Easy Vegan Sourdough Bread

• The first thing you want to do is combine your warm water (think bath water) with your flours, salt and top the mixture with your sourdough starter in a medium size bowl. Mix it until you don't see any dry clumps left (you can do this with your clean hands, a bread dough whisk *linked below, or just a plain ol' wooden spoon). Let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes (I usually put a towel over it just so my pets don't get to it but you can leave it uncovered also). This is your autolyse stage which just lets the water absorb into the flour properly.
• Using your hands or your wooden spoon, pull the dough from the bottom of the bowl folding it onto itself covering the sourdough starter, then turning the bowl a 1/4 turn until you have reached the beginning. If while doing this, you notice some big patches of salt or flour in portions of the dough, try to reincorporate it by squeezing the dough a little bit until it dissipates. This is your first fold of the sourdough process. Let sit for half an hour.
• You will then do what you did in the last step for a second time and fold the dough over and onto itself. This is your second fold.
• Do the folding two more times after another two half hours. You should have done 4 folds at this point.
• This is where I get my proofer going with about a cup of water into the Speedi Vessel, put my bowl in (or if your bowl isn't big enough, grab a large mixing bowl to put your dough in) and proof at 95% for about 2 hour. Alternatively, you can put your dough in any of the above mentioned warm places in or around your home for about 2-4 hours. The dough rise should be double in size and the dough should easily pull away from the sides of the bowl and that is what you are looking for.
• When the time is up, you will flour your counter or shaping surface, and form a tight ball with your hands. I use a stretching motion using the friction from the counter surface to help get a good and smooth "skin" on the dough. Once you form a tight ball, let it sit at room temperature for another 30 minutes.
• At this stage, you are shaping for what will go into your floured banneton or floured bowl. You want to handle it as little as possible with wet or floured hands (and this will come with practice too!) On the floured surface, I turn the ball upside down so the seam is facing up, I try to lightly form it into a square shape, fold it onto itself to make a long rectangle (smooth skin facing the counter), scoop up the right and left sides and pull onto itself again like a big hug, then pull the opposite sides into themselves like another hug. When placing the dough into your floured banneton or floured bowl lined with a tea towel, your seam side will be facing up. Close any open seams by pinching the seams closed. I let the dough rest at room temperature for an hour and a half to rise. You could bake it after this rise BUT I highly suggest refrigerating it until the next day for better flavor (it is also a lot easier to get out of the banneton when the dough is cold.

As little as 5 hours later or up to 48 hours later

• The next day, preheat your oven to 550F (or at least 500F if your oven doesn't go to 550F). Place your baking vessel of choice into the oven to preheat as well. I highly suggest a cast iron dutch oven with a lid, a cast iron skillet or a baking stone but in a pinch a sheet pan also works. If you aren't using a pot with a lid, I suggest putting an oven safe pan on the bottom rack of your oven with a cup of water in it to help with steam production (this will give it a shine and crisp crust). In your preheated pan, I like to add a piece of parchment to the bottom of the pan for easy clean up (it also makes it easier to pull your burning hot bread out of the pan). On top of your parchment, give it a light dusting of semolina or cornmeal to help prevent sticking.
• Pull your dough bowl from the refrigerator and invert it into your hot pan. Be careful not to unintentionally burn yourself (been there done that!). At this point you want to score your bread to help with a good rise and to prevent it from having unnecessary blow outs! Grab a super sharp knife, a razor blade or a bread lame (if you are in the know) and score quickly one deep large slice down the center of the bread. You also want to give the sides some quick short scores as well, I usually do at least 5 or 6 quick bursts of cuts. Be as fancy as you'd like with this (and the more often you make bread the more you will perfect your bread scoring!)!
• If you are baking with anything other than a Dutch oven (this gives the best oven spring with minimal effort), you can spray the loaf with some water to get some steam going in the oven to help with color and rising, you can also give the oven some sprays of water after you throw your bread in (alternatively you can put a pan of water on the bottom rack to help with this). Bake with the lid on for 15 minutes at 550F. If not using a lid, make sure you have a separate pan of water on the bottom rack to help with steam production. After the initial 15 minutes have ended, turn the oven down to 450F, remove the lid if using one (if not, remove your pan of water from the bottom rack), and bake for 20 more minutes.
• If you are finicky like I am, you will know when your bread is done when you take an internal temperature in the center of the bread loaf and it reaches somewhere between 195F-205F. Cool on a wire rack while you wait patiently.
• It might be extremely hard to wait to dig into this (I won't lie that sometimes I dig in almost immediately with a pat of butter), but the bread will continue to bake & set for another hour or two while it is cooling. Resist the urge!
• When it's time, treat yourself to a delicious sandwich or maybe one of the above options I suggested. This sourdough is fantastic toasted and makes a killer grilled cheese. You do you! I hope you all enjoy!