Classic Tangy Sourdough Bread (Printer-friendly)

Traditional wild yeast loaf with crisp crust and tangy, chewy interior

# What you'll need:

→ Dough

01 - 4 cups bread flour (approximately 500g)
02 - 1½ cups water (approximately 350g), room temperature
03 - ½ cup active sourdough starter, 100% hydration (approximately 100g)
04 - 2 teaspoons fine sea salt (approximately 10g)

→ Optional for Dusting

05 - Rice flour or additional bread flour for dusting

# Method:

01 - In a large bowl, combine the bread flour and water, mixing until just combined. Cover the bowl and let the mixture rest for 1 hour. This autolyse period allows the flour to hydrate fully.
02 - Add the active sourdough starter and sea salt to the autolysed flour mixture. Mix thoroughly until the dough becomes cohesive and the ingredients are evenly distributed.
03 - Complete 4 sets of stretch and folds at 30-minute intervals over a 2-hour period. Keep the dough covered between sets to prevent drying. This technique develops gluten strength without excessive kneading.
04 - Cover the bowl and allow the dough to rise at room temperature for 4 to 6 hours. The dough is ready when it has approximately doubled in size and shows visible fermentation bubbles.
05 - Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Shape into a tight round or oval loaf, creating surface tension. Transfer the shaped dough to a floured proofing basket with the seam side facing upward.
06 - Cover the proofing basket and refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours. This cold fermentation develops complex flavor and makes the dough easier to handle before baking.
07 - Position a Dutch oven in the oven and preheat to 450°F. The Dutch oven must be thoroughly heated to create the initial steam burst for proper oven spring.
08 - Gently invert the dough onto parchment paper. Use a sharp lame or knife to score the top of the loaf with your desired pattern. Transfer the loaf with parchment into the preheated Dutch oven.
09 - Cover the Dutch oven with its lid and bake for 20 minutes. The trapped steam creates a crisp crust and allows the loaf to expand fully.
10 - Remove the lid and continue baking for an additional 20 minutes until the crust achieves a deep golden brown color. The internal temperature should reach approximately 200°F.
11 - Transfer the baked loaf to a wire rack and cool for at least 1 hour before slicing. This cooling period allows the crumb structure to set and prevents gumminess.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Nothing beats the satisfaction of hearing that crackling crust sing as the loaf cools on the rack
  • The wild yeast creates a depth of flavor you simply cannot buy at any bakery
  • Once you get the rhythm down, this bread becomes a weekend ritual that grounds your whole week
02 -
  • Underproofed dough will be dense and heavy while overproofed loaves spread flat and lose their shape
  • A properly heated Dutch oven creates the steam needed for that blistered, bakery style crust
  • Cutting into warm bread ruins the crumb structure and makes the interior gummy
03 -
  • Use an inverted baking sheet as a makeshift lid if you don't own a Dutch oven
  • The poke test is reliable: if the dough springs back slowly, it's ready to bake

Go back