Your first sourdough loaf: a simple schedule
You don't need a bakery or a pile of gadgets. Here's a simple, forgiving schedule for a first loaf, and what each tool actually does.
What you need
- An active sourdough starter (one that doubles 4–8 hours after feeding)
- 500 g bread flour, 350–375 g water, 10 g salt, 100 g starter
- A mixing bowl, a dough whisk, a bench scraper, a banneton and a lame
- A Dutch oven or a lidded oven-safe pot
The schedule (example)
- 9:00 am: Mix. Whisk the water and starter, then add the flour and mix until no dry bits remain. Cover and rest 45 minutes.
- 9:45 am: Add salt. Sprinkle the salt with a splash of water and squeeze it in.
- 10:15 am to 12:15 pm: Stretch and fold. Every 30 minutes, lift one side of the dough and fold it over. Go around the bowl four times.
- Until about 2–4 pm: Bulk rise. Let it rise until it's about 50–75% bigger, domed and jiggly. Time depends on your kitchen temperature.
- Shape. Tip the dough out, pre-shape it into a round with a dough or bench scraper, rest 20 minutes, then shape it tightly and place it seam-side up in a floured banneton.
- Overnight: Cold proof. Cover and refrigerate 8–16 hours. Cold dough is easier to score.
- Next morning: Bake. Preheat the pot at 250 °C / 480 °F for 45 minutes. Flip the dough onto parchment, score one confident cut at a shallow angle, and bake 20 minutes covered, then 20–25 minutes uncovered at 230 °C / 450 °F.
- Cool. Wait at least an hour before slicing, because the crumb is still setting.
Common first-loaf problems
- Flat loaf: usually under-proofed (bulk rise too short) or weak shaping. Let bulk go longer and shape tighter.
- Dough sticks to the basket: use rice flour, not just wheat flour, or use the liner.
- No "ear": score at a shallow 30° angle, about 1 cm deep, in one quick motion.
Get every tool in one kit
The First Loaf Kit bundles the oval basket and liner, Danish whisk, lame with spare blades, and a dough scraper, shipped as one package.
Want the whole method, plus 14 recipes?
Sourdough, Simply is our 44-page PDF cookbook: starter day by day, this schedule in detail, shaping and scoring, troubleshooting, 14 recipes and printable trackers. Launch sale $6.99 $12, instant download. Or get it with the kit for $48 $56 (save $8 vs regular prices).