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
Hello Maurizio, I just did my first loaf. Your instructions were really helpful, thanks for putting this site together (and thanks in particular for all the photos). My first loaves were OK, not amazing. They didn’t rise quite as much as they should have. I think my levain wasn’t at peak when I mixed it. I’m wondering though if I should have kneaded the dough more? Outside of the mixing stage, where I kneaded it for about 5min, I barely touched it. I only did the 3 foldings during the bulk fermentation stage. Should I spend more time kneading during the mixing stage? What do you recommend?
You’re welcome, Olivier. I’d say first focus on timing that levain, if you use it a bit early it sort of slows the entire timeline down. Let it ripen a bit more and see how the results turn out. Regarding kneading: you can certainly work the dough a bit more to get more strength if you find it’s necessary. You could give it the 5 mins in the beginning, then the sets of stretch and folds, but don’t stop at 3 — if you find the dough still slack and not holding its shape int he bowl give it another strong set (for a total of 4).
Hi Maurizio,
I made this recipe over the weekend – although the bread/crust looks beautiful, great ear, the interior is a bit gummy and dense. I thought I had overproofed, because when I took it out of the bannetton the dough deflated a bit, but now I’m not sure. Any tips on what went wrong? Thanks!
If the hydration is too high for your dough it can lead to an overly wet or gummy interior. If the dough feels “soupy” or very “slack” then try pulling back the water percentage by 5% and see if that helps.
Make sure to bake your loaves completely. The interior should register around 208°F or higher.
If your loaf is under proofed then this will typically lead to a gummy or “wet” textured interior. Make sure your starter and levain are very vigorous and strong when you use them. This is very important! From there, make sure to bulk ferment your dough fully (use the images you see in my posts to guide you on what the dough should look/feel like). You want the dough to be alive and aerated before you divide and shape. From there, a full and complete proof is also very important!
Hi Maurizio
Thanks alot for all your work, it has been a great inspiration for me, in getting on with sourdough. I have tryet out this several times. Some times with more luck than others.
Two things i would ask your advice on is this:
1. When i come to the shaping proces, the dough tend to be so sticky that i hardly are able to work with it at all. Even come to a point where getting it out of the baskets were pretty much impossible (well dusted with flour and everything). I am quite sure that have followed your instructions to the letter.
2. It the proofing seems to be an issue. My sourdough is usually double in size, when i use it. And it seems strong enough ( i think ). But when i take the baskets out of the fridge in the morning, it looks l little more like a bowl of wet dough, than anything els.
Again, thanks for all your great work and in advance, thanks if you are able to clue me in on my mistakes.
Kind retards Albert
You’re welcome, Albert. Happy to hear my site has helped and has been inspiring! Answers:
1) Sounds like your dough is likely over hydrated. Try reducing the water in the recipe by 10% and also add in another set of stretch and folds if necessary (or do some folds in the bowl before bulk fermentation to get the dough started with more strength).
2) Reducing the hydration will help with this issue, but also be sure to shape the dough tightly enough. See my guide to shaping a boule for instruction (with a video) on shaping more effectively.
I hope this helps. Let me know how the next attempt goes with reduced hydration, I’m pretty sure it’ll help quite a bit.
Happy baking!
Hello Maurizio
Thank you very much for your swift reply!
Your tips have made a huge difference and the bread i have been making, has gone alot smoother than it did before.
The only thing that seems to keep tormenting me, is that proofing. I initially cirtan that my bread had failed, when i removed it from the basket the other day, becouse of the lack of size and “roundness”. I even gave it 1.5 hour on a warm spot in the house, just to try to help it along. It turned out that it rose remakebly when baked tho, and the product was rather good. Iam still not fully satisfied, since i dont know whats going wrong in the proces.
Thanks again for your efforts and sharing.
Based on the description of your loaves it could be that they are slightly underproofed. There are a few indicators your dough could be under: explosive rise in the oven, dense interior with potentially scattered large holes, and gummy texture to the interior. Finally, it’s possible the bottom of the loaf might be slightly bowed upward (like the letter “U” — the top will kind of dome).
Make sure to build your levain from a starter that’s strong and mature (meaning it’s risen to it’s peak height before you take some to use). From there, bulk fermentation is very important! Make sure your bulk fermentation goes sufficiently far, you want the dough to look smooth, it should have risen considerably, and have bubbles here and there. If you tug on the dough a bit it should offer resistance to your tugging, it’ll feel stronger.
