I was intimidated to make my first loaf of sourdough bread. I’d heard others talk about flat and dense loaves—dough that never rose. It wasn’t until I read a sourdough book cover to cover and painted it with post-it notes, highlights, and dog-eared pages that I felt ready to put my newborn sourdough starter to work. I bought flour. I filtered water. I measured. I mixed and kneaded. I folded ever-so-gently while I held my bread until, hours later, I pulled my first sourdough from the oven.
I had my wife taste it. “Pretty good,” she said. “Yeah, pretty good bread.” Only later did she fess up that it was “actually just okay, to be honest.” But all-in-all the bread had a nice rise, a crunchy and well-colored crust, and it did taste great considering it was my first loaf of any kind of bread. And you know what? We ate the entire thing.
This Beginner’s Sourdough Bread post has several videos where I walk you through each step of the sourdough bread-making process. Be sure to see the end for a complete video walkthrough of me making this recipe!
As the new obsession set in, I started making fresh sourdough bread for every meal. There was something about the whole bread-making process that I found captivating. It was–and still is–exciting to mix such elemental ingredients and to see them produce beautiful, life-giving sustenance: it is modern-day alchemy. It’s such a simple thing, and yet it brought me so much joy to see my family and friends tear into a freshly baked loaf that I wanted to bake every day of every week.
This recipe will give you confidence as you take your first steps in baking sourdough bread from your home kitchen.
Starting to make your first loaf of sourdough bread can be daunting. That’s why I’ve put together this beginner’s sourdough bread tutorial and recipe—it will give you confidence as you take your first steps in baking sourdough bread from your home kitchen. This how-to guide starts with explaining baking terms and definitions so that we will have a common vocabulary once we get to the recipe.
And then, each step of the process has lots of information to ensure you understand what is happening and what to do. But, before we go on this beginner’s sourdough bread recipe, let’s first take a look at what sourdough bread is.
What is Sourdough Bread?
Sourdough is a specific type of bread created through a natural fermentation process involving suitable bacteria and wild yeasts in the environment (i.e., the air and even a baker’s hands) and, most importantly, on the grain itself. A sourdough starter culture is used to seed fermentation in new dough when making sourdough bread.
Generally speaking, bacteria are primarily responsible for producing organic acids (lactic acid and acetic acid) that contribute to sourdough bread’s flavor, texture, and storage qualities. The wild yeasts produce carbon dioxide gas and ethanol during fermentation. When this gas becomes trapped in the dough’s airtight gluten matrix, the dough begins to rise, resulting in a final loaf of bread with a light and airy texture.
All recipes on The Perfect Loaf are naturally leavened; in other words, you won’t find any commercial yeast or instant yeast here. There’s nothing inherently wrong with commercial yeast, but I prefer to make bread this way because of the wonderful flavor and texture, the health benefits like increased bioavailability of minerals and nutrients, increased keeping quality thanks to the acids generated during natural fermentation, and the fact that it requires so few ingredients (just three!) to make something so delicious.
For a high-level look at each step of the sourdough process, read through the Beginner’s Guide to Sourdough Bread →
Creating a Sourdough Starter
It all begins with a sourdough starter. Before we look at how to make sourdough bread, you need to create a healthy sourdough starter that shows consistent signs of fermentation each day. Creating a sourdough starter is easy: mix flour and water for a few days in succession, and eventually, thanks to the bacteria and wild yeasts on the grain, natural fermentation will begin.
If you’d like to look at how I feed my starter daily, look at my sourdough starter maintenance routine. In this guide, you will see the visual and aromatic cues to look for when your starter is ready for refreshment (feeding).
While waiting for your sourdough starter, let’s look at some terms bakers often use to discuss the various parts of the bread-making process.
Baker’s Terminology
Sourdough starter
A starter is a mixture of flour and water you allow to ferment naturally. You’ll refresh (feed) the starter indefinitely to keep the fermentation active and healthy, and you will wait for it to become fully ripe before you use any of it to make bread.
When you want to make bread, you take a small amount of your starter to create an off-shoot called a levain (see below). See my post on starter creation to read more about the starter and learn how to make one.
Levain (or leaven)
A levain is made by mixing a small off-shoot of your ripe starter with water and flour and allowing it to ferment before mixing it into a dough. You can always use your starter directly to make sourdough bread, but a levain is a small off-shoot that allows you to adjust the flour, hydration, and ripening schedule (which have implications on the bacteria and wild yeast balance).
Also, unlike your sourdough starter, which lives on as its own entity, the entirety of the levain goes into the dough and has the same fate as the bread itself: to be baked in the oven. See my post on what a levain is and how it’s different from a sourdough starter for more information.
Autolyse
Some recipes utilize a step called autolyse (“auto-lease”). It occurs at the beginning of bread baking and is a step in which only flour and water are mixed together and left to rest. The goal of autolyse is to initiate enzymatic activity in the dough to help draw out sugars from the flour. Additionally, it helps increase dough extensibility (the ability for the dough to stretch out without tearing).
In most cases, increased extensibility is good as it helps the dough expand and fill with gasses, resulting in a light and airy loaf. See my in-depth post on the autolyse technique for more information.
Bulk fermentation
The dough’s first rise is called bulk fermentation. After mixing the flour, salt, and levain into a dough, you put it all into a bowl or container, cover it, and let it rest. The dough will undergo a fermentation process during this critical step. Bacteria and yeast begin to generate organic acids and alcohols and leaven the dough, which will translate to flavor and rise in your final bread.
For more on this critical step in the bread-making process, see my in-depth guide to bulk fermentation.
Proofing
The proof is the dough’s final, or second, rise after the dough has been divided and shaped and lasts until the dough is finally baked in the oven. During this time, the dough continues to ferment, further strengthening and leavening it. I typically proof at a cold temperature in the refrigerator (also called “retarding”).
In my ultimate guide to proofing, I talk about how to spot when the dough is finished rising and ready to bake, plus a whole lot more.
Final Dough Temperature
The final dough temperature (FDT) is the dough’s temperature after mixing all ingredients. The dough’s temperature is important because it’s the main factor that affects fermentation strength: a warmer dough will ferment faster than a cooler dough.
Naturally, each component (levain, the flour, the water, and the ambient environment) has a temperature. While most of these are out of our control, we can easily adjust the water temperature, which enables us to change the FDT of the entire dough to meet whatever the recipe calls for.
I have a handy water temperature calculator you can use to quickly figure out what you need to warm or cool your mixing water to get the dough to the right temperature.
