Before You Start — Your Starter Must Be Active

Your sourdough starter must be at its peak — feed it 4–8 hours before mixing and use it when it has doubled in size and is full of bubbles. If it floats in water, it is ready. An inactive starter will not raise your bread. See our guide on how to make a sourdough starter if you are still building yours.

Basic Sourdough Loaf (one 900g loaf)

  • 450g strong white bread flour (or 400g white + 50g wholemeal for more flavour)
  • 330ml lukewarm water
  • 100g active sourdough starter
  • 9g salt
  1. 1

    Mix flour and water — autolyse

    Combine flour and 300ml of the water. Mix until no dry flour remains. Cover and rest 30–60 minutes (autolyse). This develops gluten structure without any kneading.

  2. 2

    Add starter and salt

    Add the active starter and salt dissolved in the remaining 30ml water. Squeeze and fold through the dough until fully incorporated — about 3–5 minutes by hand.

  3. 3

    Bulk ferment with folds — 4 hours at room temperature

    Cover and leave at room temperature (22–25°C ideally). Every 30 minutes for the first 2 hours, perform a set of stretch and folds: grab one side of the dough, stretch upward and fold over the centre. Rotate 90° and repeat on all four sides. Do this 4–6 times total. The dough becomes noticeably stronger and more elastic with each set.

  4. 4

    Pre-shape and bench rest

    Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Shape into a rough round. Cover and leave for 20–30 minutes (bench rest). This relaxes the gluten for final shaping.

  5. 5

    Final shape and cold proof overnight

    Shape the dough into a tight round or oval. Place seam-side up in a floured banneton (proving basket) or a bowl lined with a well-floured tea towel. Cover loosely and refrigerate for 8–16 hours (overnight works perfectly). Cold proofing develops flavour and makes scoring easier.

  6. 6

    Preheat dutch oven and oven to 250°C

    Place your dutch oven (with lid) in the oven and preheat at 250°C for 45–60 minutes. The super-hot covered vessel traps steam in the critical first minutes of baking, allowing the loaf to expand fully before the crust sets.

  7. 7

    Score, load, and bake

    Take the cold dough from the fridge. Turn it out onto baking paper. Score the top with a sharp knife or lame — a single confident slash at 30–45 degrees. Carefully lower into the screaming-hot dutch oven using the baking paper. Cover with the lid. Bake 20 minutes covered. Remove lid, reduce to 230°C, bake 20–25 minutes more until deep golden brown. Tap the base — it should sound hollow.

  8. 8

    Cool completely before cutting

    This step is non-negotiable. Leave on a wire rack for at least 1 hour, ideally 2 hours. The bread continues cooking internally as it cools and the crumb structure sets. Cutting too early gives gummy, doughy bread regardless of how well it baked.

TroubleshootingFlat loaf with no rise: starter not active enough, dough too wet, under-fermented. Dense crumb: under-proofed or starter too weak. Gummy inside: cut too soon or under-baked. Burnt crust before inside cooked: oven too hot or too much sugar in dough.

Frequently Asked Questions

A dutch oven produces by far the best results for home bakers — the trapped steam is what creates the open crumb and blistered crust. Without one, place a metal roasting tray at the bottom of the oven and pour boiling water into it when you load the bread (creates steam). Cover the loaf loosely with a foil tent for the first 20 minutes. Results are not as good but the bread is still excellent.
Poor oven spring (the rapid rise during the first minutes of baking) is caused by: starter not active enough (the most common cause), dough over-proofed in the fridge (left too long), not pre-heating the dutch oven sufficiently, or not scoring the loaf (scoring provides a controlled weak point for the bread to expand through).