Flavour & Fire
The Sourdough Journal
The Full Baking Process
From mixing to baking. One continuous line, spread over more than a day.
Preparation: the Starter
The evening, or morning, before you begin, feed your starter so it has time to become active. Bubbly, airy and clearly risen. An active starter gives your dough the best chance of rising well and predictably.
Autolyse
Flour and water, together, without starter or salt. Twenty to sixty minutes of rest. Quiet and unassuming, yet this is when the flour absorbs the water and the gluten network begins to develop — without any kneading.
Mixing
Add the starter and salt. Work everything together until evenly incorporated. The dough will still feel loose, sticky and unstructured.
Bulk Fermentation & Folding
This is where bulk fermentation begins. How long it takes depends on the temperature of the dough, the environment and the activity of your starter. During this time, you fold the dough several times: stretch and folds or coil folds, with periods of rest in between.
With each round of folding, you can feel the difference. Less sticky. More resistance. The dough begins to build its own structure, without the need for kneading.
Shaping
The dough has grown, become airy and developed more strength. Time to shape it. You build tension across the surface so the loaf can hold its shape rather than spreading out.
Cold Proof
An overnight rest in the fridge, in the banneton. Fermentation continues slowly at a low temperature. Flavour develops further, and the dough becomes firmer and easier to score.
And for a while, there is nothing for you to do — except wait.
Baking
The oven and Dutch oven fully preheated and hot. Dough in, score made, lid on.
The first thirty minutes do most of their work under the lid. The steam keeps the surface supple, allowing the loaf to expand before the crust sets. Then the lid comes off and the crust gets its colour and crispness.
Cooling
The final bit of patience.
As the loaf cools, the crumb continues to settle and moisture redistributes through the bread. Cut into it too soon and the crumb can feel damp and sticky — not because the bread has failed, but because it simply isn’t ready yet.
The Whole Process
What makes this process special is not any one step. It is the sequence: starter, autolyse, mixing, folding, bulk fermentation, shaping, cold proof, baking.
Each step builds on the one before it, and each has its own pace.
For the details behind each individual stage, continue to the other articles in this hub. For the feeling of the complete baking process in one continuous movement, this is the route.
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The Complete Baking Process
From a spoonful of starter to a loaf on the counter — the same steps, every time, and never quite the same result.