I’ve baked this loaf, or some variant of it, so many times I’ve lost count. This bread was born when I first got my hands dirty with flour and water. Its parent—if you could call it that—was originally Chad Robertson’s Tartine loaf with his liquid levain, brought to life, not with intensive kneading, but rather a series of folds during bulk fermentation.
My best sourdough recipe has grown since then. It has developed a personality of its own as I’ve expanded my baking repertoire and investigated the many facets of baking naturally leavened sourdough. It’s taken on and lost traits from many great bakers out there, borrowing from their inspiration and giving me a direction to raise this bread into something of my own. This bread is one that doesn’t entirely taste like anything else I’ve had, and yet, still employs many of the same processes and ingredients.
That’s one of the greatest things about bread: it can taste and look dramatically different just by changing the two hands that create it. Calling this post “my best sourdough recipe” is a lofty claim, but honestly, I do believe this is the best bread I’ve made thus far.
I sometimes revisit a discussion I had with a few readers of this site and their comments: “bread is just bread, it’s something to be eaten and is something life-giving, isn’t that enough?” I agree, but when something becomes a passion for you it’s important to set lofty goals and get excited when breakthroughs are made. Isn’t that the definition of a craft and the relentless honing required?
I’ve taken my best sourdough recipe from its most nascent form to its current stage and can trace through the years each change to its formula or process — and I’m sure I’ll be changing things well into the future as it continues to evolve — a work-in-progress.
Yes it’s excessive in some way, but there’s an excessiveness to ambition as well.
John Mayer
Maybe the actual recipe for this bread isn’t the most important part, but rather, the lessons and insights learned along the way as I continually hone my baking proficiency. I’m not claiming this recipe will yield the perfect loaf every single time, but I dare say it comes the closest for me—and that’s exciting.
This bread is the bread that I want to make the most often, the one my family asks for the most often, and the one I share most often. I have a special place for whole wheat bread, and taste-wise, it might make me want to call that my favorite one day, but the versatility of this bread is pretty hard to beat. In fact, I bake this so often that my freezer has an entire shelf lined with pre-sliced loaves wrapped and in bags labeled pane perfetto.
While the actual formula for my best sourdough recipe is simply a mix of flour, water, salt, and levain, there are many nuances here to pay close attention to; here are a few key things to successfully making this bread:
- An active starter
- An autolyse
- A high hydration
- Sufficient dough strength
- A warm and complete bulk fermentation
- A long, cold proof
Before writing this post, I pulled out my trusty notebook (or use my free baker’s note sheet!) and paged through the handwritten (and flour-ridden) pages to find any scribbled “ah-ha” moments or little notes jotted down in the margin, along with a few curse words peppered throughout, and have bundled them up into this entry (sans curse words to keep it clean). A compendium of sorts containing my insights, breakthroughs, and ah-ha moments.
My best sourdough recipe doesn’t require an exotic blend of hard-to-find flour, a complicated multi-step levain build, or the use of a mechanical mixer. It’s built around making this bread in your home kitchen.
My best sourdough recipe is very highly hydrated and can be challenging. When mixing, be watchful for the signs and adjust the dough hydration to suit your environment and flour. If you’re not used to working with high-hydration dough, please start with hydration somewhere in the middle and slowly work up.
Flour Selection
I’ve tried a lot of flour out there (and am an avid user of freshly milled flour), indeed not everything there is, but I’ve ordered enough now that the UPS guy thinks I might have a bakery in my backyard. I have baked some great bread with Hayden Flour Mills, Central Milling, and Giusto’s. I’ve also had great success with King Arthur Baking high-protein white flour.
I have consistently made incredible loaves with Giusto’s flour; I only wish it were organic. Nevertheless, I find myself ordering a box of it here and there and enjoying the results every time. Of course, as I mentioned before, try whatever is local first (sadly, my source for local, organic flour is no longer available) and whatever you like.
When trying new flour, remember to hold back more water than you might otherwise, and then slowly add it in at the end of mixing or throughout bulk fermentation. Now, on to my best sourdough recipe.
Watch Me Make This From Start To Finish
I absolutely love this bread and make it often, but it can be challenging for first-time bakers. Be sure to watch my YouTube video below for a look at how I handle the dough and every step of the process.
If you’re brand new to baking sourdough, check out my Beginner’s Sourdough Bread recipe; it has in-depth information on every step in the baking process. Then come back and bake this!
