Guides · Guide 8

Sample schedules

Two ways to fit a loaf around a normal week, using the fridge to move the long waits to where they suit you.

Sourdough takes a long time but very little attention. The fridge is the tool that makes it fit a working week: cold slows fermentation almost to a stop, so you can pause the dough overnight, or for a whole day.

Both schedules use the basic loaf and assume a kitchen at about 24 °C (75 °F). In a cooler room, every step takes longer.

Weekend loaf

Bread for Sunday breakfast.

When	Step
Saturday 08:00	Build the levain
Saturday 14:00	Autolyse
Saturday 14:45	Mix in levain and salt
Saturday 15:15–16:45	Four sets of folds, 30 minutes apart
Saturday 20:00	Bulk finished; pre-shape
Saturday 20:30	Shape; into the fridge
Sunday 07:45	Heat the oven and pot
Sunday 08:30	Bake
Sunday 09:15	Out of the oven; cool until about 10:30

Weekday loaf

Mixed after work, baked the following evening.

When	Step
Day 1, 07:30	Build the levain at 1:5:5 (10 g starter, 55 g flour, 55 g water), so that it peaks in the evening
Day 1, 18:00	Autolyse
Day 1, 18:30	Mix in levain and salt
Day 1, 19:00–20:30	Four sets of folds
Day 1, 23:30	Bulk finished; shape; into the fridge
Day 2, 18:00	Heat the oven and pot
Day 2, 18:45	Bake

This gives a cold proof of about 19 hours, which makes a more sour loaf. Much beyond 24 hours, the dough starts to overproof.

Adjusting a schedule

To slow things down: use less levain (10% instead of 20%), cooler water, or a cooler spot.
To speed things up: use more levain (up to 30%), warmer water, or a warm spot such as an oven with only the light on.
If the timing slips: the fridge buys time at almost any stage. A dough that is nearly through bulk can wait there for a few hours.