Or, so you don’t have to do any calculations, here’s a quick cheat sheet for this Beginner’s Sourdough bread recipe:
| If your kitchen temperature is | Warm or cool the mixing water to |
|---|---|
| 68°F (20°C) | 98°F (37°C) |
| 70°F (21°C) | 94°F (34°C) |
| 72°F (22°C) | 90°F (32°C) |
| 74°F (23°C) | 86°F (30°C) |
| 76°F (24°C) | 82°F (28°C) |
| 78°F (25°C) | 78°F (25°C) |
| 80°F (26°C) | 74°F (23°C) |
If your kitchen is outside of these temperatures, my guide on the importance of dough temperature in baking will walk you through calculating exactly what to warm (or cool) your mixing water to so your dough meets the FDT for any recipe.
Baker’s Percentages (Baker’s Math)
Baker’s math, or baker’s percentages, helps bakers adjust the actual quantity of the ingredients up or down, depending on how much bread they want to make. I write all the formulas on The Perfect Loaf in baker’s percentages, where all ingredient weights are a percentage of the total flour weight, which always adds up to 100%. Read through my introduction to baker’s percentages for a more in-depth explanation (including how to scale up and down a bread recipe).
TPL Members (the baking community here) have access to all the recipes here at The Perfect Loaf in spreadsheet form, making scaling up and down recipes as simple as changing a few numbers.
Baking Tools
There are a few necessary tools for baking your first loaf of this beginner’s sourdough bread. The following might look like a long list, but you probably already have many of these in your kitchen—There are a few tools necessary for baking this beginner’s sourdough bread. Note that one item is absolutely necessary: a kitchen scale. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, please consider buying one. Measuring flour with cups and scoops is entirely inaccurate!
- combo cooker like a Lodge 3qt. cast iron combo cooker or a Le Creuset Dutch oven that can withstand 500°F (260°C) in the oven and has a well-sealing lid
- large mixing bowl to mix your dough by hand
- two medium kitchen bowls to proof your dough
- two kitchen towels or a tea towel to line the proofing bowls
- bench knife to cut and shape the dough
- plastic or silicone bowl scraper
- kitchen scale that measures in grams
- instant-read thermometer
- white rice flour for dusting proofing bowl
- blade for scoring your dough (a “lame”), or a razor blade, sharp knife, or scissors
- fine-grain sea salt
- parchment paper
- pizza peel (or cutting board)
- heavy duty oven mitt
- the best bread knife for cutting your sourdough bread
You can find a full list of all the tools I use when baking on my baking tools page.
The Importance of Dough Temperature
When I first started baking, I didn’t quite grasp how important temperature is in the bread-making process. I always like to say: Treat temperature as an ingredient, just as flour, water, and salt are ingredients. What I mean by that, practically, is that if one day you mix with water that is 70°F (21°C) and then a week later mix with water that is 80°F (26°C), you will get drastically different outcomes.
Temperature determines the amount of fermentation activity you’ll see. Lower temperatures generally mean less activity; therefore, things will take longer. Higher temperatures generally mean more activity; therefore, things will take less time. Working with consistent temperatures will ensure consistency in your bread baking, and you’ll get the desired results in terms of flavor, rise, texture–well, everything.
Treat temperature as an ingredient, just as flour, water, and salt are ingredients.
If it’s cold where you’re baking, see my tips on how to bake sourdough bread in the winter. And conversely, if it’s warm where you are, see my post on how to bake in the summer. These guides will help ensure your loaves have the best flavor and volume.
Flour For Baking Bread
I used commonly available supermarket flour for this recipe: Bob’s Red Mill Artisan Bread Flour, Bob’s Red Mill Whole Wheat Flour, and Bob’s Red Mill or Arrowhead Dark Rye Flour. These are great flour choices, but any of King Arthur’s offerings are equally suitable. I chose “bread flour” as it has a higher protein percentage than all-purpose flour, which helps bring significant strength to the dough so that less mixing and kneading is required–it also makes things a bit easier for your first loaf of bread.
As you’ll hear me mention throughout this site, I do like to use as little high-protein flour in my recipes as possible as I find it leads to a slightly chewier, gummy interior—or be sure to use it in the correct way.
Baking Schedule
This beginner’s sourdough bread is a two-day-long process where the bread is mixed and prepared on day one, cold-proofed (retarded) in the fridge overnight, then baked on day two.
I love the convenience of this type of schedule: most of the work is done on the first day, then the dough can be left in the fridge until the next day, when it can be baked in the morning, afternoon, or even the evening.
The baking schedule to the right shows you a high-level view of what step takes place and when.
Beginner’s Sourdough Bread Formula
Now we get to the formula for the beginner’s sourdough bread formula. I start every recipe with two tables: Vitals and Total Formula. The Vitals table gives you a high-level view of the contents of the dough, as well as how much the recipe makes (in this case, two loaves). The Total Formula table lists the ingredients needed for the entire recipe and their respective amounts.
Vitals
| Total Dough Weight | 1,800 grams |
| Pre-fermented Flour | 7.5% |
| Levain in final dough | 20.3% |
| Hydration | 72.0% |
| Yield | Two loaves |
Total Formula
| Weight | Ingredient | Baker’s Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 811g | Bob’s Red Mill Artisan Bread Flour | 80.0% |
| 152g | Bob’s Red Mill Stoneground Whole Wheat Flour | 15.0% |
| 51g | Bob’s Red Mill Dark Rye Flour | 5.0% |
| 730g | Water | 72.0% |
| 18g | Fine sea salt | 1.8% |
| 38g | Ripe sourdough starter, 100% hydration | 3.8% |
Beginner’s Sourdough Bread Method
1. Levain – 8:00 a.m.
| Weight | Ingredient | Baker’s Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 38g | Ripe sourdough starter (100% hydration) | 50.0% |
| 38g | Bob’s Red Mill Stoneground Whole Wheat | 50.0% |
| 38g | Bob’s Red Mill Artisan Bread Flour | 50.0% |
| 76g | Water | 100.0% |
Remember: the levain is an off-shoot of your continually maintained sourdough starter and is likewise composed of bacteria and yeasts. You make this levain well before you mix the dough, so it has time to ferment, and eventually, it’s added to the dough to seed fermentation.
Mix the ingredients in the table above in a clean jar (I use the same sourdough starter jars) and leave it at warm room temperature, 74-76°F (23-24°C), for 5 to 6 hours. When it’s ready, it will be expanded, bubbly on top, inside, and at the sides, and have a slightly sour aroma. The photo below shows my levain before it goes into my dough mix.
