Basic Fresh Milled Sourdough Loaf

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There’s nothing quite like pulling a fresh sourdough loaf out of the oven—the smell, the golden crust, and that first warm slice with butter. This recipe keeps things simple and approachable, with just four ingredients: flour, water, salt, and starter. With fresh milled flour, you’ll get a loaf that’s hearty, flavorful, and nourishing enough to make you wonder why you ever bought bread at the store. 

Tools You’ll Need 

Ingredients 

  • Fresh milled flour (½ hard white, ½ hard red) 
  • Salt 
  • Water 
  • Sourdough starter 

Instructions 

  1. Mix flour & water: Combine flour and water and mix until no dry bits remain.
  2. Autolyse: Cover bowl and let sit on counter for at least 2 hours or overnight. This step is called autolyse and the elapsed time will allow the flour to absorb the water.
  3. Add starter and salt: After letting the dough rest, add starter and salt. Stretch and fold or knead until starter and salt are well incorporated.
  4. Develop gluten: Over the next hour to hour and a half, perform 4-6 sets of stretches and folds every 15 minutes. (Or knead with a mixer until you reach windowpane.) 
  5. Bulk ferment: Cover and let the dough rise. Fermentation time will vary depending on dough and room temperature—watch for the dough to roughly double. 
  6. Shape: With wet hands, shape the dough into a round loaf. You can also use a silicone baking make to spread the dough flat and then tightly roll into a loaf for a loaf pan. Place seam side down in loaf pan, dutch oven or on baking sheet. 
  7. Bake: Preheat oven to 400°F. Transfer dough (with parchment) to your loaf pan, Dutch oven, or a baking sheet. Bake 45–50 minutes, until internal temp reaches 205°F. 
  8. Cool & enjoy: Let bread cool completely before slicing—this step is hard, but worth it! 

 

Basic Fresh Milled Sourdough Loaf

Mallory Smith

Servings

10

Prep Time

8 hours

Cook Time

1 hours

Cuisine

Category

Sourdough

There’s nothing quite like pulling a fresh sourdough loaf out of the oven—the smell, the golden crust, and that first warm slice with butter. This recipe keeps things simple and approachable, with just four ingredients: flour, water, salt, and starter. With fresh milled flour, you’ll get a loaf that’s hearty, flavorful, and nourishing enough to make you wonder why you ever bought bread at the store.

Ingredients

  • 100g sourdough starter

  • 500g fresh milled flour (we recommend half hard red and half hard white)

  • 400g water

  • 10g salt

Directions

  1. Combine flour and water and mix until no dry bits remain. Cover bowl and let sit on counter for at least 2 hours or overnight. This step is called autolyse and the elapsed time will allow the flour to absorb the water.

  2. After 2 hours or the next morning, add starter and salt. Stretch and fold/knead the dough until salt a starter are well incorporated. Let dough rest for covered on the counter and perform 4-6 sets of stretches and folds, every 15 minutes to assist with gluten development. You can also use a mixer and knead until you reach windowpane.

  3. Fermentation time will depend on several factors including dough and ambient temperature.

    Once fermentation time has passed, reheat oven to 400 degrees.

    Using wet hands, place the dough on parchment or a silicone mat and spread with your hands. Roll up the dough and shape the dough into round loaf, putting it seam side down. Cook on baking sheet and parchment for 45-50 mins. Bread is done when internal temp is 205 degrees. Let cool before cutting. You can also bake in a loaf pan.

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