
2. Don’t panic, this is only about 1-2 hours.
3. Flour a board or your counter lightly and flip the bread on to the surface.
4. This is where you are going to shape it for it’s final rise. I prefer shaping into a round boule shape. Make the shape as tight as you can. This helps with the oven spring–the final rise of the bread.
5. After you have shaped your bread, put it in your dutch oven and let it sit for 1-2 hours until it is puffy and has risen a tad. I don’t coat my dutch oven with flour or oil. I use a piece of parchment paper. SO MUCH better than flour or oil because it is easy to clean.
6. You are not looking for the same about of rise as you had during bulk fermentation.

Ready to bake:

1. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F.
2. While the oven is heating up, make a shallow slash in the top of the bread.
3. If your are going to decorate your bread, now’s the time to do it. Just before baking.
4. Put the lid on your dutch oven and place it in the oven for 20 minutes.
5. At the 20 minute mark, remove the lid and drop the temperature to 400 degrees F. and bak for an additional 40 minutes.
6. Cool your bread COMPLETELY before you slice it. At least an hour.