My Best Sourdough Recipe
Vitals
| Total Dough Weight | 1,800 grams |
| Pre-fermented Flour | 6.4% |
| Levain percentage in final dough | 17.1% |
| Hydration | 85.0% |
| Yield | Two 900g loaves |
Total Formula
The target final dough temperature (FDT) is 78°F (25°C). This dough loves a warm ambient environment. Try to keep the dough at the listed temperatures if possible; use your oven with its light on inside, your microwave with a bowl of steaming water, or a proofer. I use my instant-read thermometer to check the dough temperature periodically throughout bulk.
For more information on how to calculate DDT, monitor temperature, and maintain temperature have a look at my post on The Importance of Dough Temperature in Baking.
| Weight | Ingredient | Baker’s Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 852g | Medium-protein bread flour (~11.5% protein, Giusto’s Artisan Bread Flour) | 90.00% |
| 94g | Whole wheat flour (Giusto’s Organic Stoneground Whole Wheat) | 10.00% |
| 710g | Water 1 | 75.00% |
| 95g | Water 2 | 10.00% |
| 17g | Salt | 1.80% |
| 30g | Ripe sourdough starter (100% hydration) | 3.20% |
As I mentioned above, my best sourdough recipe is an extremely high hydration. If this is your first time working with this recipe, reduce the total water or hold water back during mixing to ensure your dough can handle the addition. The amount of water your dough will handle will vary based on your particular flour and environment—play it safe the first few bakes and work the water up gradually once you get a feel for the dough.
My Best Sourdough Recipe Method
1. Levain – 9:00 a.m.
Build the liquid levain in the morning and store somewhere warm around 77-80°F (25-26°C) ambient for 5 hours.
| Weight | Ingredient | Baker’s Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 30g | Ripe sourdough starter (100% hydration) | 50% |
| 30g | Medium-protein bread flour (~11.5% protein, Giusto’s Artisan Bread Flour) | 50% |
| 30g | Whole wheat flour (Giusto’s Organic Stoneground Whole Wheat) | 50% |
| 60g | Water | 100% |
If you haven’t yet read through my post on my sourdough starter maintenance routine, check it out for some helpful hints on what to look for when your sourdough starter and levain are ripe and ready to use.
2. Autolyse – 12:00 p.m.
This highly hydrated dough can be mixed by hand or with a mechanical mixer (like a home spiral mixer). Either one will yield great results, but here, I’ll discuss mixing this dough by hand.
Mix the flour and water in a bowl until all the dry bits are incorporated, then cover. Ensure all the dry flour is hydrated—store near levain (we want the dough’s temperature to remain warm).
| Weight | Ingredient |
|---|---|
| 822g | Medium-protein bread flour |
| 64g | Whole wheat flour |
| 650g | Water 1 |
3. Mix – 2:00 p.m.
| Weight | Ingredient |
|---|---|
| 95g | Water 2 |
| 17g | Fine sea salt |
| 151g | Ripe liquid levain (see above) |
Add the ingredients to your dough in the mixing bowl that underwent an autolyse. Add the water slowly, in stages, while you’re mixing, and stop adding water if the dough feels excessively wet or soupy at any point.
Perform folds for about 2-3 minutes in the bowl. Grab under one side, pull up and over to the other side, then rotate the bowl a bit and repeat. I do this probably 30 times or so (it goes fast and easy). In the end, the dough should still be shaggy, but it will be more smooth and will start to hold itself together more in the bowl.
If you’re a fan of the slap & fold mixing technique I’ve described in the past, you can do this but be aware that it is difficult at this hydration. It’s best to first slap and fold the dough without adding all the reserved water to get the dough smooth and strong. Then, return the dough to the mixing bowl and slowly add the remaining water while folding the dough.
I find that the correct level of dough strength at this point is important. You want the dough to be smooth, elastic, and strong, but it doesn’t have to be fully developed, and it will still be shaggy. We will continue to strengthen the dough through stretch and folds in bulk fermentation.
Transfer dough to a tub or thick-walled bowl for bulk fermentation.
5. Bulk Fermentation – 2:15 p.m. to 6:15 p.m.
At 78°F (25°C) ambient temperature, bulk fermentation should go for about 4 hours. Perform six sets of stretch and folds during the bulk. The first three are at 15-minute intervals, and the last three are at 30-minute intervals. After these folds (2 hours and 15 minutes have gone by), let the dough rest for the remainder of bulk fermentation.
