Sourdough Bread Wild Yeast (Printable Version)

Traditional tangy loaf with crisp crust and chewy crumb, made with wild yeast starter for exceptional depth of flavor.

# What You Need:

→ Dough

01 - 3.5 cups bread flour (500 g)
02 - 1.5 cups water, room temperature (350 g)
03 - 0.5 cup active sourdough starter, 100% hydration (100 g)
04 - 2 teaspoons fine sea salt (10 g)

→ Optional for dusting

05 - Rice flour or additional bread flour for dusting

# Directions:

01 - Combine bread flour and water in a large bowl, mixing until just incorporated. Cover the bowl and let the mixture rest for 1 hour to allow gluten development.
02 - Add active sourdough starter and fine sea salt to the autolysed flour mixture. Mix thoroughly until the dough becomes cohesive and ingredients are evenly distributed.
03 - Perform 4 sets of stretch and folds at 30-minute intervals over 2 hours, keeping the dough covered between each set to build gluten strength.
04 - Cover the bowl and allow the dough to ferment at room temperature for 4–6 hours until approximately doubled in volume.
05 - Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a tight round or oval loaf, creating surface tension.
06 - Transfer the shaped dough to a floured proofing basket with seam side up. Cover and refrigerate for 8–12 hours for cold fermentation.
07 - Preheat oven to 450°F with a Dutch oven inside for at least 30 minutes to ensure proper heat retention.
08 - Gently invert the dough onto parchment paper. Score the top surface with a sharp blade or lame to control oven spring.
09 - Transfer the loaf with parchment into the preheated Dutch oven. Cover with lid and bake for 20 minutes to create steam.
10 - Remove the Dutch oven lid and continue baking for 20 minutes until the crust achieves a deep golden brown color.
11 - Transfer the bread to a wire rack and let cool for at least 1 hour before slicing to allow internal crumb structure to set.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The tangy complex flavor develops completely naturally from wild yeast, nothing artificial needed
  • That shattering crisp crust giving way to chewy airy interior is pure magic every single time
02 -
  • The autolyse rest period might feel unnecessary but it transforms how your dough handles and develops strength
  • Cold fermentation in the refrigerator is not optional for scheduling, it develops crucial flavor and makes scoring easier
03 -
  • Use a kitchen scale and measure everything in grams for consistent results every time
  • The windowpane test, stretching dough until it is translucent, shows when gluten is fully developed

Go Back