Classic Sourdough Bread
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Classic Sourdough Bread

Makes 1 loafAbout 24 hours, mostly hands-off80% hydrationBake at 475°F

A simple, beautiful everyday loaf with a crackly crust and a soft, open crumb. Take your time with it. Most of the work is waiting.

Words in green italics are techniques you'll see live in class.

What You'll Need

The ingredients

Choose your salt below. Slide the hydration further down and the water updates too.

Option 1

Standard salt

2 tsp≈ 12 g
Salt level
2% of total flour
Sodium
≈ 390 mg per slice

The classic bakery balance: well-seasoned, with a steady, predictable rise.

Option 2

Low salt

1 tsp≈ 6 g
Salt level
1% of total flour
Sodium
≈ 200 mg per slice

Watching your salt? This one's for you.

About half the sodium, with all the flavor of a long, slow ferment. Your dough will rise a little faster, so check on it a bit earlier.

Sodium is approximate, from the salt only, with the loaf cut into 12 slices. Use fine sea salt or table salt. If you only have coarse kosher salt, weigh it rather than measuring by the spoon.

Understanding Your Dough

Find your hydration

Hydration is how much water your dough holds compared with the flour, measured by weight. More water makes a softer, stickier dough with a more open, airy crumb. Less water makes a firmer dough that's easier to handle but bakes up tighter.

Slide to see the recipe change, from a firm 60% to an airy 90%. This recipe is written at 80%.

80%
Soft & open
Confident baker

Soft, supple and a little sticky, but still very workable. The extra water gives a light, open crumb and a crisp crust.

Don't forget the starter: it's half flour, half water.
Water to add: 1½ cups + 1½ tbsp (≈ 376 g)
Total flour: 500 g + 120 g starter = 620 g
Total water: 376 g + 120 g starter = 496 g
496 ÷ 620 × 100 = 80% hydration
Step by Step

The process

  1. Feed your starter

    4–12 hours before you mix

    Feed your starter so it's at its peak when you're ready to bake.

    Look forBubbly, doubled in size, domed on top, with a pleasant tangy smell. Curious about the float test? Ask me in class.

  2. Autolyse

    1 hour

    Mix just the flour and water until no dry flour remains, then cover and let it rest. This gives the flour time to soak up the water, so the dough comes together more easily later.

  3. Mix

    5 minutes

    Add the starter and 2 tsp (≈ 12 g) salt. Squeeze and fold until everything is fully combined and no streaks remain. It'll feel shaggy and sticky at first. That's normal.

  4. Knead

    5–8 minutes

    Work the dough with slap and fold until it turns smooth, stretchy and noticeably less sticky.

  5. Bulk fermentation

    4–6 hours

    Cover the bowl and keep it somewhere warm, ideally 75–78°F. In the first 2 hours, give it 4 sets of stretch & folds, 30 minutes apart. Then leave it alone to rise. The folds are what give the dough its strength. A cooler kitchen means a longer wait.

    It's ready whenit has grown about 50%, looks domed and airy, shows bubbles at the edges, and jiggles when you gently shake the bowl.

  6. Pre-shape & bench rest

    30 minutes

    Turn the dough out, pre-shape it into a loose round, and let it relax on the counter.

  7. Final shape

    5 minutes

    Shape a tight boule (round) or bâtard (oval), building surface tension. Place it seam-side up in a well-floured banneton.

  8. Cold proof

    8–16 hours

    Cover and refrigerate overnight. The cold slows everything down, deepens the flavor, and makes the dough easier to score.

  9. Preheat

    45–60 minutes

    Put your Dutch oven, lid on, into the oven and heat to 475°F (245°C). A properly hot pot gives your loaf its best rise, the oven spring.

  10. Score & bake

    40–45 minutes

    Turn the dough out of the fridge onto parchment, score the top, and lower it into the hot Dutch oven. Bake with the lid on for 20 minutes. Remove the lid, lower the oven to 450°F (230°C), and bake 20–25 minutes more.

    It's done whenthe crust is deep golden brown and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped underneath. With a thermometer, the inside reads about 205–210°F.

  11. Cool

    At least 1 hour

    Let the loaf cool completely on a rack before slicing. The inside is still setting, and cutting too soon makes it gummy. It's the hardest step of all.

Plan Your Bake

A simple timeline

  1. Day 1 · MorningFeed your starter
  2. Day 1 · AfternoonAutolyse, mix, knead and bulk
  3. Day 1 · EveningShape, then into the fridge
  4. Day 2 · MorningPreheat, score, bake and cool
See It Done

Every technique here comes to life in class

The folds, the shaping, the scoring: they all make sense once you see them in person. I can't wait to show you.

Happy baking, Kingsley