My Beginner Sourdough Loaf (1 Loaf)

Side note: I got the sourdough starter from a work friend rather than creating the starter from scratch. I tried making from scratch, and kept murdering it. Maybe someday I'll figure that part out... until then, thanks Alethia!

Ingredients

Feed the Starter (Night Before)

• 30 g sourdough starter

• 90 g water

• 90 g all-purpose flour

Dough

• 50 g active starter

• 500 g all-purpose flour

• 350 g water (room temperature)

• 10 g salt

Day 1 – Feed the Starter (Evening)

• Combine 30 g starter, 90 g water, and 90 g flour.

• Mix until smooth.

• Cover loosely.

• Leave on the counter for about 12 hours.

The starter is ready when:

• It has doubled, tripled, or even quadrupled in size.

• It is bubbly throughout.

• The top is still rounded or just beginning to flatten.

If plans change:

• It can stay on the counter a few extra hours.

• If you'll be waiting much longer, refrigerate it until you're ready to bake.

Day 2 – Mix the Dough

Measure into a large mixing bowl:

• 50 g active starter

• 350 g water

• 500 g flour

• 10 g salt

Tip:

• Mix the starter into the water first.

• Then add the flour and salt.

Mix until no dry flour remains.

The dough should look rough and shaggy.

Cover the bowl.

Rest for 1 hour.

Stretch and Fold (4 Sessions)

You'll do four stretch-and-fold sessions, each 30 minutes apart.

Each session only takes about 30 seconds.

How to Stretch and Fold

Wet your hands with water.

Do not wear gloves.

Leave the dough in the bowl.

• Grab one side.

• Stretch upward until you feel resistance.

• Fold it over onto itself.

• Rotate the bowl 90°.

• Repeat four times (once from each side).

After the final fold:

• Gently tuck the edges underneath so the dough forms a rounded shape.

Cover.

Wait 30 minutes.

Repeat three more times.

Bulk Fermentation

Bulk fermentation starts the moment you first mix the dough.

The stretch-and-fold sessions are part of bulk fermentation.

Typical timeline:

• Mix dough

• Rest 1 hour

• Stretch & fold every 30 minutes (4 total)

• Continue resting until fermentation is complete

Recipes often say 4–6 hours, but watch the dough, not the clock.

Drea's Hot Tip: My first loaf needed about 8 hours.

The dough is ready when most of these are true:

• About 30–50% larger than when first mixed.

• Softer and lighter.

• Jiggles gently when you shake the bowl.

• Surface looks slightly domed.

• Small bubbles may appear on the sides or top.

Not every dough develops obvious bubbles.

If your kitchen is cool, bulk fermentation can easily take 7–9 hours.

Shape the Dough

Lightly flour the counter.

Turn the dough out.

Shape it into a tight round by gently pulling the outside toward the bottom to create surface tension.

Don't squeeze all the gas out.

Prepare for Cold Proof

If you don't own a banneton:

• Line a bowl with a clean cotton or linen towel.

• Flour the towel generously.

  • Rice flour works best.

  • All-purpose flour also works.

Place the dough:

Seam side UP

Cover with:

• Plastic wrap

• Bowl cover

• Plastic bag

Cold Proof

Place in refrigerator.

Cold proof:

12–72 hours

Recommended:

About 24–36 hours

My loaf cold-proofed for about 27 hours.

Bake directly from the refrigerator.

Do not let it warm up first.

Baking

Preheat

Place empty Dutch oven with lid into oven.

Preheat:

450°F

Heat Dutch oven for 30–45 minutes.

Prepare the Dough

Turn dough onto parchment paper.

Score the loaf.

One long slash:

• ¼–½ inch deep

• Slightly off-center

• Hold blade at about a 30–45° angle

• Make one smooth, confident cut

Leave the dough on the parchment.

Use the parchment as a sling to lower it into the Dutch oven.

It's perfectly okay if the parchment sticks out a little under the lid.

Bake

Covered:

• 20 minutes

Remove lid.

Bake uncovered:

• 25 minutes

Bread is done when:

• Internal temperature is 205–210°F

• Crust is deep golden brown

If it reaches 205°F but you'd like darker crust:

Bake another 3–5 minutes.

Cooling

Remove loaf immediately from Dutch oven.

Cool on a wire rack.

Wait:

At least 2 hours

before slicing.

The crumb continues setting while it cools.

Storing the Bread

Store in a bread box.

• Leave the vent holes open.

• Place loaf cut side down.

• Put a sheet of parchment under the loaf if desired.

Do not refrigerate the bread.

Best within:

• 2–3 days fresh

• 4–5 days for toast and sandwiches

Freezing

If you won't finish the loaf:

Slice it first.

Freeze slices in a freezer bag.

Toast directly from frozen.

Notes for Future Loaves

• Trust the dough more than the recipe's timing.

• Every kitchen and starter behaves differently.

• Mark the dough level on the bowl with a rubber band or tape to better judge its rise.

• If the dough seems slow, give it more time rather than rushing it into the refrigerator.

• One loaf is only one data point. Bake the same recipe a few times before making major changes.

My Biggest Lessons from My First Loaf

• Wet hands work much better than gloves for stretch-and-folds.

• Stretch only until the dough resists—don't force it.

• Parchment paper in the Dutch oven makes transferring the dough much easier.

• The lid doesn't have to seal perfectly if parchment sticks out.

• Waiting the full two hours before slicing is worth it.

• Sourdough is surprisingly forgiving. Even if every stage isn't perfect, you can still end up with a delicious loaf.