Beef Free Sourdough Country Loaf
There is something deeply satisfying about pulling a crackling, mahogany-crusted loaf out of a screaming-hot Dutch oven, and this sourdough country loaf delivers exactly that kind of moment. The dough is built from just five ingredients — bread flour, whole wheat flour, water, salt, and a lively starter — so every bite is clean, honest, and full of that signature tang. The whole wheat flour adds a subtle earthiness and a little extra nutrition without weighing down the open crumb you're working so hard to develop through those stretch-and-fold sets. The cold overnight proof in the refrigerator is the secret weapon here: it slows fermentation just enough to deepen flavor and makes the dough firm and easy to score cleanly before it hits the heat. Baking covered at high heat traps steam and gives you that dramatic oven spring and blistered crust, while the final uncovered stretch turns everything a gorgeous deep brown. Let it cool the full hour — seriously, the crumb needs it — and you'll be rewarded with slices that are chewy, airy, and absolutely worth the process.
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Learn more →Ingredients
12 servings
- 50 g active sourdough starter (100% hydration, fed and at peak)
- 375 g bread flour
- 75 g whole wheat flour
- 325 g lukewarm water (about 80°f / 27°c), divided
- 10 g fine sea salt
Instructions
- 1
In a large mixing bowl, combine the sourdough starter with 300 g of the lukewarm water and stir until the starter is fully dissolved and the mixture looks milky. Add the bread flour and whole wheat flour and mix with your hand or a stiff spatula until no dry flour remains and a shaggy dough forms. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 30–45 minutes (autolyse).
- 2
Dissolve the salt in the remaining 25 g of lukewarm water. Pour the salt water over the dough and work it in by squeezing the dough through your fingers and folding until the liquid is fully absorbed and the dough feels cohesive, about 2–3 minutes. Cover and let rest 30 minutes.
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