Hi! Recently I began my sourdough journey, and like you my first bread book is the tartine bread book, I’ve been reading it over and over and I think it’s fascinating! Yesterday I made my first bread from this book and it was good but needs some tweaking. I stumbled on to your page and this guide tackles so many questions that I decided to give your recipe a try! I’m only making half of the recipe but correct me if I’m wrong but I understand I should halve all the ingredients except de leaven? Why is that?
Hey, Laura! Yes, halve everything but I do recommend still making the full levain just because it’s such a small amount. This isn’t necessary, you can halve that as well if you’d like, it’s up to you.
Even though the levain build might be made larger, you still only need the amount of levain called for in the recipe (which would have been halved). Hope that’s not confusing!
Your starter baker percentage is 3.75%. That seems a lot lower than other recipes I’ve seen. Is it low in your opinion and what is your reasoning for that? Also the area I’m cooking in is at 60 degrees F. What variables would you change to compensate for this lower temp and why? Just more time or would a higher baker’s percentage starter maybe be better? Is there a downside to these temps or can I make a loaf that is just as good realizing it will take a lot longer. Also, what negative things starts to happen when your dough takes too long to develop and how much time would that be, in general? Thanks!
Hey, Paul. That 3.75% is just the amount of sourdough starter you need for this recipe. That amount is added to more flour and water to make a much larger levain that eventually is mixed into the dough as the preferment.
You can make a good loaf at 60F but it will likely take much longer. If it were me, I’d warm the mixing water to try and reach a final dough temp around what this recipe calls for. In fact, I do this every day during the winter when I bake 🙂
curious if anyone has made this into dinner rolls. I made the dough thinking I could, but they’re just too unshaped. I really want to make sourdough dinner rolls so I can pull out a few from the freezer as needed for dinner. Much different experience than serving slices of bread 🙁
I have not but have you found my brioche hamburger buns recipe? They make fantastic dinner rolls and freeze very well!
Wonderful thank you. I did not know about this recipe but will try it next!
Today is the big baking day. Looking forward to it. 🙂
Have fun!
I have made this recipe twice now after having followed your guide for the starter. Everything came out amazing well!!! But, I would like to take that same beginner sourdough recipe and make one large loaf. Would the cooking times be the same or longer? Michael
That’s great to hear, Michael! You can certainly do this, expect the bake to take longer in the second half (still steam for 20m, then remove the pans/lid). It’s hard to say how long, but keep baking until the internal temperature is at least 204°F or higher or the loaf looks well colored and a knock to the bottom sounds slightly hollow (this can be hard to discern sometimes with a large loaf, though).
I have been reading your advices and improving my baking every week. Your site is VERY thourought and I find everything I need without having to look anywhere else. I know I need to buy a stone as my bottom is sometimes a little burned but for now, I turn the oven down a notch. Slowly, I am learning from you. Thank you for such generosity!
Thanks for the comments, Manon! Glad my site has helped. Turning the oven down will certainly help, for more tips check out my guide to baking with a Dutch oven which has some more ideas. Happy baking!
Thank you.
You’re very welcome, Eli!
Hello,
How is the pre-fermented flour percentage calculated?
I’ve googled and tried dividing a lot of numbers but I only get answers around 9%.
I’m working on a post on this! But in the meantime, I’m going to fix this recipe because I built in a little extra levain to cover any issues (sometimes some gets lost in the jar, bowl, etc) and it seems to have confused many following your path of checking the numbers. Sorry about the confusion!
I was very excited to make my first bread. Everything started well, but after the autolyse, my dough did rise, but stayed very sticky. It never became the soft elastic clean to handle dough I am used to. I had it overnight in the fridge, exciting to finally bake the bread, and there it was draped on the bottom of my bowl, it had been rising as it should, but it more looked like a huge amount of starter. What did I do wrong here? Too much water? I altered the recipe, because I do not have the artisan flour. So I did 2/3 whole wheat and 1/3 rye. I also made half the amount as I have no need for two breads right now.
I am against odds, trying to bake it (I dont know why…. maybe just wishfull thinking to hope it turns out to something) and will start on a new try right away. I feel little bummed….
