0 to 1 Sourdough · Lesson 03 · 16 min

Mixing and Fermenting Your First Dough

The recipe

This is a simple, forgiving dough. One flour, one hydration, no levain build required — you'll use your starter directly. Mix the night before you want to bake. The dough will ferment overnight and be ready to shape in the morning.

Ingredients· 1 loaf

450 gKing Arthur all-purpose flouror bread flour

315 gwater70% hydration

9 gfine sea salt

90 gactive starterat or near peak

Overnight dough timeline

Start

9:00 PMAutolyse — flour + water

30–45 min

Mix 450g flour + 290g water. Cover and rest.

9:45 PMAdd starter + salt

10 min

Squeeze in 90g active starter and salt dissolved in 25g water. Target 75–78°F.

9:55 PM4 sets of stretch and fold

every 30 min × 2 hrs

4 folds per set. Dough tightens with each set.

11:55 PMBulk fermentation — leave it alone

4–10 hrs

Done when 50–75% grown and poke test passes. At 75°F: ~4–6 hrs. At 68°F: ~8–10 hrs.

7:55 AMPre-shape + bench rest

25 min

Rough round, rest uncovered.

8:20 AMFinal shape → fridge

8–16 hrs cold proof

Build tension, banneton, cover, refrigerate.

Mixing

Combine flour and 290g of the water. Mix until no dry flour remains. Cover and rest 30–45 minutes (this is the autolyse — gluten begins forming without any kneading).

Add your starter and salt dissolved in the remaining 25g of water. Mix by squeezing the dough through your fingers until everything is incorporated. The dough will feel shaggy and sticky — that's correct.

Measure the dough temperature with an instant-read thermometer. Target: 75–78°F. If it's cooler, your bulk fermentation will take longer.

Stretch and fold

Over the first 2 hours of bulk fermentation, perform 4 sets of stretch and folds, one every 30 minutes.

Each set: wet your hand, grab one side of the dough, stretch it up as far as it will go without tearing, fold it over the top. Rotate the bowl 90° and repeat — 4 folds per set. The dough will feel tighter and more elastic with each set.

After the 4th set, leave the dough alone.

Stretch and fold

4 sets × 4 folds. Tap to perform each fold.

Set 1 of 4 — fold 1 of 4

Shaggy and weak

Reading bulk fermentation

Bulk fermentation is done when the dough has grown 50–75% in volume, feels lighter and airier than when you started, and passes the poke test: poke the dough ½ inch deep with a wet finger — it should spring back slowly and incompletely.

At 75°F, this takes 4–6 hours. At 68°F, expect 8–10 hours. At 80°F, check at 3 hours.

Don't watch the clock. Watch the dough.

Cold proof

When bulk is done, gently turn the dough onto an unfloured surface. Pre-shape into a rough round by folding the edges toward the center. Rest 20–25 minutes uncovered.

Final shape: drag the dough toward you across the bench to build surface tension. Place seam-side up in a well-floured bowl or banneton. Cover with plastic wrap or a shower cap.

Refrigerate for 8–16 hours. The cold slows fermentation, develops flavor, and makes the dough easier to score.

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