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Over the last few years I’ve made it my mission to learn how to make the softest, fluffiest, chewiest, naturally leavened bread with my sourdough starter.
This easy sourdough boule is the result of much practice and formula testing. I wanted to keep the recipe very simple and straightforward so that even an amateur sourdough baker could reproduce this bread with beautiful results! If you follow my recipe and learn the technique from watching my video you will definitely be able to master baking an artisan sourdough boule at home in your Dutch oven.
Are You Interested in the Science of Sourdough?
I’ve written a comprehensive guide to sourdough. It answers questions about what sourdough is, why it’s better for your body, how to talk about sourdough and understand common terminology, and how to save yourself years of trial and error.
Learn how to bake a big and beautiful loaf of real sourdough bread. This formula yields a soft and pillowy crumb perfect for slathering with real butter!
Mix the ingredients into a loose shaggy dough with a wooden spoon or dough whisk.
Wet your hands and gently knead the dough in the bowl by hand until it comes together with no excess flour.
Let the dough rest covered for 10 to 15 minutes.
Start the first stretch and fold by wetting your hands and lifting one side of the dough and folding it toward the middle. Repeat this stretch and fold process in all four directions.
Sometimes you can get away with an extra one or two folds depending on the elasticity of the dough. If it wants to stretch, stretch it! If it's tearing or breaking, it needs a rest.
Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
Start the second stretch and fold by wetting your hands and repeating the same folding motion in (at least) all four directions.
Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
Repeat the stretch and fold and resting process up to five more times for a total of seven stretch and folds (or as many as you are able). I have made great bread by just doing two stretch and folds. But remember, the more stretching and folding, the more gluten will develop, and the higher your bread will rise!
After the last stretch and fold cover the dough and allow it to double in size. This can take anywhere from 3 to 6 hours depending on starter strength and ambient temperature.
Prepare your banneton (proofing basket) with a coating of flour. My trick is to use sprouted wheat flour. Sprouted wheat does not develop gluten so it will keep the bread from sticking to the basket. Rice flour, buckwheat, or other non-glutinous flour can also be used.
Working with the doubled dough, start the final stretch and fold. This will act as the "punch down" of the dough, deflating the gasses trapped inside the gluten network. Stretch the dough several times toward the center, each time pressing down on the dough to remove air bubbles.
Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
Lightly wet your hands and remove the dough from the proofing bowl onto your work surface. Shape the dough by repeating the same folding toward the center action. Once a tight ball is achieved flip it seam side down and push it gently in all directions across the work surface to build tension in the outer layer (see attachedvideo).
Let the dough rest seam side down for 5 minutes.
Transfer the dough to the banneton basket. This time you want the seam to be up and the tight surface to be down in the basket.
Sprinkle the seam side of the shaped dough with a light dusting of flour and cover it securely with wrap and a rubber band.
Place the banneton basket in the refrigerator overnight for at least 10 hours. 12 to 24 hours is my preferred proofing time.
Once the dough has crested the edge of the banneton it is ready to bake, but you may keep it in the refrigerator for a longer period of time.
Preheat your oven to 450°F with your covered Dutch oven inside.
Cut a piece of parchment paper big enough to overhang your loaf's circumference by a few inches.
Remove the banneton from the refrigerator, remove the wrap from the dough, and place the parchment sheet over the exposed dough. Hold the parchment in place with your hand while you flip the dough onto the counter. Now the parchment is on the bottom.
Carefully ease the banneton off the dough. Sometimes it takes a little coaxing. Use your fingers to gently work between the dough and basket. Hopefully the basket will lift away clean!
Using a sharp razor blade, score the dough along the top. There are so many scoring patterns to practice with, but a good one to start with is a simple slash or a cross. Score the dough about 1/2 inch deep.
Using baking gloves, remove the Dutch oven from the oven and remove the lid.
Working quickly, pick up the boule by the parchment paper edges and place it into the Dutch oven on top of the parchment.
If desired, add a few ice cubes to the Dutch oven between the parchment and the wall of the Dutch oven, or spray the boule with a few spritzes of filtered water. Adding additional moisture will keep the crust soft, allowing for more rise and giving a nice blistered texture and appearance.
Cover the Dutch oven and place it back in your preheated oven. Bake undisturbed for 25 minutes.
Open your oven and remove the Dutch oven lid. Bake for an additional 15 minutes.
Remove your Dutch oven from the oven and gently lift the boule out using the parchment paper as handles. Remove the parchment paper and cool the boule on a wire rack. Cool the boule completely before cutting (possibly the hardest part of baking this incredible loaf of bread!).
Notes
Beginners: Start with 275 grams water, about 1 1/5 cups.
Also note that all cups and spoons measurements are approximate, for best results please weigh your ingredients!
