Sourdough Bread​ Recipe

This is a straightforward homemade version of Rustic Sourdough Bread — it’s got that chewy crumb, crackly crust, and fills your kitchen with that amazing yeasty smell. Perfect to bake ahead, slice for toast or grab-and-go breakfast—easy enough for a cozy weekend, budget‑friendly, and kinda feels fancy without being fancy.

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Quick Summary

• Prep time: ~13 hrs (mostly chill/autolyse)
• Cook time: ~1 hr
• Flavor: tangy, soft-centre, golden-crusty
• Great for: lazy mornings, sandwich-ready, couch carb therapy

Why I Like This Recipe

Honestly? I wasn’t even planning to make bread. Just woke up, saw the starter bubbling, felt like life was screaming at me to bake. Not gonna lie, the first loaf looked like a sad potato but smelled heavenly. Ate half the corner warm with butter—game changer. I’ve made it every week since. Comfort level: chef‑about‑to‑nap.

Ingredients

• 150 g active sourdough starter
• 250 g warm water (300–325 g if you like it wetter—more air holes, less structure)
• 25 g olive oil
• 500 g bread flour
• 10 g fine sea salt
• cornmeal or parchment (for the Dutch oven)

How To Make Sourdough Bread​

1. Mix starter, water, oil till meh-homogenous. Dump in flour + salt, mix with fork till shaggy, then hands—dough forms. Cover. Rest 30–60 mins.
2. Give it a rough ball shape, rest covered till doubled (3–12 hrs depending on temp). Maybe stretch‑n‑fold once or twice, optional but nice.
3. Shape the dough into a round—tight surface tension is key. Divide in two if ya wanna share or keep one.
4. Second proof: into cornmeal-lined Dutch oven or parchment. 30–60 mins till slightly puffed. Preheat oven to 450 °F.
5. Score 2–3″ slash. Bake covered @400 °F for 20 mins, then lid off 40 mins till deep brown.
6. Cool an hour (I know, torture). Then slice and indulge.

Tips for Success

• Don’t skip autolyse—even 30 mins loosens gluten.
• Use a scale—cups lie.
• If dough’s wet and floppy, use a banetton/proofing basket.
• Too pale? Bake a bit longer uncovered—don’t burn though.

Storage and Reheating

• Fridge: Slice and wrap in beeswax or cloth—lasts 3–4 days.
• Freezer: Pre-slice, bag between layers of parchment; toast straight from frozen.
• Reheat: Pop in oven at 300 °F for 5 mins or toss in air‑fryer at 175 °C to resurrect crust crisps.

FAQs

Common Mistakes and How to Dodge Them

• Underproofing = dense loaf. Let it puff till jiggly, almost doubled.
• Overproofing = flat squat. Once it doesn’t spring back quickly when poked, bake.
• Cold dough in hot oven = won’t bloom. Let second rise finish, then heat.
• No scoring = weird cracks everywhere. Just slash it.
• Cutting too soon = gummy middle. Must wait—painful, I know.

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving ~100 g)

• Calories: ~270 kcal
• Total Fat: 4 g
• Saturated Fat: 0.5 g
• Cholesterol: 0 mg
• Sodium: 350 mg
• Potassium: 115 mg
• Total Carbs: 54 g
• Dietary Fiber: 2 g
• Sugars: 0 g
• Protein: 8 g