BAKERY STYLE SOURDOUGH BREAD

Steps:

• You will need a 1-quart bowl, a 2-quart or large bowl, a baking stone, a baking peel or rimless cookie sheet, spray bottle for water, and a rubber spatula or wooden spoon.
• First make the sponge:.
• Combine starter, 1/2 cup bottled water.
• Stir in 1 cup flour until combined, mixture should resemble thick pancake batter.
• Cover container with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk, 2 to 3 hours.
• Make the Dough:.
• Use a mixer with dough hook (I used my bread machine on dough cycle).
• Pour 1 1/2 cups water in large bowl.
• Add 'sponge' to water.
• With mixer running on low, add flour, 1/2 cup at a time.
• Once all flour (4- 4 3/4 cups) has been added, continue kneading until forms a ball, about 1 minute longer. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rest 20 minutes.
• Using fingers, create a pocket in rested dough; add salt to pocket. Knead dough until forms a firm ball. about 6 minutes. (If using mixer, knead at low speed, until dough is soft, smooth and moist, should not be sticky, about 5 minutes. Transfer dough to clean work surface and knead by hand until dough forms firm ball, about 1 additional minute).
• Lightly spray bowl with non-stick cooking spray; place dough in container and lightly spray surface of dough. Set in draft-free area (room temperature) and let stand until doubles in bulk 3 to 5 hours.
• Once doubled in bulk, remove the dough to clean work surface.
• Stretch the dough (to redistribute and refresh yeast) as far as possible without tearing, then fold into thirds like a letter.
• Divide the dough in half using chef's knife.
• Form each half into rough ball, cover loosley with plasic wrap or damp kitchen towel, and let rise for 15 minutes.
• Using your hands to push the dough against the unfloured work surface, form a taught ball without ripping the surface.
• Pinch bottom seam and set each round, seam side down, on separate sheets of parchment paper on dinner plates.
• Spray rounds lightly with non-stick cooking oil and cover loosley, but completely, with plastic wrap.
• Refrigerate for 8- 12 hours.
• Remove the rounds from refrigerator and gently slide (with parchment paper) on to room-temperature surface where they can rise undisturbed for several hours.
• Loosen plastic wrap to allow rounds to rise; let rise until double in bulk and dough barely springs back when poked with your knuckle, 3-4 hours.
• Place baking stone on lower-middle position.
• Preheat oven to 500°F.
• Carefully slide rounds on parchment to baking peel or rimless cookie sheet.
• Using sharp knife slash rounds diagonally.
• Spray loaves with water and slide carefully on to baking stone.
• Immediately reduce the temperature to 450°.
• During the first 5 minutes spray the loaves 2 additional times.
• Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes.
• Transfer loaves to wire rack and cool to room temperature.