2. Autolyse – 12:00 p.m.
| Weight | Ingredient |
|---|---|
| 773g | Bob’s Red Mill Artisan Bread Flour |
| 114g | Bob’s Red Mill Stoneground Whole Wheat Flour |
| 51g | Bob’s Red Mill Dark Rye Flour |
| 603g | Water (this has 50g less than the overall formula, reserved for Mix step below) |
The desired dough temperature (DDT) for this dough is 78°F (25°C). As described in the temperature section above, we will try to get the dough to this temperature right at the end of mixing (which is also at the beginning of bulk fermentation).
Warm or cool the autolyse water so the mixed dough reaches the FDT for this recipe. Place the flour and the water called for in the table above in a large bowl. Use wet hands to mix until no dry bits remain; the dough will be shaggy and loose. Use a bowl scraper to scrape down the sides of the bowl, keeping all the dough in one area at the bottom. Cover the bowl and place it near your levain for 1 hour.
Note that the autolyse stage does not incorporate salt or the levain in any way since the autolyse is a long one hour. Adding the levain to the autolyse would mean fermentation would begin, which could end up overproofing the dough. Salt is rarely added to an autolyse because the salt would diminish enzymatic activity during this time, which is precisely why we are doing an autolyse. The autolyse and levain are two separate entities that will be mixed together later in the process.
3. Mix – 1:00 p.m.
| Weight | Ingredient |
|---|---|
| 50g | Reserved water (this water was held back in the Autolyse step) |
| 18g | Fine sea salt |
| 190g | Ripe, 100% hydration levain (from Levain, above) |
Use your instant-read thermometer to take the dough’s temperature and compare it to the FDT for this recipe. If it is higher, use cold water for the reserved water; if it is lower, use warm water.
At this point, your autolyse is complete and your levain is ready—it’s time to mix and strengthen the dough. If the dough feels very wet and shaggy, do not use all of the reserved 50g of water; use only a splash to help incorporate the salt and levain. If the dough feels good to you, use all the reserved water.
To the autolyse, add the ingredients in the table above (salt, reserved water to help adjust dough hydration and consistency, and levain). I like to spread everything on top of the dough and use wet hands to pinch all the ingredients together. Transfer the dough to a container or thick-walled bowl for bulk fermentation.
Take the temperature of the dough to get your final dough temperature. If your FDT is below 78°F (25°C), next time use warmer water, and conversely, if it’s above 78°F (25°C), use cooler water. Cover the dough.
4. Bulk Fermentation – 1:10 p.m. to 5:10 p.m.
At 74-76°F (23-24°C) ambient temperature, bulk fermentation should go for about 4 hours. Perform 3 sets of stretches and folds during bulk fermentation, spaced out by 30 minutes.
Each set of stretches and folds consists of 4 folds: one each at the North, South, East, and West sides. Wet your hands with a little water to prevent sticking, and then lift one side (North) of the dough with two hands. Stretch the dough high enough so you can fold it completely over to the other side. Rotate the bowl 180° and do the other side (South). Finish the other two sides (East and West) to complete the set. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes, covered, between sets.
In the video below, you can see how I stretch and fold this dough during bulk fermentation.
After the third set of stretch and folds, let the dough rest for the remainder of bulk fermentation. During this time, fermentation aerates the dough (making it rise), continues to strengthen it, and further develops its flavor.
At the end of bulk fermentation, your dough should have risen by 20% to 50%. It should show some bubbles on the top and sides, and the edge of the dough where it meets the bowl should be slightly domed, which indicates strength. In the photo above, you can see all these signs. If you don’t see these signs, leave it for another 15 minutes in bulk fermentation and check again.
5. Divide and preshape – 5:15 p.m.
Lightly flour a work surface. Using a bowl scraper, gently scrape the dough onto the work surface and use your bench knife to divide the dough directly in half. Using your bench knife in your dominant hand, and the other hand wet (or floured, if you prefer) to reduce sticking, turn each half of the dough on the counter while lightly pulling the dough towards you. This gentle turning and pulling motion will develop tension on the dough’s top, forming a circle.
Preshaping bread dough is an often overlooked step, but it sets the stage for successful shaping later. See my guide to preshaping bread dough for more information.
Let the dough rest for 25 minutes, uncovered.
In the video below, you can see how I preshape this beginner’s sourdough bread dough:
6. Shape – 5:35 p.m.
If you’re new to shaping bread dough, check out my guide to shaping a boule (a round) in addition to the steps below.
Lightly flour the top of your dough rounds and the work surface. Working with one round at a time, flip the round so the floured top is now down on the floured work surface.
As seen in the image below, with lightly floured hands, grab the bottom of the round and stretch it lightly downward towards your body, and then up and over about 2/3 of the way to the top.
Then, grab the left and right sides of the dough and stretch them away from each other. Fold one side over toward the other and repeat with the other side.
Then, grab the top of the circle, stretch it away from your body, and then fold it down to the bottom of the dough. You’ll now have a tight package that resembles a letter.
Finally, flip or roll down the dough so the seams are all on the bottom. Using both hands, cup the top part of the round and drag the dough gently towards your body to create surface tension on the dough. The angle of your hands will gently press the dough’s bottom on the counter. This dragging helps create surface tension on the dough, which helps keep it in shape during proofing.
Let the dough rest on the bench for a few minutes to help the bottom seam seal.
In the video below, you can see how I shape bread dough into a boule shape.
Meanwhile, prepare your proofing baskets. Line two proofing baskets, kitchen bowls, or bannetons with clean kitchen towels. Dust lightly and evenly with plain white flour or white rice flour. Gently transfer each piece of shaped dough to a proofing basket, seam-side-up.
You can also top this dough with sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pepitas, and much more—see my guide to topping bread dough for more ideas and instructions.
7. Rest and proof – 5:40 p.m. to 9:30 a.m. (next day)
To prevent your dough from drying out overnight, place your bowls containing your shaped dough into reusable plastic bags and seal. I usually puff up the plastic bag around the bowl by opening it wide and then quickly closing it.
Let the dough rest on the counter for 20 minutes. Then, retard (a baker’s term meaning place into a cold area to proof) in the refrigerator at 38°F (3°C) for 16 hours (overnight).
During this time, overall fermentation will slow (especially yeast activity), but bacterial activity will continue at a reduced rate, resulting in a more complex flavor and, ultimately, deeper crust coloring.
8. Bake – Next morning: preheat oven at 8:30 a.m., bake at 9:30 a.m.
Now, it’s time to bake your sourdough bread. It’s not a difficult step, but there are some things to know. The oven needs steam for the best crust and tallest rise. I like to use a Dutch oven or combo cooker, which is very easy. These pots trap the steam released from the dough and provide the right environment for it to rise optimally.
