Description
The ultimate crunchy, crusty sourdough bread recipe. A beautiful crispy outside is cut open to reveal the softest, spongiest sourdough crumb on the inside and the flavor is out of this world.
Ingredients
Scale
- 100 g sourdough starter, bubbly and active
- 375 g 1 1/2 cups plus 1 tbsp warm filtered water
- 400 g Bread flour
- 100 g all purpose flour
- 12 g sea salt
Instructions
Feed Starter:
- 4-8 hours before you want to make sourdough bread, activate starter by feeding it equal parts water and flour. Let it sit for 4-8 hours to become bubbly and doubled in size.
Make Dough:
- Add 375 grams of warm filtered water to a large bowl. Add 100 grams of active starter and mix with a wooden spoon until starter is mostly dissolved. Add the bread flour, all purpose flour and salt. Mix to combine using hands as needed. Cover with a damp towel and let rest for 30 minutes.
Stretch and Fold + Coil Fold
- Build strength in the dough by gently pulling the dough up and out of the bowl. Let it stretch but don't let it rip. Fold the dough back into the middle of the bowl. Turn the bowl one-quarter clockwise and perform another stretch and fold. Complete 4 stretches & folds per set.
Cover the dough and, and let it rest for another 30 minutes and repeat the stretching and folding action. Do this process of stretch and folds + 30 minute rest for 3 rounds.
After the third stretch and fold, perform 1-2 coil folds. To coil fold, simply lift the dough up from the middle and let it naturally stretch down. Gently fold it into itself. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes between the coil folds.
Bulk Fermentation
- Cover the bowl with a towel and let rise at room temperature for about 6 to 8 hours. Watch the dough carefully to see when it has increased in volume by about 50-75%. You should see bubbles forming on the surface. Remember that sourdough will rise much more quickly in a warm environment. During the summer, the bulk fermentation may only take 6 hours.
Note: Remember to not over-proof this dough. Over-proofed sourdough is a sloppy mess and impossible to shape.
Shape Loaf
- Turn your dough out onto a lightly floured surface. I like to use rice flour because it doesn't burn on the surface when baking. Shape the dough into a round or "boule" shape and let it rest for 20 minutes. You can loosely cover it with plastic wrap if you desire.
Prepare your banneton basket for the second fermentation by coating the inside with rice flour. If you don't have a banneton, use a bowl with a well-floured tea towel inside.
NOTE: Make sure you season your banneton basket with lots of rice flour! Otherwise, the dough will stick and ruin the shape of your sourdough!
Shape your dough into a round again and then place it inside the banneton, seam side UP!
Wrap your banneton in plastic wrap or place it inside a large ziplock bag and place it in the fridge for 12-48 hours.
Cold Fermentation
- Wrap your banneton in plastic wrap or place it inside a large ziplock bag and place it in the fridge for 12-48 hours.
I prefer the crumb of this bread when it has fermented for 24-48 hours. The added benefit is a more fully-fermented bread which is healthier and easier to digest.
After you have completed your second fermentation, remove the dough from the refrigerator.
Bake
- Place a Dutch oven in your oven, and preheat your oven to 550°F (290°C). Prepare a sheet of parchment paper. Invert your banneton basket over the parchment paper.
- Next, using a sharp knife or preferably a bread lame, slash the surface of the dough, about 1/2 an inch deep to create scoring. This helps the bread expand. Slashing the dough off to one side and down the length of the loaf creates what is called the sourdough "ear".
- Carefully (because remember the dutch oven is piping hot) place the parchment paper and bread dough into the Dutch oven with the lid on, and place it in the oven.
Lower the oven to temperature to 450 degrees F. Bake for 30 minutes, covered. Remove the lid and drop the oven temperature to 400 degrees F. Let the bread bake for another 10 – 15 minutes. I like to bake dark so I give it at least 15. - Remove from oven and cool on the counter. They say you should let it cool before slicing but there is nothing more superb on earth than a piping hot slice of sourdough bread with loads of fresh butter! Enjoy!
Store
- This bread will stay soft and fresh for 3 days at room temp in an airtight bag or container.
If you plan to make it last longer than 3 days, I suggest slicing the whole loaf and placing in a freezer bag in the freezer. That way you can pull out a piece or two for breakfast toast, garlic bread, etc…
Notes
- This recipe is based on Alexandra Cooks recipe HERE. Changes include using some AP flour instead of all bread flour, adding 2 coil folds, adjusting bake times for a crispier crust.
- Start your bread when your sourdough starter is at the peak of activity!
This is usually about 6 hours after you feed your starter, but depends on the heat/humidity in your kitchen. Observe your starter after you feed it, checking in on it once an hour or so. The peak is when the starter has risen doubled in volume and has become quite bubbly. You’ll notice around the 8-12 hour mark the starter may fall just slightly and be less bubbly. It’s best to use a “peak” starter versus a starter that isn’t super active yet or is losing activity. - ALWAYS use a scale to make this bread.
A kitchen scale is quite essential for sourdough baking. With discard recipes, you may be able to get away with US Standard measurements but to get the precision a rustic bread like this requires, it’s important to have a scale to get the perfect amounts of each ingredient! - Proof your dough til it has increased in volume by around 50-75%.
Many sourdough bakers will suggest letting the dough double in size but I have found this to create issues with over-proofing. Try to stop the first proof when your dough has increased by about half instead! - Proof by sight, not a set hour amount.
I used to follow sourdough recipes to a tee. If the recipe said to proof for 6 hours, that’s what I did. I’ve learned that everyone’s kitchen and climate are different and therefore their sourdough will behave differently too. Try to keep a watchful eye on your sourdough to determine when it has increased in volume by 50-75% rather than sticking to a stringent hour rule. - Use a well-seasoned banneton basket to help shape your bread.
Bannetons are amazing baskets that help during the second fermentation time for sourdough. Sourdough can be sticky and hard to shape and the worst discovery is that your dough is stuck to the bowl or basket when you are ready to bake. This will lead to a very ugly loaf (it’ll still taste great though). I love my banneton basket and when properly seasoned it can make the shaping process a breeze! - Let your dough proof longer in the refrigerator during the second fermentation.
I learned this tip from alexandracooks.com and it is a good one! Letting my bread sit in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours made the texture softer, lacier, AND makes the flavor pop!
- Prep Time: 48 hours
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Appetizer, Breakfast, Main Course, Snack
- Cuisine: American, healthy