Rustic sourdough boule for the Vokshus bread bag (recipe)

A classic round sourdough boule is the most rewarding bread to bake at home. All you need is an active sourdough starter, a bowl and a cast iron pot, and the result is a loaf with a crisp crust and a moist, open crumb.

The process runs over three days, but the active work is barely 30 minutes: the starter and the fridge do the rest for you. Once the bread is baked, it stays fresh for 7 to 10 days in a Vokshus bread bag, compared with just 2 to 3 days in a plastic bag.

What you need

The recipe makes one boule of about 800 grams, which fits perfectly in a 30 × 43 cm bread bag.

• 500 g white wheat flour (protein content at least 12 %)
• 50 g wholemeal wheat (adds flavour and depth)
• 400 g water (78 % hydration)
• 10 g salt
• 100 g active sourdough starter (fed 4 to 8 hours before)

For equipment you need a roomy bowl, a cast iron pot with a lid, a proving basket (or a bowl with a floured tea towel) and a razor blade. Use kitchen scales: sourdough baking is about grams, not cups.

Timeline

The timeline is flexible: the dough can handle a couple of extra hours in the fridge.

Sourdough boule: the recipe step by step

1. 1
   Autolyse (30 min)

   Mix flour and water until all the flour is wet, and let it rest for 30 minutes. The gluten network starts to build itself.

2. 2
   Add starter and salt

   Squeeze the starter and the salt into the dough with wet hands. Then stretch and fold the dough 4 times at 30-minute intervals: pull the edge up and lay it over itself, right around the bowl.

3. 3
   Bulk fermentation (4 to 6 hours)

   Let the dough rise until it has grown by 50 to 70 %, with visible bubbles on the surface. At 24 to 26 °C it moves fast. Judge the dough, not the clock.

4. 4
   Pre-shape the boule

   Turn the dough out onto a floured worktop and form a tight ball by dragging it towards you until the surface is taut. Let it rest for 20 minutes uncovered.

5. 5
   Final shaping and cold fermentation

   Shape the dough into a tight ball again and place it seam side up in a proving basket dusted with rye flour. Cover it and put it in the fridge for 12 to 16 hours: cold fermentation gives deeper flavour and easier scoring.

6. 6
   Bake

   • Preheat the cast iron pot in the oven at 250 °C for 45 minutes.
   • Tip the dough into the pot and score a “+” on the top, half a centimetre deep.
   • Bake with the lid on for 25 minutes: the steam gives you that glossy, crisp crust.
   • Take the lid off, lower to 220 °C and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown.
   • Cool on a rack for at least 60 minutes: the crumb sets as it cools.

Troubleshooting: when the boule will not behave

The boule comes out flat

Most often the bulk fermentation has gone too far, so the gluten network no longer holds the air. Try a shorter bulk and use the finger test: a light press should spring slowly halfway back. If the dough is slack, lower the hydration to 72 to 74 % for the first few bakes.

The crumb is tight and dense

A tight crumb nearly always means too little fermentation, or a starter that was not at its peak. The starter should be fed 4 to 8 hours in advance and doubled in volume; if it was sluggish, give the bulk fermentation more time.

The crust turns pale or rock hard

A pale crust points to too little steam. Check that the pot is well preheated and that the lid sits tight for the first 25 minutes. Hard as flint means too long with the lid off; cut it back by a couple of minutes.

How to store the boule

Then put the boule in a Vokshus bread bag (from 299 NOK) and close the clip. The bag is sewn from cotton and linen with natural beeswax and jojoba oil on the inside, and it breathes just enough to let the condensation out.

The bag can be reused for 12+ months and re-waxed when it goes dull. If you want to go deeper: see our guide to storing sourdough bread.

Frequently asked questions