Bacon, Dill & Roasted Garlic Sourdough

Hi VeeFu & Gene! I add the mashed roasted garlic & chopped bacon when I mix the final dough. I use a mortar & pestle to mash my garlic. For the herb, I make a hot soaker for it. I've posted my recipe below, hope it helps!

Recipe:

DAY 1

100 grams sourdough starter at 100% hydration, mixed with 100g breadflour & 100g water +1/2 tsp salt

Herb hot soaker: 1 Tablespoon dried herb & 100g hot water +1 tsp salt

200g water mixed with 100g bread flour & 100g whole wheat flour (I used water mixed with what was left in my pan after sauteeing onions) +1 tsp salt

Leave out levain, autolyse & soaker overnight or 8-10 hours. If I go beyond that I put it all in the fridge. I add salt because it is 95F here & I don't want too much enzymatic action turning everything to mush.

DAY2

Morning: Drain soaker, mix everything together, add several cloves of mashed roasted garlic and chopped bacon. Add 200g of bread flour. Knead lightly to mix everything well. Put in bowl oiled generously with olive oil, turn to coat. Cover & let bulk ferment for 3 hours. I did a stretch and fold at every hour using olive oil generously. Preshape, put in bowl seam side down & put in fridge.

Evening: Invert bowl, very gently shape again and put into floured couche in bowl (I have no banneton.) Cover & put back in fridge.

DAY3

Soak terra-cotta cover to my improvised Thai La Cloche

Take out dough & wait until almost doubled, then put the Thai La Cloche in oven & preheat to 475F. Gently invert bowl over parchment covered peel, slash it & sling it into the pot. Cover & bake 20 minutes. Take lid off, rotate loaf, turn down to 425F & bake another 25 minutes. Check temperature. I usually give up at 190 or 195 or so and turn off the oven. After a few minutes I put the loaf on a rack to cool for an hour before cutting into it.