Sourdough Bread

Equipment

• Digital scale
• Mixing bowl
• Jar or beaker for starter/levain
• Dough scraper or bench knife
• Banneton (proofing basket) or lined bowl
• Dutch oven (5-7 qt)
• Instant-read thermometer
• Lame or sharp knife for scoring
• Parchment paper
• Oven mitts

Starter

• 50g whole wheat flour
• 50g water

Steps:

1. Add to beaker and mix.
2. Remove half after 24 hours (save the discarded portion in a separate jar in the fridge to accumulate for recipes like sourdough pancakes, tortillas, or crackers) and add back in with equal parts flour and water.
3. When it rises by half consistently, is bubbly on the surface, has a tangy smell, and passes the float test (a small piece floats in water), it’s ready to use.
4. Feed daily at room temp, or store in fridge and feed weekly. (Note: If creating a starter from scratch, this process typically takes 5-7 days of daily feedings.)

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Bread Levain

• 45g starter
• 45g stone-ground whole wheat flour
• 45g unbleached all-purpose flour
• 90g filtered water at room temperature (~73°F)

Steps:

1. Stir together ingredients in a jar. (You can use starter straight from the fridge.)
2. Place near a 78°F heat source.
3. Wait 6 hours, or until it doubles in volume, becomes bubbly, and passes the float test. If you miss the peak activity window (when it’s risen close to its maximum, alive, and bubbly), feed it again with equal parts flour and water (e.g., 50g each) and wait a few more hours until it reaches peak again. In a pinch, if it’s been fed multiple times over a day or two (e.g., twice with 50g flour and 50g water), you can use the entire levain in the dough mixture–it can still work well, though extra levain may lead to a faster bulk fermentation (monitor cues like the poke test closely).

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Bread Dough

• 500g unbleached all-purpose flour
• 275g unbleached bread flour
• 175g stone-ground whole wheat flour
• 660g warm water (90–95°F)
• All of the levain from above

Steps:

1. Hand mix all ingredients except levain until fully hydrated adding a little water as needed (it doesnt need to be perfect and will look messy). Do not knead. Wait 1 hour (autolyse).
2. Add levain and spread across dough with wet hands. Dimple in with fingers and pinch to incorporate.
3. Scoop and slap for 2 minutes using Rubaud method.
4. Cover bowl with towel and wait 20 minutes.
5. Add 1/4 cup 90-95°F water and 18g sea salt. (You can microwave water for 15 second bursts and use thermometer.)
6. Dimple and incorporate with Rubaud method like before.
7. Cover bowl with towel and wait another 20 minutes for the dough to hydrate again.
8. Take out of bowl onto counter and slap, turn and fold over until it becomes smooth in 3-5 minutes. (Dough should feel elastic and pass a basic windowpane test: stretch a small piece thin without tearing.)
9. Bulk ferment in bowl at 78°F for 3–4 hours until doubled, incorporating folds during the first 2 hours to build strength: After the initial 30-minute rest (post-slap-and-fold), perform a set of 4 folds/rotates in the bowl (use wet hands to prevent sticking). Repeat every 30–45 minutes for 3–4 sets total. Then let rise undisturbed for the remaining 1–2 hours. (Check with poke test: dough springs back slowly.) A dough proofer warming box is ideal.

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After Bulk Ferment

1. Carefully transfer dough onto flourless surface. (Might need a little flour if it’s sticky.)
2. Pre-shape the entire dough into one large round ball by using the scraper to go around the edges, turning and tucking the dough under itself in a circular motion to build tension and form a tight ball.
3. Cover with overturned glass bowl for 15 minutes (this prevents the still-gooey dough from migrating or spreading out, helping it maintain the ball shape).
4. Let sit uncovered for 10 minutes.
5. Flour banneton with rice flour (this will coat the top side of the loaf).
6. Dust dough ball with regular flour.
7. Flip dough, roll like a burrito: stretch sides, coil and tighten by pulling inward (use bench scraper to drag dough toward you for better surface tension).
8. Place in banneton seam side up.
9. Cover with plastic or zip bag secured with rubber band.
10. If you want to refrigerate after shaping in the banneton, you can do so for up to two days, but I find 2-3 hours works perfectly. Refrigerating for even just that short time makes the dough far more manageable–you won’t have to finesse it into the Dutch oven or do any last-minute reshaping. The cold helps it hold its shape beautifully and makes it easier to score cleanly with the razor. (It also boosts sourness slightly and gives a nice oven spring when baking from chilled.) After fridge time (or if skipping the fridge), dough should feel puffy and pass the poke test before baking.

