Description
A simple and approachable recipe for homemade sourdough bread with a crispy crust and chewy crumb—perfect for beginners.
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 500 g bread flour or strong all-purpose flour (Bread flour gives a chewier crumb.)
- 350 g filtered water (Filtered is nice if your tap water tastes strongly of chlorine.)
- 10 g salt (Do not skip it; it enhances flavor and helps the dough behave.)
- 100 g active sourdough starter (Bubbly, recently fed, and ready to rise.)
Instructions
Mixing the Dough
- Mix 500g flour with 330g of water (hold back 20g for later) until no dry flour spots remain. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
- Add 100g starter, 10g salt, and the remaining 20g water. Squeeze and fold until it looks more like dough.
Stretch and Fold
- Wet your hand, grab one side of the dough, stretch it up gently, and fold it over itself. Repeat this around the bowl for a total of 3 to 5 rounds every 30 minutes.
Bulk Fermentation
- Allow the dough to bulk ferment for 4 to 6 hours until it has risen about 30 to 60 percent and shows bubbles along the sides.
Shaping the Dough
- Lightly flour the counter, turn out the dough, and pull it into a loose round. Let it rest for 15 minutes.
- Tighten the shape, pull one side up and fold toward the center, then flip it seam side down.
Cold Proofing
- Place shaped dough in the fridge to cold proof overnight for 8 to 16 hours.
Baking
- Preheat the oven to 475°F with the Dutch oven inside for at least 30 minutes.
- Place the dough on parchment, lower it into the Dutch oven, cover, and bake for 20 minutes covered and 20 to 25 minutes uncovered at 450°F.
- Let it cool at least 1 hour before slicing.
Notes
For better flavor and structure, cold proof overnight. Use a sharp blade to score for best oven spring.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: bread, Snack
- Cuisine: American