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The Mars everyday sourdough

Ingredients

550g organic white (can be as low as 400g using 150 light rye to make up)

150g wholemeal or light rye

50g dark rye

1.5 tsp salt

Mix these up.

Add 470g water

Add 2 dessert spoons of sourdough starter (my starter does best when kept below 18 degrees)

Method

Mix these up then add a lump of yesterday's dough (saved from last batch, approx 250g)

Knead until its ready. I generally use a mixer with a dough hook and mix for two lots of 2 minutes.

Turn out the dough, fold and shape into a ball. Place in a large bowl which has a small glug of sunflower oil in. Cover and leave for half an hour.

Turn dough out, flatten it out, then fold twice into thirds and shape it a ball. Place it back into the bowl, cover and leave for 10-15 mins. Repeat about 3 cycles of this, dough should now be more elastic.

Turn dough out, cut off and save about a quarter for tomorrow. Put this in the fridge with the shaped loaves (below).

Shape the remaining dough to make two loaves and place in a proving baskets. I make either longer or round loaves. Cover and leave in fridge overnight.

Next morning I take it out and leave to prove, sometimes up to 5 hrs, but generally 3-4 hrs (at approx 18 to 19 degrees).

Cook at max oven 240 deg C for 17 mins (in my fan oven, which isn't the best), then turn down to 200 deg C for 17 mins. I pour a load of boiling water into a tray at the bottom of the oven when I put the bread in to generate lots of steam. Check the bread, it should sound hollow when tapped on the underside when it is ready.

Leave to cool. Enjoy!