Sourdough Boule

A proper crusty, open-crumbed sourdough loaf built on a 7-day starter. Worth every day of the wait.

Ingredients

• Starter (Days 1–7): Whole wheat flour & all-purpose flour
• Starter (Days 1–7): Room-temperature water
• Loaf: 450g bread flour
• Loaf: 325g water
• Loaf: 100g active starter (passes the float test)
• Loaf: 9g salt

Instructions

1. Starter: Day 1: Mix 50g whole wheat flour with 50g water in a clean jar.
2. Starter: Cover loosely, leave at room temperature.
3. Starter: Days 2–3: Discard all but 50g.
4. Starter: Add 50g all-purpose flour and 50g water. Days 4–7: Repeat daily.
5. Starter: By day 5 you'll see bubbles.
6. Starter: By day 7 it should double within 4–6 hours of feeding and smell pleasantly tangy.
7. Starter: When it floats in water, it's ready.
8. Loaf: Mix flour, water, starter, and salt. Rest 30 minutes.
9. Loaf: Perform 4 sets of stretch-and-folds over 2 hours.
10. Loaf: Shape into a tight ball, place in a floured banneton or bowl, and cold-proof overnight in the refrigerator.
11. Loaf: Next morning, preheat oven and a Dutch oven to 500°F for 45 minutes. Score the cold dough.
12. Loaf: Bake covered 20 minutes, then uncovered 20–25 minutes until deeply golden.
13. Loaf: Cool completely before cutting.