Description
A no-fuss, overnight sourdough bread made with starter. The dough is mixed in the evening, left to ferment overnight, and baked in the morning for a golden crust, airy crumb, and rich flavor—perfect for toast, sandwiches, or serving warm with butter.
Ingredients
4 cups (520 g) white bread flour, spooned and leveled
2 teaspoons (12 g) fine sea salt
1 7/8 cups (385 g) water
90 g active sourdough starter (about 1/3 cup), fed 8–12 hours earlier
Rice flour, for dusting banneton or towel (optional)
Optional add-ins:
1 tsp fennel seeds, or
1/2 tsp caraway seeds, or
1 tbsp chia seeds, or
Sesame, poppy, flax, or nigella seeds
Up to 1/2 cup (62 g) whole grain flour (rye, spelt, or whole wheat)
Fresh herbs such as rosemary, thyme, or sage
Optional savory or chunky additions: olives, roasted garlic, nuts, dried fruit, or cheese
Instructions
- Feed the starter 12 hours before mixing and allow it to peak.
- In the evening, whisk together flour, salt, and any dry add-ins. In another bowl, whisk starter and water until cloudy. Mix wet into dry until combined. Rest 15 minutes.
- Perform stretch-and-folds for 30 seconds, rest 15 minutes, and repeat once more.
- Cover and bulk ferment at room temperature (68–70°F/20–21°C) for 8–12 hours.
- In the morning, check if dough has risen 1.5–1.75× in size and passes the poke test.
- Prepare a parchment-lined bowl or rice-floured banneton.
- Stretch and shape dough, then transfer seam-side down (or up if in banneton). Optionally dust or seed the surface.
- Refrigerate dough uncovered for 1 hour while preheating a dutch oven to 500°F (260°C) for 1 hour.
- Score the dough 3/4–1 inch deep at a 45° angle, then transfer to the hot dutch oven.
- Bake covered for 20 minutes at 500°F (25 minutes without convection, or 28 minutes at 450°F).
- Uncover, reduce oven to 450°F, and bake an additional 10–15 minutes until golden brown and internal temperature is 204–208°F (95–98°C).
- Cool completely on a rack at least 1 hour before slicing.
- Serve sliced, toasted, or with toppings of your choice.
Notes
For a tangier flavor, extend the cold retard in the fridge after shaping.
If over-proofed, bake anyway—flavor remains excellent though loaf may be flatter.
No dutch oven? Use a sheet pan covered with a large oven-safe bowl.
Slice and freeze for up to 2 months; toast straight from frozen.
For different flavors, try seed-crust, olive-rosemary, garlic-herb, or fruit-and-nut variations.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/14 loaf)
- Calories: 160
- Sugar: 0g
- Sodium: 170mg
- Fat: 0.5g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 33g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
