The Everyday Sourdough Loaf

This is the loaf I bake more than any other — the one behind most of the crust reveals on Instagram. The schedule fits around a working day: mix after dinner, shape before bed, bake in the morning.

Ingredients

• 100g active sourdough starter (fed 4–6 hours earlier, doubled and bubbly)
• 375g water, lukewarm
• 500g strong white bread flour
• 10g fine sea salt

Method

The evening before

1. Mix (7pm). Stir the starter into the water until milky. Add the flour and salt and mix with your hand until no dry flour remains. It will look shaggy — that's fine. Cover and rest 30 minutes.
2. Stretch and fold (7.30–9.30pm). With a wet hand, grab one side of the dough, stretch it up and fold it over itself. Turn the bowl and repeat 4 times. Do this every 30 minutes, 4 sets total. The dough will turn from rough to smooth and strong.
3. Bulk ferment. Cover and leave at room temperature until roughly doubled and jiggly — about 3–4 hours in a warm kitchen, longer in winter.
4. Shape (bedtime). Tip onto a lightly floured surface. Fold into a tight ball, building surface tension by dragging it towards you. Place seam-side up in a floured banneton.
5. Cold prove. Straight into the fridge, uncovered or in a bag, overnight (8–14 hours).

In the morning

6. Heat. Put your Dutch oven in the oven and heat to 250°C fan for 45 minutes. Yes, really, 45 minutes.
7. Score. Tip the cold dough onto baking paper, seam-side down. Score one confident slash, about 1cm deep, at a shallow angle.
8. Bake. Lower into the pot, lid on, 20 minutes. Lid off, drop to 220°C, another 20–25 minutes until deeply browned — darker than feels polite.
9. Wait. Cool on a rack for at least an hour. Cutting early collapses the crumb and I will know.

Troubleshooting

Flat loaf? Usually under-proved (didn't double in bulk) or a weak starter. Feed the starter twice before baking day.

Dense crumb? Water too cold, kitchen too cold, or bulk cut short. Give it another hour next time.

Burnt base? Put a baking tray on the shelf below the pot.