Classic Tangy Sourdough Loaf (Printable)

Classic tangy loaf with crisp crust and chewy crumb, made using wild yeast for exceptional flavor.

# What You Need:

→ Dough

01 - 3.5 cups bread flour
02 - 1.5 cups water (room temperature)
03 - 0.5 cup active sourdough starter (100% hydration)
04 - 2 teaspoons fine sea salt

→ Optional for dusting

05 - Rice flour or additional bread flour

# Directions:

01 - In a large bowl, mix the flour and water until just combined. Cover and let rest for 1 hour (autolyse).
02 - Add the sourdough starter and salt. Mix thoroughly until the dough is cohesive.
03 - Perform 4 sets of stretch and folds every 30 minutes over 2 hours, keeping the dough covered between sets.
04 - Cover the bowl and let the dough rise at room temperature for 4–6 hours, or until roughly doubled in size.
05 - Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Shape into a tight round or oval loaf.
06 - Transfer the shaped dough to a floured proofing basket (seam side up). Cover and refrigerate 8–12 hours for cold fermentation.
07 - Preheat oven to 450°F with a Dutch oven inside.
08 - Gently invert the dough onto parchment paper. Score the top with a sharp blade.
09 - Transfer loaf (with parchment) into the hot Dutch oven. Cover and bake 20 minutes.
10 - Remove the lid and bake another 20 minutes until crust is deep golden brown.
11 - Cool on a wire rack at least 1 hour before slicing.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The crust sings when you cut into it, that perfect crackle that echoes through the kitchen
  • Its practically foolproof once you understand the timing, and your starter does most of the work
02 -
  • Slicing into warm bread ruins the crumb structure, so wait at least one hour before cutting
  • The steam from the covered Dutch oven creates that crackly crust, so do not open it early
03 -
  • Rice flour in your proofing basket prevents sticking better than bread flour alone
  • Use a kitchen scale because cups vary wildly and precision matters with sourdough

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