Sourdough Recipe for a Single Loaf

Ingredients

	Ingredient	Weight (g)	Baker's percentage
Levain build	100% hydration starter	100
	Strong white flour	150
	Cold tap water	150
Final dough	Strong white flour	350
	Tap water 30°C	150
	Salt	10
	Levain	400
Overall formula	Strong white bread flour	550	100%
	Water	350	64%
	Salt	10	2%

This is a version of my standard sourdough recipe, but scaled to only make a single large loaf. The method is the same, only the quantities are different, with a slight adjustment to the amount of starter included to reflect how I normally make it these days.

Levain build

The night before you plan to bake, mix 100g of starter with 150g bread flour and 150g cold tap water in a large bowl. Cover and leave at room temperature for 10-12 hours.

Flour, water and starter

Mix all the ingredients together

Cover and leave for 10-12 hours

Mixing the main dough

The following day your mixture should be nice and bubbly, if not then there's no point in proceeding as your bread won't rise.  Maybe it's too cold or your starter just isn't very active, put it somewhere warmer (up to 25 degrees Celsius) and leave it for longer till it does get bubbly.

Once it is all bubbly add 350g of strong bread flour, 150g of water at around 30 degrees Celsius and 10g of salt. Mix it all together until there are no dry bits then turn it out onto your un-floured work surface and knead until smooth and elastic. Form into a ball and return to your lightly floured bowl. Cover the bowl and place it in a warm place (around 25 degrees Celsius) until doubled in size. This doubling could take anywhere between 2.5 and 4 hours. Whilst it's rising give the dough two letter folds, one every 50 minutes or so.

Add flour water and salt to the levain

After kneading, form into a ball and return to the lightly floured bowl

Cover and leave to prove in a warm place for 2.5 to 4 hours until doubled in volume.
Letter-fold twice during this time

Form into a ball and put down to prove (upside-down) in a well-floured bowl.
Leave covered in a warm place for another 2.5 to 4 hours

About an hour before your dough is finished proving pre-heat your oven to 250 degrees Celsius

Wait till slightly less than doubled

Turn out onto a floured baking tray.
Slice a pattern in the top using a sharp knife

Bake at 250 degrees Celsius, with steam for ten minutes.
Reduce to 220 degrees and bake for another 10-25 minutes.
When done the base should sound hollow when tapped.
Cool on a wire rack.