A classic “rustic” Sourdough boule with thick, chewy crust and a tangy fermented flavor. Perfect for toasting in a skillet with butter or olive oil or eating plain with your favorite main dish.

Your First sourdough boule

Making your first sourdough boule is SO exciting! You’ve created your starter, fed and watered it, watched it bubble and come to life, and fretted over it like a new parent. Then, it is finally time to bake and you carefully fold and stretch and shape and wait and say a prayer as you pop it into the oven. When you open that lid and see that it is actually working- the crazy wild yeast that you developed with nothing but flour and water- IS WORKING! It is a magical moment.

Making your first boule can seem overwhelming with all the unfamiliar steps and jargon. You can get really technical with sourdough loaves and there are people who have gotten it down to an exact science! But remember, ancient civilizations were enjoying the amazing benefits of sourdough bread long before kitchen scales and instant read thermometers were even a thing! It’s fun to experiment with all the different elements- and there are a ton- that effect your final loaf. But making artisan sourdough loaves can be as simple as you want it to be.

Stretch and fold

The stretch and fold technique is really simple and saves your arms a TON of work by not having to sit and knead your dough to build up all that wonderful gluten. The important thing is to make sure your hands are wet so that the dough doesn’t stick to your hands. And also to make sure you are gently stretching- NOT tearing your dough. Stretching helps develop and strengthen the gluten in your sough so that you end up with that classic chewy sourdough that is so sought after. Here is a great visual example of how to do the stretch and fold technique.

your sourdough boules need to ‘rest’

When you’re making your first sourdough boule, don’t be tempted to cut down the ‘rest’ time. You can’t rush the magic! The resting periods are just as important as the stretching, folding, and shaping. I find it easiest to get all the way to the last shaping on Day ONE, then leave the loaves to ferment in the fridge and gain volume overnight. Then, on Day TWO, I’m able to turn them out, score them, and pop them into the oven first thing the next morning.

Scoring your first sourdough boule

There are tons of different ways to score, or ‘slash’ your dough before it goes in to the oven. You do this to help the dough with “oven spring” and prevent them from cracking and bursting unpredictably. The score helps your loaf expand and rise evenly. You can use a razor blaze or very sharp knife and do a quick, simple slash down the middle, or try a more elegant pattern. The deeper your cut, the more your boule is going to expand there. You generally want to aim for around 1/4 inch depth. You can experiment with different angles and depths to get the final look that you want.

don’t cut into it hot

As much as we all LOVE warm bread straight out of the oven, sourdough is really not ideal for cutting warm. If you do get impatient and cut it before it has had a chance to cool, chances are you will end up with a gummy, sticky loaf. If you want to eat your sourdough warm, I would suggest letting it cool ALL the way to room temperature and then slicing it and reheating. My favorite way to heat sourdough is by throwing it into a buttered cast iron skillet to toast. It softens it up a bit and absorbs the butter, giving it an amazing flavor and texture!

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