A Step-by-Step Sourdough Guide for Beginners - from Feeding to Baking

FEEDING AND INSTRUCTIONS FOR MAKING SOURDOUGH BREAD
1st Feed (Begin about 30 hours before you want to bake)
Take the starter out of the fridge and feed it cold (you can also feed room temperature if you have time to wait.) 1:5:5 (this ratio will usually get about 10-12 hours before the next feed.) Place a bowl on your kitchen scale and zero it out. Mix the starter in that bowl so your jar is clean and clear. 

5 grams starter, 25 grams unbleached flour, 25 grams filtered water

               Note: You can do 1:6:6 or 1:7:7 if you want it to take longer to rise. It will vary depending on the temperature of your house. (The amount of flour is the food. The more food, the longer it will take to “eat” it all. Water is for consistency.)

Pour the starter into a clean jar. Cover and let dough that has been fed sit out on the counter overnight — about 12 hours. (For example, if you feed at 9pm, it should be about 3X the size by 7-9am) You can put a rubber band around the jar to mark the initial height.

Put the remaining starter in a clean jar and back in the fridge.

Wipe out the old jar and bowl with a paper towel before washing so the flour doesn’t clog the drain.

Our counters are very cold so I place a towel or a trivet underneath the jar to keep it from being too cool and so it will ferment quicker. The ideal fermentation/rising temperature is 76-82 degrees. It won't have time to develop gluten strength if it is too hot and rises/peaks too quickly. 

Once the starter peaks – it should have about tripled in size and be nice and fluffy and bubbly – you will feed it for the second time. If it starts to get a little dip in the top, it’s starting to fall. Don’t let it fall too much or you’ll have to start over. 

2nd Feed
Feed starter for a second time. (Same as above.) Add 5g starter, 25g unbleached flour, 25g filtered water. Use a clean jar again. 

Remaining starter from the new batch gets mixed with the original starter and it all goes back into another clean starter jar and back in the fridge. (Don’t forget to wipe everything out with a paper towel before washing so you don’t clog the drain.)

Let sit another 12 hours or until it grows about 3X. 

3rd Feed (day before bake) — the day requiring the most commitment. 

The morning before the bake, feed starter 1:1:1 28g flour, 28g filtered water, 28g starter. (if you’re making the smaller loaf) Cover with a loose-fitting lid (Or a lidded jar) and let rise at room temperature. Let sit 4-6 hours.

Make the Dough (day before bake)   
Mix dough using the recipe below – this is the smaller one – 350g flour (300g white, 50g whole wheat), 245g filtered water (70% hydration). Whisk together in a large mixing bowls. Waiting to add the salt and starter is not necessary but this process is called “autolyse” and helps to develop the gluten. 

30 min- to 1 hour later, add salt and starter. (you can wait another 0-30 min to add the starter.) Add 70g starter and 7g salt, dimple in. Wet your hands to keep from sticking. Cover, set it on a trivet. Set timer for 1-4 hours. Once the dough has about doubled in size, move on to the bulk fermentation stage. 

Bulk Fermentation (still the day before the bake)       

During bulk fermentation, yeast and bacteria produce carbon dioxide and organic acids that contribute to the dough's development:

• Carbon dioxide: Gives the dough volume and lightness 
• Organic acids: Give the dough flavor and strength

Every half hour- to hour, do a round of “stretch and folds” to strengthen the dough. With wet hands, take the dough out of the container and work in the bench (counter). Gently lift up one side of the dough and stretch it upwards (avoid tearing the dough) then fold it over onto itself. Rotate the bowl a quarter turn and continue to stretch and fold until the dough resists pulling. Place it back into the bowl. Keep the bowl covered with a lid or towel between your stretch and fold rounds.  

Do 12 stretch & folds. Cover. Set timer for 30 min. 

Do 8 more stretch & folds. The dough should begin to feel stronger now. Cover. Set timer for 30 min. This is where you’ll start to add any inclusions.

Do 4-8 more stretch & folds. Until you see a “smooth window pane.” Cover. Set timer for 30 min.

There should be some bubbles showing up. With wet hands, gently pull the dough away from the bowl. Place both hands underneath the dough at the center and gently lift upward and flop it over on top of itself. Do this with each side. 

You can skip one of the stretch & folds to save time, or if your dough has a good consistency. 
Do 4 coil folds cover and set timer for 30 more min.

Do 4 more coil folds, cover and set timer for 3-5 hours. Mark the height of your dough.
Bulk fermentation ends. 

Pre-Shaping (day before bake) 
Check and see if your dough has risen about 30-50%. It should have some nice bubbles in it and jiggle slightly when you shake it. It should release from the bowl pretty easily. Once you’re there, you can pre-shape it. 

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface Let it ease itself away from the edges and fall out, rather than helping it with your hands. (cut in half if you’ve doubled the dough for two loaves.) With wet hands, gently stretch the dough out into a rectangle. Be careful not to stretch the dough so thin that you tear it. Then fold into thirds — fold the top down over the center, then fold the bottom up over the top.  Then into thirds again the other direction — folding each of the sides in, overlapping until you form a ball-like rectangle. Place the seam side down. 
Next, to form a ball, gently push the dough away from you, cradling it in your hands, and then pull toward you it in a candy cane motion, to tighten the edges underneath and shape it into a nice ball. Cover and let sit for another 30 min.

