Your First Sourdough Loaf: A Complete Step-by-Step Checklist

Short answer: if your starter doubles in 4–6 hours, you can bake a sourdough loaf today. Use this step-by-step checklist to handle every phase, from feeding to slicing, with no missed steps.

This is the single guide I wish I'd had for my first sourdough.

Before you start

You need:

• An active starter (doubles in 4–6 hours after a feed)
• 500g bread flour (12% protein minimum)
• Filtered water
• Salt
• A scale
• A Dutch oven or baking vessel
• A banneton or bowl with a floured towel
• Time across 24 hours (mostly waiting)

If you don't have an active starter yet, see the starter-from-scratch guide first.

The recipe (basic boule)

• 500g bread flour
• 350g water (70% hydration)
• 100g active starter
• 10g salt

Total dough weight: ~960g.

The timeline

Total active time: 60 minutes spread across two days.

Step 1: Feed the starter (Day 1, 6 PM)

Take starter from fridge. Discard most, keeping 10–20g.

Add to a clean jar:

• 50g bread flour
• 50g filtered water

Mix thoroughly. Cover loosely. Place at 75–78°F.

Wait 3 hours.

Step 2: Check starter readiness (Day 1, 9 PM)

Starter is ready if:

• Doubled in volume
• Domed top
• Visible bubbles throughout
• Smells yeasty and slightly tangy
• Float test: a spoonful floats in water

If yes, proceed. If no, wait another hour.

Step 3: Mix the dough (Day 1, 9 PM)

In a large bowl:

• 500g bread flour
• 350g water (warm, ~85°F)
• 100g starter (use it now)
• 10g salt

Mix with a wooden spoon or by hand until shaggy. Cover. Rest 30 minutes (autolyse).

Step 4: Knead briefly (Day 1, 9:30 PM)

After 30 min rest:

• Wet your hands
• Inside the bowl, fold the dough over itself 6–8 times
• The dough should be smoother

This builds initial gluten.

Step 5: First fold (Day 1, 10 PM)

30 min after kneading:

• Wet your hands
• Reach under one side of the dough, lift, fold over
• Rotate bowl 90°
• Repeat 4 times (top, bottom, left, right)

This is "stretch and fold." It builds gluten without aggressive kneading.

Step 6–8: Three more folds

Repeat folds at:

• 10:30 PM (Fold 2)
• 11:00 PM (Fold 3)
• 11:30 PM (Fold 4)

Total: 4 folds in 90 minutes.

After last fold, the dough should be:

• Smoother
• Slightly puffy
• Has visible bubbles
• Domed when at rest

Step 9: Refrigerate (Day 1, 11:30 PM)

Cover the bowl tightly. Place in the fridge.

The dough cold-ferments overnight (12+ hours).

Sleep.

Step 10: Pull from fridge (Day 2, 9 AM)

Take dough out. Let warm at room temperature for 30 min.

Don't peek too often — the dough is fine.

Step 11: Pre-shape (Day 2, 9:30 AM)

Lightly flour the counter. Tip dough out (gently).

With a bench scraper:

• Fold dough toward center from each side
• Flip seam-down
• Drag the dough toward you to build surface tension

It should look like a tight ball.

Rest 30 minutes uncovered.

Step 12: Final shape (Day 2, 10 AM)

Lightly flour the top of the dough.

Flip seam-up onto floured counter.

Fold the bottom up to the middle. Fold the left and right over. Roll up from the bottom into a tight log or ball.

Pinch the seam.

Cup hands around the dough. Drag toward you 1–2 times to tighten.

Place seam-down in the floured banneton (or bowl with floured towel).

Step 13: Cold proof (or warm proof)

Two options:

Option A (cold proof, recommended):

• Cover basket
• Refrigerate 1–2 more hours (total cold time 18 hours)
• Then bake

Option B (warm proof):

• Cover basket
• Leave at room temp 1–2 hours
• Then bake

For your first loaf, Option A is more forgiving.

Step 14: Preheat oven (Day 2, 11 AM)

Place Dutch oven in oven. Preheat to 500°F for 60 minutes.

This is critical. Don't shortcut the preheat.

Step 15: Score (Day 2, noon)

Take dough out of basket onto a piece of parchment.

Use a razor blade or sharp knife:

• Hold at 30° angle
• Make one decisive cut across the top
• 1cm deep
• 4 inches long

This guides oven spring.

Step 16: Load into oven

Drop oven temperature to 475°F.

Carefully transfer parchment + dough into the hot Dutch oven.

Replace lid. Close oven door.

Step 17: Bake covered (20 min)

Set timer for 20 minutes. Don't peek.

The lid traps steam, allowing oven spring.

Step 18: Uncover (Day 2, 12:20 PM)

Remove lid. The dough should have:

• Risen 25%
• Started to brown
• Score opened slightly

Continue baking uncovered.

Step 19: Bake uncovered (22 min)

Set timer for 22 more minutes.

After 22 min, the loaf should be:

• Deep amber color
• Internal temp 205°F (verify with probe thermometer)
• Sounds hollow when bottom is tapped

Step 20: Cool (Day 2, 12:42 PM)

Lift loaf out of Dutch oven. Place on a cooling rack.

Cool for 90 minutes minimum. (Yes, really.)

Cutting too early = gummy crumb.

Step 21: Slice (Day 2, 2:15 PM)

Use a serrated bread knife. Slice with long, gentle strokes.

The crumb should be:

• Open with various-sized holes
• Slightly cream-colored
• Not gummy
• Not dense

Step 22: Eat

Spread butter on a slice. Eat immediately.

Notice:

• The crackling crust
• The chewy crumb
• The complex sourdough flavor

This is what real sourdough tastes like.

Step 23: Save the leftover

Store cut-side down on a board for 2 days.

After 2 days, bag in cloth or paper.

After 4 days, slice and freeze any remainder.

What if it doesn't work?

Common first-bake issues:

Loaf is flat:

• Under-fermented (should bulk longer next time)
• Or weak shaping
• Or under-proofed

Crumb is dense:

• Same as above
• Try longer bulk

Loaf is too sour:

• Cold retard was too long
• Or starter was past peak

Crust is pale:

• Oven not hot enough
• Or insufficient bake time

Loaf is over-browned:

• Oven too hot
• Or baked too long
• Drop temperature next time

A confidence note

Your first bake will probably not be perfect. That's okay.

The variables are many; nailing them all on the first try is unlikely. But your bread will be edible — and almost certainly better than any sandwich bread.

Bake again next week. Apply lessons. By bake 5, you'll have a reliable process.

A final note

This checklist has 23 steps. It feels like a lot. But most of them are 30 seconds of action followed by waiting.

Print this guide. Stick it on the fridge. Follow it for your first 3 bakes.

After that, the process becomes intuitive. You'll do it without thinking, like learning to drive.

Then you'll have a lifelong skill: making excellent bread from flour, water, salt, and time.