Simple beginner sourdough in a Dutch oven

The best first sourdough loaf you can bake. Only 4 ingredients, minimal technique, and the Dutch oven does the heavy lifting by trapping steam for a professional-quality crust. Lower hydration (70%) makes the dough forgiving and easy to handle.

Yield: 1 loaf | Prep: 10 min hands-on | Ferment: 10-12 hrs | Bake: 45 min

Ingredients

• 50g active sourdough starter (fed 4-8 hrs before, doubled and bubbly)
• 350g water (lukewarm)
• 500g bread flour
• 10g fine sea salt

Instructions

1. Mix the dough: Combine starter and 350g water in a large bowl, stir to disperse. Add 500g bread flour and 10g salt. Mix until no dry flour remains. Cover and rest 1 hour.
2. Stretch and fold: Perform 2 sets of stretch-and-folds 30 minutes apart. Wet your hand, grab one side of dough, stretch it up and fold over. Rotate 90 degrees and repeat 4 times per set.
3. Bulk ferment: Cover and let rise at room temperature (68-72F) for 7-10 hours. The dough should be puffy, domed, and 50-75% larger.
4. Shape: Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Fold edges toward center, flip seam-side down, and use your hands to build surface tension into a round boule. Place seam-side up in a floured banneton.
5. Cold proof: Cover and refrigerate 1-24 hours (overnight is ideal).
6. Bake: Preheat oven to 450F with Dutch oven inside for 30 minutes. Score the dough with one long slash. Transfer to the hot Dutch oven. Bake 20 minutes lid ON, then 20-25 minutes lid OFF until deep golden brown.
7. Cool: Rest on a wire rack at least 1 hour before slicing.

Tips

• Use a kitchen scale — this is the single most impactful beginner tip
• Temperature drives timing: a 78F kitchen may only need 5-6 hours of bulk ferment
• The cold proof develops flavor and makes scoring much easier
• The starter must be at peak activity (doubled) or the bread will be dense