Guides · Updated 23 October 2026
Basic sourdough bread recipe
This makes one round loaf of about 900 g. It is a forgiving starting point: mostly bread flour, a little whole wheat for flavour, and enough water for an open crumb without a dough that is impossible to handle.
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Grams | Baker's % |
|---|---|---|
| Bread flour | 450 g | 90% |
| Whole-wheat flour | 50 g | 10% |
| Water | 350 g | 70% |
| Active starter (100% hydration) | 100 g | 20% |
| Salt | 10 g | 2% |
With the starter's flour and water counted, the true hydration is about 72.7%. Check or change it with the hydration calculator, or scale to more loaves with the baker's percentage calculator.
Method
- Mix: combine flours and 330 g of the water until no dry flour remains. Rest 30–60 minutes (autolyse).
- Add starter and salt: add the starter, then the salt with the remaining 20 g of water. Squeeze and fold until even.
- Bulk ferment: 4–6 hours at around 24–26 °C. Do 4 sets of stretch and folds, 30 minutes apart, in the first 2 hours. Bulk is done when the dough has grown by about 50–75%, feels airy and shows bubbles at the sides.
- Shape: pre-shape into a round, rest 20 minutes, then shape tightly and place seam-up in a floured basket.
- Cold proof: cover and refrigerate 8–16 hours.
- Bake: preheat oven and Dutch oven to 250 °C (480 °F) for 45 minutes. Turn the dough onto parchment, score, and bake covered for 20 minutes. Uncover, reduce to 230 °C (450 °F) and bake 20–25 minutes more until deep brown. The inside should reach about 96–99 °C (205–210 °F).
- Cool: at least 1 hour before slicing, or the crumb will be gummy.
Common problems
- Dense, tight crumb: usually under-fermented. Let bulk run longer or keep the dough warmer.
- Flat loaf that spreads: often over-fermented or under-shaped. Shorten bulk or shape tighter.
- Pale crust: bake uncovered longer, or proof cold for longer to build sugars.
Tools for this guide
Hydration calculator · Baker's percentage calculator · Starter feeding calculator