Make the dough

• In a large mixing bowl, add the active sourdough starter and room-temperature filtered water. Mix with a Danish dough whisk or with your hand until it looks like a milky liquid.
• 200g (heaping 1 c) active sourdough starter, 425g (1 3/4 c) unfiltered water, room temperature
• Then, add the bread flour and salt. Again, mix with a whisk or by hand. Be sure to mix until all of the flour is incorporated. The dough will look shaggy, not like a uniform dough ball.
• 630g (4 1/2 c) bread flour, 12g (2 tsp) salt
• Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a reusable shower cap and let the dough rest for at least 45 minutes before you move on to the next step.

Stretch and folds

• With a bowl scraper, scrape the dough away from the bowl. Now, with slightly wet hands, reach down to the bottom of the bowl, grab a section of the dough and stretch the bread dough above itself. Then fold it over on top of the dough.
• Rotate your bowl clockwise a quarter of the way and repeat identical stretch and fold. Repeat the process, about 5-6 times, until you come full circle. You will notice the dough will start to look much smoother than before.
• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a reusable shower cap and let the dough rest for another 45 minutes.
• Repeat the same stretch and folds 3 more times, for a total of 4 sets. Cover the dough and wait for at least 45 minutes of rest in between each set.
• Once you have completed the final set of stretch and folds, cover the dough and let it rest for the remainder of the bulk fermentation.

Bulk fermentation

• Now this is the most finicky part of sourdough. There isn’t a set time for your bulk ferment. It is greatly dependent on the temperature of your environment. The warmer it is, the faster your dough will ferment. The opposite is true for cooler temperatures.
• In my 70 degrees F kitchen, the dough will typically bulk ferment for an additional 3-4 hours after you have completed the final set of stretch and folds.
• But again, you will have to look for the signs that your dough is done fermenting, rather than the clock. Warmer temperatures will be faster, while cooler temperatures will be slower.

Here’s what to look for:

• The dough should have increased in size by 75% and be domed on top.
• The dough looks light, and jiggles when the bowl is shaken.
• The dough should easily pull away from the bowl.
• There should be visible bubbles in the dough and on top.
• The dough doesn’t tear when you do a windowpane test
• Once the dough has completed the bulk fermentation, you have two options.
• If you prefer to bake the bread bowls on the same day, continue on to shaping.
• If you prefer to bake the bread bowls the following day, cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a reusable shower cap and place the dough in the fridge overnight or up to 48 hours. Remove the dough from the fridge when ready to bake.

Shape

• With slightly wet fingers, gently release the dough from the sides of the bowl. Be careful not to pop all of those lovely bubbles! Tilt the bowl and leave gravity to do the work to move the dough on the counter.
• With a bench scraper, divide the dough into 5-6 pieces, about 210-255 grams each. Shape each piece of dough by doing another round of stretch and folds until you have gone full circle.
• With a bench scraper or your hands, turn the dough upside down, so the seam is now on the counter. Cup your hands around the dough ball with both hands while rotating the dough counter-clockwise to help create tension in the dough and a round shape.
• Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.

Second Rise

• Place 3 dough balls each on two pieces of parchment paper, then cover them with a clean tea towel.
• Do not cover with plastic wrap. This keeps the dough very soft, which is harder to score later on.
• Leave the dough balls at room temperature until they have doubled in size and the dough doesn’t feel cold anymore. In my 70 degree F kitchen, dough that had been shaped right away took 2-3 hours to double, while dough that had been in the fridge took at least 4 hours to double in size since the dough was cold.
• Do not rush this step - the dough will bake up dense. To test the dough to see if it ready to bake, press a clean finger into the dough. If the dough rises back quickly, it needs longer to proof.
• If the dough rises back slowly, leaving a small imprint in the dough, the dough is ready to bake. If the dough does not rise back and the imprint stays, the dough is over proofed.

Score

• Thirty minutes before baking, place your baking stone or Dutch oven as well as a cast iron skillet or baking dish in your oven and preheat to 450 degrees F. Allow them to preheat for at least 30 minutes. You can skip this step if you are baking with a baking sheet.
• Once preheated, lightly brush some water on the tops of the bread bowls. With a lame / razor blade or sharp knife, score the letter “X” on top of each dough ball. This is necessary for your bread to be able to expand while baking.

3 Baking Methods

Baking Stone Method

• Use the parchment paper to slide the first 3 sourdough bread bowls onto a pizza peel. Then, slide the parchment paper with the dough balls onto the baking stone. Immediately place 1 cup of ice cubes into the hot cast iron skillet or baking dish. Bake the Sourdough Bread Bowls with steam for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, the ice should have completely evaporated. Continue to bake the bread bowls for 5-10 minutes or until golden brown.
• Keep the cast iron skillet in the hot oven for the second round.

Baking Sheet Method

• Slide the parchment paper with 3 dough balls onto the baking sheet, then place them into the hot oven. Immediately place 1 cup of ice cubes into the hot cast iron skillet or baking dish. Bake the Sourdough Bread Bowls with steam for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, the ice should have completely evaporated. Continue to bake the bread bowls for 5-10 minutes or until golden brown.
• Keep the cast iron skillet in the hot oven for the second round.

Dutch Oven Method

• Grab the corners of the parchment paper and carefully place the first 2-3 dough balls into your preheated Dutch Oven and cover with the lid. Bake covered for 20 minutes. Remove the lid of the Dutch oven and continue to bake the bread for an additional 5-10 minutes with the lid off until golden brown.
• Once golden brown, remove the Sourdough Bread Bowls from your oven and place them onto a wire rack to cool.
• Repeat the same baking process with the second batch of dough balls, if necessary.
• Allow the Sourdough Bread Bowls to cool for at least 1 hour before cutting into it.
• Once cooled, use a serrated knife at a 45 degree angle to slice into the top of each bread bowl. Remove the center of the bread bowl to create a bowl for your soup. Enjoy!

Baker’s Schedule #1

DAY 1

• 9 am: Mix dough
• 9:45 – 12 pm: Stretch and fold every 45 minutes
• 4 pm: Cover and place dough in the fridge

DAY 2

• 12 pm: Shape bread bowls
• 12:15 pm: Second proof
• 4:15 pm: Score and bake
• This schedule is made for a 68-70 degree F environment. Higher temperatures will quicken the process. Lower temperatures will lengthen the process.

Baker’s schedule # 2

DAY 1

• 7 am: Mix dough
• 7:45 – 10 am: Stretch and fold every 45 minutes
• 2 pm: Shape bread bowls
• 2:15 pm: Second proof
• 5:15 pm: Score and bake
• This schedule is made for a 68-70 degree F environment. Higher temperatures will quicken the process. Lower temperatures will lengthen the process.