Making sourdough bread at home is one of the most rewarding baking pursuits that you can embark on. The entire process from building a starter to baking your first loaf can seem intimidating, but I am here to share my basic sourdough bread guide to demystify the process. This guide will empower you to master the ancient process of combining flour, water & salt together to create beautiful, naturally leavened loaves of bread.
Before we dive into my basic sourdough bread guide (this is a big post my friends) I wanted to start by saying that I have always been a sourdough enthusiast. Born & raised in Northern California, I grew up on San Francisco sourdough. Long before I fell in love with cooking, baking & food nutrition, sourdough was always my favorite kind of bread. Sourdough not only tastes amazing but wild yeast actually transforms flour into a healthy and nutritious source of sustenance. If you are just embarking on baking sourdough, be prepared to fall in love. There is something so deeply satisfying about baking sourdough bread. From watching the incredible process of wild yeast fermentation to shaping & scoring your loaves, making sourdough is a beautiful gesture of love & dedication.
I may have titled this guide as “basic” but the resulting loaf of sourdough bread that you will achieve is anything but basic. The specific flour combinations and techniques that I teach you in this post & recipe will yield an incredible loaf of sourdough whether you are a beginner or more advanced sourdough baker. I developed this basic sourdough bread recipe to have every characteristic that makes for a very well balanced loaf of sourdough; even tender crumb, crisp crust that is not too thick and of course, great flavor. It is my sincerest hope that in sharing my sourdough process that more and more people will embark on the sourdough journey because once you fall in love, it becomes a beautiful part of your life.
THOUGHTS ON FLOUR, WATER & SALT
Because we are only essentially using three ingredients, every single ingredient counts when it comes to sourdough. The better quality ingredients you use will equate to better tasting sourdough, it’s as simple as that. Here is a brief breakdown of how to choose your ingredients for sourdough baking.
– FLOUR SELECTION:
I have made many different batches of sourdough and have settled on a combination of the following flours:
- STARTER MAINTENANCE: bread flour & whole grain rye flour
- LEAVEN: bread flour & whole grain flour
- DOUGH: bread flour + all-purpose flour + whole grain flour (whole wheat, spelt, or rye, etc)
***WHY RYE FLOUR IS SO GREAT FOR SOURDOUGH: Contrary to popular belief that the yeast in sourdough comes from the air, the primary initial source of sourdough microflora is actually from the flour. Yeast and bacteria live on the outside of the grain (just like the yeast to make wine lives on the skin of the grapes). Whole-grain rye flour is so great for sourdough because it has a high level of enzymes that attract a variety of yeasts. I have built & maintained sourdough starters with & without rye flour and there is no contest, rye flour is by far, the best performing flour for building and maintaining your sourdough starter.
–WATER MATTERS:
Make sure to only use filtered water for your sourdough starter & loaves. Your sourdough starter and the naturally leavened loaves you make with it contain wild yeast and lactobacillus bacteria which work much more slowly than commercial yeast. Any chemical compounds that are present in tap water can produce undesirable reactions in your starter & dough, so using only filtered water is the best for sourdough.
SALT SELECTION:
Because the salt is incorporated into the dough after it has started developing structure, using a fine grain salt is very important. Sea salt is my first choice because it is unprocessed and contains minerals like magnesium which acts as a growth stimulant for yeasts. It also contains sulfates that stabilize proteins and help strengthen dough structure. For all of these reasons & more, fine grain Celtic sea salt is my salt of choice.
LET’S TALK ABOUT TECHNIQUE
Because sourdough is really only a combination of three essential ingredients, the actual process of making sourdough bread really boils down to technique. As you follow along with my guide, you will find that I use some techniques that you may not have seen done in other sourdough guides. And it is these very techniques that you may find yourself questioning that will actually make the biggest difference in your sourdough baking adventures!
BUILDING & MAINTAINING A SOURDOUGH STARTER:
HOW TO BUILD A SOURDOUGH STARTER:
Building a starter is the first step to starting your sourdough journey. Use my Basic Sourdough Starter Guide to build a really viable, strong starter in less than a week with only 5 minutes of active time per day. If you don’t want to build your own starter from scratch, you can purchase some sourdough starter or get some from a friend.
STARTER STORAGE & MAINTENANCE:
Once you build your starter, you will store it in the refrigerator, removing it to feed a minimum of once a week to keep your starter nice and strong (I have left my starter in the refrigerator for 2 weeks without feeding & it was just as strong as when it is left for less time). I refresh my starter the night before I plan on starting my sourdough loaves. I like to maintain a very small amount of starter to reduce discard waste. (see the recipe for starter feeding details.)
SOURDOUGH TOOLS & EQUIPMENT
The following is a complete list of every tool that I use to make sourdough at home. I cover the purpose that each tool serves and why I find each one integral to my sourdough baking process (click on the name of the tool to see the specific version of each tool that I recommend).
- KITCHEN SCALE: the only way to ensure consistent results in baking is with a kitchen scale, which is why all ingredients you will find here are listed in grams.
- OVEN THERMOMETER: every oven is different and often, after years of use, they may not actually hold the temperature you set them to. An oven thermometer removes any guesswork and allows you to make adjustments to the temperature you set your oven at if necessary.
- INSTANT READ THERMOMETER: One of the most critical parts of the sourdough success is temperature regulation. An instant-read thermometer makes quick work of checking temps throughout the sourdough process.
- GLASS JARS: I store my starter & build my leaven in 16 oz jars that have a nice wide mouth for easy mixing and glass lids which are great for fermenting.
- SILICONE SPATULA: From mixing your starter to keeping your jar nice & clean, a good silicone spatula is an indispensable tool for the sourdough process.
- MIXING BOWL: You can really use any large mixing bowl to make sourdough: glass, stainless steel, or ceramic. I personally love using a heavy ceramic or stoneware bowl, especially when it comes to the mixing process. I find that a heavy bowl makes the mixing process (the Rubaud mixing method specifically) easier than when using a lightweight bowl.
- SILICONE BENCH/BOWL SCRAPER: Probably one of the most important tools in your sourdough tool arsenal: you’ll use it for keeping your bowl clean as you make your dough and for dividing, shaping & moving your loaves.
- DANISH DOUGH HOOK: You may not find this tool recommended by many other sourdough bakers, but I personally find it indispensable for the initial dough mixing process. While you can simply use your hand to prepare the dough for the autolyse stage, I greatly prefer to use this hook that is specifically designed to make hand mixing dough more efficient & much cleaner than using your hands.
- KITCHEN CLOTHS: in an effort to reduce how much single-use plastic we use, I have found that a damp kitchen cloth is a great alternative to cover my sourdough while it proofs.
- BANNETONS: Made from bent cane, bannetons are my preferred tool for storing my loaves for the cold retard phase. My favorite shape is the batard, but you can also get round boule shaped bannetons, or even one of each.
- BAKING STEEL or BAKING STONE: One of my biggest issues with most at-home sourdough baking methods, is that I was finding the bottom crust of my finished loaves to be too hard and almost burnt. My sourdough method prevents over baked bottom crusts by employing two specific strategies. The first one is setting my Baking Steel on the bottom rack of my oven to regulate the heat that radiates from the bottom of the oven. The Baking Steel is great for so many things (like perfect homemade pizza), but it has become an indispensable tool for my sourdough baking.
- DUTCH OVEN: A dutch oven is used to create the optimal environment for baking your sourdough. I prefer to use a combo cooker dutch oven, that has a deep dutch oven and a skillet for a lid.
- OVEN GLOVES: When it comes to handling your hot dutch oven, you are going to need high-quality oven gloves. I like oven gloves that go high enough to also protect my lower forearms just to keep things as safe as possible.
- PARCHMENT PAPER: I use a half sheet of parchment paper for turning my unbaked loaf from the banneton and for transferring my scored loaf to and from the hot dutch oven.
- BREAD LAME: A lame is a double-sided blade that is used to score (also called slashing or docking) bread just before it is placed in the oven. While scoring designs into your loaves is optional, it is one of my favorite parts of the sourdough process.
- BRUSHES: Brushes make easy work of cleaning up excess flour from your surface or dusting off the parchment before you bake your loaves.
- COOLING RACK: Once my loaves are done baking, I like to let them completely cool to room temperature while resting on a cooling rack.
- BREAD KNIFE: Because serrated bread knives are not able to be sharpened, I highly recommend investing in an affordable bread knife that can easily be replaced when no longer sharp. I prefer a bread knife with a wooden handle so that the whole knife is made from renewable sources.
Now that we have covered all of the sourdough tools in my arsenal, we are ready to dive into the sourdough bread baking process! I have broken down the process into steps with a time schedule and technique videos to help you visualize the methods used to create beautiful sourdough loaves.
BASIC SOURDOUGH BREAD GUIDE
DAY 1:
– STEP ONE: Refresh your starter (the night before)
The night before you are going to make your sourdough remove all but 25g of starter from your jar. Add in 50g warm water & dissolve starter into the water by stirring with a small silicone spatula. Add in bread flour & rye flour, thoroughly combine dry flour into the liquid with your spatula until mixture is very smooth (wiping sides of the jar to keep the exposed glass as clean as possible)
Set your jar in a warm environment (I use my oven with the light on which is right around 78°F) to rise overnight. Your starter should have grown three to four times its original amount in 8-10 hours. Visually, your starter reached its peak and slightly fell from that point, which means your starter is now refreshed and is ready to bake with! To test your starter’s strength, perform a float test by scooping a small amount into a small bowl of water. If your starter floats it is ready to use!
DAY 2:
– STEP TWO: Build the leaven (start time: 8am)
Leaven is a starter, flour & water mixture that incorporates a small portion of your refreshed sourdough starter; leaven is the foundation that will ferment your sourdough loaves. We leave the leaven covered to rise in a warm environment for a total of 5 hours.
–STEP THREE: Autolyse the dough (10am: two hours later)
Autolyse (pronounced auto-leese) is a technique that delivers a dough that’s easier to work with and shape, and a loaf with better texture, rise and flavor. Our flour and water get mixed until no dry flour remains and then covered & left it in a warm place for 3 hours. During this time, gluten development begins and the simple sugars start to form as starch is broken down. I have found that allowing the dough to sit for a 3 hour autolyse yields a very smooth and elastic dough.
–STEP FOUR: Bringing things together (1pm: 5 hours later)
By now your leaven is ready and autolyse of the dough is complete. Add the leaven to the top of the dough and use your wetted hand to fold & squish the leaven into the dough, until the two have become one. Once well combined, we cover & let the dough rest in a warm place for 20 minutes.
–STEP FIVE: Adding salt & Rubaud Method mixing (1:20pm: 20 minutes later)
We add the salt later in the sourdough process to allow time for enzymatic processes, gluten development, and yeast activity to happen before the salt inhibits them. Simply sprinkle the salt over the dough & use your wetted hand to fold & squish the salt into the dough. Once the salt is starting to mix into the dough (about 1 minute later), you will use the Rubaud Method to mix the dough for 4 minutes (I recommend mixing for 2 minutes, taking a short rest, and then mixing for another 2 minutes). The Rubaud Method of hand-mixing was developed by Gerard Rubaud. It can be described as a scoop, lift and slap method that mimics the action of a diving arm mixer. With each slap, you are incorporating air and building a very extensible dough; this is, by far, the best hand mixing technique that I have used. Once done mixing, we cover & begin bulk fermentation.
