Easy Sourdough Bread (Whole Wheat-ish)
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This is my favorite sourdough bread: It’s high hydration, whole wheat(ish), and just so darn tasty. As far as sourdough recipes go, this is about as simple as it gets. Below, you’ll find video guidance for every step of the process. Let’s do this! 🍞🍞🍞🍞
Sourdough is often described as a journey. The more I make it, the more this sentiment becomes a truth. For the past few years, I’ve been tinkering with various sourdough recipes, and though I can’t say I won’t stop tinkering, this is the current snapshot of my sourdough journey.
These are the characteristics I like in a sourdough boule:
- high hydration (at least 75%)
- whole wheat-ish
- crusty but not super crusty
- nicely salted
- tangy though not super sour
I’ve outlined the process below to create this type of loaf, which as far as sourdough recipes go, is on the simple side — there’s no kneading, no autolyse-ing, no pre-fermenting, no levain-ing, no fancy scoring.
It’s a little bit smaller than most sourdough boules, too, reasons for which I explain below. And as with all sourdough baking (and bread baking in general), it does take time, though the time is mostly hands off.
This post is organized as follows:
- Two Sourdough Fermentation FAQs
- Two Tips for Assessing Fermentation
- Whole Wheat Flour
- Roller-Milled vs. Stone-Milled Flour
- 75% Hydration
- Mixing Sourdough Bread
- Bulk Fermentation
- Shaping + Bench Rest
- Proofing Sourdough
- Scoring and Baking Sourdough
- The Best Way to Store Bread
2 Sourdough Fermentation FAQs
Two of the most frequently asked questions I receive about sourdough bread baking are:
- How do I know when the dough has risen sufficiently and is therefore ready to be shaped?
- How do I know if it has proofed sufficiently and is therefore ready to be baked?
If you are unfamiliar with sourdough baking, these two questions relate to two distinct phases of fermentation:
- The first question relates to the bulk fermentation (the first rise), which takes place after the dough is mixed.
- The second question relates to proofing (the second rise), after the dough is shaped.
One thing I have learned through troubleshooting with various people is that it’s very hard to put a timeline on these two phases. Sourdough is much more sensitive than yeast-leavened breads to the environment in which it is being baked.
The bulk fermentation for me in my cold Upstate New York kitchen often takes 12 hours regardless of the time of year. For someone baking in humid Hawaii, it may take 6 hours (or less! or more!). Similarly, the proofing phase may vary by many hours depending on the environment. Additionally, there are countless variables that affect fermentation: type of flour, water, salt quantity, strength of the starter, to name a few.
Yes, there are textural/visual cues to help discern when each phase of fermentation is complete, but it still can be hard to judge.
If you struggle with these assessments, I have two tips for you:
2 Tips for Assessing Sourdough Fermentation
Tip #1: Buy a clear, straight-sided vessel.
After my digital scale, my clear, straight-sided 4-qt Cambro (**this one is BPA-free!**) has become my most important tool when it comes to sourdough bread baking. Why? For two reasons:
- Because it’s clear, it allows me to see when the dough is filled with bubbles and activity throughout — top, bottom, sides, etc.
- Because it’s straight sided, I know exactly when the dough has risen sufficiently (roughly 50% increase in volume) and is therefore ready to be shaped. When dough rises in a bowl, it’s very hard to gauge how much the dough has grown.
If I could single out the biggest lesson I’ve learned in my sourdough baking journey, it’s this: Do not allow sourdough rise beyond double during the bulk fermentation.
Why? When sourdoughs rise for too long, the dough weakens. A weak, fragile dough is hard to handle and difficult to shape into a tight round, which in turn makes for a dense loaf. Most recently I shoot to shape the dough when it has increased by 50% in volume.
Tip #2. Use Your Refrigerator & Be Flexible
Because judging bulk fermentation and proofing can be tricky, you can use your refrigerator during both phases.
Using your fridge for the bulk fermentation:
If, for instance, you see your dough rising nicely but all of a sudden it’s 10 pm and you’re ready for bed, and you know if you let the dough continue to rise, it will be way beyond double in the morning, stick the vessel in the fridge. The following morning, take it out and let the dough rise at room temperature until it has nearly doubled or, as I advise more and more, increased by 50% in volume.
With sourdough baking, you have to be patient, and you have to be flexible with the timing.
Using your fridge for proofing:
Using my fridge for the proofing phase has been the biggest change in my sourdough process of late. Previously, after shaping the boule and placing it in a towel-lined bowl, I would transfer the dough to the fridge for 1 hour, then bake it. These days, I like to stick the shaped boule in the fridge for at least 12 hours, but ideally 18-24 hours. Why?
- The extended cold proof creates a lighter, airier crumb.