The autolyse for now looks much better than yesterday, I assume my scales are to blame, I have an annoying one that also measures ounces and something else and it is always a surprise what it starts up to. Likely too much water as it weighted in ounces. Glad I already prepared a levain this morning as I had to throw out starter left over anyway. The bread Im trying to bake off smells heavenly though! I first let it rise a bit and then bake it off on higher heat. If its deemed to fail I can as well experiment on it hoping it will work out 🙂
It almost sounds like your dough over proofed as well. If you used only whole wheat and rye flour your dough likely over proofed given my timetable in the recipe!
Hi! I’ve been creating the sourdough starter over the past 7 days and today I’ve finally had a chance to look at your basic sourdough bread recipe. For me, this is overwhelmingly complex. Now I’m questioning whether or not I even have time to do any of it. Keeping the starter going has been alot for me since I have kids and go to school. Do you perhaps have a basic basic basic sourdough bread recipe?
Lesley — check out my latest simple weekday sourdough bread recipe, that might be just what you need (and if not, let me know how I can make one for you!).
Hi Maurizio, Love the site – it has been hugely inspirational for me as I learn how to make sourdough. I’m working through this Beginner’s SD Bread recipe for the first time today. This morning I built the levain from mature starter (had tripled in size overnight at 76F in my homemade proofer, had big holes (some almost pea-sized) on all the sides and the top. I’m about to mix the levain into the autolyse, but my levain has not risen as much as yours did in your recipe – but it otherwise looks good – many small to pea-sized holes etc. It’s approximately doubled but hasn’t grown as much as yours (which looks like it may have tripled in 5 hours) and it’s stopped growing, starting to slowly drop. Is this a bad sign? Should I expect to get tripling for good results? Is there variability in the growth of your levains when you bake, or do you essentially get the same growth each time for the same recipe? Thanks!
I think I somewhat answered my own question. Despite my levain only doubling (but with other good signs it was ripe, e.g. smelled right and tons of small to medium holes throughout), it leavened a beautiful loaf with tons of oven spring. Thanks for all the work you do on this site, Maurizio!
Sorry for the delay, Garrett! What you did was absolutely correct, it does not have to triple for it to be ready. Judge by the sings you did: bubbles here and there, smells slightly sour, perhaps it’s falling in the jar — signs of strong fermentation.
Happy to help and thanks for reporting back!
As a yeast cell biologist, I’ve studied yeast for my entire career, but I am only now starting to learn about using it “recreationally” for baking. Thank you for the very detailed explanations and guide. I must say I was surprised to see you pronounce Autolyse as “auto-lease”. Is that standard in the baking world? Among scientists, we pronounce it like “auto-lice”. Autolysis would be pronounced similar to “paralysis”.
Yes, this pronunciation is standard in baking, I think going back to Prof. Calvel, who I believe was the first to apply it to baking. What you’re saying makes sense to me, though, and if I just saw the word that’s how I’d naturally say it!
That’s closer to the French pronunciation although there’s a Z sound like “auto-leez”.
Hi Maurizio! Thanks so much for this post, it has been a really fun experiment for me. I have a couple of questions that maybe you can shine some light on. I’ve made sure to use both my starter and levain when they’re mature, but I’m still not getting a big enough rise during bulk fermentation. If anything my FDT is a little too high– could this impede a proper rise? Any small rise I do get is then lost during proofing, and my dough is super flat and dense after coming out of the refrigerator. I feel like I may be stretching/folding incorrectly. Should I be more gentle, or hold down the bottom of the dough and really give it a good stretch? Maybe I should try a longer autolyse? As you suggested below I reduced the water in the recipe by 5% as my first attempts were much too soggy, and the dough seems to be a better texture now. Thanks for your help!
Hey, Kate! Sorry for the delay. I wouldn’t say a longer autolyse will help in this situation. That’s interesting, if you’re using those at the right time you should get strong signs of fermentation during bulk fermentation (assuming your dough strength is sufficient for it to rise and not remain soupy, or overly wet). Make sure you’re giving the dough sufficient strength through bulk with stretch and folds, sufficient strength is necessary to ensure all the gasses produced during fermentation are trapped within the dough.
It’s ok if your FDT is a little high, even up to 82°F should be fine, just know that this usually means your dough will need to be divided and shaped earlier. Keep an eye on your dough and make sure it’s not actually over proofing on you, which will result in a soggy, weak dough (at a FDT of 80-82F this might mean a total bulk of around 3 hrs or so).
