Baking Great Bread at HomeChad Robertson's Original Country Loaf, Adapted for the Home Baker
IntermediateTartine CountryBread
by Henry Hunter
The recipe that changed home sourdough forever.
Fermentation
4-5 hours bulk + 8-12 hours cold retard
Bake Time
50 minutes
Yield
Two 900g round loaves
Perfection is not required
"The Tartine loaf isn't the easiest bread to bake. But once you can pull one out of your oven, you've crossed a line. You're not making bread anymore. You're a baker."— Henry Hunter
By Henry Hunter Jr., founder of Crust & Crumb Academy and Baking Great Bread at Home.
Authentic Flavor
Henry Hunter Jr. is the founder of Crust & Crumb Academy and the author of six books on bread baking, including Sourdough for the Rest of Us and Vitale Sourdough Mastery.
Equipment Needed
Non-negotiable at 75% hydration. Volume measurements won't get you there.
The original Tartine bake. The shallow side becomes the base, the deep side the lid. A standard 5–7 quart Dutch oven also works.
Or 8-inch bowls lined with floured kitchen towels. Dust heavily with rice flour and whole wheat.
For dividing and handling a wet dough without sticking.
Hold at a 30 degree angle for the ear.
Big enough to track 25–30% rise during bulk.
Ingredients
Leaven (Mix the Night Before)
A small overnight build that turns a tablespoon of starter into 200g of active leaven for the dough.
Final Dough
The main dough, mixed the next morning once your leaven floats.
Dusting Mix (For Bannetons and Loaves)
Keeps the dough from sticking during proof and shaping.
Pro Tip
Hold back 50g of water from the final dough mix. You'll use it later to dissolve the salt and bring the dough to its full hydration.
Night Before
Build the Leaven
The night before you bake, you'll feed a small amount of your mature starter to create a . This is what powers the entire dough the next day. The ratio is small on purpose. A young, active leaven gives you a milder, sweeter loaf.
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Mix the Leaven
In a clean jar or small container, stir together one tablespoon of your mature sourdough starter, 200g warm water, 100g bread flour, and 100g whole wheat flour. Mix until no dry flour remains. Cover loosely.
Let It Sit Overnight
Leave the leaven at room temperature for 8 to 12 hours. By morning it should be bubbly, slightly domed, and smell sweet with a hint of yogurt.
⏱ Wait Time
8-12 hours
Pro Tip
Don't use this leaven if it's already collapsed by morning. Either feed it again and wait, or use a fresh build. A peaked leaven gives the cleanest flavor.
The Math of a Small Inoculation
By using only one tablespoon of starter against 200g of fresh flour and water, you're creating a leaven that takes its time to mature. A long, slow build develops more complex flavor compounds and less aggressive acidity. It's the same principle as a slow simmer versus a hard boil.
The Takeaway
Less starter, longer time, better flavor.
Morning Check
Float Test Your Leaven
Before you mix the dough, confirm your leaven is ready with the . Drop a small spoonful into a glass of room-temperature water. If it floats, you're ready. If it sinks, give it more time.
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Test for Buoyancy
Spoon a teaspoon of leaven into a glass of cool water. A ready leaven will float on top. A sinker needs another hour or two.
Pro Tip
If your leaven won't float after 14 hours, your starter may have been sluggish to begin with. Refresh your starter for 2 to 3 days and try again.
Mix
Autolyse the Dough
This step lets the flour fully hydrate and the gluten begin organizing without any kneading. gives you a more extensible dough and a better final crumb.
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Combine Leaven and Water
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 200g of your active leaven with 700g of warm water. Reserve the remaining 50g of water for the salt step.
Add the Flours
Add 900g bread flour and 100g whole wheat flour to the bowl. Use your hand to mix until no dry flour remains. The dough will look shaggy and rough. That's fine.
Rest
Cover the bowl with a damp towel and let the dough rest for 30 to 40 minutes at room temperature.
