Recipe Bake Ingredients Steps

San Francisco Sourdough

Advanced San Francisco Sourdough Bread... for when you've mastered the beginner recipe and are ready for a very tasty challenge!
For me, nothing beats the tangy San Francisco sourdough bread I grew up with. This recipe is the culmination of years of effort to try to create the absolute best SF Sourdough recipe around. If you want an easy version, I also have a no-knead version you can try. Unlike that one, this one is very hands-on to try and squeeze every bit of strength and tang our of your flour. But at every step of the way I'll be there with video clips showing you what to do. Ready to give it a go? Excellent.. let's get started!...
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Author: Loafhacker (Brendan)
2x (911g)
82%
5 hrs 30 mins
Loaves
Hydration
Starter Peaks
Day 1 @ 8:00 AM
23 hrs
Day 2 @ 7:20 PM
Start
Cold Proof
Ready
Change Start Bake Stop Bake
Ingredient
Baker's Pct
Levain
This is a 50/50 mix of water and flour
15%
Whole wheat bread flour
4.8%
Strong white bread flour
95%
Water
Main water
72%
Reserved water for levain
4.3%
Salt
1.9%
Water for salt
1.9%
Avocado oil (or other neutral oil)
Oil is not required but it does add some softness to the crumb, and allows it to stay fresh longer as well
2.2%
When
Step
Duration
Levain
3.5h
  1. Make the levain
  1. Make the Levain by mixing even parts of flour and water together with a small amount of starter. A suggested mix is 30g of starter with 70g of flour and 70g of water which will allow enough levain for the recipe with enough left over to continue your starter.
  2. Mix flour, water and starter as per above Keep at 27-30°C (80-85°F) if possible
Timing is automatically calculated based on time entered for starter to mature above. It will not be mature by the end of this step. It factors in the steps before during autolyse before the levain is mixed in which should allow it to then be at full maturity.
Autolyse
10m
  1. Pre-mix the autolysed dough
  1. Mix 663g water, 880g bread flour and 44g whole wheat flour (not levain yet!)
  2. Mix enough to fully incorporate but not beyond that for now
2h
  1. Rest the autolysed dough
  1. Store next to your levain to bring to the same temperature
  2. Now rest the dough
Mix and Develop
10m
  1. Mix the levain into dough
  1. Perform a float test on the levain if you are unsure (does a small blob float in water?) hold before this step if it doesn't float yet
  2. Using the 40g of "Reserve water for levain" to mix with the 139g of Levain and then mix into the autolysed dough.
  3. Mix enough to fully incorporate but not beyond that for now
45m
  1. Rest dough
  1. Place in a nice warm proofing spot - ideally between 27-30°C (80-85°F)
If you cannot raise the temperature to this level, then the Bulk Proofing timings will need to be extended.
15m
  1. Add salt and develop the dough
  1. Stretch the dough out and sprinkle the 18g of salt on top. Then use the 18g of water reserved for salt to help dissolve the salt before folding the dough and working the salt into the dough.
  2. If using the optional oil, keep dipping fingers into the Oil as needed whilst working the dough during this step
  3. Slap and fold for at least 3 minutes until the dough becomes silky and smooth.
Bulk Fermentation
5m
  1. Start bulk fermentation
  1. Cover with a tea towel, foil or a shower cap so the dough doesn't dry out
  2. Place in a nice warm proofing spot - ideally between 27-30°C (80-85°F)
If you cannot raise the temperature to this level, then the Bulk Proofing timings will need to be extended.
45m
  1. Initial Bulk Fermentation Period
  1. Leave to begin the fermentation process
10m
  1. Lamination
  1. Stretch dough out on countertop into thin sheet (just before breaking).
  2. Either fold (like croissant dough) or roll (like cinnamon rolls) to laminate the dough.
30m
  1. Second Bulk Fermentation Period
  1. Cover it up again and then back to the warm proofing spot to continue bulk fermentation
5m
  1. Stretch and Fold
  1. Do one set of stretch and folds
30m
  1. Third Bulk Fermentation Period
  1. Cover it up again and then back to the warm proofing spot to continue bulk fermentation
5m
  1. Stretch and Fold
  1. Do one last set of stretch and folds
30m
  1. Final Bulk Fermentation Period
  1. Cover it up again and then back to the warm proofing spot for the last part of the bulk fermentation phase
Depending on your starter and the temp, you might need to bulk proof a little longer. If you are experienced, feel free to extend as needed. If you are unsure, follow the recipe as-is for the first time and adjust the next time as needed.
