A basic sourdough loaf

This is a plain 70% hydration loaf. It uses an active starter and takes most of a day, though almost all of that is waiting.

Formula

Ingredient	Weight	Baker’s %
White bread flour	450 g	90%
Wholemeal flour	50 g	10%
Water	350 g	70%
Levain	100 g	20%
Salt	10 g	2%

If the percentages are new to you, read baker’s percentages first.

Method

1. Build the levain. Mix 25 g starter with 50 g flour and 50 g water. Leave it at room temperature until it has doubled and looks domed and bubbly: about 6–10 hours, depending on warmth. You will use 100 g of it.
2. Autolyse. Mix both flours with 330 g of the water until no dry flour remains. Cover and rest for 30–60 minutes. This makes the dough easier to work.
3. Mix. Add the levain, the salt and the remaining 20 g water. Squeeze and fold the dough in the bowl for 3–5 minutes until everything is evenly combined.
4. Bulk fermentation. Keep the dough covered at 24–26 °C (75–79 °F) for about 4–6 hours. During the first two hours, give it a set of stretch-and-folds every 30 minutes, then leave it alone. It is done when it has grown by roughly half to three-quarters and jiggles when you shake the bowl. See reading bulk fermentation.
5. Shape. Pre-shape into a round, rest 20–30 minutes, then shape and place seam-side up in a floured proofing basket. See shaping and the final proof.
6. Proof. Cover and refrigerate for 8–16 hours.
7. Bake. Heat a lidded cast-iron pot in the oven at 250 °C (480 °F) for 45 minutes. Turn the cold dough out onto baking paper, score it, and lower it into the pot. Bake with the lid on for 20 minutes. Remove the lid, reduce to 230 °C (450 °F), and bake 20–25 minutes more, until deep brown. See scoring and baking.
8. Cool. Leave the loaf on a rack for at least an hour, ideally two, before slicing. The crumb is still setting.

What to change first

• Dough too sticky to handle? Drop the water to 325 g (65%).
• Kitchen cold? Use warmer water in step 2, and expect a longer bulk.
• Loaf too sour, or not sour enough? Adjust the timings rather than the ingredients. Troubleshooting covers this.