Catalan Kitchen LogoThe Catalan Table
Daily Bread Forki
A soft and aromatic bread with a crunchy crust, made with well-activated sourdough starter and bread flour to offer you an authentic and consistent flavor.
vegetarian
oven
bread
main dish
Ingredients
Servings:
4

Ingredients

  • 180 gwell-activated sourdough starter
  • 400 gbread flour
  • 240 mlmineral water
  • 8 gsalt
Nutritional Information

Per Serving (Approx.)

Calories
434 kcal
Protein
16 g
Fat
6 g
Carbohydrates
76 g

Disclaimer: These values are estimates based on ingredient types and may not be precise.

Step-by-step Guide

Day 1: Activate the sourdough starter that we will need

  • Remove the sourdough starter from the fridge, where it has been for 3-4 days without refreshing, and let it sit at room temperature for 6-7 hours to reactivate completely.
  • Separate 70 grams of sourdough starter, place it in a bowl, and add 70 grams of flour and 60 ml of water. This will give you a total of 200 grams of active sourdough starter.
  • Mix all the ingredients well and knead the dough with a spoon for about 3 minutes until it is well integrated.
  • Cover the bowl with plastic wrap to prevent the dough from drying out or absorbing impurities from the air.
  • Let the covered dough rest overnight at room temperature until the next day. Ensure the room temperature is between 20-22 °C for optimal fermentation.
  • For the reserve sourdough starter: discard some of the starter in the jar until you have about 80 grams left. Refresh it as usual by adding 80 grams of flour and 80 ml of water. Let it rest for 45 minutes at room temperature to start fermenting, then store it in the refrigerator for future use.

Day-2: The Next Day

  • Early in the day, refresh the sourdough starter we are preparing to make the bread.
  • Discard 140 grams of the starter in the bowl to keep only the most active part.
  • Keep 60 grams of starter in the bowl, to which we add 80 grams of flour and 60 ml of water. This will give us a total of 190 grams of starter. Keep in mind that when we go to make the bread, there will be about 180 grams due to the losses that stick to the bowl.
  • Mix all the ingredients well with a spoon for about 3 minutes, ensuring the flour is fully incorporated and the texture of the dough is uniform.
  • Cover the bowl with plastic wrap so that it is well sealed to prevent air from entering.
  • Let the dough rest for 6 hours, until 2:00 PM, in a warm place without drafts, to allow optimal fermentation.

Prepare the Hydrolysis of the Flour

  • Place 240 ml of water along with 400 grams of flour in a large bowl (do not add the salt yet).
  • Knead the mixture until it is well combined and no traces of dry flour remain.
  • Cover the bowl and let the mixture rest for 1 hour.
  • Add the activated sourdough starter to the bowl with the flour and water mixture.
  • Mix the sourdough starter well with the flour and water mixture, kneading in the same bowl for 3 minutes.
  • Let the dough rest for 10 minutes and then knead again for 3 minutes.
  • Let the dough rest for 30 minutes with the bowl covered.
  • Knead for 2 minutes in the bowl itself (or for 1 minute with a machine).
  • Let the dough rest for 10 minutes at room temperature.
  • Turn the dough onto the countertop and perform several kneads by stretching and folding the dough onto itself, following the diagram. Alternatively, knead for 1/2 minute with a machine.
  • Let the dough rest for 10 minutes in a covered bowl at room temperature.
  • Turn the dough onto the countertop and repeat the stretching and folding steps as before. Alternatively, knead for 1/2 minute with a machine.
  • Let the dough rest for 10 minutes in a covered bowl at room temperature.
  • Turn the dough out onto the countertop and knead it a few times following the same process of folding it over itself as mentioned before. Alternatively, knead for 1/2 minute with a machine.
  • Let the dough rest for 10 minutes in a covered bowl at room temperature.
  • Incorporate the salt into the dough.
  • Turn the dough out onto the countertop again and knead by stretching and folding, or knead for 1/2 minute with a machine.
  • Let the dough rest for 10 minutes in a covered bowl at room temperature.
  • Turn the dough out onto the counter and make a three-fold, following the diagram. Alternatively, knead with a single machine cycle, start, count to four, and stop.
  • Let the dough rest for 30 minutes in a covered bowl at room temperature.
  • Turn the dough out onto the counter and repeat the three-fold as done before. If preferred, knead with a single machine cycle, counting to four and stopping.
  • Let the dough rest for 60 minutes in a covered bowl at room temperature (it can now be placed in a large container).
  • Turn the dough out onto the counter and make a new three-fold as before. Alternatively, use the kneading machine, counting to four and stopping.
  • Let the dough rest for 60 minutes in a covered bowl at room temperature.
  • Take the dough out of the bowl and perform another triple fold as done previously.

