Before you begin: Your starter should be active and reliably rising after a feeding. Fermentation times depend on starter strength, dough temperature, and room conditions; use the dough cues below rather than the clock alone.
Ingredients
- 500 g bread flour
- 350 g water (70% hydration)
- 100 g active sourdough starter (100% hydration)
- 10 g fine sea salt
Method
- Mix and rest. Stir flour and water until no dry flour remains. Rest 30–45 minutes.
- Add starter and salt. Work them into the dough until evenly incorporated.
- Build strength. Over the next 2 hours, complete 3–4 sets of stretch-and-folds, spaced about 30 minutes apart.
- Bulk ferment. Let the dough rise until noticeably aerated, smoother, jiggly, and increased in volume by roughly 50–75%. This may take several hours depending on temperature.
- Shape. Pre-shape, rest 15–20 minutes, then shape into a tight boule or batard. Place seam-side up in a floured banneton.
- Cold proof. Cover and refrigerate for 8–16 hours, or until the dough is ready to bake.
- Bake. Preheat a Dutch oven to 475°F (245°C). Score the cold dough, bake covered for 20 minutes, then uncover and bake another 20–25 minutes until deeply browned and cooked through.
- Cool. Let cool completely before slicing so the crumb can set.