If you enjoyed this video and want to dive deeper, please check out my free bread baking resource page found here: stellaculinary.com/sb. At the top of the page are links to my five part podcast series on bread which will give you a very firm technical foundation, especially if you want to get into working with sourdough (episode 21 & 22 dive real deep on this). Also on that page are all of my bread baking videos, in the order I think they should be watched. If you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them. Thanks for watching!
I have followed your formula, and techniques to grow my sourdough levain "Blob" he is a rambunctious critter that grows 1.5x to 3x in a 24 hours and even after 10 days "Blob" will not pass the "float test" however he makes a fine tasting boule of bread, or batch of pretzels. I am still learning every time I bake and am fascinated how the dough changes from a sticky gooey mess to a smooth cohesive dough. I would very much like you to episode or two on the baking of NY style "Hard Rolls" (the large kaiser style roll with a crust that shatters when you bite into it)
It has been a life-long ambition of mine to be able to bake bread like this - light, chewy, perfect crust, sourdough tang. I still can't believe this miraculous loaf came out of my oven!!! Thanks so much for this video. It is one of the best I've seen.
Everyone in this comments section is saying how this bread isn't actually basic at all, but when you trim the fluff of the video and look at the steps for what they are, this is super easy. True, it takes the better part of a day to make this from start to finish, but you have a four hour break, and then a two hour break for the two rising periods. The total amount of work required here probably totals half an hour or less. And as someone who has tried several bread recipes, I can say this one provides the best results of any I've tried yet. It rivals anything you get from a fancy bakery, and that's coming from someone whose past attempts at breadmaking have been mediocre at best. You can do this! It's really not hard at all and it's worth the effort, which, again, is actually very little.
Here is the recipe if anyone needed it. Sourdough Ingredients • 275g warm water • 500g starter at 100% hydration = 1 to 1 (flour to water) o uses ½ whole wheat to all purpose white • 400g unbleached bread flour • 100g whole wheat (optional) • 15g salt without iodine (2% by the bakers percentage) Start with strong starter • Feed 12 hours prior • Can check by adding a piece to water, if it floats, it is strong. Mix and Rest • Create a shaggy mess by adding water, starter, and flour mix together and let sit for 30minutes covered Slap, fold and Salt • Mix in salt to the shaggy mess and scoop into un-floured surface • Slap an fold technique o Grab dough by the sides and slap it onto the table and fold it onto itself o After 8-10 slaps, use dough knife to bring all the sticky bit back together o Can use one handed method by grabbing a section of the dough and flinging it towards the table and then folding it onto itself. o Continue until it is easily releasing itself from the board and the dough stretchy. • Lightly sprinkle the surface with flour and drag the dough across it • Stretch and fold technique o Fold one third of the dough into the middle and then the other third o Rotate 90 degrees and repeat o Tuck the sides under the dough using the side of your hand • Cover and rest for 10 minutes on work surface Stretch and Fold • Flip the dough • Begin with the stretch and fold technique, but this time on the final stretch, cover the entire dough with the final third • Tuck the edges underneath • Cover for 10 minutes • (Repeat for a total of three times) • Lightly flour dough and cup it to make the sides rounded add to covered bowl Bulk Ferment or Proof • Allow it to ferment for 3-4 hours or until the dough is 1.5 time its original volume, it should feel it is full of gas. Shaping • One final stretch and fold, tuck the final third over the dough • Tension pull: Cup your hands around the dough, rotate and stretch by pulling it towards you. Use the stickiness of the dough to your advantage • Release from the bench with dough knife • Tension pull • Line proofing basket with the flour. Line with lint free cloth • Add the dough seam side up. • Flour and cover dough Loaf Proofing • Let rise for 2-3 hours or until 1.5 times its size (When pressed the indentation should disappear, meaning it is full of gas) Bake • Score surface with sharp knife • Bake seam side down 500F or 260C for 20 minutes in Dutch oven with the lid on • Remove lid and turn down oven to 425-450F 230C bake for another 30 minutes or until dark brown • Allow to cool at room temperature for 2 hours
OMG!!! THANK YOU! I was trying to write it down but really not doing very well... that is so nice of you to do it. I made it and it came out great Thanks to you it will be much easier next time
Just wanted to say that I have been experimenting with sourdough bread, for a few months, and until I found Jacob's video, without success. Now I am making sourdough that looks and tastes like the boules you would get in a professional bakery. Thanks so much for the clear concise directions. Couldn't be happier. Cynthia
One of the best explanations I've seen for handling the high-hydration dough you need to get that nice open crumb and crisp crust. I've been trying to get this right for months, your video filled in a lot of blanks! Thanks a lot.
You are awesome. I watched several videos on making this bread, of which the people doing the video seemed to be afraid of the dough. You got right in to it, showed it who was boss. I didn't use your recipe, but my bread came out professionally done. It was my first time. Thanks so much.
I am beyond excited. I just took my loaf out of the oven and it's PERFECT! I watched and followed your instructions. THANK YOU! This is the only kind of bread I feed my kids and I'm so happy that I can now make it for them.
Well, I did the loaves as you've demonstrated and they turned out great. Now, I've done so many loaves of so many shapes and so many variations with different flours that I'm an expert at it. Thanks to this video, of which I feel is the best one on youtube for beginners. Because, if you can nail this method, you can nail any sourdough method.
This video was a revelation! I've made a lot of bread before, but never with such a high hydration. Your advice to "let the stickiness work for you" surprised me with how well it worked. When I got to the point of doing the "tension pulls", I laughed with delight at how wonderful your explanation worked; like magic! The only problem I had was placing the dough in the hot Dutch oven; I smushed it a bit and had trouble with the slashes, but I think I just need more practice with that. Nonetheless, my bread was delicious; a nice open crumb and very moist. Thank you!
