Fresh Out of the Oven -- Sourdough Boule Bread Recipe (2024)

The boule – or round loaf – is a great place to start as a beginning sourdough baker. This tangy sourdough boule recipe is a versatile accompaniment to soups, salads, sandwiches, and more. This dough, stiff enough to work by hand but still tacky enough to rise well, eases the beginner into sourdough baking without too much fuss.

No time to knead? Try this delicious and easy no-knead bread!

Originally published August 2017; this post has been updated.

The term boule is French for ball. Used in relation to bread, the term refers to a round loaf, often sourdough.

What You Need to Know

This particular boule bread recipe rises throughout the day and is then baked in the evening. Most of the time is hands-off, meaning you just need to show up to mix or shape or bake at varying intervals in order to create homemade, fermented bread.

This sourdough loaf is an alternative to the common simple overnight sourdough breads which require a morning baking which might be inconvenient for busy mornings.

The absolute most important ingredient in sourdough baking is an active starter, and that so for this sourdough boule recipe of course.Create a starter with just flour and water and then follow these instructions for a vigorous sourdough starter that will give you light and tangy loaves.

With bread baking, the actual work time is fairly minimal.It’s the rise time that requires patience for this sourdough bread recipe. You can easily make any type of bread once you master a single loaf! But it’s the rise time that gives you a light, fluffy boule bread loaf to pair with your favorite soup.

Ingredients

Bread flour — The protein content in bread flour is higher than all-purpose flour. That higher protein means lots of gluten, which gives bread its stretch and elasticity.

Salt — Use sea salt, NOT table salt. Table salt often has anti-caking agents that can interfere with the sourdough.

Water — If your water has a high chlorine count (if you can smell it!) you may want to use filtered or bottled water. While warm water is crucial for yeasted bread, room temperature water is fine for sourdough baking.

Sourdough starter — Use a starter that has been recently fed and is active.

How to Make a Sourdough Boule

Combine the flour and salt with a whisk. Make a well and add 2 1/4 cups of the water and the sourdough starter. Mix well until you have a shaggy dough, adding the remaining water as needed.

After a 5 minute rest, give a quick hand kneading to the dough while in the bowl. It will be sticky, but don’t add more flour! Cover the bowl and let it rest again before kneading some more and it should have lost some of the stickiness.

Once kneading is complete, let rest for 4-6 hours for fermentation to occur. Then punch down and divide into two parts.

Grease and lightly flour a baking sheet. Stretch each half of the dough into a rough circle.

Place the shaped dough on the prepared sheet and sprinkle the loaves with flour. Let rise until about 75% larger.

Preheat the oven and slash the tops of the loaves before placing in the oven. Bake until they have a hollow sound when thumped.

Let cool on a rack at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before slicing.

FAQs

How can I ensure my bread rises?

Make sure you are using an active, recently fed sourdough starter. You should be seeing bubbles as it is actively “consuming” its most recent feeding (flour addition). Don’t use discard or starter that has fallen.

The temperature and humidity of your home will also play a role. You can help create an active proofing zone by placing the dough in the oven with the light on – but make sure no one accidentally turns it on to preheat before removing the dough!

Can I use all-purpose flour in this recipe?

I don’t recommend this. Bread flour has a higher protein content, allowing the bread to give you the best rise and therefore the best texture.

How do I know my bread is baked through?

An easy way to know if your bread is done baking is if it sounds hollow when tapped. After a few loaves you’ll be able to recognize by sound if your bread is done! A surefire way is to use an instant-read thermometer. Aim for 190-200 F for your bread in the very center.

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Simple Sourdough Boule Bread Recipe

Yield: 2 loaves

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

Make this easy sourdough boule bread to serve with your favorite bowl of soup.

Ingredients

• 7 cups bread flour
• 4 teaspoons sea salt
• 2 1/4-2 1/2 cups water
• 1 cup active sourdough starter

Instructions

1. Combine the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl and whisk together. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in 2-1/4 cups of the water and the sourdough starter. Mix until a shaggy dough forms, adding the additional 1/4 cup of water as needed.
2. Once the dough is fully hydrated, let it rest five minutes in the bowl. Return to the bowl and knead for 1-2 minutes directly in the bowl. Resist the urge to add any flour. The dough will be sticky so after 1-2 minutes allow it to rest for several more minutes. Finally, you should be able to knead it for 2-3 more minutes without it sticking heavily to your hands.
3. Once the kneading is complete, cover the bowl and leave to ferment in a warm space in your kitchen for 4-6 hours or until nearly doubled in bulk. Divide the dough into two halves and punch down each half.
4. Grease and lightly flour a baking sheet. Turn each half of dough into a boule by stretching the dough upon itself into a circle, turning the dough as needed to make an even round ball all of the way around.
5. Once the dough ball is tightly shaped, place it seam-side down onto the baking sheet, leaving room for two loaves. Repeat with the second portion of dough. Sprinkle the loaves lightly with flour and over with a towel or plastic wrap. Allow to rise two-to-three hours or until the dough has grown by about 75%.
6. During the last 30 minutes of rise time, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Uncover the dough just before placing in the oven and give it a few slashes with a sharp knife. Move the loaves to the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown and the bottoms sound hollow when thumped.
7. Move boule bread loaves to a cooling rack and allow to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing.

Notes

To get a good rise out of this sourdough boule bread recipe, begin with an actively bubbling sourdough starter. Once the dough is blended, the rise time can vary depending upon the air temperature. On a cool day, it may take a bit longer to achieve its loft.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 24Serving Size: 1 grams
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 141Unsaturated Fat: 0gSodium: 389mgCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 4g

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