Rustic Sourdough Bread Recipe

Cross section of sliced homemade sourdough bread.

Rustic Sourdough Bread Recipe

**Advanced Prep Required** - you'll need a sourdough bread starter

There's nothing quite like the aroma of fresh baked bread wafting through the house, especially when it's a Rustic Sourdough Bread made with sourdough bread starter. This recipe has a soft and chewy crumb with an earthy flavor. Made with five simple ingredients, it has a long, overnight rise with little hands on time for mixing, shaping and baking.

A Note on Hydration* - Flours vary in their moisture content from brand to brand. Additionally, local humidity conditions will impact how your dough feels from one batch to another. Even though this dough is considered a higher hydration dough at 75% hydration, If the dough feels a bit too dry, try adding a teaspoon of water (more if needed). Too wet? Add more flour, a little at a time. Even if you weigh your ingredients (which I recommend), this is not uncommon. As you gain experience in making sourdough, you'll gain a better understanding of how your dough should look and feel.

Time above does not include the amount of time for fermentation, shaping and proofing which takes between 12-14 hours (at 68 Fahrenheit), depending on ambient temperature. Use the time as a guide, not as a determining factor.

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Example Bakers Schedule:

Friday-Saturday: feed starter.

Saturday night: mix dough and ferment overnight.

Sunday morning: shape dough, allow to rise (proof), bake.

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Servings above is a rough estimate based on the size and how thick each slice is cut

Course Bread, Sourdough

Cuisine American

Diet Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword How to Make Homemade Sourdough, Rustic Sourdough Bread

Cook Time 45

Servings servings

Calories 111kcal

Author Traci York

Ingredients

1/2 cup (100 grams) Sourdough Starter 100% hydration, previously feed and bubbly
1 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon (350 grams) Water 80 Fahrenheit (26 Celcius)* see note for a lower hydration tip
2 tablespoons (40 grams) Maple Syrup or honey
1/2 C + 2 tablespoons (100 grams) Whole Wheat Flour
2 1/2 cups + 1 tablespoon (375 grams) Unbleached Bread Flour
1 1/2 teaspoons (13 grams) Fine Sea Salt

