Here’s a complete guide to making sourdough bread from scratch, including a detailed timeline. This includes making your own starter, which takes about a week, followed by a full 2-day bread-making schedule.

Part 1: Make a Sourdough Starter (7–10 Days)

You’ll need:

Wholemeal flour (ideally stoneground) Water (filtered or dechlorinated)

Day 1 (Morning):

Mix 50g wholemeal flour + 50g water in a clean jar. Cover loosely (e.g., tea towel or loose lid). Leave at room temp (around 20–23°C).

Day 2–7:

Each day, discard half (about 50g), then feed with 50g flour + 50g water. By day 5–7, it should be doubling in size within 4–6 hours of feeding and smell yeasty and mildly tangy.

Once it’s reliably active, it’s ready to bake with.

Part 2: Make the Bread (2-Day Timeline)

Day 1: Mix, Stretch & Fold, Bulk Ferment, Shape, Cold Proof

(Start early to allow time for bulk ferment)

08:00 – Feed your starter

Feed starter (1:2:2 ratio: e.g., 20g starter + 40g flour + 40g water) Let it peak (about 4–6 hours)

12:00 – Mix Dough (Autolyse optional)

Ingredients: 500g strong white bread flour 375g water (75% hydration) 10g salt 100g active starter Optional: Mix flour + 350g water first, rest 30 mins (autolyse), then add starter + salt + remaining 25g water

12:30 – Begin Bulk Fermentation (4–6 hrs)

Keep dough in a warm spot (21–24°C) Stretch & Fold every 30 minutes for first 2 hours (3–4 sets total)

17:30 – Pre-shape and Rest

Gently shape dough into a round or oblong Rest uncovered on worktop for 20–30 mins

18:00 – Final Shape & Cold Proof

Shape into banneton (floured cloth-lined bowl or proofing basket) Cover and refrigerate overnight (8–16 hours)

Day 2: Bake

08:00 – Preheat Oven & Bake

Preheat oven with Dutch oven inside to 250°C (or as hot as it goes) for 30–45 mins Tip dough onto parchment, slash the top, and bake: 20 mins with lid on 20–25 mins with lid off (reduce to 230°C)

09:00 – Cool & Eat

Cool completely before slicing (at least 1 hour)

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