Recipe · Sourdough · Slow-Fermented
82% Hydration Slow-Fermented Sourdough
Sourdough relies on wild yeast cultured from a starter, and that starter does most of the work. The long ferment pulls real flavor out of the flour, gives you a chewy, open crumb, and produces the sour notes that commercial yeast can't match.
Total time
36 hours (over ~3 days)
Active
90 minutes
Hydration
82%
Difficulty
⌬⌬⌬
At 82% hydration, the dough barely holds its own shape. The reward is dramatic: large irregular holes, a crisp blistered crust, and the flavor that comes from very wet doughs that have spent a long time fermenting. The cost is technique.
The slow schedule is for bakers who plan ahead. Mix Friday, fold and refrigerate, shape Saturday, ferment again, bake Sunday. The time produces depth that a shorter schedule simply can't reach, and the dough is a pleasure to handle by the end.
Ingredients
1000g total dough. Yields 1 boule, ~900g baked.
| Ingredient | Grams | Baker's % |
|---|---|---|
| Bread flour | 490 g | 100% |
| Water | 402 g | 82% |
| Salt | 9.8 g | 2% |
| Active sourdough starter (100% hydration) | 98 g | 20% |
Schedule
- Day 1, eveningMix flour and water. Autolyse 1 hour.
- Day 1, eveningAdd starter and salt. Mix gently.
- Day 1, eveningThree folds, 30 minutes apart.
- Day 1, nightRefrigerate the bulk dough overnight.
- Day 2, morningPull from refrigerator. Bench rest 1 hour.
- Day 2, middayPre-shape, rest 30 minutes. Shape into a tight boule, place seam-up in a floured banneton.
- Day 2, afternoonCover and refrigerate the shaped dough overnight.
- Day 3, morningPull from the refrigerator. Preheat the oven and Dutch oven to bake temperature.
- Day 3, morningScore the loaf. Bake at 500°F covered for 25 minutes, then uncovered for 20 more minutes.
Method tips for this style
The starter has to be active and bubbly within four to six hours of feeding. If it doubles in that window, it's ready. A sluggish starter produces a sluggish loaf, regardless of schedule or hydration.
What to expect
A dramatic open crumb riddled with irregular holes, a blistered dark crust, and the kind of complex tangy flavor only long ferments produce. This is artisan bread at its peak.
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