I made my sourdough bread yesterday and this morning I baked it, doing the whole process your method. I realised that I forgot to add the salt after I had first begun the slap and stretch, but, it was too late, I had already put it in the basket for the final rise? I thought it would not turn out, but it or should I say both loaves are gorgeous! Thank you Jacob, for your video, awesome!!!! Consistancy of the 1st loaf was really sticky, I could have added more flour, 2nd loaf was alittle dry.
I'm new to sourdough bread making. I made my own starter and have enjoyed making two loaves and some waffles. Then I found your video and wanted to make a loaf *that* beautiful. Couldn't believe how well it turned out! And so amazingly delicious. And not sour at all (yay!) I love my new hobby, and that my bread is also super healthy (lower gluten, with a bread flour / rye mixture). Thank you for this wonderful instructional video!
I just made a fantastic looking bread by using your instructions...slap, fold stretch...repeat! What a great crust and crumb. I could not have asked for better result on my first try. Thank you very much.
One video is worth a whole chapter in a book! Very helpful. My sourdough bread is good but with the help of videos like this, one day it will be great.
I made this a couple of days ago and it turned out just great.I used 100% hydratation starter and only 200 ml water and the dough turned out just about the same consistency(i didnt do any math,i just used water as i felt).The result was a very very very nice bread. Thank you for the recipe and for your time!!
Thank you so much. This was my first time making sourdough bread and your instructions and explanations were so clear and easy to follow. The bread came out beautiful AND delicious!
Best video explanation I have seen yet. I had the problem of a dough that has too much water. This helped a great deal with proper hydration, fermentation timing, and a much better crust. My sourdough bread is much better. Thank you much. Will pass this on. Excellent video!
I have been using this recipe and it has been a game changer as far as my bread making goes. One note: I found it just a tad too wet so I used 252 grams of water which worked much better. It depends on if your poolish is not perfectly 50/50 I believe due to evaporation or the fact that certain flours have more moisture content. I am using Safeway's organic white and whole wheat flour. I just wanted to say, Thank You Jacob for opening the door to Masterful Bread Making. I love the sour dough starter as well and will be using your "formula" to Make other breads with my home grown sour dough starter whose name is "Vida" Thanks Jacob!
I just made my first wild caught sour dough starter and Basic Sourdough loaf using your directions exactly as you described, except I did not have a dutch oven so used a pizza stone and ci skillet to create steam- it came out UNBELIEVABLE!!! The directions and technique were perfect! I can not wait to try it out with a Dutch oven- Thanks so much-
That loaf is just Absolutely Beautiful!!! I am jusy starting out baking breads and will be using unglazed quarry tiles for baking stones & this video was so Helpful on how to form the loaf & the technique will be of great use!!! Thank You So Much for sharing!!!!!
Thanks for your video. I cut the dough in half and made two smaller loaves. Turned out just perfect. The best I have ever made. Onward and upwards. Thanks again.
Oh my God. I just followed the sour dough starter process video. Had no idea you can use yeast in the "air" but after 3/4 days my starter kit was ready. So tonight followed this video and while I admit I cut it short a bit - meaning I didn't wait the full times recommended - my bread came out amazing. Seriously one of the most exciting things I have ever created! Thank you Jacob. Excellent video with all the details needed to recreate this amazing bread.
Thank you so much! Hoping to get better at placing in the Dutch oven. I always panic a bit, trying to be quick, and then I nearly forget to use the lame! You are a gem. I really appreciate your clear instructions.
I've been attempting sourdough for a while. For this, my 20th loaf, I found this recipe and technique. Mine came out just as it did in the video: BAM! POW! WHAM! A great thanks to your work in sharing this. Prior to this I had recipes with too high hydration and wasn't able to handle the dough; very low spring, dense crumb, etc. This method works, and it works very well.
Thankyou Jacob for this fantastic video. I have been making bread for years however nothing I have made before has come close to the result I had following your video. I think the kneading/rest process and the dutch oven were the gamechangers for sure. I didn't have a dutch oven so used a stoneware slow cooker bowl with a baking tray as the lid - worked perfectly! I was impatient and only left the final prove for 1.5 hours - loaf had a denser crumb but still delicious!
This is one of the best recipes I have ever tried. Makes amazing sourdough bread :) Successful sourdough is kind of difficult to achieve, but this recipe nails it for beginners. Can't go wrong. I use mixer to mix, but all else I follow. And trust me it is basic, compared to many other sourdough recipes
I think this is a fantastic video (as is your starter vid), thank you! For those that think this takes too much time, I think it's important to note that while it takes time, it's not time-consuming, meaning you can multi-task/do other things since a lot of it's letting it raise or rest. There might also be similar versions out there that don't require playing with it so much or that have you keep it overnight in the fridge which might mean you spend less time with the dough (?), not sure. Not sure if this video's method falls under "no knead" or not but you could try doing a youtube search for "no knead bread" and see what you find.
I stretch and fold an additional three times, but if the gluten structure feels good after three total, then the fourth isn't necessary. Glad you enjoyed the video.
just made this last night. it turned out amazing. i wish i post a picture. thanks for the video. i have tryed different recipes but they didn't turn out even close to this. once again amazing.
Thank you so much. I used your starter instructions and this video and my bread came out fantastic! First time I made sourdough bread. Thank you so much for the instructions.
Hi Jacob, I just made my sourdough bread and it's amazing. I can't thank you enough for this video. I tried making sourdough bread and failed 4 times. watched your video and thought to give it a try and I am so happy to have such a awesome bread. my husband and I absolutely loved it. Thank you again for the great video!
