Sourdough Bread
Ingredients
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- 20 ounces bread flour
- 14 ounces water
- 4 ounces sourdough starter (100% hydration), active
- 2 tsp fine sea salt
- 2 tbsp rice flour – for dusting
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour – for dusting
Instructions
1. Ensure your sourdough starter is bubbly and active (fed within 4–8 hours at warm room temperature).
2. In a large bowl, mix the bread flour and water by hand until no dry bits remain, 1–2 minutes. Cover and rest (autolyse) 30–60 minutes.
3. Add the sourdough starter and fine sea salt to the dough. Pinch and fold, then squeeze and coil-fold until evenly incorporated and the dough is cohesive, 2–3 minutes. Cover.
4. Bulk ferment at warm room temperature (75–78°F), 3–4 hours. During the first 2 hours, perform 3–4 sets of stretch-and-folds every 30 minutes, then let the dough rest undisturbed. The dough is ready when it has risen about 30–50%, looks smoother, and shows bubbles at the edges.
5. Turn the dough onto a clean surface. Gently pre-shape into a loose round, then cover and rest 20–30 minutes until slightly relaxed.
6. Mix the rice flour and all-purpose flour together and generously dust a proofing basket or a towel-lined bowl. Shape the dough into a taut boule or batard, set it seam-side up in the basket, and cover.
7. Cold proof in the refrigerator 12–16 hours, until the dough has slightly expanded and springs back slowly when gently pressed.
8. Place a covered Dutch oven on the middle rack and preheat the oven to 475°F for 30–45 minutes.
9. Invert the dough onto a piece of parchment or a peel, seam-side down. Score the top 1/4–1/2 inch deep with a sharp blade.
10. Carefully load the dough into the hot Dutch oven, cover, and bake 20 minutes. Uncover, reduce oven to 450°F, and bake 20–25 minutes more, until deeply browned and blistered; the loaf should sound hollow when tapped on the bottom and read 208–210°F internally.
11. Cool on a rack for at least 1 hour before slicing to set the crumb.
Sourdough bread is a naturally leavened loaf with a boldly caramelized crust, tender interior, and a gentle tang that ranges from subtle to pleasantly assertive. Its crackling exterior gives way to a moist, open crumb that pairs well with butter, soups, and cheeses, or simply stands on its own. The aroma is nutty and toasty with a slight lactic sweetness, delivering complexity from just flour, water, and salt.
This bread traces back thousands of years, long before commercial yeast existed, when wild yeasts and lactic bacteria were harnessed to raise dough. European country loaves, from French pain au levain to German and Nordic sourdoughs, shaped the modern style popular in artisan bakeries worldwide. In the 20th century, places like San Francisco became synonymous with sourdough, but the technique remains a global heritage of slow fermentation, patience, and craft.