Pre-Shape
15m
  1. Pre-shape loaves
  1. Tip out onto countertop
  2. Lightly sprinkle with flour on the top only
  3. Divide into portions for loafs
  4. Turn each loaf over onto floured side with wet side facing up
  5. Perform stitch-and-roll shaping technique (see video in Day 12 of my YouTube series)
30m
  1. Rest the pre-shaped loaves
  1. Rest to relax the gluten (loaves will flatten)
5m
  1. Second shaping
  1. Push/pull each loaf in in all directions with a bench scraper and your hand to develop surface tension
The more you shape, the more strength you build into the loaf, but also the more the dough is degassed. Balancing the two is key!
15m
  1. Rest the shaped loaves
  1. Rest a second time
  2. Loaves will flatten - but not as much as the first time
Final Shape
5m
  1. Final shaping of loaves
  1. Push/pull each loaf in in all directions with a bench scraper and your hand to develop surface tension a bit more
Very lightly on this step. If you think it doesn't need it, you can skip this step.
5m
  1. One Last Rest!
  1. Rest one more time seam-side down for a few minutes just to get it all to seal up properly.
5m
  1. Place in banneton
  1. Put seam side up into banneton (floured with a mixture of 75% rice flour and 25% AP flour)
  2. Cover bowl with shower cap or towel
If you don't have rice flour or a banneton, a bowl with a heavily floured tea towel, or a bowl with a lightly oiled crumpled sheet of baking paper will work
Retard
22h
  1. Retard dough
  1. Retard the dough in the fridge
Use a fridge that doesn't open very often if possible. Otherwise try to avoid opening it too much as it will change the temperature of the dough and, ultimately, could lead to your dough overproofing
Bake
1h
  1. Preheat oven
  1. Preheat oven at 250°C (480°F) at least one hour before baking
Scoring a cold loaf is much easier than a room-temperature one. It can be even easier if you put it in the freezer for 10-20 minutes before scoring. That's completely optional though, and really only needed if you are scoring a detailed pattern or really want to get ears on a higher hydration loaf.
10m
  1. Score and put into oven
  1. Put loaf onto baking paper to allow it to be transferred after scoring
  2. Tuck in the edges a little bit with bench scraper to help it stand proud if so desired
  3. Score bread in chosen pattern
  4. Place in hot dutch oven (or onto hot baking steel if using that method) by lifting and placing with the baking paper sticking out from either side
  5. Dutch Oven Method: Carefully place the loaf into a preheated Dutch Oven then close the lid immediately and put dutch oven into the oven
  6. Baking Steel Method: Pour boiling water into metal tray with tea towels or lava rocks and spray inside of oven with water from a spray bottle a few times and then close oven door immediately
  7. Turn down to 240°C (465°F) immediately
Video on creating an ear:
25m
  1. Bake with steam at 240°C/465°F
  1. Dutch Oven: Bake with top on
  2. Baking Steel: Avoid opening door as all the steam will escape!
10m
  1. Bake without steam at 220°C/430°F
  1. Dutch Oven: Take lid off
  2. Baking Steel: Remove steam tray
  3. Reduce to 220°C/430°F
  4. Bake for another 10 mins
15m
  1. Final bake at 215°C/420°F
  1. Dutch Oven: Take out of dutch oven and put back in directly on a wire rack
  2. Baking Steel: Do nothing!
  3. Reduce to 215°C/420°F
  4. Bake for up to 20 minutes more - until desired crust is achieved
Enjoy
30m
  1. Take out and rest before eating
  1. Take out and rest 30-60 mins
If you don't rest it, the inside may not be fully cooked, and could be gummy when you cut through it. At least wait 10 minutes!
0m
  1. Eat!