Sourdough bread is an art as much as it is a science. Understanding ingredient ratios is crucial to achieving a well-balanced loaf. This guide details the basic sourdough bread recipe, focusing on ingredient quantities and their proportions.
Your base ingredient is always stone-ground bread flour, and all other ingredients are calculated as a percentage of this base weight.
Basic Sourdough Bread Ratios:
100% Flour
75% Water
20% Sourdough Starter
2% Salt
If you are working with 500 grams of flour, your ingredient quantities will be:
Flour – 500 grams (100%)
Water – 375 grams (75% of flour weight)
Sourdough Starter – 100 grams (20% of flour weight)
Salt – 10 grams (2% of flour weight)
Use Filtered Water – Chlorinated tap water can harm your sourdough starter, so always use filtered water to keep the wild yeast and bacteria thriving.
Measure by Weight – Always use grams instead of millilitres. This ensures consistency and precision, as different ingredients have varying densities.
Adjust as Needed – The hydration level (water percentage) can be adjusted slightly based on climate, flour type, and desired dough texture.
Mastering sourdough starts with understanding its basic ratios. Once you have a handle on these ingredient quantities, you can begin experimenting with hydration levels, fermentation times, and additional ingredients to refine your perfect loaf.
Happy baking!