- A cold round of dough is so much easier to handle from scoring it to transferring it to the Dutch oven.
Whole Wheat Flour FAQ
In my email course, Foolproof Bread Baking, I receive a lot of questions about how to incorporate more whole grain flours into bread.
This is a tricky one to answer for me for two reasons:
- I like white bread. A good loaf of bread for me has so much to do with texture. I love a pillowy, oily focaccia; a soft, squishy brioche bun; a ballooned, crisp-tender Neapolitan pizza. As soon as whole grain flour is entered into the mix, the texture changes, becoming heavier, denser.
- Commercial whole wheat flour isn’t necessarily healthier than commercial white flour. Wait, what? Read on.
Roller-milled Flour vs. Stone-milled Flour
Without getting too far into the weeds, most of the commercial flour on the market is made from wheat that has been roller milled, meaning a roller mill has separated the wheat kernel into three parts: the endosperm, germ, and bran. White flour is made from the endosperm.
Whole wheat flour, similarly, is made from rolled-milled wheat: again, first the kernel is separated into three parts: the endosperm, germ, and bran; BUT then the germ and the bran are added back in various proportions. Much research shows that as soon as the wheat kernel is separated into the various parts, much of the nutritional value is lost — even when the bran and germ are added in after the fact.
So what’s the solution?
Stone-Milled Flour
Stone-milled flour, contrary to roller-milled flour, is flour made from wheat that passes through a stone mill, the process of which keeps the endosperm, bran, and germ together. Much research shows that keeping the components together preserves the nutritional value.
The rub with stone-milled flour? Stone-milled flour is more perishable due to the presence of both the bran and the germ, but the germ in particular, which is packed with vitamins, minerals, and fats, which can go rancid quickly.
The boon? Because the bran and germ are present in the flour, it’s also more flavorful.
Anything else to consider? Baking with stone-milled flours requires a little more finesse. Even a small amount of bran and germ in the mix makes for a denser loaf. Many millers offer high-extraction stone-milled flours — meaning stone-milled flours that have been sifted to remove some of the bran and endosperm. But even when you bake with high-extraction, stone-milled flour, the finished loaf, when made from 100% of this type of flour, will be very dense.
For this reason, I use at the most 25% stone-milled flour (100 g for this recipe), but preferably in terms of texture, 12.5% stone-milled flour (50 g for this recipe). 12.5% may seem like a tiny amount, but I am constantly surprised by how much flavor, texture, and color this small proportion of stone-milled flour offers to a loaf of bread.
In fact, I now prefer a partially whole wheat loaf to an all white loaf. The freshly milled, stone-milled flours offer so much flavor.
Where to Buy Stone-Milled Flour?
In the past few years, it has become easier to find stone-milled flour, and if you are up for it, you should seek out locally, stone-milled flour. Why? Because if you’re buying locally milled flour, you likely can find out how recently it was milled. Because stone-milled flour perishes more quickly than roller-milled flour, it’s best if you can find a local source, which will ensure it will be fresh. Note: Store stone-milled flour in the freezer if you don’t bake regularly.
Final note: I no longer buy commercial whole wheat flours. I buy commercial white flours: King Arthur Flour’s all-purpose flour and bread flour are staples. I find locally milled stone-milled flours at a local co-op, Honest Weight Food Co-op, and I also order online from various sources. Here are a few I love:
Finally: Here’s a great resource if you’re interested in learning more about wheat and flour: The Bread Lab. Also, Dan Barber’s The Third Plate was eye opening.
75% Hydration
Standard sourdough recipes often call for 500g of flour per loaf. As noted above, the recipe below makes a loaf that’s a little bit smaller for two reasons:
- I’m often asked if the bread recipes here on the blog as well as in my book can be halved. The answer is yes, but in an effort to make a loaf that may not feel quite so overwhelming for people, I’ve reduced the flour to 400g.
- I wanted to include quantities that make hydration easier to understand. Hydration is something I don’t discuss too often because I find it can turn people off (me included). In short, hydration is: the ratio of water relative to flour in a bread dough. The proportions in this recipe — 300g water and 400g flour — make it a little easier to see it’s a 75% hydration dough: 300/400=0.75.* With this baseline, you can increase the amount of water to make it higher hydration or decrease the amount of water to make it lower hydration depending on your preference.
*Note: This is a crude calculation. If you want to be super accurate when calculating hydration, you include the weight of the starter in the equation, too, which will throw off the percentage slightly.
Salt
I love salt. The standard percentage of salt in a bread recipe is 2% by weight of the flour. For 400g flour, this means 8g salt. I use 10g. The amount of salt, fortunately, is a variable that can easily be tailored to your liking. If 10g of salt is too much for you or if you know from the start you are sensitive to salt, start with 8g, then adjust accordingly. Also, higher amounts of salt will slow down the rise a bit as well.