Cover dough ball with a towel and let it rest on the counter for 30 minutes. This is called “bench rest.” 

Final Shaping (day before bake) 
Check and see if your dough has risen and has some nice bubbles in it.

With wet hands, flip the dough over and fold the top halfway down into the center of the dough. Then fold each of the sides in like they’re giving themselves a hug. Grab the bottom of the dough, pull it down as far as you can and fold it up to the top. Then flip the seam side back over onto the counter. Then repeat the candy cane movements again to do your final shaping of the dough into a nice, tight dough ball. 

Cold Fermentation (day before bake) 
Put rice flour on a dusting cloth and place it into a lidded bowl. Put the dough into the bowl, smooth side down. Let it rest for 5 minutes. Then pinch the sides into the center to create some more surface tension. Sprinkle with a little bit of rice flour and cover with the lid. Place the lid overtop of the excess towel. Then tie the excess towel overtop of lid to give it a nice loose fit and refrigerate overnight. (8-48 hours.)

Baking (day of bake… Finally! This is the easy part.)

Morning of the bake, preheat Dutch oven in 450-degree oven

Wet some parchment paper and crumble it. Gently flip the dough over onto the paper and cut excess parchment paper around the dough, leaving “handles” to make it easy to put it in and take it out of the Dutch oven. 

Score the bread using a bread lame or razor blade. Make a “+” across the top or a crescent shape at a 45-degree angle, about ¼ to ½” deep. These are called expansion scores which allow your dough to rise in a controlled fashion. You can also do fancy designs here. If you do some decorations, add your expansion scores last. 

You can sprinkle or pat the top with a little bit of water to let a nice, toasty brown color. (Optional)

Using the parchment paper, place the into the hot Dutch oven.

Bake covered at 450 for 30 min.

Bake at 450 degrees uncovered for about 10 min.

Cool on wire a rack.
 


RECIPE FOR THE DOUGH

FULL LOAF
Pre-baking starter feed 37:37:37g
500g flour (429.5g white, 70.5g whole wheat)
350g filtered water (70% hydration)
100g starter
10g salt

SMALLER LOAF (70%)
Pre-baking starter feed 28:28:28g
350g flour (300g white, 50g whole wheat)
245g filtered water (70% hydration)
70g starter
7g salt

 
INSTRUCTIONS FOR FEEDING IF NOT MAKING BREAD
Place clean container on scale and zero it out.  
Add cold sourdough starter from fridge. Note how many grams it is.
Add equal parts flour and water to the starter so you have a 1:1:1 ratio.
Place into a clean jar and put back in the fridge.
 
EXAMPLE SCHEDULE for Sunday bake: (Start about 30 hours ahead of when you want to bake!)
Friday morning 8am– feed 1:5:5, leave out on the counter overnight. About 12 hours
Friday evening 8pm – it should be triple the size. Feed again 1:5:5 – Leave the new batch out on the counter and put the remaining starter that you took the “1” or 5 grams from in the fridge. Let sit 12 more hours. (you can skip this feed if your dough is healthy and you’re pressed for time.)

Saturday morning (the day requiring the most commitment — so work around this.)
8am – Feed starter 1:1:1 or 28g, 28g, 28g. This is what you use to make the bread,  you’ll use the whole thing. Let sit in jar for about 6 hours.

Saturday afternoon (Bulk fermentation begins -- this will be your busiest day) 2p– Mix dough – 350g flour (300g unbleached, 50g whole wheat), 235-245g filtered water (70% hydration). 
2:30 – Add 70g starter. Add 7g salt; dimple in. 
3:30p –  do 12 stretch & folds, cover and wait 30 min. 
4p – 8-12 stretch & folds
4:30p – 4-12 stretch & folds (until you see a smooth window pane)
5p – 4 coil folds (bubbles)
5:30p – 4 coil folds, cover and let sit for 3-5 hours
8:30p –  ~50% rise – pre-shape; (this is where you cut it in half if you’ve doubled the recipe) cover with a lightly floured towel and bench rest (let it sit on your working surface) for 30 min. (Bulk fermentation ends)
9p – final shape; put rice flour on a dusting cloth and place in a bowl with a lid, put dough on it, cover with the lid, placing the lid overtop of the excess towel. Tie the excess towel overtop of the lid. Put in fridge to start cold fermentation (8-48 hours)

Sunday (Baking day!) – Preheat Dutch oven in 450 degree oven
Wet some parchment paper and crumble it. Place it underneath the dough and cut excess parchment paper around the dough, leaving “handles” to make it easy to put it in and take it out of the Dutch oven. 
Pat the top with a little bit of water. 
Place the dough (and parchment) down into the hot Dutch oven.
Bake covered at 450 for 30 min.
Bake at 450 degrees uncovered for about 10 min.
Cool on a wire rack.


WHAT YOU NEED
Kitchen scale (with grams) 
Dutch oven
Oven mitts
3 wide-mouth mason jars with plastic lids
Rubber band
Razor blade or bread lame
Mixing bowl
Spatula 
Proofing towel
7” bowl with lid
Parchment paper (rated for at least 450 degrees) 
Lidded container with measurements (optional for bulk fermentation) 
Two spoons for each feeding (a wet and a dry spoon) 
Measuring cups/spoons

Ingredients
Unbleached flour
Rice flour (for dusting)
Whole wheat or rye flour
Room temperature, filtered water
Sourdough starter
Sea salt​