⏱ Wait Time
30-40 minutes
Precise Timers
Use these interactive timers to track your stages.
Autolyse Rest
Salt
Add Salt and Reserved Water
Now the dough comes together. Adding salt this late is intentional. Salt slows fermentation and tightens gluten, so we hold it back to let the flour hydrate first.
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Sprinkle and Pour
Sprinkle 20g of fine sea salt evenly over the dough. Drizzle the reserved 50g of warm water on top.
Squeeze and Pinch
Use your hand to squeeze the dough through your fingers, pinching and folding until the salt is fully incorporated. The dough will feel like it's breaking apart. Keep going. It comes back together within a few minutes.
Bulk
Bulk Fermentation with Folds
This is where the dough develops strength, structure, and flavor. Over the next 3 to 4 hours you'll perform a series of every 30 minutes. Wet your hands before each fold to prevent sticking.
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First Four Folds (Every 30 Minutes)
Wet one hand. Reach under one side of the dough, pull it up and over the top. Rotate the bowl a quarter turn and repeat. Do this on all four sides. That's one set. Repeat every 30 minutes for the first 2 hours, for a total of 4 sets of folds.
Additional Folds as Needed
After the fourth set, give the dough an additional fold or two over the next 1 to 2 hours, as needed. You're watching for the dough to feel airy, jiggly, and about 25 to 30% larger than where it started.
Watch the Signs, Not the Clock
The dough is done with bulk when it pulls away cleanly from the sides of the bowl, holds visible bubbles on the surface, and feels alive when you jiggle the bowl. At 78°F (26°C) this takes 3 to 4 hours. Cooler kitchens may need 5 hours or more.
⏱ Wait Time
3-5 hours
Pro Tip
Resist the urge to add flour at the workbench. The dough is supposed to be wet. Wet hands, gentle folds, patience.
Precise Timers
Use these interactive timers to track your stages.
Fold 1
Fold 2
Fold 3
Fold 4
Pre-shape
Divide and Pre-shape
Once bulk is complete, you'll divide the dough into two pieces and shape each into a loose round. This builds initial surface tension and gives the loaf a head start on its final shape.
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Turn Out and Divide
Lightly flour your work surface. Use your bench scraper to gently turn the dough out onto the surface in one piece. Dust the top lightly with flour. Use the scraper to divide the dough into two equal pieces.
Pre-shape Into Rounds
Using the bench scraper and a wet hand, gently shape each piece into a loose round by pulling the dough toward you and rotating. You're not building tight tension here. Just a soft, rounded shape with a smooth top.
Bench Rest
Cover loosely with a kitchen towel and let the rounds rest on the bench for 20 to 30 minutes. This relaxes the gluten and makes final shaping easier.
⏱ Wait Time
20-30 minutes
Shape
Final Shape
Now you'll build the final tension that gives the loaf its rise and ear. Work quickly and confidently.
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Dust and Flip
Dust the top of each round lightly with bread flour. Use your bench scraper to flip the round so the floured side is now down on the work surface.
Letter Fold
Pull the bottom two corners of the dough down and up into the center. Fold the right side over the center, then the left side over that. Finally, lift the top corners and fold down over everything. Imagine folding an envelope.
Roll Into a Ball
Flip the dough seam-side down. Cup your hands around it and rotate, dragging the dough toward you on the unfloured surface to build a tight, smooth skin on top.
Into the Banneton
Dust your banneton generously with the rice flour and whole wheat dusting mix. Transfer the shaped loaf seam-side UP into the banneton. Pinch the seam closed if needed.
Shaping
Shape the Boule
The Tartine country bread is shaped as a classic round boule. The letter fold builds tension, and the final roll on the bench seals it.
Classic Boule (Round)
The original Tartine shape. Round, rustic, and dramatic when scored.
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Letter Fold
Fold the bottom up to the center, then the right side, left side, and finally the top down over everything.
Roll and Seal
Flip seam-side down. Drag the round on the bench to build a tight skin.