You are absolutely fantastic at what you do, please keep posting these videos, this is culinary genius at it's finest, much love. Absolutely love your show!!!!
Hi Jacob, I must say that this video was my inspiration to start using a scale, and I am glad that I did! This recipe has worked out awesome for me every time, albeit my annoyance with the slap and fold the first few times. I use only 400 g of starter and all white flour. Thanks!
Followed this recipe to a T. Had some minor problems with technique (nothing a little practice won't cure) but overall I am really pleased with how my first sourdough came out. Over the hundreds of videos out there, this is the one I came back to the most. Great video, great recipe.
Hi, I really like the bread and I baked it now a few times. The flavour is awesome. The only thing you should know about the bread and the technique, it takes ages, quite a long time to do it. All the folding and waiting and folding and waiting ... So be prepared to spent a while in your kitchen. The other ting is, look for a soft scraper so you don't scratch your work top. But if you manage to finish this bread it is very, very yummy - worth the extra mile - honestly.
Makes sense! During my second go, I actually decided to feed it after only 14 hours as it started to shrink back, and a thin layer of liquid appeared on the top. Eventually, I discarded it, as the liquid kept reproducing and it started smelling sourer and sourer. Will do what you suggested. Thanks, Jacob!
The open crumb comes from gentle handling, higher hydration, and the stretch and fold. After the initial kneading, you want to make sure that you're handling the dough very gently. The large air pockets come from little ones that expand during the fermentation and baking process. If you handle the dough roughly, those air pockets collapse, giving you a more even, dense crumb. That's also why sandwich bread is kneaded a lot, because a dense crumb is desirable. I recommend a 10" banneton.
Just finished making this. Its definitely a labour of love with the time invested in sour dough. But the recipe worked well and I'm now enjoying a piece hot (cant wait for it to cool), with a big slab of butter on it. Delish! Thank you.
+nibblypig82 Great to hear. After a few more loaves you'll get in the sourdough grove, and it will be a less time consuming process. Even though it can take all day from start to finish, there's a lot of passive time when creating sourdough.
Hi Chef, I learned a lot from this video and the one for making a sourdough starter. I am excited to be making my 1st loaf of sourdough bread this week as soon as my starter is ready. Thank you for sharing your talent.
Thanks so much for the video. Just finished baking the bread and it's huge, golden, and of course, tasty. The floating starter tip really helped me understand the timing. I've been using the no-knead method with off and on success and I think that the "structure" of your process might be a better fit for me...Thanks again Chef!
I mean I have a 100 years levain made by my grand father that was a master baker, I have worked with him for a while, but I like to learn new technichs and, may be I got to used too his way. This type of bread by the way is call Bordelaise. But I like pretty much the way you done it.
If you are having issues with your "shaggy mass" sticking to your hands/work surface after the autolyse step, you can add 40-50 grams of flour. You should add this during the initial mix prior to the autolyse step. I had to find the right combination for my kitchen, in the Midwest it gets humid, and I settled on: 275g warm water, 500g poolish starter, 440g bread flour, 100g whole wheat flour, and 15g of salt. Chef Jacob does a phenomenal job at laying the foundation, but remember your work conditions are likely not similar to his. I hope this helps someone. Trust me, you will get an amazing oven spring/airy texture!
Thank you so much for the sourdough starter video and this video! My starter just passed the floating test, it is ready to use for baking bread tomorrow, hope the bread turn out just good!
Yes. Also the tension pulls will help during forming. Make sure you're dumping out most of you starter the night before and feeding it fresh flour and water, 12-18 hours before you plan on mixing your sourdough.
Your bread making technique was great for making my sour dough loaf. It came out great !!!! Wow !!!!!! The only thing I changed was your baking technique..... First, inside the oven I placed a 24x 24 Terracotta stone along with a copper pot underneath it ......Preheated the oven at 550 F, boiled some water on the top of the stove. After 20 minutes of preheating I put my dough gently on top of the preheated stone, then I dumped the boiling hot water inside the copper pot, closed oven and let the steam work for 2 minutes. After the two minutes I turned the oven down to 475 F and cooked the dough for 10-15 minutes. Then I reopened the oven door and turned the bread 180 degrees and finish baking for another 10-15 minutes. The bread smelled incredible. Thank you so much for a great recipe.
Brilliant, thank you, I now get that making sourdough is all about patience but well worth the end result, I just have to master the sourdough starter!!!
The slow rising time and the rye flour are what made the loaf sour. Also, cold fermentation will make the bread sour as well. Dump and feed the starter 12-14 hours before mixing your dough. Make sure the stater passes the float test first, which means it is active enough to levin your bread without taking 24 hours (again, delayed fermentation yields a more sour loaf).
Yes. Wheat flour can soak up more moisture so you'll need to increase your hydration rate. Also, if using 100% whole wheat flour, the loaf will be much more dense. Pretty much anything over 20% wheat flour will effect your oven spring.
I wish I would have found you sooner. After all of my lackluster attempts to make sourdough bread I finally found success after I followed your instructions. The loaf was tall, beautiful and full of flavor. Thank you. - Tim
I jerry-rigged mine the whole way through. My starter was 150 grams short, so I had to add a yeast packet and flour. Then, not having a proofing basket or the right flour cloth, my dough tore at the top as I flipped it onto the baking stone... which made me skip the scoring on top... and poured water underneath in a cookie sheet to simulate a steamy environment on the bottom rack. Well, the loaf still turned out fine but not as pretty as yours. So, I have the confidence if I get the same tools you have, my next loaf will appear as you've demonstrated.
