Classic Sourdough Bread Wild Yeast (Printable Version)
Traditional wild yeast loaf with crisp crust and tender chewy interior
# What You Need:
→ Dough
01 - 3.5 cups bread flour (500 g)
02 - 1.5 cups water (350 g, room temperature)
03 - 0.5 cup active sourdough starter (100 g, 100% hydration)
04 - 2 teaspoons fine sea salt (10 g)
→ Optional for dusting
05 - Rice flour or additional bread flour
# How To Make It:
01 - Combine bread flour and water in a large bowl, mixing until just incorporated. Cover the bowl and allow the mixture to rest for 1 hour to develop gluten structure.
02 - Add active sourdough starter and fine sea salt to the autolysed flour mixture. Mix thoroughly until the dough becomes cohesive and evenly combined.
03 - Complete 4 sets of stretch and fold technique at 30-minute intervals over 2 hours, keeping the dough covered between each set to build strength.
04 - Cover the bowl and allow the dough to ferment at room temperature for 4 to 6 hours, until approximately doubled in volume.
05 - Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Shape into a tight round or oval loaf, creating surface tension.
06 - Transfer the shaped dough to a floured proofing basket with the seam side facing up. Cover and refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours for cold fermentation.
07 - Position a Dutch oven inside the oven and preheat to 450°F for optimal baking conditions.
08 - Gently invert the dough onto parchment paper. Use a sharp blade to score the top of the loaf, then transfer with parchment into the preheated Dutch oven.
09 - Bake with the Dutch oven lid on for 20 minutes to create steam and develop oven spring.
10 - Remove the lid and continue baking for 20 minutes until the crust achieves a deep golden brown color.
11 - Transfer the baked loaf to a wire rack and allow to cool for at least 1 hour before slicing to ensure proper crumb structure.
# Helpful Hints:
01 -
- The satisfaction of nurturing something alive that transforms simple ingredients into extraordinary bread
- That first warm slice, slathered with butter, still steaming from the oven
02 -
- The windowpane test, where you stretch a small piece of dough until it's translucent, is your best friend for knowing when you've developed enough gluten
- Underproofed dough will be dense and gummy, while overproofed dough will spread flat and lose its structure in the oven
03 -
- Rice flour in your proofing basket releases the dough more easily than bread flour, preventing those frustrating moments when your masterpiece sticks
- A spritz of water right before scoring helps the blade glide smoothly and creates even more dramatic oven spring