Sourdough — The Long Ferment

1. 01

   Mix and autolyse

   Combine bread flour, rye, and spelt in a bowl. Add 300ml water (reserve 20ml). Stir until no dry flour remains — a shaggy mass is fine. Cover and rest 30 minutes. This rest lets the flour drink and the gluten relax, so you'll handle it easier later.

   ~35 min
2. 02

   Add starter and salt

   Crumble your active starter into the dough (it should smell fruity and alive). Pour in the reserved 20ml water and sprinkle salt over top. Using wet hands or a dough scraper, fold everything together for 5 minutes until it's cohesive and the starter is fully incorporated. You're not kneading — just folding and turning until it holds together.

   ~8 min
3. 03

   Bulk ferment with folds

   Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl. Every 30 minutes for the next 2.5 hours, wet your hand and perform a set of stretches and folds: grab one side, stretch it up and over the centre, rotate the bowl a quarter turn, repeat. You'll do four sets total. The dough will become smooth, elastic, and gassy. It should pass the poke test: prod it gently — if the indent springs back halfway, you're done.

   ~150 min
4. 04

   Shape and proof

   Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gently pre-shape it into a round, let it rest 20 minutes, then shape tightly with tension — imagine you're drawing the top edge toward you repeatedly, creating a taut surface. Place seam-side up in a floured banneton or bowl lined with a tea towel. Cover loosely. Proof 8–16 hours at cool room temperature (or pop it in the fridge overnight — autumn temperatures are your friend). It's ready when a poke leaves a slow, deep indent.

   ~20 min
5. 05

   Score and bake

   Preheat your oven to 240°C with a Dutch oven inside for 45 minutes. Flip proofed dough onto parchment. Slash the top with a sharp blade — one deep score down the centre, or a cross, whatever steadies your hand. Carefully place parchment and dough into the screaming Dutch oven. Bake covered for 20 minutes (steam is your friend), then uncovered for 25 minutes until the crust is deep mahogany and the loaf sounds hollow when you tap the bottom.

   ~50 min
6. 06

   Cool (the hard part)

   Turn loaf onto a wire rack. Wait at least 30 minutes before slicing — the crumb is still setting. Slice thick, smell the warmth, spread butter or eat it plain. This bread gets better over three days as the flavour deepens.

   ~30 min

First bite: sharp, salty, slightly sour tang from the ferment. The rye brings earthiness; the spelt adds a whisper of sweet nuttiness. The crumb is open and tender, not dense — you can actually tear it. The crust crackles and gives way to that yielding interior. It tastes like autumn and patience in equal measure.

• ·Your starter is only as good as your feeding schedule — keep it at room temperature and feed it once daily if you're baking weekly.
• ·Autumn temperatures (10–15°C) are ideal for slow fermentation; if your kitchen is warmer, proof in the fridge to build more flavour.
• ·Don't panic if your first loaf is dense — next batch will be better. The starter gets stronger, and your hands learn the dough's language.