King Arthur Sour Dough Bread - cooking recipe

Ingredients

Sponge
1/2 teaspoon sourdough starter
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup water, warm
Dough
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup water, warm
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon yeast, instant

Preparation

Sponge:
I medium mixing bowl mix starter and flour together.
Mix in water.
Stir for several minutes to activte gluten.
Cover and set aside in warm place for 18-20 hours.
When ready the sponge should have expanded by about 1/3 or more and develloped bubbles and a pleasing aroma.
You may do this step up to 7 days ahead, then refrigerate until redy to use the sponge.
Dough:
Add flour to all of sponge along with the waater, salt and yeast.
Stir to form a shaggy mass.
Let the mixture sit for 20-30 minutes (This resting eriod allows the flour to absorb the water and will make kneading easier and also prevent the need to add to much flour.
Knead about 8-10 minutes by hand or 6-8 miutes in an electric mixer, it will feel firm, slightly sticky, and elastic.
Plce dough in greased bowl, turning to cover all sides, cover bowl and set in warm place
After an hour ad again at the 2 hour make, ently deflate and fold over few times.
In 2-3 hours the dough should have almost doubled.
Shaping:
Turn dough out onto lightly greased owrk surface. Divide dough in half, and form ech half into a roud. Let dough rest for 20 minutes covered then form the pieces into shapes you prefer.
Place loaves seam-side up and cover. Let loaves rise for 2 more hours; dough should have almost doubled.
Baking:
Preheat oven to 475F,
Trun loaves out onto floured aker's peel or stone.
Slash loaves several times
Just before placing in oven spritz several times with water.
Put into oven, sprit with water after 30 seconds, and again at 1 minute and 2 minutes.
Turn oven temp down to 450F and bake for 18-25 minutes. Be sure bread is baked through, the crust well browned and the bread should feel firm and sound hollow whe tapped, it's internal temperature should read 195.