Classic Sourdough Bread (Printable)

Traditional wild yeast loaf with crisp crust and tangy, chewy interior for exceptional flavor.

# What You Need:

→ Dough

01 - 3.5 cups bread flour (500 g)
02 - 1.5 cups water (350 g), room temperature
03 - 0.5 cup active sourdough starter, 100% hydration (100 g)
04 - 2 teaspoons fine sea salt (10 g)

→ Optional for dusting

05 - Rice flour or additional bread flour

# How-To:

01 - In a large bowl, combine the flour and water until just incorporated. Cover the bowl and allow the mixture to rest for 1 hour to develop gluten structure.
02 - Add the active sourdough starter and sea salt to the autolysed dough. Mix thoroughly until the ingredients are fully incorporated and the dough becomes cohesive.
03 - Perform 4 sets of stretch and folds at 30-minute intervals over 2 hours. Keep the dough covered between each set to build strength and structure.
04 - Cover the bowl and allow the dough to ferment at room temperature for 4–6 hours until approximately doubled in volume.
05 - Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Shape into a tight round or oval boulevard, creating surface tension.
06 - Transfer the shaped dough to a floured proofing basket or banneton, seam side up. Cover and refrigerate for 8–12 hours for cold fermentation.
07 - Position a Dutch oven in the oven and preheat to 450°F for at least 30 minutes to ensure proper heat retention.
08 - Gently invert the dough onto parchment paper. Score the top with a sharp lame or knife. Transfer the loaf with parchment into the preheated Dutch oven, cover, and bake for 20 minutes.
09 - Remove the Dutch oven lid and continue baking for an additional 20 minutes until the crust achieves a deep golden brown color.
10 - Transfer the baked loaf to a cooling rack and allow it to rest for at least 1 hour before slicing to ensure proper crumb structure.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The tang develops slowly while you sleep, so you wake up to something that feels like a gift from yesterday self
  • Nothing beats tearing into that crackling crust when its still warm from the oven
  • Once you get the rhythm, this bread becomes the kind of ritual that grounds your whole week
02 -
  • That Dutch oven needs to be screaming hot when the dough goes in or you will not get proper oven spring
  • Cold fermentation is not optional for scheduling convenience it develops the tang and makes the dough easier to handle
  • Underproofed bread comes out dense while overproofed loaves spread flat and lose their shape in the oven
03 -
  • Weigh your water and flour because volume measurements are too inconsistent for the precision sourdough demands
  • Use an inverted baking sheet instead of a Dutch oven if you need to bake multiple loaves at once

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