Do you want to make swoon-worthy sourdough bread at home? While it may sound intimidating to make your own artisan sourdough loaf, it’s actually a straightforward process that just requires a bit of time and practice. After a lot of trial and error, I finally developed a fail-proof recipe! I’ll walk you step by step through the process and provide some tips and tricks to help you get the best results.

Timing

Sourdough bread is typically made over the course of 2-3 days because of the time it takes for the grains to ferment. For this recipe, I suggest making the dough in the evening and it will be ready to bake for dinner the following night. There are two phases of resting the dough after mixing the ingredients together. The first is a bulk rise at room temperature for 8-12 hours. The second is the proofing phase which is done in the refrigerator after shaping the loaf. The proofing time is more flexible to work with your schedule and can be anywhere from 8-48 hours.

Flour

This recipe calls for a combination of bread flour and all-purpose flour. The bread flour helps provide structure to the loaf while the all-purpose flour creates a more tender and chewy interior. I suggest using unbleached flours if you have them. You can use whole wheat flour in this recipe but the texture will be slightly more dense. My favorite organic all-purpose flour comes from Azure Standard. I also love King Arthur Organic bread flour.

The Process

You will need an active, bubbly starter for this recipe so make sure to feed your starter 4-12 hours before you intend to make the dough. You can test if your starter is active by performing the float test. Drop 1 tsp of your starter into a glass of water. If it floats then you’re ready to get started. If it sinks, you will need to discard and feed your starter again and wait until it has doubled in size.

Begin by mixing all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. I suggest glass or ceramic as metal can interfere with the fermentation process. Mix until all of the flour has been incorporated. The dough will be sticky and will not form into a neat ball at this point. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and wait 15-30 minutes to let the dough autolyze.

Stretches and Folds

The next phase is a series of stretches and folds to develop the gluten. To do this, lift one side of the dough up and fold it over on itself in the bowl. Rotate the bowl 45 degrees and do it again. Continue until you have gone all the way around the bowl. Repeat the stretch and folds every 15 minutes until you have performed this 4 times. The dough should become tighter with each series of stretches and folds. Cover the dough for the bulk rise and leave it on the counter overnight (8-12 hours).

Shaping

You will shape the dough in the morning or after the bulk rise. If you have a banneton, lightly flour to prevent the dough from sticking. You can also use a large bowl lined with a linen kitchen towel that has been lightly floured. The last option would be in a bowl that has been lightly oiled. Before shaping, wet your hands to prevent the dough from sticking to your hands. Spread the dough out to form a rectangle. Fold the dough like you would a piece of paper to fit into an envelope. Next, fold it in half to make a square. Cup your hands around the dough and rotate the dough into a ball, tightening on the bottom to seal. The dough should start to form a seal as the edges of your hands come together while rotating. Transfer your dough to the banneton or bowl with the bottom of the dough or seam side facing up and cover with a damp towel.

Proofing

Next, you will allow the dough to proof in the refrigerator for 8-48 hours. So remember, if you want to bake it by 4 pm, for example, you will need to shape the dough by 8 am. The dough can ferment for up to 2 days in the refrigerator if you need to.

Baking

Now it’s time to bake! Preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Place your dutch oven in the oven for 10-15 minutes prior to baking. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and flip it over, seam side down, onto a piece of parchment paper that is at least 1 1/2 times as big as the dough. Using a razor or a sharp knife, score the dough to allow the gasses to escape during baking. Place the parchment paper and dough inside of your dutch oven and cover it with the lid. Bake for 25 minutes with the lid on then remove and bake without the lid for an additional 15-20 minutes.

After baking, remove from the dutch oven immediately to prevent the bottom from burning. Allow the bread to cool for 30-60 minutes before slicing. The bread is best enjoyed within 3-4 days. If any bread remains, slice and freeze the slices in freezer bags.

As with all of my sourdough recipes, I measure in grams for accuracy and consistency. If you do not have a scale, see my Metric Conversion Chart to determine cups and Tbls. I have been using this kitchen scale almost daily for years and it still works great!

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