Artisan Sourdough Bread Recipe (Easy Rustic Loaf)
This artisan sourdough bread recipe makes two rustic, bakery-style loaves with a crisp crust and chewy interior. Made with bread flour, rye flour, and an active sourdough starter, this easy method uses an autolyse and coil folds for great structure and oven spring. Perfect for beginner bakers and ideal for an overnight bulk fermentation and cold proof.
Servings: 32 slices
Calories: 117kcal
Equipment
- 1 pint jar with lid
- 1 small silicone spatula
- 1 rubber band
- 2 large mixing bowls
- 1 bowl scraper
- 1 bench scraper
- 2 8.5" round bannetons or bowls
- 2 sheets of parchment paper
- 1 bread lame or sharp serrated knife
- 2 cast iron dutch ovens or bread pans
Ingredients
Leaven:
- 50 g active sourdough starter 100% hydration
- 20 g bread flour
- 5 g rye flour
- 25 g water
Dough:
- 900 9 bread flour
- 100 g rye flour
- 800 g water (divided)
- 22 g kosher salt
Instructions
- Make the leaven: In a jar, mix 50g active starter, 20g bread flour, 5g rye flour, and 25g water. Cover loosely and let rise in a warm place until tripled and bubbly, about 1–3 hours.
- Autolyse the dough: In a large bowl, mix 900g bread flour, 100g rye flour, and 750g water until no dry flour remains. Cover and rest while the leaven becomes active, about 1–3 hours.
- Add leaven: Add the active leaven to the dough and mix by hand until fully incorporated, about 5 minutes. Cover and rest 30–60 minutes.
- Mix salt water: Dissolve salt in 50g hot water. Let cool.
- Add salt: Pour salt water over the dough. Mix by hand until fully incorporated, about 5 minutes. Cover and rest 15 minutes.
- Coil folds: Perform 4 sets of coil folds at 15-minute intervals over 1 hour. Cover between each set.
- Bulk fermentation: Cover and let the dough rise at room temperature until doubled, soft, and bubbly, about 8–12 hours.
- Preshape: Turn dough onto a work surface and divide into 2 pieces. Gently shape each into a round. Rest uncovered for 30 minutes.
- Shape: Shape each dough into a tight round and place seam-side up into floured bannetons or bowls lined with towels.
- Cold proof: Cover and refrigerate for 8–24 hours.
- Preheat oven: Preheat oven to 500°F (260°C) with Dutch ovens inside for at least 30 minutes.
- Score: Turn dough onto parchment, remove towel, and score with a sharp blade.
- Bake covered: Transfer to hot Dutch ovens, cover, and bake for 35 minutes.
- Bake uncovered: Remove lids, reduce heat to 450°F (230°C), and bake 15 minutes more, until deep golden brown.
- Cool: Cool on a rack for at least 1 hour before slicing.
Video
Notes
- Homemade sourdough bread is best eaten fresh within 1 day.
- After the loaves are cooled you can slice the bread and freeze the slices in freezer bags to keep them fresh throughout the week. Defrost or toast slices as you need.
- Starter strength matters: For best results, use an active sourdough starter that doubles or triples within 4–6 hours at room temperature. A weak starter can lead to dense bread.
- Bulk fermentation timing varies: Bulk fermentation may take anywhere from 8–12 hours depending on the temperature of your kitchen. The dough should look doubled, bubbly, and jiggly.
- Use rice flour for dusting: Dusting your proofing basket or towel with rice flour helps prevent sticking better than all-purpose flour.
- Cold proofing improves flavor: Refrigerating the shaped loaves for 8–24 hours creates deeper flavor and makes scoring easier.
- Bake in a preheated Dutch oven: A hot Dutch oven traps steam and produces the best oven spring and a crispy crust.
- Cool before slicing: Let loaves cool for at least 1 hour before cutting to prevent a gummy crumb.
- Check doneness: Bread is fully baked when the internal temperature reaches about 205–210°F.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 117kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.05g | Sodium: 268mg | Potassium: 41mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 0.3mg