Bread · Project
Everyday Country Sourdough
This is the loaf we bake most weeks: a forgiving, high-hydration dough that does most of its work while you sleep. A blend of stone-milled white and a little wholegrain gives it a deep crust and a soft, custardy crumb.
Ingredients
Leaven
- 30 g ripe sourdough starter
- 60 g stone-milled white flour
- 60 g water, lukewarm
Dough
- 360 g stone-milled white flour
- 90 g wholegrain flour
- 330 g water, plus 20 g for mixing the salt
- 10 g fine sea salt
- All of the leaven, ripe and bubbly
Method
Scroll through — the rail follows your place.
Evening · 5 min
Build the leaven
Stir the starter, flour and water together in a small jar. Cover loosely and leave at room temperature overnight until puffed and domed, roughly 8–12 hours.
- 2
Morning · 40 min rest
Autolyse
Mix the dough flours with 330 g water until no dry patches remain. Cover and rest for 40 minutes so the flour can drink and the gluten begins to organise itself.
- 3
10 min
Mix in leaven & salt
Add the ripe leaven and work it through with wet hands. Sprinkle over the salt and the last 20 g water, then squeeze and fold until the dough feels cohesive and slightly tacky.
- 4
Over 3 hr
Stretch & fold
During the first three hours, give the dough four sets of stretch-and-folds spaced 30–45 minutes apart. It should grow smoother, stronger and airier with each set.
- 5
Until +50%
Bulk ferment
Leave the dough covered until it has risen by about half and looks alive at the edges — jiggly, domed and dotted with a few bubbles.
- 6
Overnight cold proof
Shape & chill
Shape into a taut round, settle it seam-up in a floured basket, and refrigerate overnight. The cold proof builds flavour and makes scoring easy.
- 7
45 min · 250°C
Bake in steam
Bake covered in a hot Dutch oven for 20 minutes, then uncovered for 22–25 more until the crust is deep amber and the loaf sounds hollow. Cool fully before slicing.
