Description
This Easy Overnight Sourdough Bread recipe yields a rustic, flavorful loaf perfect for beginners and seasoned bakers alike. Using a simple mix of sourdough starter, all-purpose flour, salt, and water, the dough undergoes a long, slow fermentation process that develops its signature tangy flavor and chewy texture. The method involves folding the dough to build structure before a final proof in the refrigerator and baking in a preheated Dutch oven for a golden, crisp crust. A perfect bread to enjoy fresh with butter or your favorite toppings.
Ingredients
Scale
Ingredients
- 90 grams sourdough starter
- 520 grams all-purpose flour
- 12 grams salt
- 1 7/8 cups water (approximately 445 ml)
Instructions
- Mixing the Dough: The night before baking, combine 520 grams of all-purpose flour, 12 grams of salt, and 90 grams of sourdough starter in a large bowl. Pour in 1 7/8 cups of water and use your hands to mix the ingredients until a wet, rough dough forms. Do not worry about smoothness at this stage.
- Initial Rest and Folding: Cover the bowl with a towel and let the dough rest for 15 minutes. Then perform a series of about 15 folds by grabbing a corner of the dough and folding it over itself, rotating the bowl as you go. Wet your hands slightly to prevent sticking.
- Second Rest and Folding: Cover the bowl again and let it rest for another 15 minutes. Repeat the folding process once more to strengthen the dough.
- Overnight Rise: Cover the dough and leave it to rise at room temperature overnight (approximately 17 hours). The dough will increase in volume and develop air bubbles on the surface.
- Shaping and Folding the Next Morning: Prepare a mixing bowl lined with parchment paper and floured. Wet your hands, loosen the dough from the edges, and gently lift the middle, tucking the ends underneath. Rotate the dough and repeat this process twice more. Transfer the shaped dough onto the prepared bowl and sprinkle flour on top. Refrigerate for 5 hours.
- Preheating the Oven and Dutch Oven: Preheat your oven to 500°F (260°C), preferably using the convection setting. Place a Dutch oven inside to heat along with the oven.
- Scoring and Baking: Remove the dough from the fridge and, using a sharp knife, score the surface with one long center slash and a few smaller side slashes. Use the parchment paper to transfer the dough into the hot Dutch oven.
- Baking with Lid On: Bake the bread with the lid on for 25 minutes to trap steam and develop a crust.
- Baking with Lid Off: Remove the lid, reduce the oven temperature to 450°F (232°C), and bake for an additional 12-14 minutes to brown and crisp the crust.
- Cooling: Take the bread out of the oven and allow it to cool on a rack for at least 1 hour before slicing to let the crumb set properly.
Notes
- You may substitute or experiment with other types of flour, but maintaining a high ratio of all-purpose flour preserves the ideal bread texture.
- Adjust baking times to your preference: bake longer with the lid on for a lighter crust or less time to get a different crust color.
- Some bakers feed their starter 8-12 hours before use, but using an unfed starter here intensifies the sour flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (approximately 70g)
- Calories: 200 kcal
- Sugar: 0.2 g
- Sodium: 300 mg
- Fat: 1 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0.6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 42 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