5 Phases: Simple Sourdough Bread
This videos and photos below shows how to make from start to finish the high-hydration, whole wheat(-ish) sourdough bread recipe included at the end of the post.
Phase 1: Mix the Dough
Step 1: Gather your ingredients — flour, salt, water, a sourdough starter — and equipment, namely a digital scale. I recommend buying a starter (reasons for which I explain here). But if you’re up for it, you can make a sourdough starter from scratch in just about a week. I only recommend doing so if it currently is summer (or a very warm fall) where you are.
Most important, you need a fed, active starter.
To ensure it is ready, drop a spoonful of it in a glass of water. If it floats, it’s ready:
Start by weighing 300g water, 100g starter, and 10g salt.
You’ll need 400g flour. You can use all bread flour of a mix of bread flour and whole wheat flour. My preferences is 350g bread flour (King Arthur Flour) and 50g stone-milled, freshly milled flour (I use a mix of Anson Mills rye and graham).
Mix to form a sticky dough ball.
Then transfer to a straight-sided vessel for the bulk fermentation (the first rise).
Phase 2: Bulk Fermentation
After 30 minutes, stretch and fold the dough:
You’ll repeat this stretching and folding 3x at 30-minute intervals; then you’ll leave the dough to rise until it increases in volume by 50-75%.
Phase 3: Shape + Bench Rest
Transfer dough to a clean work surface. I prefer to use no flour and minimal handling to shape it into a ball.
After the initial shape, let the dough rest for 20-40 minutes; then shape again and transfer to a flour sack-lined bowl.
Phase 4: Proof
Transfer bowl to fridge to proof (second rise) for 18 to 24 hours
Phase 5: Score + Bake
After 18 to 24 hours, transfer dough to a sheet of parchment paper. This video shows how:
Score as you wish; simple is fine.
Transfer to a Dutch oven and bake at 450ºF covered for 30 minutes, then uncovered for 10 minutes at 400ºF.
The Best Way to Store Bread
How do I store bread? is one of the most frequently asked questions I receive.
If you want to store the bread at room temperature for 3 to 4 days, I think the best method is in a ziplock bag. I’ve tried other reusable/environmentally friendly options, but nothing seems to keep bread freshest — the crumb the softest — better than a ziplock bag.
If you intend to keep the bread for longer, I would stick the ziplock bag in the freezer, and pull out slices or hunks as you wish. I often slice bread as soon as it cools completely, transfer the slices to a ziplock bag, then freeze. This way, I know the bread was frozen at its freshest.
A ziplock bag will not prevent the crust of bread from turning soft, which is why I suggest always reheating day-old bread. I use a toaster at breakfast for slices of bread, and I reheat half or quarter loaves in the oven at 350ºF for 15 to 20 minutes when serving for dinner.
Bread revives so beautifully in the oven or toaster.
I baked this loaf in a tall-sided pullman loaf. Love the shape! I proofed this in the fridge for about 12 hours; then let rise at room temperature for roughly 5-6 hours before baking at 400ºF for about 40 minutes.
Easy Sourdough Bread (Whole Wheat-ish)
- Total Time: 48 hours 45 minutes
- Yield: 1 loaf
Description
Special equipment: Straight-sided vessel for the bulk fermentation, Dutch oven, flour-sack towel
Here’s my list of essentials for sourdough bread baking.
Digital Scale: Do not attempt this recipe without a scale. This one costs $9. Troubleshooting what goes wrong with sourdough bread is impossible if you’ve measured with cups. They’re simply not accurate.
Troubleshooting: If you have issues with your dough being too sticky, please read this post: Why is my sourdough so sticky? The 4 common mistakes.
Flour:
- I prefer making this bread with 350g bread flour and 50g of freshly milled, stone-milled flour, which provides both flavor and color. (Read the post above for more details and why I suggest stone-milled flour as opposed to commercial whole wheat flour.) I’ve been using a mix of Anson Mills graham flour and rye flour, but there are many great stone-milled flours out there, and you may have a local source, which is even better.
- 50g may seem like a tiny amount of stone-milled flour for this recipe, but I am constantly amazed by how much flavor this small amount of freshly milled flour adds. If you are new to sourdough baking, I recommend starting with 100% bread flour (King Arthur Flour is my preference) because it’s so forgiving and easy to work with. Once you get the hang of it, start incorporating stone-milled flour a little bit at a time. I don’t like using more than 100g (25%) of stone-milled flour in this recipe.
- If you cannot find bread flour — I know supplies are limited at the moment — you can use all-purpose flour. If you live in a humid climate, consider reducing the water by 20 g. You can add the 20 g of water in slowly while you mix until the dough resembles that in the video/photos.