The instructions are very good. I have done sourdough. I appreciate the careful and understandable progressions you demonstrate. I wish you had shown us how you took care of the slight loss of adhesion on the underside/seam side of the dough when you place it in the bowl (8:30 I think). The 'tension turn' is one step I've missed. However, when I have tried to create the 'skin' over the surface I frequently have the same kind of separation, even though I do turn the dough on the bench before I place it in the brotform. Also when I use just bread flour to dust the basket, the dough will stick. Dusting with a combination of bread flour and rice flour eliminate this problem. I suspect the sticking to the liner is also due to the lack of proper tension turning technique. Thnk yu once again
I would feed it every 12-24 hours depending on the starters activity and try again every time before you feed it. The float test simply lets you know how active your starter is based upon how much carbon dioxide the yeast is giving off during fermentation.
I've never used spelt flour in my starter but it should work. When mixing your final dough for the bread dough, if your flour ratio contains any more than 5-10% spelt flour, then your loaf will come out more dense due to lack of gluten. You can also substitute spelt flour for rye flour in the sourdough starter, but it will alter the flavor (not making it worse, just different).
Yep, the stretch and fold is there and I am using bread flour (strong). Adding a little more wholemeal flour helped a little - I guess there was simply too much water. I'll also try with a fresher starter next time. Brilliant recipe though and what a great taste. Cheers
1) You can bake without the dutch oven but the crust will be rock hard and not crackle. I would highly recommend a dutch oven. 2) A starter can be done with rye and wheat only. Because of how these grains are metabolized by yeast and bacteria, it will make your starter much more sour. Also, if yo use more than 20% whole wheat or rye flour in your bread recipe, it will cause the loaf to be more dense. 3) I refresh the poolish starter after I remove a portion for the sour dough bread recipe.
Love this video and the bread. Thank you so much for posting it. Just as a note, the video says to use 20 grams of salt, but the list of ingredients under the video says to use 15 grams of salt. You might want to make the video and the ingredient list agree. Thanks again!
It's not cheating if it works. Sometimes when you have a young starter or a starter that isn't on a regular feeding schedule, a little bit of instant yeast can help a lot.
Just found your video, so I know it's been available for a while, but .... like I said, just found it. This is a great video and I thank you for sharing with us. Definitely subscribing!
Done on a large production level, the dough would be mixed in a massive batch, fermented, divided, and proofed in baskets. The proofed loaves would then be loaded onto large wooden peels or a mechanical loader, and then baked in a large hearth oven with steam injection. At the restaurant, we make about 20 of these a day with 6 other types of fresh baked bread. We cook them in a large, wood fire oven. The dutch oven method is used at home to replicate professional deck ovens found in bakeries.
thank you at last I have a risen sourdough at about the 10th attempt, I was beginning to lose heart I did everything the same apart from 1 crucial difference, I fed my starter and after 6 hours I then checked and my starter floated in the water test , first time this had happened every other time the starter must have been deflating hence a low rise, now I will follow your method with this feed method , all the other times my sourdough had holes was lovely but flat and now the missing link ( its risen) thank you tooooooo much
Feed your starter whole wheat and rye flour and then store in a refrigerator. Feed like this every 1-2 days for about a week. Also, after you shape your dough into loaves, place in the refrigerator over night. Slowing down the fermentation and feeding whole wheat flour will both promote acetic acid production, which is responsible for making sourdough bread "sour."
Try the "Young Starter" approach. The night before you bake your bread, dump all the starter in the trash, except for the small amount that clings to the bottom and sides of the container. Feed your starter half flour and half room temp water (by weight) and then let it sit over night. Because you are refreshing the whole starter, it will be much more floral and less sour than usual. It will take about 12-18 hours after feeding before your starter is ready to bake with.
How old is your starter? Are you storing it at room temperature? How long does it take to pass the float test after feeding? Are you dumping out most of the starter when you feed it?
If you enjoyed this video and want to dive deeper, please check out my free bread baking resource page found here: stellaculinary.com/sb. At the top of the page are links to my five part podcast series on bread which will give you a very firm technical foundation, especially if you want to get into working with sourdough (episode 21 & 22 dive real deep on this). Also on that page are all of my bread baking videos, in the order I think they should be watched.
If you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them.
Thanks for watching!
I have followed your formula, and techniques to grow my sourdough levain "Blob" he is a rambunctious critter that grows 1.5x to 3x in a 24 hours and even after 10 days "Blob" will not pass the "float test" however he makes a fine tasting boule of bread, or batch of pretzels. I am still learning every time I bake and am fascinated how the dough changes from a sticky gooey mess to a smooth cohesive dough.
I would very much like you to episode or two on the baking of NY style "Hard Rolls" (the large kaiser style roll with a crust that shatters when you bite into it)
It has been a life-long ambition of mine to be able to bake bread like this - light, chewy, perfect crust, sourdough tang. I still can't believe this miraculous loaf came out of my oven!!! Thanks so much for this video. It is one of the best I've seen.
Everyone in this comments section is saying how this bread isn't actually basic at all, but when you trim the fluff of the video and look at the steps for what they are, this is super easy. True, it takes the better part of a day to make this from start to finish, but you have a four hour break, and then a two hour break for the two rising periods. The total amount of work required here probably totals half an hour or less. And as someone who has tried several bread recipes, I can say this one provides the best results of any I've tried yet. It rivals anything you get from a fancy bakery, and that's coming from someone whose past attempts at breadmaking have been mediocre at best. You can do this! It's really not hard at all and it's worth the effort, which, again, is actually very little.
Here is the recipe if anyone needed it.
Sourdough
Ingredients
• 275g warm water
• 500g starter at 100% hydration = 1 to 1 (flour to water)
o uses ½ whole wheat to all purpose white
• 400g unbleached bread flour
• 100g whole wheat (optional)
• 15g salt without iodine (2% by the bakers percentage)
Start with strong starter
• Feed 12 hours prior
• Can check by adding a piece to water, if it floats, it is strong.
