Here's a recipe for making sourdough bread at high altitude, specifically at 9,000 feet above sea level:
Ingredients:
1 cup of sourdough STARTER (fed and active)
3 cups of all-purpose 11.7% FLOUR
1 3/4 cups of warm WATER
1 1/2 teaspoons of SALT
Instructions:
Feed and activate your sourdough starter according to your usual routine. Make sure it is lively and active before using it in your bread dough.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the sourdough starter, flour, warm water, and salt. Mix well with a spoon or a dough whisk until a shaggy dough forms.
Let the dough rest for 10-15 minutes to allow the flour to fully hydrate. This will help with gluten development.
After resting, knead the dough in the bowl for a few minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic. You can also transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead by hand for about 5-7 minutes.
Shape the dough into a round ball and place it back into the mixing bowl. Cover with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let it rise at room temperature for about 4-6 hours, or until it has doubled in size. Note that rising times may vary depending on the temperature and humidity of your kitchen at high altitude.
Once the dough has doubled in size, gently deflate it and shape it into a tight round or oval shape. Place the dough into a well-floured banneton or a lined and floured bread basket, with the seam side facing up.
Cover the dough with a clean towel or plastic wrap and let it rise for the second time for about 1-2 hours, or until it has increased in size by about 50%.
Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 450°F (232°C) with a Dutch oven or a cast-iron pot with a lid inside for at least 30 minutes to an hour.
Once the dough has completed its second rise, carefully remove the preheated Dutch oven from the oven. Carefully transfer the dough from the banneton or bread basket into the hot Dutch oven, with the seam side facing down.
Place the lid on the Dutch oven and bake for 25 minutes. Then, remove the lid and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes, or until the bread has a golden brown crust and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.
Carefully remove the bread from the Dutch oven and transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving.
Note: At higher altitudes, the lower air pressure can affect the rising and baking time of the bread. In this recipe, the rising and baking times are shortened compared to sea level recipes to account for the faster rise at high altitude.
However, you may still need to experiment and adjust the recipe and baking time based on your specific altitude and climate to achieve the best results. Keep an eye on your dough during the rising process to prevent over-proofing, and adjust the oven temperature and baking time as needed to achieve the desired crust and crumb texture at 6-9,000 feet elevation.
Ensuring the accuracy of your oven's temperature is critical. To achieve this, it's advisable to use an oven thermometer https://amzn.to/3nak47H . Additionally, it's essential to check the temperature of the cake, bread, or meats you're baking or cooking with an internal thermometer. As a result, I recommend investing in a thermometer to monitor your cooking and baking accurately. Don't procrastinate as your next cake or dish may rely on it.
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