–STEP 6: Bulk Fermentation & Coil Folding (2pm: 30 minutes later)
Bulk fermentation is the first proof of our sourdough. It is called bulk fermentation because you are letting the entire batch of dough ferment as one mass, before dividing and shaping it into loaves. At specifically timed intervals throughout bulk fermentation, we are going to perform coil folds to strengthen and develop the gluten in the dough. While many sourdough recipes use the “stretch and fold” method, I greatly prefer coil folding. I feel that coil folding works with gravity in a way that really benefits the structure of the dough. As you watch me perform each set of coil folds, you will be able to see the dough strengthen more each time.
–STEP 7: Pre-shaping & Shaping, & Cold Retard (6:00pm: 4 hours later)
If your dough is fermenting at 78°F, bulk fermentation should be complete in about 4.5 to 5 hours. You will know when to end bulk fermentation when the dough has increased strength, elasticity, smoothness, volume gain, and a bubbly appearance. Ultimately you are looking for the dough to have increased in volume by about 50%. When you gently shake the bowl, the dough mass will jiggle letting you know that the dough is nice and lively. We then divide the dough, perform a pre-shape, then our final shaping, and finally prep the loaves to cold retard in the refrigerator overnight. I have tried various shaping methods and the diagonal/corner fold method I show here in my guide is my favorite basic shaping method. I also believe that it is the most beginner-friendly shaping method there is.
DAY 3:
–STEP 8: Scoring & Baking
Today is bake day! You have some flexibility as to what time you start baking your loaves. I like to pre-eat my oven for 1 hour at 500°F with my dutch oven set on the center rack when I first wake up. After an hour of heating at 500°F, remove one banneton from the refrigerator, turn the loaf out of the banneton onto a piece of trimmed parchment paper, slash & score as desired and place the loaf into your pre-heated dutch oven. Cover & bake for 18 minutes before removing your dutch oven from the oven and transferring the loaf by its parchment paper to a baking sheet. I remove the loaf from the dutch oven to finish baking on a sheet pan in order to ensure that the bottom crust will not be too hard or over baked. If you want a nice even crust all the way around, trust me and do the second half of baking on a baking sheet!
Continue baking the loaf for 22 minutes at 400°F for a golden colored crust or 22-25 minutes at 425°F for a darker colored crust. The internal temperature of the loaf should read 210°F when it is done baking. When done baking, move loaf onto a cooling rack and allow to cool to room temperature.
I designed my basic sourdough bread guide as a one-stop source that hopefully answers every question you have about the ingredients, tools & techniques it takes to bake beautiful sourdough loaves. If you have any questions whatsoever, feel free to ask away in the comment section! And thank you for following along on my sourdough journey, I am truly so excited to launch this guide into the world! I poured my heart and soul into this post, so any feedback you give truly means the world <3
BASIC SOURDOUGH BREAD GUIDE
- Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Yield: 2 loaves 1x
Ingredients
STARTER REFRESH:
- 25g sourdough starter
- 50g warm filtered water
- 25g bread flour
- 25g whole grain rye flour
LEAVEN:
- 50g mature starter
- 50 grams bread flour
- 50g whole wheat flour
- 100g filtered water at room temperature
AUTOLYSE DOUGH:
- 400g bread flour
- 275g all purpose flour
- 125g whole wheat flour
- 570g water @ 90°F
FINAL DOUGH INGREDIENTS:
- Autolysed dough (see above)
- Leaven (see above)
- 15g fine sea salt
Instructions
NIGHT BEFORE:
- Refresh your starter that has been stored in the refrigerator. Leave just 25g of your starter in the jar, add starter refresh ingredients, stir with a spatula to combine. Set jar to ferment overnight (8-10 hours @78°F/25°C)
DAY ONE & SAMPLE SCHEDULE:
- 8am: Start Leaven (ferment 5 hours @78°F/25°C)
- 10am: Autolyse dough; mix dough flour & water until all flour is hydrated. Cover & proof alongside the leaven.
- 1:00pm: Mix autolysed dough with Leaven until well combined, for about 5 minutes
- 1:25pm: Add salt and mix for 5 minutes using Rubaud method
- 1:30pm: Begin Bulk Ferment (@78°F/25°C)
- 2:00pm: Coil Fold #1
- 2:30pm: Coil Fold #2
- 3:00pm: Coil Fold #3
- 3:30pm: Coil Fold #4
- 4:30pm: Coil Fold #5
- Let dough rest without folding for the remainder of bulk fermentation
- 6:00pm: lightly dust surface, split dough, pre-shape loaves & let rest uncovered
- 6:20pm: shape dough in desired form: boule, batard, etc. and place in well floured bannetons. Cover each banneton with a damp kitchen towel or place in a reusable plastic bag.
- Place covered bannetons in 37°F refrigerator to retard overnight (12-16 hours)
DAY TWO:
- Preheat oven to 500°F with a baking stone or steel on the bottom rack & covered dutch oven set on the middle rack for 1 hour
- Turn one of your loaves out of its form onto a piece of parchment that is cut to fit your dutch oven
- Gently rub the top of the loaf with some bread flour, slash loaf & score with desired design
- Gently place loaf in preheated dutch oven, cover & bake for 18 min
- Remove dutch oven from oven, uncover and lift bread from the dutch oven by the parchment paper & place bread on a baking sheet
- Turn down the oven to 400°F & bake bread for another 22 minutes (*interior temp should register @210°F)
- Allow loaf to cool at room temp. on a cooling rack
BAKING THE SECOND LOAF:
- When you remove the first loaf to finish its last 22 minutes of baking, return the covered dutch oven back to the oven to stay hot
- When first loaf is done baking re-heat oven to 500F and heat the covered dutch oven for 30 minutes at 500°F before baking the second loaf as per instructions above
EATING & STORAGE:
- Sourdough loaves keep best stored at room temperature in a bread bag or box if you are going to eat the entire loaf within the first day. Leftover sourdough is best when toasted. To preserve the freshness of your leftover sourdough, slice and freeze any leftovers.
Notes
This recipe yields two loaves at 75% hydration. The hydration percentage simply refers to the relative water to flour ratio in a given recipe. I have found 75% hydration to yield a perfectly balanced loaf that is especially easy to handle for beginners.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Bread
ADDITIONAL TIPS & THOUGHTS ON LIVING THE SOURDOUGH LIFE
CREATING YOUR PERFECT LOAF:
The specific blend of flours that I featured in this recipe make for what we consider to be a perfectly balanced loaf. The crust is not too thick but has that classic crispy shatter that we absolutely love. The crumb is open but not too open, meaning whatever you choose to spread on your slices won’t slip through big holes. If you want to experiment with different flour combinations to custom tailor your loaf here is a quick guide:
– Chewy with more open crumb & thicker crust: Omit the all-purpose flour in the dough and replace it with all bread flour instead.
– Even softer with finer crumb & thinner crust: Omit the bread flour in the dough and replace it with all-purpose flour instead.
– Darker crust: Some people prefer their crust to be darker & more caramelized. If that is your preference, you’ll want to bake your bread at a higher temperature once you have removed it from the dutch oven for the second stage of baking. Baking your loaves at 425°F instead of 400°F will result in a darker crust.
FRESH-MILLED FLOUR BENEFITS:
If you can source fresh-milled flour, I could not recommend it more highly. The differences between fresh-milled flour and industrial flour are vast. Namely, fresh-milled flour incorporates the entire grain kernel (germ, bran, and endosperm) which makes for flour that has maintained all the nutrition and flavor of the whole grain. Industrial flour cannot contain the entire grain kernel because it is produced to be shelf-stable and would go rancid too quickly if it contained the germ specifically. Unfortunately, the germ is where the most nutritious elements of the grain come from, so flours devoid of the germ are essentially devoid of nutrition.
All of that said, I have made this recipe both with King Arthur Flour brand flours (which are easily procurable in the United States) and with fresh-milled flours from Flourist.
THE SOURDOUGH COMMUNITY IS AMAZING:
In closing, I just want to take a minute to appreciate the sourdough community. I would not have gotten to this point in my sourdough journey without having learned from all of the work of those who have come before me. There are too many incredible people in the sourdough community that I have learned from to list out here. But please know that if you are feeling unsure about any part of the sourdough process that there are endless resources and a whole lot of really amazing sourdough bakers that are willing to help! Consider the comment section below as your sourdough hotline! I am committed to helping you become a confident sourdough baker!
Wow Bella!!! This is an unprecedented guide to sourdough! I remember trying King Arthur’s version and of course it was not easy. No videos. Not nearly as much detail. For you, to have put this together as a blogger and influencer, is a Herculean feat conquered!!! You may well have designed the pyramids yourself!! I am amazed at the tenacity you have and the work ethic you continue to bring to each and every thing you do! You are highly accomplished and you are going to become one of the biggest stars in the sky!!! Keep going. Keep doing. You are a phenomenon!!!!
Thank you so so much! That really means a lot to me! I tried to take all of my experience (fails & successes) into account when I put this guide together and produce a comprehensive post without it being intimidating. I appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment, it means so much to me to have your support! Thank you for acknowledging my hard work :)
This is really great I been baking sourdough for many years but this is so very impressive thanks for all the hard work can’t wait to try your tutorial! Beautiful loaf…
Thank you SO much! That is an incredible compliment Lury! I appreciate you taking the time to leave me a comment :)
Bella, I am a native from the Bay Area and sourdough here is life as you know. I recently took a class at a bakery in SF and came home with a starter which I’ve been feeding and a loaf to bake. I was still intimated after a hands on class, so I just continue to feed my started weekly.
I was so looking forward to your guide and you sure didn’t disappoint. I feel your detailed guide with videos will finally get me going. I can’t thank you enough for all the work you put into your guide. Thank you thank you
I am beyond grateful that you feel like my guide is going to help you feel more confident in your sourdough baking! Thank you for taking the time to comment. It is my great honor and pleasure to help you on your sourdough journey!
I was eagerly anticipating your sourdough guide, Bella, and now that it is finally here, I have to say that I am impressed beyond words! You have put so much thought and effort into this post and the videos of all the steps are extremely useful. As a food blogger myself and avid baker, I know well how much time a huge project like this takes! Thank you very much for your dedication, incredible talents and work ethic!
Thank you so very much Marilena! I truly poured my heart into this post, so it means a lot to me to know that you can see that! I appreciate you taking the time to comment here <3
Bella, this is truly amazing. Everything you do is, but wow! I just sat, transfixed, while drinking my morning latte and soaked up all of your words, knowledge, photos and lovely videos. Thank you for taking the time (so much time!!) to create this comprehensive guide. I have never seen one like it. I have a fairly new starter that I’ve been nursing along and I cannot wait to bake with it now!! I think I will supplement some of the feedings with rye now based on your recommendations. The videos are just so incredibly helpful. Thank you, thank you, thank you! xo – Anita
Thank you so very much Anita! I am beyond grateful for your feedback, it means so much! And I cannot wait for you to try using rye flour in your starter! You are going to notice the difference for sure! I knew videos would make this post the most helpful, so happy you feel the same!
I just started on my journey of making my own bread ! And stumbled into your blog – couldn’t be more perfect timing. I do have one question – when making my sourdough starter, can I just use one type of flour? I use King Arthur’s unbleached all purpose flour at home. I’ve read many use various combinations of flours for their starters (as you do too) but can I just use this ?