Instructions

Mix the Dough: In the evening, whisk the starter, water, and maple syrup together in a large bowl with a fork. Add the flours and salt. First, mix with a fork, the dough will be shaggy. Then mix by hand, mixing, folding and pushing the dough until the flour is fully incorporated and no dry bits are present. It will seem dry at first, but the more you work the dough, the more hydrated it will become. The dough will become moist and sticky and it will stick to your fingers as you go. Do this for about 3-4 minutes. Use the fork to scrape off the dough on your fingers as much as you can.
Cover bowl with a damp tea towel. Set a timer for for 45 minutes and allow the dough to rest for 45 minutes. Now is a good time to feed/refresh your starter.
Fold the Dough: After the dough has rested, fold the dough. To do this, grab a portion of the dough while it remains in the bowl, stretch it up and fold it over, pressing your fingertips into the center of the dough. You'll notice the dough is sticky and stretchy at this point. Repeat, until you've worked your way around the dough.
This is the first fold, and you can stop here and begin bulk fermentation, but If time permits, and optimally, you'll want to repeat at least one to two more times as it improves the final dough's structure and crumb. Allow for about 45 minutes between folds.
Bulk Fermentation (first rise): After the last fold, cover the bowl with two damp towels and allow to rise overnight at room temperature (see note** on optionally retarding the dough). This will take about 8-10 hours at 70 Fahrenheit (21 Celsius), but in a cooler kitchen the dough can take up to 12-14 hours to rise - this is the norm in my chilly kitchen at 68 Fahrenheit (18 Celsius). Use the time as a guide and not a determining factor.
The dough is ready when it no longer looks dense, is jiggly when the bowl is wiggled, and has about doubled in size. You may see some bubbles on top of the dough.
Shape the Dough: In the morning, and with damp fingertips, coax the dough into a floured work-surface.
Pre Shape: With moist fingers, take a portion of the dough, gently stretch it towards you and fold it over towards the center, pressing it down gently. Repeat this process until you work all the way around the dough. Using a bench scraper flip the dough over, cover with a tea towel rest the dough for about 15-20 minutes.
Meanwhile, line a 10 inch oval banneton with a flour sack (as seen in the photos) or you can lightly dust the banneton with flour (I like to dust with white rice flour).
Alternatively, you can use a 9 inch round banneton or bowl, following my Multigrain Sourdough Bread for shaping.
Shape the Dough: Flour the work surface and using a bench scraper flip the dough back over. Use the photos in the blog post to help guide shaping. Gently shape the dough into a rough rectangle by gently dimpling the dough (think focaccia), to roughly 6-7 inches wide and 8-9 inches long. Fold the short side 2/3 over onto itself towards you and crease it firmly using the pinky side of your hand. Fold the bottom 1/3 piece up towards the crease and pinch the seam closed. Fold in the ends, coming in about an 3/4 inch - 1 inch and pinch the seam closed. Flip the bread over, seam sides down and rock it back and fourth a bit and gently fluff the ends in. Cover with a tea towel and allow the dough to rest for about 5-10 minutes.
Using lightly floured hands and/or your bench scraper, cup the back of the dough and gently pull it towards you as needed until the surface is taught. Gently "fluff" the ends in again if needed to fit into the banneton. If not using a flour sack to line the banneton, sprinkle flour over the surface of the dough and smooth it around with the palm of your hand, covering the top and sides of the dough.
Once the surface of the dough is taut and with one swift move, use the bench scraper to scoop the dough up and, place the dough into the prepared banneton - bottom side up.
Proof the Dough (second rise): Cover the banneton with a damp tea towel and let rest for 30 minutes to 45 minutes. The dough is ready when it looks puffy and has risen slightly but has not doubled in size.
Get Ready to Bake: Preheat the oven to 475 Fahrenheit (245 Celsius). Arrange an oven rack in the center of the oven and place a sheet pan on the bottom rack. This helps prevent a *too* dark bottom.
Cut a sheet of parchment paper large enough to fit the size of your lidded baking vessel, I use a 10 Inch Cast Iron Skillet with Deep Dish Skillet for a lid. Crumble the parchment paper, then uncrumble the parchment, and smooth it open for easier handling.
Score: To turn the dough out of the banneton, place the parchment over the dough and invert the banneton to release onto the parchment. Using the tip of a lame or a razor blade, score the dough about 1/2 inch (8 millimeters) deep, off center, in an gentle arch shape the length of the dough or any way you like. Use the parchment to transfer the dough to the baking vessel and place the lid on the vessel.
Bake the Dough:
Place the vessel into the oven, on the center rack, and bake for 30 minutes at 475 Fahrenheit (245 Celsius) with the lid on. Remove the lid, reduce the oven temperature to 450 Fahrenheit (232 Celsius) and continue baking for another 10-15 minutes tenting the loaf with foil if it starts getting too dark (my ear always gets extra dark).
The bread is ready when the internal temperature of the loaf is between 190 - 205 Fahrenheit (87 - 96 Celsius). When done, transfer the bread to a wire rack. Cool completely before slicing.
Storage Notes: Sourdough is best consumed on the same day it's baked, but it lasts for 3-4 days stored at room temperature. Store at room temperature cut side down.
This bread freezes beautifully. Store baked bread, sliced, in a freezer bag either whole or sliced for up to two weeks. Thaw at room temperature. This bread can go straight from freezer to toaster to make the most delicious toast!

Notes

*Hydration: As written, this recipe has a hydration of 75%. This produces a chewy, more open crumb, but the dough is more challenging to shape because it's stickier. For a tighter crumb and easier shaping, you can reduce the hydration to 65% by using 1 1/4 cups + 2 tablespoons (310 grams) water instead of 1 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon (350 grams) water.

**Retarding during bulk fermentation: after mixing the dough, and performing the folds, place the dough in the refrigerator, in the same bowl, covered with two damp tea towels on top (this keep the dough from drying out). Bulk ferment overnight (about 8 -10 hours) in the refrigerator. Pull the dough from the refrigerator and continue bulk ferment at room temperature until the dough has doubled in size.

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