Timeline at a glance
| Step | Time |
|---|---|
| Feed starter | 4-8 hours before mixing |
| Autolyse | 30-60 minutes |
| Bulk ferment | 4-6 hours at 75-78°F |
| Cold retard | 12-16 hours, refrigerated |
| Bake | ~40-45 minutes total |
Method
- Feed the starter. 4-8 hours before you plan to mix the dough, feed your starter and let it roughly double — it should look bubbly and pass a float test (a small spoonful floats in water). See ourstarter ratio calculatorfor feeding amounts.
- Autolyse. Mix the flour and water only — no starter, no salt yet — until no dry flour remains. Cover and rest 30-60 minutes; this lets the flour hydrate and starts gluten development before any mixing.
- Mix in starter and salt. Add the fed starter and salt to the autolysed dough. Pinch and fold until fully incorporated — the dough will feel shaggy at this stage, which is normal.
- Bulk ferment with folds. Over the first 2 hours of bulk fermentation, perform 3-4 sets of stretch-and-folds, spaced about 30 minutes apart, to build strength without kneading. Then leave the dough alone for the remainder of bulk fermentation — 4-6 hours total at 75-78°F, until it's visibly puffy and has grown by roughly 50%.
- Shape. Turn the dough out, shape into a tight round or oval loaf, and place seam-side up in a floured banneton or a bowl lined with a floured towel.
- Cold retard. Cover and refrigerate for 12-16 hours. The cold slows fermentation way down, letting flavor develop further without over-proofing — and makes the dough much easier to score straight from the fridge.
- Bake. Preheat a Dutch oven (or a baking stone/steel with a steam source) to 500°F. Turn the cold dough out onto parchment, score the top about ½ inch deep, and load it in. Bake covered at 450°F for 20 minutes, then uncovered at 450°F for another 20-25 minutes, until deeply golden brown and the internal temperature reads 205-210°F.
- Cool completely before slicing — at least 1 hour. The crumb is still finishing cooking from residual heat, and cutting in early makes it gummy.
Why this recipe is built the way it is
Every amount here is a weight, not a cup or spoon measurement — sourdough is unforgiving of the kind of measuring error that's easy to shrug off in a cookie recipe, since hydration and salt percentage directly determine whether the dough holds its shape or spreads into a pancake. 75% hydration and a 20% starter addition are both solidly beginner-friendly numbers: wet enough to give a decent open crumb, dry enough to still handle by hand without a mixer. Once this loaf feels manageable, ourbread hydration calculatormakes it easy to push toward wetter, more open-crumb territory.
FAQ
What if I don't have a Dutch oven? A baking stone or steel with a pan of hot water on the rack below (for steam) works too — the covered Dutch oven method is just the most forgiving way to trap steam for a home oven.
Can I skip the cold retard and bake the same day? Yes — bake right after bulk fermentation once the dough has grown by about 50% and passes a gentle poke test (a poked indent springs back slowly, not instantly). The flavor will be milder and the crust slightly different, but the loaf will still work.