Rustic Sourdough Bread (Printable)

A rustic loaf featuring tangy flavor, chewy crust, and tender interior through natural fermentation.

# What You Need:

→ Dough

01 - 3.5 cups bread flour (unbleached)
02 - 1.5 cups water (room temperature)
03 - 0.5 cup active sourdough starter (fed and bubbly)
04 - 2 teaspoons sea salt

# How to Make It:

01 - In a large bowl, mix bread flour and water until just combined. Cover and let rest for 45 minutes to develop gluten structure.
02 - Add sourdough starter and sea salt to the dough. Mix thoroughly by hand until fully incorporated and smooth.
03 - Cover the dough and let rest for 30 minutes to allow the flour to hydrate completely.
04 - Perform 4 sets of stretch and folds every 30 minutes: gently stretch one side of the dough and fold it over itself, rotating the bowl as you go. This builds strength and structure.
05 - After folding, cover and let dough rise for 4-6 hours at room temperature until roughly doubled in size.
06 - Lightly flour work surface. Turn out dough and gently shape into a round or oval loaf, creating surface tension.
07 - Place shaped dough seam side up in well-floured proofing basket or bowl lined with towel. Cover and proof 2-4 hours at room temperature, or refrigerate overnight 8-12 hours for enhanced flavor.
08 - Preheat oven to 450°F with Dutch oven or heavy lidded pot inside for at least 30 minutes.
09 - Turn dough onto parchment paper, score top with sharp blade, and carefully transfer to hot Dutch oven. Cover and bake 25 minutes.
10 - Remove lid and bake additional 20 minutes until deeply golden and crusty. Internal temperature should reach 200-210°F.
11 - Cool completely on wire rack for at least 1 hour before slicing to allow interior to set properly.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Theres something magical about transforming just flour and water into bread with real character and depth
  • The chewy crust and tangy interior will ruin you for store bought bread forever
02 -
  • I once skipped the autolyse step and ended up with a dense brick, do not be like me
  • A kitchen scale is nonnegotiable here, cups will not give you consistent results
03 -
  • The refrigerator proof is my secret weapon for that extra tangy flavor and easier scoring
  • Let the bread cool for at least 2 hours before slicing, I know it is hard but worth it

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