One final note: try to find a bulk fermentation container that’s just the right size. If it’s too large the dough will spread out into a thin layer and not ferment as optimally as a smaller container. The goal with this is always to find just the right container so the dough rises nearly to the top at the end of bulk (it can be hard!).
Let me know how the next attempt goes!
Ah I had no suitable jar on hand, and put it in (one of) the bowls I will use for making the dough, high but not very wide oof. If it didnt rise enough tomorrow, I will know why and start over. With something smaller.
First bread and worked great! Many thanks! Followed your advice on baking stone, corn meal and parchment. No burn on bottom. Modified cooker. 10″ Lodge skillet with inverted stainless pan.
Fantastic, John! Thanks for reporting back on that and happy baking 🙂
I’m just starting out, working on my first loaf today. My question: on this page, you say you can use the extra LEVAIN for other recipes; but on the linked page for the other recipes (waffles, pancakes, banana bread), you talk about using extra STARTER. I’ve read enough to know there’s a difference between starter and levain–are they interchangeable in these recipes?
A “starter” and “levain” are really the same thing. A starter (mother, chef, madre, etc.) is a stable mixture you keep indefinitely and refresh with new flour and water. A “levain” is similar but it’s fate is the same as a single mix of dough for a particular bake, in other words, it dies with the dough in the oven.
So, you can use leftover levain from this recipe to make any of those recipes or you can use some of your leftover daily starter when it’s mature/ripe — they’re the same thing.
Hope that helps and have fun!
Thank you! I’m a total idiot about baking, but a friend of mine referred me to your website,and another friend gave me some starter, so here we go . . .
Right on, let me know how it goes. Happy baking Colleen!
It came out really well! As I mentioned, a friend of mine told me about your site, and I so appreciate your detailed instructions (I’ve been cooking for eons, but I didn’t have much time to bake until I retired earlier this year, and I have ZERO experience with bread). Thank you so much, and I look forward to following your blog and trying your other recipes.
Glad to hear it turned out well! I’m happy to help and do let me know if you have any questions. If you have more time on your hands, you’ll quickly find baking to take up as much as you’ll give it (and more!) 🙂
Have fun!
I am in the middle of resting/folding my dough and have discovered some red tinge around my bowl. Can I still safely use my dough or should I begin again and be more careful with my equipment?
Kathy
That’s very strange, Kathy. Usually anything red or pink is bad news and could indicate bacteria/mold. I’ve never, ever seen this with a single batch of dough, though. My gut feeling would be to be safe and not use it!
Thank you so much for this website and your attention to everyone’s comments! I’ve been making sourdough for years, using the same starter I’ve kept fed (sometimes more rigorously than others), and I sometimes have a problem with oven spring…. As in, there is none! At these disappointing bakes, the loaf is disk-like and dense. Typically I don’t get a 50% rise in the recipes time frame for bulk fermentation, and this last time I let the dough bulk ferment until it did rise by 50% — about an extra 2.5 hours. The dough was spreading and hard to manage, and still, in the bake had no spring. Does this sound like overproofing? In a typical circumstance where the dough hasn’t risen by 50% in the allotted time, what’s the best course of action? And how to ensure that great oven spring? Thank you again!
You’re welcome, MF! It’s hard to say the cause there. It could be over proofing (especially if you’re pushing bulk 2.5 hours longer than I do at the same temperature) but it could also be a batch of bad flour (super high enzymatic activity could result in a total breakdown if the dough was fermented too far), over hydrated dough, or under-strengthened dough.
It’s ok if it doesn’t rise exactly 50%, just that you’ve had some rise and the dough starts to smooth out and feel stronger. Those are good signs it’s ready to proceed to the next step.
INCREDIBLE!! I love how comprehensive this article is—i have never baked bread before, this was my first go. My loaves turned our absolutely incredible, my family loves them!!
Thanks, Jaclyn! Glad to hear things are going well in your kitchen. Happy baking!
Hey Maurizio,
Great website, I have been using your guides and blog posts for my first foray into sourdough!
Managed to get some nice loaves from this but my bread was a lot closer in texture. I found my dough wasn’t holding up so left it to bulk ferment for an extra 2 hours (its been pretty cold here which doesn’t help) but then still had difficulty pre shaping as it just seemed to spread as soon as I tipped it out the mixing bowl.
I persevered and let it retard in the fridge overnight but when I tipped them out onto the peel it just lots its shape! I managed to bake it in a LC pot which held it together a bit and actually got a nice rise from your technique too.
