Simple Weekday Sourdough Bread Recipe

This low maintenance, simple weekday sourdough makes baking sourdough bread during the week easy and stress-free.

One reason a lot of people give up on baking sourdough (or decide not to even try!) is because they can’t seem to make sourdough baking work with their work schedules. Lots of people (myself included) can’t be at home to do sets of stretch and folds 30 minutes apart during the day, and most of us would prefer not to stay up until two in the morning until bulk fermentation is done.

The truth is, sourdough can be very flexible! That’s why I created this simple weekday sourdough bread recipe. My recipe uses ripe sourdough starter (no levain), little hands on time, and a long bulk fermentation time. This no-fuss sourdough works around your day to day schedule, allowing you to bake fresh, delicious bread during week.

This post is all about how to make simple weekday sourdough that works around your busy workday schedule.

What makes this sourdough bread “simple” and why does it work well for weekdays?

This recipe is easy for a few reasons:

• It uses ripe sourdough starter, not a premade levain.
• It uses only 4 ingredients (2 types of flour, water, salt, sourdough starter).
• It is relatively low hydration, which means no issues with mixing, shaping, or excessive sticking.

It is good for weekdays because:

• It uses a smaller amount of sourdough starter, resulting in a longer bulk fermentation time.
• There are only 2 sets of stretch and folds (which can be omitted entirely, see recipe notes below).
• You can bake it whenever it is convenient for you.

Making the dough: Step by step

1. Mixing the Dough

(7:00 A.M.) In a large mixing bowl, measure out 950 g All-Purpose Flour, 100 g Whole Wheat Flour, 85 g ripe (or slightly overripe) sourdough starter, 22 g Fine Sea Salt, and 725 g warm water (about 75-78 degrees). Mix with your hands, a Danish dough whisk, or a stand mixer on low speed. Mix until all ingredients are combined and no dry pieces remain, about 5-10 minutes (It’s okay if the dough is still shaggy). Scrape down the sides of the bowl using your bowl scraper. Take the temperature of the dough and record it as the final dough temperature. We are aiming for 76-78 degrees. Cover your mixing bowl with a plastic bowl cover and place it in a warm spot for 30 minutes.

2. First Set of Stretch and Folds

(7:30-7:45 A.M.) Complete 1 set of stretch-and-folds. Using wet hands, gently loosen the dough from the sides of the bowl. Grab one end of the dough, gently stretch it up until you feel some resistance, and bring it across the dough to the other side. Rotate your bowl 90 degrees and repeat. Rotate your bowl another 90 degrees and repeat. Rotate your bowl 90 degrees one last time and repeat with the fourth and final side. Your dough should look a bit smoother and already begin to feel tighter. Cover your mixing bowl with a plastic bowl cover and place it in a warm spot for another 30 minutes.

3. Second Set of Stretch and Folds

(8:00-8:15 A.M.) Repeat step 2 and complete another set of stretch-and-folds. Your dough should look much smoother after this set, and you may notice it feels very tight and resists your pull. Cover your dough, place it in a warm spot, and go to work!

4. Bulk Fermentation

Let the dough sit at warm room temperature (76 degrees) for 8-10 hours.

(4-6 P.M.) After work, check your dough. It may have small bubbles on top, should jiggle when you gently shake the bowl (should be airy and strong), and should be slightly domed at the edge of the mixing bowl. If you pull on a small piece of the dough, it should feel strong, elastic, and not tear easily. If your dough does not feel strong and airy, and is not domed at the edge of the bowl, leave it for 15 minutes and check again. If the dough feels overly loose, soupy, or weak and falls apart easily, it is overproofed. Skip directly to final shaping and bake immediately.

5. Preshape

(4-6 P.M.)Once bulk fermentation is complete, it is time to preshape your dough. Using your bowl scraper, gently dump your dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough directly in half using a bench scraper. Using a floured hand and your bench scraper, gently flip each piece of dough over. Gently turn the dough into loose rounds on the counter. Leave uncovered on the counter for 20-30 minutes.

6. Shape

(Prepare your bannetons or tea towel-lined bowls by dusting them with flour. Lightly flour the tops of each piece of dough and flip them over. Gently (being careful not to degas the dough) stretch the dough into a long oval or rectangle shape. With wet or floured fingers, grab the top end of the dough and gently stretch it down one-third to one-half of the way down. Grab the left side of the dough and gently stretch it to the left, halfway across. Do the same on the right side so it meets the left side at the middle of the dough. Grab the bottom of the dough and pull it halfway up the dough. Gently roll the dough into a log until the seam faces down towards the counter. Using your hands, turn the dough on the counter while pulling the dough towards you to create tension. Complete 4-5 of these pulls on the counter until the dough feels tight and strong. Let the dough sit on the counter for 30-60 seconds to help seal the seam. Using a bench scraper, gently flip the shaped dough over into your hand and place it seam side up in the prepared bowl. Cover and place in the fridge for 12-24 hours.

7. Score and Bake

(The next day) 1 hour before you plan to bake, place your Dutch oven(s)/combo cooker(s) on the middle rack of your oven and preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Once preheated for an hour, take your dough out of the fridge.

Remove it from the bowl, score it, and bake it with the lid on for 25 minutes.

Remove the lid and bake for an additional 20-30 minutes. The bread should be golden brown and have an internal temperature of 205-210°F. Allow the loaves to cool on a wire rack for at least 1 hour (ideally 2 hours).

The Result