Tartine Country Bread

Ingredients

Leaven (Mix the Night Before)

A small overnight build that turns a tablespoon of starter into 200g of active leaven for the dough.

• 1 tbsp (1 tbsp (about 15g)) mature sourdough starter
• 200g (¾ cup + 2 tbsp) warm water (78°F / 26°C)
• 100g (¾ cup) bread flour
• 100g (¾ cup) whole wheat flour

Final Dough

The main dough, mixed the next morning once your leaven floats.

• 200g (¾ cup) active leaven from above
• 750g (3 cups + 2 tbsp) warm water (80°F / 27°C), divided
• 900g (7 cups) bread flour
• 100g (¾ cup) whole wheat flour
• 20g (3½ tsp) fine sea salt

Dusting Mix (For Bannetons and Loaves)

Keeps the dough from sticking during proof and shaping.

• 100g (¾ cup) rice flour
• 100g (¾ cup) whole wheat flour

Total flour: 1000g

Hydration: 75%

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.

Equipment

• Digital Kitchen Scale
• Cast Iron Combo Cooker or Dutch Oven
• Two 10-inch Bannetons
• Bench Scraper
• Lame or Razor Blade
• Large Mixing Bowl or Cambro Tub

Method

Build the Leaven

The night before you bake, you'll feed a small amount of your mature starter to create a leaven. 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.

1. 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.
2. 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: PT10H

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.

Float Test Your Leaven

Before you mix the dough, confirm your leaven is ready with the float test. Drop a small spoonful into a glass of room-temperature water. If it floats, you're ready. If it sinks, give it more time.

1. 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.

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.

Autolyse the Dough

This step lets the flour fully hydrate and the gluten begin organizing without any kneading. Autolyse gives you a more extensible dough and a better final crumb.

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Rest. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and let the dough rest for 30 to 40 minutes at room temperature.

Wait: PT40M

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.

1. Sprinkle and Pour. Sprinkle 20g of fine sea salt evenly over the dough. Drizzle the reserved 50g of warm water on top.
2. 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 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 gentle folds every 30 minutes. Wet your hands before each fold to prevent sticking.

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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: PT4H

Tip: Resist the urge to add flour at the workbench. The dough is supposed to be wet. Wet hands, gentle folds, patience.

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.

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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: PT30M

Final Shape

Now you'll build the final tension that gives the loaf its rise and ear. Work quickly and confidently.

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.

Overnight Cold Retard

The cold retard develops flavor, makes scoring easier, and gives you control over when you bake.

1. 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: PT12H

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 the Oven and Dutch Oven

A scorching hot Dutch oven is non-negotiable for the Tartine crust. Preheat for a full hour.

1. Preheat. Place your Dutch oven or combo cooker (both pieces) inside the oven. Preheat to 500°F (260°C) for 1 full hour.

Score and Bake

Working quickly, you'll transfer the loaf, score it, and get it into the hot Dutch oven before it loses heat.

1. 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 blade at a 30 degree angle for an ear.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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).
5. 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.

Tip: 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.

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) (recommended)

The original Tartine shape. Round, rustic, and dramatic when scored.

1. Letter Fold. Fold the bottom up to the center, then the right side, left side, and finally the top down over everything.
2. Roll and Seal. Flip seam-side down. Drag the round on the bench to build a tight skin.
3. 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.

Baking the Tartine Loaf

Two-temperature bake in a preheated Dutch oven. Covered first for steam, then uncovered for crust development.

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

Cast Iron Combo Cooker (Recommended) (recommended)

The original Tartine bake. Maximum steam, maximum crust.

Equipment: Cast iron combo cooker, preheated 1 hour at 500°F (260°C)

1. Preheat. Preheat at 500°F (260°C) for 1 hour with the combo cooker inside.
2. Load and Cover. Place loaf on parchment into the shallow side, cover with the deep side as a lid.
3. Bake Covered. 20 minutes at 500°F (260°C).
4. Bake Uncovered. Remove lid, reduce to 450°F (230°C), bake 25-30 minutes more.

Standard Dutch Oven

Works just as well. Slightly trickier to load.

Equipment: 5 to 7 quart Dutch oven with lid

1. Preheat. Preheat at 500°F (260°C) for 1 hour with the Dutch oven inside.
2. Load and Cover. Lower the loaf in on parchment. Replace lid quickly.
3. Bake Covered. 20 minutes at 500°F (260°C).
4. Bake Uncovered. Remove lid, reduce to 450°F (230°C), bake 25-30 minutes more.

Note: If your loaf isn't browning enough, leave it in for another 5 minutes uncovered. A pale Tartine is an undercooked Tartine.

Storage

• Room temperature: 2-3 days, cut-side down on the counter, no bag
• 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

My leaven didn't float. Can I still use it?

If it's bubbly, domed, and smells sweet, you can still use it even if it doesn't float perfectly. The float test isn't infallible. But if it's flat, smells sharp or acetone-like, and shows no bubbles, feed your starter and rebuild the leaven before you start.

The dough is so wet. Should I add more flour?

No. 75% hydration is supposed to feel wet and slack. Adding flour now will give you a tight, dense crumb instead of the open honeycomb structure that defines this loaf. Wet hands, gentle folds, and patience. The dough comes together as gluten develops.

How do I know when bulk fermentation is done?

Look for three signs: a 25-30% rise in volume, a domed and jiggly surface with visible bubbles, and the dough pulling cleanly away from the sides of the bowl. Time is just a guide. At 78°F (26°C), expect 3 to 4 hours. Colder kitchens take longer.

Can I bake without a Dutch oven?

You can, but you'll need to create steam another way. A preheated baking stone with a metal pan of boiling water on the rack below can work. The crust won't be as dramatic as the Dutch oven version, but the bread will still be excellent.

Why a cold retard? Can I skip it?

The cold retard develops flavor, makes scoring much easier, and gives you flexibility on when to bake. You can skip it and proof at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours instead. The loaf will be milder in flavor and slightly harder to score, but it will still bake beautifully.

My crust is too pale. What happened?

Three common causes: the Dutch oven wasn't hot enough at the start, the bake time was cut short, or your oven runs cool. Use an oven thermometer to verify temperature. Bake until the crust is deeply mahogany, not just golden. A pale Tartine is undercooked.

What flour should I use?

Chad Robertson uses high-extraction local flours. At home, King Arthur bread flour and a good whole wheat will give you excellent results. If you have access to fresh-milled flour, the bread will be even better. Avoid all-purpose flour for this recipe. The protein content is too low for this hydration.

Nutrition

Per serving (1 slice (about 60g)): 150 calories, 30g carbohydrates, 5g protein, 1g fat, 2g fiber, 320mg sodium. Makes 20 servings.