Sourdough Bread
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.
Adjust Servings
Instructions
- 1
Mix starter, water, flour and autolyse 30 minutes.
- 2
Add salt and develop the dough.
- 3
Bulk ferment 4 hours, folding every hour.
- 4
Shape and cold-proof in refrigerator 12-16 hours.
- 5
Bake in Dutch oven at 250C, 20 minutes covered then 25 minutes uncovered.
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Nutrition (per serving)
Goes Well With
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