Sourdough bread log

Here is an ongoing log of my sourdough bread experiments (most recent at the top). The objective is to improve my process, updating my basic recipe as I go.

2025-09-11

This is by far not the first sourdough bread I bake. However, after 1.5 year of travelling, I don't really remember the recipe I used anymore. All in all, I am starting from scratch again. My previous sourdough starter (Heimlich) is long gone, but I created a new one in Lausanne two weeks ago (named Sylvain).

This first try was all over the place (and not following any ideal recipe), as I had to leave the house in the middle of the process. I'll try to document the things I remember doing anyway:

• Refresh the sourdough starter twice before using it.
• Mix the dough, incorporating the ingredients at 20 minutes interval (total duration: 1 hour). 400 g wheat flour (T80) + 100 g whole wheat flour (T110) + 350 g water > 125 g sourdough starter > 9 g salt.
• Perform a few sets of folds 20–30 minutes apart. Let rest six hours (in the fridge) after the last set — I had to leave the house at that point.
• Take the dough out of the fridge, stretch and fold it once more on a floured work surface. Let rest 20 minutes.
• Shape the dough, place it in a banneton, and let rise for 9 hours in the fridge.
• Bake in a dutch oven at 230 °C (gas oven). Keep the lid on for 20 minutes, remove it for the last 20 minutes.

My first bread in 1.5 year came out nicely! The result is soft with a good bounce, and the air bubbles have a decent size. I think the dough might have slightly over-proofed, as the bread was a bit flat. The crust was practically black at the bottom, but not very crispy at the top.

Things to try:

• Have a shorter second rise (or shorter total rise time) to avoid over-proofing.
• When baking, lower the temperature from 230 °C to 200 °C after removing the lid. This might help with creating a more homogenous crust. ⊙