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!
3,336 Comments
Reading your guide here (and Bonnie’s book), your recipe make 2 loaves. If I just want to make a single loaf, would I just cut everything in half including the levain? Also, should I use room temp water for making the levain?
Thanks…RG
Love her book! Yes, just split everything in half, including the levain, to make one loaf. Warm room temp should work well, but I’d prefer warming it a bit to 78F. Have fun!
Thanks again!
Hi! Thanks for keeping me sane during the pandemic- I’ve been using recipes for almost 3 months now!
I do have a quick question: if I have to make the bread and bake in the same day, can I skip resting in the fridge and proof it for a few hours on the counter? How long do you suggest I keep it in 75 degrees temp room after the shaping before I bake?
Thanks,
Tania
Yes, you can certainly skip the fridge proof. Usually it’s around 2-4 hours at that temp, but it does depend on how the dough is doing. Give it a gentle poke from time to time, when the indentation very slowly springs back, perhaps not even fully, that’s the time to bake.
Thank you!!!
what the Hell, Just Wing It!
my sense is that the NYTimes has shifted their food columns recently to more of a “Just Wing it” Nstyle. No step-by-steps, few measurements, basically just a sketch of easy to accomplish simple dishes. Because really, do we need more than a sketch to manage an omelette?
and I love their new liberated approach. (assuming I am correct)
Then this week I found myself in a strange kitchen without a scalen (digital or otherwise) or cast iron cookware but needing bread. (though of course I was travelling with my starter)
and while I understand that “baking” is apparently “science” that succeeds best with precise measurements, I wondered “is bread baking really the same as cake making? Do I really have to measure everything down to the gram and degree C?”
and so (given I have several decades of dough experience) I just set to. and I did EVERYTHING “wrong”.
– I didn’t start my levain until noon.
– I couldn’t measure my levain mix so I just eyeballed it.
– I couldn’t measure my dough mix so, again, I just mixed flour and water until it felt right (credit due though, I learned “right” from this Blog).
– I didn’t have a thermometer (not that I think temperature is that critical anyway. )
– my Bulk Fermentation wasn’t half way finished by 9pm. so, having finished the folds, I just left it in the fridge overnight.
– next morning, I took it all out to warm up and it had nicely doubled.
– at about noon I formed loaves (in glass mixing bowls, lacking proper baskets), gave them 4 hours in the fridge and then 4 hours out on the counter to warm up.
– and didn’t start baking until 930pm
Oh, and in stainless steel pots. (lacking cast iron)
So basically, I broke every single rule.
and you know what? they turned out great (great ooking at least – it’s too early to taste them.)
https://photos.app.goo.gl/eWjfstcKxMrqmfco9
so what do you think? was I just lucky? or can we, like the monks, before the advent of digital scales, just make good bread by feel and experience?
(Maybe I am just happy with Good Enough.)
That’s certainly one way to go about baking, and it’s totally fine! Of course people have been baking for thousands of years, long before we had any measurement devices, just our senses. I like to add a little more rigor to my baking to help increase consistency, and to more precisely direct my yeast and bacteria to do the work I want them to do 🙂 In the end, all forms of bread making are aimed at the end goal: make great bread! Happy baking, Peter 🙂
While, of course, more precision yields the best results, I guess my real point in sharing my story was that people should not be discouraged or disuaded from bread baking just because they don’t have all the Best Practices tools (scale, thermometer, cast iron, time) at hand. Say they are travelling or at a friend’s house (not that either of those are happening right now.)
Pretty good bread is better than no bread at all.
And I now know that Freestyle bread can be excellent.
100% agree with this!
Hi Maruizio!
Wanted to share a website for a mill in my area. I wanted to get some feedback from you re some of the flours. I know that freshly milled flour can make such a difference in your loaves, but I am curious if you would have any recommendations from this mill in particular. Thanks! https://bartonspringsmill.com/
Barton Springs is awesome! I met the owner several years ago at a baking class and he’s such a great guy, I also know Abby who is starting a bakery attached to the mill. Just a wonderful community there. I’ve tried many flours from them and have enjoyed each in their own way. You really can’t go wrong 🙂
Hi @maurizioleo:disqus,
I see you mention how important the final dough temperature is. Can you elaborate on why? What happens if it’s 5 degrees below or 5 above, etc?
Also, absolutely killer site. Having been a consumer of food websites for 15+ years and noticing a recent proliferation of low quality, ad-ridden food blogs; this site is beautiful, thoughtfully laid out, and the results have been great. Excellent job!
