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You are here: Home / Recipes / High Hydration Sourdough Bread

High Hydration Sourdough Bread

September 17, 2025 by Tiffany 6 Comments

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Tartine-Style Country Sourdough (Beginner-Friendly Timeline)

Bake Tartine-style, high-hydration sourdough with open crumb and crackly crust. Timeline, tools, variations, troubleshooting + FAQs.

If you’ve been following my Sourdough Series, today we’re baking a classic: a Tartine-style country loaf with a crisp ear and a custardy, open crumb. This method taught me patience, gentle handling, and how to read dough.

Credit where it’s due: Chad Robertson’s approach is the backbone here. And a funny family story; on a 2018 trip to San Francisco, we ate at the famous Tartine.

Their cookbooks were displayed everywhere, and mid-meal, one slipped and bonked my husband on the head. Ouch!

 He swore he wouldn’t buy “the mean book,” but I convinced him. We brought it home, created our starter Betty, and that book helped us bake our first beautiful loaves.

These days, I keep the formula mostly white with just a whisper of whole wheat (about 10%) for gentle nuttiness and a touch of strength, light crumb, bakery flavor.

What you’ll need

  • Active, bubbly sourdough starter (100% hydration)
  • Bread flour plus a little whole-wheat flour (about 10% of the total; optional but lovely)
  • Water (room temp), fine sea salt
  • Bowl, dough scraper, kitchen scale
  • Proofing basket (banneton) lined with rice-flour-dusted towel
  • Dutch oven with lid (or combo cooker), lame or sharp blade
  • Parchment paper and oven mitts

Timeline (Same-Day or Overnight Cold Proof)

Time Action Goal/Cues
8:00 AM 💪 Feed starter if needed Peak in ~4–6 hrs; bubbly, domed, float test passes
12:30 PM Autolyse flour + water (no salt, no starter), 30–45 min Dough hydrates; feels smoother, extensible
1:15 PM Add starter + salt; mix until cohesive Sticky but holds together; no dry bits
1:30–5:30 PM Bulk fermentation with 3–4 gentle sets of stretch-and-folds every 30 min Dough gains strength; surface smooths; 20–40% rise
5:30 PM Bench rest 15–20 min, covered Dough relaxes for easier shaping
5:50 PM Final shape (boule/batard) into floured banneton Tight, smooth skin without tearing
6:00–7:15 PM Proof at room temp or cover and cold proof 8–16 hrs Finger-poke springs back slowly, leaving a slight dent
Preheat 45–60 min Oven 500°F (260°C) with Dutch oven inside Thorough preheat = better oven spring/ear
Bake Score; bake 20 min covered at 475°F (245°C), then 18–25 min uncovered to desired color Deep golden-brown, internal temp ~208–212°F (97–100°C)
Cool Rest on the rack at least 1–2 hrs before slicing Crumb sets; flavor develops

Method Highlights

  1. Gentle mixing: Cohesive dough without over-kneading; strength comes from folds and time.
  2. Watch the dough, not the clock: Smoother surface, airy feel, and modest rise during bulk.
  3. Balanced flour blend: Mostly bread flour with a small 10% whole-wheat lift keeps the crumb light while adding quiet depth.
  4. Steam + heat: Full preheat in a Dutch oven for a big spring and a blistered crust.

Bake Tartine-style, high-hydration sourdough with open crumb and crackly crust. Timeline, tools, variations, troubleshooting + FAQs.

Bake Tartine-style, high-hydration sourdough with open crumb and crackly crust. Timeline, tools, variations, troubleshooting + FAQs.
Print Recipe
5 from 3 votes

High Hydration Sourdough Bread

A classic Tartine-inspired country loaf: mostly bread flour with a touch of whole wheat for flavor and strength. Crisp crust, custardy crumb, and a flexible timeline.
Prep Time25 minutes mins
Cook Time40 minutes mins
Proofing & Resting Time19 hours hrs
Total Time20 hours hrs 5 minutes mins
Course: Bread
Cuisine: American
Keyword: artisan bread, sourdough bread, naturally leaved bread, bread recipe
Servings: 1 loaf
Calories: 1886kcal
Author: Tiffany bendayan