Hi Julia! You absolutely can use just one flour for your starter! But I believe you & your starter will be much happier when you add in a whole grain flour to your starter as well, as I explained in this guide; the primary source for our starter’s wild yeast and enzymes come from the grain itself, not the air. Either way that you choose to go, a starter fed with just all-purpose flour absolutely works, but will most likely have to be fed more often to be nice and robust! So excited for your sourdough journey!
Hi Bella,
Beautiful post! Thank you. Trying your recipe today.
I’m new to sourdough and still learning all the tricks. I was wondering why move the loaf to a sheet pan and not just bake it uncovered in the Dutch oven?
Hi Marla! After testing many, many loaves, I have found that leaving the loaf in the dutch oven results in a bottom crust that is overbaked in my opinion, ie; too crisp & very dark/almost burnt in comparison the rest of the crust. This is the same reason that I recommend using a Baking Steel or stone placed on the bottom rack of the oven, to prevent the bottom crust from over baking. We like our loaves to have a nice even crust all the way around, and removing the loaf from the dutch oven was the only way I could achieve that!
Bella! Long overdue comment here, congratulations on a beautiful guide!!! Referring to your videos now as I shape ;) Thank you for pouring all you did into this, your dedication truly shows and I’m so happy to have sourdough in my life! XO!
thank you SO much for taking the time to comment Ash! Your appreciation for my guide means a lot :)
1st off Bella, WOW!!! What unbelievably amazing and beautiful photos!!!! That is what actually drew us in to even desire to begin our sourdough journey with you!!
Thank you so so much! I really appreciate that! And so happy I could inspire you to start your sourdough journey!
2nd off, those short videos that you included are a TOTAL game changer!!!
We have tried and given up and tried and given up on SO MANY other sourdough recipes in the past
that we figured we just weren’t cut out to be bread makers, little did we know it was the recipe writer that actually sucked, because we followed your recipe guide to the “TEE” and man it turned out PERFECT!!
I knew that including short videos would make such a difference for people! You are very generous to say that…thank you so much!
My first loaves are coming out of the oven now, I can’t wait to cut into them.
I followed your ratios but used AP and ww bread flour, and my dough was vey stiff to start which made coil folding difficult. The dough didn’t really relax. Is it possible that I need to add more water because of the flour I used?
Hi Heather! Every type of flour absorbs water differently. Depending on what ratios of AP to Whole Wheat you used, I would say that adding in a touch of water may have been necessary (whole wheat flour is generally thirstier than AP)
on my last comment I accidentally hit “submit” before I got the chance to THANK YOU SO MUCH a THOUSAND times over for put this guide together. It’s OBVIOUS you probably spent weeks, if not months, no only perfecting the recipe, but then organizing everything so perfectly detailed and then the shooting and filming so that us novices can bake sourdough like a pro like you, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh and, sorry to ask, but before I forget, how in the flying F#@% is it possible that this sourdough guide only has a 4 out of 5 star rating??? Who, or should I say, which hater gave it anything but a 5 STAR?? Me and my wife have never been able to pull off successful bread baking into you developed your guide, NEVER!! There is NO way that who ever rated this less than 5 stars actually followed the guide and made the bread, IF they had, they would of given 5 stars, it’s probably just a saboteur out to try and derate or devalue your work in order to have their own promoted higher.
haha! I have NO idea! It is weird how these recipe rating systems work. I can post a new recipe and within minutes the first 1/2 hour, it will already have low ratings! Which is a total bummer because there is no way any of those people could have possibly made the recipe in that time to give it an honest rating. Oh well! I am just going to keep doing my best and that is all that I can do! And thank you for the 5-star rating! It means so much!
Lastly, this makes THE BEST toast with butter, breakfast sandwiches, lunch sandwiches, dinner sandwiches, toaster oven mini pizzas, bread to wipe your plate clean with at the end of the meal, toasty croutons over the top of a soup or salad, chopped bread crumbs, etc etc etc, it is THE BEST and most versatile bread, PERIOD!!!! THANK YOU SO SO SO MUCH from everyone in our family for all your seriously thoughtful hardwork and dedication to this post and all your work in general, THANK YOU!!!
I would have to agree with you on that! Love all of the ways that you can use sourdough! And thank you to you and your family for all of your enthusiastic love and support!
Hello, and bravo ! This is recipe is simply perfect. I finally baked a flawless loaf. The video’s are very helpful and everything is precisely indicated so thank you !!! I was wondering, do you know if we could leave the dough 1 more day+night in the fridge or would that alter the taste and texture of bread ? Meaning it would spend 2 nights and 1 full day in the fridge. Thank you !
Hello Jennifer! So so happy that you are enjoying my sourdough guide! As to your question, the dough does continue to ferment in the refrigerator, so leaving it an additional 24 hours may affect the flavor (more sour). It may be worth giving it a shot and seeing if you notice any major differences!
This sourdough guide is amazing!! I can’t tell you how many I’ve read and felt lost and confused afterwards. Your instructions are so clear, and the videos are so helpful to watch!! Thank you so much for putting together this amazing guide!! It’s seriously the best sourdough guide I’ve seen (and I’ve been through a lot which is why I was so excited when I saw your ig post). THANK YOU!!
I am SO grateful that you took the time to share your experience with my sourdough guide! It truly means so much to me! And I am SO excited for you to bake sourdough! Let me know if you have any questions along the way!
Hi, I was just wondering what are the dimensions of your bannetons?
Thanks, Lilly
Hi Lily! The bannetons I use are: 10.1 x 5.9 x 4.7 inches
Thank you for this amazing guide! I can’t wait to try out all of your added tips and tricks like a longer autolyse period. I usually just do 30 minutes.
Im wondering what size your batard bannetons are?
Hello Jean! You are SO welcome! I have my batard bannetons linked in the Sourdough Tools section of this guide! They are roughly 10x6x3″
After watching tons of sourdough video’s over the past three months and incorporating techniques I STILL could not get my bread to NOT collapse when I went to score it. Well, it turns out that I had been continuing to use the King Arthur Recipe which adds 1-2 tsp of yeast plus the starter. Then your guide came out and yesterday I followed it to the letter. One huge problem though -when time for the pre-shape my dough was all bubbly but incredibly wet! I had to add tons of flour to even begin to shape it. I did not think I was using too much water when I wet my hands, but maybe I wet them too often. So, I almost threw it out but I persisted and followed through. The bread tasted very good and I was able to finally score it without collapse, but it did not rise much overnight and it was a little heavy. I will submit a photo to you through instagram message. Any suggestions as to why it was so wet? I really had to add a lot more AP flour.
Also, with this pandemic I am currently out of bread flour so I have King Arthur whole wheat, white whole wheat, spelt, and their All Purpose Flour on hand and am adapting your levain and dough recipe using what I have on hand.
Hello Lynn! Thank you for reaching out! It does take time to get used to the wetness of sourdough. But if your dough seemed especially wet, you can try withholding about 25 grams of water during the autolyse stage to see if that helps!
I did and it helped a lot! Every week things get better and better. Wish I had found these two guides weeks and weeks ago, but thankful I have them now! Much less frustration and a whole lot more huge smiles on my face every week now ! Thank you again, so very much.
:) so so happy you’re here!
Can’t wait to try your recipe! I don’t have whole wheat flour, though. Can I use extra bread flour or AP flour instead?
Yay! So excited for you! And yes, you can substitute for the whole wheat with either of those and your loaves should turn out all good!
I’ve been wanting to try my hand at sourdough bread baking after a large fail many years ago with a starter that went black (whoops!). I have a fairly new starter that I have created and after tons of reading and looking for a guide that would help this newbie I came upon yours and I’m happy to say that even though there was a little bit of swearing (during the Rubaud method) my lovely loaves are resting in the fridge. I’m really looking forward to seeing how they come out tomorrow once baked! I also had a bit of trouble with how sticky my dough was and found using my hands during the Rubaud method brought on some of the aforementioned swearing, but I persevered and found that using my small silicon spatula allowed me to work the method without fretting about the dough sticking to my hands. I really felt like your videos and getting to see the consistency of your dough through all the different steps really helped me to keep going. I will report back tomorrow to let you know how they came out! Thank you so much for your time and energy, this is an invaluable resource!
Haha! Your Rubaud method swearing sure made me laugh! You will get so much better at Rubaud with time, as with all other stages of the sourdough process. It takes time to learn how the dough should feel, that sticky is okay, especially when you have developed the gluten well and created enough tension that the dough will seem wet, but miraculously not a hot mess! I am SO excited for you to bake up your first loaves! And I am always here for you if you need help along your journey! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment, it really means so much to me!
Hi Bella,
First and foremost, thank you SO MUCH for putting together this remarkably comprehensive guide! I was always a bit put off by sourdough recipes as I found them to be remarkably complex and not particularly explanatory – this is not the case at all with yours! I found the videos incredibly helpful and really felt like I had everything I needed to embark on this adventure.
I just pulled out my first loaves today and am really happy with the result! I had to adapt a bit, as I couldn’t find any bread flour anywhere, so I used all-purpose flour instead. My bread seems quite a bit lighter (in color) and the crust much more crackled/thinner than yours.
There are two things I’m wondering about: I did score my loaves, but aside from the large slash, the designs I tried (similar to yours) aren’t recognizable at all. Do you think that’s because of the crust thickness?
Also, I’m wondering if you’ve ever done a whole-wheat loaf? I was thinking of trying out my next batch made primarily with rye and whole wheat flour but would hate to go through all of the trouble if it doesn’t turn out.
Thanks again so much!
Hello Nicholas! I am super honored that you found my guide to be perfect for you! And I really appreciate you taking the time to comment!
Your crust will be thinner when all-purpose flour is the predominant flour. As far as your designs, you need a nice & even coating of flour to cover the loaf for the designs to really come through. And you may need to bake it a few extra minutes to get a darker crust for contrast. Every oven is different and it takes experimenting to figure out exactly how long you need to bake to achieve your desired outcome. (perhaps baking at 425f for the second half)
If you need to source bread flour you can try Central Milling, they ship nationwide and have great quality flour! (I am going to update my post to include them as an online source for flour) I just ordered a 25lb bag of bread flour from them because I have had such a hard time finding it in my local grocery stores.
As far as making a 100% whole grain loaf, you will need to make some changes to the recipe: I recommend this one from my friend Maurizio (https://www.theperfectloaf.com/100-whole-wheat-sourdough/) With my recipe, you could pull off a 50/50 loaf (50% bread/ap & 50% whole grain) that is as far as I have pushed it with whole grain.
Hi Bella,
Amazing! Thank you for the feedback…hopefully I’ll be able to get my hands on some high-quality bread flour at some point…I just checked out Central Milling and they’re sold out as well! Looks like everyone is trying their hand at baking these days. ;-)
And thank you for sharing Maurizio’s link! Will definitely check it out…I may start out with a 50/50 loaf using your method to begin with…I’m sure I’ll have plenty more time to experiment with different methods!
Hope you and your family are staying safe!
Nicholas
Hi there! What an amazing guide! Everything is so well explained and the videos are so helpful (as someone who is a visual learner)!