The crust is great, but the texture is a lot more closed than your photos.
Maybe I ended up over proofing it? Or did it need more folding to give it more structure? Im going to try again in the next week!
Glad to hear it, Mark! Lengthening bulk was a good move, if it’s cooler in your kitchen it’ll likely need more time to ferment. I’d say try reducing the hydration a bit (maybe just 2-5%) and/or give it a few more stretch and folds during bulk to give it more strength (alternatively you could knead it a bit before bulk, right after you mix everything together). This should give it more strength coming out of bulk fermentation.
If it’s cooler in your kitchen than the temps listed here in my recipe, I’d have a hard time believing you overproofed the dough.
Let me know how it goes!
I am a hobbyist baker and make other Artisan breads.
But I find these 70% + recipes not worth the bother.
I followed this 100% exact and measured to the gram precisely.
The dough felt correct, folded 5 times, had gluten structure and window pane well, soft fluffy dough when it went in badkets, 14 hrs in fridge………but ran into a puddle when removed from basket.
Not worth the bother………..I make beautiful breads around 60%, not worth all the folding time for these higher hydration recipes from where I sit
It’s all about preference and of course is very subjective to the flour you’re using. If you make awesome bread at 60% hydration, go for it! There’s nothing “more right” or “more wrong” about either, it’s all about the type of bread you’re after and what works well for you (and your flour). Happy baking!
Hello — thank you SO much for this informative guide. I’m going to give my first loaf a shot in the coming days but, at the moment, only have a 4.25 qt. Le Creset ( https://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/le-creuset-signature-deep-saute-pan/ ) — will this be sufficient for your recipe or should I scale my dough down?
Also, I have my starter in the fridge at the moment – how long do you recommend I take it out to start activating before making the levain?
Thank you!
Max
Hey there, Max. Hmm, really hard to say with that LC pot, I usually have to text each pot I post here. My advice would be to start with a small dough max in that pot, then work it up as it looks like it’ll fit.
I like to take my starter out for 2 days before using it, but that’s me and my starter. I’ve heard of some bakers needing just one day, or even the same day, but I find 2 works best.
Thanks. Would I have to reduce the temp if I’m putting in a smaller amount of dough?
I don’t suppose I could [loosely] cover the LC with some heavy-duty foil as an alternative? We have a dutch oven, but it’s at the in-laws, who live 1-2 hrs from us, and can’t make it there in the next week or 2. I’m eager to give this a shot!
Usually smaller pieces will require less time, yes. Keep an eye on it near the end and adjust as necessary. Covering would work, just try to trap as much steam as possible.
Hey,
nice comprehensive Guide! One question though: In the formula for the FDT, why don’t you take the mass of the respective parts into account?
Thanks in advance
Thomas
Thomas, technically the mass should be taken into account, but for a typical home baker I don’t find it necessary as the batch sizes are rather small. If one were to scale things up significantly it might be wise to do so!
Hi, I would appreciate your help. I have baked a couple of sourdough breads and taste-wise they were quite good, at least better than a regular loaf of broad from a bakery but the problem i’ve had with pretty much every loaf is a rather gummy crust and a low rise in the oven. I’ve tried a couple of different recipes but the result was more or less the same. I can’t really go more than 230 degrees C in my home oven (tried 280 with fan on for a pizza; didnt end well). I usually proof and bake in a Pyrex dish, tried straight to the oven baking, proofing in a separate bowl and then putting the bread in a scorching hot dish. In terms of the starter I just keep it in the fridge because I don’t bake regularly and haven’t baked in a while; i’ve also tried keeping it in the kitchen and fed every day but the results were the same. Proofing time was usually between 12 and 16 hours in the fridge. Any thoughts?
It’s hard to say, it could be many things. My guess is that your loaves might be slightly under proofed. There are a few indicators your dough could be under: explosive rise in the oven, dense interior with potentially scattered large holes, and gummy texture to the interior. Finally, it’s possible the bottom of the loaf might be slightly bowed upward (like the letter “U” — the top will kind of dome).
Make sure to build your levain from a starter that’s strong and mature (meaning it’s risen to it’s peak height before you take some to use). From there, bulk fermentation is very important! Make sure your bulk fermentation goes sufficiently far, you want the dough to look smooth, it should have risen considerably, and have bubbles here and there. If you tug on the dough a bit it should offer resistance to your tugging, it’ll feel stronger.
