Patriotic Artisan Sourdough Bread

Servings loaf

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 35

Resting Time 18

Total Time 19 5

INGREDIENTS

To make this bread, you need 120g total active sourdough starter. If you want to mix the dough in the morning, feed your starter before bed using a 1:5:5 ratio: 13g starter, 65g flour, and 65g water. This gives you active starter for the morning with a little extra left over to maintain your starter.

Get three medium-sized bowls.
• In the first bowl, whisk 116 g water with 2 tsp red yeast rice powder. Add 40 g active sourdough starter, 166 g bread flour, and 3 g sea salt.
• In the second bowl, whisk 116 g water with 1 tsp blue spirulina powder. Add 40 g active sourdough starter, 166 g bread flour, and 3 g sea salt.
• In the third bowl, whisk 116 g water with 40 g active sourdough starter. Add 166 g bread flour and 3 g sea salt.
Mix the ingredients in each bowl until a shaggy dough forms, then knead each dough until no dry bits of flour remain, washing any color off your hands between bowls. Cover each bowl — I used an upside-down plate and sheet tray — and let rest for 30 minutes.

Perform four sets of stretch and folds, 30 minutes apart, with all three doughs. Wash your hands between colors as needed. For the final sets, you can switch to coil folds, which are gentler on the dough and help preserve the bubbles.

Continue bulk fermentation until the doughs have increased in volume and appear puffy and bubbly. When shaken, they should jiggle. For reference, mine took about 5.5 hours total at 74°F (23°C). This was faster than my usual timing, so watch your dough, not the clock.

Lightly flour your work surface. Arrange the three doughs into a rectangle with red on top, white in the middle, and blue on the bottom. Gently pinch the seams together.
Fold the bottom third (blue dough) up to the center, then fold the top third (red dough) down over it. Turn the dough 90° and roll it into a log. Using a bench scraper, shape the dough into a round with circular motions to create surface tension. Let the dough rest uncovered for 20 minutes.
For final shaping, repeat the same folding and rolling process, this time focusing on creating a tight, smooth surface.

Place the shaped dough seam-side up in a lined banneton and stitch any open seams back together. Dust with rice flour to prevent sticking, then cover with plastic wrap, a bowl cover, or a flour sack towel. Refrigerate overnight. The ideal cold retard is 12–36 hours. Do not exceed 96 hours.

Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C) with the Dutch oven inside. Transfer the dough to parchment paper, seam-side down. Mist the surface with water, then dust lightly with rice flour.
Lightly press a star-shaped cookie cutter on top to create an outline, then trace it with a toothpick to make the outline more visible. Score the star pattern about 1/8" deep with your lame.
Score a circle around the entire loaf, rotating the dough as you go to maintain consistent depth. This circle can be deeper than the star because it is the expansion score, which helps the bread rise evenly without splitting in an odd place.
Place the dough in the Dutch oven and bake with the lid on for 25 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for 10–15 minutes more, or until golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 205–210°F (96–99°C).
Cool on a wire rack for 90 minutes before slicing to reveal the red, white, and blue interior!