I have a question about the leaven. Why do I have to make a leaven? My starter is about 2 weeks old. I’ve made bread once with it using Joshua Weismann’s tutorial for beginners. My starter is rye and AP and I’ve noticed that it rises to nearly triple in height but it takes all night and into about 9-10 am to get there. I feed it at 10 pm usually. I am usually discarding about 180+ grams when I feed it. Why can’t I just add my starter directly into my autolysed dough instead of making a leaven? With my first batch, I feel like my leaven was no where near as active as my starter after 5-6 hrs, and I put it in my oven with the light on to keep it around 75 degrees. I hope you can help me understand. Very confused. Thank you!
Hello Susan! Thank you so much! I really appreciate it! To answer your question about leaven/levain:
First of all, I would recommend that you maintain a much smaller amount of starter, having to discard 180g is a lot of discard (whether you make something with it or not) but we will get to that in a minute ;)
Here is my reasoning behind a leaven: I store my starter in the refrigerator and pull it out about once a week to refresh it and then make bread/pizza, etc. I refresh just as you do, right before bedtime, and my starter typically TRIPLES in that 8-10 hours, which is good activity but not vigorous enough. Now, when I go to build my leaven from my refreshed starter, it will DOUBLE in about 4 hours, which is much faster/more vigorous than my refreshed starter grew the night before. You don’t need the leaven to triple, just double, because it is going to be fed more flour and water when you mix it into your dough. So, the leaven in all respects is more active than the refreshed starter.
After building my leaven for sourdough loaves, I am left with only about 75g of refreshed starter, which means I can make some sourdough pizza dough (or another recipe) and then put my 25g of refreshed starter back in the refrigerator to wait for me to refresh and bake again in about another week or so.
So, with all of this said, I would recommend maintaining less starter for less waste (I keep 25g and then feed 50g flour & 50g water). IF you want to experiment with just baking from your refreshed starter you totally can! The loaves will probably still turn out good! But building a leaven is for the purpose of having a more vigorous wild yeast!
Thank you so much for your question, I am sure other people have wondered the same thing! I hope I was able to help you understand the psyche behind leaven! Happy baking!
Hi Bella,
In response to your suggestions to put remaining refreshed starter in the refrigerator… so… the night before, I refresh. The next morning I make my leaven and any other recipes leaving 25g. But do not refresh again? Just put it in fridge?
Thanks!
YES! Exactly!
Dear Bella,
This is the best guide ever! It is like my bible I keep reading every single time I am about to bake my own sourdough bread and keep preaching about your blog everywhere I go! I a excited, haha yes you can say that=).
My neighbours, bakers, are getting tips from ME, as they are impressed by my bread and are asking me for tips. Incredible!!!
My Mount Everest, homemade sourdough bread, has been conquered and that is all thanks to you dear Bella. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!
Thank you SO much Katka! I am truly so honored to have been able to help you conquer your sourdough goals! And it is absolutely incredible to hear that you get to inspire and teach your neighbors and friends! I appreciate you taking the time to comment here, it really means so much to me! Happy Baking!
Thank you for this wonderful tutorial!!
Do you recommend to put the loaf straight from the fridge into the oven, or is it necessary to get it out of the fridge in advance, and if so, for how long exactly?
You are so welcome! Yes, you bake the loaf straight from the fridge, you don’t need to take it out in advance!
Hi Bella, I’m late to the party here;) I swear you must have a time machine….did you know that about a month after you would post this that everyone would be clamoring to make sourdough? I finally set aside time, all by myself-hiding in the laundry room ;) to devour this post. It is truly an unbelievable guide. Thank you for sharing your talent, both in creating such an epic tutorial, through photographs and your continued support and education once this was put out into the world. Much love!
Carolyn
I had NO idea! Crazy timing right!?! I am BEYOND grateful for your compliments on this post, honestly, I have never worked harder on a blog post! I am really excited and honored to be a part of so many people’s sourdough journeys and hopefully soon, yours! Love you Carolyn! <3
Hi Bella! I would like to try your sourdough bread recipe but I cannot find the American kind of bread flour here in Switzerland. What could I use as a substitute? Would a mix of whole wheat and white flour work? Thank you in advance (:
That absolutely should work Leslie! I am SO excited for you! <3
Dayum 🤯 this post is a masterpiece. Seriously, I cannot imagine how long it must have taken you to make it, and I already know that this is the kind of post I am going to be coming back to over and over again. THANK YOU for improving so many of our cooking and baking lives ❤️
Awww, thank you SO much Pia! And you are most welcome! It was a ton of work to create this guide, but I could not be happier with it!
Hey Bella.
I’m about 8 years into my sourdough journey and have had many bricks and pancakes along with some very nice loaves. I’ve developed my own same-day recipe using a bread pan after having given up trying to make anything that looks like your loaf here. I had decided that beautiful loaves like this are for other people, but the pull was too strong and I had to try your recipe. With apprehension I took the cover off of the Dutch oven and……I nearly dislocated my shoulder with the victorious fist pumps after seeing your masterpiece in my kitchen. What a feeling. I’m back baby, I’m back! All hail Bella. Slow-clapping you out of the room.
Regards
Daniel
Oh my goodness Daniel!
Your comment made me laugh and almost cry tears of joy! I am SO honored that my guide could turn you into a beautiful sourdough loaf baker! Thank you SO much for taking the time to tell me about your experience with my guide! You made my day!
Warmly,
Bella
Hi Bella,
This post is fantastic for not only beginners in sourdough baking but also someone like me. Who is more familiar with bread making.
From this post I have learned rubaud method. Totally new to me, but soo good. Together with coil folds I can see improvement in my bread.
I will advise everyone to read your sourdough post before they decide to start baking. 🥰 ania
Oh Ania! I am SO happy that you are enjoying my guide and recommending it to your friends! Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
Bella, what a thorough and beautiful sourdough bread baking guide you’ve put together. I’m so grateful to you for the detailed process descriptions and the videos you created. I’m looking forward to trying my hand at this technique this week. I have only one banetton, so for the second loaf I will just use a bowl about the same size. Excited to get my hands in the dough. Thank you!
Thank you SO much Jackelin! I am really grateful that my guide has inspired you! I cannot wait for your first bake! A bowl lined with a linen dishcloth will work just as well as a banneton! You’re so welcome!
I started baking sourdough back in November after purchasing the KAF sourdough starter. My first loaf was amazing; it was an almost no-knead sourdough recipe from Cooks Illustrated. As a first timer, it was a great starter recipe which gave me confidence. Now I’m ready to move on and stretch my sourdough muscles. The one thing that I’ve always wondered was what gave that San Fran Sourdough breads so much flavor. Now that I’ve found your blog and in-depth guide (thank you so much), I have something to try with the rye. One question – my starter has been entirely AP flour for every feeding since November ’19. How many feedings should I do incorporating the rye flour before it’ll have that great San Fran flavor?
So happy to have found your site! Thank you.
Hello Marti! Acetic acid is what gives sourdough its characteristic tang and incorporating a whole grain flour in your starter will help produce more acetic acid. If you follow my guide from the sourdough starter feeding ratios, to the actual sourdough loaves themselves, you should notice more tang immediately! Also, if you bulk ferment at a slightly cooler temperature (78°F), your sourdough will also be tangier, but may need just a bit longer to finish bulk ferment. Let me know if you have any other questions and happy baking!
You could open your own bread store!! Today! This is astounding!!
Aw shucks! thank you Michelle, you’re the sweetest!
Thank you so much for this informative and beautiful tutorial! Quick question for you: all was going well until the bulk fermentation and coil folding stage. My dough seems so wet that I am not able to fold it…?? Should I try adding a bit more flour, or do you think it will change as I continue folding/working it? Help!! Thank you for your expertise!
Hi Charlotte! Typically speaking, the dough should continue to build strength as you continue on with the coil folding. There are several factors to consider: what flours did you end up using? Did you use the exact flours that I used, or did you make any changes? All flours absorb water differently. Another consideration is how much you worked the dough during the Rubaud method of mixing…did your dough have any structure? Or did it still seem loose?
Ohmygosh, I did not realize that you responded to me…thank you!
I used King Arthur bread flour, Gold Medal whole wheat, and Gold Medal AP. I did persevere with the rubaud method, which is trickier than it looks, but the coil folding just wasn’t working for me. Sooo, I ended up doing more of the stretch and fold method. I did see that the dough eventually developed more strength, and my loaves ended up quite beautiful!!! Maybe a bit closed crumb, bot otherwise just gorgeous!
I am going to make another batch of bread this week, and I will give the coil folding another go. You make it look so easy!
Thanks again for an awesome tutorial!
Oh yay! You’re welcome! The rubaud method is a bit tricky, especially at first! Here is a link to an Instagram story I filmed giving another view of the rubaud method & coil folding in action: https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/18046410442242405/
Happy to hear your loaves turned out well! And excited for you to give it a go again later this week!
This is such a gorgeous guide! And so thorough. It’s amazing. I did have one question…It seems like the Leavin is basically just a lot of starter that’s become active, right? If that’s the case, if I have an active starter going and have enough of it to meet those ratios for the recipe, can I just use the right portion of that when its at its peak? Or am I misunderstanding something about the Leavin?
Thank you so much Lori! I really appreciate your compliments!
To answer your question about leaven/levain:
First of all, I would recommend that you maintain a much smaller amount of starter, but we will get to that in a minute ;)
Here is my reasoning behind using a leaven: I store my starter in the refrigerator and pull it out about once a week to refresh it and then make bread/pizza, etc. I refresh it right before bedtime, and my starter typically TRIPLES in that 8-10 hours, which is good activity but not vigorous enough. Now, when I go to build my leaven from my refreshed starter, it will DOUBLE in about 4 hours, which is much faster/more vigorous than my refreshed starter grew the night before. You don’t need the leaven to triple, just double, because it is going to be fed more flour and water when you mix it into your dough. So, the leaven in all respects is more active than the refreshed starter.
After building my leaven for sourdough loaves, I am left with only about 75g of refreshed starter, which means I can make some sourdough pizza dough (or another recipe that uses 50g of active starter) and then put my 25g of refreshed starter back in the refrigerator to wait for me to refresh and bake again in about another week or so.
So, with all of this said, I would recommend maintaining less starter for less waste (I keep 25g and then feed 50g flour & 50g water). IF you want to experiment with just baking from your refreshed starter you totally can! The loaves will probably still turn out good! But building a leaven is for the purpose of having a more vigorous wild yeast!
Thank you so much for your question, I am sure other people have wondered the same thing! I hope I was able to help you understand the psyche behind leaven! Happy baking!
Thanks for the great explanation! I finally understood it :)
You’re very welcome <3
Hi there, thank you so much for such a great step by step tutorial! I’ve made only a few loaves and they have turned out decently however am noticing my starter is not multiplying as much as it should be. I got it from a friend and it was a happy starter when I received it so not sure what I’m doing wrong. Thanks! PS I’m using whole wheat and bread flour in my starter as I can’t find Rye anywhere due to the current situation!
Hi Lauren! So happy you are finding my guide helpful! There are several factors that contribute to a happy starter: Water (must be filtered & non-chlorinated) – Temperature: you want to your ambient temperature to be 76-82°F to promote the best activity. Also how often are you feeding it? Are you storing it in the refrigerator in between feedings? What feeding ratio are you following (ie; how much starter + flour + water)
And as far as rye flour goes, I just was looking at CentralMilling.com’s website today and they had 5lb bags of dark rye flour in stock!
