Carrageenan 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 ingredient list is beautifully short — bread flour, whole wheat flour, water, salt, and a lively starter — which means there is simply no room for the additives and thickeners that sneak into so many store-bought breads. Carrageenan, a seaweed-derived stabilizer commonly used in commercial baked goods and dairy products, has no place here, and the process never calls for anything that would introduce it. The whole wheat flour adds a gentle nuttiness and depth that keeps the crumb from tasting flat, while the long cold proof overnight develops complex, tangy flavor you genuinely cannot rush or fake. Stretch-and-fold sets build strength in the dough gradually, so by the time it hits that blazing Dutch oven, the oven spring is dramatic and the crust shatters in the best possible way. Cooling the loaf fully before slicing is the hardest part, but it is the step that turns a good bake into a great one — the crumb sets up open and chewy rather than gummy. Once you have made this at home, it is very difficult to go back to anything wrapped in plastic.
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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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