King Arthur Pain de Campagne (Country Bread - Sourdough Boule)

This was one of the easiest and most satisfying loaves of sourdough I've made. I put everything in one bowl, did some stretch and folds, had it go for a long room temperature fermentation, and after it was shaped, I had it go for an overnight stay in the fridge. Perfect texture and easy to shape. What more can one ask for? Thank you King Arthur Flour for this wonderful recipe! 

Some Notes:

• I halved the recipe to make just one loaf of bread.
• I used 25 grams rye flour and 25 grams whole wheat flour in place of the whole wheat flour in the recipe.
• I also let the dough rest in the fridge for over 24 hours and it was not too sour at all but super delicious!
• Instead of preheating the Dutch oven at 500 F, I let it preheat at 450 F and baked it with the lid on for 20 minutes; lid off for about 25 minutes until crunchy and with some color.
• The temperature in my house is about 70-75 F, so your bread may take more or less time to rise depending on how hot or cold your environment is.
• The original recipe says you can use unfed starter or sourdough discard, but I used bubbly fed sourdough starter

King Arthur Pain de Campagne (Country Bread - Sourdough Boule)

Adapted from: Source: King Arthur Pain de Campagne Recipe
Ingredients:

• 450 grams bread flour

• 25 grams whole wheat flour

• 25 grams rye flour

• 400 grams tepid water (75-80 F)

• 10 grams fine sea salt

• 20 grams sourdough starter, fed and bubbly (100% hydration)

Instructions: 

1. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl. 
2. Mix the ingredients by hand until the dough forms a shaggy mass and the flour is hydrated. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest at room temperature for 15 minutes.
3. Fold the dough by grabbing a section from one side with a wet hand, lifting it up, then pressing it down to the middle to seal. Repeat this with the remaining three sides of the dough. Cover and let it rest for 15 minutes.
4. Fold the dough two more times, giving it a 15-minute rest between the two, for a total of three sets of folds in 45 minutes. As you perform the folds you’ll notice that the dough smooths out, gaining strength and becoming elastic.
5. Cover the dough tightly after the final fold and leave it at room temperature (approximately 72°F) for about 12 hours. 
6. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured or greased surface and divide it into two roughly equal pieces. Gently form the dough into a round, cover it, and let it rest seam-side down for 10 minutes.
7. Generously dust one towel-lined large bowl with all purpose flour.
8. Shape the loaf into a tight round (boule), place it seam-side up into the prepared towel-lined bowl, and cover it with a plastic bag or shower cap.
9. If your dough doubled (or came close to doubling) during the 12-hour rise period, immediately place the boule into the refrigerator. But if your dough was a bit more sluggish, let the boule rest at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes to give it a head start on the second rise.  
10. Let the boules rest in the refrigerator for about 24 hours.
11. When you're ready to bake, place a Dutch oven onto a rack set in the lowest third of the oven.
12. Preheat the oven (and Dutch ovens) to 450°F for 45 minutes (you'll want to ensure that they're tough enough to withstand preheating; not all are).
13. Turn the loaf out onto a piece of parchment paper and slash it with a lame or sharp knife.
14. Remove the preheated Dutch oven from the oven. With the help of the parchment, carefully transfer the loaf to the Dutch oven. 
15. Cover the Dutch oven with its lid and place it in the oven.
16. Bake the covered loaf for 20 minutes. Remove the lid from the Dutch oven and bake the loaf for 20 to 25 minutes uncovered, until it's golden brown.
17. Remove the loaf from the oven and carefully turn it out of the Dutch oven onto a rack to cool completely. 
18. Store leftover bread, loosely wrapped, for several days; freeze for longer storage.
19. Enjoy!

Let me know if you have any questions, concerns or if you have made this bread from their website yourself! I hope you try it out! :)