I stretch and fold more vigorously at the beginning of bulk than usual since it is extraordinarily slack and extensible (due to this recipe’s high hydration and autolyse). Pick up one side of the dough with both hands and pull it up, just before tearing, and fold it over to the other side. Rotate your container and repeat 4 or 5 times. That is one set.
Above, you can see my best sourdough recipe dough halfway through bulk, after about 2 hours. There is no significant rise as of yet, but the edges are beginning to dome downward, and the dough’s texture is smoothing out slightly. We still have several more folds to do and more strength to build.
It is essential that the dough is kept near 78°F (25°C) as much as possible (minor fluctuations up and down are ok). If temperatures dip down too far, you might have to extend the bulk fermentation duration to compensate, and vice versa. Use your judgment, the signs described below, and be flexible.
At the end of bulk, your dough should look very gassy, with some bubbles here and there, and the edges where the dough meets the bowl should be slightly domed. You can see all these signs in the image above.
When you gently shake the bowl, the entire mass jiggles from side to side—very alive. You’ll also notice that compared with the photo at the beginning of bulk, the dough is smoother and holds its edges, folds, and creases more readily (most of the bumps and ridges you see are due to trapped gasses from fermentation).
6. Divide & Preshape – 6:15 p.m.
Divide the dough into two halves and gently preshape each piece of dough into a round. Then, let the dough rest for 30 minutes, uncovered. Act quickly when handling this dough and rely heavily on your bench knife. I try to use my hands as little as possible when dealing with the dough at this point.
7. Shape – 6:45 p.m.
Lightly flour the top of your dough rounds and flour the work surface. With this recipe use a little more flour on the surface than normal, the dough will be extremely sticky and wet. Flip each round and shape into a batard (see notes below) or boule, whatever your preference.
Here’s a video of how I shape a bâtard. With this dough, be sure to use the “slack dough” shaping method since the dough is such high hydration.
I prefer to shape these as batards, and my shaping method is as follows:
- Flip pre-shaped round
- Fold the bottom up to about halfway
- Fold the left side over to about 3/4 to the right
- Fold the right side over to cover left
- Stretch top up & away from the center and fold down to about half (you’ll now have a “letter”)
- Grab a little of the dough at the sides near the top and stretch it over the center, so the dough crosses. Imagine lacing up a shoe where you first grab your laces and cross them over
- Repeat three times from top to bottom (the result will look like a laced up shoe)
- Take the bottom and gently roll the dough up to the top and try to seal it slightly when done rolling
Alternatively, if the dough feels pretty strong, you could shape it by “cinching” up the dough. For more instruction on how to shape this dough as an oblong loaf, see my post on how to shape a batard (with video!).
After shaping, let the dough rest on the bench for a few minutes and then place it into a banneton that is lightly dusted with white flour. You’ll see above my bannetons give the dough plenty of room to relax and expand in the fridge overnight. If your proofing container is on the smaller side, and you find your dough almost spilling over the edges, it might be time for a larger basket.
8. Proof – 7:25 p.m. to 9:00 a.m., the next day
Cover your banneton with plastic and place it in the refrigerator at 38°F (3°C) overnight.
9. Bake – Next Morning: Preheat oven at 8:00 a.m., Bake at 9:00 a.m.
Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C). Remove the dough from the fridge (there’s no need to let the dough come to room temperature) and uncover. I scored the dough with a single, long slash to get that dramatic opening when baked. I keep the blade at a reasonably shallow angle so the taut skin created during shaping will “peel” back as the loaf rises.
I steamed my oven in my usual way, described here in my post on how to steam your home oven for baking. But you can also bake in a pot or Dutch oven.
Bake for 20 minutes with steam, then remove your steaming pans if baking on a surface or Dutch oven/combo cooker lid. Then, bake for an additional 30 minutes until done to your liking. I like to bake rather dark, so I sometimes extend this second half of baking until I get the crust I’m looking for.
Once your loaf is done, remove and let cool on a wire rack for 1-2 hours. See my post on the best way to store the bread after it’s baked for a few tips on keeping it on the counter and freezing if you think you won’t get through both loaves in a week.
Conclusion
It’s hard to put into words just how much I enjoy this “my best sourdough recipe.” I bake it almost every week (sometimes multiple times if baking for friends and family), and yet every time I pull it from the oven, I smile. The crust color, the open and light interior, only the smallest perception of sour notes, and the way it crunches when toasted. I could go on and on.
The photos to follow are the results of scattered recent bakes that all followed this process exactly and have a slightly different outcome. You’ll notice some are a bit darker, some have more or less flour on them, some expand differently in the oven, and some are taller and some are shorter—that’s the nature of baking.