Thank you for this guide, it is absolutely brilliant! I have done a fair bit of research and no other food sites/bloggers come close to how clear, comprehensive, and easy-to-follow this is. I’ve recommended it to so many people already!
WOW! Thank you SO much Charlotte! I appreciate your appreciation for my guide! I worked very hard on making it unique and thorough! And thank you so much for sharing it with so many people, it means so much!
Hi! Cant wait to try your recipe!
If im using fresh milled whole grain flour, do I use the same measurements or adjust my flour to water ratio?
Do you plan on doing 100% whole grain loaves, or do you still plan on using some all-purpose & bread flour?
I would love to try all whole grain unless you reccomend not? Ive just started playing around with bread making so im wanting to try different flours
Okay! I would advise you to use this recipe if you are going to do a 100% whole grain sourdough loaf: https://www.theperfectloaf.com/100-whole-wheat-sourdough/
Such a beautiful tutorial that I cannot wait to tackle. I’ve ordered some supplies and am tracking down quality flours now – not easy to do at the moment! Central Milling is out of things currently. I found an Etsy store that has dark rye and whole wheat flour in stock. They do not have all purpose or bread flour. What they have is a high gluten proprietary blend they call Parisian and they won’t tell me what’s in it 🤣 They DID tell me it’s protein content is 13.5 – 14%. Higher than AP. Anyway, what do you think about swapping any AP or bread flour out for this Parisian blend? Not a good idea? I can prob track down some AP and other flours at the store. I was just trying to find fresher milled stuff. Thank you!
Hi Kristin! If you swap out all of the AP for this high protein bread flour your loaf will be less soft, chewier crumb with a thicker crust, which is great, but I really love what AP does for these sourdough loaves! Central Milling restocks very regularly, so I would keep your eyes peeled for their Artisan Bakers Craft (it can be used as both bread and/or AP since it is 11.5% protein) And if you can find King Arthur AP, it is my favorite all purpose flour at the regular grocery store!
Also, would you use whole wheat pastry flour or stick w regular whole wheat. I know the pastry version is lighter and milled from soft white wheat so it’s not exactly the same thing….
I would stick with regular whole wheat flour for sourdough loaves!
Perfect. Thank you! I really want to wait and find the right stuff these first times around and then go from there. So, thank you. I’ll keep looking for whole wheat and checking Central Milling!
Hi Bella, This tutorial is so detailed and thorough its fantastic! Thank you for putting this together. I really like watching the videos for technique. I’ve made a few batches of bread with your methods although I’ve had to substitute flours using what I can find but they’ve all come out good. Still working on a good crumb and perfecting my technique…
Have you tried a longer bulk fermentation before? I know some of the specialty bread bakers claim it’s easier for gluten intolerant people to consume when they do a long bulk ferment. I’m just wondering if you have experience with that at all.
Love, love , love this guide and thank you again for sharing your technique. I’ve shared this with many friends. :)
Thank you so much Jill! I am so happy that you have found my guide helpful! The best way to accomplish a longer bulk ferment without over-proofing, it to allow your dough to ferment in a cooler environment. I have not tried anything significantly longer than the amount of time in my guide, but it would be worth experimenting with! I am so grateful that you have shared my guide with your friends, it really means so much to me!
I followed Bella’s instructions exactly and made the most beautiful first loaf of sourdough bread! I can’t even believe how gorgeous it was and how amazing it tasted! My husband who is a sourdough snob was on cloud nine too. I am honestly so grateful for all the hard work you put into this guide Bella! Thank you!!!!
I am SO excited for you Tina! Seeing your loaf on Instagram made my day! haha, so happy you were able to impress your sourdough snob husband as well! You are so welcome, thank you for expressing your gratitude for my guide!
My two cousins, my dad and I have all used this recipe as beginner sourdough bakers and it has been invaluable for all of us! Can’t thank you enough for the clear detailed instructions and step-by-step videos. Just in the process of bulk fermentation now for my 3rd and 4th loaves. My holy grail guide to sourdough!
WOW! I am SO thankful that my guide has served all of you so well! Thank you very much Katy, I am honored to be a part of your bread baking journey!
As a non cook but someone who can obsess about visuals and details this is the most visually stunning (the photos, videos, text, fonts) and clear bread baking instructions I’ve ever seen. Mind blowing how complete yet devoid of unnecessary things this post is. Love it. Thank you much for creating it and sharing it with us.
WOW! Thank you so much Jan! When I read your experience of my guide, all I could think to myself is “this is exactly what I wanted people to feel about my guide!” I really appreciate you taking the time to comment here! Your comment made my day! And you are so welcome!
This is my first time ever trying sourdough starter…. today is my 6th feeding (I’m using your guide as posted by Williams Sonoma on their IG account) and I’m getting all excited as the day to make the bread approaches. I have a couple of questions… Is it OK if my starter doesn’t seem to rise to triple its size? There were times when it seemed to go crazy but then there were other times when it just didn’t really rise much or at all… or it rises immediately after the feeding and then it gets stuck. I’m supposed to start the actual bread making on Friday… but I do not have nor can I get a Dutch oven. What do you recommend? I have an old pan which could go in the oven and maybe use a cake pan upside down to cover it (I´m just trying to be creative and resourceful) but I would really appreciate your thoughts on this. I’m here in Argentina during a lockdown trying to give sourdough bread a shot and hoping it will work. Every time I’m in the US I get sourdough and I love it…. and miss it! Thanks for this amazing guide! Love all the details and numbers and videos! xoxox
Hello Paula! SO excited for your sourdough journey! To answer your questions: your starter activity will vary as you described throughout the building process…but just keep on feeding according to the schedule and everything should go to plan! (just make certain your ambient temperature is warm – 78°F is ideal). You can bake without a dutch oven and your idea of using a pan/cake pan cover could work…albeit, maybe not as well as a dutch oven, but something is better than nothing! The other option would be to just bake your loaves in some bread tins and create some steam in your oven to help them rise. Here is a link to a video that shows three methods for creating steam in your oven: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrrvcxLEo78
I hope this helps! And thank you so much for your kind words about my guide! Happy baking!
Thanks for your reply! After I posted my comment I remembered I have a clay pot with a lid which maybe could be an option to? I have bowls of the same material and they’re oven proof. Thank you for your time! Looking forward to the baking part of the process :)
I think the clay pot with lid would be a great choice!
Hello!! I don’t know if you got to see my loaves (I tagged you on IG) but…. OMG!!! I could not believe how pretty and delicious they were considering it was my first time ever making this!!! Thank you so much for your guide! The bubbles in the dough, the color, the smell… the clay pot worked like a charm. The whole process was magic! Now I want to get myself a nice and big ceramic bowl because the stainless steel I used almost left me without skin on my knuckles after all the wet hands/coil folding process haha! Anyway… I have one more question. I’ve read everything again but there’s this one detail I want to ask about. So I’ve had my starter in the fridge since last week, and I want to feed it, but I’m not making bread this weekend. How do I proceed exactly? It says here I have to do the final feeding in the schedule, but do I do that at night and then leave it outside as if I was going to bake? Or do the feeding and then just put it back in the fridge right after I’m done? If all I’m doing is maintaining it, not baking, that is…
And if I WAS baking, I guess I do the “last night before baking” in the schedule, then make the leaven and put the rest back in the fridge…. right?
I know you must have answered this like a gazillion times but I wanna make sure I’m doing it right …. THANKS!!
Hi Paula! I don’t think I was able to see your loaves because your IG account is private!?! But I am SO happy that your first bake was so successful and I am truly honored to have helped you achieve your sourdough dreams!
As far as the sourdough starter maintenance: you will pull your starter out of the fridge and feed it just as you normally would. Once it has reached peak activity you will simply put it back in the refrigerator! You will be left with about 100g of discard the next time you go to bake, but you can use a discard recipe like sourdough pancakes or crackers to use up the starter!
I hope this answered all of your questions! Happy baking!
First, a million thank yous are in order because I almost gave up on baking sourdough. I had built a lovely smelling starter from Nancy Silverton’s method but it was very water-y. The sourdough were A MESS! Big wet dense blobs – taste was good but there was no rise (now understanding that this was mostly because of the type of flour.). BUT, I’m not a quitter by nature and I found your blog! I incorporated her starter into a hybrid of your starter. The step by step and THE videos you made are beautiful and a game changer. I finally had gorgeous loaves of sourdough! (That noise you all heard last week was the collective sigh of relief from my household that I had soudough success.). After trying it once I understand what you mean by technique, but now having done it, it’s not really that hard, just requires good attention. I didn’t have any of your tools but I managed. Up next, 50/50 spelt (or rye or both, I have plenty of starter and yes, when I found flour I bought every kind.) I can’t thank you enough! Looking forward to being a devotee of your blog. Stay safe and healthy!
You are SO welcome Sunday! I am beyond honored that my bread guide was able to help you produce loaves of sourdough that you and your family all loved!
Haha! You cracked me up with the “collective sigh of relief” lol! Thank you for taking the time to share with me, reading comments like these makes my day! <3
Hi Bella – me again!
The 50/50 rye and 50/50 spelt turned out fantastic!! Now that I’m getting cocky – any tips on how to make your basic sourdough into crusty baguettes?
And I can’t wait to try the triple citrus matcha – my lemon trees are bursting and I needed a recipe. Also a great refresher for summer which they sell at farmers markets in Berlin in the summer is lime, orange and mint blended together.
ThNk you again for all your time and beautiful energy! My new, and forever fav!!! xoxo
Hi! I love this sourdough guide, it’s so easy to follow, unlike some others I’ve read!
Just one problem I had, I followed this guide word for word, but my dough turked out really slack and ‘melted’ when I was scoring, also when I turned it out of the bannetone the dough had a skin which made it really hard to score. Any idea what I’m doing wrong? 😭
Hello Jo! There could be a few different factors as to why your dough was so loose when you turned it out of the banneton:
(1) You may not have developed enough gluten during the Rubaud mixing stage – during this stage in the process, it is imperative to make sure that your dough is no longer super sticky and that it has started to pull away from the sides of the bowl as you mix it. It should also have started to hold its shape a bit.
(2) You may have over-proofed your dough – this is when the dough has been fermented too long and leads to the dough basically deflating when you go to shape it and bake it the next day. While my guide gives a timeline to follow, that timeline is based on a general ambient temperature of 78°F. If your ambient temperature was warmer, then bulk fermentation will progress faster. So you need to watch carefully during the last stage of bulk fermentation to see when your dough has essentially doubled in size. Once it has doubled, bulk fermentation is done and you can move forward with shaping & the cold retard.
I hope this helps! And please let me know if you have any other questions!
Thank you so much for this amazing detailed guide. As a first timer it has been brilliant. I have had the same problem as the poster above. Is there any way of “rescuing it” at this point or do you need to throw away and start again?
Hi Olivia! You are very welcome!
If your dough came out like Jo’s did, there is not really anything you can do to salvage it at that point…you should definitely still bake it, as it will still be edible, just not a tall lofty loaf, it will be flatter and denser, but still edible none the less! I hope things go better for you next time around! Please take note of the tips that I left Jo above! Happy baking!
Hi Bella,
Thank you for so much for the inspiration to make sour dough. Love the way you have written up the process. I came to the last day of feeding and the starter was looking good -bubbles galore. Then I left the 25% in and discarded the rest and poured in the 100g water and 100g flour and today looked at it and it is more like a dough – no bubbles. HELP please. Look forward to your advice. Fortunately, I kept the discard in the fridge so could always revitalise that if there is no hope with the one outside. Thank you again. Claudette
Hello Cladette! You are so welcome! I am happy to be a part of your sourdough journey!
