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Same Day Sourdough Bread

Same Day Sourdough Bread

107kcal
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Prep 30 minutes
Cook 35 minutes
Total 18 hours 20 minutes
An exceptional artisan sourdough recipe designed to fit entirely into a single day, skipping the typical multi-day commitment. This hybrid method streamlines prep by mixing the active starter directly into the dough while maintaining a beautiful, open, light, and airy interior crumb with a crackly, thin crust.
Servings 1 loaf
Cuisine American

Ingredients

The 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 (Next Morning)
  • 270 g Bread flour (90%)
  • 30 g Stone ground whole wheat flour (10%)
  • 207 g Water (69%)
  • 15 g Cold water (5% - Reserved strictly for the bassinage step)
  • 60 g Prepared levain (20% - All of it)
  • 6 g Salt (2%)

Equipment

  • Stand Mixer (Optional, can also be mixed using the Rubaud method by hand)
  • Cast Iron Dutch Oven (With a tightly fitting lid to trap steam)
  • Proofing Basket (Banneton, or a loaf pan lined with a clean kitchen towel)
  • Sharp Bread Lame or razor blade
  • Kitchen Scale
  • Parchment Paper

Method

Overnight Starter Build & Morning Autolyse
  1. 10:00 PM (Night Before): In a small glass jar, whisk your 5g of starter culture into 35g of water. Add the 30g of all-purpose or bread flour and 5g of rye flour, stirring thoroughly with a small spatula until no dry clumps remain. Cover loosely and let it ferment at a room temperature of 74–78°F (23–26°C) for 10 to 12 hours overnight until it at least triples in volume and peaks.
  2. 8:00 AM (Day 2): In your stand mixer bowl (or a large mixing bowl), combine the 60g of mature starter levain, 207g of initial water, 270g of bread flour, and 30g of stone-ground whole wheat flour. Mix cleanly by hand just until a shaggy mass forms. Cover and let it rest undisturbed for 1 hour for the autolyse phase, initializing natural gluten alignment.
Bassinage and Warm Primary Proof
  1. 9:00 AM: Sprinkle the 6g of salt and add the 15g of reserved cold water directly to the autolyzed dough.
  2. Mix on a low speed for 3 to 4 minutes (or with a KitchenAid mixer on speed 3 for 5 to 6 minutes) until fully incorporated. This bassinage water addition tightens the gluten network. The dough should pull together into a coherent mass but remain slightly sticky at the bottom of the bowl. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes at 74–78°F (23–26°C).
  3. Build structural strength systematically by performing four separate wet-handed stretch-and-folds spaced over the morning:
  4. * 9:30 AM: 1st Stretch-and-fold.
  5. * 10:15 AM: 2nd Stretch-and-fold.
  6. * 11:00 AM: 3rd Stretch-and-fold.
  7. * 11:45 AM: 4th Stretch-and-fold.
  8. After your final fold, let the dough proof undisturbed for 30 minutes at 76–80°F (24–27°C). Look for a 40% to 50% increase in volume and visible air bubbles floating across the smooth surface. (If the dough hasn't expanded sufficiently, add 1 extra stretch-and-fold to extend the time).
Preshaping, Taut Shaping, and Chilling
  1. 12:15 PM: Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and dust the top lightly with flour. Flip it completely over so the floured side faces downward. Fold the outer edges cleanly onto itself so that the dry, floured surface remains entirely on the outside of the loaf to form your crunchy crust. Shape into a round and let it sit uncovered for a 30-minute bench rest.
  2. 12:45 PM: Dust the top with flour and use a bench scraper to flip the dough over. Pull the bottom corners up and inward, then roll the dough downward tightly from top to bottom into a smooth, taut roll.
  3. Transfer the shaped log seam-side up into a prepared proofing basket. Cover with plastic wrap and let it proof in a warm 71–79°F (22–26°C) space for 2 hours.
  4. 2:45 PM: Transfer the covered basket directly into the refrigerator for a final 2 hours. Chilling cools the moisture inside, stiffening the dough so it holds its shape perfectly and scores cleanly.
High-Heat Covered Baking
  1. 4:00 PM: Place your cast iron pan with its lid on inside the oven and preheat completely to 500°F (260°C) for 45 minutes to a full hour.
  2. 4:45 PM: Take the cold dough out of the refrigerator. Invert it gently onto a sheet of parchment paper and use a sharp blade or scoring lame to cut a clean slash across the top.
  3. Use the parchment corners to lift and transfer the loaf into the hot cast iron pan. Secure the lid tightly to capture the expanding steam and bake at 500°F (260°C) for exactly 15 minutes.
  4. Carefully remove the lid, lower the oven temperature down to 450°F (230°C), and continue baking uncovered for an additional 20 minutes until the crust turns an even, deep golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack before cutting.

Nutrition

Calories107kcalCarbohydrates21gProtein4gFat0.5gSaturated Fat0.1gPolyunsaturated Fat0.2gMonounsaturated Fat0.04gCholesterol1mgSodium37mgPotassium43mgFiber1gSugar0.1gVitamin A1IUVitamin C0.02mgCalcium6mgIron0.4mg

Notes

  • The Bassinage Dynamic Explained: Retaining 15g of cold water to mix in alongside the salt later is a professional method called bassinage. If you try to add all the liquid right at the beginning, high-hydration doughs can become slippery and lose their structural shape. Introducing this extra water after the autolyse phase allows the fully aligned gluten networks to trap the moisture securely, resulting in a significantly more open interior crumb structure.
  • Why the Final Fridge Chill is Essential: It can be tempting to skip the final 2-hour refrigerator rest and bake directly from the counter, but this step is vital for same-day sourdoughs. Because the bread proofs quickly at room temperature, the outer surface is delicate and soft. Dropping it into a cold environment hardens the starches, allowing your razor blade to glide cleanly without dragging or deflating the dough, which yields a beautiful, high-rising oven spring.
  • Troubleshooting the 40% Bulk Rise Mark: The primary factor dictating success in this recipe is tracking your fermentation volume rather than watching the clock. If your kitchen runs cold and the dough hasn't achieved a visible 40% to 50% expansion with tiny bubbles by the end of your 4th stretch-and-fold, do not proceed to shaping. Perform a 5th fold sequence and allow it to sit for an extra 40 minutes until it feels light and pillowy.
  • Adapting to an Overnight Autolyse: If you prefer to save time on the morning of day two, you can prepare the autolyse stage the night before. Mix your water, bread flour, and stone-ground whole wheat flour into a shaggy mass at 10:00 PM right alongside your starter build. Cover tightly and let it sit on your counter overnight; by morning, the dough will be silky, smooth, and perfectly primed to receive the peaked levain starter and salt.

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