How to make sourdough bread
Quick answer
Mix 500 g bread flour, 350 g water, 100 g active sourdough starter and 10 g salt. Let the dough rise for 4 to 6 hours with a few rounds of stretching and folding, shape it, rest it overnight in the fridge, then bake it in a very hot covered pot at about 250°C (480°F).
Step by step
- MixStir 350 g of water and 100 g of bubbly, active starter together, add 500 g of bread flour and mix until no dry flour remains. Rest 30 minutes, then add 10 g of salt and squeeze it in.
- Stretch and foldOver the next 2 hours, every 30 minutes, grab one side of the dough, stretch it up and fold it over. Turn the bowl and repeat on all four sides.
- Let it riseLeave the dough covered until it has grown by about half and looks airy, usually 4 to 6 hours total at about 24°C (75°F). Cooler kitchens take longer.
- ShapeTurn it onto a lightly floured surface, fold it into a tight round, and place it seam-side up in a floured bowl or basket.
- Rest overnightCover and refrigerate for 8 to 16 hours. The cold slows the rise and develops flavor.
- BakePreheat a lidded cast-iron pot at 250°C (480°F) for 45 minutes. Tip the dough in, slash the top, and bake 20 minutes covered, then 20 to 25 minutes uncovered at 230°C (450°F) until deep brown.
Sourdough rises without packaged yeast. Instead it uses a starter: a living mix of flour and water full of wild yeast and bacteria, which also gives the bread its tangy flavor.
How to make a sourdough starter
- In a jar, mix 50 g flour (whole wheat or rye helps at first) with 50 g water.
- Cover loosely and leave at room temperature.
- Every day, throw away about half and feed it another 50 g flour and 50 g water.
- After about 5 to 10 days, it should double within 4 to 8 hours of a feeding and smell pleasantly sour. It’s ready.
Once established, a starter can live in the fridge and be fed once a week.
A realistic timeline
| When | What |
|---|---|
| Morning | Feed the starter |
| Midday | Mix the dough when the starter is bubbly |
| Afternoon | Stretch and fold, then let it rise |
| Evening | Shape and refrigerate |
| Next morning | Bake straight from the fridge |
How to tell it’s done
The crust should be deep golden brown, and the loaf should sound hollow when you tap the bottom. For certainty, a thermometer in the center should read about 96–99°C (205–210°F). Let it cool for at least an hour before cutting, or the inside will be gummy.
Prefer to weigh in cups? Here’s how ounces in a cup work for flour versus water, and why grams are more reliable for baking.
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