Before You Begin
You need an active starter — one that has been fed in the last 4–8 hours and is bubbly and doubled in size. If it's not active, your bread won't rise properly. Test it by dropping a spoonful into water: it should float.
The full process spans about 24 hours across two days. Most of that is hands-off waiting.
Day 1
Autolyse (30 min): In a large bowl, combine both flours and 350g of the water (hold back 25g). Mix until no dry flour remains. Cover and rest for 30–60 minutes. This develops gluten without kneading.
Add starter: Add your active starter and mix it in thoroughly, squeezing the dough through your fingers until fully incorporated.
Add salt: Dissolve the salt in the remaining 25g water, then add to the dough. Mix well.
Bulk fermentation (4–6 hours at ~24°C): Every 30 minutes for the first 2 hours, perform a set of stretch and folds. To do one set: grab one side of the dough, stretch it up, fold it over the top. Rotate the bowl 90° and repeat 4 times. The dough will become smoother and more elastic with each set.
Fermentation is complete when the dough has grown 50–75% and has a domed top with bubbles visible through the bowl.
Pre-shape: Turn the dough onto an unfloured surface. Gently fold the edges toward the centre and flip it seam-side down. Use a bench scraper to drag it toward you, building surface tension. Rest for 20–30 minutes.
Final shape: Shape into a round (boule) or oval (batard). Place seam-side up in a floured proving basket (banneton) or a bowl lined with a floured tea towel. Cover with plastic wrap.
Cold retard: Refrigerate overnight (8–16 hours).
Day 2
Preheat: Place a Dutch oven in your oven and preheat to 250°C (480°F) for at least 45 minutes.
Score: Turn the dough onto baking paper. Lightly dust with flour. Using a sharp knife or bread lame, score a confident slash at a 30–45° angle, about 1cm deep.
Bake (covered) 20 minutes: Carefully lower the dough on its paper into the screaming-hot Dutch oven. Replace the lid. The steam trapped inside creates the open crumb and allows the loaf to spring up.
Bake (uncovered) 20–25 minutes: Remove the lid and continue baking until the crust is deep mahogany brown. The internal temperature should be 96–98°C.
Cool completely: This is the hardest part. The bread continues to cook as it cools, and cutting too early will give you a gummy interior. Wait at least 1 hour — 2 is better.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Likely Cause |
|---|---|
| Dense, gummy crumb | Under-fermented or cut too early |
| Flat loaf | Inactive starter or over-fermented |
| Thick, tough crust | Oven too cool or lid removed too soon |
| Pale crust | Needs more time uncovered |
On failure: Every baker makes bad loaves. A flat or dense sourdough still makes excellent toast or breadcrumbs. Make notes on what happened and adjust next time.