Ingredients

  • 450 grams bread flour
  • 50 grams whole wheat flour
  • 375 grams water, room temperature reserve 25 g for salt step
  • 100 grams active sourdough starter
  • 10 grams fine sea salt
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Mix starter, bread flour, whole wheat flour, and 350 g water until no dry bits remain. Rest 30–45 minutes.
  • Add reserved 25 g water, squeezing through fingers until incorporated. Add salt, mix until cohesive. Cover and let it rest for 30 minutes
  • Over the first 2 hours, perform gentle stretch-and-folds every 30 minutes. Covering the dough in between
  • Cover and rest 2 hours at room temperature. Bulk is complete when the dough is smoother, jiggles when moved, shows bubbles at the edges, and has risen about 30–40% - the time depends on your kitchen temperature
  • Lightly flour surface, preshape, rest 15 minutes. Final shape into boule or batard; place in floured banneton.
  • 60–75 minutes at room temp OR 8–16 hours in fridge. Dough should slowly spring back when poked.
  • Preheat Dutch oven at 500°F . Score dough, load on parchment. Bake covered 20 minutes at 475°F, then uncovered 18–25 minutes until deep golden
  • Transfer to rack, rest at least 1–2 hours before slicing.
  • Enjoy!

Notes

  • Hydration can be nudged higher (up to 75%) for a more open crumb—handle gently and lengthen bulk slightly.
  • A longer overnight proof gives a tangier flavor and easier scoring.
  • Try variations: add sesame or poppy seeds to the crust, fold in roasted garlic, or swap 20–30 g of water for olive oil for a softer crumb.

Nutrition

Serving: 1loaf | Calories: 1886kcal | Carbohydrates: 381g | Protein: 63g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 3905mg | Potassium: 632mg | Fiber: 17g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 14IU | Calcium: 97mg | Iron: 6mg

Bake Tartine-style, high-hydration sourdough with open crumb and crackly crust. Timeline, tools, variations, troubleshooting + FAQs.

 

FAQs

Why include a little whole wheat?

A small 10% addition brings gentle nuttiness and subtle color, and it ever-so-slightly supports dough strength—without weighing down the crumb.

My dough feels slack. Did I add too much water?

Maybe, but most often it needs time + folds. Do an extra fold, then rest. If it still puddles by the end of bulk, cold-proof to firm it up for shaping.

How do I get a better ear?

Strong surface tension at shaping, a thorough preheat, and a confident 30–45° score about ½-inch deep. Load quickly so you don’t lose heat.

Can I bake without a Dutch oven?

Yes—use a steel or stone and add steam: preheat a tray; pour in hot water at load, or cover the loaf with a preheated metal bowl for the first 20 minutes.

You may also like:

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Bake this Beer Gouda Onion Sourdough Bread, a flavorful, advanced loaf with caramelized onions, gooey cheese, and beer for the perfect bite

Cranberry Walnut Sourdough Bread

Starter Sourdough Bread Recipe

Beginner sourdough bread recipe with video guide, easy timeline, salt tips, scoring & Dutch oven. Same-day mild or overnight deeper flavor.


 

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Filed Under: Breads, Recipes Tagged With: high hydration bread, levain bread, naturally leavened bread, sourdough breads, sourdough recipes, tartine bread

« Decadent Chocolate Sourdough Babka
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Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase using my link.

Comments

  1. Paul says

    September 23, 2025 at 9:47 pm

    5 stars
    Shaping was really hard. Mine came out ugly but the flavor abd texture was perfect i will remake it and work on shaping

    Reply
    • Tiffany says

      September 24, 2025 at 12:36 pm

      Glad you enjoyed the recipe. Shaping takes a bit of practice since it’s sticky and tends to sploge around

      Reply
  2. Reina says

    September 29, 2025 at 4:14 pm

    5 stars
    Estaba divino gracias!! ya soy adicta a este pan

    Reply
    • Tiffany says

      September 30, 2025 at 11:32 am

      De nada Reina! yo tambien soy adicta! 🙂

      Reply
  3. Mariam says

    October 8, 2025 at 1:40 pm

    5 stars
    I had a hard time shaping and the loaf deflated a bit but it was worth it! love this bread!!

    Reply
    • Tiffany says

      October 9, 2025 at 9:56 am

      Hi Mariam! yes, this dough is a bit difficult to shape. Thankfully you enjoyed the bread. Happy Baking!

      Reply
5 from 3 votes

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Hello! I am Tiffany, the blogger, cook and photographer of Living Sweet Moments.
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