With baking, every single bake is different no matter how consistent you try to be. It’s the same with my Dad and his Italian restaurant, and the reason I’ll sometimes get a call in the middle of the afternoon: “hey, the pizza dough is incredible today, you should head over and grab some.”
Crust
As a kid, I was known to take slices of bread, cut out the center, and eat the crust. It used to anger my family because they’d reach into the breadbasket only to find slices of only the soft parts. That’s how much I love the crust! Can you blame me, though?
I enjoy bread with a chunky, chewy crust, but this bread with its delicate and cracker-like crust takes the top spot for me. Even though I bake these rather dark, the crust remains thin and brittle, crackling under the slightest pressure. I love using the “heel” (the very end) of this bread to eat soup or combined with hefty slices of cheese. It’s delicious.
Crumb
I think there’s a balance to be had with bread like this. It’s possible to let the crumb open up too much, but for me, this is just right. Scattered open areas with that translucent webbing spanning from wall-to-wall, a dynamic movement to these areas, almost show you how shaping was carried out.
Taste
This bread has an almost imperceptible hint of sour, and because of this, the wheat flavors from the flour come forward. It has an incredibly tender, soft crumb that almost dissolves in your mouth. It’s one of those rare foods whereupon taking that first bite your mouth begins to water.
In the end, bread is just bread. But it’s also the staff of life and has been for thousands of years. It’s is also more than the sum of the ingredients you add to the mixing bowl. It’s how it makes you feel when you give some to a friend, and they grin ear-to-ear as they take a big bite. It’s the knowledge that you created this thing over a few days that once was a lump on your counter and is now an incredibly delicious food meant to be shared. To me, this is real bread and my best sourdough recipe to date.
Buon appetito!
Print
My Best Sourdough Recipe
- Prep Time: 24 hours
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Total Time: 24 hours 55 minutes
- Yield: 2 loaves
- Category: Sourdough, Bread
- Cuisine: American
Description
This sourdough bread is one of my favorite recipes. It’s a highly hydrated dough that results in a loaf with an open and lacey interior contrasted by a thin, crispy crust.
Ingredients
Levain
- 30g medium-protein bread flour
- 30g whole wheat flour
- 60g water
- 30g ripe sourdough starter
Main Dough
- 822g medium-protein bread flour
- 64g whole wheat flour
- 745g water
- 17g salt
- 151g ripe levain
Instructions
- Levain (9:00 a.m.)
In a small container, mix the levain ingredients and keep at 78°F (25°C) for 5 hours. - Autolyse (12:00 p.m)
In a medium mixing bowl, add 822g medium-protein bread flour, 64g whole wheat flour, 650g water, and mix until no dry bits remain. Cover the bowl and let rest for 2 hours. - Mix (2:00 p.m.)
To the mixing bowl holding your dough, add 95g water (holding back any as necessary if the dough is too wet), 17g sea salt, and the ripe levain (from step 1). Pinch and mix all the ingredients together and do folds in the bowl for 2 to 3 minutes until the dough smooths and is cohesive. Then, transfer your dough to a bulk fermentation container and cover. - Bulk Fermentation (2:15 p.m. to 6:15 p.m.)
Give the dough 6 sets of stretch and folds. The first three sets are at 15-minute intervals, and the last three sets are at 30-minute intervals. - Divide and Preshape (6:15 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 30 minutes, uncovered. - Shape (6:45 p.m.)
Shape the dough into a round (boule) or oval (batard) and place it in proofing baskets. Cover the baskets with a reusable plastic bag. - Proof (7:25 p.m. to 9:00 a.m. the next day)
Cover proofing baskets with reusable plastic and seal them shut. Then, place both baskets into the refrigerator and proof overnight. - Bake (Preheat oven at 8:00 a.m., bake at 9:00 a.m.)
I steamed my oven in my usual way, described here in my post on how to steam your home oven for baking. But you can also bake in a pot or Dutch oven. Preheat your oven with a combo cooker or Dutch oven inside to 450°F (230°C). Remove your dough from the fridge, score it, and transfer it 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 2 hours on a wire rack before slicing.
Notes
This is a very highly hydrated dough. Don’t add in all the reserved water during mixing if it feels like the dough is becoming overly weak, slack, or soupy.
What’s Next?
If you want more help getting an open crumb with this bread, I’ve created a 100+ page book with step-by-step instructions. Learn the best flour to use, the right fermentation schedule, and all my tips in my Bread Baker’s Handbook.
