#the dough’s sitting in the fridge for another 24hrs or so & then getting baked as per the recipe

[bother-blame]

I’m in the process of making chocolate chip cookies from scratch for the first time & I’m praying they turn out ok

[oreoambitions]

Do you have a favorite sourdough recipe? I’m fairly new to it and am looking for good ones to try.

Yes I do! I don’t know how much direction you need, so I’m just going to write out ALL of the steps in case it’s helpful for anyone. - 1 large spoonful of starter - 60g white flour - 60g whole wheat flour - 120g water Stir together in a small bowl and cover with a towel. This is your levain! You’ll want to let it sit overnight, but don’t let it sit for more than 24hrs. - Levain - 540g room temp water - 720g white flour - 80g whole wheat flour - 30g salt First whisk the levain and the room temp water together in a large bowl until thoroughly combined. Add the flours and mix, then cover with a towel and let it sit for 30-45 minutes. This is your autolyse period; your flour is hydrating right now and your bread will have better structure overall for having waited this out. After autolyse, add your salt and another tablespoon or so of water. Knead until salt is incorporated and the dough no longer feels wet. Cover with towel and let it sit. Every 30min for the next 3-4hrs* you’re going to fold the dough. Imagine you’re grabbing the dough at the four points of the compass, one at a time, and bringing each point into the middle. This is helping to strengthen the gluten, which will again bring better structure to your bread. After your final fold, wait another 30min, then turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Split in half (I strongly recommend a bench knife for this, but you can use a chef’s knife), then fold each half over onto itself and form each into a rough ball. Cover them with a towel right there where they are, and walk away for another 30min. This is your bench rest. After 30min come back, flour the top of your dough balls (hopefully now dough pancakes), and flip them over. Fold the bottom third of the dough over the middle third, then the left third to the right, the right third to the left, and the top third down. Roll the whole thing over to create your final loaf shape. This goes seam side up into a floured banneton (or line a pot or mixing bowl with a towel if you do not have a banneton). Repeat with the other dough ball. Wrap each of your loaf containers with plastic and tuck them into the fridge. You will want to leave your loaves in the fridge at least overnight, but they can be left for up to 48hrs before baking without any problems. When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 500 degrees.** Line a dutch oven (or baking sheet if you do not have a dutch oven) with parchment paper, or sprinkle with a 50/50 mix of rice flour and white flour. When the oven is preheated, pull one loaf from the fridge and turn it out gently onto your baking surface. Then you’ll want to score the top. If you aren’t using a lame you can use a bread knife to make three firm slashes across the loaf, giving steam an escape route (and hopefully keeping your crust intact). Bake in the covered dutch oven (or on a baking sheet with an oven safe bowl placed on top) for 25min. Then, remove the lid (or oven safe bowl) and bake for another 20. Remove promptly and place onto a wire rack to cool. Do nooooooot cut open your loaf until it is cooled completely; you’ll mess up your crumb and the whole loaf will have a slightly gummy texture. There is a lot of waiting involved in this! I usually start my levain Sunday night, shape the loaves on Monday, and bake on Wednesday. But these loaves have an excellent flavor and are relatively easy to master. From there you can start experimenting! *The timing for the bulk proof can be variable depending on altitude, temperature, and the activity level of your starter and levain. Generally I find that I am able to turn my dough onto the board about 4hrs from the beginning of autolyse, but one rule of thumb is to wait until the dough has about doubled in size. If you are struggling to get the dough to rise in a reasonable timeframe, consider using warmer water (but never over 100 F) or MacGyvering yourself a proofing box. **If you are baking with a dutch oven, you can preheat the oven with the dutch oven inside of it to get a better crust on your loaf.