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Inspired by Chad Robertson's iconic Tartine Country Bread — a 78% hydration loaf with a moist, creamy crumb and a deeply caramelised, blistered crust. The hallmarks of this style are a long autolyse, a leaven (starter) that is used at just the right point of peak activity, and a cold overnight retard to develop complexity. This is the benchmark of sourdough artisanship.
Ingredients
- 900g bread flour
- 100g whole wheat flour
- 750g water at 29°C (75% hydration for autolyse)
- 200g active levain (sourdough starter at peak, used at the young side)
- 20g fine sea salt
- 50g water (reserved, for salt addition)
Method
- Prepare your levain: The night before (or 6–8 hours before mixing), feed your starter at a 1:5:5 ratio (1 part starter, 5 parts flour, 5 parts water). Use when it has risen, is domed, and beginning to plateau — not when fully collapsed. This timing is everything.
- Autolyse (~noon): Combine all flour with 750g water. Mix with hands until fully hydrated. Cover and rest 40–60 minutes. This extended autolyse develops gluten passively, making the dough much easier to handle despite the high hydration.
- Add levain: Spread levain over the autolysed dough. Use a folding action to incorporate — squeeze, fold, and repeat for 3–5 minutes. Rest 30 minutes.
- Add salt: Dissolve salt in reserved 50g water. Add to dough and fold in completely. Rest 30 minutes.
- Bulk ferment (3–4 hrs at 26–27°C): Perform 5–6 sets of stretch and folds over the first 3 hours. Each set, fold the dough 4 times, rotating 90° each time. The dough will transform — becoming smoother, silkier, and increasingly strong. After the last fold, leave undisturbed for 30–60 minutes. Bulk is complete when the dough is 30–40% increased in volume, has a smooth domed surface, and jiggles as a single mass when you shake the container.
- Divide and pre-shape: Turn dough gently onto an unfloured surface. Divide into two equal pieces. Pre-shape loosely. Bench rest 30 minutes, uncovered.
- Final shape: Shape each piece into a tight boule or batard using the stitch method, developing maximum surface tension. Place seam-side up in a well-floured banneton (rice flour + white flour mix prevents sticking).
- Cold retard: Wrap in a plastic bag or cover with a shower cap. Refrigerate 8–14 hours. This is where flavour deepens and the crust-crumb contrast develops.
- Bake (important): Preheat oven with Dutch ovens inside to 260°C (500°F) for at least 45 minutes. Score the cold loaf confidently — a single curved score with a lame held at 30° produces the signature ear. Cover and bake 20 minutes, then uncover and bake 25–30 minutes more until deeply, darkly golden. Don't pull it too early — the crust continues to develop in the last 10 minutes.
- Cool completely: Resist cutting for at least 1 hour. The crumb sets as it cools — cutting early results in a gummy interior.
The Tartine difference: This style uses a relatively small amount of levain and relies on a longer, warmer bulk fermentation for flavour. The dough should feel alive — extensible, strong, and active. If it tears or feels dead, your levain timing or bulk temperature needs adjusting.
Bake this with our shelf-stable live San Francisco sourdough starter — activates in 2 hours, so you can bake your first loaf the same day.
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