Thanks for the response. Appreciate it!
Been struggling with sourdough for awhile now, it tastes ok but I often get very big holes at the top of the loaf and often mishapened bits where it’s ballooned out.
I’ll try your recipe this week and see how I get on.
Recipe
100g sourdough starter
450g Strong white bread flour
310g Room temperature water
8g Salt
Day 1
Feed up your starter in the evening
Day 2
Mix your Dough, 30 minute rest
1st Fold (12 folds), 2 hours rest
2nd Fold (6 folds), 2 hours rest
3rd Fold (6 folds), 1 hour rest
Preshape, 1 hour rest
Final shape, into basket, refrigerate
Day 3
Bake
I’ve also tried doing folds every hour but found results not so good ( can you do too many sets of folds ?)
Any thoughts on this, many thanks
It’s very likely you’re underproofing your dough. Be sure to use your starter when it’s mature to build your levain, and your levain when it’s mature to mix into a dough. From there, focus on hitting the right final dough temperature after mixing — this is very important! If your dough is on the cooler side, bulk fermentation will take longer than I list above (which is fine, give the dough the time it needs to get to the right stage here). Finally, fully proof your dough to ensure even fermentation throughout and no “ballooning.” If you follow everything the same as before, trying giving your dough a bit more time in bulk fermentation and then more time in proof, this will help!
Thank you so much for your reply, it’s a journey with the tips from you I will get there
I made the beginner’s sourdough bread and wow! This was my first attempt at making sourdough, I tried to follow the instructions religiously. I made a few small mistakes, but the bread was delicious and gorgeous too. I would like the bread to have more sour flavor next time, so I’ll research your website and see if I can figure it out. Thank you for this recipe. And hey, if I can do it, in my crummy little kitchen, you can too. Suzanne 🙂
That’s so great to hear, Suzanne! Sounds like a success to me 🙂 Lots of tips scattered throughout the site on how to increase sourness, but if you need specific help feel free to shoot me an email through the About page. Happy baking!
Hi Maurizio! I’ve been trying this recipe a few times now and I haven’t had a successful loaf yet, but I’m determined because your loaves are so beautiful! I do adjust the measurements to be round numbers to make things easier to remember – 75% hydration, 5% rye, 15% whole wheat, 80% bread flour, 20% levain. My loaves have been coming out a little dense, so each time I’ve tried something different. I first suspected this was due to overproofing so I tried reducing bulk fermenting time, from 5 hours to 4 to 3.5 (I have a cooler kitchen) but so far this hasn’t worked. Now I’m thinking it might be the levain. I usually make my levain overnight, so it ferments for 7-8 hours before the final incorporation into the flour (after autolyse). Could this be the problem? Could it be because I have too much since I use all 200g? I also read in a comment below about the dough being very active and having a shorter life cycle, is this something I should consider?
Thanks in advance!
I’d say try to stick to the temperatures (very important) and timeline I’ve listed in the recipe, as well as the levain amount and percentage in the mix. Once you have things successfully working there, feel free to change things to suit your schedule and preference. There’s a lot of variables and my recommendation is to try my recipe as-is, then branch out once you get a feel for how the dough should look and act at each step.
It’s hard to say based on your description whether it’s over or under proofed. One thing is certain: be sure to use your starter when it’s mature to build your levain, and subsequently, use your levain when it’s mature to mix into your dough. It’s ok to do an overnight levain, just use it right when it matures (when it’s at its peak height in the jar).
I hope that helps — keep me posted on how it’s going!
Hey Maurizio! Thanks so much for this wonderfully detailed post. It was immensely helpful when I made my first sourdough loaf, which turned out great. I do have a question though. Don’t you include the water and flour coming from the starter when you calculate the percentage of pre-fermented flour and hydration percentage? I generally see that half the starter weight is considered for flour and half for water, assuming the starter is of 100% hydration.
You’re very welcome, Upendra. This is a common (and great) question. Generally, home bakers do not include that amount because it’s typically a pretty small amount. The amount of water in the levain is included in the overall hydration of the recipe, though, but typically the starter is overlooked.