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Baking

1. Place Dutch oven in cold oven and preheat to 500°F for 30 minutes.
2. Dust bottom of loaf with cornmeal (this is the bottom side); the top side already has rice or gluten-free flour from the banneton.
3. Flip loaf onto parchment paper.
4. Score top in a cross-hatch pattern (use a lame or sharp knife at a 45° angle for better oven spring).
5. Place loaf on parchment paper into Dutch oven. (Use oven mitts–Dutch oven is extremely hot.)
6. Bake 40 minutes with lid on with an ice cube for steam.
7. Reduce temp to 475°F and remove lid. Bake another 5 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 205-210°F.
8. Let rest 1 hour before slicing (full flavor develops after 24 hours).
9. Slice the loaf, cut small sheets of parchment paper, and place one between each slice. Store the slices in a ziplock bag or loaf-length bag in the freezer. Toast slices straight from the freezer as needed. (Do not store sliced bread in a bread bag at room temperature–it will go super moldy very quickly.)

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Notes/Troubleshooting

• Total time: ~24-36 hours, including waits; active time ~1-2 hours.
• If dough is too sticky: Reduce water slightly next time (e.g., by 20–30g for easier handling) or ensure proper folding for structure.
• Underproofed (dense crumb): Extend proof time. Overproofed (flat loaf): Shorten proof or check starter activity.
• Flour substitutions: Can use all all-purpose if no bread flour available, but adjust hydration as needed.
• No Dutch oven? Bake on a baking sheet with a steam tray (pan of water in oven) for the first 40 minutes.
• Temperature control: Maintain 75–78°F during bulk for consistent fermentation; warmer temps may require shorter bulk to avoid over-fermentation and deflation.
• Starter strength: Use levain at peak activity for better rise; if dough slumps, consider fewer folds or a stronger starter next time.
• One large loaf gives you big, sandwich-ready slices that hold up beautifully–exactly what works best for everyday use.

Hypothetical Schedule for Bread Making

This timeline assumes you already have a mature starter in the fridge. Times are realistic and flexible–always follow the dough cues (doubling, float test, poke test) rather than the clock for consistent success. I’ve included your exact current routine as the “Standard Schedule” plus an improved One-Day Version that finishes the entire loaf the same evening (no overnight wait). Both keep every ingredient proportion and step identical.

Standard Schedule (Starter Refresh Routine – Bake Morning of Day 2)

• Day 1, 5:30 AM: Pull starter from fridge. Discard half if the jar is too full, then feed with 50g flour + 50g water. Mix thoroughly and place near a 78°F warm source (sous vide, Instant Pot on warm setting, or jar warmer).
• 9:30–10:30 AM (after 3–4 hours): Starter has doubled and is bubbly. Scoop 45g into a clean jar for levain.
• 9:30–10:30 AM: Mix levain (45g starter + 45g whole wheat + 45g all-purpose + 90g water). Place near 78°F.
• 1:30–2:30 PM (after another 3–4 hours): Levain has peaked (doubled, bubbly, passes float test).
• 1:30–2:30 PM: Start autolyse–mix the three flours with 660g warm water (90–95°F). Cover and rest 1 hour.
• 2:30–3:30 PM: Add levain and complete all incorporation steps (Rubaud method, 20-min rests, salt addition, final slap-and-fold on counter).
• ~3:00 PM: Begin bulk fermentation at 78°F for 3–4 hours (do the 3–4 sets of folds in the first 2 hours).
• ~7:00 PM: Bulk complete (dough doubled, springs back slowly on poke test). Pre-shape, rest 15 min covered + 10 min uncovered, final shape, and place seam-up in rice-floured banneton. Cover tightly.
• 7:00 PM onward: Refrigerate 2–3 hours (or overnight up to 2 days).
• Day 2, 5:30 AM: Dough is perfectly chilled and ready. Preheat Dutch oven 30 minutes, flip, score, and bake (40 min lid on with ice cube + 5 min lid off at 475°F). You’ll have fresh bread by ~9 AM.

Optimized One-Day Schedule (Same-Day Bake – Finish Everything in One Day)
If you want the entire process (including baking) completed in a single day with zero overnight wait, simply skip the morning starter refresh and use the fridge starter directly for levain (the recipe explicitly allows this). This shaves 3–4 hours while keeping every measurement and technique exactly the same:

• Day 1, 7:00 AM: Pull starter from fridge. Immediately mix levain using 45g cold starter + 45g whole wheat + 45g all-purpose + 90g water. Place near 78°F.
• 1:00 PM (after ~6 hours): Levain peaked.
• 1:00 PM: Start autolyse (flours + water, 1-hour rest).
• 2:00 PM: Add levain, salt, and complete all mixing/folding steps.
• ~2:30 PM: Bulk ferment 3–4 hours at 78°F (with folds).
• ~6:30 PM: Bulk complete. Pre-shape, rest, final shape into banneton. Refrigerate just 1–2 hours (or skip fridge entirely if you prefer–no last-minute reshaping needed if you shape gently).
• 7:30–8:00 PM: Preheat Dutch oven 30 minutes, then bake exactly as written. You’ll slice into big sandwich loaves the same evening.

Either schedule sets you up for success with perfect timing and zero guesswork. The one-day version is my recommendation when your calendar allows it–you get fresh bread faster with the exact same great results.