Your First Sourdough Loaf

Ingredients

Dough

A lower hydration (65%) dough that actually behaves for beginners

• 400g (3 cups + 2 tbsp) Bread flour
• 260g (1 cup + 2 tbsp) Water (room temperature)
• 80g (⅓ cup) Active sourdough starter
• 8g (1½ tsp) Fine sea salt

Total flour: 400g

Hydration: 65%

Pro tip: Lower hydration means the dough actually holds its shape. This is intentional for beginners—you'll work up to higher hydration doughs as you gain confidence.

Equipment

Method

Is Your Starter Ready? (This is where most first loaves fail)

Not technique. Not timing. A sluggish sourdough starter. The float test is your friend here.

1. The Float Test. Drop a small spoonful of starter into room temperature water. If it floats, you're good. If it sinks, feed your starter and wait until it doubles and passes the test.
2. Visual Check. Your starter should have doubled (or nearly doubled) from its last feeding and look bubbly throughout, not just on top.
3. Smell Check. It should smell pleasantly tangy, like yogurt or mild vinegar. Not like nail polish remover or alcohol.

Tip: An active starter is the single most important factor in your success. Don't skip this check.

Combine Everything (5 minutes of work)

We're combining everything at once — flour, water, and sourdough starter — then letting time do the work. This is called a fermentolyse, and it's one of the simplest ways to build flavor and structure.

1. Weigh your water. Weigh 260g of room temperature water into your mixing bowl.
2. Add starter. Add your active sourdough starter and stir until it dissolves (it won't fully dissolve, and that's fine).
3. Add flour. Add the bread flour and mix with your hand or a sturdy spoon until no dry flour remains.
4. Rest (Fermentolyse). Cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap. Let it rest 30 minutes. This is the fermentolyse — the starter is already in the mix, so fermentation begins right away.

Wait: 30 minutes

Tip: The dough will look shaggy and rough. That's exactly right at this stage.

Add Salt and Fold (Your one and only fold)

This single set of folds develops gluten structure without kneading. That's the magic of this method.

1. Sprinkle salt. Sprinkle the salt evenly over the surface of the dough.
2. Wet your hands. Wet hands for sticky dough, always. This prevents sticking and makes handling much easier.
3. Stretch and fold. Reach under the dough, stretch it up, and fold it over itself. Turn the bowl 90 degrees and repeat. Do this 4 times total, working around the bowl.
4. Cover. Cover and leave it alone. Your work is mostly done.

Tip: What you just did: You developed gluten structure without kneading. The salt is now incorporated. Your active hands-on work is complete.

Bulk Fermentation (3-5 hours of patience)

This is where patience comes in. You're waiting for the dough to rise, develop flavor, and build strength. Watch the dough, not the clock.

1. Volume check. Look for the dough to increase by 50-75% (not doubled—we're not there yet).
2. Visual cues. The surface should look slightly domed and puffy. You might see some bubbles on the sides of the bowl.
3. Poke test. When you gently poke it, it springs back slowly. If it springs back fast, give it more time.
4. Optional extra fold. If you want to add one more fold around the 1-hour mark, go for it. Just one set of coil folds like before. But honestly, you can skip it. This dough is forgiving.

Wait: 3-5 hours

Tip: Watch the dough, not the clock. Your starter, your kitchen, your flour—they're all different from mine.

Shape and Refrigerate (When your dough looks ready)

Shaping creates surface tension, which helps the loaf rise up instead of spreading out during baking.

1. Flour your surface. Lightly flour your work surface. Don't use too much—just enough to prevent sticking.
2. Turn out gently. Gently turn the dough out (don't punch it down, ever). Use your bench scraper to release it from the bowl.
3. Pre-shape. Using your bench scraper, shape the dough into a rough round by tucking the edges underneath. Let it rest 15 minutes uncovered (this is the bench rest).

Wait: 15 minutes

Tip: Handle the dough gently. All those bubbles you developed during bulk fermentation are precious—don't knock them out.

Final Shape (Create surface tension)

This final shaping step creates the tension that gives you a beautiful rise in the oven.

1. Flip the dough. Flip the dough so the floured side is down (sticky side up).
2. Letter fold. Gently stretch it into a rectangle. Fold the top third down, then the bottom third up (like a letter).
3. Roll and seal. Roll it toward you, using the edge of your hands to create surface tension. Seal the seam.
4. Into the banneton. Place seam-side up in your floured banneton or lined bowl. The seam goes up so when you flip it out for baking, it will be on the bottom.