Salt:
I like breads to be a little bit saltier than standard. If you are sensitive to salt, start with 8g. Next time, adjust salt as you wish.
Ingredients
*Please read notes above before proceeding. Watching the video is helpful, too.*
- 400 g bread flour, see notes above
- 8g to 10g kosher salt or sea salt, see notes above
- 300 g water
- 100 g active sourdough starter
- rice flour, for dusting
Instructions
- Mix the dough. In a large bowl, combine the water, starter, and salt. Stir with a rubber spatula to loosely combine. Add the flour, and stir with a spatula to combine — it will be a wet, sticky dough ball. Transfer to a straight-sided vessel and cover with a tea towel or bowl cover for 30 minutes.
- Stretch and fold. After 30 minutes, grab a corner of the dough and pull it up and into the center. Repeat until you’ve performed this series of folds 4 to 5 times with the dough. Let dough rest for another 30 minutes and repeat the stretching and folding action. If you have the time: do this twice more for a total of 4 times in 2 hours. [Video guidance here.] Note: Even if you can only perform one series of stretches and folds, your dough will benefit. So don’t worry if you have to run off shortly after you mix the dough.
- Bulk fermentation: Cover the vessel with a tea towel or bowl cover and let rise at room temperature (70ºF/21ºC) for 4 to 18 hours (times will vary based on the time of year, the humidity, and the temperature of your kitchen). The bulk fermentation will end when the dough has nearly doubled in volume and you can see bubbles throughout the dough and on the surface. (Note: Do not use your oven with the light on for the bulk fermentation — it is too warm for the dough. To determine when the bulk fermentation is done, it is best to rely on visual cues (doubling in volume) as opposed to time. A straight-sided vessel makes monitoring the bulk fermentation especially easy because it allows you to see when your dough has truly doubled.)
- Shape: Gently transfer the dough to clean work surface. I prefer to use no flour and a bench scraper at this step, but if you find an un-floured work surface to be difficult, feel free to lightly flour it. [Video guidance is especially helpful for this step.] Fold the dough, envelope style: top third over to the center; bottom third up and over to the center. Then repeat from right to left. Turn the dough over and use your bench scraper to push the dough up, then back towards you to create a tight ball. Repeat this pushing and pulling till you feel you have some tension in your ball. Place the dough ball top side down and let rest 30 to 40 minutes. (FYI: This is called the bench rest.)
- Proof. Line a shallow 2-qt bowl (or something similar) with a tea towel or flour sack towel. Flour sack towels are amazing because the dough doesn’t stick to them, and therefore you need very little rice flour, but if you only have a tea towel, you will be fine. If you are using a tea towel, sprinkle it generously with rice flour. If you are using a flour sack towel, you can use a lighter hand with the rice flour. After the 30-to 40-minute bench rest, repeat the envelope-style folding and the bench scraper pushing and pulling till you have a tight ball. [Video guidance here.] Place the ball top side down in your prepared towel-lined bowl. Cover bowl with overhanging towel. Transfer bowl to the fridge for 12 to 24 hours. (Note: When you remove your dough from the fridge, visually it will likely look unchanged. This is OK. You do not need to let it then proof at room temperature before baking.)
- Bake. Heat oven to 500ºF. Remove your sourdough from the fridge. Open the towel. Place a sheet of parchment over the bowl. Place a plate over the parchment. With a hand firmly on the plate and one on the bowl, turn the dough out onto the parchment-paper lined plate. [Video guidance here.] Carefully remove the bowl and towel. Carefully remove the plate. Brush off any excess rice flour. Use a razor blade to score the dough as you wish. I always do a simple X. Grab the ends of the parchment paper and transfer to the Dutch oven. [Video guidance here.] Cover it. Lower oven temperature to 450ºF, bake covered for 30 minutes. Uncover. Lower temperature to 400ºF. Bake for 10 minutes more or until the loaf has darkened to your liking. Transfer loaf to a cooling rack.
- Cool. Let loaf cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting.
- Prep Time: 48 hours
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Sourdough
- Cuisine: Global
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
980 Comments on “Easy Sourdough Bread (Whole Wheat-ish)”
I have made a half loaf. Should I reduce the time of baking? I have a smaller dutch oven to fit the loaf and assume the same temperature. It has risen well and looks great. Rested in the refrigerator over night. Now I just don’t want to over (or under) bake it.
Thank you in advance.
Hi! I would cook it covered for 25 minutes; then uncover and cook until it’s nicely burnished … it may take roughly the same amount of time to achieve the right color. It’s a very high hydration dough, so it’s forgiving — the won’t overcook it.
Hi there, thanks for your easy no-knead recipe, it’s far less daunting than others i’ve come across!
