Hands hold a freshly baked, sliced sourdough bread loaf, showcasing the airy crumb, made with premium wheat flour.

Sourdough bread with video

Name: Sourdough bread with video
Prep time: 13 h
Cook time: 40 min
Ingredients: (I remind you that the dough can be replaced with poolish with ordinary yeast) 20 gr wheat sourdough; 40 gr water; 40 gr wheat flour (12 g protein); All starter; 150 gr water; 250 gr flour for bread; 4 gr salt

July 17, 2023 By Olga Babitskaya

Prep Time: 13h

Cook Time: 40m

Poolish Yeast Starter (Alternative to Sourdough Starter)

0.5 grams of fresh yeast
50 grams premium wheat flour
50 ml water

Mix the poolish ingredients thoroughly and let them sit at room temperature to ferment for 10-12 hours. This creates an active yeast mixture that can replace the sourdough starter in this recipe.

Ingredients for Homemade Sourdough Bread

Sourdough Starter (Levain):

(Note: If you prefer, this active sourdough starter can be replaced with the Poolish Yeast Starter detailed above using ordinary yeast.)
20 grams active wheat sourdough starter
40 grams water
40 grams strong wheat flour (12g protein content recommended)

Final Sourdough Dough Ingredients:

All prepared sourdough starter (levain)
150 grams water
250 grams bread flour
4 grams salt

Instructions for Baking Sourdough Bread

Prepare Your Sourdough Starter: Combine all the ingredients for your levain and let the mixture ripen at 24-26°C. It typically takes 6-8 hours to become bubbly and active.
Initial Mix (Autolyse): Mix the prepared starter, water, and bread flour together. Let this mixture rest for 30 minutes. This step, known as fermentolysis or autolyse, hydrates the flour and helps kickstart gluten development.
Knead the Dough: Process the dough in a mixer or food processor for 5-7 minutes until it feels smooth and elastic. Once the gluten begins to develop, you can add an extra 10-20 grams of water if the dough feels too dense for your liking.
Add Salt and Final Knead: Add the salt to the dough and continue kneading until everything is fully incorporated and the texture is completely smooth.
Bulk Fermentation: Let the dough ferment in bulk for about 2.5 to 3 hours at 24-26°C. During this period, perform one or two sets of “stretch and folds” spaced 40-50 minutes apart to build strength and structure.
Pre-shaping: Gently shape the fermented dough into a round ball. Carefully stretch the top surface until it is smooth and taut, then let it rest seam-side down for about 30 minutes.
Final Shaping and Proofing: Mold your bread into its final shape. You can let it proof (rise) for 1.5–2 hours at 24°C, or place it in the refrigerator for a cold proof lasting 8–12 hours at 4–8°C. The longer, colder proofing usually results in a deeper flavor.
Preheat Oven: About an hour before baking, preheat your oven to 260°C. Keep your Dutch oven or baking stone inside to ensure everything is thoroughly hot for optimal baking.
Bake Your Sourdough Loaf: Score the surface of your proofed loaf with a blade. Bake at 250°C for 18 minutes with steam (or with the Dutch oven lid on). Then, remove the lid or steam source, lower the temperature to 230°C, and bake for another 20 minutes until the crust is golden brown.