Sourdough Loaf

5 from 4 votes

My tried and true recipe for a rustic artisan loaf made with sourdough starter and organic all purpose flour. Time stamps included for an easy to follow baking guide! Makes two loaves

Prep Time20

Cook Time50

Total Time20 50

Keyword: sourdough

Servings: loaves

Calories: 114kcal

Ingredients

735 + 50 g filtered water
200 - 235 g active starter (see notes)
1000 - 1050 g organic unbleached all purpose flour (see notes)
24 g fine sea salt

Instructions

Activate the Starter

12:00 to 2:00 PM: Feed your starter (35g starter, 125g warm filtered water, 140g organic unbleached all-purpose flour) and wait for it to double in size or “activate”

Mix the Dough

7:00 PM: Mix the dough by adding 735g water and 235g starter to a bowl. Stir until milky, then add 1000g flour. Mix it for about 2-3 minutes to combine as much as you can, then cover and let it rest for 20 minutes. Add the salt and 50g water and use your hands to mix it in and knead the dough for about 5 minutes. Cover again, and let it rest for 30 minutes.

Stretches & Folds

8:00 PM: Over the next 2 hours, perform 4 sets of “stretch and folds”. Every 30 minutes (8:00, 8:30, 9:00, 9:30) I use two hands to stretch one side of the dough up and fold it back down over the other side, then turn the bowl 1/4 turn and repeat until I’ve done all four sides. Cover the bowl each time you finish a set of stretch & folds.

Long Ferment Overnight

10:00 PM: Cover the bowl one final time and let it rest on the counter overnight to ferment, until roughly doubled in size.

Shape the Dough

8:00 AM: Lightly flour a large cutting board and scoop the dough out onto the surface. Divide the dough in half. Spread the dough out into a rectangle shape, fold in the sides, then roll up into a round. To further shape and build tension in the dough, use your hands to push the dough away from you and pull back 4 times until the loaf feels round and springy. Repeat with the second loaf, and allow the loaves to rest uncovered for 20 minutes.
8:30 AM: Repeat the shaping process, using your hands to push and pull the loaf 4 times. Use a dough scraper to flip the loaves upside down (round, smooth side down) into proofing baskets. Cover with plastic wrap or a shower cap and transfer to the refrigerator for at least 1-2 hours.
For a long fermentation, you can leve the loaves in the coolest part of your refrigerator (covered) for up to 24 hours.
Preheat the oven to 450ºF just a bit before you plan on baking.

Bake the Loaves

10:00 AM: Flip the dough out of the proofing baskets and onto two square sheets of parchment paper. Dust each loaf with flour and lightly rub to coat, then lightly score in whatever pattern you like (often I just do an X across the top). Use the parchment paper to lift the dough into a Dutch oven (I bake two at the same time, each in their own pot).
Cover and bake at 450ºF for 30 minutes. Remove the lids, and reduce the temperature to 425ºF. Continue to bake for 20 minutes, or until the outside is as golden brown as you like.
Transfer to a cooling rack, and let the bread sit for at least an hour before slicing. ENJOY!

Notes

During the colder winter months, around November to March, this recipe works best for me with more starter (235g) and less flour (1000g). In the warmer months, around April to October, I switch to 200g starter and 1050g flour and they turn out just right. If your loaves aren't holding their shape well, try the latter option. If the dough seems to dry to work with and isn't rising well, then try the first option. I hope this helps!
This recipe makes two loaves. If you have two Dutch oven style pots, you can bake them both at once. Mine fit in the oven side by side. Otherwise you can bake them one at a time, back to back.
Nutrition facts calculated for 16 slices per loaf. If you cut smaller slices, the facts will change - but this gives an idea.
Store the loaves covered with a light towel on the counter for 1-2 days, then transfer to a ziploc bag or bread bag and keep in the refrigerator. Slice & lightly toast to serve.
See above post for links to my storage favorites and all of my tools used, start to finish!

Nutrition