First step is to feed your starter, the usual feeding equal parts strong white bread flour to filtered water. It’s best to do this as early in the morning as possible as baking the sourdough takes a bit of time. 

Once your starter has doubled in size in a mixing bowl mix together your strong white bread flour and your warm water. Once combined leave in a bowl and cover for one hour. I covered mine with clingfilm and left it on the kitchen bench. 

After an hour this is when you want to add your starter, salt and a splash of water. Mix until combined, cover and leave to rest again for 30 minutes. 

After 30 minutes its time for your first stretch and fold. You want to scoop the dough at the side lift it up to stretch and fold it back on its self. Quarter turn the bowl with every stretch and fold you do, repeat this for 10 minutes. Cover again and leave to rest for another hour. 

After an hour it’s time to stretch and fold again but don’t worry you only have do this 4 times rather than for 10 minutes. Simply lift us the dough at the side stretch and fold back on its self, quarter turn the bowl and repeat until you have done 4 turns of the bowl. 

Repeat this step twice leaving an hours rest in between. On your final stretch and fold this is where you want to do coil folds, this mean picking the dough up at 2 sides and letting it fold back down on itself. 

Now you will need to pre heat your oven and dutch oven to 180 degrees. If you don’t have a dutch oven  this is the one that I used. 

Whilst your oven is pre heating stretch your dough out. My dough was a little sticky so I just added a bit extra flour before stretching it out. You want to stretch the dough out into a rectangle shape. Once stretched you then want to fold the 2 long side into the middle and roll it into a ball shape. You can leave the dough to rest again however I baked with it straight away. 

Score your bread, you can be as creative as you like, put the loaf onto some baking paper and into your dutch oven, then into the oven. 

You want to bake your bread in the dutch oven with the lid on for 20 minutes and then without the lid on for another 20 minutes. 

Now it’s time to enjoy your sourdough, its delicious either straight out the oven so the butter melts or the next day it’s still just as tasty (that’s if it’s not been eaten in that time!) 

Let me know what you think when you try this recipe.