Are you a TPL Member? If so, the handbook is free for you!
2,142 Comments
Is there any downside to splitting this into 3 – 600g loaves? We’re a household of 2, so 1800g is a huge amount, and this would make it easier to gift 2, eat 1 = more baking (and more crust).
Any ballpark guesses on timing if I try it?
I only have one Dutch oven. Can I keep the second loaf in the fridge until I am done baking the first one?
Yes, exactly!
This is a truly wonderful recipe. I’ve been trying to nail sourdough for about 3 months now, baking almost every day, and this recipe and method gave me the absolute best results so far in terms of crumb and flavor. The only issue I had, which admittedly is 100% my fault, is that I didn’t realize just how high a hydration this dough actually is, and I already have a high hydration starter to boot.
I was too stingy with the flour in the banneton and it got stuck trying to take it out before scoring and baking. Usually I can get the dough from the fridge into the preheated dutch oven within like 30 seconds, but I fumbled it this time and the dough had already spread by the time it was in the oven. I still got a decent rise and the crumb was incredible. Flavor is as good as the master bakery in our town. Next time around I’ll use more rice flour in the banneton and maybe put the dough in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before baking.
But yes, this is the HOLY GRAIL of sourdough recipes. Thank you so much for the detailed breakdowns of every step and the various hyperlinks, they were all tremendously helpful!
So glad to hear you like the recipe, Lenny! It is a wet dough and requires some quick handling, but you’ll get the hang of it! Definitely go with a lower hydration to start and work it up slowly as you get a few bakes of this recipe under your belt. Thanks for the comments and happy baking!
Hi Maurizio,
First of all, thank you for sharing your knowledge and passion for bread with the world! I tried this recipe and the bread turned out pretty nice, with a great internal structure, taste and crumb, but the dough didn’t really keep its shape after proofing, and turned out rather flat, without the scoring opening up but the dough rather expanding towards the sides. What do you think could be the reason? I’m pretty sure I shaped it tightly, I poked it to check that it wasn’t under or over proofed and it sprung up slowly. Do you think it could be a too long bulk fermentation? Lack of gluten development? Thank you and saludos de Barcelona!
Glad to hear it mostly went well, Leandro! It could be over proofed, over hydrated, or under strengthened. My guess is likely a bit too much water in the dough and/or a dough that’s a little under strengthened.
Glad to hear it mostly went well, Leandro! It could be over proofed, over hydrated, or under strengthened. My guess is likely a bit too much water in the dough and/or a dough that’s a little under strengthened.
I had the same exact result this weekend — the first time trying this recipe after many successful loaves with the beginner sourdough loaf. It really is quite a bit more difficult working at this higher hydration — I should have followed Maurizio’s advice re: holding back some of the water this first time around. But like you, the bread nonetheless tastes and looks great; just very little oven spring. I like the taste and texture of this recipe slightly more than the beginner loaf (which is already quite good) so I will certainly try it again soon.
Hi Maurizio,
I love this recipe thank you for sharing. I have a question about slap and fold. When you are finished with the slap and fold technique, when and how many turns do you do during bulk fermentation when making this bread? Do you do turns at the beginning or end of bulk?
So glad to hear that! Check out my guide to the slap and fold technique for answers to your Qs 🙂
Hi! Wondering if I wanted to make only one loaf, would I divide all ingredients in half? Or would I make the same amount of levain then add 75g of it instead of 150 and divide the rest of the ingredients? Baking today… Thanks!
Yes, just divide everything in half (like I mention on my guide to baker’s percentages). Happy baking, Christine!
I’ve been making this bread weekly for several months now. I leveled up from Tartine to this and it’s the best bread I’ve ever made, among the best I’ve ever eaten! The only problem I have is that it’s hard to slice. The bread just collapses and squishes when I try to cut into it and the slices always come out misshapen. I’m using a sharp serrated knife. And the bread does spring back, it just gets smashed while I’m cutting it and the knife has a hard time biting into the crust. Not a big deal and I’m willing to deal with it for amazing bread, but I’m wondering if anyone here has had similar experiences, or any suggestions or explanations for why mine might be so hard to cut. Thanks!
Ps: I’m using a sharp serrated knife. And the bread does spring back, it just gets smashed while I’m cutting it and the knife has a hard time biting into the crust.
