Your First Loaf, Step by StepYour first loaf does not have to be perfect. It only has to be baked. This is the route, with patience and without rushing.Day 1, Morning or Evening: Feed Your StarterGive your starter its feed and wait until it clearly reaches its peak — bubbly, risen and active. Only then should you continue.Not sure when that moment has arrived? See Recognizing Your Starter.Day 1: Mix the Autolyse500 g flour, 350 g lukewarm water. Mix them together — no starter, no salt. Cover and let the dough rest for twenty to sixty minutes.Not much happens visibly during this time. That is normal. It is a quiet step.Add the Starter and SaltMix in 100 g active starter and 12 g salt. The dough will feel loose and sticky at this stage — that is exactly as it should be.Four Rounds of FoldingOver the next few hours, perform four rounds of stretch and folds or coil folds, with around half an hour of rest between each round.With every round, the dough should feel a little stronger and a little less sticky.There is no need to watch the clock precisely — simply feel the difference with each fold.Bulk FermentationAfter the final round of folding, leave the dough alone. Allow around four hours at room temperature.The dough should grow by roughly 50–75%, become airier and begin to pull away from the sides of the bowl.Not sure whether it has fermented long enough? See Process Control for the concrete signs to look for.ShapingLightly flour your work surface. Gently shape the dough into a round or oval. Let it rest for fifteen minutes.Then give it its final shape, building tension across the surface, and place it seam-side up in a well-floured banneton.Cold ProofCover the banneton and place it in the refrigerator overnight — around eight to twelve hours.This is the moment when you do not have to do anything anymore.Baking Day: PreheatPlace your Dutch oven in the oven and preheat to 240–250°C. Let everything heat thoroughly for at least thirty minutes.Turn Out and ScoreTake the dough from the refrigerator and gently turn it out onto baking paper, keeping the smooth side facing up.Score the surface with a sharp blade — one clear cut is enough.BakePlace the dough in the hot Dutch oven and cover:- 30 minutes at 240°C- 20–25 minutes at 220°C, uncoveredCoolPlace the loaf on a wire rack and let it cool completely before slicing.This is the hardest step — not because it is complicated, but because it requires patience.And Then?You have baked a loaf with your own starter, taking it from flour and water all the way to a crisp crust.Does it not look quite the way you expected? That is almost always okay — sourdough is rarely perfect on the first attempt.For a closer look at what can go wrong and how to read the signs, continue to Bread Troubleshooting.Part of The Baking Process.Read next: The Complete Baking Process · Process Control