sourdough french bread

Crusty sourdough French bread has a fluffy texture inside. It&#x27;s everything you want in a recipe and it couldn&#x27;t be easier.

Sourdough French Bread

sourdough starter

water

tsp salt

flour

tbsp honey

olive oil

Feed your starter 4-12 hours before starting this...

Feed your starter 4-12 hours before starting this recipe. It should be very active and bubbly.

Combine warm water and flour. Allow to rest...

Combine warm water and flour. Allow to rest for 30 minutes for the water to hydrate the flour.

Add sourdough starter. Mix in with wet hands.

Sprinkle salt on top.

Mix the dough with your hands for about...

Mix the dough with your hands for about 5 minutes until the dough comes  together.

Cover with plastic wrap or damp towel and...

Cover with plastic wrap or damp towel and let rest for 30 minutes.

First 3 stretch and folds - every 15...

First 3 stretch and folds - every 15 minutes.

Last 3 stretch and folds - every 30...

Last 3 stretch and folds - every 30 minutes.

Cover with a wet towel or plastic wrap...

Cover with a wet towel or plastic wrap and allow the dough to bulk ferment until doubled.

Split the dough in half down the middle...

Split the dough in half down the middle with a dough scraper.

Shape into a ball by gently spinning it...

Shape into a ball by gently spinning it toward you.

Then shape it into to long loaves by...

Then shape it into to long loaves by rolling out the dough into a flat rectangle (about 1/4 - 1/2 inch thickness) and roll up. Pinch the seam.

Transfer French bread dough onto a 9x13 glass...

Transfer French bread dough onto a 9x13 glass baking dish. Cover with plastic and proof 12-15 hours in refrigerator.

The next day, the dough should have at...

The next day, the dough should have at least doubled in size.

Score with lame.

Preheat to 400. Bake for 25 minutes until...

Preheat to 400. Bake for 25 minutes until golden brown.

Allow to cool completely before slicing.

This sourdough baguette is artisanal and so simple to make using just flour and a bubbly sourdough starter. It has a crackly crust and a fluffy crumb - perfect to dunk into a soup or stew or to eat with a dab of vegan butter!

sourdough starter ((feed the starter about 8-12 hours before making the dough))

bread flour ((you might need more if it is humid where you are))

salt

Place sourdough starter in a bowl and add to it a cup of flour. Mix with a spoon or in a stand mixer set to medium-low speed until the flour has incorporated into the sourdough. Add another cup of flour and salt and knead again until a smooth but slightly sticky dough forms.

Continue kneading for six minutes until the dough is very smooth and supple but still slightly tacky (a bit should stick to your fingers when you touch it). You can add a few more tablespoons of flour if the dough is too sticky to handle. If doing this without a stand mixer, a bench scraper really helps get the dough off the surface.

When you&#39;ve finished kneading, shape the dough into a smooth ball and place in an oiled bowl, turning it over once to coat it with oil. Cover with cling wrap or a tight lid and set aside to rise overnight or for eight hours.

After eight hours the dough will be very puffy and should have risen quite a bit. Turn it on to a lightly floured surface. Using your fist, punch down the ball of dough into a disc, about eight inches in diameter. I like flipping the disc over next so if there are any rough spots on the bottom they will disappear inside the loaf and the top will be smooth.

Begin rolling the disc of dough into a cylinder. Roll once, press the seam down into the dough with your fingers or the heel of your palm.

Continue rolling until a cylindrical loaf forms. Press the seam firmly into the dough and turn the loaf seam-side-down.

Use your palms to roll the baguette to a length of about 12 inches. Make sure you seal the tips. Place the baguette on a floured baking sheet and then coat the baguette lightly with flour. Cover with a kitchen towel and let it rise two hours.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit/260 degrees Celsius. Place a small oven-safe pan with water on the lowest rack in the oven.

Once the oven has preheated, make three gashes in the risen loaf using a bread lame or a sharp knife or blade, taking care not to deflate the loaf. Bake the bread 10 minutes, then turn heat down to 400 degrees F/205 degrees C and bake 20 more minutes. Cool thoroughly on a rack.

This Sourdough French Bread is a soft, airy loaf with a golden crust and subtle tang, perfect for serving alongside Italian dinners, making sandwiches, or turning into garlic bread and soup dippers.

all purpose or bread flour

water (warmed to 100℉, 1⅓ cup)

honey or sugar (2 Tablespoons)

levain or active sourdough starter (1 cup)

olive oil (2 Tablespoons)

salt (2 teaspoons)

bread flour (5 cups)

water (1 teaspoon)

Make levain

10–12 hours before making the dough, make a levain or feed your sourdough starter and leave it covered at around 70–72℉ to double in size. 25  grams  sourdough starter , 125 grams  all purpose or bread flour, 125 grams  water If you want to make the dough the same day, feed your starter at a 1:1:1 ratio (80 g starter, 80 g flour, 80 g water). Let rise at 77–80°F for 3–4 hours, until doubled and bubbly.

The night before (Skip this step if you are ready to make this recipe and have active, bubbly starter ready to go.)

Mix dough

Once the starter is doubled in size and ready to use, warm the water to 100℉. Add all the dough ingredients to a stand mixer with a dough hook or large bowl. If the dough is very sticky, add a little extra flour until the dough is tacky. 330 grams water, 30 grams honey or sugar, 240 grams levain or active sourdough starter, 30  grams olive oil , 10 grams  salt, 700 grams bread flour

Knead dough

Once combined, knead the dough until soft and smooth for about 5-8 minutes by hand or in a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment. 

First rise

Place the dough in a straight-edge container or medium-sized bowl. Place in a warm spot covered until doubled in size. At a dough temperature of 80°F, this will take about 3½ to 4 hours.

Divide dough

Punch down the dough and then dump it onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into two equal parts.

Shape

Flatten one half into a 12-inch rectangle, then tightly roll it up from the long side to form a 12-inch log, smoothing the surface as you go. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Second rise

Place both loaves on a lined baking sheet, seam side down. Cover with a lid or damp kitchen towel. Let the dough rise until puffy and visibly increased in size. At 80°F, this will take about 1½ hours.

Egg wash

Make an egg wash by mixing an egg with a teaspoon of water. Brush the egg wash on the loaves. The egg wash is optional but will give the loaf a golden brown, shiny crust. Then take a bread lame or sharp knife and create diagonal slashes down the bread, about 5 cuts. 1 large egg, 5 grams water

Bake

Bake at 400°F for about 25 minutes, until the bread is lightly browned and the internal temperature reaches 200°F or higher. 

Cool

The next morning

This sourdough french bread is so soft and delicious. My kids love the soft crust and have been eating it as toast for days.

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Sourdough French Bread

Sourdough French Bread

Top 3 sourdough french bread recipes from across the web

The most viewed sourdough french bread recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

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Sourdough French Bread

Sourdough French Bread

Sourdough French Bread

The most viewed sourdough french bread recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine