Sourdough Pan de Cristal

Ingredients

Ingredients

• 650 g bread flour
• 650 g water
• 200 g active sourdough starter
• 14 g salt
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

1. Mix the active sourdough starter and water until fully combined.
2. Add the bread flour and salt, mixing until a shaggy dough forms.
3. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes (autolyse).
4. Lightly oil a rectangular dish with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and place the dough inside. 9x9 inch is probably the right size. Don’t want the dough to spread too thin.
5. Perform two rounds of stretch and folds every 20 minutes, followed by two rounds of coil folds every 20 minutes.
6. Cover and bulk ferment the dough in the refrigerator overnight (8-12 hours).
7. Dust the dough and counter generously with flour, then gently invert the dough onto the counter without deflating it.
8. Carefully cut the dough into rectangles using a floured knife.
9. Preheat the oven to 525°F with a pizza stone inside for at least 45 minutes.
10. Place the rectangles on a floured couche or parchment-lined baking sheet and let them rest for 30 mins to 1 hour until puffy.
11. Transfer the bread rectangles to the hot pizza stone using a peel.
12. Add steam to the oven by pouring 1 cup of hot water into a preheated cast-iron pan or spraying water.
13. Bake at 500°F for 8-10 minutes.
14. Reduce the oven temperature to 475°F, remove the steam source, and continue baking for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and hollow-sounding when tapped. NOTE: you likely will need to remove the parchment paper you get good crisp on the bottom. I removed after ~11 minutes bake time.
15. Cool the loaves on a wire rack for at least 1 hour before slicing.