My dough rose beautifully for the first proof (tripled in 12 hrs), but after shaping and the second proof, the dough is flat and hasn’t risen at all. I used a colander and cotton tea towel. How do I fix this?
Hi Kendra! The dough won’t change much at all in the fridge, so you should be able to bake it. But, if the dough over-fermented during the bulk fermentation — sometimes if dough more than doubles in volume, it can over ferment — it might be unsalvageable. When you shaped the dough, did it have strength and elasticity, or did it feel slack and without strength?
When I shaped it, it lost all it’s air. It was very elastic, but shrank right back down to where it did the first time. So would you recommend proofing it for a shorter time the first time? When it gets to double, then shape it?
Yes, I would try to shape it just before it doubles in volume. Are you using a straight-sided vessel to monitor the bulk fermentation?
How did it end up baking?
I didn’t end up baking it, because when I went to shape it, it went completely flat and didn’t rise again. I used a rectangle plastic container so I could see it rise. Sounds like I should have monitored the first rise more closely and shaped it earlier like you said.
I also wondered if I should have let it rise after shaping on the tray I would bake it on and covered it in plastic. the teatowel just soaked up all the moisture (I used regular flour initially as opposed to rice flour).
Hi
I have kept my dough for fermantation but to bake I don’t hv a dutchboven can you please tell me how can I go about thank you
Hi Thelma! Sorry for the delay here!
Do you have any oven safe pot? You can use a pot with a sheet pan on top.
Or, do you have a pizza stone or a Baking Steel?
Hi Alexandra, thank you for a detailed, clear recipe. I am new to sourdough, have made five loaves so far with other recipes and wanted to give whole wheat a go. I see now that more whole wheat = stickier, and I was wondering what tips you had for shaping a sticky dough.
I used 300g bread flour, 100g freshly milled whole wheat, and the starter/water proportions you gave. I think my starter is healthy since it doubled/bubbled nicely in 5 hours. Bulk fermented for 5 hours at room temp then 9 hours in the fridge. I live in Chicago, so it’s not very humid and in the low 80s. I don’t have a straight-edged container so I did eyeball the doubling, and the dough seemed plenty bubbly when I tipped it out to shape. The dough wasn’t completely slack but I had a hard time shaping it into a smooth boule that had a lot of tension, since it stuck to my fingers and the counter. (I did dust my counter with some flour anticipating that) I got it into a ball but it spread during the bench rest, and was harder to shape right before I put it in a bowl with a towel for second proof. Was it probably overproofed?
Just put the dough in my fridge for the second proof and I was wondering if there’s anything I can do to improve the tension now or if you could give pointers for next time. Thank you so much!
Hi Julia! So sorry for the delay here. So yes, whole wheat flour will make for a stickier dough. The first thing I would do is cut back the amount of whole wheat flour you are using, especially if you are new to sourdough. Start with 50 g. The dough will be more manageable and the freshly milled flour will still impart beautiful flavor, color, and aroma. Once you get the hang of handling these higher hydration, sticky doughs, you can introduce more wheat flour.
Great to hear your starter is healthy.
It is possible your dough over fermented during the bulk fermentation, but 5 hours does not seem too long at all even in these hotter, more humid months.
Again, I’m so sorry for the delay here, but how did it end up baking? If it was very dense, it’s possible you over fermented it. I do like to do a bit longer of a colder proof, but 9 hours is fine.
This recipe has been a great foundation for my sourdough experiments. The basic principles are presented clearly and I’ve been able to successfully tweak to my little heart’s content. Thanks!
Wonderful to hear this, Karlin! 💕💕💕
! question: if I live in the tropics, do I really need more than 6 hours for the first rise?
Probably not! Keep an eye on the dough and rely on the visual cues … a straight-sided vessel is a huge help for monitoring the bulk fermentation and seeing when the dough is about to double.
Alex,
I am baking at least a loaf a week now with this recipe. People are absolutely astounded at the quality of the bread that can be made at home. My mother, who is older, loves the toasty wheatiness of the loaf, and says it is much more digestible and healthy than any store bought loaf.
Quick question – I am looking to get a round banneton for proofing, what size do you think would work best 8, 9, or 10 inches. Thanks for the terrific recipe!
Hi Lee! So nice to hear this! Glad your mother approves, too. I have an 8-inch banneton that works well with this recipe. Thanks for writing!
Did not work post putting in refrigerator, dough did not recover. Not sure this method works.
Hi Jeffrey! Can you give me a few more details? How long was your bulk fermentation? When you shaped the dough, did it have strength and elasticity? Or was it slack and sticky? How long was the cold proof?
After resting overnite and nearly doubling, my dough was too wet, so I added flour gently over 15 min. to tighten it up. I added about a cup. Should I use less water next time?? I used 280 gms and next time I want to use only 225 gms. I live in Florida and its summer. I am ready to refrigerate the dough for 12-15 hours. I hope it will bake ok. HELP.
