Bread Making 101. How to Bake Like They Did in the Old Days. Introduction to sourdough bread making
It all started one spring afternoon when I found an old jar in the back of my fridge labeled “starter.” Out of curiosity, I mixed flour and water and watched it ferment. Within days, it bubbled to life, a living culture of yeast and bacteria that smelled tangy and alive. I was hooked. The smell of the first loaf baking in my oven carried me back to hearthside kitchens of the past, and I realized I’d stumbled into a centuries-old tradition. In the months that followed, I fell in love with the slow rhythm of sourdough baking: feeding a starter like a pet, waiting for dough to rise, and finally pulling a golden, crusty loaf from the oven.
The Ancient Roots of Sourdough
Sourdough is as old as bread itself. In fact, the very first leavened bread was probably created by accident, when early bakers left a simple flour-and-water mash out overnight and wild yeast in the air fermented [itdistinctlymontana.com]. Ancient Egyptians were already using sourdough starters to bake their bread thousands of years ago. For millennia, all leavened bread was made this way: the natural yeasts in the environment did the rising, long before industrial baker’s yeast. (Even the miners of the California Gold Rush carried their bubbly “sourdough” jars under their coats to keep baking along their long trek). In old European villages, families would bring their dough to a communal wood-fired oven – a weekly ritual where whole neighborhoods shared one big oven. Each loaf was marked with a family symbol, and every bake day became a festival of fresh bread.
Old-World Baking Traditions
In those days, bread-making was hands-on and slow. Grain was stone-milled, flour was whole, and loaves were baked in brick or clay ovens stoked with wood. A wood-fired oven takes hours to heat, then holds intense radiant heat and steam, the perfect environment for a thick, crusty. Bakers would mix dough by hand (often slapping and kneading it vigorously on the table) to develop gluten, then let it rise naturally. The long fermentation not only leavened the bread but also developed flavor and digestibility. As one modern sourdough teacher notes, sourdough is not fast; the dough can take days to really show its best texture and sourness. Traditionally, bakers even scored their dough by hand to guide how it split in the oven, and every village oven had its own “master baker” who kept it clean and hot. Although technology has changed, many home bakers still treasure that old-world method: a welcome return to “slow food” baking and heirloom flavors.
Modern Aids and Shortcuts
Thankfully, you don’t need to build a brick oven or mill your own grain to bake like an old-timer. Today’s home cooks borrow some clever shortcuts. For example, a heavy Dutch oven with a tight lid in a modern oven acts like a mini wood-fired oven: it traps steam and radiates heat evenly around the loaf. As one wood-oven builder explains, home bakers “have been using Dutch ovens to mimic the radiant heat of a wood-burning oven,” and it works beautifully. (In fact, research shows a preheated covered pot lets off a burst of steam that caramelizes the crust even more than just spraying the oven or adding a pan of water. Stand mixers have also made life easier: what once took ten minutes of dough-slapping can now be done in a minute or two at the push of a button. Digital thermometers, proofing boxes, and precise kitchen scales mean we can control dough temperature and hydration with scientific accuracy (a scale is “the most accurate way to create consistent results”. And grocery stores sell all-purpose or bread flour that’s milled to be just right, so our doughs rise reliably. In short, modern tools let us capture the spirit of old-fashioned sourdough with less elbow grease and more consistent success.
From Scratch: Building Your Starter
Your first sourdough starter: flour and water fermenting together to capture wild yeast. Truly, all you need is equal parts flour and water to begin. Covered loosely, this mixture will attract wild yeasts and bacteria from the air. In a few days, you’ll see foamy bubbles – the proof that “you’ve captured some real wild yeast,” as one baker describes the moment her first bubbles appeared. Each day, you’ll feed the starter by discarding half and refreshing it with more flour and water. Over about 2–3 weeks of daily feeding, the culture strengthens and becomes reliably active. At that point, you’ll have a mature starter you can use to bake bread.
(Don’t have weeks to wait? You can also get a head start by borrowing a bit of starter from a friend or buying a jar online. But there’s something magical about growing it yourself from scratch.)
“Sourdough bread isn’t just food, it’s patience, history, and care baked into every crusty, golden slice.”
Sourdough Bread Recipes (Medium-hydration)
Ingredients (makes one 1–1½ lb loaf)
500 g (about 4 cups) unbleached bread flour.
350 g (about 1½ cups) warm water.
10 g (≈2 tsp) salt. 100 g (about ½ cup) active sourdough starter (well-fed, bubbly)
Instructions:
Mix dough: In a large bowl, stir together water and starter until everything is well combined and frothy (Use a kitchen scale if you can; precise weights make a big difference). Add the bread flour, and combine. The dough will be shaggy and sticky at first.
