When it comes to baking sourdough bread, I’ve experimented with countless techniques and timings over the years. However, I recently stumbled upon a method that completely revolutionized my approach: using 50% sourdough starter in the dough. Honestly, I feel like I wasted so much time not trying this sooner. The difference is astounding! No autolyse, and the fermentation process speeds up dramatically, taking just about 3.5 to 4 hours, and the resulting bread is nothing short of delicious. Also all mixing can be done by hand.
If you’re looking for a way to streamline your sourdough baking and still achieve incredible flavor and texture, this method is a game-changer.
Ingredients
Sourdough Starter
- 50g sourdough starter
- 50g water
- 50g bread flour
- 5g rye flour
Dough
- 270g bread flour (90%)
- 30g whole wheat flour (10%)
- 222g water (74%)
- 150g sourdough starter (50%)
- 7g salt (2.3%)
Directions
Starter
- 7 am add starter to the water and whisk together, add flour, mix well, cover loosely, let it sit at 30C/86F for about 4 hours until starter reaches its peak (at least triples in volume).
- Learn how to make starter from scratch here.
Note: for starter’s refreshments follow your regular proportions
Dough
- 11 am mix water with sourdough starter, add salt and all flour mix well until all flour will become hydrated, but the dough will be sticky and lumpy. Cover, let rest at 24-26C/75-79F for 30 min.
- 11:30 am 1st stretch and fold( the dough will become more obedient, try to round it) let ferment at 24-26C/75-79F for 45 min.
- 12:15 pm 2nd stretch and fold, cover the dough , let ferment at 24-26C/75-79F for 45 min.
- 1 pm 3rd stretch and fold, cover, let ferment at 24-26C/75-79F for 45 min.
- 1:45 pm 4th stretch and fold, cover the dough, let ferment at 24-26C/75-79F for 45 min.
- Performing stretches and folds will help with gluten development. Keep monitoring the dough, if it rises too fast, you can shorten the time between stretches to 40 minutes or less.
- After the final stretch, you should see some bubbles on the surface. The dough should become lighter and bigger, with a rise of 50% to 100%. The exact rise depends on the strength of the flour you are using: with strong flour, the dough can proof up to 100% rise, while with weaker flour, up to 50%.
Note: All directions above are based on the dough temperature remaining between 24-26°C (75-79°F). If the temperature of the dough is higher or lower, please adjust the fermentation time accordingly. Higher temperatures will shorten the fermentation time, while lower temperatures will extend it.
Shaping sourdough
- 2.30 pm Dust the work surface with flour and flip the container with the dough onto it.
- Starting with the side closest to you, pull the right two corners of the dough to the left, then fold them up into the center of the dough. Repeat this action with the other side.
- Finally, roll the dough and shape it into a smooth, taut roll.
- Transfer the roll, seam side up, to a prepared proofing basket or loaf pan lined with a kitchen towel.
- Cover it with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in the refrigerator for 14-24 hours.
Baking
Next morning
- Preheat your oven to 500°F and place a cast iron pan with the lid inside for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Remove the dough from the fridge.
- Flip it over onto a piece of parchment paper and score it with a sharp knife or a scoring lame.
- Transfer the dough onto the hot cast iron pan and cover with the lid to create steam for a beautiful and crusty crumb.
- Bake at 500°F for 15 minutes with the lid on.
- Remove the lid and lower the temperature to 450°F.
- Bake for 20 more minutes until golden brown.
Enjoy!
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Based on 22 Review(s)
Thanks for this post Natasha. I’ve been revisiting the classic recipes of Jeffrey Hamelman in his ultimate reference, “Bread”. His classic “Vermont Sourdough” is 45% starter – so you’re in very good company! In case anyone is wondering if such a large amount of starter results in a more “sour” flavour? My answer is no. Assuming you have a lovely fresh and lively starter, the shorter fermentation times lead to an amazing soft crumb with what I would call a “normal” and tasty flavour!
Hi Natasha….if today I learned how to do the
bread is thanks to you..now it’s 30 degrees in my kitchen, how can I manage the dough?