Btw, my bulk fermentation was 17 hours and did double in size.
Hi Dale! A few thoughts: 17 hours feels a bit long given your warm, humid environment. Is your starter healthy and strong? Does it double in volume within 4-6 hours of a feeding?
It’s possible your dough over fermented during the bulk fermentation, in which case it is unsalvageable. Next time:
1. Make sure your starter is active and bubbly.
2. Reduce the amount of water. Use between 225 and 250 g.
3. Reduce the bulk fermentation time.
Are you using a straight-sided vessel to monitor the bulk fermentation?
I made this recipe with 350 g all purpose and 50 g of hemp flour. It was slow to rise to double. After refrigeration, I let it get back to room temp before baking in preheated dutch oven. End product was great with lots of small bubbles throughout.
So interesting! I have never experimented with hemp flour. Thanks for the inspiration!
Thank you for this wonderfully clear recipe.
I just put my first attempt in the fridge for the second proof. It hadn’t quite doubled after 18 hours, but I didn’t want it to over-ferment. The top of the dough was quite dry and the rest was pretty sticky, so it was much harder to work with than yours in the video. I expect my finished loaf will be a little flat, but no way to learn except through mistakes!
Years ago I made my own starter out of local yeast and it grew like mad. I recently got this starter from a friend, and I wonder if it’s not fond of the very dry environment here. I will keep experimenting.
Hi Michael!
I think you were smart to put the dough in the fridge when you did to prevent over-fermentation. Regarding the dryness: as the days start getting a little cooler and the bulk fermentations get a little bit longer, consider slicking the top of your dough with a little bit of oil to prevent it from drying out when rising.
Keep me posted on how it turns out. If the dough was terribly sticky — as in without any strength or elasticity, it’s possible the dough over fermented.
In regard to your starter, does it double in volume within 4-6 hours of a feeding?
After talking with a friend and rereading, I realize I didn’t fold it nearly enough. I’m currently on the 5th fold of my second attempt, and it’s going so much better. Seems much bubblier and more elastic.
Thanks for the response!
Also, feeding the starter with whole wheat instead of white flour makes a world of difference.
Ok, wonderful to hear this, Michael! Let me know if you have any other questions. Good luck!
This is my go to recipe for sourdough bread. I have had great success with it. The only change I make is not to do the 2nd rise in the fridge. When I tried that, the surface of the dough dried out and not much oven spring when baked. I prefer to do the 2nd rise on the counter for 1 1/2 – 2 hours and then bake. It also seems to work better for me for timing. But I do love the addition of the whole wheat flour. It adds a nice bit of nuttiness.
Wonderful to hear this, Karen! Glad you’ve been able to adapt the timeline to work with your schedule … that’s half the battle with sourdough 🙂
Hiya, thanks for the recipe! This was the first loaf of sourdough I’ve made. I was wondering if I read the directions wrong. Was the 350 g of bread flour supposed to be white flour? I used whole wheat bread flour. It’s a little flat. The loaf tastes excellent and quite frankly since it’s my first loaf I feel lucky it wasn’t flat as a pancake. Just wondering if I did it wrong and if it’s possible to use all whole wheat bread flour and make a fluffy loaf of bread? Thanks!
Hi Jen! Yes, white bread flour. If you used whole wheat bread flour, it makes sense that your loaf was a little flat — whole wheat flour will make for a denser loaf of bread. So, yes, give it a go with white bread flour! Let me know if you have any questions along the way.
This is hands-down the best loaf of bread I have ever made, and I was a somewhat experienced baker of no-knead bread before I took up sourdough. This is my third sourdough loaf, each using different procedures. The first two were certainly edible and tasty, but for the first time I’ve gotten the really open crumb married to the right amount of chew that I was looking for.
Thank you for the clear explanations and especially the videos. Probably the most helpful thing was the assurance that bulk fermentation is done when the dough has nearly doubled. Since mine did that in 3 1/2 hours, it was an act of faith to call it ready at that point. And it was!
The only thing I will change is to add a baking sheet under the pot, because my loaf is too black on the bottom.
Considering my inexperience, the different kitchens, temperatures, humidity, flour, water, and starter, I’m impressed at how much my loaf looks like yours! Thank you thank you thank you!
Hi Lizzie! Wonderful to hear all of this. Thanks so much for writing. Bummer about the black bottom … I hope a sheet pan helps that. You also can bake the loaf directly on the oven rack after you uncover the pot … that might help, too. Let me know if the sheet pan works if you have time. Thanks for writing!
