How to Make Sourdough Bread at Home

Makes 2 loaves

3 days (mostly resting and fermenting)

A naturally leavened sourdough with a burnished crust and open crumb, built over three days through starter refreshment, long fermentation, and steam-baked finishing.

prepPreheat oven to 500°F / 260°C about 1 hour before baking on Day 3

prepPlace large Dutch oven on lower rack to heat

20 grams mature sourdough starter (refrigerated)

Feed starter, let rise 10–12 hrs

Discard, feed starter again, rest overnight

Add ripe starter, pinch to incorporate

Add salt & water, rest 10 min

Mix by hand 10 min until elastic

Perform windowpane test, rest 60 min

Fold dough, repeat every 60 min until pillowy, 3–7 hrs total

Pre-shape into two rounds, rest 20 min

Final shape, place seam-side up in baskets

Proof at room temperature 1–1½ hrs

Perform poke test; chill overnight or up to 2 days

Dust loaf, invert onto parchment

Score with lame or serrated knife ¼ inch deep

Bake covered 20 min, then uncovered 30–40 min at 450°F / 230°C until deep brown

Cool, repeat with second loaf

200 grams room-temperature tap water (for starter feeds)

200 grams high-quality white bread flour (for starter feeds)

Room-temperature water (for float test)

Perform float test on starter sample

700 grams high-quality white bread flour

Mix flour & water, autolyse 30 min–2 hrs

300 grams whole-wheat, whole-grain rye, or spelt flour (or combination)

750 grams lukewarm tap water (about 90°F / 32°C)

20 grams kosher salt or fine sea salt

20 grams room-temperature tap water (for salt incorporation)

Rice flour, for dusting

Mix 50/50 white bread flour & rice flour, dust baskets

White bread flour (for dusting and shaping baskets)

Parchment paper

Lame or serrated knife

Large Dutch oven

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