King Arthur Sourdough Bread Recipe

Weigh the flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. Combine all of the ingredients, kneading to form a smooth dough.

Allow the dough to rise, in a lightly greased, covered bowl, for about 90 minutes until it’s doubled in size.

Gently divide the dough in ½; it’ll deflate somewhat. Preshape each piece of dough by pulling the edges into the center, turning it over so the seam is on the bottom, and rolling under the cupped hands to form a ball.

Let the dough rest, covered, for 15 minutes.

To make fat oval loaves, elongate each preshaped ball of dough by gently rolling it back and forth on an unfloured work surface several times. For longer loaves, continue rolling until they’re about 10×11-inch long.

Place the loaves on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover and let rise for about 1 hour until very puffy. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Spray the loaves with lukewarm water and dust generously with flour.

Make 2 fairly deep diagonal slashes in each; a serrated bread knife wielded firmly or a lame, works well here.

Bake the bread for 25 to 30 minutes, until it’s a very deep golden brown. Remove it from the oven, and cool on a rack.

Serve and enjoy.