Craft an authentic artisan sourdough loaf with a crackling golden crust and beautifully open crumb structure that develops complex tangy flavors over days of fermentation. This time-honored bread-making technique requires patience and minimal ingredients, rewarding you with bakery-quality results that far surpass store-bought alternatives.
⏱️1485 min
📊Hard
👥1 servings
🍽️Main
vegetarianbudget-friendlyfamily
Ingredients
100 gsourdough starter
500 gbread flour
350 mlwater
10 gsea salt
5 mlolive oil
20 grice flour
Instructions
1ACTIVATE YOUR STARTER: Feed your sourdough starter with equal parts flour and water (approximately 50g each) about 8-12 hours before mixing your dough, until it becomes bubbly, active, and doubles in volume. A healthy starter should have a pleasant sour aroma and show consistent rising and falling patterns. This ensures sufficient yeast and bacterial activity for proper fermentation.
2MIX THE DOUGH: Combine 100g of active sourdough starter, 350ml of lukewarm water (around 25-27°C), and 500g of bread flour in a large bowl, mixing until all flour is hydrated and a shaggy dough forms. Let this autolyse for 30-60 minutes at room temperature, which allows the flour to fully absorb water and develops gluten naturally. This resting period significantly improves dough extensibility and final crumb structure.
3INCORPORATE SALT AND PERFORM STRETCH AND FOLDS: Add 10g of sea salt to the dough along with a small amount of water to dissolve it, then thoroughly incorporate using pinching motions. Perform 4-6 sets of stretch and folds every 30 minutes over the next 2-3 hours, gently stretching the dough from the sides and folding it over itself to build strength and develop gluten. You'll notice the dough becoming smoother, more elastic, and holding its shape better as tension builds.
4BULK FERMENTATION: Allow the dough to ferment at room temperature (20-24°C) for 4-6 hours total, or until it increases by 50-75% in volume and shows visible bubbles throughout. The dough should jiggle when the bowl is moved gently and feel airy but still hold its structure. For convenience, you can perform a cold overnight fermentation in the refrigerator (8-16 hours at 4°C) instead, which develops deeper flavors through extended fermentation.
5SHAPE AND FINAL PROOF: Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently pre-shape it into a round, resting for 20-30 minutes to relax the gluten. Perform a final shaping by folding the dough towards you and creating tension on the surface, then place seam-side up in a banneton basket or bowl lined with a floured kitchen towel. Allow a final proof of 2-4 hours at room temperature, or 12-18 hours in the refrigerator, until the dough springs back slowly when poked with a floured finger.
6SCORE AND BAKE: Preheat your oven to 450°C (230°C) with a Dutch oven inside for 45 minutes to create steam. Turn the dough onto parchment paper, score the top with a sharp blade in a 1/4-inch deep slash at a 45-degree angle to control expansion and create that signature ear. Place in the preheated Dutch oven (cover for the first 20 minutes to trap steam), then bake uncovered for an additional 25-30 minutes until deep golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 205-210°C.
7COOL COMPLETELY: Remove the bread from the oven and place on a wire rack for at least 1-2 hours before slicing, allowing the crumb to fully set and making cutting much easier. The bread will continue cooking internally during cooling through carryover heat. Slice with a serrated bread knife using a gentle sawing motion to preserve the delicate crumb structure and showcase the beautiful open crumb development.