Coffee Sourdough Loaf
Do you like coffee? How about making a sourdough loaf with coffee instead of water as a hydrating agent? Here is the best Coffee Sourdough Loaf recipe.
I baked the first loaf for my friend, she loves coffee.
While I was baking this loaf, my entire house de smelled like a coffee shop. So of course I wanted to bake another loaf for myself. And oh em gee… I loved it. So much loved it!
Ingredients
Sourdough starter
- 5g sourdough starter
- 35g water
- 30g all purpose flour or bread flour
- 5g rye flour
Dough
- 270g bread flour (90%)
- 30g whole wheat flour (10%)
- 207g brewed coffee, cold(69%)
- 21g (7%) cold brewed coffee, added along with salt. Total hydration 76%
- 60g levain (20%)
- 6g salt (2%)
- 10g honey (3%)
- 100 g of coffee grinds (for coating, optional if you would like extra coffee flavor)
Directions
Starter
- 7 am add starter to the water and whisk together, add flour, mix well, cover loosely, let it sit at room temperature 74-78F until in about 8-10 hours starter reaches its peak (triples or more in volume). Learn how to make starter from scratch here.
Dough
- 5 pm mix all flour with brewed cold coffee and cover, let it rest for 1 hour to complete the autolyse.
- During the autolyse process the flour will become fully hydrated. This activates gluten development.
- 6 pm add sourdough starter.
- Mix on low speed of your mixing machine for 2-3 minutes, or KitchenAid on speed 3 for 3-4 minutes until well incorporated.
- Also if for some reason you don’t have a mixing machine, you can incorporate starter into the dough by hands. Using Rubaud method or slap and fold method (about 5-7 min).
- Cover, let it rest for 30 minutes.
- 6:30 pm add salt, honey and extra brewed coffee.
- The process of adding extra liquid is called bassinage, it helps to tighten up gluten. Mix on low speed of your mixing machine for 2-3 min, or with KitchenAid on speed 3 for 5-6 minutes until well incorporated. The dough should come up together, but still be sticky on the bottom.
- Please note, if you perform mixing by hands, using Rubaud method or slap and fold method, that takes about 10 minutes. Do a couple of stops in between kneading, it helps tightening up gluten.
- Continue gluten development and structure building by performing stretches and folds during the warm fermentation period.
- Leave to rest 30 min. At 74-78F /23-26C.
- 7 pm wet your hands and perform 1st stretch and fold.
- 7:45pm 2nd stretch and fold.
- 8:30 pm 3rd stretch and fold.
- 9:15 pm 4th stretch and fold.
Performing stretches and folds helps 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 let the dough proof for 30 minutes at 76-80F/ 23-26C. You should see some bubbles on the surface, the dough has to become lighter. We are looking for 50-60% rise.
Preshaping Sourdough
- 9:45 pm Transfer the dough on to a work surface and dust its top with flour. Flip the dough over so the floured side faces down.
- Fold the dough onto itself so the flour on the surface remains entirely on the outside of the loaf. This will become the crust.
- Place the dough round on a work surface and let it rest for 30 minutes uncovered.
Shaping Sourdough
- 10:15 pm dust the dough with flour. Use a dough scraper to flip it over on to a work surface so the floured side faces down.
- Starting at the side closest to you, pull the right 2 corners of the dough to the left, then fold them up into half of the dough. Repeat this action on the left side too.
- Finally, roll the dough. Shape it into a smooth, taut roll.
- Spray it generously with water and roll it in the fine grind coffee (optional, if you would like extra coffee flavor).
- Transfer the roll, seam side up, into a prepared proofing basket (loaf pan with kitchen towel).
- Cover it with plastic and return the dough to the 80F (27C) environment for 15 minutes.
- Then transfer the dough to rise for 14-24 hours in refrigerator.
Baking
- Preheat your oven to 500 F, place an iron pan with the lid inside for 45 minutes – 1 hour.
- Remove the dough from the fridge.
- Flip it over on a parchment paper, score it with a sharp knife or a scoring lame.
