Easy Sourdough Bread

1. Mix the dough. In a large bowl, whisk 350 g warm water with 100 g active starter until cloudy. Add 500 g bread flour and mix until no dry flour remains. The dough will look shaggy and feel sticky.

   

2. Rest. Cover and let the dough rest for 30 minutes. This is often called an autolyse, but since the starter is already in the dough, think of it as a simple rest that helps gluten start forming with zero effort.

3. Add salt. Sprinkle in 10 g salt. Pinch and fold the dough over itself until the salt is fully worked in. If it feels tight, add a small splash of water to help it incorporate.

4. Stretch and fold. Over the next 2 hours, do 4 sets of stretch and folds, about every 30 minutes. For one set: grab one side of the dough, stretch it up, fold it over. Rotate the bowl and repeat until you have folded all 4 sides. Cover between sets.

5. Bulk ferment. Let the dough rise until it looks puffed, jiggles slightly, and has visible bubbles on the surface and edges. A helpful target is about a 30 to 60% rise (not always a full double). In a 70 to 75°F kitchen, this is often 3 to 5 hours after the stretch-and-fold sets are complete, but it can vary a lot based on starter strength and temperature. Watch the dough, not the clock.

6. Pre-shape. Lightly flour the counter. Turn out the dough and gently shape it into a round using a bench scraper and your hands. Let it rest 15 to 20 minutes uncovered. This rest makes final shaping easier.

   

7. Final shape. Shape into a tight boule. With the dough on the counter, build tension with the seam down by gently dragging it toward you until the surface looks smooth and taut. Then flip it into a floured banneton so the seam is up.

8. Cold proof (recommended). Cover and refrigerate 8 to 12 hours. This improves flavor, makes scoring easier, and helps the loaf hold its shape.

9. Preheat the oven and Dutch oven. Place your Dutch oven (with lid) in the oven and preheat to 500°F for 45 minutes. Yes, that hot. Yes, that long. We want serious heat stored in that pot.

10. Score. Cut a piece of parchment. Turn the cold dough onto it so the smooth side is up. Dust lightly with flour if you want a more defined score. Score a deep slash about 1/4 to 1/2 inch at a slight angle.

    

11. Bake covered. Carefully remove the hot Dutch oven. Lift the dough in by the parchment, cover with the lid, and bake 20 minutes at 500°F.

12. Bake uncovered. Reduce heat to 450°F, remove the lid, and bake 20 to 25 minutes more until deeply golden and blistered. If you like a darker crust, give it the full time.

    

13. Cool completely. Transfer to a wire rack and cool at least 1 hour before slicing. I know. It is hard. But this is the difference between gummy and glorious.

Quick Notes

• If using all-purpose flour: start with 310 to 325 g water instead of 350 g, then adjust next bake based on how your dough behaves.
• Starter hydration assumption: This recipe assumes a 100% hydration starter. If yours is different, use the same ingredients and adjust with a small splash of water or a dusting of flour during mixing so the dough matches the “shaggy and sticky” description, not soupy.
• If your kitchen is cold: bulk fermentation can take longer. Aim for visible bubbles, a puffy airy feel, and that 30 to 60% rise rather than a strict timer.