Glad to hear it’s working out well for you, Matt! This might simply be a result of the high hydration of the loaf, it does tend to be more tender, squishy even. Be sure, though, that you’re baking it out fully. It should have a nice and dark crust and the interior shouldn’t get gummy or wet at all. If you under bake it, it won’t set fully and still be too pliable.
Hi. I tried this recipe, the taste, crust,smell and look of the bread were amazing but it was very heavy, wet and dense. I used a cast iron Dutch oven and removed lid after 20 minutes reduced temp by 50 degrees and removed bread to cool once internal temp hit 210. My only difference in recipe was during warm proof I used oven with light on and door cracked and temp did go up to 85 briefly. Do you have any suggestions for me before I try this again tomorrow? I wish I could include a picture.
It’s hard to say, Bridget! It could be over hydration, over proofing, or even under proofing.
There are a few indicators your dough could be under: explosive rise in the oven, dense spots in the interior with potentially scattered large holes, and a 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).
Regardless, 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 — it should look alive. If you tug on the dough a bit it should offer resistance to your tugging, it’ll feel stronger. Give the dough the time it needs in bulk fermentation! If you have to give it another 30m or hour to see these signs, do so. It’s important for this step to go sufficiently far for the dough to have enough fermentation activity before its proof.
Another thought based on my own errors in the past 🙂 did you wait a couple hours before cutting into it?
Hi Maurizio! I think I’m ready to tackle this one after at least a dozen or more bakes of your excellent Beginner’s Sourdough. Other than the higher hydration, what can I expect to be different? Also, I’m always wanting my loaves to be a bit MORE sour, so I’m a bit worried about your note that this recipe has an “almost imperceptible hint of sour.” I really like the sour in sourdough! Am I missing something here? Any thoughts on this? Thanks! Joe
Hey, Joe! With higher hydration you can expect the loaf to have a softer, more custard-like texture at the interior. It’s a different eating experience. I’d say this loaf will likely still have plenty of sourness for you!
I finally made this recipe this weekend for first time. Didn’t get much oven spring but the taste and texture were excellent! Definitely softer and less gummy/chewy compared to the beginner loaf. The hydration level was definitely a challenge for me though which might have led to the dough not being strengthened enough hence the poor oven spring. Next time I’ll hold back a bit of water. I also had some timing issues due to life intervening and so next time I hope to follow schedule more closely. But still absolutely delicious to eat!
Glad to hear it went mostly well, Joe! Yea, I think a little less water next time and you’ll be spot on. Have fun with it—it’s a challenging bread but mighty delicious once dialed in.
Hey! My bread looks beautiful on the outside and taste delicious, but for some reason there too many huge bubbles. It’s almost too airy. Slices look like Swiss cheese. What do you think I could’ve done wrong?
Also is there a difference in using a 100% hydration ripe fed starter and making levain?
Thanks!
If you have scattered large holes with dense areas, it might be under proofed. Generally though, I’d say if you have a bunch of big holes, try letting your dough proof longer, it will even those out some. It can also be due to shaping, you could try gently patting the dough down from top to bottom right at the beginning of shaping to help redistribute some of those.
It’s not dense at all! Just has a LOT of big holes everywhere. I shaped it into a round loaf.. maybe I create too much tension, shape it for too long. If the surface of the shaped loaf has a lot of big airy bubbles is it ok to kill some of them? . I had it in the fridge for about 14 hours.
Could it also the the slap and fold? What happened when you overdo it?
Thanks for you help!
I’d say try degassing just a little bit to help redistribute them. Slap and fold will strengthen the dough which will help keep those bubbles intact through the baking process, which is a good thing, generally. A light degas will help!
Can this recipe cold proof for 48 hours in fridge?
I’ve done it! You could cut bulk just a shy short to make sure it makes it all the way through. I’d say just 15 mins.
Hey Maurizio. Do you still consider this your best sourdough recipe? I noticed the date you posted this and just curious if so? I have tried so many of your recipes just not this one yet. I plan to soon. 😊
I still absolutely love this recipe. I do modify the flour in it from time to time, based on what I have in my kitchen, but it’s certainly a recipe I return to time and time again—even after all these years!
I have been making your all purpose white flour sourdough recipe and finally decided to move up to this recipe. Wow! I agree with you Mauirizo, this one definitely several notches up the ladder. It is now my ‘new’ go to sourdough mostly white bread. Thankyou!
So glad to hear that, Jeffrey!
