Overnight Sourdough Bread

Overhead shot of sliced sourdough bread.

5 from 24 votes

Learn how to make Overnight Sourdough Bread with step-by-step directions. This simple bread has amazing flavor and is the perfect one for both beginner and advanced sourdough bakers!

Course Bread

Cuisine American

Keyword overnight sourdough bread

Prep Time 8

Cook Time 40

Total Time 8 40

Servings slices

Calories 194kcal

Author Sue Ringsdorf

Ingredients

150 grams bubbly sourdough starter
295 grams filtered water - at room temperature
500 grams bread flour - unbleached or organic
9 grams fine sea salt

Instructions

** You should always use your starter when it's at it's PEAK or close to it.
In a mixing bowl, combine all the carefully measured out ingredients. Use your hands to bring everything together. The dough will look scraggy. Cover with a damp towel, and set a timer for 30 minutes. This is the AUTOLYSE.
150 grams bubbly sourdough starter, 295 grams filtered water, 500 grams bread flour, 9 grams fine sea salt
Do a stretch and folding of the dough for about one minute, rotating the bowl as you do the folds. Place the dough seam-side down in the bowl, and cover with the towel again.
ADDITIONAL STRETCH AND FOLDS: I recommend doing additional stretch and folds if time permits. Do these every 30 minutes for 3-4 more times to further develop the gluten structure.
Leave the dough sit on the counter-top for 6-8 hours, or overnight depending on several factors. The dough should double in size. This is the BULK RISE.
TIP: To avoid getting a crusty layer on the dough during the bulk rise, make sure the bowl is large and the towel is damp. You can also add a light coating of oil over the top of the dough, especially if you are letting it sit out overnight.
If you'd like, set the dough in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. This will add to the "sour" taste of the dough.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Use a dutch oven lined with parchment paper.
Dust your counter or a baking mat with a light amount of flour. Move your dough from the bowl to the counter and GENTLY FORM into your desired shape. Don't punch down, but pull the outsides inward to form shape. Let the dough sit for five minutes.
Pull the dough towards you and away, trying to get the dough to be as tight as possible. (See photos.) Cover the dough lightly with saran wrap and let rest for about 1-2 hours. This is the SECOND RISE.
Then use a serated knife to slash the top of the bread.
Transfer the dough to the dutch oven, using parchment paper as a liner. Add the lid and place in the preheated oven. Bake for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, remove lid and bake another 20-25 minutes.
Remove from the oven and transfer the bread to a cooling rack. Let the bread FULLY cool before slicing.

Notes

Expert Tips

Make sure your starter is ready. If you store your starter in the refrigerator between use, make sure it's active and ready to go before baking with it. I often feed it 2-3 times before using it after resting (i.e. sleeping in the refrigerator). You can test this with a float test. (See definition below.)
Be flexible. If you're bulk rise is taking longer than normal, or the starter isn't as bubbly as you'd like it, be flexible. You can add time to either of these, and still make delicious bread. Many factors will come in to play as to when your sourdough is ready. In the summer months, the humidity and heat will make the process shorter. In the winter months, the process may be longer.
Measure carefully and then adjust as needed. Make sure you use a digital scale to measure your ingredients in grams. This is important. Even with measuring carefully, you MAY need to adjust slightly. When your hands are on the dough doing stretches and folds, you will come to feel if more water/more flour is needed to make the dough pliable and soft. This comes with practice.
Practice. Like I said above, as you practice making this bread and enjoying the bounties, you'll learn all the little nuances to the sourdough process. Practice makes perfect!
Let the bread cool. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to slice the bread immediately after coming out of the oven. If you do this, it will be doughy tasting. Let the bread completely cool before slicing!

Nutrition