Score the sourdough bread, and Bake

After you have proofed your sourdough bread in the fridge, you are ready to bake.

PREHEAT the oven to 500 degrees. 

Place covered Dutch Oven in the oven for 1 hour. 

While it heats up, score the bread. First, remove the bread from the proofing bowl.

Put a piece of parchment paper on top of the proofing bowl, then place a plate on top of parchment paper. 

FLIP the bowl, paper, and plate over. 

REMOVE the bowl and plate. 

DUST the top of the bread with flour. 

SCORE

With a razor blade, score the top of the bread. Here are some good examples,from Make It Dough, How to Score Sourdough Bread (Tips and Scoring Patterns).

BAKE

Take the Dutch Oven out of the oven and remove the cover.

Reduce oven temperature to 450 degrees.

Transfer the dough on parchment paper into the Dutch Oven. Add three pieces of ice just to the side of the parchment paper. Put the cover back on.

BAKE for 30 minutes.

REMOVE COVER and BAKE for 10-15 more minutes. The bread is done at 205 - 210 degrees.

REMOVE bread from Dutch Oven and transfer to cooling rack.

Shape the Sourdough, then Proof

After Bulk Fermenation, the First Rise, you are ready to SHAPE the dough. 

Pictured: Whoa! That dough rose overnight!

I liked how this step is explained in this video: Make Beautiful Sourdough with Claire Saffitz. I also followed tips from Modern Eats Farmhouse Easy Sourdough Bread Recipe. Click through to get the whole recipe and lots of good info. 

Scrape the dough out of the bowl onto a floured work surface. Split in half two make two loaves.

PRE-SHAPE the dough by folding each side into the middle. 

Let REST under a towel for 15 minutes. 

Flour your proofing bowl(s) with rice flour.

Let the FOLDING commence.

FOLD the LEFT side over the CENTER.

FOLD the RIGHT side over the CENTER.

Grab the end and ROLL it up to the TOP.

PULL the dough towards you to create tension on the surface and form a round shape.

PROOF

Place the dough into the proofing basket with the SEAM SIDE UP.

Cover with a towel, and let sit on the counter for 1 1/2 hours. 

That's what Claire suggests...

When you can press your finger into the dough and have it slowly spring back, it's ready to proof in the fridge.

There are a lot of options of what to use to cover the dough, or whether to even cover it at all. Some choices I've seen are a towel, Saran Wrap, a shower cap, or a plastic bag.

For this first bake a chose a shower cap from Parkhotel Adler Hinterzarten for one loaf and a plastic IKEA bag for the  other.

Pictured: Dough covered with IKEA plastic bag

Pictured: Dough covered with shower cap

Then you cover it and put it in the fridge. I've seen times ranging from 1 to 40 hours. It probably depends on how anxious you are. Experience will inform my future decision on this.