Honey Oat Sourdough Bread

• servings: 1 serving
• active time: 4 hours
• total time: 1 day 2 hours 45 minutes

Ingredients

50 g Sourdough Starter (Fed and Bubbly)

500 g Bread Flour

50 g Rolled Oats (plus extra for topping)

30 g Honey

350 g Water

10 g Salt

Directions

1. Autolyse:

Weigh out your starter, water and honey in a glass or ceramic bowl. Mix them together so that the honey is dissolved in the water (or at least really well distributed).

Then add your flour and salt and mix altogether with the end of a wooden spoon. The dough will be fairly shaggy and only just brought together (see photo).

Cover the dough with cling film or a tea towel and let it sit for around an hour.

2. Forming Up Your Dough:

Work your way around the bowl, grabbing the dough from the outside, stretching it up and over itself until a smooth ball is formed. You shouldn't need more than about 20-25 folds to form the ball.

Once the dough has formed into a smooth ball, pop the cling film back on and let it rest for 30 minutes.

3. Stretch & Fold:

You need to add the rolled oats to your dough during the stretch and fold phase.

It's very easy to do! Try to add the oats around the second or third set of stretch and folds.

So do your first set of stretch and folds with the dough as is and then add the oats on the second (or third) set depending on how your dough is behaving.

Try to do around 4 sets of stretch and folds with around 15 to 30 minutes between each set.

4. Bulk Ferment:

Once you've finished your stretch and folds, place the cling film or damp tea towel back over your dough and let it rest and ferment. The time this takes will depend on the temperature in your home. (see notes)

5. Shaping Your Dough:

Once your dough has finished its first ferment, it's time to give it some shape and surface tension.

I think this recipe lends itself to a batard however it's completely up to you what shape you would like.

Before you place your dough into your banneton, add a generous sprinkling of rolled oats. Place your shaped dough on top of the oats, seam side up.

The oats will stick to the top of your dough as it cold ferments.

6. Cold Ferment:

Now your dough is in its "shaping container" cover it loosely with a plastic bag or damp tea towel and place into the fridge. I use a large plastic bag to cover it - I just reuse it each time.

Try to leave it in the fridge for a minimum 5 hours up to a maximum of around 36 hours. The longer you leave it the better your bread will be! A longer cold ferment creates beautiful blisters on your crust and a deeper sourdough flavour.

7. Preparing To Bake Your Sourdough:

Once you're ready to bake your sourdough, you'll need to preheat your oven to 230C/450F.

Place your Dutch Oven into the oven when you turn it on so it gets hot. Try to preheat for around 1 hour to ensure your oven is super hot - but you know your oven so just adjust this time if you need to.

Leave your dough in the fridge until the very last minute - placing a cold dough into a hot oven will give you a great "spring".

8. Baking Your Sourdough:

When your oven is at temperature. Take your sourdough out of the fridge. Gently place it onto a piece of baking paper.

Gently score your bread with a lame, clean razor blade or knife. The oats will mean you can't get too artistic - a single slash or cross is perfect for this loaf.

Carefully take your dutch oven out of the oven. Place the sourdough into the pot using the baking paper as a handle. Put the lid on and place into the hot oven. If you want to you can spritz your dough with extra water before you put the lid on.

BAKE TIME:

30 Minutes with the lid on at 230C/450F plus

10-15 Minutes with the lid off at 210C/410F

If you're worried about the base of your bread burning, place a baking sheet on shelf underneath your Dutch Oven - it works!

9. Finishing Your Bake:

When you remove your dough from the oven, carefully remove it from the dutch oven as soon as possible and place on a wire rack to cool.

Notes

• Notes on Sourdough Starter -This recipe is based on you having an active starter that you have fed a few hours before starting your bake. For information on whether your starter is ready, go here.

• Notes on Stretch & Folds - If you are going to do the stretch & folds on your bench top, spray your surface with water mist rather than using flour.

• Notes on Bulk Fermentation - If your home is warm then your dough will ferment a lot faster and could be done in as little as a few hours. If it's colder, it will take longer, possibly overnight. I would recommend that you try to do your first few bulk ferments during daylight hours so that you can watch your dough closely. Once you're more familiar with the process - and the temperature of your home - you will be able to do overnight ferments. You will know your dough is ready to move to the next stage when it has *just* doubled in size. It will be fairly wobbly and full of bubbles. You should be able to see large air bubbles under the surface of the dough. You don't want to let it go any further than doubled as it will be over fermented. If you want to do an overnight ferment, but your home is warm, consider using a little less starter (ie 25g). Less starter means your dough will take longer to ferment and you will reduce the risk of over fermenting your dough.

Nutrition

• Calories: 2131 kcal
• Total Fat: 12 g
• Saturated Fat: 2 g
• Sodium: 3908 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 431 g
• Dietary Fiber: 17 g
• Total Sugars: 27 g
• Protein: 68 g