I think generally this is fine, if you’re working at massive scale, though, you might start to run into some issues. For example, if you had a starter that was 1kg you might want to start calculating the hydration in 🙂
Yes, completely makes sense! Thanks for the explanation. Cheers 🙂
This beginner’s sourdough is my go-to formula! I’m going to follow your instructions to make a dough retarder…can you estimate how many hours it should final proof at 50 degrees vice putting in the frig at 38 degrees overnight?
Right on, thanks for that feedback Diane! It’s hard to give a time exactly, but 50°F might be around 6-8 hours final proof or so. Again, hard to say exactly, you’ll have to check the dough during the end of proof!
Hi maurizio,
your web is really helpful and practical information, I tried to apply your recipe. The bread looked good and interior consists holes a lot but really stick/tacky and very sourness it can not be eaten. I accounted your formula the temp water which is 27C for FDT 26C but My FDT was 28,7C;
bulk fermentation was 3 h except streching and folding;
proofing time in fridge 16-17 h
and baking time 1′ 12”.
What exact range is tolerable dough temp?
For sticky and tacky bread, Is the the worst thing about FDT temp? or overproofing?
what can I do?
thank you
It sounds to me like your dough was over proofed (given the dense interior and extreme sourness). This is further shown by the higher FDT, which would mean faster/stronger fermentation. It’s really important to try and hit the DDT I list up in the recipe! If you find you’re a little higher, expect to shorten bulk fermentation and if your dough seems very active at that time, cut the proof time 2-4 hours if you’re using the fridge. This should help!
I can’t search through the 1500 comments very easily! My question is about people who work but still want to do a loaf during the week.I am out of the house at 7am and back around 6pm. There’s no way to do all those steps during the day. Are there any options for the majority of the population to make a good loaf during the week?
Hey there! Lots of great options for working things around a work schedule. Check out my weekend baking schedule for some ideas to shift things around and bake on the weekends.
If you’re looking to bake during the week, you could make a levain before leaving for work in the morning. Then, when you get back proceed with mixing, bulk fermentation, preshape and shape in the evening and an overnight proof. Then the next day, either get up early and bake before you leave, or leave the dough in the fridge until you get home from work and then bake ASAP. That will work quite well!
ok cool, i like the idea of morning prep and early morning bake. Waking back up to a fresh bread smell could make those winter mornings a little more bearable!
Hi Maurizio,
your web site was highly recommended by my brother who started baking a couple of years ago. I am glad that a fellow software engineer (not actively developing for a long time now, but…) is now a full-time baker and your Italian origins are a guarantee for good taste.
I had a similar experience as Bill Gates describes below, yesterday.
It was the first time I attempted to bake and I followed precisely the recipe but after the bulk fermentation, dough was too watery and very sticky. When pre shaping, my bench knife could not separate the dough which was “melting” across the surface and was absolutely impossible to shape. Dough was sticking on the bench knife and although I dusted it with flour, there was no improvement.
My kitchen temperature was about 31oC so I used iced water to bring dough temperature down to 25oc. Flour was also 31oC so I used water 7oC.
Do you think the dough had too long bulk fermentation for my ambient temperature ? As I read on the article “The Importance of Dough Temperature”, dough temperature of 26oC needs one hour less bulk fermentation than a 24oC dough.
Although I kept FDT to 25oC, should I ferment for less time because my ambient temperature was 31oC ?
Does over-fermentation cause the dough to become weak and sticky?
Or is it because the water absorbtion of my flour different than yours and the dough was watery?
As I checked, the recipe bread flour has 13,9% protein. The one I am using has 13,4%. My whole wheat has 14,4,% (recipe’s is 15,7%) and my Rye flour 13,4%. Is this difference in protein perventage of the flour, significant?
Today (baking day) the dough was even more sticky, could not score at all. The dough was “closing” behind the razor. Anyway I baked as per instructions, the part with the closed lid went ok (240oC for 20mins) but with open lid the loaf’s top went dark very fast so I decreased the temperature to 200oC after 5-6 mins. The loaf on the outside looks ok. Waiting to cool down and will check the inside. 🙂
I would really appreciate your input.
Best regards!
See my reply to Bill, below. I’d say try my recipe with reduced water as I indicated below. If your final dough temperature is higher than the requirement I’ve listed above, it means the dough will likely ferment faster and require a shorter timeline, especially bulk fermentation. Try to hit the FDT I’ve listed for this recipe, though!
If you over proof your dough it will feel sticky/tacky and will bread apart easily. It’ll likely be very gassy and have risen quite a bit (if you push it too far, though, it’ll collapse.).