Temperature is one of the most impactful things on fermentation, and changing this variable will have effects on the timeline (and more!) of your bread. Generally, higher temperatures mean a shorter timeline as fermentation activity is increased. Conversely, cooler temperatures mean reduced fermentation activity. In addition, cooler temperatures can emphasize yeast vs bacterial growth (which has implications on gas production vs acid production, respectively); warmer temperatures tend to favor bacterial growth vs yeast growth. For more, see this research paper. Sorry if this went too deep, but it’s helpful to know!
Thanks for the kind words, I really appreciate that. I strive for clarity with my website and spend a lot of time with that — it means a lot to hear your comments! Happy baking.
Can you please provide details about feeding starter in order for it to peak at the correct time in the morning to build the levain? I’m confused because if I were to follow your schedule, wouldn’t have that me feeding my starter at 4am? Planning on starting tomorrow! Thanks!
Typically I feed my starter at night before going to bed, anywhere from 8-10pm (or later, too). With a small amount of starter left in the jar, and kept around 23°C, my starter is ripe and ready in the morning between 8-10am or so.
Good afternoon. I just finished putting two loaves in the fridge to ferment and be ready for tomorrow morning. I would like to share a couple of things: the part of the bread flour in the mix was actually a 2:1 bread flour and fine semolina, in addition to the whole wheat component. The bread flour/semolina blend is referred to in Greek bread recipes as “χωριάτικο αλεύρι” or “country flour”. Also, a good use for the discarded starter is making British crumpets. All you need to mix in 250 gr of starter is mix two teaspoon of granulated sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of Kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda. Mix them and fry them in a iron skillet with a little butter. Use cookie cutter metal rings in the skillet and pour 1/4 cup inside each ring. In medium heat, let the starter mix rise and make small bubbles on the surface, about 8-10 minutes. Remove the ring and flip them for 3-4 more minutes. Eat them hot with butter and jam or honey and cinnamon.
Those sound delicious, I’m going to give that a try myself! Thanks for sharing 🙂
For starter maintenance can you move from room temp to refrigerated and back at will, with the only difference being the frequency of feeding?
The fridge has implications — with my starter it doesn’t spring back from being refrigerated readily, it takes a few days of regular refreshments to get it back on track.
Hi Maurizio, if I don’t have a dutch oven or a combo cooker, can I still get good results using my pizza stone? If using the pizza stone, can I still bake it straight from the fridge or do I need to adjust something before or during baking?
Yes, for sure. If you have a very deep roasting pot that’s oven safe you could invert this over your dough so it’s resting on the pizza stone for the steaming portion of the bake (the first 20 minutes). If not, a handheld spray bottle will do well — just mist in the oven after loading your dough and shut the door quickly.
Steam isn’t 100% mandatory for baking, but it does help impart a nice color to the crust and eek out a bit more rise.
Is there a danger in letting the mixture autolyse for a few hours? For one, my dough mixture was substantially drier than yours but it took me an hour to get up the courage to add more water until it was at least a little wet.Secondly, my levain is still not ready 6 hours after mixing it. It seems like pausing at the autolysing stage until my levain comes to life is my only option.
That will be fine with this dough, but some doughs might not tolerate an extended autolyse (most notably in my experience, doughs with high percentages of freshly milled flour, whole grains, or some ancient grains).
Hi Maurizio. I’ve really loved learning sourdough through your website. So far I’ve made this regular beginner loaf, cinnamon raisin, and walnut cranberry. They’ve all been excellent! I’m trying to make a jalapeño cheddar loaf this weekend. Do you have any suggestions for how much cheddar and jalapeños to add? I was going to use this beginner loaf recipe as the foundation. Thank you!!!
Right on, so glad to hear that! I don’t have a suggestion for that type of bread, although it IS something I’ve been thinking about trying soon! I think the jalapeños will really depend on how spicy they are, and for the cheese, I’d likely make small cubes and see how that goes, this way they won’t melt too readily… Just some ideas!
Thanks Maruizio. I made it and it turned out great! I used your cinnamon raisin recipe as the base and included 200g of cubed cheddar and 56g of sliced jalapeños. It turned out amazing!
Hey, thanks so much for this recipe. Made this once and it turned out great. Is there any way to use Einkorn in this recipe? For example, in substitution for the Rye or Whole Wheat flour? Whole wheat flour has been difficult to find at local stores, so I’m stuck with Einkorn Whole Wheat. Thanks again!
