Sourdough loaf

Name: Sourdough loaf
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 18 h
Yield: 1 loaf
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 375 g bread flour; 125 g whole-wheat flour; 350 g water (70 % hydration); 100 g active sourdough starter; 10 g sea salt

A reliable everyday loaf — 25 % whole wheat, 70 % hydration. Two-day timeline; most of it is the dough resting unattended.

Servings: 1 loaf
Prep: PT30M
Cook: PT45M
Total: PT18H
Category: Bread
Cuisine: European

Ingredients

375 g bread flour
125 g whole-wheat flour
350 g water (70 % hydration)
100 g active sourdough starter
10 g sea salt

Method

Combine flours and water in a bowl; rest 30 minutes (autolyse).
Add the starter and salt; pinch and fold until incorporated.
Bulk-ferment 4–6 hours at room temperature, with a 30-second stretch-and-fold every 30 minutes for the first two hours.
Preshape into a round, rest 30 minutes; final shape into a banneton.
Cold-retard overnight in the fridge (8–14 hours).
Preheat a Dutch oven to 250 °C / 480 °F. Score the cold dough.
Bake covered 20 min at 250 °C, then uncovered 20–25 min at 230 °C / 450 °F.
Cool fully on a rack before slicing — 1 hour minimum.

In the kitchen

Final shaping into a banneton — Final shape, before the cold retard

Scoring the cold dough — A single firm score, slightly off-centre

Cross-section of the open crumb — A good open crumb — 25 % whole wheat keeps the holes evenly sized

The 25 % whole-wheat blend gives a tighter, more flavourful crumb than 100 % white. Drop to 15 % if you want big holes; bump to 40 % for something hearty and dense.

If the dough is sluggish, your starter is probably under-fed. A fresh peak-active starter is what makes the timeline work.

#bread · #sourdough