LONG FERMENTED SOURDOUGH BREAD RECIPES

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients into a stiff batter and beat a few minutes with a wooden spoon or in a stand mixer. The dough should still be quite moist and sticky.
• Oil a separate bowl and turn dough into oiled bowl, flipping so that the oiled side of the dough is up. Cover and ferment on the counter overnight.
• The next morning, turn dough onto liberally floured surface and knead ,adding flour as needed, for at least ten minutes, adding an additional 1/2 cup flour at the very least, and most likely more. The dough should be very smooth and elastic when done.
• Shape into a loaf and place in a buttered loaf pan. Cover and let rise in a warm space for 4-12 hours, depending on temperature, until doubled in bulk.
• Preheat oven to 350ºF. Brush the top of the loaf with an egg wash and cut a 1/4-inch slash down the center, lengthwise, with a very sharp knife.
• Bake 25-30 minutes, or until an internal temperature of 180-200ºF is reached.
• Turn out onto a cooling rack and cool completely before slicing.

Steps:

• Add the water, yeast, flour, and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on low with the dough hook for about 2 minutes. 
• Cover the bowl and let stand for 30 minutes. 
• Place the mixture into a covered bowl with enough room to expand, and refrigerate it for 8 to 24 hours. 
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the dough hook, add the water and flours. Mix on low for 2 minutes to combine the ingredients and then let the dough rest in the bowl for 20 minutes.
• Add the pâte fermentée pieces, the salt, and the yeast. Mix on low for 2 minutes. 
• Increase the speed to medium and mix for about 4 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. 
• Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until the dough is puffy. If you want to refrigerate the dough, let it rise at room temperature for 45 minutes, fold the dough, and then transfer it to the refrigerator for 4 to 12 hours. 
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and shape it into a ball. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes if it's room temperature and 45 minutes if it is cold. 
• Shape the dough into a batard about 12 inches long, 4 inches wide, and 3 inches high. Line a peel or the back of a baking sheet with parchment, and place the batard, seem side down, on the parchment. Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let rise about an hour, until puffy and the dough passes the "finger dent test." (Poking it with your finger leaves a dent)
• Prepare the oven with a pizza stone on the middle rack, and a pan on the lowest rack and heat the oven to 500 degrees F. When the loaf is ready, place two cups of ice cubes in the steam pan. 
• Score the loaf with one long slash, lengthwise and slide it, parchment and all, onto the baking stone. Reduce the oven temperature to 450 degrees F. 
• Bake the bread for about 45 minutes, until it reaches an internal temperature of about 200 degrees F. 
• Cool completely on a wire rack.