My Go To Sourdough Recipe
Below is my tried and true base recipe for sourdough. It is perfect as is or with inclusions! I've tried everything from a normal cinnamon sugar loaf to a crab rangoon loaf, so the possibilities are endless!
Ingredients
150 grams active starter
350 grams water
13 grams of salt
510 grams of bread flour
Directions
Mix starter, water and salt together. Add in flour and mix again until no dry spots remain.
Let sit on the counter covered for 1 hour. After that hour do your first set of stretch and folds.
After the first set of stretch and folds you will do another 3 rounds every 30 minutes. So a total of 4.
After that last set of stretch and folds, you will let your dough proof on the counter until roughly doubled in size, jiggly, and no longer sticky to the touch.
This amount of time will vary on the temp of your house so just keep an eye on it. I usually let mine sit on the counter overnight.
Once your dough is proofed you will go ahead and shape it and either bake it or do a cold proof in the fridge. A cold proof is not necessary but It helps develop that sour flavor. I usually skip the cold proof.
As for baking, I preheat my oven to 450 with my dutch oven in it. Once the over is at 450 I let my dutch oven sit in there for about 30 min before adding my loaf.
When ready to add the loaf I put dry rice in the bottom of my dutch oven(this helps the bottom not burn), I place my loaf in the dutch oven(always on parchment paper), I toss in 2-3 ice cubes to create steam, put the lid on, and bake at 450 for 1 hour. My lid stays on the entire time. After 1 hour it should be done but always check the internal temp to make sure the loaf is at 200 degrees internally.
Now I know its hard, but wait at least 1 hour before slicing into it!!! This let's it finish cooking.
One of the best things about baking sourdough bread is how you can truly customize your loaf to your taste while still following a solid base recipe. From my experience, incorporating fresh herbs like rosemary or inclusions such as cinnamon sugar can transform the bread into something extraordinary. A tip I’ve learned is the importance of maintaining the right dough consistency — it should be tacky but not overly sticky. This helps when you’re doing the stretch and folds during the bulk fermentation stage, which strengthen the gluten and create that lovely airy crumb. Temperature plays a huge role in how your dough proofs. I usually keep mine in a slightly warm spot but avoid direct sunlight to prevent over-proofing. If your kitchen is cold, consider using a proofing box or heating pad under a bowl to maintain warmth. Regarding cold proofing, although it’s optional, I find that refrigerating the shaped dough overnight enhances the depth of flavor, allowing the sour notes to develop fully. When you bake directly from the fridge, just add extra baking time and watch the crust color closely. For baking, preheating the Dutch oven ensures a steamy environment which helps create that crispy crust and beautiful oven spring. Adding ice cubes, as mentioned, is a great hack to simulate steam. Using rice grains at the bottom is clever to prevent burning, but another option is placing a small tray of water in the oven. Lastly, exercising patience before slicing the loaf is key. Letting it cool for at least an hour after baking allows the crumb to set, which improves texture and taste. I always feel rewarded when sharing my homemade sourdough, knowing the process and personal efforts have made it a unique and delicious treat.
I’ve never tried cooking it with the lid on the whole time, I’ll have to try that. Have you tried cooking with the lid off before? Is there a difference?