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The Ultimate Guide to Baking Sourdough Bread
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The Ultimate Guide to Baking Sourdough Bread

Master the art of sourdough bread baking with this comprehensive guide

Learn how to create delicious, crusty sourdough bread from scratch.

What is Sourdough?

Sourdough is a naturally leavened bread that uses wild yeast and bacteria instead of commercial yeast. The fermentation process gives it a distinctive tangy flavor and chewy texture.

Creating Your Starter

Ingredients

  • 100g whole wheat flour
  • 100g all-purpose flour
  • 200g water (room temperature)

Day-by-Day Process

Day 1:

Mix 50g whole wheat flour + 50g water
Cover loosely
Leave at room temperature (70-75°F)

Day 2-7: Discard half the starter and feed:

  • 50g all-purpose flour
  • 50g water

Continue this process daily until the starter doubles in size within 4-6 hours.

Signs of a Healthy Starter

✅ Doubles in size within 4-6 hours
✅ Has a pleasant, slightly sour smell
✅ Forms bubbles throughout
✅ Passes the float test

Float Test

Drop a small amount of starter in water. If it floats, it’s ready to use!

Basic Sourdough Recipe

Ingredients

  • 500g bread flour
  • 350g water
  • 100g active starter
  • 10g salt

Method

1. Autolyse (30 minutes)

Mix flour + water
Let rest

2. Add Starter and Salt

Add starter, mix well
Wait 30 minutes
Add salt, mix thoroughly

3. Bulk Fermentation (4-6 hours)

Perform stretch and folds every 30 minutes for first 2 hours:

  1. Wet your hands
  2. Grab one side of dough
  3. Stretch up and fold over
  4. Rotate bowl 90°
  5. Repeat 4 times

4. Shaping

Turn dough onto floured surface
Pre-shape into round
Rest 20 minutes
Final shape
Place in banneton

5. Cold Proof (8-12 hours)

Refrigerate overnight for best flavor development.

6. Baking

Preheat Dutch oven to 500°F
Score the dough
Bake with lid: 20 minutes at 500°F
Remove lid: 20-25 minutes at 450°F

Scoring Patterns

Popular scoring designs:

  • Single slash
  • Cross pattern
  • Leaf design
  • Wheat stalk
  • Spiral

Troubleshooting

Dense Crumb

Causes:

  • Inactive starter
  • Under-fermented
  • Not enough strength building

Solutions:

  • Ensure starter is active
  • Extend bulk fermentation
  • More stretch and folds

Flat Bread

Causes:

  • Over-proofed
  • Weak shaping
  • Too much water

Solutions:

  • Reduce proofing time
  • Practice shaping technique
  • Lower hydration

No Oven Spring

Causes:

  • Under-scored
  • Oven not hot enough
  • Over-proofed

Solutions:

  • Score deeper
  • Preheat longer
  • Reduce proof time

Advanced Techniques

High Hydration Dough

For a more open crumb, increase water to 75-80% hydration.

Adding Mix-Ins

Add during final stretch and fold:

  • Seeds (sesame, sunflower)
  • Nuts (walnuts, pecans)
  • Dried fruit (cranberries, raisins)
  • Olives and herbs

Lamination Method

For extra strength and even distribution of add-ins:

  1. Stretch dough into thin rectangle
  2. Add ingredients
  3. Fold like a letter
  4. Continue with bulk fermentation

Storage

Room Temperature: 2-3 days in bread bag

Freezer: Slice and freeze up to 3 months

Reviving Stale Bread:

  • Spritz with water
  • Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes

Equipment

Essential

  • Kitchen scale
  • Banneton or bowl
  • Dutch oven
  • Bench scraper
  • Lame or sharp knife

Nice to Have

  • Bread lame with curved blade
  • Proofing box
  • Dough whisk
  • Bread knife

Baker’s Schedule

Same-Day Bread

  • 8:00 AM - Mix dough
  • 2:00 PM - Shape
  • 6:00 PM - Bake

Overnight Method (Recommended)

  • 8:00 AM - Mix dough
  • 2:00 PM - Shape
  • 2:15 PM - Refrigerate
  • Next day 8:00 AM - Bake

Recipe Variations

Whole Wheat Sourdough

Replace 100g bread flour with whole wheat flour

Rye Sourdough

Replace 50g bread flour with rye flour

Seeded Sourdough

Add 50g mixed seeds during final stretch and fold

Olive and Rosemary

Add 100g olives + 2 tbsp fresh rosemary

Common Questions

Q: How do I know when bulk fermentation is done?

A: Look for 50% increase in volume, domed top, and jiggly texture.

Q: Can I use all-purpose flour instead of bread flour?

A: Yes, but bread flour gives better structure due to higher protein content.

Q: My starter isn’t rising, what should I do?

A: Try feeding with a different flour, ensure warm environment (75°F), or start over if it smells bad.

Next Steps

  • Experiment with different flours
  • Try different hydration levels
  • Master scoring techniques
  • Join a sourdough community

Resources

Complete Guide to Coffee Brewing Methods