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Beginner sourdough bread

This round sourdough loaf has a deeply browned crust and an airy, gently chewy crumb. An active starter builds fermentation, gentle folds strengthen the dough, and a cold final proof makes scoring easier.

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Hydration
73%
Rise time
16.3 hours
Hands-on
35 min
Oven
Conventional heat
A round sourdough loaf with a deep golden crust and an opened score across the top.
A cold final proof and a covered start in the oven help the loaf expand along the score.

Method

  1. Stir 100 g active sourdough starter (wheat or rye) at 100% hydration into 350 g water, then mix in 500 g bread flour and 11 g fine salt until no dry flour remains. Knead by hand for 5 minutes until cohesive, aiming for a dough temperature of 24 to 25 °C (75 to 77 °F).Use recently fed starter that has at least doubled, is full of bubbles, and is at or just before its peak; the dough should remain slightly sticky, so do not add flour.
  2. Transfer the dough to a straight-sided container, mark its starting level, and cover. Let rise at 24 °C (75 °F) for 30 minutes.
  3. With damp hands, gently stretch one side of the dough upward and fold it over the center, repeating on all four sides. Cover and let rise at 24 °C (75 °F) for 30 minutes.Lift only as far as the dough stretches comfortably without tearing.
  4. Repeat the folds on all four sides. Cover and let rise at 24 °C (75 °F) for 30 minutes.
  5. Repeat the folds on all four sides, then cover and let rise at 24 °C (75 °F) for 2½ hours. Extend this phase as needed until the dough has grown about 50 to 75% from its starting volume, shows bubbles along the edges, and jiggles lightly when the container is moved.Total bulk fermentation usually takes 4 to 6 hours; use the marked starting level and the dough's appearance rather than the clock alone.
  6. Gently turn the dough onto the work surface and use a dough scraper to preshape it into a loose round. Cover and let rest at 24 °C (75 °F) for 20 minutes.Keep the handling gentle to preserve the gas built during bulk fermentation.
  7. Dust the proofing basket with 10 g rice flour, then turn the dough over, fold the edges inward, and roll or draw it into a firm round without tearing the surface. Place seam-side up in the basket, cover, and refrigerate at 4 °C (39 °F) for 12 hours, until slightly expanded and airy.Keep the dough refrigerated until baking.
  8. During the last 45 minutes of the refrigerator proof, preheat the conventional oven to 250 °C (475 °F) with the empty cast-iron Dutch oven and its lid inside. Turn the cold dough onto parchment rated for 250 °C (475 °F), score about 1 cm (½ in) deep, carefully lower it into the hot pot with the paper, cover, turn the oven down to 240 °C (475 °F), and bake for 20 minutes.Use oven mitts when handling both the pot and the lid.
  9. Carefully remove the hot lid, lift the loaf out with oven mitts, remove the parchment completely, and return the loaf to the pot without paper. Bake uncovered at 220 °C (425 °F) for 25 minutes, until deeply golden with a center temperature of 96 to 98 °C (205 to 208 °F), adding 5 to 10 minutes uncovered if needed.
  10. Remove the loaf from the pot and cool completely on a rack for 120 minutes before slicing.Store the fully cooled loaf at room temperature in a bread box or paper bag for up to 3 days; for longer storage, freeze in slices for up to 3 months.

Food safety

  • Do not taste raw dough: raw flour can carry pathogens. Wash your hands and the counter after handling the dough.
  • Contains: gluten (wheat, rye).

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When it goes wrong

What you seeLikely causeNext time
The dough shows little growth during bulk fermentation.The starter was not sufficiently active, or the dough was too cool.Use starter at or just before its peak and check the dough and fermentation temperatures.
The dough tears during folding.It is being stretched beyond its resistance.Use damp hands and stop stretching before the dough begins to tear.
The dough feels unusually stiff and the crumb is tight.Extra flour was worked into the dough during kneading.Keep the specified flour quantity and accept some stickiness.
The loaf spreads and has a dense crumb.Bulk fermentation ended before the dough developed enough gas.Wait for the marked volume increase, edge bubbles, and light jiggle before preshaping.
The dough is slack, fragile, and difficult to shape.Bulk fermentation continued beyond the dough's useful strength.End bulk fermentation when the stated volume and texture cues appear rather than waiting for more growth.
The dough sticks to the proofing basket.The basket was not evenly coated with rice flour.Distribute the rice flour across the basket, including its sides.
The cooled crumb is gummy.The loaf was underbaked or sliced before it cooled completely.Check the center temperature and let the loaf cool fully on a rack before cutting.
Beginner sourdough bread

Ingredients