See my full guide to baking sourdough bread for tips on scoring your dough, pots, and steaming.
Place an oven rack in the bottom third of the oven with no rack above it. Put your combo cooker or Dutch oven on the oven rack, and preheat the oven to 450°F (232°C) for at least 30 minutes. If you’re using a combo cooker, place the shallow side face up on one side and the heavier, deep side face down on the other.
When your oven is preheated, remove one of the proofing baskets from the fridge, uncover it, and place a piece of parchment paper over it. Place a pizza peel, cutting board, or inverted baking sheet on top of the parchment and, using both hands, flip everything over. Gently remove the basket; your dough should rest on the parchment.
Using a razor blade, sharp knife, or baker’s lame, score the dough at a 90° angle between the blade and the dough. I chose to make a “box” pattern. If using scissors, snip the dough a few times at a very shallow angle between the scissors and the dough, forming a set of ridges down the dough’s center.
While wearing your heavy-duty oven mitt, and with caution, pull out your shallow side of the combo cooker and place it on a heat-safe rack or stovetop. Slide the dough into the combo cooker or Dutch oven. Place it back into the oven and cover the shallow side with the deep side, or put the lid on the Dutch oven. This sealed environment helps trap the moisture (escaping steam) from your dough to steam the loaf exterior as it bakes, which encourages maximal rise and a crunchy, shiny crust.
Bake for 20 minutes. Vent the oven of steam: use your oven mitt to very carefully remove the top of the combo cooker or Dutch oven. Leave the large side of the combo cooker in the oven to the side. Close the oven door and bake for 30 minutes more. When done, the loaf should have an internal temperature of around 208°F (97°C), and the crust should be a deep mahogany color and crackle/crunch when squeezed.
Use your oven mitt to transfer the bread to a wire rack carefully. Cool for 1 to 2 hours before slicing into your beginner’s sourdough bread. For the second loaf, preheat the combo cooker or Dutch oven for 15 minutes and repeat.
Follow my guide to storing bread to keep your loaves fresh for as long as possible.
Once you get the hang of this beginner’s sourdough bread process and formula, you can endlessly modify it with add-ins like walnuts, cranberries, seeds, and a host of other ingredients bound only by your imagination. But the most important thing is to bake and have fun. Remember that sometimes bread doesn’t come out as you intended–but stick with it, and you’ll be rewarded time and time again.
And of course, buon appetito!
Watch me make this Beginner’s Sourdough Bread from start to finish
In my YouTube video below, you can see how I make my Beginner’s Sourdough Bread, from creating the levain to slicing the final loaves.
Beginner’s Sourdough Bread Recipe
- Prep Time: 23 hours
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 24 hours
- Yield: 2 loaves
- Category: Main course
- Cuisine: American
Description
The perfect bread to get started baking sourdough bread at home. This crusty, crunchy, and absolutely delicious loaf of bread is perfect for any lunch or dinner table.
Ingredients
Levain
- 38 grams stoneground whole wheat flour
- 38 grams bread flour
- 76 grams water
- 38 grams ripe sourdough starter
Main dough
- 773 grams bread flour
- 114 grams whole wheat flour
- 51 grams whole grain rye flour
- 653 grams water
- 18 grams fine sea salt
Instructions
- Levain (8:00 a.m.)
In a small container, mix the levain ingredients and keep at 74-76°F (23-24°C) for 5 to 6 hours. - Autolyse (12:00 p.m)
In a medium mixing bowl, mix the flour and 603 grams of water (reserve 50 grams until the next step). Cover and let rest for 1 hour. - Mix (1:00 p.m.)
To the mixing bowl holding your dough, add the salt, ripe levain (from step 1), and reserved 50 grams water. Mix by hand or with a dough whisk until incorporated. Transfer your dough to a bulk fermentation container and cover. - Bulk Fermentation (1:10 p.m. to 5:10 p.m.)
Give the dough 3 sets of stretch and folds at 30-minute intervals, where the first set starts 30 minutes after the start of bulk fermentation. - Divide and Preshape (5:10 p.m.)
Lightly flour your work surface and scrape out your dough. Using your bench knife, divide the dough in half. Lightly shape each half into a round shape. Let the dough rest for 25 minutes, uncovered. - Shape (5:35 p.m.)
Shape the dough into a round (boule) or oval (batard)—place in proofing baskets. - Rest and Proof (5:40 p.m. to 9:30 a.m. the next day)
Cover proofing baskets with reusable plastic and seal shut. Let the dough sit out on the counter for 20 minutes. Then, place both baskets into the refrigerator and proof overnight. - Bake (Preheat oven at 8:30 a.m., bake at 9:30 a.m.)
Preheat your oven with a combo cooker or Dutch oven inside to 450°F (230°C). When the oven is preheated, remove your dough from the fridge, score it, and transfer to the preheated combo cooker. Place the cooker in the oven, cover with the lid, and bake for 20 minutes. After this time, remove the lid (you can keep it in the oven or remove it) and continue to bake for 30 minutes longer. When done, the internal temperature should be around 208°F (97°C). Let the loaves cool for 1 to 2 hours on a wire rack before slicing.
Notes
While the recipe calls for 16 hours of total proof time, you could extend this time and bake the loaves in the morning, afternoon, or even the evening on day two. Leave the proofing dough in the fridge until ready to bake.
Beginner’s Sourdough Bread Frequently Asked Questions
Why is sourdough bread good for you?
Sourdough, and its lengthy natural fermentation process, can help break down the gluten in grain, which helps aid in the body’s digestion. Additionally, fermentation helps “unlock” the nutrition inherent in the grain, allowing for better absorption.
Is sourdough bread sour?
Sourdough isn’t super sour in the traditional sense—it’s not sour like taking a bit of a lemon. But it does have tanginess which is the byproduct of lactic acid fermentation. Sourdough bread will have more sourness than one made with 100% commercial yeast due to the acids created by natural fermentation.
How can I make sourdough bread more sour?
To increase the sour flavor of this sourdough bread, add more whole grains (both to your sourdough starter and the dough itself), keep the dough warm (78°F/25°C or warmer), and lengthen the total fermentation time by keeping the dough in the fridge to proof even longer than the 16 hours specified in the recipe—24 hours is a good starting point.
How can I get a more open crumb with my bread?