Mix and Rest
• Create a shaggy mess by adding water, starter, and flour mix together and let sit for 30minutes covered
Slap, fold and Salt
• Mix in salt to the shaggy mess and scoop into un-floured surface
• Slap an fold technique
o Grab dough by the sides and slap it onto the table and fold it onto itself
o After 8-10 slaps, use dough knife to bring all the sticky bit back together
o Can use one handed method by grabbing a section of the dough and flinging it towards the table and then folding it onto itself.
o Continue until it is easily releasing itself from the board and the dough stretchy.
• Lightly sprinkle the surface with flour and drag the dough across it
• Stretch and fold technique
o Fold one third of the dough into the middle and then the other third
o Rotate 90 degrees and repeat
o Tuck the sides under the dough using the side of your hand
• Cover and rest for 10 minutes on work surface
Stretch and Fold
• Flip the dough
• Begin with the stretch and fold technique, but this time on the final stretch, cover the entire dough with the final third
• Tuck the edges underneath
• Cover for 10 minutes
• (Repeat for a total of three times)
• Lightly flour dough and cup it to make the sides rounded add to covered bowl
Bulk Ferment or Proof
• Allow it to ferment for 3-4 hours or until the dough is 1.5 time its original volume, it should feel it is full of gas.
Shaping
• One final stretch and fold, tuck the final third over the dough
• Tension pull: Cup your hands around the dough, rotate and stretch by pulling it towards you. Use the stickiness of the dough to your advantage
• Release from the bench with dough knife
• Tension pull
• Line proofing basket with the flour. Line with lint free cloth
• Add the dough seam side up.
• Flour and cover dough
Loaf Proofing
• Let rise for 2-3 hours or until 1.5 times its size (When pressed the indentation should disappear, meaning it is full of gas)
Bake
• Score surface with sharp knife
• Bake seam side down 500F or 260C for 20 minutes in Dutch oven with the lid on
• Remove lid and turn down oven to 425-450F 230C bake for another 30 minutes or until dark brown
• Allow to cool at room temperature for 2 hours
You forgot the knead in 10 minute intervals 3 times!
+Ciaomamabella I did include it.
Thanks!
OMG!!! THANK YOU! I was trying to write it down but really not doing very well... that is so nice of you to do it. I made it and it came out great Thanks to you it will be much easier next time
No worries
Just wanted to say that I have been experimenting with sourdough bread, for a few months, and until I found Jacob's video, without success. Now I am making sourdough that looks and tastes like the boules you would get in a professional bakery. Thanks so much for the clear concise directions. Couldn't be happier. Cynthia
Awesome! Glad you found the info helpful.
One of the best explanations I've seen for handling the high-hydration dough you need to get that nice open crumb and crisp crust. I've been trying to get this right for months, your video filled in a lot of blanks! Thanks a lot.
You are awesome. I watched several videos on making this bread, of which the people doing the video seemed to be afraid of the dough. You got right in to it, showed it who was boss. I didn't use your recipe, but my bread came out professionally done. It was my first time. Thanks so much.
I am beyond excited. I just took my loaf out of the oven and it's PERFECT! I watched and followed your instructions.
THANK YOU! This is the only kind of bread I feed my kids and I'm so happy that I can now make it for them.
Well, I did the loaves as you've demonstrated and they turned out great. Now, I've done so many loaves of so many shapes and so many variations with different flours that I'm an expert at it. Thanks to this video, of which I feel is the best one on youtube for beginners. Because, if you can nail this method, you can nail any sourdough method.
This video was a revelation!
I've made a lot of bread before, but never with such a high hydration. Your advice to "let the stickiness work for you" surprised me with how well it worked. When I got to the point of doing the "tension pulls", I laughed with delight at how wonderful your explanation worked; like magic!
The only problem I had was placing the dough in the hot Dutch oven; I smushed it a bit and had trouble with the slashes, but I think I just need more practice with that. Nonetheless, my bread was delicious; a nice open crumb and very moist.
Thank you!
I made my sourdough bread yesterday and this morning I baked it, doing the whole process your method.
I realised that I forgot to add the salt after I had first begun the slap and stretch, but, it was too late, I had already put it in the basket for the final rise? I thought it would not turn out, but it or should I say both loaves are gorgeous! Thank you Jacob, for your video, awesome!!!!
Consistancy of the 1st loaf was really sticky, I could have added more flour, 2nd loaf was alittle dry.
I'm new to sourdough bread making. I made my own starter and have enjoyed making two loaves and some waffles. Then I found your video and wanted to make a loaf *that* beautiful. Couldn't believe how well it turned out! And so amazingly delicious. And not sour at all (yay!) I love my new hobby, and that my bread is also super healthy (lower gluten, with a bread flour / rye mixture). Thank you for this wonderful instructional video!
I just made a fantastic looking bread by using your instructions...slap, fold stretch...repeat! What a great crust and crumb. I could not have asked for better result on my first try. Thank you very much.
+P Nielsen Awesome. Great to hear.
I'm a chef myself and this video taught me how to make beautiful, consistent loafs every time, great technique.
One video is worth a whole chapter in a book! Very helpful. My sourdough bread is good but with the help of videos like this, one day it will be great.
I made this a couple of days ago and it turned out just great.I used 100% hydratation starter and only 200 ml water and the dough turned out just about the same consistency(i didnt do any math,i just used water as i felt).The result was a very very very nice bread.
Thank you for the recipe and for your time!!
Thank you so much. This was my first time making sourdough bread and your instructions and explanations were so clear and easy to follow. The bread came out beautiful AND delicious!
