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.
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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.
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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
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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%.
- 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.
- 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: 24 Serving Size: 1 gramsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 141Unsaturated Fat: 0gSodium: 389mgCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 4g
I’m wondering if this recipe could work to make 4 smaller soup bowls? Have you tried this yet and would you just decrease the cooking time?
I haven’t done so, but I think yes. And yes, I’d probably cut 10 minutes or so off the cooking time? If you try it, let us know!
Hello! Just having trouble getting the loaf to keep it’s shape when on the second rise. I had it on the sheet but it just wants to spread out rather than up! It was slightly sticky but I thought the texture was right. Any hints?
How did this turn out once baked? Is it possible that the starter wasn’t active enough?
I only want to bake one boule – can I half the recipe?
Yes.
Do I leave the flour and water for 1 day, like 24 hours or 12 hours two times a day?
For the initial 7 days, you’re feeding the starter every 12 hours.
Can you use a bread machine to bake the final product?
I haven’t tried this, so I can’t say for sure! Sorry!
I tried making this and ended up with a large bowl of dough soup after kneading it and letting it rest for 4-6 hours. It was pretty sticky during the kneading process as well and, as you suggested, I resisted the urge to add more flour. It wasn’t as sticky in the final kneading before letting it rest, but none the less, it ended up dough soup.
I’m stumped. I’m not sure why. I’ll see if Shannon has any suggestions for next time.
Air temp and humidity play a big role. I have a sourdough pumpernickel recipe I use – sometimes the flour is dead on sometimes I add nearly 2 addl cups . Go slow and get it to a just tacky state. It can be nerve raking but hopefully it will bake up fine.
If you don’t have bread flour can you use all purpose?! Thx!
Yes. It may rise slightly less, but it will still be a fine loaf of bread.
How will this bread come out if I use spelt flour, or rye flour?
I haven’t tried it, so couldn’t say. Can’t hurt to try, though!
ask a friend for a starter from their starter. I got one from King Aurther flour mills and one I call jr, from my veterinarian. Its 105 yrs old. I have even shared it back with her when her daughter accidently threw hers out.
105!
With homemade butter!
To make a starter; how much water and flour for the very beginning? Also do I need to start that with bread flour too? How long and what is the process? As in how many days or weeks? Thank you for letting me know.
How do make a starter?
https://www.attainable-sustainable.net/sourdough-starter-recipe/