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–+ servings
A rustic round sourdough loaf in parchment paper.

Rustic Sourdough Bread

Kate Schat
Using extra starter means your sourdough loaf gets done faster. No need to use special pans, either - let's shape a rustic sourdough loaf!
5 from 3 votes
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Prep Time 20 hours
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 20 hours 35 minutes
Course Bread
Cuisine American
Servings 24 servings
Calories 108 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
  

Levain

  • 1 cup active sourdough starter
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup flour go heavy on this

Bread

  • 1 cup warm water reduce to ½ cup if using eggs
  • 2 eggs optional, but adds good rise
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 3 cups all purpose or bread flour
  • 1 cup whole wheat or fresh ground wheat flour

Instructions
 

  • The night before you want to bake bread, add the starter to a large mixing bowl and do your feed with the water and flour in the Levain ingredients.
  • In the morning, add remaining ingredients to the bowl with your starter. Mix until just combined then let sit 20-30 minutes. Then knead until it comes together well.
  • Cover and let sit until doubled, about 6 hours.
  • If you’re around, have the time/bandwidth, over the first few hours, gently knead the bread 4-6 times, then cover it back up.
  • When doubled, decide if you’re going to shape into loaf pans or free form loaves.
  • If you’re doing loaf pans, simple divide the dough in half in the bowl with wet hands, form a log by rolling the dough in the bowl/in the air, and then putting it in a greased loaf pan, covering and let rise until double. (About 2-3 hours) we are not going for fancy shaping here, friends!
  • If doing free form, shape the same way, but into a ball. I used a large soup/small serving bowl and a 4 cup measuring cup both lined with parchment. These will not be flipped, the top is the top of the bread, you will take the parchment out as a sling into a hot pan/pot.
  • Make sure your bread is really actually doubled- get your finger dusted with flour and poke the dough, if the dough springs back, it needs to rise more. If the indent stays, it's good!
  • Preheat oven to 425°F.
  • If baking free form, put your cast iron pan or oven safe pot with lid in the oven to heat up.
  • When oven is up to temp, Move free form loaves to your hot pan with the parchment as a sling.
  • If using loaf pans, slide them into the oven.
  • Bake 20 min, then turn loaves around/take lid off if youre using a pot with a lid. Bake another 15 min or until internal temp is above 180°F.

Notes

  • Need to change the timing on making your dough/baking your bread? Here’s another timeline: Feed your starter in the morning, mix the dough with cold/cool water before bed. The next morning, shape, rise, and bake.
  • You can sub the white flour for more whole wheat. I’d say without changing the end product too much you could do 2 cups white 2 cups whole wheat when mixing the bread. If you do 3 cups whole wheat 1 cup white it will be a drastically different end product, but not bad. Especially if your goal is to serve crusty bread with a soup or stew, whole wheat is great!

Nutrition

Calories: 108kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 4gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.2gTrans Fat: 0.001gCholesterol: 14mgSodium: 201mgPotassium: 46mgFiber: 1gSugar: 0.1gVitamin A: 21IUCalcium: 8mgIron: 1mg
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