Sourdough Bread
A weekend project that becomes an obsession. Naturally leavened bread requiring patience and precision.
Sourdough bread is deceptively complex. Flour, water, salt, and time—that's it. No commercial yeast, no shortcuts. Just wild fermentation, chemistry, and patience.
The process will humble you. Your first loaves will be dense hockey pucks. Your starter will die, resurrect, and confuse you. You'll develop a spreadsheet to track hydration percentages, fermentation times, and ambient temperature. You'll start checking the weather forecast not for outdoor plans, but to see if it's a good baking day.
But when you finally nail it—when you pull a perfectly risen loaf from the oven, when the crust crackles as it cools, when you slice into an open, airy crumb—you'll understand why people become obsessed. This is bread as it's been made for thousands of years, and you made it happen.
Ingredients
For the Starter (if you don't have one)
- 100g whole wheat or rye flour — Whole grains have more wild yeast and bacteria than white flour. Better for starting a culture.
- 100g water — Filtered or spring water. Chlorinated tap water can inhibit fermentation.
- Time — 5-7 days of daily feedings to establish a healthy starter.
For the Bread
- 500g bread flour — High protein content (12-13%) for strong gluten development. King Arthur or similar.
- 350g water — 70% hydration. Start here; adjust as you learn your flour.
- 100g active sourdough starter — Fed 4-6 hours before, at peak rise. Should be bubbly and smell pleasantly tangy.
- 10g salt — Sea salt or kosher. Don't skimp—it strengthens gluten and controls fermentation.
Instructions
Creating a Starter (Skip if you have one)
- Day 1: Mix 100g whole wheat flour with 100g water in a jar. Stir well, cover loosely (it needs air), and leave at room temperature. You're creating an environment for wild yeast and bacteria to colonize.
- Days 2-7: Daily, discard half the starter (or save for other recipes) and feed with 50g flour + 50g water. By day 5-7, it should double in size within 4-6 hours of feeding. That's when it's ready.
Making the Bread
- Autolyse (9:00 AM): Mix 500g flour with 350g water in a large bowl. No starter, no salt yet. Just combine until no dry flour remains. Cover and rest for 30-60 minutes. This allows flour to hydrate and begins gluten development without kneading.
- Mix (10:00 AM): Add 100g active starter and 10g salt to the dough. Use wet hands to squeeze and fold the mixture until fully incorporated. It will be shaggy and sticky—this is normal. Cover and let rest.
- Bulk Fermentation (10:00 AM - 4:00 PM): Over the next 6 hours, perform 4-5 sets of stretch-and-folds, spaced 30-45 minutes apart. For each set: wet your hands, grab one side of the dough, stretch it up, and fold it over itself. Rotate the bowl 90° and repeat 4 times. This builds structure without kneading.
- Watch the dough, not the clock: Bulk fermentation is done when the dough has increased by 50-75% in volume, has a smooth surface, and shows visible bubbles. In a 72°F kitchen, this takes 6-8 hours. Warmer speeds it up, colder slows it down.
- Pre-shape (4:00 PM): Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide in half for two loaves (or keep whole for one large loaf). Gently shape each piece into a round by folding the edges toward the center. Let rest 20-30 minutes uncovered. This is the "bench rest."
- Final shape (4:30 PM): Flip each round so the smooth side is down. Shape into a tight boule (round) or batard (oval). Tension is key—you want a tight surface that will support an upward rise. Place seam-side up in floured bannetons or bowls lined with floured towels.
- Cold retard (4:30 PM - Next morning): Cover the bannetons and refrigerate overnight (12-16 hours). Cold fermentation develops flavor and makes scoring easier. Don't skip this step.
- Preheat (8:30 AM next day): Place a Dutch oven with lid in your oven. Preheat to 500°F for at least 45 minutes. The vessel needs to be screaming hot to create steam and oven spring.
- Score (9:15 AM): Turn one loaf out onto parchment paper. Using a razor blade or lame, score the top with a single swift cut, about 1/2 inch deep at a 45° angle. This controls where the bread expands. Classic is a single long slash, but experiment with patterns.
- Bake (9:15 AM): Carefully lift the parchment with the loaf and place it in the blazing hot Dutch oven. Cover immediately. Bake covered at 500°F for 20 minutes (this creates steam), then uncover, reduce to 450°F, and bake another 25-30 minutes until deep golden brown.
- Cool: Remove from Dutch oven immediately and place on a wire rack. You'll hear it crackling—that's the "song of bread" as the crust contracts. Wait at least 1 hour before slicing. Cutting too early releases steam and makes the interior gummy.
Notes & Troubleshooting
Starter Maintenance
Feed your starter regularly. If baking weekly, keep it at room temperature and feed daily. If baking less often, store in the fridge and feed once a week. Before baking, bring to room temp and feed 2-3 times over 24 hours to reactivate.
Hydration Levels
This recipe uses 70% hydration (350g water / 500g flour = 0.70). Higher hydration (75-80%) creates more open crumb but is harder to handle. Lower hydration (65%) is easier to shape but denser. Start at 70% and adjust as you learn.
Common Problems
- Dense, gummy crumb: Under-fermented. Let bulk fermentation go longer next time.
- Over-proofed, flat loaf: Too much fermentation. Reduce bulk fermentation time or cold retard time.
- No oven spring: Starter wasn't active enough, or dough over-proofed, or oven wasn't hot enough.
- Burned bottom, pale top: Baking vessel too hot on bottom. Place a baking sheet under the Dutch oven.
- Starter smells like acetone: It's hungry. Feed it. If it persists, you may need to start over.
The Float Test
To check if your starter is ready: drop a spoonful in water. If it floats, it's at peak activity and full of gas. If it sinks, feed it and wait longer.
Why Cold Retard Matters
Refrigerating the shaped dough overnight does three things: (1) slows fermentation so you can bake in the morning, (2) develops complex flavors through extended fermentation, (3) makes the dough firmer and easier to score cleanly.
Equipment Recommendations
- Dutch oven: Essential for trapping steam. 5-quart works for most loaves.
- Kitchen scale: Mandatory. Baking by weight, not volume, ensures consistency.
- Banneton or bowl: For shaping. Line bowls with well-floured towels if you don't have bannetons.
- Lame or razor blade: For scoring. A sharp blade makes clean cuts.
- Instant-read thermometer: For checking internal temp (should be 205-210°F when done).
Why This Matters
Sourdough teaches patience in an instant gratification world. It demands attention to process, respect for microbiology, and acceptance of failure. You can't rush it. You can't fake it. And when you get it right, you've created something that's been sustaining humans for millennia—using only flour, water, salt, and time.