Sourdough Bread

There’s nothing like the smell of freshly baked sourdough bread wafting through your home—crusty on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. If you’ve been thinking about baking your own sourdough, this recipe is for you! With a bit of patience, a few simple ingredients, and the right techniques, you can make a delicious homemade sourdough bread that rivals any bakery.

Ingredients:

• 475 grams all-purpose flour (about 3 1/2 cups)
• 100 grams active sourdough starter (about 1/2 cup)
• 325 grams water (about 1 1/3 cups)
• 10 grams salt (about 2 teaspoons)

Instructions:

1. Prepare Your Starter:

Before you begin, make sure your sourdough starter is active and bubbly. Feed it 4-12 hours before starting the dough to ensure it’s in top form. A healthy starter is the key to great sourdough!

2. Mix the Dough:

In a large mixing bowl, combine warm water, active sourdough starter, salt, and all-purpose flour. Use a wooden spoon or your hands to mix everything together. Once combined, cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a lid and let it rest for about 30 minutes. This rest period allows the water to hydrate the flour, making the dough easier to work with.

3. Stretch and Fold:

After the dough has rested, it’s time to begin the stretching and folding process. This technique helps build the structure of the dough. Grab the edge of the dough, stretch it up and pull it over itself, then rotate the bowl and repeat. Complete three rounds of stretching and folding with 30-minute rests in between each round. This process helps develop the dough’s gluten, which is essential for a great rise.

4. Bulk Fermentation:

After the final stretch and fold, cover the dough with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Let it rest in a warm place until it doubles in size. This can take anywhere from 6 to 12 hours depending on your environment and the maturity of your starter. Be careful not to let the dough over-ferment.

5. Shape the Dough:

Once your dough has doubled in size, it’s time to shape it. Transfer the dough to a clean, floured surface. Gently fold the dough over itself and roll it into a ball. You can optionally let it rest uncovered for about 15-20 minutes to help prevent sticking during the next step.

Next, turn the dough over, fold in the sides, and pinch the edges together to form a taut surface. This step helps create the surface tension needed for a great oven spring (the rise during baking).

Place the shaped dough into a banneton or a bowl lined with a floured tea towel. Cover the dough and let it rise again in the refrigerator for 12-15 hours. If you’re short on time, you can also let it rise at room temperature for 3-4 hours.

6. Preheat the Oven:

About 1 hour before baking, place your Dutch oven into the oven and preheat it to 500°F. The Dutch oven will help create the steam needed for a crisp, golden crust.

7. Bake the Bread:

Once your dough has completed its rise, carefully remove the dough from the fridge. Transfer the dough onto a piece of parchment paper, dust with flour, and score the top with a lame or razor blade. You can make a simple expansion score (a long slash across the top) or get creative with a decorative design.

Carefully transfer the parchment paper and dough into the preheated Dutch oven. Place the lid on, and bake for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove the lid and reduce the oven temperature to 475°F. Continue baking for 15-25 minutes until the bread is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.

8. Cool and Serve:

Once baked, remove the bread from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack. Let it rest for at least an hour to allow the crumb to set before slicing.

Helpful Tips:

• Active Starter: The key to a successful sourdough loaf is a strong, bubbly starter that passes the float test. If your starter isn’t yet mature, give it more time to develop.
• Stretch and Fold: This technique is important for building dough structure. Use wet hands if the dough feels too sticky, but don’t add more water. The dough will feel dry at first, but it will come together beautifully as you work through the folds.
• Rise Time: The time it takes for your dough to double in size depends on several factors, including the temperature of your kitchen and the maturity of your starter. Don’t rush it—give it enough time to ferment fully.

Why You’ll Love This Sourdough Bread:

• Flavor: This homemade sourdough has that perfect tangy flavor with a chewy, airy texture.
• Crust: The use of a Dutch oven mimics professional bakery ovens, creating a beautiful, crispy crust.
• Customizable: Once you master the basics, you can add seeds, herbs, or even roasted garlic for a twist on classic sourdough.

Baking sourdough bread at home might seem intimidating at first, but with patience and practice, you’ll be rewarded with the most satisfying and delicious bread. Happy baking! 🍞

Sourdough Bread

Enjoy the rustic charm of homemade bread with this straightforward sourdough recipe that yields a perfectly tangy and crusty loaf.

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Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• 475 grams all-purpose flour 3 1/2 cups
• 100 grams starter active and bubbly 1/2 cup
• 325 grams water 1 1/3 cups
• 10 grams salt 2 teaspoons

Instructions

 

• Feed a sourdough starter 4-12 hours before starting the dough, ensuring it is active and bubbly.
• Combine warm water, active starter, salt, and flour with a wooden spoon or even just your hands in a large mixing bowl.
• Cover with plastic wrap or a lid and allow to rest for 30 minutes for the water to hydrate the flour.

Stretch And Fold

• Grab the edge of the dough and pull up stretching it out as you pull upwards. This may be difficult and you may need to kind of bounce the dough to get it to stretch. Place dough that is in your hands back into the center. Turn the bowl about a quarter turn and complete another stretch and fold. Repeat two more times. This is considered one round.
• Thirty minutes later, complete another round of stretch and folds. Cover and allow the dough to rest another 30 minutes.
• Complete one last stretch and fold round.
• Cover with a lid, damp towel, or plastic wrap. Let the dough bulk ferment in a warm place until it has doubled in size. This could be anywhere from 6-12 hours (or longer) depending on the temperature of your kitchen, maturity of your starter, etc. Be careful not to let it over ferment.

Shape

• Place the dough on a clean work surface that has been lightly dusted with flour. Fold the dough onto itself and roll up. Then shape into a ball by gently spinning it toward you.
• Optional – Let the dough sit out for 15-20 minutes uncovered. This prevents the dough from sticking to the tea towel during the overnight rise.
• Turn over and shape. I do this by folding the two sides over to meet in the middle, pinch together and then repeat on the other two sides. This creates surface tension which helps give it more oven spring (a good rise).
• Transfer to a floured banneton or bowl with a floured tea towel (typically floured with rice flour, this is not necessary and all-purpose will work just fine) seam side up.
• Cover with plastic or place in a plastic bag and tie the ends. Let the dough rest for 12-15 hours in the refrigerator. You can also let the bread rise at room temperature for 3-4 hours. I like using the longer rise time in the refrigerator because it is easier to score and feel like the oven spring is better.

Bake

• Preheat a dutch oven to 500 degrees for 1 hour.
• Remove dough from the fridge right before baking. Place dough on a piece of parchment paper.
• Dust with flour, if desired, and score with lame or razor blade. I like to do one large score (called an expansion score) and then a cute design for the other score.
• Carefully, transfer the piece of parchment paper with the dough into the hot dutch oven. Careful not to burn your fingers.
• Place the lid back on and place the dutch oven into the hot oven. Bake for 20 minutes.
• Remove the lid with oven mitts, turn the oven temperature down to 475, and bake an additional 15-25 minutes or until golden brown.

Notes

• You will need a very active sourdough starter that passes the float test. Check out how to make your own sourdough starter and how to care for one here.
• The dough may seem dry when it is first coming together. Resist adding more water. Use wet hands during the stretching and folding if the dough is too sticky.
• The amount of time it takes for your dough to double can be determined by many environmental factors, such as the temperature in your home, the maturity of your starter, and the hydration status of the loaf.
• The most accurate way to create consistent results is by using a kitchen scale. I’ve included both gram measurements and cup measurements in the recipe.