Classic Tangy Sourdough Bread (Printer-Friendly)

Traditional wild yeast loaf with tangy flavor, crisp crust, and chewy texture perfect for artisan bread enthusiasts.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dough

01 - 17.6 oz bread flour (500 g)
02 - 12.3 oz water, room temperature (350 g)
03 - 3.5 oz active sourdough starter, 100% hydration (100 g)
04 - 0.35 oz fine sea salt (10 g)

→ Optional for Dusting

05 - Rice flour or additional bread flour

# How-To Steps:

01 - Combine bread flour and water in a large mixing bowl, mixing until just incorporated. Cover bowl and let rest 1 hour to allow flour hydration.
02 - Add active sourdough starter and fine sea salt to autolysed dough. Mix thoroughly until dough becomes cohesive and ingredients are fully distributed.
03 - Perform 4 sets of stretch and fold technique at 30-minute intervals over 2 hours. Keep dough covered between sets to develop gluten structure.
04 - Cover bowl and allow dough to ferment at room temperature 4–6 hours until approximately doubled in volume.
05 - Turn dough onto lightly floured work surface. Shape into tight round or oval loaf, creating surface tension.
06 - Transfer shaped dough to floured proofing basket seam side up. Cover and refrigerate 8–12 hours for cold fermentation.
07 - Preheat oven to 450°F with Dutch oven inside for thorough heating.
08 - Gently invert dough onto parchment paper. Score top surface with sharp blade. Transfer loaf with parchment into preheated Dutch oven. Cover and bake 20 minutes.
09 - Remove Dutch oven lid and continue baking 20 minutes until crust achieves deep golden brown color.
10 - Transfer bread to cooling rack. Let cool minimum 1 hour before slicing to preserve crumb structure.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • The wild yeast fermentation creates deep complex flavors you simply cannot achieve with commercial yeast
  • That satisfying shatter when you bite through the crust into the chewy tender crumb inside
  • Once you master the timing, this bread becomes a weekend ritual that transforms your whole approach to baking
02 -
  • The dough is ready to bake when a gently poke with your finger springs back slowly but leaves a small indentation
  • Cold fermentation in the refrigerator develops flavor and makes the dough much easier to handle
  • Scoring the dough is not just decorative—it creates a weak point for the bread to expand while baking
03 -
  • Use an oven thermometer to verify your temperature—many home ovens run inaccurate
  • If your bread browns too quickly, tent with foil for the last ten minutes of baking

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