Before we bake Tartine’s wonderful Country Loaf, we have to make our leaven. The leaven is the stuff that’s going to officially go into your loaves to make them rise. In other words, it’s your yeast.
Making the leaven is pretty similar to what you’ve been doing for the past week during feedings, only the proportions are going to be different and more precise here and you’re going to let it ferment for a shorter period of time. Do not forget this key step: set aside at least a tablespoon of your starter, before making the leaven. Feed that tablespoon the way you’ve been feeding your starter all along (look back to Step 2 if you need a reminder). You also have the option of moving the excess starter to the fridge for 7 days before feeding it a couple times to prepare it for baking. You can find details on this in a VERY old post if you need a little more help.
To bake this particular loaf, you’re going to need to do some scheduling before you make your leaven. Remember at the beginning when I told you that Robertson simplifies sourdough starter? That is true. The process for actually baking the bread is another story, however. If you’re new to baking, or if you’re used to baking “normal” loaves at home, this is going to significantly step up your game. For me, this process works best when I plan it for 2 nights and 1 day, or 2 days and 1 night. Here is an example of how it might work, followed by a shorter scheduling option if you’re doing this on a weekend day. This is for theoretical planning purposes only, you can choose to start this process any time you like. I sometimes make the leaven in the am and begin bulk fermentation in the evening.
Extended Fermentation/Rising
Monday Night
- Mix leaven (10 minutes)
- Let leaven ferment before preparing dough (8 to 10 hours)
Tuesday Morning
- Mixing the Dough (10 minutes)
- Let dough rest (20 to 45 minutes)
Tuesday all day
- Bulk fermentation and turning (10 to 12 hours) depending on temperature between 55°F and 65°F. You will need to periodically put your hands on the dough, so plan to be around for the first couple hours and the last hour of fermentation.
Tuesday Evening
- Dividing and Shaping (45 minutes including resting time and final shaping)
Tuesday Overnight
- Final Rise (8 to 12 hours in the fridge)
Wednesday Morning
- Heating the oven, scoring and baking (1 hour)
- Cooling (2 to 4 hours)
In other words, this can really stretch out. Make sure you’ll have free time/will not be at work when it’s time to move on to the next step. Doing a long bulk fermentation and a long final rise mean that the process takes longer overall, but it will also mean that you don’t have to wait until the weekend to get a baked loaf, provided you’re an early riser. If you want to go for shorter fermentation times, you’ll need to be near your dough at more regular intervals, so if you have a 9 to 5 workday, just keep feeding your sourdough as you have been until Friday and then start this process as above.
Shorter Fermentation/Rising (italics denotes difference from above)
Monday Night
- Mix leaven (10 minutes)
- Let leaven ferment before preparing dough (8 to 10 hours)
Tuesday Morning
- Mixing the Dough (10 minutes)
- Let dough rest (20 to 45 minutes)
- Bulk fermentation and turning (3 to 4 hours at 78°F to 82°F). You’ll need to be around for this period of time.
Tuesday Afternoon
- Dividing and Shaping (45 minutes, including resting time and final shaping)
- Final Rise (2 to 3 hours at 75°F to 80°F)
Tuesday Evening
- Heating the oven, scoring and baking: 1 hour
- Cooling: 2 hours
This may seem like a lot of work. Most of it is just waiting (something we, the fermenters, are well-versed in). The first time is the most complicated, because there are things to learn and because you had to actually establish your sourdough starter from scratch first (in the future, you’ll just be pulling it out the fridge, feeding it for a day or two and then going to town). Just know that this is very likely to be the best homemade bread you’ve ever tasted, and that it will also be WAY better than the majority of bread you can buy even at nice bakeries. So stick with it, and definitely buy a copy of Tartine Bread.