Starter Activation
| Ingredient | English | 1x | 2x | 3x | 4x |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sourdough starterfrom the refrigerator | 50 g | 50 g | 100 g | 150 g | 200 g |
| Water | 50 ml | 50 mL | 100 mL | 150 mL | 200 mL |
| All-purpose flourfor feeding the starter | 50 g | 50 g | 100 g | 150 g | 200 g |
Main Dough
| Ingredient | English | 1x | 2x | 3x | 4x |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sourdough starter (activated)the whole batch from the activation step | 150 g | 150 g | 300 g | 450 g | 600 g |
| All-purpose flouror bread flour | 400 g | 400 g | 800 g | 1.2 kg | 1.6 kg |
| Wholemeal flourkamut, spelt, einkorn, or soft wheat all work | 100 g | 100 g | 200 g | 300 g | 400 g |
| Waterroom temperature | 350 ml | 350 mL | 700 mL | 1.05 L | 1.4 L |
| Salt | 9 g | 9 g | 18 g | 27 g | 36 g |
Pantry swaps
| Original | Swap1 | Swap2 | Swap3 | Swap4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All-purpose flour | 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons cake flour (not advised for cookies or quick breads) | 1 cup self-rising flour (omit baking powder and salt from recipe)Reader suggestion:\xa05/8 cup potato flour | 1–1/4 cups rye flour or coarsely ground whole-grain flour | 1 cup cornmeal |
| 1 | 1 | 1 | 1.25 | 1 |
| Wholemeal flour | 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons cake flour (not advised for cookies or quick breads) | 1 cup self-rising flour (omit baking powder and salt from recipe)Reader suggestion:\xa05/8 cup potato flour | 1–1/4 cups rye flour or coarsely ground whole-grain flour | 1 cup cornmeal |
| 1 | 1 | 1 | 1.25 | 1 |
Method
- Activate the starter: mix 50 g of starter from the refrigerator with 50 ml of water and 50 g of flour. Leave at room temperature for 5-6 hours, until it doubles in volume and has many bubbles on the surface. This batch yields exactly the 150 g the main dough needs.
- Mix the water with the activated starter, then add the flour and salt. Knead for 4-5 minutes until soft. Cover and leave at room temperature for an hour.
- Perform a set of stretch and folds, then leave for another hour. Repeat the stretch and folds, then let the dough rest for 2-3 more hours at room temperature. The dough is ready when it is airy, bubbly, and feels like a sponge.
- Shape the dough into a loaf and place it in a banneton. To prevent sticking, sprinkle the towel with water and flour before covering the dough. Cover the loaf and refrigerate for at least 10 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 230 C (450 F) and preheat the baking tray – a cast iron pan works well. No steam and no lid needed. Score or decorate the loaf as you wish, then bake for 50-60 minutes, until it is golden brown.
Notes
Servings: 16 (per serving). Per serving: 124 kcal, 3.6 g protein, 26 g carbs, 0.4 g fat, 1.5 g fiber.
All quantities come from the creator’s written description and are exact – nothing here is estimated. The flour mix is about 82% white and 18% wholemeal, at roughly 73% hydration, a proportion the creator says was developed specifically for this no-steam baking method.
The trick behind the crispy crust: no dutch oven, no steam, no lid. The bread goes straight onto a preheated cast iron pan in a 230 C (450 F) oven, and the direct contact with the hot iron plus the long, dry bake builds the deep brown, crackly skin. The long cold ferment in the refrigerator is what develops flavor and the open, airy crumb.
The wholemeal flour can be kamut, spelt, einkorn, or soft wheat – any whole grain flour works in the same amount.
Nutrition is estimated from standard USDA values for the flours (the creator gives no macros); fiber comes from the wholemeal flour and the all-purpose flour.
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