Ultimate Sourdough Bread Guide: From Starter to Steam

This long-form guide is written in clear, simple language. It includes practical steps, examples, and internal links. Skim-friendly headings appear in a logical order. If you’re new to sourdough, you’ll learn why hydration, temperature, and timing matter; if you bake often, you’ll find a reliable, repeatable framework to improve oven spring and crumb.

Overview

Sourdough is a living system. Your starter is a small ecosystem of yeast and lactic acid bacteria. When fed flour and water, it produces gas and acid that leaven and flavor your dough. Good bread is the product of small, consistent choices: feed ratios, water temperature, bulk fermentation time, dough strength, shaping tension, and steam in the oven. Readability note: this guide keeps sentences short and concrete, avoids jargon, and front-loads practical steps.

Who this is for: Beginners seeking a step-by-step process; intermediates who want more consistent results.
What you will learn: Starter care, dough mixing, bulk fermentation, shaping, proofing, scoring, baking with steam, and troubleshooting.
Pitfalls to avoid: Under-fermentation, over-fermentation, weak gluten development, shaping without tension, cold dough straight to a hot oven without steam.

Step-by-Step

Step 1: Starter Health

Feed your starter at a consistent ratio (for example 1:3:3 starter:water:flour by weight) and temperature (around 24–26°C) until it reliably doubles within 4–6 hours. A ripe starter smells slightly sweet and yogurty, shows bubbles throughout, and passes a simple “float test” when a spoonful sits on water. If the starter peaks and collapses, feed earlier. If it rises very slowly, increase warmth or feed more frequently. Label jars with time and feed ratio so you can compare results.

Step 2: Mix & Autolyse

For one loaf: 350g water (room temp), 100g ripe starter (100% hydration), 500g bread flour, 10g salt. Mix flour and water first and rest 20–40 minutes (autolyse). Add starter and salt, then pinch and fold until incorporated. The dough should feel sticky but cohesive. If the room is very warm, use cooler water to slow fermentation.

Step 3: Bulk Fermentation & Strength

Place dough in a covered bowl at 24–26°C. Over the first 90 minutes, perform 3–4 sets of stretch-and-folds or coil folds every 30 minutes. Dough strength increases as gluten aligns; stop when it holds shape between folds. Bulk ends when the dough has risen ~60–80%, looks aerated, and feels jiggly. If it’s flat and dense, bulk longer; if it’s puffy and tearing, it’s over-proofed.

Step 4: Preshape, Bench Rest, Shape

Lightly flour the bench. Preshape into a round with a taut surface using a bench knife. Rest 15–20 minutes, uncovered, to relax gluten. Shape into a boule or batard with firm tension—think of wrapping the outer “skin” around a balloon of gas. Seal the seam well.

Step 5: Proof

Place the shaped dough seam-side up in a floured banneton. Proof 45–90 minutes at room temp or cold proof 8–16 hours at 3–5°C. The poke test helps: a gentle poke should slowly spring back, leaving a small indentation. Under-proofed dough resists; over-proofed collapses.

Step 6: Score & Bake with Steam

Heat the oven with a Dutch oven to 245°C. Carefully load the dough seam-side down, score 1–2cm deep at a slight angle to direct expansion, cover, and bake 20 minutes. Remove the lid; bake 20–25 minutes more until deep brown. Steam in the closed pot delays crust formation, allowing maximum oven spring.

Resources

Related: /beginner-plant-care-indoor

Troubleshooting

Pale crust: bake longer uncovered; ensure sufficient sugars by fermenting adequately. Gummy crumb: under-baked or under-fermented—extend bake or bulk. Blowouts: weak shaping tension or shallow score. Dense loaf: starter not ripe, dough too cold, or bulk too short.

Repeatable Framework

Keep a small bake log. Note flour brand, hydration, dough and room temperature, fold times, bulk length, and proofing method. Adjust one variable per bake. Control temperature with a water bath, proof box, or simply by choosing warmer/colder water. Aim for dough temp ~24–26°C after mixing.

Deep Dive: Hydration & Flour

Higher hydration (70–78%) gives a more open crumb but demands stronger gluten handling. Weak flours benefit from more strength work and lower hydration. Whole grains absorb more water; give them time during autolyse. If dough breaks during folds, rest longer and reduce handling intensity.

Food Safety & Storage

Cool loaves completely before slicing. Store cut-side down on a board for a crisp crust within 24 hours, or in a paper bag. For longer storage, slice and freeze; reheat in a toaster or a 200°C oven for a few minutes.

Clarity & Readability Principles (for testing)

Short sentences and concrete steps improve comprehension scores.
Logical heading order (H1 → H2 → H3) helps your outline analyzer.
Internal links appear above; no broken externals in this “perfect” post.
Word count target: ~1700 words to test “Short?” and “Words” metrics.

Conclusion

Strong starter, warm controlled fermentation, proper dough strength, tight shaping, and high heat with steam produce consistently good sourdough. Iterate with a log, change one thing at a time, and enjoy the process.