- Transfer it on to the hot cast iron pan, cover with lid (to create steam for a beautiful and crusty crumb).
- Bake at 500F for 15 minutes with lid on.
- Remove the lid, lower the temperature to 450F.
- Bake for 20 more minutes until golden brown.
Enjoy your coffee sourdough loaf.
Coffee Sourdough Loaf
1227kcal
Ingredients
Sourdough Starter Levain (Night Before)
- 5 g Sourdough starter culture
- 35 g Water
- 30 g All-purpose flour or bread flour
- 5 g Rye flour
The Main Dough Base
- 270 g Bread flour (90%)
- 30 g Stone-ground whole wheat flour (10%)
- 207 g Strong brewed coffee (69% – Brewed ahead and completely cooled down to room temperature)
- 60 g Active sourdough starter levain (20% – From the stage above)
- 6 g Salt (2%)
- 30 g Cold water (10% – Held back as bassinage adjustment water)
Equipment
- Coffee Brewer or Espresso Machine (To brew the strong coffee base used for dough hydration)
- Stand Mixer (A KitchenAid or standard mixing machine handles the initial flour and liquid integration effortlessly)
- Proofing Basket (Banneton or a clean bowl cleanly lined with a dry kitchen towel)
- Cast Iron Pan with Lid (Or a heavy Dutch oven to capture pressurized steam for maximum oven spring)
- Sharp Scoring Lame (Or a fresh razor blade for clean expansion cuts)
Method
Night Before – Levain Optimization
- 10:00 PM – Starter Build: In a small glass jar, add your 5g of starter culture to 35g of water and whisk together cleanly. Stir in 30g of all-purpose or bread flour and 5g of rye flour. Mix thoroughly, cover loosely, and let it sit at room temperature 74–78°F (23–26°C) overnight for 8 to 10 hours until the starter reaches its peak and at least triples in volume.
Day 2 – The Coffee Autolyse & Core Mixing
- 8:00 AM – The Coffee Autolyse: In your stand mixer bowl, combine the 270g of bread flour, 30g of whole wheat flour, and 207g of completely cooled, strong brewed coffee. Mix thoroughly with a spoon just until all dry flour patches entirely disappear. Cover tightly and let it rest on your counter for 1 full hour. During this autolyse, the flour proteins absorb the coffee liquid completely, becoming fully hydrated to naturally develop early gluten bonds.
- 9:00 AM – Sourdough Starter Integration: Add 60g of your active overnight starter peak directly into the coffee-infused autolysed dough. Turn your mixing machine on low speed for 2 to 3 minutes (or use a KitchenAid mixer on speed 3 for 3 to 4 minutes) until the starter is completely incorporated. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
- 9:30 AM – Bassinage & Salt Incorporation: Add your 6g of salt along with the remaining 30g of cold bassinage water into the bowl. Mix on low speed for 2 to 3 minutes (or on a KitchenAid on speed 3 for 5 to 6 minutes) until the extra water is fully absorbed. The dough will pull together cleanly but should remain sticky on the bottom of the bowl. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes at a stable warm temperature of 74–78°F (23–26°C).
Bulk Fermentation Folds
- 10:00 AM – Table Stretch and Fold: Spray your clean work surface lightly with water and wet your hands. Gently tip the sticky dark dough out and execute one large stretch and fold across the table to organize early gluten elasticity. Fold the dough cleanly over onto itself, place it into a bulk proofing container, cover, and let rest for 45 minutes.
- 10:45 AM – 1st Stretch & Fold: Wet your hands slightly. Lift one side of the dough up cleanly from the container edge and fold it directly over the center. Repeat this action for all four quadrants of the dough mass to build structured vertical strength. Cover and let rest for 45 minutes.
- 11:30 AM – 2nd Stretch & Fold: Execute your second structured round of quadrant folds to continue organizing the expanding gluten network. Cover and let rest for 45 minutes.