Hi there! I’m glad to hear that you learned how to make bread with my help! When it’s 30 degrees in your kitchen, the warmer temperature can actually help the dough to rise faster. Just keep an eye on it and be prepared for a quicker rise than usual. You may need to adjust the timing of your recipe accordingly. Happy baking!
Thanks for this post Natasha. I’ve been revisiting the classic recipes of Jeffrey Hamelman in his ultimate reference, “Bread”. His classic “Vermont Sourdough” is 45% starter – so you’re in very good company! In case anyone is wondering if such a large amount of starter results in a more “sour” flavour? My answer is no. Assuming you have a lovely fresh and lively starter, the shorter fermentation times lead to an amazing soft crumb with what I would call a “normal” and tasty flavour!
Thank you Brad for sharing your insights on using a higher percentage of starter in bread recipes! It’s always interesting to hear about different approaches and experiences with sourdough baking. I loved this method so much just because it keeps the loaf less sour. Happy baking!
Brad,
i’m actually from Brattleboro, VT where Hamelmans used to exist! I was so lucky to have that VT sourdough as my childhood bread! i’m grown now, but i have such fond memories of that shop and its amazing smells.
Hi ya,
Do you have an easy to follow recipe for Sour Starter.
Plz & thanks in advance.
Joanne
Hi!
Here’s the link
https://natashasbaking.com/sourdough-starter-from-scratch-in-7-days/
Hi, may i know how to open bake sourdough bread if doesn’t has dutch oven or hot cast oven pan .
Hi!
You can use pizza stone and tray under filled with hot boiling water instead of
You can make sourdough with simple aluminum pans too. Just get two!
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C-N9yK0udxg/?igsh=dnY1MjN2MWtoMXVq
Hi Natasha. Thanks for your recipe. Should I but additional salt because of more starter? Consider the starter weight in calculating 2% salt?
Hi!
It’s all up to you.
50 % starter is a stiff starter, sounds confusing
It means 50% of liquid starter from total amount of flour in the dough.
Looks lile over two days … that is not my understanding of ‘quick’…
Usually to make sourdough bread, takes 7-8 hours of warm fermentation and then cold fermentation and then baking.
This method reduces the time of warm fermentation by half.
Thanks for the recipe Natasha, it looks amazing. Will try it ASAP.
Thank you so much ☺️
Hi! What is the yield for this recipe? 1 600g loaf? Thanks!
Hi! about 650g
Hello. Can you tell where or who sells the oval Dutch oven that you are using? I have something similar, but it is round.
Regards
hi!
Here is the link
https://challengerbreadware.com/product/the-challenger-bread-pan/?ref=Natashasbaking
Hi Natasha! Thank you very much for sharing your recipes! If my dough temperature is 21C , how much time needed between stretch and folds? Should I do it every hour instead of 45 min Thank you!
Elena, hi!
You still can do stretches and folds every 45 min, but you probably will need to add couple rounds of stretches and folds, considering lower temperature in your kitchen.
Thank you, Natalya for the reply! Your bread looks amazing ! Can’t wait to try all your recipes.
I want to thank you for this recipe, which allowed me to bake my first 100% perfect sourdough bread. Only thing I changed was I used rye instead of whole wheat in the dough itself. And divided into 2 to make baguettes. I have another levain started so I can bake a batard tomorrow. Thank you, again!
Thank you so much!
We are thrilled to hear that recipe worked well for you. Happy Baking!
Hello Natasha, I have a question. You don’t consider the amount of water contained in the starter? Becauseif yes the ratio is higher than 74%. Thank you.
Using this method for the fifth time already, I am getting very nice and tasty loafs 😍
Using an ukrainean flour that works amazing. We have it here in shops in Finland. Amina is the name.
Yhank you for all your recipes. I personally love the pretzel bits and the pigs in the blanket 🤭
Thank you so much for your feedback, we really glad you liked the recipe. Happy baking!
I meant “thank you” sorry for the typo.
Hi Natalya,
How do you think the loaf would turn out if instead of putting it into the fridge, you ferment it on the counter an hour or 2 after shaping and bake the same day? Have you tried this?
