Complete Sourdough Baking Guide

Getting Started with Sourdough

Sourdough baking is one of the oldest forms of bread-making, relying on naturally occurring wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria to leaven and flavor the dough. Unlike commercial yeast, a sourdough starter is a living culture that you maintain and feed over time. The process demands patience, but the reward is bread with deeper flavor, better keeping qualities, and a satisfying open crumb that no factory loaf can match.

Before you mix your first dough, you need an active starter. You can build one from scratch with just flour and water over 7 to 14 days, or receive a portion from a fellow baker. The starter should double in volume within 4 to 6 hours of feeding and pass the "float test" — a small piece dropped in water should stay buoyant. Do not rush this stage. An immature starter is the single most common reason beginner loaves turn out dense and gummy.

Once your starter is vigorous, gather your tools: a digital kitchen scale, a bench scraper, a banneton or bowl lined with a floured towel, a Dutch oven or baking stone, and a lame or very sharp knife for scoring. Precision matters in sourdough. Measuring by weight rather than volume ensures consistent results every time. You can use our sourdough calculator to convert any recipe into exact gram measurements.

Choosing Your Flour

Flour is the backbone of every loaf, and your choice dramatically affects flavor, structure, and color. Bread flour, with a protein content of 11.5% to 14%, forms strong gluten networks that trap gas and give sourdough its characteristic chew and height. All-purpose flour works in a pinch but produces a softer, less structured crumb. Whole wheat flour adds nutty depth and micronutrients but absorbs more water and can make dough harder to handle.

Many bakers use a blend. A common starting point is 80% bread flour and 20% whole wheat, striking a balance between openness and flavor. Rye flour, even in small amounts, accelerates fermentation and contributes an earthy complexity. Spelt and einkorn are ancient grains prized for their aroma but can be trickier due to weaker gluten. Always buy fresh flour from a source with high turnover; stale flour yields lackluster results no matter your technique.

If you are experimenting with hydration levels, remember that whole grain flours drink up more water. A dough with 20% whole wheat at 75% hydration behaves similarly to a white-flour dough at 70%. Our hydration guide breaks down exactly how water content changes your dough's personality.

Understanding Hydration

Hydration is the ratio of water to flour, expressed as a percentage. A dough with 500 grams of flour and 375 grams of water is at 75% hydration. This number dictates everything from how sticky your dough feels to how open your final crumb will be. Lower hydration doughs are tight, easy to shape, and produce a denser, sandwich-style crumb. Higher hydration doughs are slack and challenging to handle but can create the dramatic, lace-like holes prized in artisan loaves.

Beginners often assume higher hydration is always better. It is not. A 65% hydration boule can be just as delicious as an 85% hydration loaf, and it is far more forgiving. Master the basics at 70% to 75% before chasing the wet doughs you see on social media. Technique — stretch and folds, coil folds, shaping — matters more than water percentage alone.

Temperature also interacts with hydration. Warm water and a warm kitchen make dough feel looser than the same formula in winter. Adjust by reducing water 2% to 3% in hot months or increasing it slightly when it is cold. Track your bakes in a notebook; small tweaks teach you more than any recipe.

Feeding Your Starter

A sourdough starter is a colony of microorganisms that needs regular feeding to stay healthy. The standard feeding ratio is 1:1:1 — equal parts starter, flour, and water by weight. If you keep 50 grams of starter, feed it 50 grams of flour and 50 grams of water. This 1:1:1 ratio refreshes the culture and keeps acidity in check. For a stronger rise, some bakers shift to 1:2:2 or even 1:5:5, diluting the acid load and giving yeast a competitive advantage.

Temperature governs speed. At 75°F (24°C), a 1:1:1 feeding peaks in about 4 to 6 hours. At 65°F (18°C), it might take 10 to 12. If you bake weekly, keep your starter at room temperature and feed it daily. If you bake monthly, store it in the refrigerator and feed it once a week, letting it sit at room temperature for a few hours afterward to reactivate before chilling again.