First, focus on your sourdough starter to get a more open crumb for this sourdough bread: it should be refreshed (fed) often, kept warm, and used when ripe. Next, strengthen the dough sufficiently during mixing and bulk fermentation by using stretches and folds. Finally, your dough must be fully proofed so that when you press a finger into the dough, it slowly springs back about halfway (if it springs back quickly, let it proof longer; if the finger indentation stays, bake immediately).
What’s Next?
After baking this beginner’s sourdough bread, check out my Baking Guides for more in-depth discussions on all parts of the sourdough bread-making process. If you’re looking to add mix-ins to your bread, have a look at my walnut cranberry sourdough bread—it’s one of the most popular recipes here at The Perfect Loaf—and for good reason! Or, have a look at my Simple Weekday Sourdough Bread for a way to squeeze sourdough bread baking into a busy workday.
Finally, now that you have your sourdough starter bubbling away on your counter check out my sourdough starter discard recipes for ideas on how to use leftovers!
3,331 Comments
Hi Maurizio, thank you so much for your post! I grew my sourdough starter by following your recipe and made my first loaf of sourdough bread. There are a lot of room for improvement but I’m happy with the result! One question i have is that my oven got very smokey during the baking, not really steam. I saw that you have a different post with creating steam but not using the double Dutch oven method you described here. What do you think is the most efficient and easy way to create steam during baking? And is it essential to create steam?
You’re very welcome, Blair! Steam really helps your dough rise fully and bake to a nice, shiny crust. It’s not 100% necessary but if you can steam the oven, I would — you’ll get a higher rise, shiny and thin crust, and the interior of your loaves will be more open. The easiest way to steam, in my opinion, is to use a Lodge Cast Iron Combo Cooker. Preheating this and then loading your dough in there, covered, will create the perfect steamy environment.
I hope that helps!
Hello!
I am in the bulk ferm. stage (3 turns done and about an hour to go until I turn them out and shape the loaves). If I wanted to cook one loaf tonight and one tomorrow, how long would I need to do a second counter top rise after I shape the dough? I have one recipe from Real Bread Ireland that has a 3 hour rise, and one from Rye Riot that is 90-120min. What would you recommend for your recipe?
Thanks in advance! Love your blog/site!
Hey, Lindsey! It really depends on the dough. Usually I say between 2-4 hours at typical room temperature (72-78°F). Use the “poke test” to determine when the dough is ready (google this for videos): gently poke the dough with a finger and if it springs back slowly then it’s usually ready to bake. If it springs back super fast it needs more time to proof, and if the indentation stays pressed in deeply get it in the oven ASAP.
I hope the bake turns out great!
HI, Maurizio! Do you have a video for shapping the boule???
Emiliano — I don’t have a video of this up just yet!
Well, thanks anyway! (I’m a big fan of your blog, by the way. It’s great!)
Hi Maurizio, I’m not sure why it took me so long to find this comments section, I hang out at your website all the time, it is a treasure trove of knowledge and inspiration. Your way of explaining the steps and supplementing them with photos is fantastic. The recipes are just too much fun even though I always bake the same bread because it is just so good. Why change mess with perfection, right? It’s the Beginner’s Sourdough Bread and here are a couple of pics from yesterday https://imgur.com/a/8o3JM
Thanks Uli, I appreciate that! Your bread sure looks wonderful; beautiful crust color and crumb! Thanks so much for sharing and happy baking!
If one was to add diastatic malt to these guys, how much would be used?
With diastatic malt less is usually better: shoot for 0.5 to 1% of the total formula. Make sure the flour you’re using doesn’t already have malt added otherwise you might add too much which can result in an overly gummy interior.
I never seem to get the rise/internal structure that you get. Mine is always very dense with maybe 1 major pocket. Any suggestions on what’s going on?
So hard to say, Johnny! Could be lack of fermentation (in the dough or a weak starter), insufficient dough strength, too low of a hydration, over proof, under proof… Typically the biggest reason from the emails/comments I get is insufficient fermentation in the dough. Make sure it looks very alive by the end of bulk!
Hello,
I had a question about the autolyse and the bulk fermentation. What are we covering the dough with during this period? With a cloth or sealed plastic. I used a cloth during the autolyse and when mixing for the BF the dough seemed ropey. It was really hard to get a consistent texture. For the BF I’ve covered it with plastic. Thanks again
Ben — I always cover my dough with a sealed lid (or reusable plastic covers) at all steps of the process where the dough has to sit for a significant amount of time. The only exception to that is when I’ve preshaped them and they are resting on the counter waiting to be shaped.
Happy baking!
Hi there, I’ve made it up to the second fermentation stage with 2 bowls of dough in the fridge. Due to busy ness I got the dough in fridge at 9pm straight after I bagged them. I then took the two out at 6am to warm up for a few hours before baking as there was no rise. They’ve been left out all day and still no sign of rise. Bubbles had started to form in the dough at around 4pm. Is it a matter of waiting longer with bread on counter? Is the dough supposed to rise in the fridge overnight? Is my room temp not warm enough?
Cheers, love your work and detailed descriptions.
It’s normal to see very little rise in the dough after it’s been in the fridge overnight — usually temps are very cold and almost all activity is reduced in there. However, it sounds like maybe your dough was divided before a full and complete bulk fermentation. Make sure your starter is strong and your levain is made from a strong and mature starter (at its peak height). This is a very important first step! From there, you need to really try and nail the “final dough temp (FDT)” I have listed for this formula. This is important as it sets the stage for bulk fermentation. Make sure you let the dough bulk until you see significant rise in it, some bubbles here and there, and the dough looks nice and smooth. It should feel stronger when you tug on it and look somewhat like the photos I have posted above.
Hope this helps!
I’ve tried to follow this recipe, but it all fall apart after bulk fermentation. Dough is sticking like crazy to my counter and scraper. When i lift it to shape, i’m ruining outer skin with huge pieces breaking off 🙁 Salvaged what i could, but was unable to build even modest surface tension during shaping. Please help.
Mikhail — sounds like you need to reduce the hydration of this dough. I’d drop it down 10% and see if that helps next time. Additionally, make sure your bulk fermentation isn’t allowed to go too long at too high of a temperature — an over proofed dough here will fall apart and be incredibly sticky.
Hope that helps!
Thank you. I can handle 65% hydration easily enough, but what i’m currently trying is to learn to work with higher hydration dough. The biggest challenge is sticking during shaping. I’ve seen many youtube videos where people work with 85% like magic, with no sticking at all, and i don’t understand how this is possible.
It takes practice! The more you do it the more you’ll feel comfortable. Also, keep in mind that hydration numbers are very dependent on the flour and environment — so 85% hydration for one person in location X could be extremely different for someone in location Y.
