Heart shaped sourdough tutorial ✨💗🥖

Ingredients

• 500 g Bread Flour (high‑protein, preferably unbleached)
• 350 g Water (room temperature (about 75°F / 24°C))
• 100 g Active Sourdough Starter (100% hydration, fed and bubbly)
• 10 g Salt (fine sea salt)

Instructions

1. Autolyse

   Combine the bread flour and water in a large mixing bowl. Mix until no dry flour remains, then cover and let rest.

   Time: PT30M

2. Add Starter and Salt, Knead

   Add the active sourdough starter and salt to the autolysed dough. Mix thoroughly, then knead by hand or with a stretch‑and‑fold method for about 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.

   Time: PT10M

3. Bulk Fermentation (First Rise)

   Cover the bowl and let the dough rise at room temperature (around 75°F / 24°C) for 4 hours, performing a set of stretch‑and‑folds every 30 minutes for the first 2 hours.

   Time: PT4H

   Temperature: 75°F

4. Cold Retard (Chill)

   Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface, shape it into a loose round, and place it on parchment. Cover and chill in the freezer for 30‑60 minutes (or in the refrigerator for 1‑2 hours) to make shaping easier.

   Time: PT30M

5. Shape the Heart

   Place the chilled dough on a fresh piece of parchment. Using a bench scraper or sharp knife, cut two diagonal slashes along the bottom edges to form the point of the heart. Discard the trimmed bits or roll them into a mini loaf. Then cut a shallow V‑shaped groove from the top center down to the middle to create the top of the heart. Gently separate the two sides so they can expand toward each other while baking. Round off any harsh edges with the scraper.

   Time: PT15M

6. Final Proof

   Cover the shaped heart loosely with a clean kitchen towel and let it proof at room temperature for about 2 hours, or until it has risen roughly 30% and the surface feels slightly puffy.

   Time: PT2H

   Temperature: 75°F

7. Preheat Oven

   Place a Dutch oven (or baking stone with a steam tray) in the oven and preheat to 475°F (245°C) for at least 30 minutes.

   Time: PT30M

   Temperature: 475°F

8. Bake the Heart

   Carefully transfer the parchment‑wrapped heart into the preheated Dutch oven, cover, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the lid, lower the temperature to 425°F (220°C), and bake an additional 25 minutes until the crust is deep golden and the internal temperature reaches 205°F (96°C).

   Time: PT45M

   Temperature: 425°F

9. Cool

   Remove the loaf from the oven, transfer to a cooling rack, and let it cool completely (at least 1 hour) before slicing to finish setting the crumb.

   Time: PT1H

Nutrition Facts

Calories

200

Protein

6 g

Carbohydrates

38 g

Fat

1 g

Fiber

2 g