Rustic Sourdough Bread Recipe
A rustic sourdough made the way it should be; whole wheat flour for earthy, nutty depth, raw honey for a hint of sweetness, and an optional long cold fermentation that builds real tangy flavor. Medium hydration (68%), intermediate skill level, and worth every hour of the process. Thick crackly crust, chewy open crumb, no commercial yeast.
Ingredients
- 340 g water warm
- 40 g honey
- 275 g bread flour
- 225 g whole wheat flour
- 100 g sourdough starter
- 14 g sea salt fine
Instructions
autolyse:
- In a large bowl, add 340g warm water with 40g honey, stir until completely combined.
- Add 275g bread flour and 225g whole wheat flour and mix until a shaggy dough forms. Knead the dough with your hands until all the dry bits are incorporated.
- Cover the bowl and set aside to autolyse for 30 - 60 minutes.
add sourdough starter:
- Uncover the bowl and spread the dough in the bowl, and sprinkle 14g sea salt over the dough, then spread 100g sourdough starter across the surface of the dough.
- Using damp hands, grab the dough and gently pull it until the flap is long enough to fold over itself, then fold the flap, rotate the bowl 90 degrees, and repeat 4 times to fold in the starter.
- Recover and set aside for 1 hour.
stretch and fold:
- Using damp hands, grab the dough and gently pull it until the flap is long enough to fold over itself, then fold the flap, rotate the bowl 90 degrees, and repeat 4 times to fold in the starter. This makes 1 set of stretch and folds.
- Recover and set aside for 1 hour before performing another set of stretch and folds before recovering.
- Repeat once more, for a total of 3 sets of stretch and folds. Then cover, and set aside for 2 hours to finish the bulk ferment.
shape:
- Uncover the dough and transfer to a work surface or countertop. Gently press and spread the dough into a large rectangle.
- Fold up the bottom third of the dough as though you were folding a letter, and then fold the top down.
- Rotate the dough 90 degrees and roll up into a large log. Cover with a kitchen towel and rest for 30 minutes.
- After the rest, flip the dough over, gently press the dough flat then roll it again. Pinch the ends if you're making a batard or tuck them in if your making a boule.
- Dust the dough with rice flour then tuck seam side up into a banneton.
prove + cold retard:
- Prove the rustic sourdough loaf in the banneton for 2 hours before covering and placing in fridge to cold retard for up to 3 days. If you want to bake it right after proving, you're welcome to, but the flavor is better after resting in the fridge.
bake:
- Place your dutch oven, cloche, or desired baking dish in the oven and preheat to 450f.
- Once the oven is preheated, invert the banneton onto a sheet of parchment paper.
- Use a lame, sharp knife, or clean razor blade to score the dough.
- Carefully remove the dutch oven from the oven, and using the parchment paper as a sling, transfer the sourdough loaf from the counter into the dutch oven.
- Bake the dough at 450f covered for 30 minutes and uncovered at 450f for 10-15 minutes, or until the loaf is cooked through and the crust is nicely browned. You can test the doneness of the loaf with an instant-read thermometer. Bread is cooked once it reaches 205 - 210 degrees Fahrenheit internal temperature.
cool:
- Remove baked bread from the dutch oven and transfer it to a wire mesh cooling rack to cool completely before slicing.
Notes
Expert Tips
- This recipe uses a higher proportion of whole grain flour, so we lean on a little bit of baking magic called an autolyse. It’s a simple rest period that gives the flour time to fully hydrate, which helps strengthen gluten development and improves the final texture of the bread.
- I recommend using unbleached bread flour alongside the whole wheat in this recipe. Whole wheat adds flavor and nutrition, but it can also weigh dough down and lead to a denser loaf on its own. The bread flour helps balance that out by providing extra structure and strength.
- If you enjoy baking with whole grains, you might also like my rosemary sourdough bread, which combines whole wheat flour with fragrant rosemary for a really flavorful loaf, or my whole wheat sourdough which has a higher proportion of whole wheat flour.
- If your dough looks a little rough or shaggy after the second stretch and fold, don’t worry, that can happen when the starter is added after the autolyse. Just turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and give it a brief knead with a bit of flour until it comes back together, then carry on with the rest of the recipe as written.
- My bulk fermentation and dough proofing is done at 70-ish degrees fahrenheit, but if you're in a warm place, your rising times will need to be shortened.
- New to bannetons?? I have a guide on banneton use and maintenance!
