Sourdough Artisan Bread

Crunchy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside. This bread is fancy and challenging, but it is SO yummy!

Sourdough Artisan Bread has been the toughest in the sourdough world by far for me, and is one of those recipes that doesn't always turn out the same way every single time. It is a delicate balance of fragile and firm. It takes a bit more love than a typical bread recipe.

At first, I had loaves that didn't crunch on the outside. Some of the loaves burnt on the bottom. I have yet to master the art of the oven spring each time. Each recipe I've tried, I jotted down notes on different things that went wrong and what I would change, and it took a bit of time but I THINK I've got it down to what works best, at least for my oven!

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No matter the consistency of the bread, they've always had one thing in common: they taste DELICIOUS! Seriously. If you've had sourdough artisan bread, you know what I'm talking about. Dip it in olive oil seasoned with fresh herbs, or just add a pat of butter on a warm slice and let it melt to perfection.

Your mouth watering yet? Mine is!

Here are a few tips that I've learned along this journey of trying to perfect the sourdough artisan loaf:

Time Make sure to allow yourself enough time to hit each of the resting periods correctly. For instance, I recommend starting your dough in the evening, and then use the refrigeration method to make sure your dough doesn't overproof!

Stickiness

This part can be frustrating! When you're stretching the dough on the counter, it's going to be sticky. You don't want to add flour, but you also don't want it to be sticking to your fingers. Sometimes I wet my hands before I grab the dough to fold over, and then wet them one more time before I roll into a ball and do the push/pull tension building. This helps the dough stay off my hands, but it also doesn't dry the dough out.

Grace

Ultimately, just give yourself grace! Sometimes your loaves will look like they're straight out of Food Magazine. Other times, not so much. It's all part of the journey of making nutritious food from scratch for your family. :)

What you'll need:

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• A large mixing bowl

• Dough whisk, proofing bowls, dough scraper, and bread lames (I recommend this Banneton Bread Proofing Basket Kit)

• Shower caps or plastic wrap

• Parchment Paper

• A cast iron pot, or Dutch Oven

• Sharp bread knife

Want a different flavor of bread? Try some of our favorite variations!

Jalapeno Cheddar

Add sliced jalapenos and cubes of cheddar cheese when doing the 1/3 folds to the middle the second time!

Cinnamon Brown Sugar

Sprinkle some brown sugar and cinnamon when doing the 1/3 folds to the middle the second time!