Classic Sourdough Bread

There’s nothing better than the smell of fresh sourdough bread baking in your kitchen! This simple recipe uses just 4 ingredients – Flour, water, starter & salt – to make a rustic loaf with a soft crumb and that perfectly golden crust.

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Prep Time 6 30

Cook Time 30

Cold Proof 12

Total Time 19

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

500 grams unbleached all-purpose flour
325 grams filtered water
100 grams of fed and active sourdough starter
10 grams unrefined salt I use fine-grain

Method

Instructions

Mix Dough – In a large bowl, combine flour and water. Mix until no dry bits remain. Cover and let it rest for 30 minutes. This stage is called the “Autolyse” it helps develop the gluten and give it better structure.
Add Starter & Salt – Add the active sourdough starter and salt to the dough. Mix well until incorporated.
Bulk Fermentation – Cover and let rise and room temperature for 4-6 hours, doing “stretch & folds” every 30 minutes, three times, then allowing it to rest for the remainder of the time, or until doubled in size.
Shape – Turn dough onto a floured surface, gently flatten the loaf out with your hands, shape your round loaf, and place it into a floured lined banneton basket with the dough “seam side” up.
Final Proof – Cover and refrigerate overnight (8-12hrs)
Bake – Preheat oven to 500°, let Dutch oven preheat for at least 30 minutes. Transfer dough to parchment paper or (even better) silicone oven liner, score your bread, place oven liner / parchment into Dutch oven, drop 3-6 ice cubes inside Dutch oven, place lid on top, and bake for 20 minutes, once 20 minutes are up take the lid off, pour a cup of water on a baking sheet on the rack under your Dutch oven (to help keep steam) and bake an additional 8 minutes. Once your time is up, use a thermometer to check the temp inside your loaf (should be between (205-210°)
Enjoy – Once bread is FULLY cooled, cut into it and enjoy a fresh slice of sourdough bread!