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Baked sourdough bread loaf, cut in half, showing the inside.

Simple Sourdough Bread Recipe

This simple and classic sourdough rustic loaf recipe is my tried and true recipe that I bake every week. This loaf is made with all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, water, and salt, producing beautiful bread with a soft and chewy crumb.
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Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Additional Time: 23 hours 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 day 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 12

Ingredients

  • 325 g water, room temp or slightly warm 1 1/4 cup
  • 100 g active sourdough starter 1/2 cup
  • 450 g all purpose flour 3 1/4 cup
  • 50 g whole wheat flour 1/3 cup
  • 10 g sea salt 1 1/2 tsp

Instructions

Mix the Dough

  • Combine the warm water and starter and whisk together using a whisk, dough whisk, or fork.
    325 g water, room temp or slightly warm, 100 g active sourdough starter
  • Add in the all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour. DO NOT add the salt just yet. Mix in the flour until everything comes together and creates a shaggy dough. I like to use my rubber bowl scraper for this step.
    450 g all purpose flour, 50 g whole wheat flour
  • Cover with a plate or damp tea towel and let rest for an hour. This process is called fermentolyse. Salt slows down the fermentation process, so leaving it out at the beginning and letting your dough rest for an hour gives your bulk fermentation a head start.
  • After an hour, add half of the salt to the dough and mix it in using your hands. Add the rest of the salt and perform a few stretch and folds until the salt is completely mixed in and you don't feel any granules. If needed, sprinkle a little bit of water to help the salt dissolve. To perform a stretch and fold, grab one edge of the dough, and stretch by lifting it up and folding it to the center. Turn the bowl about a quarter turn and repeat by grabbing the edge, lifting it up, and folding it to the center. Repeat this two more times, equalling one round of stretch and folds. Perform as many as needed to mix in the salt.
    10 g sea salt
  • Cover the bowl and let rest for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, wet your hands and perform four stretch and folds(one round). Cover the bowl and let rest for another 30 minutes. Repeat this process three more times, equalling five rounds of stretch and folds(also counting for when we mixed in the salt).

Bulk Fermentation (first rise)

  • After your last set of stretch and folds, your dough should look smooth and should have a lot less stretch to it because of the gluten development during the folds. Cover the bowl and let your dough rest until it has visibly increased in volume by 50%, has a few bubbles on the surface, doesn't stick to your finger when you poke it, and jiggles when you move your bowl from side to side. This can take anywhere from 4-16 hours depending on the ambient temperature of your house. If your house is cooler, it will take longer. If your house is warmer, it will take a shorter amount of time. Reference the notes section to learn a trick I use to help with bulk fermentation.

Pre-shape

  • Once bulk fermentation is finished and your dough is showing the necessary signs, place the dough onto a clean and dry work surface. Use your hands or a bowl scraper to help the dough come out of the bowl if needed. Form the dough into a tight ball by using your hands to push the dough away from you, and then pull it back toward you, rotating it a little bit as you go. Repeat this process until the dough becomes smooth, tight, and holds its shape. Let rest for 15 minutes.

Final Shape

  • Lightly flour a banneton basket or tea towel(inside of a bowl). The bowl will only work if you are shaping your dough into a boule(round shape). Use a bench scraper to flip the dough upside down by quickly sliding it under one side of the dough and flipping it, using your other hand to assist you. The rough side(seam side) should be facing up and the smooth side should be facing down. Form a batard(oval shape) using the caddy clasp method by sliding your hands under opposite sides of the dough folding them together and gently placing it into your floured banneton. Pinch the seam together and let it rest for another 30 minutes.
    To form a boule, flip the dough upside down and perform an envelop fold by folding the end closest to you to the middle, then the opposite(top) side, then the left side, and lastly the right side. Gently flip the dough back over so the smooth side is up, and tuck the seams under by using your hands to gently pull the dough toward you. Turn the dough a quarter turn and repeat on all sides until the dough is in a tight, smooth ball. Use a bench scraper to flip the dough and place it in the floured banneton or bowl seam side up. Let rest for 30 minutes.

Cold Proof (final proof)

  • After 30 minutes, cover the banneton or bowl with a tea towel or plastic bag(if you're using a bowl with a floured tea towel, you can just fold the tea towel over the dough to cover it) and place it in the fridge. Let the dough cold proof overnight. Reference the notes section if you would like to bake the same day.

Bake

  • After the dough has finished cold proofing, preheat your oven to 500°F with your Dutch oven inside. While your oven is preheating, retrieve the dough from the fridge and gently transfer it to a piece of parchment paper. Use a bread lame to score your dough, making sure to score any decorative scores first followed by your big expansion score last.
  • After your oven has finished preheating, place the dough inside the Dutch oven and put the lid back on. Turn your oven down to 450°F and bake for 30 minutes. Once 30 minutes is up, remove the lid, turn your oven down to 425°F, and bake for another 18-20 minutes with the lid off.
  • Once your loaf has finished baking, you can check the internal temperature with a food-safe thermometer. It should read at least 200°F. You can also knock on the bottom and if it sounds hollow, it's done. Transfer your loaf to a wire cooling rack and let it cool for at least an hour. However, I recommend letting it cool completely. This can take up to two and a half hours. This avoids a potentially gummy crumb.

Storing

  • This loaf stays fresh in an airtight bag at room temperature for up to 5 days. Feel free to freeze and save for later too.

Notes

  • I highly recommend using a food scale as this will give you the most accurate results.
  • A trick I love using for my bulk fermentation is putting 37 grams of dough in a clear 2oz plastic condiment cup. This is known as the aliquot method and has totally taken the guesswork out of my bulk fermentation process. After you've thoroughly mixed in the salt, grab small gobs of dough from different sections and put them into the plastic cup until it equals 37 grams. Firmly press the dough into the cup, getting most of the air bubbles out as best you can. It should fill half of the cup. Put the lid on and press the cup into the middle of the dough. You'll want to keep it here so it can have the same temperature as the rest of the dough and only take it out during your stretch and folds. You'll know your dough has risen by 50% once the dough in the cup covers the lid completely.
  • If you would like to skip the cold proof and bake your loaf the same day, let your dough complete its final ferment on the counter for 1-3 hours. Use the poke test to determine when your dough is ready to be baked by poking it with your index finger. If it springs back immediately, it needs a little more time. If it fills in slowly and leaves a small dent, it's ready to be baked. If it doesn't spring back at all, then it's overproofed or on the verge of being overproofed and needs to be baked immediately.