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The inside and texture of the slice.

8 Hour Sourdough Bread

This 8-hour sourdough bread recipe delivers incredible flavor with minimal active effort, streamlining the traditional sourdough process.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Proofing Time 6 hours 45 minutes
Total Time 8 hours
Course Bread
Cuisine European
Servings 2 loaves
Calories 200 kcal

Equipment

  • Large mixing bowl
  • Scale
  • Kitchen towel or plastic wrap
  • Lightly floured counter
  • Banneton (proofing basket)
  • Dutch oven
  • Parchment paper

Ingredients
  

  • 250 g active sourdough starter
  • 725 g warm filtered water
  • 1000 g unbleached flour
  • 25 g salt

Instructions
 

  • Prepare Dough: In a large mixing bowl, place 250g of active sourdough starter. Zero out the scale and add 725g of warm filtered water. Mix until the starter is dissolved. Add 1000g of flour and 25g of salt. Mix with hand until the dough is the same consistency and there are no pockets of dry flour remaining.
  • Stretch and Folds: Cover the dough and let it rest for one hour. Perform stretch and folds every 30 minutes for four rounds.
  • Bulk Fermentation: After the fourth round, cover the dough and let it bulk ferment on the counter for two hours until it increases by 50%-75% in size. (This step may take longer than 2 hours.)
  • Shaping: Lightly flour the counter. Split the dough in half. Shape the dough into a large rectangle, then fold one side toward the middle, and repeat with the other side. Roll up your dough into a ball shape. Shape it into a round ball by pushing your dough out in a circular motion and pulling in about 3-4 times (tucking in the underside). Let rest for 20 minutes. Perform the final shaping by repeating the steps you did in the first shape. Place your dough upside down (seam side up) into a floured banneton.
  • Proofing: Cover your dough with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and cold-proof in the refrigerator for 2 hours or up to 48 hours.
  • Baking: Preheat the oven to 500°F (260°C) with a Dutch oven inside. Once proofed, flip the dough onto parchment paper. Score the dough. Place the dough with parchment paper into the preheated Dutch oven. Bake covered at 500°F (260°C) for 35 minutes, then uncover and bake for another 10 minutes at 425°F (220°C).
  • Remove from the oven and cool for at least one hour before slicing.

Notes

Use active starter. Don't overmix. Adjust bulk fermentation time based on kitchen temperature. Score properly.
Disclaimer: Nutritional information is an estimate only and can vary significantly depending on the specific ingredients used. For accurate values, use a nutrition calculator with your specific ingredients.
Keyword bread, sourdough, Sourdough Bread
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