There is a local high-end food store in my area which totes making quality sourdoughs. To each their own, but to me the bread is just okay, no crunch in the crust, more dry than chewy, but they do look very pretty. Today when I stopped by for some coffee I asked what kind of oven they use for their bread to which they told me a large imported oven from Italy that costs up to $75,000! Now I have made this beginners sourdough recipe four times with moderate to good success (in my opinion). I use my my little Dutch oven in an oven made in the 80’s and I think my bread is superior. It just goes to show that you could have all the fancy tools in the world but that is not what makes good bread.
Mostly I want to encourage other beginners AND thank you, Maurizio, for sharing your methods and for helping put some lovely bread on my table.
Thanks so much for sharing that, Rhinnie! Having the right tools definitely helps one with the process of baking, but there are so many more important things than having a nice oven. What’s exciting to me is that we’re able to make healthy and delicious bread like this right from home… Can’t beat that!
Thanks again and happy baking — I’m so happy I can help!
Hi Maurizio! I made the “original from scratch sourdough starter”
(40g starter + 40g flour + 40g water). Once it’s mature it’s ready to
make levain. For this beginners sourdough bread, can the leaven be made
the night before starting dough or is that too long fermenting? Should
this beginner recipe be strictly followed and levain made the “morning
of”? Thank you!!!
Hey! You can certainly make the levain the night before, but I would recommend using less mature starter to create it. Instead of doing 50% mature starter (40g) I would drop it down to 20% (16g) with all the rest the same.
Happy baking!
Hi, love your site, with all the printable and pdf recipes. And I have linked to buy a bunch of your tools.
I have made the beginner recipe a couple of times and not happy yet. Did all the steps and times with brod and taylor, and everything seems great. it has great crust just like pictures, nice rise, and the crumb looks the same as pictures as far as amount, size and variation of crumb holes. but it always is shiny and gummy/wet, not a dry crumb. had all the temps good the 78 dough start, and rise temps in the brod, and baked to 210 to 212 range, but always get the gummy interior.
I have the same issue. Gummy wet. Not happy 🙁
See my answer to James, above, perhaps you’re not letting the loaf cool sufficiently before cutting?
Hei. I just realized that my dough doesn’t get the bubbles you show in your picture. What it could be???
Could be insufficient fermentation. Make sure your starter and levain are strong, dough temperature is where it should be, and you do a full and complete bulk fermentation. This is important!
I didn’t skip any step. By my little experience my starter and Levain were strong. I will stop and after my course I will try again. Thanks
James — that’s very interesting. I usually first like to recommend ensuring you bake it out fully to 210°F+ but it sounds like you did so. A question: did you cut into the loaf too soon? It really helps if you let the baked bread fully cool for at least one hour before cutting into it (I usually bake in the morning then cut in the afternoon for lunch). If you cut too early you might not give the loaf the chance it needs to fully “set” — give that a try next go!
Maurizio– no, I have even waited until the next morning to cut. Since I am just starting out I have not special ordered your preferred flour yet. I have been using King Arthur bread and whole wheat and the bobs rye. I am planning on 50/50 bread and all purpose for the bread part on my next try. I have some doubts about my 40+ year old electric oven I have been thinking about a new gas one for a while now. What do you know or think about the ones that have the clean but also a steam clean function? Do you know if anyone is using that for the steam instead of the rocks? I am currently using the lodge double cast iron deal to bake the bread with.
King Arthur flour is a good choice, and cutting down the Bread Flour to a mix of BF and AP is a good idea. I think with some bread flours they can lead to a more gummy result due to the nature of the flour (in my experience). If your oven isn’t getting hot enough, or as hot as you’re expecting, that could definitely lead to an under baked interior. I’m not familiar with home ovens that have a steam function — that sure would be nice if you could control the amount and duration of the steam injected!
I too find my bread to be a bit gummy. I’m in Australia so have no access to King Arthur flour but I use locally sourced single origin white (12% protein) and spelt (13%) but considering to switch to lower protein white next time. I use my steam oven for the first stage and then transfer it to a conventional oven for the next. I can’t control the amount of steam injected but, after trying out the Dutch oven method first, in my opinion using the steam oven is so much easier and produces almost the same result so far.
Yes, a steam oven sure is a nice thing to have! Another cause of gumminess in the interior is under proofed dough. If you don’t have sufficient fermentation in the dough the end result will be gummy and have dense areas. Just an idea!
My first loaf turned out great!!! My second one not so much. I don’t think I waited long enough for the oven to return to 500 degrees before putting the second loaf in. The second loaf did not have the volume that the first loaf had and the score marks didn’t really create any texture. It’s just a round lump. Maybe I’m not scoring right? I just used the sharpest knife I could find and it just seems to drag on the dough.
I had the same problem and my second try after letting the oven preheat again worked much better! Also I tried using a scissors to score and that help too.
Yes, as @rhinniek:disqus said you should definitely try and let your oven heat back up to maximum saturation. If you cut the preheat time short you won’t get quite the oven spring! It’s likely your scoring was just fine, but the oven might not have been hot enough. Give that a shot next go!
Thank you so much @Rhinnie and @Maurizio Leo. I’m excited to try it again!!
Hi Maurizio! I have a question about adjusting baking temperature and baking time for larger doughs. For example, in this recipe, the original dough is to be divided into two smaller loaves. If I want to bake the dough as one big loaf, how do you think I should adjust the temperature and/or baking time? Thanks!!
Hey, Xiao! Typically larger masses will take longer to bake. I’d stick with the same temperatures and times, but expect that the second part of the bake will take longer — I can’t say exactly how much, you’ll have to watch it near the end and expect to lengthen.
Hope that helps!
Hi Maurizio, I’ve tried your recipe a couple of times with a 100% hydration starter and using a mix of white/wholewheat/country grain flours and the dough has been really wet and almost unmanageable. I’ve been able to work it (just about) but with lots more flour needed. Any idea where I might be going wrong? Thanks
It doesn’t sound like you’re doing anything wrong, it’s just that your flour isn’t able to take on as much was as the flour I use — and that’s OK! Reduce the hydration of this recipe by 10% next try and see if that helps. Each flour has a limit to what it can absorb — also keep in mind I live in a very dry climate which also means I can usually add more water to my mix!
