Rustic Tangy Sourdough Bread (Print Version)
A naturally fermented loaf featuring chewy crust, tender interior, and tangy complexity from wild yeast cultivation.
# What You'll Need:
→ Dough
01 - 3 1/3 cups unbleached bread flour (500 g)
02 - 1 1/2 cups room temperature water (350 g)
03 - 1/3 cup active sourdough starter, fed and bubbly (100 g)
04 - 2 teaspoons sea salt (10 g)
# How-To Steps:
01 - Combine bread flour and water in a large bowl, mixing until just incorporated. Cover the bowl and let the mixture rest for 45 minutes to allow flour hydration.
02 - Add the active sourdough starter and sea salt to the autolysed dough. Mix thoroughly by hand, squeezing and folding until the starter and salt are completely distributed throughout the dough.
03 - Cover the dough and let it rest for 30 minutes at room temperature to relax the gluten network.
04 - Perform 4 sets of stretch and folds at 30-minute intervals. For each set, grab one edge of the dough, stretch it upward, and fold it over the center. Rotate the bowl one-quarter turn and repeat until all sides have been folded.
05 - After completing the final fold, cover the dough and allow it to rise at room temperature for 4-6 hours, or until the dough has approximately doubled in volume and shows visible fermentation bubbles.
06 - Lightly dust your work surface with flour. Turn the dough out gently and shape it into a preliminary round or oval, creating surface tension without deflating the dough.
07 - Place the shaped dough seam side up in a well-floured banneton basket or a bowl lined with a heavily floured kitchen towel. The seam placement will become the aesthetic bottom of your loaf.
08 - Cover and proof for 2-4 hours at room temperature, or refrigerate overnight for 8-12 hours. Cold proofing develops deeper sourdough flavor and makes the dough easier to handle.
09 - Preheat your oven to 450°F with a Dutch oven or heavy lidded pot inside. Allow at least 30 minutes for thorough heating to ensure optimal oven spring and crust development.
10 - Turn the proofed dough onto a piece of parchment paper. Use a bread lame or sharp knife to score the top with a decisive 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep cut. Carefully lift the parchment and dough into the preheated Dutch oven.
11 - Cover the Dutch oven with its lid and bake for 25 minutes. The trapped steam creates the characteristic crispy, blistered crust.
12 - Remove the lid and continue baking for 20 additional minutes, or until the loaf reaches a deep golden-brown color and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.
13 - Transfer the baked loaf to a wire rack and allow it to cool completely for at least 1-2 hours before slicing. Cutting while warm will result in a gummy texture.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The crust gets this incredible shatter when you bite into it, giving way to the most tender, open crumb you have ever achieved at home
- Once you get the rhythm of fermentation down, you will wonder why you ever bought bread from the store
- The process becomes meditative, forcing you to slow down and pay attention to something alive and changing
02 -
- Temperature matters more than you think, a cold kitchen will slow fermentation dramatically while a warm one speeds everything up
- Over proofed dough collapses in the oven and loses all that beautiful oven spring you are waiting for
- Your starter is unique, so fermentation times will vary and you need to learn how your dough looks and feels when it is ready
03 -
- Steam is what creates that blistered, shiny crust, which is why baking in a Dutch oven works so well
- Letting your dough cold proof in the refrigerator overnight develops incredible flavor and makes the dough easier to handle