For sure, I’d start with swapping out the rye for the einkorn. Then, work up that percentage in place of the whole wheat as desired.
Hi Maurizo,
I’ve been following your blog for the past few months, and I’ve used the beginner sourdough recipe for my first few attempts at sourdough baking and I simply can’t thank you enough. I never thought that I would have been able to bake bread like this, and while I still have lots of learning left to do, I really wanted to express some gratitude at the clarity of your instructions and the quality of your recipes – they are absolutely excellent.
With respect to this recipe, I’m really happy with the flavour, crumb, and crust of my loaves, but I would love to have just a bit more oven spring for my loaf (especially when I do boules). My starter passes the float test (and it looks pretty active when I start the levain and when I add the levain into the autolyse), I’m getting good rise during bulk fermentation, and when I test the bread after the overnight proof, it doesn’t seem to be overproofed. Is it the shaping? Hydration? Length of autolyse? Any tips would be welcome.
Thanks again for The Perfect Loaf!
Aabir
Happy to help, Aabir! Usually a lack of rise in the oven means insufficient dough strength (or over hydration, or both), not a tight enough shape, or you might be pushing the proof a bit too far. It sounds like maybe it’s shaping — try a tighter shape to help encourage it to spring up instead of spread out. That might help!
is this a discrepancy? and one that I need to reconcile?
under Levain Build I read: “Typically you make the levain the night before you plan to mix your dough,”
but further down, under
Method
1. Levain – 8:00 a.m.
I read: “Mix together everything called for in the “Levain Build” section above in a clean jar in the morning…”
I’m confused. (and my timing is now completely out of whack)
if you “make the levain the night before” what do you do with it overnight? leave it sit out – for 8 hours+? refrigerate it?
I messed up the timing my first loaf. Started my levain around 4 pm, finished and put to dough ‘to bed’ around 11:30 pm. Too late for me!
Second pass, started my levain around 7 am (I know it takes around 6 hours to peak). That worked out better. I was done by 6 or 7 pm, baked at 8:30 or so the next morning.
You can really make your levain any time you’d like, but you have to adjust the build parameters (temperature, amount of starter added, etc.).
For those beginners that see this: The hydration level in this recipe is quite high for a beginner (78%). I’ve seen quite a few suggestion to start lower (between 70-75%) if you’re not used to working with wet dough (like me). I found the dough created following this recipe very hard to work with (too wet), so for my next loaf I’m going to try something with less water.
Thanks for that message, Gabe! Yes, it’s a high hydration and really depends on the flour you’re using (hence the warnings in the post 🙂). Happy baking!
Well, there are wet doughs, and then there’s this one. This one is through the roof. I’m used to dealing with wet doughs, but they at least keep their structure and don’t get all gummy like this one does. I am completely unable to make a dough using this recipe that will hold its structure at the end of the proof. In fact, it’s so wet and sticky, I couldn’t even put the dough into brötforms. I was able to salvage the recipe by putting the bread into pans.
This isn’t a “beginner’s recipe.” I’m not a beginner in any stretch and I’m having a real hard time getting this to work. Funny thing is that I keep trying to make it work instead of jettisoning it and trying something else.
Yes, I agree, it’s definitely a little challenging given the water, regardless what flour you’re using (it’s totally fine here, but it’s also very dry and my flour seems to be able to handle it). I’ve been testing a version with a reduced hydration (around 72%) and will be updating the post once I am sure things are stable. Thanks for the feedback!
Funny thing. Each iteration is still delicious….
And your instructions for starter are spot on. I love the rye when cultivating. That really kicks it into high gear.
It’s definitely a flexible recipe! If you give it a shot with the new hydration numbers above, please let me know how it goes for you. Happy baking!
Just made my second loaf and am fighting with my oven temp and will work on getting that calibrated…the first loaf last week had a too dark bottom. But something else, a light bulb went off for me…as I’m making one boule, a half recipe (how much bread can one eat?) the ‘folding’ is harder than it looks in the online pictures. I ‘m using less dough, so less to grab, stretch and fold over. Duh, I know. Just thought I’d pass that along.
I made a loaf today closely following your recipe. I used a starter I made per your directions and feeding schedule for creating a starter from scratch. I used my approx 2 week old starter. The bread turned out great and I’ve already gotten requests to share my starter!!! Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with us!! 🙂
Happy to hear this, Tabitha!
