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Classic Sourdough Bread

A close-up of a perfectly baked sourdough bread loaf, showcasing its golden-brown crust and airy crumb.
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A step-by-step recipe for baking a crusty, tangy sourdough loaf at home, perfect for beginners.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 100g active sourdough starter
  • 350g warm water
  • 500g bread flour
  • 10g fine sea salt

Instructions

  1. Feed your sourdough starter 4-12 hours before you plan to mix the dough. It should be bubbly and active.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the active starter and warm water. Stir to dissolve the starter.
  3. Add the bread flour and salt to the bowl. Mix with your hands or a spatula until just combined and no dry flour remains. The dough will be shaggy.
  4. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 30 minutes (autolyse).
  5. Perform a series of stretch and folds: Wet your hands slightly. Grab one side of the dough, stretch it up, and fold it over the center. Rotate the bowl and repeat with the other three sides. Do this every 30 minutes for 2 hours (a total of 4 sets of stretch and folds).
  6. After the stretch and folds, cover the dough and let it bulk ferment at room temperature for 4-6 hours, or until it has increased in volume by about 50% and looks airy.
  7. Gently turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Shape it into a round or oval loaf.
  8. Place the shaped dough into a floured proofing basket (banneton) or a bowl lined with a floured tea towel.
  9. Cover the basket and refrigerate for 12-24 hours for a cold proof.
  10. Preheat your oven to 475°F (245°C) with a Dutch oven inside for at least 30 minutes.
  11. Carefully remove the hot Dutch oven from the oven. Turn the dough out of the proofing basket onto a piece of parchment paper. Score the top of the loaf with a sharp knife or lame.
  12. Carefully lower the dough into the hot Dutch oven using the parchment paper. Cover with the lid.
  13. Bake for 20 minutes with the lid on.
  14. Remove the lid and bake for another 20-25 minutes, or until the crust is deep golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 205-210°F (96-99°C).
  15. Carefully remove the bread from the Dutch oven and let it cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

Notes

  • Maintaining a healthy sourdough starter is key to successful sourdough bread. Feed it regularly with equal parts flour and water.
  • The fermentation times can vary depending on your room temperature. Watch the dough, not the clock.
  • For a crispier crust, you can place a small oven-safe pan with water on the bottom rack of your oven during the initial baking phase.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://carlacooking.com/sourdough-bread-recipe/