Best video explanation I have seen yet. I had the problem of a dough that has too much water. This helped a great deal with proper hydration, fermentation timing, and a much better crust. My sourdough bread is much better. Thank you much. Will pass this on. Excellent video!
Finally a proper step-by-step video! Congratulations!!!
I have been using this recipe and it has been a game changer as far as my bread making goes. One note: I found it just a tad too wet so I used 252 grams of water which worked much better. It depends on if your poolish is not perfectly 50/50 I believe due to evaporation or the fact that certain flours have more moisture content. I am using Safeway's organic white and whole wheat flour. I just wanted to say, Thank You Jacob for opening the door to Masterful Bread Making. I love the sour dough starter as well and will be using your "formula" to Make other breads with my home grown sour dough starter whose name is "Vida" Thanks Jacob!
My dough is always bone-dry, so I'll probably have to amp up the water.
I just made my first wild caught sour dough starter and Basic Sourdough loaf using your directions exactly as you described, except I did not have a dutch oven so used a pizza stone and ci skillet to create steam- it came out UNBELIEVABLE!!! The directions and technique were perfect! I can not wait to try it out with a Dutch oven- Thanks so much-
Awesome to hear!
That loaf is just Absolutely Beautiful!!! I am jusy starting out baking breads and will be using unglazed quarry tiles for baking stones & this video was so Helpful on how to form the loaf & the technique will be of great use!!! Thank You So Much for sharing!!!!!
Thanks for your video. I cut the dough in half and made two smaller loaves. Turned out just perfect. The best I have ever made. Onward and upwards. Thanks again.
Oh my God. I just followed the sour dough starter process video. Had no idea you can use yeast in the "air" but after 3/4 days my starter kit was ready. So tonight followed this video and while I admit I cut it short a bit - meaning I didn't wait the full times recommended - my bread came out amazing. Seriously one of the most exciting things I have ever created! Thank you Jacob. Excellent video with all the details needed to recreate this amazing bread.
Most of the yeast spores actually come from the flour itself. They were trapped by the wheat growing in fields somewhere.
Thank you so much! Hoping to get better at placing in the Dutch oven. I always panic a bit, trying to be quick, and then I nearly forget to use the lame! You are a gem. I really appreciate your clear instructions.
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed the video.
I've been attempting sourdough for a while. For this, my 20th loaf, I found this recipe and technique. Mine came out just as it did in the video: BAM! POW! WHAM! A great thanks to your work in sharing this. Prior to this I had recipes with too high hydration and wasn't able to handle the dough; very low spring, dense crumb, etc. This method works, and it works very well.
+Dave T Great to hear Dave. Glad this recipe worked for you.
Thankyou Jacob for this fantastic video. I have been making bread for years however nothing I have made before has come close to the result I had following your video. I think the kneading/rest process and the dutch oven were the gamechangers for sure. I didn't have a dutch oven so used a stoneware slow cooker bowl with a baking tray as the lid - worked perfectly! I was impatient and only left the final prove for 1.5 hours - loaf had a denser crumb but still delicious!
This is one of the best recipes I have ever tried. Makes amazing sourdough bread :) Successful sourdough is kind of difficult to achieve, but this recipe nails it for beginners. Can't go wrong. I use mixer to mix, but all else I follow. And trust me it is basic, compared to many other sourdough recipes
I think this is a fantastic video (as is your starter vid), thank you! For those that think this takes too much time, I think it's important to note that while it takes time, it's not time-consuming, meaning you can multi-task/do other things since a lot of it's letting it raise or rest. There might also be similar versions out there that don't require playing with it so much or that have you keep it overnight in the fridge which might mean you spend less time with the dough (?), not sure. Not sure if this video's method falls under "no knead" or not but you could try doing a youtube search for "no knead bread" and see what you find.
I stretch and fold an additional three times, but if the gluten structure feels good after three total, then the fourth isn't necessary. Glad you enjoyed the video.
just made this last night. it turned out amazing. i wish i post a picture. thanks for the video. i have tryed different recipes but they didn't turn out even close to this. once again amazing.
Thank you so much. I used your starter instructions and this video and my bread came out fantastic! First time I made sourdough bread. Thank you so much for the instructions.
Hi Jacob,
I just made my sourdough bread and it's amazing. I can't thank you enough for this video. I tried making sourdough bread and failed 4 times. watched your video and thought to give it a try and I am so happy to have such a awesome bread. my husband and I absolutely loved it. Thank you again for the great video!
+Madura Chaudhari Awesome to hear. Glad the bread turned out great for you.
You are absolutely fantastic at what you do, please keep posting these videos, this is culinary genius at it's finest, much love. Absolutely love your show!!!!
Hi Jacob, I must say that this video was my inspiration to start using a scale, and I am glad that I did! This recipe has worked out awesome for me every time, albeit my annoyance with the slap and fold the first few times. I use only 400 g of starter and all white flour. Thanks!
Followed this recipe to a T. Had some minor problems with technique (nothing a little practice won't cure) but overall I am really pleased with how my first sourdough came out. Over the hundreds of videos out there, this is the one I came back to the most. Great video, great recipe.
I have now used this method 8 times. Fabulous results.
Hi, I really like the bread and I baked it now a few times. The flavour is awesome. The only thing you should know about the bread and the technique, it takes ages, quite a long time to do it. All the folding and waiting and folding and waiting ... So be prepared to spent a while in your kitchen. The other ting is, look for a soft scraper so you don't scratch your work top. But if you manage to finish this bread it is very, very yummy - worth the extra mile - honestly.
Makes sense! During my second go, I actually decided to feed it after only 14 hours as it started to shrink back, and a thin layer of liquid appeared on the top. Eventually, I discarded it, as the liquid kept reproducing and it started smelling sourer and sourer.