Thanks so much for your guides! I inherited a starter and I’ve been able to keep it healthy and happy, but this was my first loaf from it and it turned out quite well, with a nice texture and a lovely toothsome blistered crust. However, it tasted a tiny bit overproofed and the bubbles were a bit smaller than they should have been, but pretty well distributed. I definitely didn’t score it deeply enough. Should I try reducing the bulk fermentation time or the fridge rest time? I used your exact recipe and flours to start with, but it’s winter, and my kitchen can’t really be kept warmer than 70, so H20 at 100 degrees still produced an FDT of 75 degrees, and then I did bulk fermentation in my oven at ambient temp of 80 with the light on. The fridge rest was 17 hrs due to my schedule.
You’re very welcome, Jenny! Your adjustments sound really good — even if you couldn’t get higher than 75F for your FDT that should be just fine. I would try reducing that final proof time down to 12-14 hours and see if that helps. If it does, you know your loaf went a little too long in proof.
Hope that helps your next attempt. Enjoy!
Hi there! I faced a problem with the sourdough starter. Every morning there was a seperated part of water upon the mix. Also, in another soudough made only by whole purpose flour(1st day 100gr Apf + 100ml water, 2nd day 75gr mix + 100gr Apf + 100ml water etc..) there wasn’t more hydration and the sourdough starter was active as well..
After all those, I believe that there are 2 facts.
1) Either the hydration of 125ml at the feeding is too much for 50gr Apf + 50gr Wwf
2) Either my Whole wheat flour is different of yours.
what do you think about this?
Usually a clear liquid on top means your starter could use a feeding soon. Try either carrying over less mature starter at each feeding (to slow the process down, giving you more time before you need to feed it next), or give it a feed a little sooner. This should help!
Hi, my crust almost always turns out to be too thick. I like my bread with a nice caramel crust, but can’t for the life of me figure out what affects how thick or thin it is.
I bake my bread on a baking steel (I put parchment paper sprinkled with some cornmeal) and cover it with a large stainless steel pot (don’t have a cloche or a large enough dutch oven) and a convection oven (but can turn off the if that would make a difference).
Do I need to reduce temps when using the fan? Do I bake longer covered? Increase the temp when covered?
In my experience usually a thick crust is due to baking the loaf for too long, causing more and more of the crust to bake through. It can be a challenge, though, to increase the heat just enough to bake it faster without burning the bottom (especially on a Baking Steel). I suggest you try to slowly increase the temperature of your bakes until you find the sweet spot. You could increase both the beginning, covered part and the second part when steam is vented. Keep an eye on the dough for that second half, it can quickly go over!
You might also want to try spraying a bit of water under that bowl and then drop it fast to trap a little more steam in there. I find this helps keep the outside skin a little more moist to prevent it from baking out too fast.
Hey Maurizio,
Where do you find parchment paper that can withstand such a high temp? I made the pizza dough the other week and the parchment was smoking and totally scorched, I havent tried it yet with my bread though.
thanks!
Jessie, I use Reynold’s Parchment Paper and it works very well!
Hi Maurizio,
Thanks for the detailed and precise guidance! Your passion for baking is really evident through this blog.
I’ve tried the beginner’s sourdough bread and after a couple of bakes the results are really amazing!
Best regards,
Guy.
I appreciate that Guy, thanks! Glad your bakes have been going well. Here’s to more in the future!
Hey! So I followed this recipe, and my bread came out with a tough crust and a little spongey interior. Is this because the oven was too hot, or not enough moisture? i used an oven-safe glass pot with a lid, since I didnt have a combo cooker or dutch oven. Thanks for the help!
There’s a few things that could cause a gummy interior (in order of things to try and fix):
1) Make sure to fully bake out the loaves. The interior should read around 210°F or higher.
2) It’s possible they were over hydrated. You could try reducing water 5% next time and see if that helps, if it does but the interior is still gooey, reduce even further.
3) Dough was under proofed. Try pushing the bulk fermentation a little farther, you want the dough to be well risen and bubbly!
4) Your oven wasn’t preheated for the full time and wasn’t as hot as you might have expected.
I hope one of those helps, keep me posted!
Hi There. Thank you so much for making this site! I’m in the bulk fermentation stage, and I think I accidentally put 100g of water in during the final mix, instead of 50. It was super watery. I mixed it fairly well, and dumped out the excess. Hoping I didn’t wash away the leaven, too. Is it ok to sprinkle a little flour in between folds during bulk fermentation, to tighten it up a bit, or should I just cross my fingers? It looks only slightly thinner than your pictures, and is just a bit stickier that I think it should be, when pulling out of the bowl to do the folds.
Last question. I’m thinking of making bread bowls for soup out of these. If, instead of making 2 loaves, I make 4, would I halve the cooking time, or just do something like 2/3 time, and check for that 210-212 degree temp target. Thanks again!
I’d say stick with what you have, it doesn’t sound like it’s totally over hydrated. You could add in another set or two of stretch and folds, perhaps at 15 minute intervals instead of 30. This should help add strength despite the extra water. I wouldn’t add any more flour during bulk. If the dough feels slack when you dump it out, preshape it extra tight.
You’ll likely have to bake them for less time: the smaller mass of each means they’ll bake faster. Keep an eye on them in the last 1/3 of the bake and pull them when they look colored to your liking (and yes, over 210F!).
Hope that helps!
Awesome! I saw your posts on Instagram — your bread looked wonderful. Your changes sound like good ones, and it’s important to be able to do that to suit what’s available to you and your environment. Thanks for the feedback and I hope the 50/50 turned out just as great!
If I substitute some of the flour with semolina should I increase the amount of water?
It really depends on your semolina flour and how “thirsty” it is. I’d go in with the idea that extra water might be necessary, but the call will have to be made as your mixing and feeling the dough. It’s better to err on the side of less water, though!
I went for it this weekend after failing last weekend and produced the most beautiful two loaves any one has ever made. Delicious! Thanks so much! Now time to try some of your other recipes.
Super glad to hear that, Jacob — happy baking!
Made this again, turned out beautifully. Just one thing, I made it in a Dutch oven and the bottom crust on both loaves was a little dark, on the burnt side. Any suggestions?
Great! A few things you could do: use a sheet of parchment below the dough in the Dutch oven, sprinkle down some coarse cornmeal between the dough and pot, preheat the DO for less time, and don’t use baking stones below the pot (just place it on an oven rack).
It didn’t go so well. the bread got just holes on the top and it was dense 🙁 I think it was the All-purpose flour I did use. I don’t even know how it should feel the dough. I will go to a course in April hopefully I will learn more and finding out what I am doing wrong :(. I am so sad.
Ahh sorry to hear that, Livo! It takes some practice. Use my photos as a guide and give it another try!