Hey, thank you for all the effort putting these instructions online. The ingredient tables in this recipe are a little confusing though. I’m not sure I understand the difference between the total formula and dough mix… Are levain and starter interchangeable terms? And the dough mix says it does not include the levain but then lists it as the last item in the table.
Agreed! I’ve recently updated the post to make this more clear, where the tables for ingredients appear where they’re needed.
Thanks Maurizio! Much easier to follow now. I noticed the updates this past weekend and made a couple of wonderful loaves thanks to you. Cheers!
Happy to help and thanks for reporting back!
Love this recipe, thanks so much! If I wanted to double the recipe, which parts can I double – can you double at the leaven and bulk fermentation stages, then divide for proof – or should you just do to leavens at the start?
To double this recipe, double everything. Double the levain build ingredients and the dough mix ingredients. Check out my post on baker’s percentages for more explanation!
Thank you! I guess my question is more about the bulk fermentation and proofing timing – if doubled does that impact the timing, or should it rise all the same as long as the percentages are the same? Thank you!!
Hi! Thank you for this blog! It’s amazing! But I’m having problems baking the bread. My question is, when you mix all the ingredients, just before the bulk fermentation, wich consistency should the dough have? In my case is sticky, and it doesn’t feel quite right… Maybe too much water? I folowed the recipe, just halved the quantities. Thanks!
Also, it seemed weak. When I put it in the counter for shaping it didn’t hold the domed shape, and the same after proofing. Could be that it needed more kneading at the beggining, when mixing everything? Just more stretch and fold sets? Is it just less water? Thank you!
It sounds like your dough is most likely over hydrated. Try reducing the hydration by 10% and give it another go — the reduced water should bring a lot of strength to the dough and you’ll feel it immediately. Once you find a suitable hydration, you can try to push it back up, but as you do, take note of how the consistency of the dough changes: the dough will start to slacken out as you add more and more water, this means you’ll likely have to mix more upfront or add another set or two of stretch and folds during bulk fermentation.
Try to keep everything else as consistent as possible and let me know how the next attempt goes!
I made my first loaves today. Well, finished them today. They came out absolutely wonderful!!! I followed this site exactly and used the beginners simple sourdough recipe. With a little more age, the flavor will be phenomenal. Even without aging, it came out yummy!
Thank you so much for this guide. You give plenty of information without overwhelming people new to the process.
Right on, Kirianna! Happy to hear this. Here’s to many more awesome bakes!
Hi Maurizio, please are you able to add that lovely and very handy time line that you have in your Simple Weekday Sourdough Bread recipe in here your Beginner’s Sourdough Bread recipe page? Thanks!
Yes, working on it!
Just wanted to add on to many similar comments. A two-week journey from starter to an amazing sourdough loaf as of a few hours ago.
Thank you.
I was sure I’d done a handful of things wrong. Living in San Francisco for 40+ years, I’ve had some great bread.
It did feel too wet but I kept going. I was more worried putting this in to bake than you would believe.
I took tips from a number of sites but followed this pretty closely.
I hope this wasn’t beginners luck or it’s really mediocre except that I made it!
I’ll keep going though.
Great to hear this, Robert — keep at it! And while every loaf won’t be stellar, each one is a learning experience in which we all grow as bakers. And the best part? They’re always edible and delicious. Happy baking.
Hey Maurizio,
Quick question- how would you suggest making a 10 hour Levain with this recipe so I can more easily adapt it to my work day schedule?
Thanks so much!
Austin — I’d us the same levain approach as on my weekday sourdough bread recipe.
Hi! I notice that in this post you have the levain being added after about five hours, but in your Starter Maintenance post it looks like you’d let it rest far longer before using it in bread. Is this just an aspect of the beginner recipe? Should I wait longer? Thanks!
It’s because this recipe has a larger starting amount of sourdough starter, which speeds up the fermentation process.
Hello Maurizio!
Thank you for your great recipe and tips! Can the bulk fermentation be longer then 5h? It doesn’t look like my dough is ready, I can not see any bubbles yet, although I have to work soon and I was wondering if I could leave the dough longer on the kitchen counter?
Definitely give it the time it needs! It will take longer if you used your starter or levain a little early or it’s cold in your kitchen (and the final dough temp is lower than what I indicate in the post).
Hello Maurizio
Thanks for your recipe! We’ve had reliable tasty sourdough. Do you have any tips on preventing the dough sticking to the banneton?
You’re very welcome, Alastair. You could try dusting on a bit more flour in the basket to see if that helps. But more importantly: be sure your dough is shaped tightly enough to impart a smooth and taut skin on the dough. This will help ensure it removes cleanly!