Thanks! Will try.
Hi there; first timer with sourdough so found this website which has proved incredibly useful, so thanks
However, into Day 1 of doing this recipe and finding it to be a bit of a disaster when it has come to pre-shaping. I only need one loaf so have halved everything accordingly, but it has become far, far far wet to do anything with despite even doing a few more stretch and folds to try and create some tightness; I feel that this came from the ‘reserved’ water which in my experience has proved unnecessary. Shaping into a ball without being incredibly liberal with more flour on the table is disappointing, impossible to fold the thing as instructed.
Please accept my vented frustrations, just feels like a bit of a wasted day!
You’re very welcome! Baking bread requires adjustments to the hydration of a recipe to suit your flour (and even environment). I would suggest you try reducing the water in the recipe by 10% — this will bring a lot of strength to the dough. My “reserved water” approach is a way to assess how the dough is doing during mixing and only add in that reserved water if the dough feels like it can handle it — so you’re right, not mandatory and really depends on your flour.
I’m sorry to hear about the wasted day! However, in baking even mistakes are an opportunity for us to learn and grow. In other words, now you have an instinctive feeling for what an over hydrated dough feels and looks like, next time we can avoid this by holding back water and if you feel the dough starting to approach this level, stop adding water. While it was a frustrating experience — and trust me, I’ve had my share! — we’ve learned something that’ll help us in the future.
Keep me posted on how it goes with the reduced water and stick with it, you’ll find baking to be incredibly rewarding!
I reduce the water from the amount in your recipe in my bakes as the dough is very slack with the full hydration and this helps a lot! I may need to do a few more folds too, as I currently do 4 spaced 30 minutes apart as the dough is still pretty loose when it hits the banneton. The climate in Alexandria, VA is pretty humid year-round and my HVAC system isn’t central (it’s a “PTAC”) so the humidity indoors can be higher than it would with central air vents everywhere. So many variables! Still learning, 18 months in, of course.
Yes, sounds like a good approach to me. Typically those living in a more humid location tell me my recipes need 10% or so less water and things work just about right.
Will that be true for the levain build as well?
Overall hydration (which in my formula includes levain).
Hi Maurizio, thank you for the detailed information and guide.
I tried to make once, too bad it’s failed. The yeast/levain seems healthy as it rose in few hours after feed.
Somehow, the dough doesn’t rise much at the end of bulk fermentation. I noticed that my dough doesn’t look as smooth as yours during bulk fermentation stage, even after stretch and folds. Does it meant that the dough have to be “knead” for longer time until smooth?
Btw, am confusing , is this considered as no-knead bread ? May i know what’s the difference between”no-knead bread” and “kneaded bread” ? Such as texture , flavour etc…
I am living in Malaysia. The weather and environment temperature is average at 27c – 32c.
Thank you very much.
Kay
Sorry to hear that, Kay! It sounds like you’re right: likely a lack of fermentation in the dough during bulk fermentation. I’d say first take a step back and assess how your sourdough starter is doing. You want it to be rising and falling predictably each day — it should show quite bit of fermentation activity by the time you go to feed it! Focus on feeding it regularly and when it looks like it needs it, this is very important. Have a look at my sourdough starter maintenance routine for tips on keeping your starter healthy.
Yes, this is a no-knead style recipe as there’s no physical strengthening happening except for the folds during bulk fermentation. Sometimes I will knead (I usually do what’s called slap and fold or French fold) the dough a little before bulk fermentation but it’s not necessary, depending on what formula you’re using and what the dough feels like.
I might suggest that you try reducing the hydration of this recipe a little, it might be your environment is making the dough a little weak and slack. Cut back 5% of the water and see if that helps next go.
Let me know how it goes!
Thanks Maurizio, I tried your suggestion, 5% water reduced, it’s work. The bread turned out great!
Just the bread is a bit too crusty for me. What can I do to make a softer bread ? Could we bake without steam ? Or how do we adjust the temperature and time if baking without steam ?
Thank you!
If you bake without steam your bread will likely be more crunchy and have a thicker crust. Generally, the key to a nice, thin crust is baking with ample steam at a high temp and rather fast. The longer the dough sits in the oven, the thicker the crust will become. Of course, the dough does need to be bake fully through, but it’s better to do that faster than slower.
Thank you for the information ! I am going to bake my 2nd attemp today. Hope everything goes well.