- 12:15 PM – 3rd Stretch & Fold: Execute the third and final stretch-and-fold round. Cover and let the dough proof completely untouched for 30 minutes at a warm 76–80°F (24–27°C). The dough should look visibly lighter, show distinct surface bubbles, and hit a clean 50% volume rise.
Preshaping, Tension Rolling, and Cold Retard
- 12:45 PM – Preshaping: Gently tip the expanded dough out onto your work surface and dust the top lightly with flour. Flip the mass over so the floured side faces directly down. Fold the outer edges cleanly onto itself so that the raw flour coating remains entirely on the outside of the loaf. Round the dough into a loose ball and let it rest on your counter completely uncovered for 30 minutes to relax the gluten network.
- 1:15 PM – Final Shaping: Dust the top of the resting dough round with flour. Use a dough scraper to flip it over onto your counter so the floured side faces down. Starting at the edge closest to you, pull the two right corners of the dough outward and fold them up into the center. Repeat this exact matching movement across the left side. Roll the dough tightly away from you, shaping it into a perfectly smooth, taut, uniform log.
- Basket Stabilization & Fridge Retard: Transfer the shaped roll seam-side up into your well-floured proofing basket. Cover with plastic wrap and return the basket to a warm 80°F (27°C) spot for exactly 15 minutes to stabilize. Slide the basket directly into your refrigerator to rise slowly for 14 to 24 hours of cold fermentation retard at a stable 40°F (4°C).
Day 3 – Blazing Cast Iron Bake
- Next Morning – Preheating: Preheat your oven to 500°F (260°C). Place your cast iron pan and lid onto the middle rack to heat up thoroughly for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Scoring & Loading: Remove the cold dough basket from the fridge. Flip it over gently onto a sheet of parchment paper and score the dark surface with one clean, long, deep cut using a sharp lame or razor blade.
- The Steam Bake: Transfer the dough carefully onto the smoking hot cast iron pan base, drop the heavy lid down tightly to lock in the steam, and bake at 500°F (260°C) with the lid on for exactly 15 minutes.
- The Open Bake: Carefully lift the hot lid off to expose the loaf, lower the oven temperature to 450°F (232°C), and continue baking bare for an additional 20 minutes until the crust turns an incredibly deep color. Let cool on a wire rack for 2 full hours before slicing!
Nutrition
Calories1227kcalCarbohydrates245gProtein44gFat6gSaturated Fat1gPolyunsaturated Fat3gMonounsaturated Fat1gCholesterol9mgSodium436mgPotassium619mgFiber11gSugar1gVitamin A17IUVitamin C0.2mgCalcium72mgIron5mg
Notes
- The Importance of Temperature Calibration for Coffee Hydration: When brewing your strong coffee base for the autolyse step, ensure it cools completely down to room temperature 70–74°F (21–23°C) before combining it with your flour. Pouring hot or even lukewarm coffee into the mixing bowl will accidentally cook the flour starches and excessively elevate your core dough temperature, which can accelerate fermentation out of control or kill off your wild yeasts entirely.
- Why Strong Brewed Coffee Does Not Alter Acidity Levels: While liquid coffee is naturally acidic, substituting it for water does not unbalance or ruin your sourdough culture’s fermentation cycle. The roasted bean compounds simply add deep color pigments and complex, smoky flavor depths to the crumb without raising the acetic or lactic acid profiles, ensuring your final bread retains a wonderfully balanced taste.
- Adjusting Hydration via the Bassinage Technique: Holding back 30g of your total formulation water to add during step 4 is an essential technique for managing high-hydration doughs. Coffee liquid carries a slightly different surface tension than pure water; developing your early gluten matrix at a lower hydration first ensures a strong structural core before you fully saturate the dough strings with the remaining water.