Does the jar look like the starter rose & fell? Did it rise at all? You could just go back on the schedule and feed from 50g of starter and make sure things are at least doubling before you step down to the 25g again. And yes, you could add back some of the starter you reserved in the refrigerator if necessary!
This an AWESOME guide and I’ve used pieces of it to teach me how to bake sourdough! I am a chef but have never baked bread until a month ago and now I’ve baked every week for the last 4! I have one question… your slash marks are beautiful and so much more noticeable than mine. I feel like I’m doing something wrong. 🤨 Also I use slightly different temperatures and timing than you recommend. Could that be why? I do 20 minutes at 500 then 25 at 450. Dutch oven covered and the sheet pan which seems to help with the crust not getting SO hard and impossible to slice through.
Hi Jennifer! So happy to hear my guide has helped you on your bread journey! As far as the scoring not showing up well, the number one issue with that is not putting enough flour on the loaf after you turn it out of the banneton. I put a good amount of flour to create contrast so you can really see the scoring. Of course, no one wants a mouthful of flour when they eat their crust, so just make sure to evenly coat the outside with flour and kind of gently rub it in as you see me do in the video here on the guide! A hotter bake should not affect the scoring from showing as long as you use enough flour before you score! Hope this helps! Happy baking!
Really nice presentation, lengthy, but probably what beginners need. Well done.
Looks like a good basic recipe though some might like the salt up to 2% but subjective. Wish you all the best.
David
Thank you for commenting David! I agree that the salt is subjective. I found that beginners have TONS of questions, so I tried to make my guide as thorough as possible :)
Today I am starting my sourdough journey using your recipe and instructions. I’m so excited I can hardly stand it! Thank you for demystifying the process with your stellar instructions. I am hopeful for success!
Oh yay! I am so excited for you Robin! And I am honored to be a part of your journey!
Loved this guide! Tried quite a few methods before this one with little success. Loved how clear each of the steps are! My bread with high with evenly distributed air pockets!
YAY! That makes me so happy to read Sasha! SO happy that I could help you on your sourdough journey!
Hi Bella,
your guide is so, so great, full of detail and those videos are essential and very educational. My first 2 loaf’s just came out of the oven, the smell of bread is the best, thank you for all your help with my starter, I can not thank you enough, I know that time is a very precious commodity and you were very generous with me. I hoped that the loafs would be higher, not sure how I could improve, any thoughts? Everyone out there, do yourself’s a favour and if you are interested in SD bread baking have a read and follow above, happy baking
Dear Bella,
Where do I even start?
I’ll try to keep this short.
First of all,
Thank you.
Without your sourdough guide I would’ve been struggling for a very, very long time.
Your advice and your encouragement helped me find confidence to push through and continue stepping forward.
Not only did it help me create bread,
But it offered far more than what I ever imagined…
It helped me discover more of myself and what feels connected to my purpose.
It helped me reflect and bridge together fragments of advice to better understand and learn about not only dough, but life itself.
Your particular guide helped me look forward to (figuratively and literally) bringing something to the table
For family,
For friends,
For community,
For everyone I love…
It’s almost as if your guide was actually a seed in disguise that grew into something that continues to bear fruit.
And from it,
It’s opened up many more doors to allow me to progress and meet even more people on this unforgettable bread journey.
Without it,
I wouldn’t have had the courage to keep on rising and to keep on growing,
Because little did I know,
It would literally become,
My daily bread.
Again,
Thank you SO much Bella.
–
For anyone beginning their sourdough adventures I HIGHLY recommend this online guide.
If it wasn’t for Bella’s guide initially giving me strength to openly be vulnerable to sharing my progress I wouldn’t have connected with nearly as many talented, influential, brilliant people as I’ve had the honor.
… All I’m saying is,
It’s not everyday you are introduced to a key that offers multiple gifts
To be thankful for.
For me,
Personally,
It was life changing.
– Monique
Wow, just wow! I am so moved! I cannot thank you enough for taking the time and effort to express yourself so eloquently. This is a moment in my blogging career that I will always remember. I will cherish these words Monique, thank you from the bottom of my heart! I am incredibly honored to have has such an impact on you <3
This post really intimidated me a few weeks ago. Now that I’ve been baking quite a bit, I thought I’d tackle it and it’s made such a difference — thank you!
Oh yay! Sourdough baking can be a bit overwhelming, but once you get familiar with things all of these details become a huge help!
Happy baking!
Bella,
I am fairly new to baking my own sourdough and have two loaves bulk proving at the moment (have experimented with a fruit loaf) and am so loving and enjoying making sourdough using all your wisdom and advice. I have guides all printed and lamented and they are like my little bible and have also passed on to my sister and brother.
Thank you for your beautiful guide, it is a pleasure to learn through it. x
Oh thank you so much Claudine! I am so delighted that my guide has become such a big part of your life! You are so welcome!
I just pulled my first ever loaf of sourdough bread out of the oven and it turned out so amazing! I’m usually not the biggest bread lover but was really curious to give baking with sourdough a try. The fam loves it too! Thank you so much for this detailed guide, couldn’t have done it without it!
AMAZING! This is so exciting! I am so happy and honored that my guide could be there for you and help you create a loaf of bread you and your family loved!
I’m a pretty avid bread/pizza baker but I’ve struggled with sourdough the last few months. Always had a flat or underproved loaf.
I finally pivoted away from Tartine/FWSY to try this recipe and I’m really glad I did. The techniques and hydration levels made a huge difference and I finally achieved a good shape on my boules.
My only feedback is the timing of bakes. I’ve never finished a loaf outside a Dutch oven but after 18’ at 500 and 425 for 22’ on the baking sheet they were lightly golden brown but not the dark brown I’m used to. I left them for another 5 minutes to darken up. My instant read thermometer did come back at 210 so I feel good that the inside is done.
For those that like a really dark crust would you still recommend the baking sheet technique or reducing heat and keeping in the Dutch oven?
Finally, have you tested these same baker’s percentages but at 78 or 80%+ hydration? If so would you do anything different?
Hi Bryan! I am so happy that you found my guide so helpful and I am delighted that you were finally able to achieve good shape on your boules!
To answer your questions:
– As far as the bake time goes, this is absolutely based on preference. Many people have found that my lighter crust is more kid-friendly and therefore everyone in the family is able to enjoy (young kids don’t really like a deep brown, super thick crusts). As I mentioned in my bake times, it is best for you to just bake it a bit longer after you have pulled it out of the dutch oven.
– YES, I do still recommend removing the loaf from the dutch oven and finishing the bake on a cookie sheet, because you can still bake the top of your loaf as dark as you like, but the bottom of your loaf will be less burnt and not as thick & tough when you remove it from the dutch oven!
– I have tested at higher hydration and from experience, you do not need to change anything other than mix in the Rubaud stage just a tad longer to get the dough to the point that it is no longer sticky!
Thanks for commenting! Let me know if you have any other questions along the way! Happy baking!
Your guide is great, Bella! I’ve gotten great loaves as far as taste and crumb are concerned the two times I have followed your method. However, the dough is a bit too loose, even after reducing water by 25 grams. When I take it out of the banetton after 12 hours of retard, it spreads out like a blob. I don’t really get any oven spring either. Any thoughts?
Hello there! Is your dough loose when you are shaping? Or only when you take it out of the banetton to bake?
It was too loose even during pre-shaping and shaping. When I did the diagonal folds, each corner would quickly “melt” back into the rest of the dough.
It sounds like you didn’t develop the gluten well enough during the Rubaud Mixing stage. You know that the dough is mixed well enough when it no longer feels sticky and it has started pulling away from the sides of the bowl. Also, may I ask, did you use the same types of flour that I called for, or did you have to make any substitutions?
Thank you for this guide – it is my first time to make sourdough bread and this has been such a big help !!!
Just one question though — after the overnight stay in the fridge, do i have to let the dough sit on the counter for a few hours to warm up prior to scoring? Or can i just take it out of the fridge & score & bake in one go?
Thanks so much in advance. Just sitting here with my refrigerated dough, wondering which way i should go. I should have ask this question yesterday, but i forgot. Hahaha.
Thanks again for this guide!!!
Hi Margaret! You are so welcome! And you simply remove your loaf from the fridge, score and bake! No need to let it warm up!
Happy baking!!!
Thanks for your reply, Bella!
Sadly my bread came out flat. Like the person who posted the comment previous to this (MC), i had a hard time preshaping & shaping because my dough was too loose. It was probably the Rubaud method which i had a hard time doing, and probably was not doing right. Having said that, would a ‘slap & fold’ be as good? Ive seen a video of that method and it seems ‘easier’ to do than the Rubaud. 🤔
Thanks so much for these amazing directions! I just took my first bread adventure and it was a success from following these steps!
AMAZING! I saw your first loaf on IG and I was blown away! SO SO happy for you!
Hey Bella — Thank you for these instructions (and GORGEOUS photos and vids!). Hey, so I followed all the instructions yesterday and my dough is sitting in the fridge totally flat — it never came into a ball really? Do you know maybe why not? I rubaud’d until my forearm nearly exploded… It was looking okay until then I think, and then it just never really came togheter :/ And also, what can i do from here – anything? Any way to save it? or do I just bake up two more giant hockeypocks to add to my pile?
THANK YOU,
Jen
Hi Jen! Hmmm, not sure what is going wrong. May I ask what types of flour you are using? What temperature you are fermenting your sourdough starter & dough in?
Thanks for checking back in. I used organic whole wheat and bread flour (or whichever ones your recipe called for). My starter i feed with a mix of bread flour, WW and Rye – it’s super-active. Maybe the temp is the issue? I have no idea what the temp is in my kitchen, but maybe same as ambient brooklyn temps these days – so like high 60s / low 70s. But also – about the rubaud mixing — is that not a LOT of dough to be lifting and swirling and slapping for 5 minutes? Should we / could we cut it in half for ease-of-rubauding? I’m a fairly strong person and my forearms literally needed a break after like a minute.
Hello Bella. What a wonderful guide and timeline for making sourdough bread. I am retired and one of my hobbies is sourdough bread. I have a flour mill and mill my own flour. I am using hard white wheat berries and hard red. Would you recommend sifting the white for the best results in your recipe? I haven’t bought any commercially sold flour for some time so I don’t have any bread flour as such. My hard white wheat has about a 14% protein content. Any suggestions for the best results from that or would you suggest a bread flour purchase?
Hi Bill! Yes, I would most definitely sift for the best results! 14% protein is quite high and should work great! The King Arthur bread flour I used for this recipe is 12.7% protein. Also, your fresh-milled flours will most likely be thirstier, so you may need to add a bit of water accordingly!
Hi Bella,
First, beautiful website and amazing tutorial! I appreciate the time and effort to put together something so detailed and thoughtful. Some of the recipes I have tried in the past have a final proof in the bannetons before cold retard doing a poke test to check for readiness. Your recipe is pre-shape, final shape, and cold retard. Is that because you need 12 hours in the fridge for any final proofing? I just want to be sure I understand the process :) Guessing that 12 hours is the minimum time to get the right proof. I appreciate your insight.
Hello Melissa!
