Sourdough Bread Recipe
Ingredients:
475g all-purpose flour
100g active sourdough starter (bubbly and ready to go)
325g water
10g salt
Before You Begin:
To check your sourdough starter is active try the float test. To check, drop a spoonful of starter into a glass of room-temperature water. If it floats, it’s ready to use! If it sinks, feed it again and wait until it becomes active and bubbly.
Instructions
Step 1: Mixing the Dough
Feed your sourdough starter 4–12 hours ahead so it’s bubbly and active.
In a large bowl, combine warm water, active starter, salt, and flour. Mix using a Dutch whisk or wooden spoon. If preferred, you can switch to using your hands once it starts coming together.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, a damp towel, or a lid, and let it rest for 30 minutes.
Step 2: Stretching and Folding
After 30 minutes, grab one edge of the dough, stretch it upwards gently, and fold it back into the center. Rotate the bowl a quarter turn and repeat. Do this for all four sides—this counts as one round of stretching and folding.
Let the dough rest for another 30 minutes.
Repeat the stretch-and-fold process two more times, with a 30-minute rest in between. By the end, you will have completed three rounds of stretching and folding.
Cover the dough again and let it bulk ferment in a warm spot until it doubles in size. This typically takes 6–12 hours, depending on the temperature of your kitchen and the maturity of your starter. Avoid over-fermenting, as the dough can become overly sticky.
Step 3: Shaping the Dough
Once the dough has doubled, transfer it to a lightly floured work surface.
Gently fold the dough onto itself, then roll it up. Shape it into a ball by spinning it gently towards you to create surface tension.
For additional shaping, fold the dough’s sides to the center, pinch them together, and repeat for the remaining two sides.
Place the shaped dough seam-side up into a floured banneton basket or a bowl lined with a floured tea towel.
Cover with plastic wrap or a cloth and refrigerate for at least 12 hours (or up to 1–2 days). This slow fermentation develops flavour—I like preparing the dough the night before to bake it fresh in the morning.
Step 4: Baking
Preheat your oven to 250°C with a Dutch oven inside. If desired, add about 1/5 cup of water to the Dutch oven for extra steam (optional).
Take the dough out of the fridge and place it onto a piece of parchment paper.
Lightly dust the surface with flour if desired, and score the dough using a lame, razor blade, or sharp knife. Make one deep expansion score and any additional designs if you like.
Carefully transfer the dough (on the parchment paper) into the hot Dutch oven. Be cautious—both the pot and lid are extremely hot.
Place the lid on and bake for 20 minutes.
Remove the lid, lower the oven temperature to 220°C, and bake for another 15–25 minutes until the crust is golden brown.
Once baked, lift the dough out of the Dutch oven (you can use the parchment paper) and place it on a cooling rack.
Important: Let the bread cool completely before slicing into it—this helps maintain its structure and texture.
Enjoy your fresh, homemade sourdough!
