Exact ingredients for your sourdough loaf

Timeline

A rough plan for a single bake from mix to crust. Start in the morning, leave overnight, bake the next morning.

1. 1Mix and autolyse30 to 60 minutes
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   What to do

   1. Pour the flour into a large mixing bowl.
   2. Pour in most of the water, holding back about 20g for later.
   3. Mix with a spoon or your hand until there is no dry flour left. It will look shaggy and rough. That is fine.
   4. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth or plate.
   5. Set a timer and leave it alone for 30 to 60 minutes.

   What it should look like

   • All the dry flour is gone before you start the rest.
   • After the rest, the dough has relaxed slightly and feels less stiff when you poke it.

   If it goes wrong

   If the dough feels dry or won't come together, your flour is probably very absorbent. Splash in 10 to 20g more water and keep mixing.

2. 2Bulk fermentation4 to 6 hours at room temperature
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   What to do

   1. Add the starter and the salt on top of the rested dough.
   2. Pour the remaining water you held back over the salt.
   3. Pinch and squeeze with wet hands for a minute or two until the salt is fully mixed in.
   4. Cover the bowl. Note the time.
   5. Every 30 minutes for the first 2 hours, do a stretch and fold: wet your hand, grab one side of the dough, lift it up and over to the other side. Rotate the bowl a quarter turn. Repeat 3 more times. That is one set.
   6. After the first 2 hours, leave the dough alone for the rest of bulk. Doing folds late can deflate it.

   What it should look like

   • After about 4 to 6 hours, the dough has risen by 50 to 75 percent (not quite doubled).
   • The surface is smooth and slightly domed.
   • Visible bubbles on the top and along the sides of the bowl.
   • When you tilt the bowl, the dough wobbles slightly but holds its shape.

   If it goes wrong

   Too cold a kitchen will slow this right down. If your kitchen is under 18°C, allow 7 to 9 hours and watch for the visual cues above rather than the clock.

3. 3Shape and cold proof8 to 16 hours, usually overnight in the fridge
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   What to do

   1. Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface.
   2. Pat it gently into a rough rectangle, about 1 inch thick.
   3. Fold the left side into the middle, then the right side over that.
   4. Starting from the bottom, roll it up tightly into a ball or oval.
   5. Rest seam-side down for 10 minutes to relax.
   6. Flour a banneton (a proofing basket) or a bowl lined with a floured tea towel.
   7. Place the dough seam-side up into the banneton.
   8. Cover with cling film or a shower cap and put in the fridge.

   What it should look like

   • After shaping, the surface of the dough is taut and slightly resistant when you poke it.
   • Out of the fridge the next day, the dough is cold and firm. When you poke it gently, the indent springs back slowly.

   If it goes wrong

   If the dough is too sticky to shape, dust more flour on the surface. If it spreads out flat overnight in the fridge, it is over-fermented; shorten bulk fermentation next time.

4. 4Preheat oven45 to 60 minutes
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   What to do

   1. About an hour before you want to bake, set your oven to 250°C (480°F).
   2. Put your Dutch oven (a heavy cast-iron or enamelled pot with a lid) inside while it preheats.
   3. Make sure the pot has room to expand and that you can safely take it in and out.
   4. Wait the full 45 to 60 minutes. Skipping this is the single most common cause of a flat, pale loaf.

   What it should look like

   • The oven thermometer (or display) holds steady at 250°C.
   • If you flick a drop of water on the outside of the pot, it sizzles violently and evaporates instantly.

   If it goes wrong

   No Dutch oven? Use a heavy baking tray with a separate tray of boiling water on the rack below to create steam. The crust will be slightly less dramatic but still good.

5. 5Bake covered20 minutes
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   What to do

   1. Take the dough out of the fridge.
   2. Turn it gently onto a piece of baking paper, seam-side down.
   3. Score the top with a sharp blade. The classic cut is one curved slash across the top, about 1cm deep, held at a 30 to 45 degree angle.
   4. Use the baking paper as a sling to lower the dough into the hot Dutch oven.
   5. Put the lid on. Set a timer for 20 minutes.
   6. Do not open the lid during this phase. The steam doing the work needs to stay inside.

   What it should look like

   • After 20 minutes, the lid will be too hot to touch without oven gloves.
   • You may hear faint crackling from inside.

   If it goes wrong

   If your score barely opened up after baking, your blade was blunt or your cut was too shallow. Use a fresh razor or proper lame and cut about 1cm deep at an angle.

6. 6Bake uncovered20 to 25 minutes
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   What to do

   1. Carefully lift the lid off the Dutch oven. Hot steam will escape - keep your face back.
   2. Continue baking for another 20 to 25 minutes.
   3. If the crust is browning too fast, drop the oven temperature to 230°C.
   4. When done, lift the loaf out (use baking paper or two spatulas) and put it on a wire rack to cool.
   5. Do not slice it for at least an hour. The crumb structure sets as it cools, and cutting too early gives you a gummy interior.

   What it should look like

   • Deep, almost mahogany-brown crust. Pale sourdough is undercooked.
   • Cracked, blistered surface.
   • When you tap the bottom, it sounds hollow.
   • Internal temperature about 95°C (203°F) if you check with a thermometer.

   If it goes wrong

   Pale, soft crust usually means your oven was not hot enough or the lid came off too late. Crust too dark? Drop the temperature by 10°C for the uncovered phase next time.