European · Free recipe
Open-Crumb Sourdough Loaf
A high-hydration dough built on active starter, strengthened with gentle coil folds and cold-proofed overnight for a tangy, complex flavor. Baked in a screaming-hot Dutch oven, the loaf springs up with a blistered, crackling crust and a glossy, irregular crumb full of big holes.
- Prep
- 18 hr
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 18 hr 45 min
- Serves
- 12
- Level
- Hard
Method
-
Mix the bread flour, whole wheat flour, and 350 g of the water by hand until no dry bits remain, then cover and rest for 1 hour so the flour fully hydrates.
-
Add the starter, salt, and remaining 25 g water, squeezing and pinching the dough for 3 to 4 minutes until everything is fully incorporated and the dough feels cohesive.
-
Bulk ferment at warm room temperature for 4 to 5 hours, performing a set of coil folds every 30 minutes for the first 2 hours, until the dough has grown about 50 percent, looks domed, and jiggles when you shake the bowl.
-
Turn the dough onto an unfloured counter, pre-shape it into a loose round, rest for 20 minutes, then shape it into a tight boule or batard and place it seam side up in a banneton dusted with rice flour.
-
Cover and refrigerate for 12 to 14 hours, which slows the rise and deepens the sour flavor.
-
Place a Dutch oven in the oven and heat to 500F for 45 minutes, then turn the cold dough onto parchment, score it decisively with a razor at a shallow angle, and lower it into the pot.
-
Bake covered for 20 minutes, reduce the heat to 450F, remove the lid, and bake 20 to 25 minutes more until the crust is deep mahogany and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped underneath.
-
Cool on a rack for at least 1 hour before slicing, since the crumb is still setting inside.
Zest note from the test kitchen
Watch the dough, not the clock, during bulk fermentation; a cool kitchen can easily add two hours, and underproofed dough is the main cause of a tight, dense crumb.
