Michael Kalanty

Photo Gallery #4 The Meatloaf Method

Appears in
How to Bake Sourdough Bread: Fermentation, Starters & Recipes
How to Bake Sourdough Bread

By Michael Kalanty

Published 2025

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  1. Cut into the mixture.

    Starting at the part farther from you, Cut the dough mass into 1-inch strips. Each time the scraper hits the bench, Push the strip of dough Away from you.

  2. Cut & Push Away. This technique opens the moist interior of the dough and draws in the dry flour. On a wooden bench, a metal scraper works better. Use a plastic scraper on a stainless or ceramic surface.

  3. Gather the dough strips together. Rotate the pile of strips on a 90-degree angle.

  4. Repeat the whole sequence: Cut, Push Away, Gather, & Rotate.

  5. Once all the flour is wet, push the dough side to side with your scraper, gathering it into a round. Dipping your scraper in water keeps it from sticking to the dough.

  6. Autolyse

    Cover the dough mass. Mark the time. Rest the dough for 15 minutes.