Sourdough Bread
Quick answer
Sourdough bread is leavened entirely by a natural starter - a living culture of wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria maintained through regular feedings of flour and water...
What makes this special
- Sourdough Bread relies on natural fermentation to develop its signature tangy flavor and airy crumb.
- Wild yeast and lactic bacteria produce organic acids that create the signature sourness
- Autolyse plus four stretch-and-folds develops gluten without a mixer
Key ingredients
Core cooking flow
- 1 Mix 450 g bread flour with 320 ml water until no dry flour remains.
- 2 Add 100 g sourdough starter when it is at peak activity, risen high and just domed.
- 3 Bulk ferment at room temperature for about 4 hours, folding once every hour for 4 rounds.
Sourdough bread is leavened entirely by a natural starter - a living culture of wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria maintained through regular feedings of flour and water - without any commercial yeast. The extended fermentation produces organic acids that give the bread its characteristic tangy flavor, a thick, blistered crust, and an open, irregular crumb structure. The process begins with an autolyse, where flour and water rest together before the starter and salt are incorporated. Four rounds of stretch-and-fold during a four-hour bulk fermentation develop gluten without intensive kneading. After shaping, the dough is cold-proofed in the refrigerator for twelve to sixteen hours, during which flavor compounds deepen and the structure firms for easier scoring. Baking in a preheated Dutch oven at 250 degrees Celsius traps steam around the loaf, allowing the crust to expand fully before setting into a thick, crackly shell. Removing the lid partway through finishes the crust to a deep, caramelized brown. The starter must be at peak activity - risen to its highest point and just beginning to dome - when mixed into the dough, or the loaf will not achieve adequate rise.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Season
Mix 450 g bread flour with 320 ml water until no dry flour remains.
Let the shaggy dough rest for 30 minutes so the flour hydrates and gluten begins forming before the starter and salt are worked in.
- 2Season
Add 100 g sourdough starter when it is at peak activity, risen high and just domed.
Work it evenly through the dough, then add 9 g salt and mix until no salty or sticky pockets remain.
- 3Step
Bulk ferment at room temperature for about 4 hours, folding once every hour for 4 rounds.
Use damp hands, stretch the dough gently, and stop before it tears as the surface becomes smoother and more elastic.
- 4Step
When the dough has risen and shows visible bubbles, shape it gently into a tight loaf.
Create surface tension without pressing out all the gas, then cold-proof it in the refrigerator for 12-16 hours to deepen flavor.
- 5Control
Preheat the Dutch oven thoroughly to 250C, then place in the cold-proofed dough and score it just before baking.
Bake covered for 20 minutes so trapped steam helps the loaf expand before the crust sets.
- 6Heat
Remove the lid and bake 20-25 minutes more until the crust turns deep brown and firm.
Take the loaf out and let it cool fully before slicing so the open crumb sets instead of becoming gummy.
After the steps
Pick a recipe that fits this dish.
Continue with shared ingredients, meal pairings, or a similar method.
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