Homemade Sourdough Bread with Chia Seeds

In a large bowl, combine the bread flour, whole wheat flour, salt, and chia seeds.

Add the water and active sourdough starter. Mix until all the ingredients come together.

Pour in the olive oil and gently incorporate it into the dough.

Cover the bowl with a damp towel or plastic wrap.

Let the dough rest at room temperature for 1.5 hours.

Perform the first set of stretches and folds: pull each edge of the dough toward the center. Repeat this process 3 times at 30-minute intervals.

Next, perform a series of coil folds: gently lift the dough, allowing it to stretch under its own weight, and fold it back down into the bowl. Repeat 3 times at 30-minute intervals.

Thirty minutes after the last fold, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.

Carefully press it out into a flat sheet. Fold one edge toward the center, then the opposite edge, and roll the dough up into a tight log.

Transfer the shaped loaf, seam side up, into a well-floured banneton or a deep bowl.

Pinch the seam closed, cover with a cotton tea towel, and place in the refrigerator for 10–16 hours for cold fermentation.

Preheat your oven along with a cast-iron Dutch oven or a heavy-bottomed roasting pan with a lid to 260°C (500°F) 45–60 minutes before baking.

Invert the dough onto a sheet of parchment paper. If desired, lightly dust the top with rice flour and score a decorative pattern using a lame or sharp razor.

Carefully transfer the loaf, using the parchment paper, into the preheated Dutch oven, cover with the lid, and bake for 5–7 minutes.

Carefully remove the lid and deepen your scores to ensure a better oven spring and ear formation.

Cover again with the lid and bake for another 20 minutes.

Reduce the oven temperature to 200°C (400°F), remove the lid, and continue baking for another 20–30 minutes until deeply golden brown.