Homemade Sourdough Bread with Crispy Crust and Chewy Interior Recipe
This classic sourdough bread recipe yields a loaf with a chewy center and a crisp golden crust. Naturally leavened with an active sourdough starter and baked in a Dutch oven, it requires no kneading and uses simple, wholesome ingredients for a traditional homemade bread experience.
- Prep Time: 12 hours 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 13 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 1 loaf (about 1.5 to 2 pounds)
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 4 cups (500g) bread flour or all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons (10g) salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1⅔ cups (375g) warm water
- 1 cup (200g) active sourdough starter
Instructions
- Mix Flour and Water: In a large mixing bowl, combine 4 cups of flour and 1⅔ cups of warm water. Stir until a shaggy dough forms, then let it rest for 30 minutes to hydrate the flour.
- Add Starter and Salt: After resting, add 1 cup of active sourdough starter and 2 teaspoons of salt to the dough. Mix well until fully combined.
- Initial Rest and Stretch & Folds: Cover the bowl with a clean towel or plastic wrap. Let the dough sit at room temperature and perform a set of stretch and folds every 30 minutes over 2 hours. Stretch by pulling one side of the dough upward and folding it over itself, then rotate the bowl a quarter turn and repeat three more times each session.
- Bulk Fermentation: After the final fold, cover the bowl and let the dough rise at room temperature for 6 to 8 hours until it doubles in size and becomes bubbly and puffy.
- Shape the Dough: Gently transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Shape it into a round or oval loaf by folding and tucking the edges underneath.
- Cold Proof: Place the shaped dough seam-side up into a floured proofing basket or towel-lined bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours to develop flavor and structure.
- Preheat Dutch Oven: The next day, place a Dutch oven into your oven and preheat to 450°F (232°C) to ensure a hot baking environment.
- Prepare Dough for Baking: Remove the dough from the fridge and turn it out onto parchment paper. Score the top of the dough with a sharp knife or razor blade to allow expansion during baking.
- Bake Covered: Carefully lower the dough, along with the parchment paper, into the hot Dutch oven. Cover with the lid and bake for 20 minutes to steam and develop crust.
- Bake Uncovered: Remove the lid from the Dutch oven and bake uncovered for an additional 25 minutes until the crust is deep golden and crisp.
- Cool: Remove the bread from the Dutch oven and let it cool completely on a wire rack before slicing for best texture and flavor.
Notes
- Make sure your sourdough starter is active and bubbly before using for best rise and flavor.
- Use a proofing basket or towel-lined bowl to help maintain loaf shape during cold proof.
- Scoring is essential to control oven spring and avoid random cracking.
- Cooling completely before slicing prevents gummy texture inside the bread.
- If you don't have a Dutch oven, a heavy covered pot or a baking stone with steam can be used as alternatives.