Into the Banneton
Place seam-side UP in a well-floured banneton.
Proof Test: Press the chilled dough gently with a floured finger. It should spring back slowly, leaving a slight indentation. If it springs back immediately, it's under-proofed. If it doesn't spring back at all, it's over-proofed.
Cold Retard
Overnight Cold Retard
The develops flavor, makes scoring easier, and gives you control over when you bake.
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Cover and Refrigerate
Place each banneton in a plastic bag or cover tightly. Refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours. You can hold up to 18 hours for extra tang.
⏱ Wait Time
8-18 hours
Pro Tip
For a milder loaf, you can skip the cold retard and proof at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours instead. Bake when the dough passes the poke test.
Preheat
Preheat the Oven and Dutch Oven
A scorching hot Dutch oven is non-negotiable for the Tartine crust. Preheat for a full hour.
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Preheat
Place your Dutch oven or combo cooker (both pieces) inside the oven. Preheat to 500°F (260°C) for 1 full hour.
Precise Timers
Use these interactive timers to track your stages.
Preheat
Bake
Score and Bake
Working quickly, you'll transfer the loaf, score it, and get it into the hot Dutch oven before it loses heat.
Step by Step
Turn Out and Score
Pull one loaf from the fridge. Cut a circle of parchment paper and place it on top of the banneton. Place a pizza peel or thin board on top and flip everything together so the loaf rests seam-side down on the parchment. Score with a single confident slash across the top, or score a square pattern. Hold the at a 30 degree angle for an ear.
Into the Dutch Oven
Carefully lift the parchment with the loaf and lower it into the preheated Dutch oven. Cover with the lid. Close the oven door.
Bake Covered
Bake at 500°F (260°C) covered for 20 minutes. The trapped steam will give you maximum oven spring and a thin, blistered crust.
Bake Uncovered
Remove the lid. Reduce oven temperature to 450°F (230°C). Bake another 25 to 30 minutes until the crust is deeply caramelized, almost mahogany. Internal temperature should reach 205-210°F (96-99°C).
Cool Fully
Transfer the loaf to a wire rack. Let it cool for at least 1 hour before slicing. The bread is still cooking inside as it cools. Cutting too early gives you a gummy crumb.
Bake Covered
Bake Uncovered
Cool
Repeat the preheat and bake process for the second loaf. The Dutch oven needs to fully recover its heat before the second bake, so give it at least 15 minutes back in the hot oven before loading.
Baking Methods
The original Tartine bake. Maximum steam, maximum crust.
Equipment: Cast iron combo cooker, preheated 1 hour at 500°F (260°C)
Preheat
Preheat at 500°F (260°C) for 1 hour with the combo cooker inside.
Load and Cover
Place loaf on parchment into the shallow side, cover with the deep side as a lid.
Bake Covered
20 minutes at 500°F (260°C).
Bake Uncovered
Remove lid, reduce to 450°F (230°C), bake 25-30 minutes more.
"If your loaf isn't browning enough, leave it in for another 5 minutes uncovered. A pale Tartine is an undercooked Tartine."
Nutrition Facts
Per 1 slice (about 60g) • 20 servings per recipe
* Values are estimates based on standard ingredients; actual values vary by brands and portion size.
Storage
Room Temperature
2-3 days, cut-side down on the counter, no bag
Refrigerated
Not recommended. Refrigeration accelerates staling.
Frozen
Up to 3 months. Slice first, freeze in a zip bag, toast directly from frozen.
Refresh
Spritz with water and warm in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 5-7 minutes to revive the crust.
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Troubleshooting
Baker's Notes
Common questions and solutions for perfect results
If you're serious about scoring, you need the right blade in your hand. Wire Monkey makes handcrafted bread lames from black walnut — built to last, balanced in the hand, and sharp enough to glide through cold dough cleanly every single time. No dragging, no hesitation marks. Just a clean cut.
Wire Monkey Handcrafted Bread Lames
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