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Description
This artisan-style sourdough bread delivers a chewy interior with a crisp, golden crust. Naturally leavened with an active starter and baked in a Dutch oven, it’s a rustic, from-scratch loaf perfect for slicing and sharing.
Ingredients
Units
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- 4 cups bread flour (plus more for dusting)
- 1 1/3 cups warm filtered water (90°F)
- 1/2 cup active sourdough starter
- 2 tsp salt
Instructions
- In a large glass bowl, combine warm water and starter, stirring until fully dissolved. Add salt and flour and mix with your hands until a shaggy dough forms. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rest for 1 hour.
- After resting, perform four gentle stretch-and-folds using wet hands. Rest for 20 minutes, and optionally repeat this process 2–3 more times over the next hour.
- After the final stretch, shape the dough into a ball, cover it, and let it rise for 8–12 hours until it is springy and it bounces back when gently pressed.
- Turn dough onto a floured surface, flour the top, flip, then pinch edges to the center like a sack. Flip again so the seams are down and shape into a tight ball.
- Line a bowl or colander with a floured towel. Place dough seam-side into the bowl, cover, and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Then refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Place a Dutch oven and lid inside your oven and preheat to 500°F for 1 hour.
- Remove the dough from the fridge. Flip onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, flour top, and score with a razor or knife. Transfer dough to the hot pot using parchment as handles. Cover and bake at 500°F for 20 minutes.
- Reduce oven temperature to 405°F and bake for 20 minutes or until the internal temperature is 195–205°F.
- Use parchment and a spatula to lift the bread from the pot. Cool on a rack for at least 1 hour before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Use filtered water to avoid chlorine, which can harm your starter.
- Be patient—the long fermentation time builds flavor and texture.
- Scoring the loaf allows steam to escape and creates beautiful patterns.
- For a crisper crust, let the loaf cool completely before slicing.
- Prep Time: 9 hours
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Cuisine: American, Artisan
Nutrition
- Calories: 1805
- Sugar: 2
- Sodium: 4661
- Fat: 8
- Saturated Fat: 1
- Carbohydrates: 363
- Fiber: 12
- Protein: 60