Hello Mr. Leo. I am 75 and love to bake bread, although this was my 6 & 7th loaf of sourdough bread. I loved the bread, but I gave a friend a loaf, and she called after her evening meal, and said the crust was great, but the crumb was a bit sticky. She said I failed. I though it was rather scrumptious, But what do I know? I tried to be exact with your formula to the ninth degree, but obviously I screwed up. I weighed every ingredient and used quality King Arthur hi gluten and Whole Wheat Flour. SO, what did I do wrong? Thanks for any advice.
If I can interject with a preliminary response, as someone who has cooked this recipe of Maurizio’s many times, the flour you are using is likely too high in gluten. King Arthur Sir Lancelot (their hi-pro flour) is 14 percent protein. An excellent flour for bagels, or to be added in a small percentage where a strong flour will help the rise of a bread with a blend of flours with much whole-grain flour (like Maurizio’s Mîche), its high protein will make for a very gummy interior in a loaf like this, which calls for a 11.5 percent protein flour. Even King Arthur’s regular bread flour is 12.7 percent protein, which needs a light hand, though many do use it with success in this and similar breads. One option for this recipe might be to blend KA All Purpose (11.7 percent protein) with a modest percentage of a higher protein flour. It might even be possible to use the AP straight, but I’m a longtime fan of the Central Milling Artisan Baker’s craft flour and so I can’t speak from direct experience, for this bread at least.
Other causes of gumminess include underbaking and cutting the bread too early, but I’m betting on the flour used. Having said that, many people enjoy a slightly gummy loaf, so I’d never use the word “failed” if you made a loaf that you enjoyed and which pleased you. Still, the essence of this loaf is a light, moist, but not gummy bread, made with a French-style (11.5 percent) flour. I have two loaves of this sitting in the fridge overnight as I write…
Like @edwardripleyduggan:disqus said below, it could be the flour you’re using—I find very high gluten flour to be gummy in the end. But, it could also be due to under proofing, over hydration (not likely the case if the dough wasn’t hard to handle and super sticky), or even under baking. Finally, if you cut the loaves too soon after baking, this can also cause a gummy interior.
Hi Maurizio, I have questions about barley malt syrup, diastatic dry malt powder, and malted flour. 1 – When I don’t have malted flour, can I add either barley malt syrup or diastatic powder to reg. bread flour to make it behave the same as malted flour? 2 – I bought the BMS to bake bagels, but could I use it for anything else? 4 – Could I use the Diastatic Dry malt powder in any of your bread recipes if it’s not called for? 4 – What is the difference between malted flour and none-malted? Thank you SO MUCH in advance!
If you don’t have malted flour you can go without, or add a small bit of diastatic malt powder (barley malt syrup is not the same). Malted flour has a small bit of diastatic malt (meaning the enzymes are still functioning, this can help with bringing additional color to your loaves and help fermentation activity as well).
Hey Maurizio! Your website has been a lifesaver for my sourdough adventures 🙂 I’m curious what difference using higher protein bread flour (like KAF bread flour at 12.7% protein) might make, compared to something closer to the 11.5% you specify (eg, KAF AP flour). Thanks!!!
I find higher protein flour tends to result in a loaf that’s either gummier or tougher when eating. I like to use as little as possible!
Hi Maurizio, Thanks for the detailed guidance on this and all your other recipes! Ive been working on this loaf alone for a few months baking two loaves a week. Now off to the Pan de Mie!
You’re very welcome, Will! Happy baking 🙂
Hi Maurizio, I’ve just baked this loaf of bread and it has come out gummy and somewhat dense. As my loaves had a nice deep brown colour on them I was surprised to see that the bread was slightly undercooked. My loaves don’t contain the nice big airy bubbles that yours do in the picture and I’m just wondering what I’ve done wrong. I followed all steps and just wondering how I can prevent this gumminess and obtain those big airy holes that your loaves have?
Unfortunately there isn’t a single thing that leads to a more open interior in a baked loaf of bread. First, the flour used is very important, it needs to be strong enough (protein) and have the proper gluten properties to trap the gasses produced during fermentation. For example, no matter how hard you try with rye flour, the gluten properties in the grain just won’t lead to an open interior.
From there, a very strong and well-fed starter is important — it all begins there. Fermentation in general is so critical, it’s worth spending some time really stepping back to look at how your starter is performing and how well-fermented your dough is during bulk fermentation and the final proof. Without strong fermentation your loaf will never rise to its full potential.
Sufficient dough strength through mixing, and also organically through fermentation, is also important. Think of your dough as a balloon: you want it strong enough to trap gasses and expand in the oven, but not so strong that it won’t relax and expand out. Finding this sweet spot takes some practice.
