Once I'd competed stage one and the sponge was ready I was for stage two preparing the sourdough, er, dough.

To the sponge I added another 10 ½ oz (300g) of strong bread flour and just under ½oz (12g) of salt. I mixed with my finger until it came together as a rather a sticky mess. I then turned it out onto the worktop and began kneading. A touch of extra flour was needed for dusting. It took me about ten minutes of kneading until it was soft and silky.

The dough then went back into the tub, covered and left at room temperature for 6 hours so that it had doubled in size. I reckon this stage would be fine left over night, but I've not tried this length of time.

I then turned out the dough again, knocked it back a little to release some of the air trapped inside. Next I moulded it into a ball and placed in my makeshift proving basket. I made my proving basket from a mixing bowl lined with a muslin square dusted in flour. The dough was covered and left to prove a second time, this took around three hours.

 

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Related Articles:

The Sourdough Project – Codename: Boblington Riley

Sourdough II - we have lift off

Sourdough III - Beginning the feeding process

Sourdough IV - Feeding process update

Sourdough V - making the sponge dough

Sourdough VII – The Loaf

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