Thanks for a concise video and a very good recipe. I am new to bread baking, tried this recipe, and the results were just great. I think the double proofing / fermentation worked wonderfully, and resulted in a bread that would rival anything I’ve gotten from San Francisco flavor-wise. I still need to work on the technique and timing to get a bit more loft, but was still very happy with my first loaf. I’m making some more today, and using this recipe.
I am making this in Carson City, NV which is dry (<30% humidity), and at 4800 feet elevation.
Wonderful to hear all of this, Jeff! Thanks so much for writing. Timing and technique definitely come with practice. Some days, I uncover my pot to find a beautifully lofty loaf; other days they are flatter. But they always taste good 🙂 Good luck on your sourdough journey!
Thanks for the great tutuorial, I have been nursing my stater for over a month now, but I was daunted by most of the recipes, so I have yet to really make a loaf. I will be attempting this one soon. One question I have is the rice flour for the last rise, why rice flour over just AP? Is it important enough to go out and find some? Thank you.
Hi Josh! I don’t think you need it for your first bake, but I love it for a few reasons: it seems to create a better nonstick barrier between the towel and the dough. It also doesn’t burn the way wheat flour does and it doesn’t leave that uncooked flour flavor the way wheat flour can. Hope that helps!
Your sourdough starter in the video looks so firm. But the picture of it later on the page looks more bubbly, light and airy. How did you get it to be so firm before adding to water?
Hi Susan! I’m not sure! It’s honestly possible that the photos are a little misleading. I feel like my starter is always roughly the same texture: I always feed it with equal parts by weight flour and water, and I always use it roughly 4-6 hours after a feeding. I find that the longer I let my starter rise, the wetter it gets. So, you could try using your starter closer to the 4 hour mark, but you do want it to have roughly doubled in volume.
Hi. Could you give me the dimensions of your clear, straight-sided vessel? You mentioned it has 4 qt capacity. Thank you
Hi Cristina! This is the one I recommend now bc it is BPA-free: 4-qt Cambro. These are the dimensions according to Amazon: 8.19 x 8.19 x 8.56 inches (Not home at the moment, but will confirm tomorrow)
These are the dimensions of the other one (pictured in this post): 10.2 x 7.5 x 7.5 inches (Again, will confirm tomorrow).
Hi Alexandra! Is there any harm or benefit to repeating the steps from shape? I may have missed the bench rest part.
I think it will be totally fine. As far as I understand, the goal of the “bench rest” is to relax the gluten so that it will be easier to handle during the final shaping. To be honest, I question how necessary this step is — it’s one of those steps I’ve always done because that’s what the bread authorities seem to do. I have been meaning to bake a few loaves skipping this step to see if I notice anything materially different in the final bake. I’ll let you know if I make any discoveries, but in the meantime, I don’t think you should worry 🙂
I have just eaten my first slice of this and it’s delicious and SO almost perfect, but the crust turned out quite leathery. It was only a crisp crust on the bottom. What did I do wrong? I’d love to be able to fix this for next time because it was so easy and so delicious!
Hi Sophie! It sounds as though it just as the. “steamed” texture on top? Are you using a Dutch oven? If so, I wonder if the high sides are preventing the air from circulating. You could try placing the loaf directly on the oven racks for the final 15 minutes of baking… in other words, after you remove the lid, transfer the loaf to the racks.
I love making this recipe and it turns out great every time. How would you adapt your recipe to make a cinnamon raisin sourdough? Thank you.
Hi Carrie! Great to hear this. I would maybe start with a teaspoon or so of cinnamon — stir it right into the flour. I would add the raisins after you do one set of stretches and folds. Hope that helps!
Once you have done all 4 of the folds, do you return the dough to the straight sided vessel right away? or leave it in the glass Pyrex? Thank you!
Hi Kate! So, I actually transfer the dough to the straight sided vessel immediately after mixing the dough. I do the 4 sets of stretches and folds in the straight-sided vessel, and then I leave it there for the rest of the bulk fermentation.
I haven’t tried uour recipe but I bake sour dough a lot. Even before pandemic America got hooked. A couple notes – if you wet your hands fire you fold it makes the dough easier to handle.
You can start from a cold oven since preheating uses a lot of energy for nothing. Though I admit starting from a cold oven produces a slightly softer crust Turn oven to 475 and bake for 55 minutes covered though maybe if you baked it for 50 covered and 10 uncovered you might get that crispier crust.
Great tips, Jan! Thanks so much for writing and sharing!