Thank you for the compliment! I have found that any final proofing in the basket can just take place in the refrigerator. And yes, 12 hours is the minimum for the final cold proofing! Let me know if you have any other questions! Happy baking!
Thank you! I have been experimenting and LOVE LOVE LOVE your method and recipe. It is so forgiving and produces such consistent results!! Thank you once again :)
What do you think about baking this as one extra big loaf? I have a large oval Dutch oven it would fit in, though I’m not sure if my banneton is big enough …
Oops sorry I’m using my phone – I didn’t mean to reply to someone else’s comment!
no worries ;)
You could definitely try! If your banneton is not big enough you can try using a large bowl lined with a kitchen towel as a banneton instead! Your baking time will most definitely take a bit longer as well :) Let me know how it goes!
Would it be inappropriate to say…. I LOVE YOU MARRY ME! Ok. Seriously now. I have struggled and made dozens of loaves, some ok, some flat pancakes with great taste or holey bland blahs… this was perfect! I think I still tend to over prove my loaves since they flatten a bit after the final retard. so today again I am attempting the next. I made one mistake where I didn’t let it bench rest after dividing, not sure how much that affected the spring. Also my oven is poopy, but I’m adjusting. Thank you thank you for the videos!!! Especially where you show the progression during the coiling. I still don’t understand Rubaud and did my fair share of cursing during the process. I’ll try again today and report back. Ru@$&&))!$ baud!! Thank you!
HAHAHA! Your comment cracked me up! Okay, so the Rubaud method is definitely frustrating for some, so if you need some extra explanation, follow this link to my Sourdough Instagram Story Highlight: https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/18046410442242405/
I explain the Rubaud method with my voice and I think it will help you! I’m so so happy that my guide has been so helpful for you and I hope that you master your loaves soon! Happy baking!
Thanks that helped!
One more thing- sometimes my loaves come out gummy- I’m starting to suspect bad oven that doesn’t get to temp- Any other suggestions? Taste is amazing. I kinda ate an entire loaf in a day….
That is most likely the case, or the loaves need to be baked longer. Every oven is different, but you may want to get an oven thermometer so that you can see if your oven is actually getting to the temperature that you set it to or not!
Bella, I have used your recipe and techniques at least 5 times now and I am amazed. Every single time, my loaves turn out beautifully and deliciously perfect. The oven spring is amazing! I have made very small changes. I flipped the amounts of whole wheat and AP flour and set oven to 415 F for the final bake stage. I just wanted to write to say thank you so much for creating this guide. It is invaluable. I especially appreciate the videos. 🙏 Here is a link to photos of my loaves: https://www.instagram.com/p/CAbX7UDHNz3/?igshid=ws7wuopd0plo
Oh my goodness! I had the biggest smile on my face while I read your comment! I am SO honored that my guide has helped you so much! And your loaves look AMAZING! Thank you for sharing with me! Happy baking!
Oh Bella, this is the ultimate sourdough guide, I’m studying and taking notes to make a good bread finally. Do you mind if I ask you the dimension of bannetons and Dutch oven? They must be small, right? Thank you 🙏🏻
Hello Cara! I have the bannetons and dutch oven that I use linked in this post! The dutch oven is 10.25″/ 5-quart capacity. My oval bannetons are approximately 10 x 6 x 3.5 inches!
can you half this recipe if you only want to make one loaf of bread
Absolutely!
Hi from Scotland!
Wonderful blog post. I’m really new to sourdough and want to give your technique and recipe a go. I currently do not have a Dutch oven or lidded casserole dish. To just bake on a tray what times and temperature would you recommend? I have a fan oven.
Many thanks,
Sally
Hi Sally! SO excited for you! You can definitely try to bake my recipe without a dutch oven. But you will need to create a steam set-up in order to get the proper oven spring. Here is a link to what a home oven steam set-up looks like: https://www.theperfectloaf.com/baking-with-steam-in-your-home-oven/
I am new to the sourdough baking community and I wish I had found this tutorial before baking my first loaf! I will definitely be referring to your recipe and methods the next time I bake. Your photography is stunning and the videos are very helpful. Thank you for sharing your experience and knowledge!
Oh yay! I am so happy you found my guide! I am here for you if you have any questions along the way!
not sure you are still taking queries… I loved this tutorial, and my dough seemed to be behaving as yours in your videos up until I pulled them out of the fridge to bake. The the dough was so small. It didn’t rise in the fridge at all and took up about half of the baneton. It also stuck to the banneton as I tried to tip it out so I had to pinch and scrape them onto the paper. I was worried about that as it was my first try using a straight banneton without a cover, though I tried to flour the hell out of them. What might be the likely culprit for no rising over night in the fridge? It should grow again, right? Maybe I should have waited more than 12 hours? Maybe I over squished it when final shaping? The dough did feel too sticky to really get the final shaping process right. I thought I had managed the rubaud method ok, but perhaps not. Ive been experimenting with sourdough for a couple months and somehow only my first ever loaf came out tall and beautiful, everything since has been fairly flat and disappointing :( I don’t want to give up!
Hello Molly! There will not be much rise in the fridge overnight, so I would not worry about that too much. If your dough seemed especially small in the banneton from the beginning, there are several things that may have happened. Either your dough was under-proofed or over-proofed. Based on an ambient temperature of 78°F, the bulk fermentation should take as long as my guide outlines. But now that temperatures are getting warmer, it is possible that your dough will not need as long to proof! You are looking for a 50% increase in total size by then end of bulk fermentation.
Another option is to allow your dough to rise for 30 minutes after you place it in the banneton and then refrigerate it overnight. You still won’t notice much rise after the cold retard, so don’t fret! Finally, in order to season your banneton, you will want to get it wet by spritzing it with a spray bottle of water and then dust it thoroughly with flour. Let the banneton dry and then you can tip it over to toss out any excess flour. This should prepare your banneton so that your dough does not ever stick again! Let me know if you have any other questions!
Hi! This recipe has become my go-to. I can’t thank you enough for such great instructions! I’ve been playing around with smaller and larger loafs and wonder if you could give me any thoughts on adjusting cooking times. For example, if the dough was split into fourths (Rather than in 1/2) would you still cook it the same amount of time? Also, if the loaf isn’t split in half and Is baked as one giant loaf, how much longer should I am to cook it in my Dutch oven and then on the baking sheet?
If you split the dough into 1/4’s they will definitely need less time to bake! I have not tested this, however! But I would guess that a loaf that is 1/2 the size as normal would need around 1/2 the time, give or take! As far as one giant loaf I would assume it may need twice as long!
Bella, thank you so much for putting together this comprehensive guide on sourdough. Thanks to your detailed instructions and videos, I made my first sourdough starter. Now I have two beautiful sourdough loaves cooling on the counter! Making sourdough seemed overwhelming at first however your instructions were easy to follow. Many thanks for guiding me on the start of my sourdough journey!
You are so very welcome Emily! I am so happy that you found my instructions easy to follow! Happy baking!
Long overdue review of this recipe.
I am bad with words but all I can say is I tried so many sourdough recipes. None of them with this fool proof.
With other recipes I never could understand why each step mattered. But Bella explains it so well and so easy.
The folding technique versus kneading was a game changer. You can start to see the loaf change and transform as you go.
All I can say is you should try this recipe, it is amazing.
THANK YOU SO MUCH Francisco! I am truly so happy that my guide was such a game-changer for you! I really appreciate you taking the time to leave this review, it means so much!
Hi, I made the bread and I was just flubbergasted by everything related to it: the appearance, the texture, the taste, thank you so much for this amazing guide.
For the future baking I would like to make 1 bigger loaf, do you think it will work if I use 3/4 of all ingredients from your recipe? I am also wondering if I can use clay pot (so called Roman pot) instead of Dutch oven, because my Dutch oven is a bit too small for bread. All he best!
Oh yay! I am so happy that my guide has served you so well! You most definitely can make one larger loaf and I think adjusting the recipe to 3/4 of the ingredients is a good place to start! And yes, I am certain that the clay pot will work! Happy baking!
Bella! What a fabulous guide. I’m so impressed with your hard work and thorough description and the videos are extremely helpful. Thank you! I have a question about my starter. I’ve had it for about six months now and it’s strong and active. I understand the levain should be used at peak but I don’t seem able to catch that. I see it rising beautifully and then want to start the autolyse but before I can get started, it starts to fall. Timing of peak is anywhere between 4-6 hours after feeding so if I guess at four hours it may not be close, but if I wait until it domes, it may fall quickly before my autolyse is done. How can I gauge the timing better?
Hey Sandy! You actually want to use your leaven just after it has reached its peak, so it is actually perfect that you see that it has started to fall. And just to assure you, sourdough is very forgiving…you should not notice any significant issues if your leaven is before or after peak by a bit, your leaven will still perform as it should! Happy baking!
Hi Bella I just found your sourdough site and I love it. I’ve been struggling with sourdough since about May. I’ve had one or two successful loves. Started your specific recipe this morning. All was going well……. except for mine is just getting stickier and stickier as I’m trying to do the coil folds. Reading back on different peoples experiences. I found one that also had the same problem. You said to use less water in the Autolyse Phase. 25 g less water? I know it probably depends on the type of flower you use and the amount of whole grain that’s in there but stickiness seems to always be my trouble. Any suggestion you could give me I would appreciate. Thank you.
Hello Catherine!
I would suggest pulling back on the water just a bit (even up to 50g) until you get more familiar with what your dough should feel like. The key moment to pay the most attention to is at the end of the Rubaud mixing stage. The dough should hold its shape and not feel especially sticky to the touch. Also, make sure that you are wetting your hands before you go to do your coil folds so that your hands don’t stick to the dough! I hope this helps! Happy baking!
Thanks so much. Baked the 2 loaves this am. Came out ok. I’m committed to this and will go with your support and suggestions! Onward……
Thank you for the great videos and detailed instructions. I don’t know if you’re able to help me problem solve, but: I’m in the midst of making this sourdough and am adhering to your instructions carefully. As soon as I added my starter, it was clear that my ‘dough’ is stickier than yours. I’m currently doing my coil folds, and the dough continues to stick to the bowl a bit. I suspect it will turn out ok in the end – maybe I’ll have to use a bit of flour with the shaping, but any idea why I have this issue with stickiness? I used the same flours as you recommended, monitored temp (it got a bit higher than the 78′ you recommend for starter refresh and leaven ferment). Thanks for providing this great site Bella!
Hello Mary! So so happy that you are using my guide on your sourdough journey! The number one reason that your dough is still sticky going into coil folding is that you are not getting enough gluten development during the Rubaud Mixing stage. At the end of the Rubaud Mixing your dough should be holding its shape and should not feel sticky to the touch. It is helpful to mix for a minute and then take a break to rest your arm as it can get tiring! Also, it is helpful to perform the Rubaud mixing on a surface that is lower than your kitchen counter, this way you get more leverage and it is much easier to perform this method of mixing! I hope this helps!