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This recipe yields a boule that has a hydration percentage of 73.3%
Higher hydration doughs will have a more open crumb (bigger holes). Want to play around with hydration? Use this website to calculate the hydration percentage of your dough: Bread Hydration and Conversion Calculator.
Because You Are Awesome and Read All the Way to the Bottom of This Post You Get My “Pro Tips” for This Recipe!
Pro Tip #1You can use up to 60% whole wheat or other heirloom or ancient grain in this recipe. Be aware that you may want to add additional water because whole grains absorb more water in the dough. Start with 10 additional grams of water per 50 grams of whole grain flour used.
Pro Tip #2If you are baking in an electric or gas oven with a bottom heating element, always use a baking stone, pizza stone, cast-iron griddle, or cast-iron frying pan on the rack below your Dutch oven! Position the Dutch oven directly above the barrier pan or stone — this will help keep the bottom crust from getting too dark!
Depending on your oven, you will need to preheat for up to one hour to ensure the oven is at temperature and the Dutch Oven is searing hot. Sourdough bread should be cooked in a Dutch Oven for 45 minutes at 230C or 450F (with the lid off for the last 10 to 15 minutes).
Placing a baking sheet or cookie tray underneath your dutch oven can lower the heat transfer underneath and stop your sourdough or artisan bread from burning.
The best alternatives to parchment paper when baking sourdough bread are: Silicone Bread Sling for Dutch Oven. Bakers Peel with Floured Surface. Using a Bakers Cloche.
The most common method is: Preheat Dutch oven in the oven with the lid off at 500F/260C. Many bakers will continue preheating for 10-20 minutes after the oven reaches target temperature to ensure the Dutch oven is at its hottest. Lower the loaf into the Dutch oven using a sling made of parchment or silicone.
Right before you pull the dough out of the bowl, place the dutch oven into the oven and preheat it to 450 degrees F. Placing the artisan bread dough into the warm dutch oven results in a golden-brown crispy crust.
While the bread is proofing, preheat your oven to 500°F (260°C) with a lidded cast-iron pan inside. (Note: your bread will bake better if you have a baking stone on the oven rack below your bread. It will act as a buffer against the heating elements in the bottom of your oven.)
During those first 20 minutes, your bread will rise and expand. If you would not have it inside the Dutch oven with the closed lid, a thick crust would form too soon, thereby keeping it from reaching its full potential. After the first 20 minutes, you remove the lid and continue baking for another 25 to 30 minutes.
You can shape your dough on a rectangular sheet of parchment paper, then use it to safely lower the dough into your Dutch oven. Once your gorgeous loaf of bread is finished cooking, the parchment paper makes removing the loaf super easy.
If you're not using a baking stone, turn them out onto a parchment-lined (or lightly greased) baking sheet and slash them. Scoring (a.k.a. slashing) a risen loaf just before putting it into the oven helps it retain its shape by giving it a pre-designated spot — the slash — to expand.
If the bottom of your Dutch oven isn't enamel-coated, it's best to use the parchment paper. Mine is enamel-coated, but I find it easier to keep the round shape of the dough if I just place it in the Dutch oven with the parchment paper. Whatever works fer ya!
After 25 minutes remove the lid(s) and turn down the temperature to 450F. Bake uncovered for 25-35 minutes until a nice crust has formed and you reach an internal temperature of 210 F. Remove from the oven and dutch oven(s) when ready and place on the rack to cool.
If your oven and/or Dutch oven are too hot, you can impede the ovenspring of your loaf. In a super-hot baking environment, the crust sets up to quickly and entombs the loaf before it has time to fully spring. In these cases, the crust is fused to the crumb and the loaf will not open.
You can cold ferment or cold proof your sourdough overnight because the cold temperature of the fridge stops the dough from over fermenting. If you were to leave your shaped dough on the counter overnight, you'd wake up to a soupy mess (unless it was freezing in your home).
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450°F. Use a very sharp knife to make a 2-inch long shallow slash in the center of the dough. Cover the dough with the Dutch oven lid and place in the oven. Reduce the temperature to 400°F and bake for 20 minutes.
Heat oven to 425 degrees.Bake bread for 30 minutes (starting timing as soon as you turn on oven). 7. Remove lid and continue to bake until bread is deep brown and registers 210 degrees, 20 to 30 minutes longer.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.Bake the bread for 40 to 50 minutes, until it's light gold and a digital thermometer inserted into the center reads 190°F. Remove the bread from the oven, and after a couple of minutes turn it out of the pan onto a rack to cool.
Baking: Just before putting the loaf in the oven, slash the surface of the dough several times with a razor blade. Place the pan with its shaped, proofed loaf in a cool oven, then turn the temperature to 375 degrees and bake for 70 minutes. For a firm, chewy crust, place a pan of boiling water below the loaf.
Introduction: My name is Nathanael Baumbach, I am a fantastic, nice, victorious, brave, healthy, cute, glorious person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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