Sourdough Tiger Bread (Dutch Crunch)

Ingredients

Naturally Leavened Dough

Milk and butter keep this soft, the wild yeast gives it depth. Feed your starter so it's ripe and bubbly before you mix.

• 100g (½ cup) active sourdough starter (100% hydration)
• 500g (4 cups + 3 tbsp) bread flour
• 325g (1⅜ cups) whole milk, lukewarm
• 40g (3 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened
• 30g (2½ tbsp) granulated sugar
• 9g (1½ tsp) table salt

Tiger Topping (Dutch Crunch)

This part still uses commercial yeast. That's on purpose. Mix it shortly before you need it.

• 100g (¾ cup) white rice flour
• 105g (½ cup) warm water
• 7g (2¼ tsp) instant yeast
• 10g (2½ tsp) granulated sugar
• 10g (2 tsp) neutral oil
• 5g (¾ tsp) table salt

Total flour: 500g

Hydration: 65%

Pro tip: The dough is naturally leavened, but the topping needs commercial yeast. A wheat starter has gluten and bakes smooth. Only white rice flour plus a little yeast will crack.

Equipment

• Digital Kitchen Scale
• Large Mixing Bowl
• Bench Scraper (optional)
• Two Baking Sheets
• Parchment Paper
• Small Offset Spatula or Pastry Brush
• Small Bowl
• Instant-Read Thermometer
• Starter Home or Warm Spot (optional)
• 9x5 Loaf Pan (optional)

Method

Feed Your Starter (The night before, or 4 to 6 hours ahead)

You want a ripe, active sourdough starter that's near its peak when you mix.

1. Build to ripe. Feed your starter so you'll have at least 100g ripe and bubbly when it's time to mix. It should be domed, active, and pass the float test, or just past its peak.

Wait: PT6H

Tip: A sluggish starter makes a sluggish dough. Don't rush this part. A warm spot like a proofing box keeps it lively.

Mix the Dough (About 15 minutes)

One bowl. This is a soft, enriched dough, so it won't feel like a lean artisan loaf.

1. Combine. In a large bowl, stir the ripe starter into the lukewarm milk and sugar until loosened. Add the bread flour, softened butter, and salt. Mix with a dough whisk or your hand until no dry flour remains and it forms a shaggy mass.
2. Rest, then work it smooth. Cover and rest 20 minutes so the flour hydrates. Then knead in the bowl for 3 to 5 minutes, or do a few sets of stretch and fold, until the dough is smooth and supple. It should be soft and slightly tacky.

Tip: The dough temperature after mixing sets your timeline. Around 76°F to 78°F is a good target for a steady bulk.

Bulk Fermentation (4 to 6 hours at room temperature)

Wild yeast works slower than commercial yeast. Give it time and a few folds.

1. Fold. Over the first 2 hours, give the dough 2 to 3 sets of stretch and fold, about 30 minutes apart. Each set builds strength.
2. Rise. Let the dough finish bulk fermentation until it's grown by about half and feels light and airy, roughly 4 to 6 hours total at room temperature. Enriched dough won't double as fast as a lean dough, so judge by feel, not the clock.

Wait: PT5H

Tip: Short on time in the morning? Cold retard the shaped dough overnight instead. See the next phase.

Divide, Shape, and Proof (Same day or overnight in the fridge)

Rolls or a loaf. Then proof warm, or cold-retard for flavor and a flexible schedule.

1. Divide and shape. Turn the dough out gently. For rolls, divide into 8 pieces, about 105g each, and shape into tight rounds or short logs. For a loaf, shape the whole piece and set it into a greased 9x5 pan. See the Shaping section for details.
2. Proof your way. Same day: cover and proof at room temperature until puffy and slow to spring back, about 2 to 4 hours. Overnight: cover and refrigerate 8 to 14 hours, then pull them out and let them finish warming and puffing before you top and bake.

Wait: PT3H

Tip: A cold overnight proof deepens the sourdough flavor and lets you top and bake fresh in the morning.

Make the Tiger Topping (5 minutes to mix, 15 to rest)

Same crackly paste as the yeasted version. Mix it near the end of the final proof.

1. Whisk the paste. In a small bowl, whisk the white rice flour, warm water, instant yeast, sugar, oil, and salt until smooth. Aim for a thick, spreadable paste, between thick pancake batter and ketchup. It should drop slowly off the whisk.
2. Let it bubble. Rest the paste 15 to 20 minutes until it loosens and turns bubbly. Adjust with a little water if it stiffens, or a little rice flour if it runs.

Tip: Swap a teaspoon of the neutral oil for toasted sesame oil if you want the classic deli aroma.

Coat and Settle (About 20 minutes)

Top the proofed dough, then let it settle before it goes in.

