How long to bake sourdough bread (and the internal temperature)
In a Dutch oven: preheat 45–60 minutes, bake 20 minutes with the lid on at 475°F (246°C), then 20–25 minutes with the lid off at 450°F (232°C). It is done at 205–210°F (96–99°C) inside. Let it cool at least an hour.
Put the Dutch oven in, lid on, and heat to 475°F (246°C) for 45–60 minutes.
2
Score and load
Turn the loaf onto parchment, cut one confident slash, and lower it in by the paper. Use oven gloves and lift the lid away from you.
3
Lid on, then lid off
20 minutes covered (the steam lets it rise), then 20–25 uncovered at 450°F (232°C) until deep brown.
4
Check the inside
A thermometer in the middle should read 205–210°F. No thermometer: it sounds hollow when you knock on the bottom.
5
Cool it
At least an hour on a rack before slicing — the inside is still cooking, and cutting early makes it gummy.
Why
The lid traps steam, which keeps the crust soft long enough for the loaf to spring up. Then dry heat browns it. The inside temperature tells you the starch has set.
Questions
Why is my sourdough gummy inside?
Usually it was cut too soon, or under-baked. Bake to 205°F inside and wait an hour before slicing.
Can I bake without a Dutch oven?
Yes: bake on a hot tray or stone and put a pan of boiling water on the rack below for the first 20 minutes, for steam.
What about a sandwich loaf in a pan?
A soft loaf in a 9 × 5 inch pan bakes at 375°F (191°C) for about 45 minutes, and is done at 190–200°F inside.
It remembers your starter, plans every bake around your day and reminds you at each step — no alarms at 3 am. Coming to the iPhone App Store before Christmas.
Get the app the day it launches
One email when the iPhone app is on the App Store, then a short baking tip now and then.
Your email
No spam, and never shared. Every email has a one-click unsubscribe.