Hey Maurizio! I love this recipe, I’ve made it 4 time so far, and given loads away to friends and family. Everyone loves it! Im making another batch tonight and the dough was very sticky when I went to shape. It’s happened before and am wondering if I need to hold back water during mixing or if it needs longer to proof.
https://imgur.com/oc5cpMF
i have the same, i am interested in the answer 🙂
Me too. During the fold and stretch process it feels very wet and then when I go to shape it’s still very wet. I have had this same issue twice now both times i’ve followed this recipe exactly
Same here, first time but the dough is currently in bulk and I am doubling up on the stretch and holds at each interval but the dough still seems weak. I may just add more stretch and folds…. But not sure.
See my reply to Rich, above!
Me too! I changed from using all purpose flour (never had this issue) to using bread flour and my dough became extreamly sticky… to the point where i had to use a ton of flour to pre shape and shape and it was still practically imposible to handle with my hands without it sticking. Would love some insight to see if i need to do something different or why the dough can be so sticky. Should i increase my time in bulk? O maybe something wrong with my bread flour?
Could be your flour, see my reply above!
See my reply above!
See above 🙂
Hi! I have the same question as others here. When I get to step 6 the shaping, my dough is just too wet and sticky to be shaped. Are there any suggestions as to why this is the case and how to adapt?
Cheers!
It sounds like your dough is most likely over hydrated. Try reducing the hydration by 10% and give it another go — the reduced water should bring a lot of strength to the dough and you’ll feel it immediately. Once you find a suitable hydration, you can try to push it back up, but as you do, take note of how the consistency of the dough changes: the dough will start to slacken out as you add more and more water, this means you’ll likely have to mix more upfront or add another set or two of stretch and folds during bulk fermentation.
Try to keep everything else as consistent as possible and let me know how the next attempt goes!
Well i know what i did. I significantly overproofed. Finally got my ambient thermometer and my oven with the light on was hitting at 92 degrees, which is where I left my dough. Baking again today and keeping a better eye on temp!
Ah! Yes, if the dough proofs too or for too long at a warm temp it might become overly sticky (either from over proofing or increased moisture/humidity).
My last bake was the best ever and it was because I paid very close attention to my temperature. I know you said to treat it like an ingredient….but I have definitely just assumed it’d be fine if I didn’t check the dough temp. I finally got that beautiful oven spring and ear on my loaves and I was so proud! Thank you for taking the time to answer all these questions.
Hello I made your recipe yesterday to today and found the dough to be very wet. I measured all of the ingredients with my scale and followed directions. to a T. I ended up having to add a bit of extra flour because it was too wet. It’s not my first bread but first with your recipe. After I proofed it in my baskets and was ready to bake it, I transferred it to parchment paper to score and place in the cast iron, which I always do. The formed loaf spread out onto the paper and didn’t hold it’s shape. I baked it anyways and it was flatter than I preferred but was very delicious. Should I have added more flour?
I know now what I did wrong. I didn’t retard the dough. I had it in the fridge all night and warmed it up instead of cooking it cold.
I wish I had ready this a month ago. I was having the same issue, but after even a short visit to the fridge the dough tightened and I could score it very well. It was previously very wet. Also, more protein in the flour helped with this a lot. In the past, with just AP flour, even retarding it in the fridge over night didn’t matter much.
Attempted for the second time yesterday. Starter is looking strong (reliably doubles within 6 hours of feeding) but the dough didn’t rise properly, and had uneven and spare holes when I sliced it. Google album of bread results here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/bpHoK1aehqtrnozv9
Any idea what’s wrong? It was feeling pretty good when I formed the boule, but when I took it out of the fridge after 16 hours it was a bit flat, then really didn’t rise in the oven.
Hey Maurizio,
I just wanted to take the time to genuinely thank you as I started the 2 week journey to my first loaf of beginners sourdough two weeks ago with nothing but water, flour, time and your instruction. I started with your starter instructions and then as of Monday decided to take a stab at your Levain and get to making some dough. This morning I baked my first loaf in my Dutch oven and though there are meant tweaks to make and adjustments to learn I have to say I am very very happy for my first loaf. (Pic is my profile picture)
Could not have done it without you man. Cheers to many more!
Chris
I would like to second Chris! I made my first loaves today and they turned out better than expected! I used a friends starter, fed it last week leading up to my first ever sourdough loaf baked today. And it’s delicious and beautiful! Your guide was invaluable!
