Crusty Sourdough Bread (Printable)

Naturally fermented loaf with crispy crust, chewy interior, and signature tang using wild yeast starter.

# What You Need:

→ Starter

01 - 0.44 cup active sourdough starter, fed and bubbly

→ Dough

02 - 3 cups bread flour, plus extra for dusting
03 - 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
04 - 1.16 cups water, room temperature
05 - 2 teaspoons sea salt

# How To Make It:

01 - In a large bowl, combine the bread flour, whole wheat flour, and water. Mix until just incorporated, ensuring no dry flour remains. Cover the bowl and let rest for 1 hour to hydrate the flour.
02 - Add the active sourdough starter and sea salt to the autolysed dough. Mix by hand or using a spatula until fully incorporated, approximately 3-5 minutes. The dough should become cohesive and start to develop some structure.
03 - Cover the bowl and let ferment at room temperature for 4-5 hours. Every 30-45 minutes, perform a stretch and fold: grab one edge of the dough, pull it upward, and fold it over the center. Rotate the bowl and repeat 4 times per session to strengthen the gluten network.
04 - Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Gently shape into a round boule, using a bench scraper to create tension on the surface. Cover and let rest for 20 minutes to relax the gluten.
05 - Shape the dough into a tight round loaf, creating surface tension by folding the edges toward the center and flipping seam-side down. Place the dough seam-side up in a well-floured proofing basket or bowl lined with a floured kitchen towel.
06 - Cover and let rise at room temperature for 2-3 hours until the dough shows slight resistance to gentle touch and has increased about 50% in volume. For enhanced sour flavor, refrigerate overnight for 8-12 hours.
07 - Position a Dutch oven or heavy oven-safe pot with lid in the center of the oven. Preheat to 480°F for at least 30 minutes to ensure the pot is thoroughly hot for optimal oven spring.
08 - Gently invert the dough onto parchment paper. Using a sharp blade or bread lame, score the surface with a single slash or cross pattern. Transfer to the preheated pot, cover with lid, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove lid, reduce temperature to 430°F, and bake 25 minutes until deep golden brown with an internal temperature of 200°F.
09 - Remove the bread from the pot and transfer to a wire rack. Cool completely for at least 2 hours before slicing to allow the crumb structure to set and prevent excess moisture loss.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The crust crackles when you slice it, sending little flakes everywhere that someone inevitably has to sweep up later
  • Your kitchen will smell like a professional bakery for days
  • Once you master this, store bought bread will never taste quite right again
02 -
  • Slicing into warm bread feels tempting but ruins the crumb structure you worked hours to build
  • A cold overnight proof dramatically improves flavor and makes scoring much easier
  • Your starter will behave differently based on the season and kitchen temperature
03 -
  • A spray bottle filled with water creates steam in your oven if your Dutch oven lid isnt tight fitting
  • Pre measured water takes the guesswork out of hydration levels

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