Description
This Homemade Sourdough Batard Bread recipe guides you through the process of creating a rustic, crusty loaf with a tender crumb using a combination of poolish, autolyse, and long fermentation techniques. The bread develops complex flavors and an artisan texture thanks to the slow cold fermentation and skillful folding, finished by baking on a hot stone with steam to achieve the perfect crust.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Dough
- 500 g bread flour (unbleached, high-protein flour like King Arthur)
- 350 g water (room temperature)
- 10 g salt (fine sea salt)
- 2.5 g instant yeast
- 5 g diastatic malt powder
- 0.5 g ascorbic acid powder
Poolish (Preferment)
- 100 g bread flour
- 100 g water
- 0.5 g instant yeast
Instructions
- Prepare the Poolish: In a bowl, mix 100 g bread flour, 100 g water, and 0.5 g instant yeast until smooth. Cover and let rest at room temperature for 12 hours until bubbly and slightly domed.
- Autolyse the Dough: In a large bowl, whisk together 400 g bread flour with 250 g water until no dry flour remains. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes to develop gluten.
- Mix Main Dough: Sprinkle 10 g salt, 2 g instant yeast, 5 g diastatic malt powder, and 0.5 g ascorbic acid powder over the autolysed dough. Add the poolish and fold everything together until uniform dough forms.
- Bulk Fermentation with Stretch and Folds: Set dough at 75°F and every 30 minutes for 2 hours, perform four stretch-and-folds—stretch one side of dough, fold over, rotate bowl 90°, repeat for all sides to strengthen dough and create air pockets.
- Cold Fermentation: Transfer dough to a lightly oiled container, cover, and refrigerate for 12 to 18 hours to deepen flavor.
- Pre-shape and Rest: Turn dough onto floured surface, gently flatten into a rectangle, fold top third down and bottom third up, rotate 90°, repeat folds, then let rest seam side up for 15 minutes.
- Shape the Batard: Dust surface with flour, flatten dough to 10×8-inch rectangle, fold sides toward center sealing seams, turn seam side down, roll into 12-inch long batard. Place on parchment, cover, and proof at 70-75°F for 60-75 minutes until dough passes poke test.
- Prepare Oven and Bake: Preheat oven to 475°F with baking stone or steel on middle rack and steam pan on floor for 45 minutes. Transfer loaf on parchment to stone, score a 6-inch slash down center with a lame, pour 1 cup hot water into steam pan and close oven. Bake 15 minutes, reduce temperature to 440°F, bake additional 15 minutes, remove steam pan, continue baking until deep golden brown crust forms.
- Cool: Remove loaf using parchment and place on cooling rack. Cool completely for about 2 hours before slicing to set crumb.
Notes
- The poolish preferment boosts flavor and improves crust texture.
- Use a kitchen thermometer to maintain dough temperature around 75°F during fermentation.
- Stretch and folds replace kneading and develop gluten gently.
- Cold fermentation enhances sourdough flavor and allows flexible baking timing.
- Using a baking stone and steam pan replicates a professional bakery environment for optimal crust.
- Allowing bread to cool completely before slicing prevents gummy crumb texture.
- Diastatic malt powder helps with crust color and fermentation.
- Ascorbic acid acts as a dough conditioner for better rise and structure.