Hi Maurizio I prepared my dough yesterday, shaped last night and put into the fridge after 20 mins on the counter. When I took it from the fridge this morning (just over 16 hours) it has hardly risen at all and feels dense. Have you got any advice on how to avoid this, or what to do next time it happens? Thanks
Sorry I meant to put this as a new post!
Hey, Stephen! Make sure you let your dough rise sufficiently through bulk fermentation, it should have risen at least 30% and feel bubbly and jiggly. If you don’t get enough fermentation activity in the dough through bulk the rest of the process will be very sluggish. Note that it’s ok if your dough doesn’t rise a whole lot in the fridge overnight — it’s cold in there! It shouldn’t feel overly dense, though.
I’d say leave the dough out longer before placing in the fridge, and keep it in a warm spot if possible. That time period before you place it in the fridge is kind of a last chance that day to get plenty of activity in there before chilling. You still have one thing you can do in the morning, though: if the dough feels dense and doesn’t have any activity leave it out 30 minutes or so before you pop it into the oven. That time before you bake is kind of your real last chance to get sufficient aeration in the dough before baking.
Hope this helps!
I made this today – it worked out great. Thanks!
So glad to hear that, Wouter!
Question, if I were to start the levain at night so I could move straight to autolyse and bulk fermentation, should I use either less starter (100% hydration) or colder water? I like a more subtle sour flavor and worry that not changing the method would result in very sour bread, especially because my retard would be longer. I have plans in the afternoon, so need to make sure I get done before!
I decided to use cold water in my levain, and let it ferment over night. It seemed to work, my levain was active and bubbling this morning but didn’t smell very sour.
Yes, cold water would work very well for this. The other option would be to reduce the mature starter you use when you mix the levain. Both will slow things down! Glad it turned out great.
Hi,fantastic blog,thank you.
Do you have a schedule for baking during the week?
Or,at least,refresh starter/make levain Friday at 7am than continue after work at 4pm and bake Saturday morning.
Sorry if you already anseared this question somewhere.
Thanks! Yes, I do have a weekly baking schedule — it’ll walk you through maintaining your starter with little attention during the week and then baking on the weekend. Happy baking!
Hey, do you know what is likely making my loaves gummy? Sometimes they turn out awesome, with a great oven rise and more open crumb. And other times…unremarkable oven spring and just gummy inside. I’ve tried isolating variables to figure out what I am doing to sometimes get this gummy interior, but it seems almost random. Thanks in advance for any advice!
It sounds like it could be either under or over proofing in your case (assuming everything is kept consistent bake-to-bake). Try to pay close attention to your starter and ensure you’re using it at around the same time of maturity each time you bake. From there, be observant of the dough temperature (and use a thermometer if you can!) as this will have quite an effect on the dough as it progresses through bulk and proof. The real key is to try and keep things the same each time you bake, this way you can determine what one thing you can change and see how that impacts the outcome. Lots of variables but it helps to narrow down on a single one and change just that. Hope this helps!
Ok, thank you. I’m watching my weekend dough temps like a hawk.
Just an idea (for anyone reading who might find this helpful), if you have an over-range microwave, it can make a great proofing box. I turn the over-range light on low and the temp inside stays a nice 79 deg. Just be aware that if you turn your oven on, temp in the above microwave can go up really fast.
Hi Maurizio, day 5 of following your starter creation routine and my starter looks very healthy – not rising wildly high but I am guiding myself by how it smells – sweet in the morning, almost like rye whiskey in the night (no hooch, I promise). I want to bake this beginner’s loaf in a few days and I have a couple of questions, if you don’t mind. (I have lots of baking experience but this is my first sourdough). I live in a tiny apartment and I only have a toaster oven – it’s a good model, works well and can maintain temperature. I however have to halve and quarter recipes due to size constraints. I also cannot fit a dutch oven in there. Can I use a cast iron skillet and a dutch oven lid? I am sure my loaf will be flatter but is this an issue? Or should I resort to batards? Is there any issue in halving or quartering this recipe – do I halve the levain too? Or alternatively, can I shape smaller loaves and retard in the fridge and bake a new one every couple of days?
I am so grateful for your thoughtful blog and cannot wait to dig into the recipes. Also your sourdough discard pancakes are magnificent! I made them as-is and also with cocoa+3 kinds of chocolate chips. Insanely delicious.
Hey there, sounds like you’re starter is doing quite well — that’s great! You can definitely use whatever oven you have and have experience with. A cast iron skilled with lid should work, the key is to trap steam released by baking the dough — hopefully the lid seals shut. There’s no issue halving the recipe but quartering it might be pushing it. The reason is you really want enough dough mass to stabilize fermentation and half is kind of the limit, in my experience. If it were me I’d actually do the full recipe and just bake one off at a time, keeping the other in the fridge until it’s turn in the oven. You can always freeze the loaf if you don’t get to eating it in time. You could also try to keep the second one in the fridge until the next day and see how it bakes up. It might be a little more squat and a touch more sour, but still delicious I’m sure. Yes, you’d halve the levain build as well.
Glad you liked the pancakes! Your mods sound awesome. Happy baking!
Hei Maurizio, I know I have read it somewhere in your blog but I don’t remember where. When is the best time to take part of the starter and built the levain? when is it in its peak? or when is already falling? or it can be done when the next feeding is getting close? thanks
Hey! I like to catch it right when it’s at its peak, but it’s even fine if it has fallen (I just don’t like to use it if it’s fallen and has been sitting there for too long — it’ll be quite acidic.). There’s a little leeway when it can be used at it’s peak so don’t fret if you catch it a little before or a little after. Have fun!
Thank you for sharing!
What would be the best way to achieve the large bubbles? I currently use a rye starter but have been getting tiny air pockets.
There are so many factors that go into achieving an open crumb! Strong fermentation, flour that has a relatively high protein percentage and is suitable, sufficient bulk fermentation, gentle shaping, and proper final proof. They all play a role!
Glad to hear your bake went well! A more squat loaf could be due to several factors: over fermented, over hydrated, not strong enough.
if your dough is on the well-fermented side, or even over proofed, you won’t get the same rise. Try backing off the proof time an hour or two and see if that helps.
If your dough is over hydrated (also related to dough strength and shaping) it might need more strength to keep its structure. Usually dough like this will spread wildly when you turn it out of your proofing basket. Reduce the hydration a few percentage points net go and/or add in another set or two of stretch and folds to help with this.
Hope that helps!
Can you use all purpose flour instead of bread flour? Thx!
In my experience most all purpose flour has plenty of strength to make great bread — in fact I actually prefer all purpose to “bread” flour as I find the result a much nicer texture. So yes, go for it!