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Наташа, спасибо большое за рецепт. У меня вопрос: сегодня испекла буханочку по рецепту «идеальная формула». Корочка получилась толстая и очень твёрдая. И ещё на полбуханки одна большая дырка :))) Я допустила ошибки: в холодильнике хлеб стоял 8 Часов всего, и замес делала на 4 буханочки сразу ( увеличила формулу в 4 раза) . Что, возможно, ещё я сделала не так? Спасибо вам за ваш журнал и рецепты. Жду с нетерпением моей самой вкусной буханочки:)))
I was thrilled to try this as soon as you posted it. Fed my starter last night to get her nice and lively, and then made the levain this morning with the 5g starter as indicated above. But it’s incredibly dry, I had to add a bit of extra water juts to get it to ball up, now I have no reason to doubt you after the success of the pretzel bites, but I can’t say I’m not dubious that the 5g+30g+5g will be enough to feed this whole loaf.
Am I doing it right?
thanks,
Brneo
Where is 35g of water in your formula? Here is the recipe:
Sourdough starter
5g sourdough starter
35g water
30g all purpose flour or bread flour
5g rye flour
I see 35g water in the formula
Hi!
Sorry it didn’t work out for you.
My starter is super active that’s why I’m sharing ratio 1:7:7
For the starter proportions you have to follow your starter’s regular ratio. Then it definitely will work.
Hi Natasha.. I’ve got my coffee sourdough started right now! Just waiting for my autolyse to complete.. Looks like a fun loaf to try and I love your recipes. I had to laugh at the one notation about mixing in the starter.. “If for some reason you don’t have a mixer”… That’s me! I don’t have a mixer.. and I really don’t have any reason not to have one! hahaha
Judy, hi!
I didn’t have mixer for a long time. And sometimes it’s even better to mix the dough by hands, then you can feel it better 🙏 good luck 🙏
Hi..
I made this yesterday. Its looks and tastes amazing… cant believe you come up with such amazing bread ideas.. I have tried your chocolate, turmeric, semolina and now this..
Will tag you on insta once I post it..
Thank you so much
Thank you so much! Really appreciate your feedback 🙏
Thanks for the great recipe Natalya! It worked out great with a Swiss Bread flour („Ruchmehl“) which is a bit darker but with a slightly higher amount of gluten than normal flour.
Thank you for sharing! Glad you liked it 🙏
Can I do this without the rye flour? My starter is just regular flour and water. Do I have to alter the amount of flour if I don’t use rye? Thank you!
Sure, replace it with regular flour
Dear Natalya, thanks for sharing this awesome recipe. After baking your rye bread ( on your Instagram highlights) that was perfect I tried this one step by step and it turned out beautiful and perfect which made me intrigued to bake again without getting disappointed. Thank you 🙏🏻.
Wonder how it would affect things if the coffee grounds were mixed into the dough instead of on the surface?
I think it’s a brilliant idea.
I have to try it .
Thank you 🙏
Hi Natasha! Love your site! Here’s a question: when baking in a Dutch oven, do you have a suggestion as to how to achieve an edible bottom crust? Despite trying things such as slight underbaking and putting a baking steel on the shelf under the Dutch oven, and the bottom crust looks like it’s not burned, it’s still very hard to cut and very chewy.
Carol, hi!
Try to put foil under parchment paper.
It might help.
I’ve tried so many things— baking pan under my DO, parchment paper, aluminum foil made into a trivet… the only thing I’ve found to work is buying an actual cast iron trivet meant to go in DOs, like the Lodge brand. Hope this helps!
Thank you for sharing your experience and tip with us! Using a cast iron trivet designed for Dutch ovens like the Lodge brand is a great solution to prevent burning and ensure even cooking. It’s always helpful to hear what works for others in the community. Happy baking!
Do you think that it would work out if I let the dough rise at room temperature for eight hours rather than in the refrigerator for 14 to 24 hours?
After shaping let it proof in a basket for 2-3 hours, then bake.
I weighed all my flour water coffee and it was like soup. I did use my regular starter which is 1:1:1 ratio. What did I do wrong?
You mentioned brewed coffee, cold, and an additional “cold brewed” coffee. Technically these are two different coffees. Cold brew isn’t the same as regular brewed coffee, cold. Did you make this distinction on purpose or did you mean the same thing for both inferences to the coffee. Thank you.