Hooch, the dark liquid that sometimes pools on top, is not a sign of doom. It simply means your starter is hungry. Pour it off or stir it in — either is fine — and feed immediately. A well-maintained starter smells pleasantly tangy, like yogurt or apple cider vinegar. If it smells like nail polish remover, it is over-acidic. Discard most of it and feed at a higher ratio until the aroma returns to pleasant.

Shaping and Scoring

Shaping builds surface tension, the tight "skin" that helps your loaf hold its form during the final rise and oven spring. After bulk fermentation, gently tip the dough onto a lightly floured counter. Perform a series of coil folds or envelope folds to build structure, then flip the dough seam-side down and use your hands to drag it toward you across the bench, tucking the underside and tightening the top skin. Do this several times until the surface feels smooth and taut.

For a round loaf, shape into a boule by rotating and tucking. For an oblong loaf, shape a batard by rolling and sealing the seam. Transfer seam-side up into a banneton dusted with rice flour to prevent sticking. Cold proof in the refrigerator for 8 to 24 hours; this firms the dough, making scoring easier and enhancing flavor through slow fermentation.

Scoring is both functional and artistic. A single deep slash — about 1/4 to 1/2 inch — controls where the dough expands in the oven. Without a score, the loaf will burst randomly. Hold your lame at a shallow angle, around 30 to 45 degrees, and move decisively. Decorative scores look beautiful but always include one primary ear cut to guide oven spring. Steam in the first 20 minutes of baking keeps the crust elastic, allowing the loaf to rise fully before the crust hardens.

Baking Temperature and Timing

Sourdough demands high heat. Preheat your Dutch oven or baking stone to 450°F to 500°F (232°C to 260°C) for at least 45 minutes so the thermal mass is fully saturated. A cold Dutch oven will leach heat from your dough and produce a pale, flat loaf. If you are using a baking stone, place a metal pan on the rack below to hold water for steam.

The standard two-stage bake starts with steam. Load your dough, cover with the Dutch oven lid, and bake for 20 minutes. The trapped steam gelatinizes the crust, delaying hardening and allowing maximum oven spring. Then remove the lid and lower the temperature to 425°F to 450°F (218°C to 232°C) for the remainder of the bake, typically 20 to 30 minutes. This dry phase develops the deep mahogany crust and drives off residual moisture.

A finished loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom, and the internal temperature should read 205°F to 210°F (96°C to 99°C). Resist slicing for at least an hour after baking; cutting too early ruins the crumb structure and releases steam that would otherwise redistribute moisture. Patience at every stage defines good bread.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Dense, Gummy Crumb

This almost always traces back to under-fermentation. The starter was not active enough, bulk fermentation was too short, or the dough was too cold. Ensure your starter doubles reliably before use, and learn to read the dough rather than the clock. Properly fermented dough feels light, airy, and jiggly, with visible bubbles on the surface and a domed shape in the container.

Flat Loaf with No Oven Spring

Over-fermentation weakens gluten until the dough cannot hold gas. If your dough spreads like pancake batter during shaping, it has gone too far. Alternatively, insufficient surface tension from poor shaping will cause the same symptom. Score deeper and use a Dutch oven to trap steam and force upward expansion.

Burnt Bottom, Pale Top

Your baking surface is too close to the bottom heating element. Move the Dutch oven up one rack, place a baking sheet on the rack below as a heat shield, or use a silicone mat or parchment paper under the loaf. Every oven has hot spots; learn yours and adjust accordingly.

Excessive Sourness

Long, cold fermentation and high whole-grain content both increase acetic acid, the sharp vinegar note in sourdough. For a milder flavor, shorten bulk fermentation, use more bread flour, keep dough around 78°F during fermentation, and avoid refrigeration longer than 12 hours.

Dough Sticks to Banneton

Rice flour is the magic ingredient. Wheat flour absorbs moisture and turns gluey; rice flour stays dry and powdery. Dust your banneton liberally with a 50/50 mix of rice flour and bread flour before loading the dough.