Basic Sourdough Bread Recipe

What You Need

• 375 g lukewarm water, divided
• 125 g active sourdough starter
• 400 g all-purpose flour
• 100 g whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons table salt
• rice flour for dusting banneton (optional)

Mix It Up

Put 350g water in a large bowl. Add starter and mix until dissolved.

Add both flours. Stir with a wooden spoon until too thick, then use your hands. Work until no dry spots remain – you’ll have a shaggy mess. Cover and rest 30 minutes to hydrate.

Sprinkle salt over dough and add remaining 25g water. Work with your hands, squeezing between fingers to distribute salt.

Bulk Fermentation

Cover bowl and rest 30 minutes.

Start stretch and folds: grab edge, pull up, fold to opposite side. Turn bowl quarter turn, repeat 3 more times. Flip dough seam-down. Cover and wait 30 minutes.

Do stretch and folds every 30 minutes – 4 to 6 rounds total. Dough should grow ~30% and get smoother. Bubbles will appear on surface.

Not growing after 6 rounds? Keep folding until ready. Don’t overproof – it gets slack and won’t hold shape.

Shape

Dust banneton with rice flour (or regular flour if using a towel-lined bowl). Flour half your counter, leave other half clean.

Turn dough onto floured section. Stretch gently into rough rectangle. Fold bottom halfway up, top down over it.

Roll tight from one end. Place seam-down on clean counter. Cup hands around dough, push away then pull back in circular motion. This builds tension for a tight shape.

Dust top with flour, flip upside down into banneton (seam up). Optionally stitch bottom by pulling opposite edges together.

Cover with towel. Refrigerate 18 hours.

Bake

Heat oven to 500F with Dutch oven inside.

Cut parchment paper as wide as banneton. Lay over top. Put plate on parchment.

Flip everything in one motion – dough lands on plate. Remove banneton. Score top with razor blade or sharp knife.

Grab parchment edges, lower into hot Dutch oven. Add tablespoon water for extra steam if wanted. Cover.

Drop to 450F. Bake covered 20 minutes. Uncover, bake 15-20 minutes more until deep golden.

Cool on rack 1 hour before slicing – inside needs to set.

Rice flour prevents sticking better than regular flour. The overnight fridge rest develops flavor and makes scoring easier. That shaping tension is what gives you the good oven spring.

Basic Sourdough Bread

The bread that makes you look like you know what you're doing. Takes two days but most of that is waiting around while yeast does the work.

Pin Recipe Print Recipe

Prep Time: 30 minutes mins

Cook Time: 40 minutes mins

Fermentation Time: 20 hours hrs

Total Time: 21 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Ingredients

• ▢ 375 g lukewarm water divided
• ▢ 125 g active sourdough starter
• ▢ 400 g all-purpose flour
• ▢ 100 g whole wheat flour
• ▢ 2 teaspoons table salt
• ▢ rice flour for dusting banneton optional

Instructions

• Mix 350g water and sourdough starter in large bowl until dissolved.
• Add flours, mix until no dry spots remain. Cover, rest 30 minutes.
• Add salt and remaining 25g water, squeeze through dough to incorporate.
• Rest 30 minutes covered.
• Perform stretch and folds every 30 minutes for 4-6 rounds until dough grows 30% and becomes smooth.
• Dust banneton with rice flour.
• Turn dough onto floured surface, stretch into rectangle, fold bottom up and top down.
• Roll into tight log, place seam down.
• Shape into tight ball by cupping hands and rotating.
• Transfer to banneton seam up, dust with flour.
• Refrigerate covered 18 hours.
• Heat Dutch oven in 500F oven.
• Transfer dough to parchment, score top.
• Lower into Dutch oven, add 1 tbsp water, cover.
• Reduce to 450F, bake covered 20 minutes.
• Remove lid, bake 15-20 minutes until golden.
• Cool on rack 1 hour before slicing.