Sourdough Bread
Beginner-friendly artisan sourdough bread with olive oil for a soft crumb and crisp golden crust. Dutch oven baked, no kneading required.
Ingredients
- 150 g sourdough starter
- 250 g warm water
- 25 g olive oil
- 500 g bread flour
- 10 g fine sea salt
Equipment
- large bowl
- fork
- work surface
- boule
- Dutch oven
- oven
- bread lame
- wire rack
Instructions
Make the Dough
In a large bowl , add the 150 g sourdough starter , 250 g warm water , and 25 g olive oil . Mix with a fork to combine until the starter is fully dissolved.
Add the 500 g bread flour and 10 g fine sea salt . Continue mixing until the flour is absorbed and the dough becomes stiff. Use your hands to squish everything together.
Cover the bowl and let rest (autolyse) for 45 minutes at room temperature.
After resting, work the dough into a rough ball in the bowl, about 15 seconds.
Bulk Rise
Cover the bowl with lightly oiled plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm spot (ideally 70-75 F) until the dough is puffy, slightly domed, and nearly doubled.
Stretch and Fold
About 30 minutes into the bulk rise, perform stretch and folds to build strength. Lift a portion of the dough, stretch it upward, and fold it over itself. Rotate the bowl a quarter turn and repeat until you have come full circle.
Do 1-2 additional sets, spaced about 1 hour apart.
Shape
Remove the dough onto a lightly floured work surface .
Starting at the top, fold the dough over toward the center. Give a slight turn and fold the next section. Repeat until you have come full circle.
Flip the dough seam-side down. Cup the sides and rotate in a circular motion to build surface tension and form a tight round boule .
Second Rise
Line a Dutch oven with parchment paper or dust with cornmeal. Place the shaped dough inside, cover, and let rise for 45 minutes until slightly puffy but not doubled.
Preheat the oven to 450 F during the second rise.
Score and Bake
Right before baking, make a shallow 2-3 inch slash down the center of the dough using a bread lame or small serrated knife. Cut about 1/4 inch deep.
Place the Dutch oven (lid on) on the center rack. Reduce temperature to 400 F. Bake for 20 minutes with the lid on.
Remove the lid and continue baking for 40 minutes until the crust is deep golden brown. The internal temperature should reach 205-210 F.
Cool
Transfer the bread to a wire rack and cool for at least 1 hour before slicing.
View Cooklang Source
---
title: Sourdough Bread
description: "Beginner-friendly artisan sourdough bread with olive oil for a soft crumb and crisp golden crust. Dutch oven baked, no kneading required."
servings: 1
time: 24 hours
tags: [sourdough, bread, baking, dutch-oven]
cuisine: american
difficulty: hard
source: "https://www.theclevercarrot.com/2014/01/sourdough-bread-a-beginners-guide/"
---
== Make the Dough ==
In a #large bowl{}, add the @sourdough starter{150%g}, @warm water{250%g}, and @olive oil{25%g}. Mix with a #fork{} to combine until the starter is fully dissolved.
Add the @bread flour{500%g} and @fine sea salt{10%g}. Continue mixing until the flour is absorbed and the dough becomes stiff. Use your hands to squish everything together.
> The dough will feel rough and shaggy — this is normal.
Cover the bowl and let rest (autolyse) for ~autolyse{45%minutes} at room temperature.
After resting, work the dough into a rough ball in the bowl, about 15 seconds.
== Bulk Rise ==
Cover the bowl with lightly oiled plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm spot (ideally 70-75 F) until the dough is puffy, slightly domed, and nearly doubled.
> Rise time varies greatly: 2-4 hours in summer at 80 F, 10-12 hours in winter at 68 F. Watch the dough, not the clock.
== Stretch and Fold ==
About 30 minutes into the bulk rise, perform stretch and folds to build strength. Lift a portion of the dough, stretch it upward, and fold it over itself. Rotate the bowl a quarter turn and repeat until you have come full circle.
Do 1-2 additional sets, spaced about 1 hour apart.
> This step is optional but adds height and structure to the finished loaf.
== Shape ==
Remove the dough onto a lightly floured #work surface{}.
Starting at the top, fold the dough over toward the center. Give a slight turn and fold the next section. Repeat until you have come full circle.
Flip the dough seam-side down. Cup the sides and rotate in a circular motion to build surface tension and form a tight round #boule{}.
== Second Rise ==
Line a #Dutch oven{} with parchment paper or dust with cornmeal. Place the shaped dough inside, cover, and let rise for ~proof{45%minutes} until slightly puffy but not doubled.
Preheat the #oven{} to 450 F during the second rise.
> For wetter doughs (300-325g water), use a floured cloth-lined proofing basket instead of the Dutch oven for the second rise.
== Score and Bake ==
Right before baking, make a shallow 2-3 inch slash down the center of the dough using a #bread lame{} or small serrated knife. Cut about 1/4 inch deep.
> Be quick and confident — slash with panache!
Place the Dutch oven (lid on) on the center rack. Reduce temperature to 400 F. Bake for ~covered bake{20%minutes} with the lid on.
Remove the lid and continue baking for ~uncovered bake{40%minutes} until the crust is deep golden brown. The internal temperature should reach 205-210 F.
> For an extra-crispy crust, crack the oven door open during the last 10 minutes, or remove the bread from the Dutch oven and bake directly on the rack.
== Cool ==
Transfer the bread to a #wire rack{} and cool for at least ~cool{1%hour} before slicing.
> Do not cut into the bread while warm or the texture will be damp and gummy.