Country Crust Sourdough Bread -- The Loaf We Baked When the Shelter Held

Brayden turned three Saturday September 28. The small birthday-party Sunday September 29 had sixteen at the apartment. The second severe-storm of the year hit Thursday afternoon (the apartment-bathroom-shelter protocol held for the second time in two months). Brayden is one hundred and fifty-eight weeks old (three years!). Eden is sixteen weeks old.

The country crust sourdough bread was the small Friday-afternoon-after-the-storm bake. The sourdough starter I have been keeping in the refrigerator since March of 2024 had been at the small ready-state Friday morning. The dough went together at noon. The bake was Friday evening. The loaf was on the table Saturday morning for Brayden’s small birthday breakfast.

The technique on a country-crust sourdough is the long-bulk-fermentation. The dough rises slowly at room temperature for about five hours before shaping. The shaped loaf rests overnight in the refrigerator. The bake is at five-hundred for the first ten minutes (with steam from a small water-pan in the oven) and then four-fifty for thirty minutes.

Saturday morning the family ate the small loaf for breakfast. Brayden had three small slices with butter and jam.

Country Crust Sourdough Bread

Prep Time: 20 min (plus 8–12 hrs rise) | Cook Time: 40 min | Total Time: ~13 hrs | Servings: 12 slices

Ingredients

• 1 cup active sourdough starter (fed and bubbly)
• 1 1/2 cups warm water (about 90°F)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
• 3 1/2 cups bread flour, plus more for dusting
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon olive oil (for bowl)

Instructions

1. Mix the dough. In a large bowl, whisk together the sourdough starter and warm water until combined. Add the bread flour, whole wheat flour, and salt. Stir with a wooden spoon or your hands until a shaggy dough forms with no dry flour remaining.
2. Stretch and fold. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and let rest 30 minutes. Then perform four rounds of stretch-and-folds, spaced 30 minutes apart: wet your hand, grab one side of the dough, stretch it upward, and fold it over the center. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat until you’ve gone all the way around.
3. Bulk ferment. After the final fold, cover the bowl and let the dough rise at room temperature for 6–10 hours (overnight works well) until it has grown by about 50–75% and looks domed and bubbly on the surface.
4. Shape the loaf. Lightly flour a work surface. Turn the dough out and gently pull it into a rough rectangle. Fold the sides in, then roll the dough toward you to form a tight round or oval. Place seam-side up in a floured proofing basket or a bowl lined with a well-floured towel.
5. Cold proof. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1–3 hours (or up to overnight). This firms the loaf and makes it easier to score.
6. Preheat. Place a Dutch oven (with lid) in the oven and preheat to 475°F for at least 45 minutes.
7. Score and bake. Turn the cold dough out onto a sheet of parchment paper. Using a sharp knife or bread lame, score the top with one deep slash at a 45-degree angle. Carefully lower the dough (on parchment) into the hot Dutch oven, cover with the lid, and bake for 20 minutes.
8. Finish uncovered. Remove the lid and continue baking 18–22 minutes until the crust is deep golden brown and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. Internal temperature should reach 205–210°F.
9. Cool completely. Transfer the loaf to a wire rack and resist cutting for at least 1 hour — the interior continues to set as it cools and the crust will be its crispiest in this window.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 155 | Protein: 5g | Fat: 1g | Carbs: 31g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 295mg