Finally got it! Used a baking steel.

This is the best sourdough I’ve ever made! I did an open bake on my baking steel. Preheated my oven to 500 for about an hour. I have the baking steel on the middle rack. On the bottom rack I added rolled kitchen towels and a baking sheet and filled with water. I put that in about 20 minutes prior to baking. On the left side of the baking steel, I added an empty cast iron. Once it was time to bake, I lowered the temp to 450 then I took out my dough and scored it on parchment on a peel. I added boiling water to the baking sheet with kitchen towels and threw in a bowl of ice to my cast iron then slide my sourdough on the right side of the baking steel. I baked it for 20 minutes. Then I lowered the temp to 400 and removed the cast iron and baking sheet. I put the sourdough on the baking steel bracelets to keep the crust from overcooking/getting hard. It’s a process, but I have never been able to get an ear before with a Dutch oven! So so happy.

Here is my recipe:

100g 1:1:1 sourdough starter

325g water

500g KA bread flour

10g sea salt.

1. Mix until shaggy. Let it rest 1 hour.

2. Do 2 total stretch and folds every 50 minutes-1 hour.

3. Do 2 coil folds every 50 minutes-1 hour.

4. Let it bulk ferment on the counter until 30-50% rise. I did about 50% rise. Took me a total of 5 hours from time of mixing till I shaped.

5. Shape into batard or boule.

6. Put in fridge for at least 1 hour. I did 12 hours.

7. Bake straight from fridge when ready.