Thanks.
Hi there,
Fermenting the loaf on the counter for an hour or two after shaping and then baking it the same day can yield a slightly different result compared to refrigerating it overnight. let the loaf proof for 2 hours after shaping at room temperature, then move it to fridge for 30 min and then bake it.
Hi Natasha, just recently got into sourdough baking and I loved your “perfect sourdough formula” recipe. I tried this one, also added lamination, turned out into a really sticky dough, which was hard to handle, didn’t come together at all and shaping was just one big mess… any tips why that happened and how to prevent it? Thanks ❤️
I’m not Natasha, but my couple cents – you can adjust the water-flour ratio if your dough is sticky. It can be the humidity, brand of flour, how fresh it is etc etc. Just add more flour if it feels off and adjust the quantity for your next bake.
Thank you Lana,for sharing your tips on adjusting the water-flour ratio for sticky dough! It’s great advice to consider factors like humidity and the type of flour being used. Making small adjustments and experimenting with the ratio can definitely help achieve the desired consistency for the dough. Happy baking!
Vanesa,hi! Sorry to hear the dough was to sticky. Many factors involved:
1. strength of your flour(protein content, usually I work with flour 13% or more protein)
2. humidity and temperature of environment.
3. dough handling- developing enough strength during warm fermentation.
4. proper proofing.
Anyway, please keep practicing, it all will get so much better.
Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe, Natasha! I’ve been baking sourdough bread for more than a year now, but this is the first time it really turned out to be perfect! ❤️
You’re welcome! I’m so glad to hear that the recipe worked out well for you and that you enjoyed the sourdough bread. Keep up the great baking and feel free to reach out if you have any more questions or need more recipes. Happy baking! ❤️
I love banking but bread for me so hard .. But watching you do it make me want to try again thank you so much for amazing recipe and video
It’s very doable, I’m pretty sure with some practice you’ll get amazing loaf of bread. Happy baking!
I have made this now at least a dozen times! It gets better every time but even the first loaf was successful. I baked one this morning that I consider perfect. It’s the only recipe I use. 🙂
That’s fantastic to hear! We’re so glad that you’ve found a recipe that works so well for you. It’s always satisfying to see improvement with each bake. Keep up the great work, and happy baking!
Good morning Natalya, my dough has been in the fridge since about 11:00 last night, it doesn’t look like it’s risen at all, is it supposed to be actually rising?
Hi Natasha, I followed this recipe 2x and loaf is beautiful but always so sticky when shaping before cold proofing. So sticky that I am really struggling to do strech and fold. I feel like it’s missing flour. Does it need more time on the counter before shaping or what could be the issue?
Hello Natalya!
I just tested the recipe! The dough was incredibly airy during shaping, much more than usual, which is fantastic. I let it rise to 50%, with a dough temperature of 25°C by the 4th stretch and fold. I’m using a flour with 14% protein. I’m really excited to see the result tomorrow morning!
I have a quick question: can this recipe be adapted for both summer and winter while keeping the same percentage of starter? Is it just a matter of adjusting the fermentation time based on the dough temperature?
Thank you in advance for your response, and a big thanks for your amazing recipes!
Mégane
Hi! Natasha! I’m very thankful for your page and your recipe. I fell in love with this bread completely. Your recipes and techniques are amazing.
Hello! Thank you for the great recipe. Would it be possible to adjust this to include a small amount of different flours like buckwheat flour? How will that affect the timing?
Thanks!
Hi, is the rye 5g or 50g? Thanks.
Hello Natalya!
Thank you so much for your content.
I’ve got small question since I can’t understand how did a starter reach the peak with 1:1:1 ratio for 4h. It takes usually from 8 to 10 h for my starter.
Thanks!
thank you, it turned out exactly like yours, and the dough was easy
Hey Natasha,
I recently combined 3 of your recipes to make possibly the greatest loaf of bread in the world. 40% mashed potato, 50% starter plus a lamination with a head of black garlic mashed into a bit of butter and honey.
Oh. My. Goodness. So amazing.
Thank you so much for your work on creating these recipes!!