sourdough bread

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So you want to bake bread but you dont know where to start?

No worries, friend! I am going to show you how to do it.

Each day this week, I will be breaking down the steps to how I make bread.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

Before we get started

I need you to know a few things. I am not a professional baker. I am self taught and learned from those who passed their skills on to me. I would rather have a technically imperfect loaf that tastes amazing rather than a perfect loaf and it is bland and tasteless. I am a homebaker. I bake for my family and how my family likes bread.

I believe sourdough should be fermented and that we harness its true power. You will not find “quick” recipes here. Rather I will teach you how to plan and make bread so that you can enjoy sourdough, so that sourdough can fit into your life, but that sourdough doesn’t make your life revolve around it.

Supplies needed

  • Established sourdough starter
  • All Purpose Flour, I use Central Milling from costco (its the green and white bag)
  • water
  • salt (taste the difference with REDMOND REAL SALT, discount code FLOURING)
redmond salt in a hand compared to store bought table salt

If you need a starter, you will need to make a starter or buy a starter.

For a step by step guide, I refer to my friend Meg as I don’t have a guide written yet. HEAD HERE to learn how to make a starter

You see my starter has been passed down from my great grandfather to my dad and now to me. I do offer the ability to purchase my starter if that’s something you are interested in. If so, you can PURCHASE A STARTER in my shop.

Additionally, you may choose to invest in some other useful sourdough tools and equipment. Read my blog post pertaining to these essential items.

Daily Breakdown and Examples

Starting 13 January 2025, I will be sharing daily on my instagram and once this series is completed, I will link the corresponding day and video so that the list below is clickable.

Remember, I do the Cowboy Way Method of maintaining my sourdough starter, which means I do not feed & discard daily. This is how my great grandfather taught us to make and maintain our sourdough starter. READ MORE HERE

I will also share these videos to youtube and create a playlist too.

sourdough starter in a jar next to a bowl and spatula

the recipe

MAKES 2 LOAVES

1000g all purpose flour
25 g salt
750g water
250 g ACTIVE starter

To make an active starter, the night before you mix your dough, feed your quarter cup of starter that has been in the fridge, 125g each water and flour. Lid and let rest over night. I practice the CowboyWay method for sourdough, which means I do not discard and my starter lives in the fridge unless I am actively baking. READ MORE HERE

This dough is a bit messy but beautiful at the same time. Also a quick note…why grams versus cups. Grams is more accurate. When I weigh I try to be within 5-10grams. Cups is a bit subjective and wont always yield the same results time after time.

  1. Before you begin, remove a quarter cup of starter from your active mixture and place into a clean jar. Lid and place into the fridge. Now, mix your water and starter until it looks milky. Add your flour and start to mix, then add Redmond salt.
    I always add salt last as it can inhibit growth. 

2. Let rest at least 15 minutes 
3. Perform a series of stretches and folds every 15-30 minutes 3-4 times.
4. Then allow to bulk ferment for 4-6 hours on the counter, covered.
5. you can either shape loaves and place into bannetons OR place the whole bowl (covered) into the fridge overnight. You can cold proof this for 12-48 hours depending upon your schedule. If you chose to place the whole bowl into the fridge, at least 6 hours before baking you will need to shape your loaves and place them into bannetons.
6. About an hour before baking, place your dutch oven(s) in the oven in the center of your oven and preheat to 450. When your oven is done preheating, remove your dough from the fridge, gently flip onto parchment or silicone slings. SCORE your loaves and place into your HOT dutch ovens. Bake your loaves at 450 for 30 minutes with lid ON, then 25 minutes with lid OFF. 

PROTIP: if the bottom of your loaf is getting TOO thick, while baking add a cookie sheet halfway through. This will act as a buffer still allowing heat to bake but not give direct heat to give you a thick bottom crust.

Jump to printable recipe

Yield: 2 Loaves

High Hydration Sourdough Loaves

High Hydration Sourdough Loaf

Ingredients

  • 1000g all purpose flour
  • 25 g salt
  • 750g water
  • 250 g ACTIVE starter

Instructions

    1. Before you begin, remove a quarter cup of starter from your active mixture and place into a clean jar. Lid and place into the fridge. Now, mix your water and starter until it looks milky. Add your flour and start to mix, then add Redmond salt.
    I always add salt last as it can inhibit growth.
    2. Let rest at least 15 minutes
    3. Perform a series of stretches and folds every 15-30 minutes 3-4 times. (this is flexible! if its once every hour thats ok!
    4. Then allow to bulk ferment for 4-6 hours on the counter, covered. You're looking for your dough to just about double in size and show some bubbles on top;
    5. you can either shape loaves and place into bannetons OR place the whole bowl (covered) into the fridge overnight. You can cold proof this for 12-48 hours depending upon your schedule. If you chose to place the whole bowl into the fridge, at least 6 hours before baking you will need to shape your loaves and place them into bannetons.
    6. About an hour before baking, place your dutch oven(s) in the oven in the center of your oven and preheat to 450. When your oven is done preheating, remove your dough from the fridge, gently flip onto parchment or silicone slings. SCORE your loaves and place into your HOT dutch ovens. Bake your loaves at 450 for 30 minutes with lid ON, then 25 minutes with lid OFF.

Notes

PROTIP: if the bottom of your loaf is getting TOO thick, while baking add a cookie sheet halfway through. This will act as a buffer still allowing heat to bake but not give direct heat to give you a thick bottom crust.

Recommended Products

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Finishing up

If you want even more sourdough recipes, add your email to my newsletter!! I am in the process of writing my sourdough ebook and am aiming for a launch date of 1 February 2025.

Thank you for being here and making bread with me.

I hope to bring you more posts like this in 2025 and bring you more milling content!

Happy Baking! ~Boots

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2 Comments

  1. Is it OK to have less starter in this recipe? I realized I only have 150g to use and I don’t want to wait to feed it again to double it.

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