Overnight Sourdough Artisan Bread Recipe
Ingredients
Sourdough Starter
- 14 g sourdough starter (active or discard)
- 68 g bread flour (unbleached, King Arthur)
- 68 g water
Main Dough
- 500 g bread flour (unbleached, King Arthur)
- 325 g water
- 120 g active starter
- 10 g sea salt
Instructions
- Feed Starter: In the morning, feed your starter using a 1:5:5 ratio (14 g sourdough starter, 68 g bread flour, 68 g water). Let it peak before mixing the dough. It should take about 10-12 hours.
- Mix Dough: In the evening, mix together 325 g water* with 120 g active starter** Add 10 g sea salt and then add 500 g bread flour. Mix well for about 3-4 minutes. Let shaggy dough rest, covered, for about 30 minutes.*If your home is cooler than 69°F (20.5°C), use warm water (up to 100°F). If your home is warmer than 74°F (23°C), use ice cold water. If your home is in between, use room temp water.**If your home is cooler than 69°F (20.5°C), consider using more starter. I suggest trying the 120g on your first go; then, evaluate how the bread turned out and potentially add a little more next time. If your home is warmer than 74°F (23°C), I suggest starting with 75g starter; then, evaluate how the bread turned out and adjust up or down next time. Underproofed: needs more starter. Overproofed: needs less starter.
- Stretch & Fold: Do 3-5 rounds of stretch and folds, spaced 30 minutes apart. Feel free to switch to coil folds for the last couple rounds to be gentler with the dough.
- Bulk Fermentation: Cover the dough and let it ferment on the counter overnight (8-12 hours). It should at least double in size. I know most charts tell you to not let your dough double in size, but I have been getting the best results by pushing those boundaries. The dough photographed here quadrupled in size.
- Shape Dough: Mist your surface with water. Dump dough onto surface, gently coax it into a ball using your bench scraper, and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Final Shaping: Flip the dough and use the caddy clasp final shaping technique to fold it into a boule or batard. Put it in your proofing basket with the seam facing up. (Reference the YouTube tutorial to see this shaping technique.)
- Optional Stitching: Let dough rest in the basket for 10 minutes and stitch the middle seam closed if needed.
- Cold Retard: Cover and refrigerate, ideally at least 8 hours. You can leave this dough in the fridge up to 4 days.
- Score & Bake: Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C) with a Dutch oven or bread dome inside. Flip the dough onto a bread sling or parchment paper, score, and bake for 30 minutes covered, then 10-15 minutes uncovered until golden brown. The dough's internal temperature, when done, should be 205-210°F (96-99°C).
- Cool: Let bread cool for about 90 minutes before slicing into it. It's not the end of the world if you want to dig in while it's still warm, though!
Notes
*The ideal starter amount for this recipe depends on your environment. I use 120g when my home is between 69-74°F (20.5-23°C). For colder homes, mix your dough earlier or use more starter. For warmer homes, use less starter and ice-cold water. Adjust as needed to suit your conditions.
*I have made this recipe many times, and once, the dough even quadrupled in size by morning. The bread turned out amazing. Do not be afraid to push the limits. If your starter is well-maintained and happy, your dough can withstand longer bulk fermentation times before overproofing.