Autolyse: Cover the bowl and let it rest 30–45 minutes. This gives the flour time to hydrate and the fermentation a head start. (Many bakers swear that an autolyse always improves the loaf). After this rest period, add salt and combine by dimpling the salt into the dough (you can add 2-5g of extra water to help you combine the salt well).
Develop gluten: Rather than kneading vigorously, use the stretch-and-fold method. Dampen your hands and grab one edge of the dough, pulling it up carefully (without tearing the dough) and folding it back over itself. Turn the bowl 90° and repeat for a total of 4-5 folds. Cover and rest 30 minutes, then repeat 2 more sets of 4 folds (each session 30 minutes apart) (If the dough sticks, wet your hands as needed; it can feel tacky, but avoid adding extra flour.) Also include Coil Folds. With wet hands, lift the dough from the center until it stretches, then tuck it under itself so it “coils.” Rotate 90° and repeat.
Do 2–3 rounds of folds during the first 1–2 hours of bulk fermentation, spacing them 30 minutes apart. This builds gluten strength while keeping the dough airy.Bulk ferment: Cover the dough (with a tea towel, cling wrap, or even a disposable shower cap) and let it rise at room temperature for 4–6 hours, until nearly doubled. (Timing depends on your kitchen’s temperature and the starter’s vigor. In cold temperatures, it could take close to 8 hours.) Don’t rush it; under-proofed dough makes a dense loaf with big tunnels.
Shape the loaf: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently pre-shape into a round, let it bench-rest 15 minutes uncovered, then do a tighter final shaping. To shape, fold the edges in and rotate the dough under itself to create surface tension. The goal is a smooth, taut ball that will hold its rise. Place the dough seam-side up in a floured proofing basket or bowl (lined with a tea towel) for its final proof.
Cold fermentation (final proof): Cover the shaped dough and refrigerate for 8–12 hours (or up to 24). The cold fermentation makes the dough easier to score and gives the bread a deeper, tangier flavor.
Preheat oven: When the dough is nearly ready, heat your oven to 450°F with a Dutch oven (or heavy-lidded pot) inside. Preheat for at least 30 minutes so the pot is very hot.
Bake: Carefully turn the dough out onto a piece of parchment paper. Dust the top with rice flour and use a razor or sharp blade to score the surface deeply (about ½ inch). This creates controlled expansion during baking. Lift the dough on the parchment into the hot pot. Cover and bake 30 minutes at 450°F. Then remove the lid, lower the heat to 400°F, and bake another 15–25 minutes until the crust is deep golden brown. The crusty sear and open crumb are thanks to that steam-trapping Dutch oven (this method produces far more steam inside the pot than showering the oven or pan of water. The loaf is done when it sounds hollow if tapped.
Cool: Transfer the loaf to a rack and cool at least 1 hour before slicing. As tempting as it is, cutting too soon will make the crumb gummy (the loaf continues setting its structure as it cools).
A Note on Low-Hydration Sourdough
While many sourdough recipes aim for a wetter, high-hydration dough that creates large, irregular holes in the crumb, beginners may find success starting with a lower-hydration recipe. Low-hydration sourdough (around 60–65% water relative to flour weight) is much easier to handle, less sticky, and shapes more neatly. These loaves bake up with a tighter, more uniform crumb (think of a rustic country bread with smaller holes, perfect for sandwiches or buttered toast). Because the dough is easier to work with, it’s a great way for new bakers to build confidence before experimenting with wetter, more open-crumb styles.
Low-Hydration Sourdough Variation (Beginner-Friendly)
This version uses less water, making the dough firmer, easier to handle, and less sticky, a great option for your first loaf.
Ingredients (makes one 1–1½ lb loaf):
500 g (about 4 cups) unbleached bread flour.
300 g (about 1 ¼ cups) filtered room temperature water (instead of 350 g).
12 g salt.
125 g active sourdough starter.
Instructions:
Follow the same steps as the main recipe. mixing, resting, stretching and folding, bulk fermenting, shaping, cold fermentation, and baking.
Because the dough has less water, it will feel stiffer, be less sticky, and hold its shape more easily during shaping.
Expect a tighter crumb (smaller holes) and a loaf that’s perfect for everyday sandwiches and toast.
Sourdough bread making is equal parts science and poetry — a dance between wild yeast, time, and your own hands. At first, the process may feel slow and uncertain, but that’s part of the beauty: you’re learning to trust your senses, not just the clock. Every loaf you bake carries with it a story, one that stretches back thousands of years to communal ovens and family kitchens.
If you’re just beginning, don’t worry about perfection. Even a slightly lopsided loaf will taste better than anything from the store, and the joy of pulling it from your oven is unmatched. With each bake, you’ll gain confidence, intuition, and a deeper appreciation for the simple magic of flour, water, and salt.
So why not give it a try? Start your starter, watch it come alive, and bake your first loaf. The crackle of a cooling crust and the tang of your first slice are waiting for you — an invitation to join a tradition as old as bread itself.