Will do what you suggested. Thanks, Jacob!
The open crumb comes from gentle handling, higher hydration, and the stretch and fold. After the initial kneading, you want to make sure that you're handling the dough very gently. The large air pockets come from little ones that expand during the fermentation and baking process. If you handle the dough roughly, those air pockets collapse, giving you a more even, dense crumb. That's also why sandwich bread is kneaded a lot, because a dense crumb is desirable.
I recommend a 10" banneton.
The stretch and fold info is alot better than i got from other videos.
Thanks. Glad you found the video helpful.
Just finished making this. Its definitely a labour of love with the time invested in sour dough. But the recipe worked well and I'm now enjoying a piece hot (cant wait for it to cool), with a big slab of butter on it. Delish! Thank you.
+nibblypig82 Great to hear. After a few more loaves you'll get in the sourdough grove, and it will be a less time consuming process. Even though it can take all day from start to finish, there's a lot of passive time when creating sourdough.
Well I certainly have developed a greater appreciation of bakers. 👍
Thanks for the vids.
Hi Chef, I learned a lot from this video and the one for making a sourdough starter. I am excited to be making my 1st loaf of sourdough bread this week as soon as my starter is ready. Thank you for sharing your talent.
Thanks so much for the video. Just finished baking the bread and it's huge, golden, and of course, tasty. The floating starter tip really helped me understand the timing. I've been using the no-knead method with off and on success and I think that the "structure" of your process might be a better fit for me...Thanks again Chef!
Deb R Collins Thanks Deb. Glad you found the videos helpful.
I mean I have a 100 years levain made by my grand father that was a master baker, I have worked with him for a while, but I like to learn new technichs and, may be I got to used too his way. This type of bread by the way is call Bordelaise. But I like pretty much the way you done it.
Brilliant video; about the clearest bread video I’ve seen - easy to follow but also well detailed.
If you are having issues with your "shaggy mass" sticking to your hands/work surface after the autolyse step, you can add 40-50 grams of flour. You should add this during the initial mix prior to the autolyse step. I had to find the right combination for my kitchen, in the Midwest it gets humid, and I settled on: 275g warm water, 500g poolish starter, 440g bread flour, 100g whole wheat flour, and 15g of salt. Chef Jacob does a phenomenal job at laying the foundation, but remember your work conditions are likely not similar to his. I hope this helps someone. Trust me, you will get an amazing oven spring/airy texture!
Thank you so much for the sourdough starter video and this video! My starter just passed the floating test, it is ready to use for baking bread tomorrow, hope the bread turn out just good!
Yes. Also the tension pulls will help during forming. Make sure you're dumping out most of you starter the night before and feeding it fresh flour and water, 12-18 hours before you plan on mixing your sourdough.
Been using this recipe for a year now. It yeilds wonderful bread every time! Thanks again for the recipe and instructions.
Glad it's working out for. Thanks for the feedback!
Jacob: your simple guide has helped me understand many many thanks from London England
My bread came perfect the first time . Thank you to your video . From your recipes I made some pizza dough and at some avocado oil in it . So good .
Excellent walk through, perfect loaf on the first try. I watched a lot of videos on this and yours was easily the best.
Your bread making technique was great for making my sour dough loaf. It came out great !!!! Wow !!!!!! The only thing I changed was your baking technique..... First, inside the oven I placed a 24x 24 Terracotta stone along with a copper pot underneath it ......Preheated the oven at 550 F, boiled some water on the top of the stove. After 20 minutes of preheating I put my dough gently on top of the preheated stone, then I dumped the boiling hot water inside the copper pot, closed oven and let the steam work for 2 minutes. After the two minutes I turned the oven down to 475 F and cooked the dough for 10-15 minutes. Then I reopened the oven door and turned the bread 180 degrees and finish baking for another 10-15 minutes. The bread smelled incredible. Thank you so much for a great recipe.
***** Awesome feed back Mark. Glad you enjoyed the video and recipe.
Brilliant, thank you, I now get that making sourdough is all about patience but well worth the end result, I just have to master the sourdough starter!!!
Best Video I've seen on RUclips about making a great Sourdough ... Thank you so so much
'Holy oven spring Batman!' that really made me chuckle. This is such a great video. Very informative
I love how when you cut it, you could actually see the pattern from the stretch and fold in the "grain" of the bread's air pockets.
This is truly an art. Thanks for sharing your expertise!
thank you very much for this, still getting the folding and tucking right but for a first attempt delicious.
The slow rising time and the rye flour are what made the loaf sour. Also, cold fermentation will make the bread sour as well. Dump and feed the starter 12-14 hours before mixing your dough. Make sure the stater passes the float test first, which means it is active enough to levin your bread without taking 24 hours (again, delayed fermentation yields a more sour loaf).
great video i always had problem with dough spread when baking but thanks to video my oven spring is now great Cheers Jacob
Glad you enjoyed the video.
MANY THANKS FOR THE VIDEO,ITS A PLEASURE TO WATCH A PROFESIONAL WORK.AND THANKS FOR THE INFO.
Yes. Wheat flour can soak up more moisture so you'll need to increase your hydration rate. Also, if using 100% whole wheat flour, the loaf will be much more dense. Pretty much anything over 20% wheat flour will effect your oven spring.
best How to sourdough Bread video on youtube
I wish I would have found you sooner. After all of my lackluster attempts to make sourdough bread I finally found success after I followed your instructions. The loaf was tall, beautiful and full of flavor. Thank you. - Tim
great video, great recipe thanks for helping me make the best sourdough bread i have ever had
Gosh ! What a load of work for one loaf of bread ! You make it look so complicated !