Thanks
Claire
So glad to hear this, Claire!
Happy to help, Chris! And your loaf looks wonderful (from the little picture I can see!). Happy baking.
hmmm, my formed loaves didn’t really rise in the fridge overnight. I am concerned my levain (which I had “retarded” in the fridge the previous night because I couldn’t hit the original 24hour schedule) might not have still been active.
I’m going to leave them out on the counter to come to room temperature and see if they don’t rise a bit when warmer.
otherwise, can I restart the process with fresh levain cut into these batches of wet dough? I know it’s only a matter of 800g of flour, and so won’t break the bank , but it seems dumb to waste an otherwise good mix.
You definitely want to keep that levain out of the fridge! Leave the dough out to ferment long until you see it pass the “poke test” — it should be puffy, look smooth, and a poke with your finger should slowly, but not completely, fill back in.
thank you.
Under the Levain post i had asked about whether a batch of Levain could be “held” for a day or so (if as happened to me, one got off schedule.)
Are you saying “No, levain will not survive on overnight in the fridge”?
even if left to warm back up before use?
and what’s your guess? might leaves not very risen shaped loaves show some life if I let them warm up to room temperature?
(I’ll report back in the few hours on the actual results.)
Peter
I’ve never tried refrigerating my levain, but my feeling is the cold temperature would “weaken” it — it might work, but my feeling is it wouldn’t be optimal. I could be wrong!
tried another batch yesterday but again, my formed loaves didn’t rise overnight in the fridge.
(funny, I was scanning the posts here to see if anyone had had the same problem. and lo and behold someone had. Me! 2 weeks ago.)
and this time round I had timed the Levain build correctly, let it sit for 4 hours, and it seemed nicely active when I mixed it in for the bulk fermentation.
Now, after the formed loaves have been sitting out in a 68F kitchen for… 4 hours, they are still not very risen and a “poke” leaves an indentation.
the poke does NOT spring back much at all (maybe 25%)
any suggestions as to why fridge fermentation would fail?
Hello! I’m attempting this recipe today and I’m super excited. I’ve been getting to know my new starter for almost two weeks now and your site is the most informative I’ve come across so far.
I’m a little concerned because when I made my levain, it ended up being extremely thick (like cement) and doesn’t really look like your photos (my starter is smooth and more liquid and is closer to your provided images). It also didn’t rise too much after 6 hours, but it did pass the float test for a few minutes. I’m going to keep pushing through and see what happens… but I’m wondering if anyone else has had this issue, or is it normal? Is it okay to add more water than listed in the ingredients to make the levain less stiff?
Thank you! and if this round doesn’t work out I’ll keep trying.
I’m no expert but I think your levain is pretty much just like your starter, consistency-wise, except it goes into your bread.
Perhaps you made a small mistake making the levain. I cut the recipe in half and wondered a few times if I’d done my math on every element correctly.
Also, my levain didn’t rise as much as I’d hoped so that was a concern.
Good luck.
It’s definitely ok if it’s more on the stiff side, just be sure there’s plenty of fermentation in there and it’ll be just fine.
Hiya, thank you so much for this recipe. If anyone is still reading these comments I have a question that I’d love some help with. My problem is oven spring – I don’t get much of it. I followed this recipe to the letter; my starter is healthy and doubles in a few hours so I would think that wasn’t the problem. Could it be that I should be keeping the lid on the cast iron for longer, to let more steam affect the bread? What factors could improve my oven spring?
I’ve started adding ice cubes to baking pan, whether it’s a lodge pan covered with pot or a Dutch oven. Three cubes tossed in just before you cover gives enough steam for good spring!
Hope this helps
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rsnmv5FvKE#action=share
Man factors could impact oven spring. Typically I find some bakers aren’t strengthening their dough sufficiently or shaping it tightly enough. Try shaping it a bit tighter — it should hold its shape on the counter after you shape it with no problem (especially with this recipe). That strong shape will encourage it to stay in shape while baking.
Amazing!
Can I use a steam oven and not the Dutch oven or bread cloche? I have a new oven and thought I could now make bread without the aid of the cast iron dishes.
If your oven injects steam into the chamber, then yes that’ll work!
Thank you. I followed your recipe.
Put the Neff Oven on Bread baking with High steam at 200dec C. I get an Poor rise in the loaf for all. Might need to play around with the proofing and maybe get it to a higher temp beforehand. It was at 14 deg C when it went into the oven.