Just an addendum. Despite the stickiness I mentioned in my comment, my loaves turned out beautifully. (1) I do still wonder why I have this ‘extra stickiness’ from the very beginning of the process. I really like the Rubaud method – but think it will take some time to build up my arm muscles!. I’m a loooong way from being any sort of expert, but want to encourage other beginners: I started with following the Forkish (FSWY) approach and definitely didn’t build gluten well – probably more my technique rather than the recipe. Similar issues with Robertson approach (Tartine). Also KA recipe and others. I learned something with each approach. I have avid bread baking friends who reminded me that there isn’t “one thing” that is key…rather a combination of starter, temperature, time, technique, flour, water etc etc. It’s a journey. All that being said, your videos and explanations were SO helpful. I found your site when I searched for remedies for bottom crusts that were so hard I couldn’t cut through them. Your approach to remove from the Dutch Oven and bake on the sheet was PERFECT! Thank you SO much!! I still have a long way to go before I feel confident about this.
(2) Temperature question. How do you maintain the 78′ temp? My oven light eventually heats the oven to about 90′. I have used my microwave as a closed box and turn on the night light (which shines on the cooktop below) but it also gets warmer over time. (so I turn it on and off which is a bit crazy making). During bulk fermentation, what is the consequence of higher temps?
(3) How would I adapt this great technique to other recipes – ie using other flours etc.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU!
My friend Stephanie walked me thru my first attempt to bake bread, and it went great! She shared your page with me as I call her to remind me as I attempt my second try. Thank you so much, your videos are amazing and I love the coil fold vs the pull and fold method. You made this super simple and every time I had a question I watched the video again and it was answered. Thank you!!! About to bake and can’t wait to see how they turn out!
Oh yay! I am SO excited for you and truly grateful that I get to be a part of your sourdough journey through my guide! Happy baking!
Thanks for your time and effort into making this guide. I’m a proficient sourdough baker but there are some techniques in here that I intend to fully explore in my startup bakery! Well done for getting this valuable resource online. Tell me, do you notice much difference between 1 hr or 3 hours autolyse?
Hello James! Thank you SO much for your kind words about my guide, I really appreciate them! I absolutely have noticed a significant difference with a 3 hour autolyse. I have tried pretty much every possibility and I feel like the head start you get with a three hour autolyse really speeds up the gluten development!
So, Bella.
Since marriage proposals, glowing praise and profuse thanks have been exhausted, let me relate what having you alongside me in the kitchen has NOT been like.
Im ready to dive right into the task at hand, making good dough. Or conversely, not messing up the dough.
Oh no, something has gone wrong. Tyrannosaurus Pyrex appears in a poofy white hat. After some stretching and pulling, much gesturing, some trilingual cursing, and musing aloud about how the farmers hogs will be having such a fine meal…My bench is swept into a rolling trough destined for the hog farm.
Of course I am exaggerating a bit.
Thank you for helping me make truly remarkable bread at home.
Hi Brian! Your comment was so colorful, I was thoroughly entertained, lol! So happy I could be a part of your bread journey!
Dear Bella,
Thank you for taking all the time to put this guide together. You have done a wonderful job of it.
I spent several years working in commercial and boutique bakery’s and have always been confident in the kitchen (sourdough being the exception).
I never really knew what happened to the dough after it left my bench, other than it was wheeled into a walk in proofing box. Everything else was a mystery and many bakers don’t want to share knowledge or technique with the bench boy.
Thank you for being so very generous with your knowledge and for giving me the confidence to play around with flour ratios until I am satisfied. I’m now baking sourdough 3 or 4 times a week and my friends and neighbors couldn’t be happier. And still, T Pyrex has not made an appearance.
Hi Bella
I too have had a somewhat similar problem to others – my loaf came out of the fridge having risen beautifully overnight. It did have a ‘skin’ when I took the bag off but it held its shape when I turned it out and got ready to score. The second I made the first score, the loaf deflated and when baked it didn’t rise as much as previous loaves I have made. I was happier with the results up to this moment but wonder if you have any idea why it would have deflated like that? Many thanks. Gilly
Hi Gilly! The reason it is deflating is that your dough is over-fermented. If you are carefully monitoring the ambient temperature where you are fermenting your sourdough you should have no problems following my exact timeline. But if things are warmer or more humid, then the suggested timeline will, indeed, be too long. If your temperature is warmer than 78°F, then I suggest fermenting the dough for probably an hour less. This will ensure that your dough does not get over fermented and will not deflate when you score it the next morning. As far as knowing when the dough is ready to be shaped and refrigerated, you are looking for the dough ball to increased in size by 50-80%. I hope this helps! And please let me know if you have any other questions!
Very detailed and clear instructions. the videos were immensely helpful. thank you so much for putting this together.
Thank you Diane! I am so happy my sourdough guide is serving you well :)
Hi Bella thank you for sharing and detailed explanation of how to make SD. I’am still learning how to make SD, n I’ll try your recipe soon 😁
You are so welcome Indra! Please feel free to ask any questions along your journey! I would be happy to support you!
This is by far the best loaf I’ve made yet! I have been practicing and have had many flops. Too sticky, too lumpy, too gluey, too small. I think my main issue was figuring out how long to bulk ferment. I was underfermenting which wasn’t allowing the dough to develop the gluten structure and elasticity it needs. I live in WNY and it’s been cold this winter so I had to adjust for this allowing more time for bulk fermentation (even in my oven with the light on). This time, I did 6.5 hours and it seemed to be spot on this time. I’m sure I will have to adjust again come the summer months but these instructions made this process so much easier. Thank you for the helpful technique suggestions which made the process less messy and much easier. Your short videos are incredibly helpful!
I am SO happy that you finally had sourdough success! Sourdough is a love relationship for sure…it takes time and commitment to learn and understand the signs of proper fermentation and I am very happy that my instructions & videos helped you achieve a killer loaf of sourdough!
I’m so new to SD making and with your precise guide OMG words are beyond description. I must continue practicing n I’ll be using your method next. My dough is totally unedible for too many times countless just don’t know what n where went wrong. I’ll definitely follow every steps here.
Bella super duper grateful. NMHRGK.
Hello Su! I am so happy that my guide is the source of help that you needed on your sourdough journey! Please remember as you move forward on your sourdough journey that temperature is an ingredient! It is just as important to monitor your temperature as it is to weigh your ingredients for example. Let me know how things are progressing and if you need any guidance :)
Help! I have baked bread casually for 30 years. I love sourdough and use the instant starter to bake weekend loaves. I followed your guide and developed a scrumptious and vigorous starter. I baked my first loaves yesterday, following your guide. Unfortunately, around the 3rd COIL, my bread stopped rising. The leaven developed nicely and continued to work well when mixed with the autolyse. No changes in temp or other conditions, COIL was successful and dough was beautiful, but no more rising. I baked the “loaves” and they taste delicious, just heavy. Any suggestions?
Hello Lalla! Do you know what the ambient temperature was where you were fermenting your loaves? If the dough stopped rising it is probably due to one of these factors: either your temperature was significantly warmer than 78°F and if so, your dough would have reached peak fermentation faster than my guide accounts for. If this is the case, your baked loaves would most definitely be dense because there was no more oompf left to keep them inflated. Did it seem like the dough grew quickly before the third coil fold? If not, then your temperature may have been too cool, which will result in sluggish growth and in turn, will yield a dense loaf. Are you monitoring the temperature where you are fermenting your dough? Let me know, so I can best help you :)
Yes, I think the temp was a consistent 76-80 degrees (in the oven with light in) – I checked several times prior to placing there. I didn’t check after but it seemed very much the same. Prior to the third coil, the dough seemed perfect for the cook (30 minute intervals). By 4th, it seemed “flatter” and then little change after that. By the time I tried to shape the loaves, the dough was more liquidy – no visible liquid but less substance and not able to hold a shape. It smelled delicious and I tried giving it a longer time to rise but no good.
Okay, definitely monitor your dough temperature moving forward (just stick your thermometer probe into the dough to see what the actual dough temp is 78°F is ideal).
And the other factor you are going to want to watch out for is how large the dough rises during fermentation. You aren’t looking for it to double, you will want to halt fermentation once you notice the dough has increased by 50-60%. This way the dough will have enough oomph left to hold its shape and continue to grow during the overnight refrigeration. Please keep in touch and let me know how it goes next time!
Thank you! I love your beautiful photos! I feel like they capture the joy of healthy living and close connection to our food. I appreciate your detailed guide and personal guidance here. I hope to share a photo of a beautiful loaf soon!
Awwww, thank you Lalla! That means so much to me! Looking forward to seeing your beautiful loaves :)
I’ve been using your technique for almost a year and continue to appreciate your approach. I think I’m getting better at this since I posted a comment in Sept 2020. I no longer have overdone , thick bottom crusts and my loaves look and taste good!! I really like the Rubaud method (I DO need to take breaks to rest my arms!). BUT I don’t get consistently ‘open’ crusts (air pockets in the bread) and I’m not sure if I might be overproofing by leaving the baskets in the fridge too long (12-14 hours) or perhaps some other technique that needs improvement. I know some people automatically have the ‘touch’ and have early successes; not me, ha ha. But we’ve been enjoying eating my breads and I feel much more confident, thanks to you! Kudos Bella!!
Thank you so much for commenting Mary! I think the number one thing for you to try to get the best loaf with consistently open crumb would be to cut back on your bulk fermentation a bit (before you shape and cold retard in the fridge overnight). Ultimately you are looking for your initial dough size to increase by 50-70%, but you don’t want the dough to rise any more before shaping because it will not have the oomph to rise more in the fridge or at least hold its tension – this is what yields a dense loaf. Always check in with me if you have any questions and I will be happy to help you troubleshoot :)
Bella ❤️❤️❤️ I am baking this recipe for what feels like the hundredth time, and want to leave you more love here bc I refer to this post so often! There is no better guide!!! Xo 5 STARS!!!!
Awwww! Truly warms my heart to know my recipe is a part of your life :) Thank you Ash!
Bella, congratulations on your post. It helped me make my first natural leaven bread and it was a success, my wife and I love it and we are making bread weekly. 😁
Thank you SO much Amir! I am so happy for you and truly, so grateful that my guide helped you achieve this!
Just made it, ant it was just like the picture. Two question. What size oval baneton do you use? Second, the crust is amazing, the crumb opened nicely, it was slightly tacky to the touch- is this normal? This is my go to web site now, thank you!!
Yay! I am so so happy that my guide worked out for you! My banneton is: 10 x 6 x 3.5 inches
And if your loaf was still tacky to the touch once cool you will need to bake it a touch longer (every oven is different) also, the loaf will be tacky if you cut into it while it is still hot, so if you want to eat it warm from the oven, you will definitely want to bake it a bit longer (say 5-10 minutes).
Thank you for this post! I am new to the world of sourdough with my starter just over a month old but I have used your recipe and method twice and have had gorgeous loaves come out of the oven! The videos and sample schedule helped tremendously! Thank you for taking the time and effort to put this together, it’s a great guide for beginners like me!
You are most welcome Lorraine! So grateful my guide has served you well! And I thank you for your appreciation, it means a lot <3
hello from 2023😆…. I’m a new sourdough lover and just attended a hands on class.. guess what? your post is like my digital cooking diary with all steps, high quality videos, tips and advices. Love you so much… hope you have a sourdough book and I’ll definitely buy eventough I’m in Malaysia…
Awww! I am so honored. Thank you for sharing your experience of my sourdough guide. I would love to publish a sourdough book someday…we shall see what the future holds. Thank you again for your kind words :)
The information about the bread related is really great and helpful for all of us. Subscribed your blog.
Thank you Raman! I am happy that you found it helpful :)
The basic thing about the bread that we all need to know is important for everyone. THanks for the information on this topic.
My pleasure :)