I jerry-rigged mine the whole way through. My starter was 150 grams short, so I had to add a yeast packet and flour. Then, not having a proofing basket or the right flour cloth, my dough tore at the top as I flipped it onto the baking stone... which made me skip the scoring on top... and poured water underneath in a cookie sheet to simulate a steamy environment on the bottom rack. Well, the loaf still turned out fine but not as pretty as yours. So, I have the confidence if I get the same tools you have, my next loaf will appear as you've demonstrated.
The instructions are very good. I have done sourdough.
I appreciate the careful and understandable progressions you demonstrate. I wish you had shown us how you took care of the slight loss of adhesion on the underside/seam side of the dough when you place it in the bowl (8:30 I think).
The 'tension turn' is one step I've missed. However, when I have tried to create the 'skin' over the surface I frequently have the same kind of separation, even though I do turn the dough on the bench before I place it in the brotform. Also when I use just bread flour to dust the basket, the dough will stick. Dusting with a combination of bread flour and rice flour eliminate this problem. I suspect the sticking to the liner is also due to the lack of proper tension turning technique.
Thnk yu once again
I would feed it every 12-24 hours depending on the starters activity and try again every time before you feed it. The float test simply lets you know how active your starter is based upon how much carbon dioxide the yeast is giving off during fermentation.
wow awesome table techniques! very helpful for begginers like me, well explained. thanks!
Great recipe, I tried and the bread is very tasty. Thank you
Just beautiful. Can't wait for 5 more days to get my sourdough starter ready!!
I've never used spelt flour in my starter but it should work. When mixing your final dough for the bread dough, if your flour ratio contains any more than 5-10% spelt flour, then your loaf will come out more dense due to lack of gluten. You can also substitute spelt flour for rye flour in the sourdough starter, but it will alter the flavor (not making it worse, just different).
Love it, my friend. Very well explained!
Yep, the stretch and fold is there and I am using bread flour (strong). Adding a little more wholemeal flour helped a little - I guess there was simply too much water. I'll also try with a fresher starter next time. Brilliant recipe though and what a great taste.
Cheers
1) You can bake without the dutch oven but the crust will be rock hard and not crackle. I would highly recommend a dutch oven.
2) A starter can be done with rye and wheat only. Because of how these grains are metabolized by yeast and bacteria, it will make your starter much more sour. Also, if yo use more than 20% whole wheat or rye flour in your bread recipe, it will cause the loaf to be more dense.
3) I refresh the poolish starter after I remove a portion for the sour dough bread recipe.
Love this video and the bread. Thank you so much for posting it. Just as a note, the video says to use 20 grams of salt, but the list of ingredients under the video says to use 15 grams of salt. You might want to make the video and the ingredient list agree. Thanks again!
Thanks for sharing a great video. My loaf turned out amazing! I wish I could post a pic here for you.
It's not cheating if it works. Sometimes when you have a young starter or a starter that isn't on a regular feeding schedule, a little bit of instant yeast can help a lot.
Can't, for the life of me, figure out why you have so many thumbs down...?
Good video, easy to follow... thumbs up definitely...
My best method yet! Just count the positive!
thank you Jacob for the great video./ first time here. SCARED!!!!!!
Just found your video, so I know it's been available for a while, but .... like I said, just found it. This is a great video and I thank you for sharing with us. Definitely subscribing!
Thanks. Glad you enjoyed the video.
Excellent demonstration video!!
That was amazing. It is definately hard work but once every month is worthed.
Hi,your loaf looks wau.. nice work of master,Jacob...
Success i have a lovely warm sourdough loaf sitting in my kitchen thanks to your wonderful publication ,,,thank you
Wow, just wow. Fantastic video this is pretty awesome.
BTW, very good video. I've done S&F in the bowl but not on the counter. I've seen Bertinet do this slap and fold method.
Thanks so much. Glad you found the video helpful.
Done on a large production level, the dough would be mixed in a massive batch, fermented, divided, and proofed in baskets. The proofed loaves would then be loaded onto large wooden peels or a mechanical loader, and then baked in a large hearth oven with steam injection. At the restaurant, we make about 20 of these a day with 6 other types of fresh baked bread. We cook them in a large, wood fire oven. The dutch oven method is used at home to replicate professional deck ovens found in bakeries.
Thank you so much new ways are all ways welcome, since I`ve learned the old french way.
thank you at last I have a risen sourdough at about the 10th attempt, I was beginning to lose heart I did everything the same apart from 1 crucial difference, I fed my starter and after 6 hours I then checked and my starter floated in the water test , first time this had happened every other time the starter must have been deflating hence a low rise, now I will follow your method with this feed method , all the other times my sourdough had holes was lovely but flat and now the missing link ( its risen) thank you tooooooo much
+Gary Skinner Awesome to hear! Let me know how it comes out.
Feed your starter whole wheat and rye flour and then store in a refrigerator. Feed like this every 1-2 days for about a week. Also, after you shape your dough into loaves, place in the refrigerator over night. Slowing down the fermentation and feeding whole wheat flour will both promote acetic acid production, which is responsible for making sourdough bread "sour."
Try the "Young Starter" approach. The night before you bake your bread, dump all the starter in the trash, except for the small amount that clings to the bottom and sides of the container. Feed your starter half flour and half room temp water (by weight) and then let it sit over night. Because you are refreshing the whole starter, it will be much more floral and less sour than usual. It will take about 12-18 hours after feeding before your starter is ready to bake with.
beautiful i can taste it with some really delicious butter
How old is your starter? Are you storing it at room temperature? How long does it take to pass the float test after feeding? Are you dumping out most of the starter when you feed it?
fantastic tryed it and it really works thanks a lot
Great video, Jacob. Thanks for sharing!