Rustic Italian Sourdough Bread

Directions

1. Make a levain (9:00 a.m.)
   
   In the morning, when your sourdough starter is ripe (when you’d typically give it a refreshment), in a medium bowl, combine 45 grams all-purpose flour, 45 grams whole wheat flour, 45 grams water, and 45 grams ripe sourdough starter. Because this levain only has 50 percent water to total flour, it will be dry. Use your hands to mix together and then knead the ingredients until smooth. Place in a jar with a loose-fitting lid to ripen at room temperature for five hours.
2. Autolyse the dough (12:00 p.m.)
   
   While your levain is ripening, start the dough. In a large mixing bowl, add 391 grams all-purpose flour, 338 grams durum flour, 150 grams whole wheat flour, and 675 grams water (50g is held back until mixing). Mix everything with damp hands and cover with an airtight reusable cover. Let the dough rest in a warm place for 2 hours.
3. Mix the dough (2:00 p.m.)
   
   Uncover the large mixing bowl, and pour in the ripe levain. Sprinkle on 17 grams salt, and pour on about 25 grams of the reserved 50 grams of water. With wet hands, pinch the salt and water through the dough, then fold it over itself repeatedly until the mixture is homogeneous. If the dough doesn’t feel excessively wet or soupy, add the remaining reserved water and fold the dough over itself until it comes back together. Continue folding for another minute or two until the dough becomes more elastic and just a little more smooth.
   
   Transfer the dough to another large bowl or container for bulk fermentation.
4. Bulk ferment the dough (2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.)
   
   Cover the dough with a reusable airtight cover and let it rise at warm room temperature (76°F/24°C) for a total of 3 hours. During this time, you’ll give the dough three sets of “stretches and folds” (see next step for explanation) to give it additional strength. The first set is done after 15 minutes, and subsequent sets at 30-minute intervals. Set a timer for 15 minutes and let the dough rest, covered. After 15 minutes, give the dough its first set of stretches and folds.
   
   To stretch and fold: Wet your hands slightly (you’ll do this for each stretch and fold) and grab the north side of the dough (farthest away from you) in the container for each set, stretch it up and over to the south side (nearest to you). Then, perform the same folds from east to west and west to east. You’ll now have a folded-up square in the container. Let the dough rest, again covered and at room temperature, for 30 minutes. Repeat this process two more times at 30-minute intervals for a total of three sets. After the third set, let the dough rest, covered, for the remaining hour and a half of bulk fermentation.
5. Pre-shape the dough (5:30 p.m.)
   
   After three hours, your dough should have risen in the bulk fermentation container, smoothed out, but have a few bubbles on the top and at the sides. Using a bowl scraper or flexible bench scraper, gently scrape out your dough to a clean, unfloured work surface. Next, using a bench scraper, divide the dough in half. Then, using the bench scraper and your other hand (floured or, my preference, wet with water), preshape each piece into loose rounds. Place the rounds to the side of your work surface and let rest, uncovered and at room temperature, for 30 minutes.
6. Shape the dough (6:10 p.m.)
   
   After 30 minutes, lightly flour your work surface and the top of one dough round. Using a bench scraper and a floured hand, flip one of the rested rounds over to the floured work surface and shape it into a long oval or round shape, whichever you prefer.
   
   To shape like an oval (my preference), fold the dough’s left and right sides toward the middle to make one long rectangle in front of you. Then, fold the top quarter of the dough farthest from you down and gently press to seal the small fold. Continue rolling down the dough from the top to the bottom of the dough closest to your body. You should end up with a tube with the seam-side down on the work surface. Pinch the ends closed or gently roll the edges with each hand to form a taper.
   
   Transfer the shaped dough, seam-side up, to a 10-inch long proofing basket. Repeat for the other piece of dough.
   
   To shape round loaves, fold the bottom of the rested round up and gently press to seal. Then, fold the right side of the round over to the middle, and then fold the left side over to the middle. Fold the top down to the middle—you should now have a letter shape in front of you. Flip the dough over so the seams are down on the work surface. Finally, using both hands, drag the dough toward your body as your pinky fingers create tension between the dough and the work surface. If the dough needs more tension, push the round away from you while turning it slightly, and drag it toward your body again. Repeat this pushing and pulling as necessary to create even tension and a round shape.
7. Proof the shaped dough (6:30 p.m. to 9:00 a.m., overnight)
   
   This dough can be proofed at room temperature for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or placed into the refrigerator to retard (proof at cold temperature) overnight. I like splitting this into a two-day recipe so I typically proof it overnight in the refrigerator.
   
   Cover each basket with a reusable bag and place the baskets in the refrigerator overnight.
8. Bake the loaves (9:00 a.m., next day)
   
   Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Place an oven rack in the bottom third with a pizza stone or baking steel on top and a roasting pan at the very bottom. When you slide in your dough, you’ll also throw in a cup of ice into the preheated roasting pan to generate steam in your oven.
   
   Place a wide piece of parchment paper on a pizza peel or large cutting board. Gently tip one dough out to the left and one to the right, with four to six inches of space between them to allow for their rise in the oven. Using a lame (baker’s razor blade) or a sharp serrated knife, score the top of the dough with a single vertical slash or two smaller, vertical slashes that start at the top of the dough moving down and overlap about 20 percent Then, carefully pull out the oven rack and slide the piece of parchment paper with loaves onto your baking surface. Finally, carefully pour a cup of ice cubes into the preheated roasting pan and quickly close the oven door.
   
   Bake for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove the pan used for steaming. Continue to bake for an additional 30 to 35 minutes until the loaves are deeply golden, and the internal temperature is around 206°F (96°C).
   
   Remove the loaves from the oven and let cool on a wire rack, and wait at least 2 hours before slicing.