Simple beginner sourdough in a Dutch oven
5
Units:
Prep: 10 min Cook: 45 min
Main
- ¼ cup active sourdough starter, fed 4-8 hrs before and doubled
- 1½ cup lukewarm water
- 4⅙ cup bread flour
- 1⅔ tsp fine sea salt
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.
Instructions
- Mix the dough: Combine starter and water in a large bowl, stir to disperse. Add bread flour and salt. Mix until no dry flour remains. Cover and rest 1 hour.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Cold proof: Cover and refrigerate 1-24 hours (overnight is ideal).
- 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.
- 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
Created: 2/27/2026, 2:27:49 PM diylow cost
Dutch oven (5+ quart), kitchen scale, large mixing bowl, banneton or towel-lined bowl, bench scraper, lame or sharp knife