What you need for one loaf
| Ingredient | Weight | What to use |
|---|---|---|
| Bread flour | 500 g | White bread flour. Keep the same bag for the first repeat. |
| Water | 375 g | Use the source recipe’s temperature guidance. |
| Ripe sourdough starter | 100 g | An established starter fed and ready to use. The hydration example below assumes equal weights of flour and water in the starter. |
| Fine salt | 12 g | Weigh it. Different salt crystals take up different amounts of space. |
The mixed dough weighs about 987 g before handling losses. At 100% starter hydration, the 100 g of starter contributes 50 g flour and 50 g water. That makes the total dough about 77% hydration. A sticky feel early in mixing is expected at this hydration. Use the same formula before trying a water change. [1] [2]
You will need a digital scale, mixing bowl, covered straight-sided container, scraper, round basket or towel-lined bowl, suitable covered baker, oven gloves and a cooling rack. Check the vessel, lid and any parchment against the temperatures in the recipe. Keep the path between the counter and oven clear before the pot is hot. [1] [3]
Day one from starter to basket
1. Check the starter and mix
Use starter that has risen predictably after a feed and looks airy and expanded, according to the feeding routine you know. If it is still tight and low in the jar, wait for its normal cues. There is no useful reason to lock in a mix time if the starter has yet to ripen. [1]
Stir the starter into the water. Add the flour and salt and mix until no pockets of dry flour remain. Scrape the sides and cover the dough. Mark its starting level in the bulk container so you can compare the same batch later. Let the dough rest about 30 minutes before the first folds. [1]
2. Fold and track bulk
Over the first two hours, the source method describes up to four fold sets at roughly 30-minute intervals. For each set, lift a section and fold it over the middle, then rotate the container and repeat around the dough. Use lightly damp hands. Stop a pull when the dough resists. By later sets it should feel more cohesive and sit higher after you let it go. The stretch and fold guide shows what to look for. [1] [4]
After the folds, let the dough continue developing in the covered tub. In this method, look for roughly half again the initial volume alongside a more aerated feel. Use the marked container and the dough together. If the dough is cooler or the starter less active, it can take longer than your schedule. Avoid shaping a tight mass simply because a timer has ended. [1] [5]
3. Preshape, rest and shape
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface as the method directs. Gather it into a round with light, short movements. Let it rest, then tighten it into its final round. The dough should be easier to shape after a short bench rest. If it tears instead of tightening, reduce the pull and check how it behaved in bulk. [1] [6]
Place the dough seam side up in the prepared basket. Cover and refrigerate as the source method directs. For an ordinary overnight plan, the published recipe suggests about 12–18 hours as a starting interval, with longer options for this formula. Write down the actual time and the condition at shaping so the morning plan has a real starting point. [1]
Day two from basket to rack
4. Preheat and load
Stafford’s method heats the oven and compatible Dutch oven at 450°F (about 232°C), with at least 45 minutes of heating for the pot. Only use that preheat when your vessel permits it. Release the cold loaf onto your prepared loading surface, score it and load it promptly. Have the hot lid and the landing area for it planned ahead. [1] [3]
5. Bake, uncover and cool
Bake covered for about 30 minutes in the source method, then remove the lid, reduce to 400°F (about 204°C), and finish for about 10–15 minutes. Check the recipe’s colour cues and allow the loaf to finish baking before removing it. Move it to a rack and let it cool before slicing. The recipe allows about an hour. A larger loaf or a still-warm centre may need longer. [1] [7]
| At this stage | A clue to record |
|---|---|
| End of mix | Dough temperature and the starting mark. |
| Last fold | How well the mass lifts and holds together. |
| Shaping | Expansion and how aerated or tight the dough feels. |
| Basket release | Whether the round releases cleanly and keeps its profile. |
| After cooling | A centre slice, texture and what you would try again. |
Crispy Crust’s planned bake log would let you keep those observations next to your recipe and actual times. If the next loaf behaves differently, you can compare a particular step with the first loaf instead of starting over.
Give yourself a checkpoint on each day
On the first day, reserve the opening two hours for mixing and the early folds, then leave a wider window for bulk and shaping. Check whether you can be home when the dough is ready. On the second day, allow for the full preheat, the covered and uncovered bake and cooling before anyone expects a slice. A printed clock is helpful for appointments. Use the dough and recipe to decide when to move between them.
Check the sourdough hydration calculator to include the flour and water in your starter without counting them twice.