1. Coat generously. Stir the paste, then spoon it over each roll (about 1 tablespoon each) or across the loaf. Spread with a small offset spatula out to the edges and just down the sides. Be generous. A full coat gives the bold cracks. Work gently so you don't deflate the proof.
2. Settle. Let the coated dough rest, uncovered, 15 to 25 minutes while the oven preheats. Fine cracks will start to open on the surface. That's your signal to bake.

Wait: PT20M

Tip: Coat too early and the paste dries before oven spring can crack it. Coat too late and there's no lift left to open it. During the final proof is the sweet spot.

Shape It Your Way

Sandwich rolls or one soft loaf. Both take the topping well.

Sandwich Rolls (recommended)

Eight naturally leavened rolls with a crackly top. Ideal for sandwiches.

1. Preshape. Pat each piece into a rough square. Fold the sides in and roll into a short log or tuck into a tight round. Rest 5 to 10 minutes.
2. Final shape. Build surface tension by dragging each round on the counter under a cupped hand, or roll logs even. Place seam-side down on parchment with room to spread.

Soft Loaf

One table loaf with a shattering crust.

1. Preshape. Gently round the whole dough and rest it 10 minutes, seam-side up.
2. Final shape. Pat into a rectangle, roll into a tight cylinder, seal the seam, and set seam-side down into a greased 9x5 loaf pan.

Proof test: Press gently with a floured finger. When the dent fills back slowly and only partway, it's ready. Fast spring-back means it needs more time.

Bake Until Deeply Mottled

Rolls bake hot and fast. A loaf goes lower and longer so the topping browns without scorching.

Oven: 218°C / 425°F. Internal temperature when done: 93°C / 200°F.

Sandwich Rolls (Recommended) (recommended)

High heat cracks the crust fast.

Equipment: Two parchment-lined baking sheets

1. Preheat. Preheat to 450°F (232°C) with racks in the upper and lower thirds.
2. Load and drop. Put the rolls in and immediately drop the oven to 425°F (218°C).
3. Bake. Bake 20 to 26 minutes, rotating halfway, until the tops are deeply cracked and colored and the sides are golden.
4. Cool. Cool on a rack at least 20 minutes so the crust crisps.

Soft Loaf

Lower and slower for an even bake.

Equipment: 9x5 loaf pan or parchment-lined sheet

1. Preheat. Preheat to 375°F (190°C).
2. Bake. Bake 40 to 50 minutes, until the crust is deep golden and cracked and the center reads 200°F (93°C).
3. Cool. Turn out of the pan and cool completely on a rack before slicing, at least 1 hour.

Note: Let the topping go a shade darker than feels comfortable. That deep color is the flavor.

Storage

• Room temperature: Best the day it's baked. Keep leftovers 2 to 3 days in a paper bag or loosely wrapped. The natural leavening helps it keep a touch longer than the yeasted version.
• Refrigerated: Not recommended. The fridge dries bread out and dulls the crust.
• Frozen: Freeze rolls or sliced loaf up to 3 months in a freezer bag.

Warm frozen rolls from the freezer in a 350°F (175°C) oven for about 10 minutes to bring the crackle back.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does the topping still use commercial yeast in a sourdough recipe?

Because your wheat starter has gluten. Tested in the topping, it goes stretchy and bakes into a smooth skin instead of cracking. White rice flour has no gluten, so it sets and shatters into the tiger pattern. The small amount of instant yeast just keeps that crust light. The dough is your sourdough. The topping is its own component.

Can I make this on a work-night schedule?

Yes. Mix and bulk during the day, shape in the evening, then cold-retard the shaped rolls or loaf in the fridge overnight. In the morning, let them finish warming and puffing, top them, and bake fresh. The cold proof also deepens the flavor.

My dough isn't doubling. Is something wrong?

Enriched sourdough rises slower than a lean loaf, and it won't fully double. A rise of about 50 percent that feels light and airy is your target. If it's barely moving after several hours, your starter was likely underfed or your kitchen is cold. Warmth and a ripe starter fix most slow bulks.

Can I use discard instead of active starter?

Not for the dough. This loaf leans on the starter for its rise, so it needs an active, ripe one. Save discard for other bakes. If you want a faster version with no starter at all, use our yeasted Tiger Bread.

Loaf or rolls for a first try?

Rolls. They bake fast, crack dramatically, and make the best sandwiches. Once you've seen how the topping behaves, the loaf is easy.

How do I keep the crunch the next day?

It's best the day it's baked. The crust softens overnight. Warm the whole loaf or rolls in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 5 to 10 minutes to bring the crackle back.

Nutrition

Per serving (1 roll (about 110g)): 335 calories, 59g carbohydrates, 9g protein, 6g fat, 2g fiber, 450mg sodium. Makes 8 servings.