Tip: If the dough sticks, use a bit more flour on your hands. But too much flour makes shaping harder, not easier.

Cold Proof (8-16 hours in the fridge)

This cold retard develops incredible flavor and makes scoring much easier. It's also what makes this recipe practical—you mix at night, bake in the morning.

1. Cover. Cover with plastic wrap or slide the whole thing into a plastic bag.
2. Refrigerate. Refrigerate overnight, anywhere from 8-16 hours. This cold proof develops flavor and makes scoring easier.
3. Flexibility. You can bake it after 8 hours, or let it go up to 16. The longer it sits, the more tangy the flavor.

Wait: 8-16 hours

Tip: The cold dough is much easier to score than room temperature dough. This is a feature, not a bug.

Shaping Summary

A simple round shape (boule) is all you need for your first loaf.

Boule (Round Loaf) (recommended)

The classic round shape. Forgiving and beautiful.

1. Pre-shape. Using your bench scraper, gather the dough and tuck edges under to form a rough round.
2. Bench rest. Let rest 15 minutes uncovered. This relaxes the gluten for easier final shaping.
3. Final shape. Flip, stretch into a rectangle, fold like a letter, roll toward you creating tension.
4. Transfer. Place seam-side up in a floured banneton or bowl lined with a floured towel.

Proof test: The poke test: Gently poke the cold dough with a floured finger. If it springs back slowly and leaves a slight indent, it's ready. After cold proofing, the dough should be noticeably puffy.

Bake Day

Preheat low and slow, bake hot and fast. The Dutch oven traps steam for that crackling crust.

Oven: 260°C / 500°F. Internal temperature when done: 96-99°C / 205-210°F.

Dutch Oven (recommended)

The best method for beginners. The enclosed pot traps steam automatically.

Equipment: Dutch oven with lid

1. Preheat. Put your Dutch oven (with lid) in the oven. Preheat to 500°F (260°C) for at least 45 minutes.
2. Prepare parchment. Cut a piece of parchment paper slightly larger than your loaf.
3. Turn out the dough. Turn your cold dough out onto the parchment (it should release easily from a well-floured banneton).
4. Score. Scoring the top with a swift, confident slash about ½ inch deep. One long slash is all you need.
5. Load. Carefully lower the dough (on the parchment) into the screaming hot Dutch oven. Cover with lid.
6. Bake covered. Bake covered for 20 minutes at 500°F (260°C). The steam is doing its magic.
7. Bake uncovered. Remove lid, reduce temperature to 450°F (230°C), and bake another 20-25 minutes until deep golden brown.
8. The tap test. When you tap the bottom, it should sound hollow. That's the sound of success.

Storage

• Room temperature: 3-4 days in a bread bag or wrapped in a clean towel
• Refrigerated: Not recommended—refrigeration accelerates staling
• Frozen: Sliced and frozen: up to 3 months. Toast slices directly from frozen.

Frequently Asked Questions

My loaf is dense and heavy. What happened?

Most likely your sourdough starter wasn't active enough. This is the most common cause of dense loaves. Make sure it passes the float test and has doubled from its last feeding before you mix.

The dough didn't rise much during bulk fermentation.

Either your starter wasn't ready, or your kitchen was too cold. In a cooler kitchen (below 68°F), fermentation can take 5-6 hours or more. Look for the dough to be visibly puffy with bubbles on the surface.

My loaf spread out flat instead of rising up.

This usually means the dough over-fermented during bulk, or you didn't develop enough surface tension during shaping. The poke test helps—if the dough doesn't spring back at all, it's gone too far.

The crust is pale even after baking the full time.

Your oven likely wasn't hot enough, or the preheat wasn't long enough. Give your Dutch oven a full 45 minutes to preheat. Also check that your oven temperature is accurate.

The inside is gummy.

Two possible causes: the bread didn't bake long enough, or you cut it before it cooled completely. The interior is still cooking during the cooling period. Wait a full hour.

Can I use all-purpose flour instead of bread flour?

Yes, but the crumb will be slightly more tender and less chewy. The lower protein content of all-purpose flour develops less gluten. It will still work.

How do I know when bulk fermentation is done?

Look for 50-75% volume increase, a slightly domed surface, visible bubbles, and a dough that jiggles when you shake the bowl. The poke test should leave an indent that slowly springs back.

Nutrition

Per serving (1 slice (about 70g)): 190 calories, 38g carbohydrates, 6g protein, 1g fat, 2g fiber, 340mg sodium.