A full and complete bulk is also very important. Cutting bulk fermentation short before the dough is sufficiently fermented will hinder the development in final proof.
I also find that, and this depends on the dough you’re working with, a very gentle preshape and shape are key to maintaining an open interior. If you’re rough with the dough during these times the delicate interior will quickly break down and become more dense. That said, the dough does still need enough strength through shaping to hold its shape during baking.
Sorry for the long winded answer but really all of these things are important! Each part plays into the next and overall what we’re searching for as bakers is balance. Balance between the extremes in each phase of the process.
Hi Maurizio, I am pretty new to sourdough baking and having so much fun experimenting. I made your Best Sourdough yesterday and I was very happy with results even though I thought I wasn’t going to turn out because it was really flat during bulk and shaping. I had extended my bulk and extra 1-1/2 hours and added another fold into it and just prayed it would be edible. My spring was decent but could be a bit higher but my family thought it was great as is. The question I have is I have read other recipes where you can leave bread in refrigerator for 18-24 hours with great results. I’m wondering how this would be if I left in for about 18 prior to baking. It would be great schedule wise so it could be fresher closer to dinner time and still slightly warm. Thank you for all your recipes and help. I’m making your Pizza al Tiaglio this weekend!!
I think extending that proof should be just fine. The longer it is in the fridge the less rise you’ll see in the end, but there’s a balance to find there. Generally a few more hours is just fine! I hope the pizza turned out great, George!
Hi dear Marizio!! Thanks a lot for your helpfull website, couldn’t get so far in sourdough baking without your help:) still scrolling a lot through all the information to try to make more progression in my breadmaking.
Next thing i wanne by is a bannaton 14″ you’re recommending to use for the best sourdough recepy. Could you let me know what the sizes are (in cm), i’m struggeling with the right size.
All the best and good luck!!
Tea
You’re very welcome, Tea! Typically, I use 35.5cm baskets for larger dough weights, around 900-1200g. It also lets the dough expand and relax outward because of the added space. For smaller loaves, I go with 23cm baskets.
Hi Maurizio, I have baked with this recipe 3 times now and I am finally getting the hang of handling the high hydration dough! The first time was a bit of a disaster (very flat, still tasted good) but I have to say now this is my favorite recipe. I also liked your “Back to Basics” recipe and that gave me a lot of confidence to try a higher hydration recipe. Sourdough baking is really addictive and I’m starting to bake more often and giving bread to my friends since we can’t eat everything I bake :-).
So glad to hear all that, Nami! These do take practice, but so worth it 🙂
Hi. What a wonderful loaf of bread. Thanks for thorough steps.
If I would like to make only 2x450g breads, how can I amend the recipe? And what size bannetones would you recommend for 450g loaf? Thank you
Glad you like it, Suzanne! Those are small loaves, I’d say a 9″ might work for you! To make loaves that size, just proceed with the recipe as stated, but divide all the ingredients in half to make a single 900g dough. Be sure to watch the bake time, you’ll likely need to bake for less time given the loaf size is smaller.
I just made this gluten free! I had my own gluten free starter made from buckwheat and rice. the loaf tastes great, has some nice holes but not as large as yours. It took longer to rise at first. I also noticed the recipe was really wet so i kept adding a bit more flour until it felt right. Can’t wait to keep playing with it. (Flours I used for baking: Caputo and buckwheat)
Wow, that’s awesome, Evonne!
Hi Maurizio, great site thanks for sharing the knowledge! I baked the beginner sourdough many times but after several attempts I’m still struggling with this one. I can’t get enough strength in the dough, it always flattens while baking and ends up being 4-5 cm high at the end… I tried to reduce water, play around a bit with the times, allowing more time to the starter, and doing an excessive slap and fold after the autolyse but no luck. Any hints?
My suspicion is that simply the fluors which I tried with are not good enough.
Any fellow bakers from Germany, wo could recommend a good fluor available here?
Thanks a lot!
You’re very welcome, Koch! Yes, sounds like an over hydration for the flour you’re using—but that’s OK! Just drop the water some until the dough feels strong and elastic. Not all flour is the same, and flour here in the USA is typically able to take quite a bit of water compared to Europe or UK. No worries there, yours will taste delicious once you dial it in 🙂
Maurizio, do you let the dough proof in the baskets for two hours before you place them in the fridge? Or do you put them in the fridge as soon as you place the dough into the baskets?
Thanks in advance!
Right into the fridge after shaping!