Day-3: Shaping and Baking

  • Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it acclimate for about 10-15 minutes at room temperature.
  • Generously flour the wicker basket to prevent the dough from sticking. If you don't have one, use a cotton kitchen cloth to line a bowl and flour the cloth well.
  • Everything we do with the dough from now on must be done very carefully to avoid deflating it.
  • Carefully turn out the dough onto a minimally floured countertop. Flour your hands to handle the dough and, if necessary, use a slightly dampened scraper to help remove it from the bowl.
  • Gently stretch the dough and make a triple fold as if you were folding it into thirds.
  • Shape the dough gently to create a round, uniform shape.
  • Let the shaped dough rest for 3 minutes to relax.
  • If you want to make a loaf, roll it over itself, applying pressure at the seam to seal it.
  • If we prefer to make a round loaf, we turn the dough ball so that the less aesthetic part is visible.
  • Stretch from five sides of the dough ball successively, folding each side onto itself.
  • Stretch the dough from one side to lengthen it slightly.
  • Fold this tip onto itself until it reaches the middle of the dough and press lightly to seal.
  • Turn the dough and stretch from another side, repeating the previous operation.
  • Repeat this process from five sides to form a kind of tight and homogeneous ball.
  • Roll the ball on the marble with your hands to give more tension to the dough.
  • Place the dough inside the basket with the folded side down and the smooth side up.
  • Cover with a cloth and let the dough rest for 2 to 3 hours at room temperature to ferment.
  • If making a loaf, let it also rest covered for 2-3 hours in a warm place.
  • If we don't have a baking peel or board, let the loaf rest directly on the oven tray.
  • Place a container at the bottom of the oven (a small individual cast iron dish can work well) so it heats up with the oven.
  • We can also create steam in the oven by spraying water after placing the bread inside.
  • When there are 45 minutes left before baking, preheat the oven to the maximum temperature (270ºC) with heat both Above and Below.
  • When there are a few minutes left before baking, heat a cup of water in a pot until it boils.
  • Preheat the oven to Heat From Below only, to ensure that the bread rises properly.
  • Lightly flour the visible top part of the dough (using a sifter) without removing it from the basket yet.
Recommendations & Tricks
  • Ensure the sourdough starter is well activated: it should have visible bubbles and a moderately tangy smell. This will ensure that the bread has a good fermentation.
  • For long fermentation, let the dough rest in the refrigerator for 24 hours at a temperature of approximately 4-5°C. This will help develop the flavors and texture of the bread.
  • Use high-quality bread flour to ensure an adequate structure in the bread. Sift the flour before adding it to avoid lumps.
  • Initial mix: combine the activated sourdough starter with water and mix well before adding the flour and salt. This will help achieve a uniform texture.
  • Gentle kneading: fold the dough every 30 minutes during the first 2 hours of the process. This will gradually develop the gluten without overloading the dough.
  • The day before baking, activate the sourdough starter by adding it to equal parts water and flour until it doubles in volume. This will ensure it is ready for use the next day.