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Sourdough Test Loaf

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This is a super easy sourdough loaf. I used it as a “test” loaf for a new starter and when I simply fancy a good old fashioned easy sourdough bake.

Once completely cooled, slice it THEN freeze it. That way you can just take out one or two or however many slices you need. Great for those chunky rustic sandwiches and even more delicious toasted golden brown with butter and your topping of choice.

For flour I’m using a blend 75% of Farmers Mill Titan strong bakers flour which is grown in South Canterbury, milled in Timaru and has a protein percentage of 11.6. The other 25% is Minchins Milling High Grade White, which is also locally grown and milled in Sheffield, Canterbury with a particularly high protein content of 14.8 percent. While it’s not high extraction it does have lovely wee flecks of germ and imparts an nice “not quite white” colour to the crumb. Combined these flours gives me a 13.2% protein flour. My starter is fed exactly the same ratio of flours.

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Sourdough Loaf

A super easy reliable sourdough test loaf
Prep Time 1 day
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings 1 loaf

Ingredients

  • 120 gm Sourdough Starter active and recently fed
  • 250 gm Water 25-28c temp
  • 400 gm Bread Flour get the flour to room temp overnight
  • 9 gm Salt

Instructions

  • Your starter should be active and vigorous. Feed it the morning of the day before you want to bake. It should almost double in size by the time you mix it into the dough around 6-8 hours after feeding
  • Late afternoon (6-8 hours after feeding starter) mix together the starter and the water then add the bread flour followed by the salt.
  • Mix well, scrape down bowl and rest for 30 minutes.
  • Stretch and Fold the dough, then rest for 1 hour.
  • Stretch and fold 3 more times. Followed by a 30 minute rest.
  • Preshape the dough then rest another 15 minutes.
  • Load into floured bannetons (I use rice flour to prevent sticking), with the seam side up (ie the top of your loaf is at the bottom of the banneton to pick up that nice rattan shape).
  • Allow to rest for 15 minutes then refrigerate overnight.
  • 3 hours before you're ready to bake remove from the fridge and let proof in a warm place .
  • 1 hour before baking get your oven preheating to 250c. It needs a full hour to heat the baking stones and dutch oven properly.
  • Bake time, transfer out dough to parchment paper. Score with a bakers lahm, then load via some parchment paper into the screaming hot preheated dutch oven. Spritz well with water then quickly cover to trap the steam and return to oven.
  • Bake for 15 minutes with lid on. Remove lid and bake another 20 minutes until desired level of scorch is reached.
  • Remove from oven and allow to cool FULLY on a wire rack. Don't be tempted to slice into your newly baked loaf of bread till it's cool. It's still cooking while it's cooling down and your patience will be rewarded if you wait.

Notes

This recipe yields 779gm of dough, enough for one decent size loaf.
I usually double this recipe and bake two batards in my oval dutch oven. I prefer oval rather than the round boule shape as when sliced they fit better in my toaster.
You need an active starter for this dough. Buy one, find a baker friend and get given some, or make your own.
I usually feed my starter twice before baking. Once 2 days before mixing and then on the morning of the mix day to ensure it’s at full robustness when introduced to the dough. General rule of thumb with feeding a starter. Stir well, discard half and then add equal qty by weight of flour and water to maintain hydration at 100%. After feeding and baking you can store your remaining starter in the fridge to slow it down, but don’t forget about it. It’s alive remember and if you neglect it like any living thing it will die or become sick.
Dough temperatures are important. A good quality probe thermometer is invaluable for bread baking. I also have a homemade proofing box which keeps things around 25c degrees. It’s made a huge difference to my baking results.
If you dont have bannetons you can use a normal metal loaf type tin lined with a well floured piece of fabric. Use Rice flour rather than wheat flour to dust the liner well in order to prevent the dough sticking to it.
My bake schedule
Day before I want to bake.
  • Feed the starter mid morning.
  • Around 5pm mix the dough
  • Dough goes into fridge overnight after preferment
Bake Day
  • Remove the dough from the fridge about 3 hours before you want to bake
  • let proove in a warm place
  • 1 hour before baking start preheating the oven and dutch oven. It needs to be screaming hot. (250c)