This is my go-to sourdough bread recipe. I’ve tried several others but this is the easiest and the best! I’ve been making this recipe at least 2x/week for the past 6 months. One recent BIG improvement was to cut the rise time of both steps and skip the refrigerator. I now start a loaf in the morning, let it rise 4-5 hours, move to a cloth lined bowel, let it rise 2-3 hours (set in drawer below my oven during preheating for last 20 mins), bake 30 mins in covered 3 qt cast iron at 500 F, remove cover and bake 5 mins. I also have been adding 3 g of yeast for a little extra rise. With these changes my bread went from 2 inches tall to over 3 inches and is now tall enough to use for sandwiches and is no longer overly dense/heavy. This bread makes awesome BLTs using heirloom tomatoes, kale, and a little basil from my garden. I feed my starter only 2 oz whole wheat and 2 oz water daily (or every other day) to conserve flour after dumping about 4 oz starter. As my starter ages I may be able to go to the longer cold fermentation but it was producing bread with good texture and great taste that was heavier and shorter than desired. I plan to try adding 50 g whole wheat with the lightening steps but additional whole wheat exacerbated the heavy/short problem previously.
Oh Dana, I love all of this. What a great tip for people striving to get that loftiness while still maintaining that sour taste. And how nice to be able to shorten the time line, too. Thanks so much for writing and sharing all of this!
How many grams of starter to the 2oz of whole wheat flour and 2oz of water when feeding your starter?
Hello, I have never made a sourdough bread before but I have a starter that I have been working on and is not quite ready yet. I would like to make a boule like this with just normal instant yeast first to get my feet wet (I haven’t made too many artisan boules before). What would be the adapted recipe with normal yeast to make this artisan style bread in the dutch oven and would the process be the same? As well, what is the real difference between bread made with instant yeast and a sourdough bread, besides the tanginess and health properties? I have always wanted to know the difference. Lastly, what is the difference between this bread and your Peasant Bread, besides the fact that this one is sourdough, in terms of the resulting breads? Thank you for your help and for the amazing website. It really has improved my cooking/baking a lot.
Hi! Questions answered below:
What would be the adapted recipe with normal yeast to make this artisan style bread in the dutch oven and would the process be the same?
Simply stir instant yeast into the flour. Mix the dough. Let it rise till doubled. Then shape and proceed with the recipe.
As well, what is the real difference between bread made with instant yeast and a sourdough bread, besides the tanginess and health properties?
I don’t think there’s much difference apart from what you noted.
Lastly, what is the difference between this bread and your Peasant Bread, besides the fact that this one is sourdough, in terms of the resulting breads?
Slightly different proportions. Peasant bread is higher hydration. Peasant bread is not crackling crusted — it’s crusty, golden and buttery, but the crust is not thick.
Hi! Thank you for your responses! How much instant yeast would be appropriate for a recipe like this, and should I adjust the flour/water content in the recipe if i am not using a starter? for example , 100g of starter = 50g flour and 50g water to add , in absence of the starter? Hope all is well thanks again!
Sure thing!
How much instant yeast would be appropriate for a recipe like this?
2 teaspoons
And should I adjust the flour/water content in the recipe if i am not using a starter? for example , 100g of starter = 50g flour and 50g water to add , in absence of the starter?
Yes, good point!
I currently have a sourdough starter in the fridge and I’m not sure how to use it sucessfully. I see that you said within the comments that you use yours 4-6 hours after a feeding. Do i just take it out of the fridge, feed it while its cold, and then wait 4-6 hours before mixing it into the recipe? Thank you so much.
I take it out of the fridge, discard most of it, then feed it with equal parts by weight flour and water. Then I let it rise at room temperature for 4-6 hours. Please see this post for more details on maintaining a starter.
This bread is simply fantastic. I’ve been trying to master sourdough for some time now. The flavour, texture and rise in the loaf is what bread dreams are made of. And your recipe is so much easier than others that I have tried that are so over complicated and hard to follow. Keep persevering people. You will be rewarded. If you can get your hands on some mature starter by all means do. It makes life much easier. Also I reduce the water down a bit by 20grams as the first batch was hard to work. I now make wonderful bread EVERY TIME. In fact, I am now selling this bread to friends etc. happy baking.
So nice to hear this, Greg! Thanks so much for writing. And congrats on selling your bread, too 🎉🎉🎉🎉 That’s amazing.
Happy Sundaay and thank you for sharing your kitchen. I find your videos especially helpful–no audio enhances focus on the action, which i love. I have a great starter that is thriving and works very well with your “wheatish sour dough. ” i occasionally give it a boost with organic rye flour and the aroma is fabulous. I typically double the recipe to get 2 boules and spurged on a cloche baker. A cast iron dutch oven would have been more economical but the cloche is much lighter weight.
Hi Lorrine, so nice to hear all of this 🙂 Thanks so much for writing. If you get this, would you mind sharing which cloche you purchased? I think so many people would appreciate a lighter baking vessel. Thank you!
I have been making awesome sourdough with your recipe! Thanks!
Wonderful to hear this, Kelsey!