Description
This simple sourdough bread recipe makes a soft, springy loaf with a golden crust and lightly open crumb. It uses an active starter, an overnight rise, and a short cold proof before baking in a Dutch oven.
Ingredients
Scale
- 500g bread flour, about 4 cups plus 2 tablespoons
- 350g warm water, about 1 1/2 cups minus 1 tablespoon
- 100g active sourdough starter, about 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon
- 10g salt, about 1 3/4 teaspoons
- 15g honey, about 2 teaspoons
- 15g olive oil, about 1 tablespoon
Instructions
- In the evening, combine the warm water, active starter, honey, and olive oil in a large bowl.
- Add the bread flour and salt. Mix by hand or with a Danish dough whisk until no dry flour remains. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
- Perform 3 rounds of stretch-and-folds, spaced 30 minutes apart. Cover the dough between each round.
- After the final fold, cover the bowl tightly with a lid, plastic wrap, or reusable wrap and let it bulk ferment overnight at about 75 to 77°F.
- The next morning, check the dough. It should be increased by about 60 to 75%, show visible bubbles, and pass the poke test with a slow spring back and slight indentation.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface using a bowl scraper. Gently pre-shape it into a round, preserving as much gas as possible.
- Let the dough bench rest for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Perform a gentle final shape and place the dough seam-side up in a floured banneton or towel-lined bowl.
- Cover the banneton or bowl loosely with plastic wrap, a reusable cover, or a clean kitchen towel, then refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours.
- Place a Dutch oven with the lid in the oven and preheat the oven to 450°F for at least 45 minutes.
- Turn the dough onto parchment paper and score the top with one confident slash about ¼-inch deep.
- Carefully transfer the dough using the parchment paper into the hot Dutch oven. Cover and bake for 20 minutes at 450°F.
- Remove the lid, reduce the oven to 425°F, and continue baking for about 15 minutes, or until the loaf reaches at least 205°F in the center.
- If the crust is dark but the loaf is not fully baked, reduce the oven to 400°F and continue baking until the internal temperature reaches 205 to 208°F.
- Transfer the loaf to a wire rack and cool completely for at least 3 hours before slicing.
Notes
- If your starter has been refrigerated, feed it twice before baking.
- Use the starter at peak activity, when it has doubled or tripled and the top is just starting to flatten.
- Any early evening start works as long as the dough has time for the stretch-and-folds before the overnight bulk fermentation. Three stretch-and-folds are enough for this loaf.
- Handle the dough gently after bulk fermentation to preserve the airy crumb.
- The short refrigerator proof helps with shaping and oven spring.
- Bake to internal temperature, not crust color.
- For the best texture, cool the loaf completely before slicing.
- For best results, use a kitchen scale. The cup measurements are approximate, especially for flour and sourdough starter.
- Prep Time: 35 min
- Resting/Rising Time: 12 hr
- Cook Time: 40 min
- Category: Bread, Side Dish
- Method: Baking
