Description
This homemade sourdough bread recipe offers a simple, step-by-step approach to making a flavorful loaf with a golden, crisp crust and an airy crumb. It requires minimal hands-on time, no autolyse or preferment, and uses common ingredients. Ideal for bakers looking to master sourdough bread at home with detailed guidance on fermentation, shaping, and baking using a Dutch oven.
Ingredients
Scale
Starter and Liquids
- 50 – 100 g (1/4 – 1/2 cup) bubbly, active sourdough starter (100 g recommended)
- 375 g (1 1/2 cups plus 1 tbsp) warm water
Dry Ingredients
- 500 g (4 cups plus 2 tbsp) bread flour
- 9 to 12 g (1.5 – 2.5 teaspoons) fine sea salt
Instructions
- Mix Ingredients: Whisk the active sourdough starter and warm water together in a large bowl using a fork or spatula. Add the bread flour and salt. Mix all ingredients to combine, finishing by hand if necessary, until a rough dough forms. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
- Stretch and Fold #1: After resting, grab a corner of the dough and pull it up into the center. Repeat this folding action 4 to 5 times. Cover and let rest for another 30 minutes.
- Stretch and Fold Repeats: Repeat the stretching and folding process twice more over the next 2 hours if time allows, totaling 4 sets. Even one set of folds benefits the dough, so don’t worry if you cannot do all.
- Bulk Fermentation: Cover the bowl and let the dough rise at room temperature (about 70°F or 21°C) for 8 to 10 hours until it increases in volume by 50%, shows bubbles, and jiggles when moved. In warm environments, fermentation may take less time.
- Pre-shape: Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently shape into a round by folding the top down to the center, turning, and repeating until a circle is formed. Use a bench scraper if available to create surface tension.
- Rest and Final Shape: Let the shaped dough rest seam side up for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, line an 8-inch (20-cm) bowl or proofing basket with a floured towel (preferably rice flour). Shape the dough again as before, place it seam side up in the lined bowl.
- Cold Proof: Cover and refrigerate the dough for 1 to 48 hours, with 24 hours preferred for best crumb development. To prevent drying, tuck the bowl in a loosely tied plastic bag.
- Preheat Oven: Place a Dutch oven in your oven and preheat to 550°F (290°C). Cut parchment paper to fit the Dutch oven.
- Score and Transfer: Place parchment on dough and invert the bowl to release the loaf. Score the dough with a small knife or razor blade with your preferred pattern, such as a simple “X”. Using the parchment, transfer the dough into the preheated Dutch oven.
- Bake Covered: Lower oven temperature to 450°F (230°C). Cover the Dutch oven and bake the bread for 30 minutes.
- Bake Uncovered: Remove the lid, reduce temperature to 400°F (200°C), and continue baking for 10 to 15 minutes. If needed, remove the loaf from the pot and bake directly on the oven rack for an additional 5 to 10 minutes to crisp the crust.
- Cool: Remove loaf from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 1 hour before slicing.
- Store: Store at room temperature in an airtight container or plastic bag for up to 3 days or freeze for longer storage.
Notes
- Use an active sourdough starter from reliable sources such as King Arthur Flour or Breadtopia.
- Invest in a digital scale for precise measurements essential to bread baking.
- Flour sack towels are ideal for lining proofing baskets to prevent sticking.
- Rice flour is preferred for dusting over all-purpose or bread flour as it doesn’t burn during baking.
- You can adjust hydration by increasing water to 380 g for a higher hydration dough.
- Use kosher salt (Diamond Crystal) or fine sea salt (Baleine Fine); 12 grams is optimal regardless of brand.
- For a more open crumb, shape the dough as a batard instead of a round.
- Add extra ingredients like herbs, cheese, or jalapeños before the third set of stretch and folds.
- Adjust starter quantity between 50 g and 100 g depending on kitchen temperature and desired fermentation speed.
- Visual cues are more reliable than time for determining fermentation readiness—look for a 50% increase in dough volume, surface bubbles, and jiggle.
- A straight-sided vessel helps monitor volume changes effectively during fermentation.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (approximately 100g)
- Calories: 260
- Sugar: 0.2 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 1 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0.6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 55 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
