If McDonalds was actually healthy, this would be the recipe! First of all, no unfermented flour. Second of all, 100% real ingredients. This breakfast is an entire meal-in-one, a recipe I hope you’ll find yourself making again and again.

What Is A McGriddle?

A McGriddle is a type of breakfast sandwich served at McDonald’s chain restaurants. The bread consists of maple-flavored griddle cakes (similar to pancakes), while the filling is versatile, usually consisting of a breakfast meat, eggs, and/or cheese. The combination of sweet and savory flavors makes it a popular choice for breakfast among McDonald’s customers.

What I Love About This Recipe

I love the simplicity and versatility of this recipe. With this sheet pan breakfast, I simplify the McDonald’s McGriddle and make it sourdough. Using only five, simple ingredients for the “pancake” batter, everything comes together in five minutes or less. Play with the fillings and make it your own! (Okay, but not too much, because some ingredients just won’t work.) This breakfast is sweet and savory all in one and will satisfy even the youngest of the crew.

All The “Why’s”

The Filling: Eggs And Breakfast Sausage

Usually, pancake batters include some kind of oil or fat (such as melted butter). The purpose of this is to add moisture and flavor, as well as provide some nonstick properties when frying on the skillet. Instead, I chose to only lightly drain my breakfast sausage for a similar effect. The extra grease from the meat adds to the savory flavor, as well as works to keep everything moist. Bacon would have this same effect, if a substitute is needed for the sausage. Or, remove the meat completely and add 1/4 cup of melted butter to the sourdough discard mixture.

Sourdough Discard

Sourdough discard (extra, unfed sourdough starter) makes up the “pancake” portion of this sheet pan breakfast. It’s the main ingredient – it provides both moisture, flavor, and structure.

It is important to note that with this much sourdough discard, your sheet pan breakfast may or may not be sour. It all depends on your maintenance routine and the health of your starter. You can taste your discard (just a smidgen) before making this recipe – it’ll tell you what the results might look like! I have made this recipe many times and have never had a sour outcome, while others cannot even imagine making a recipe like this because their discard is so sour. Sourness comes from the bacteria in your starter. When they overpopulate, you can taste it.

Milk

Milk is added to thin the batter and enhance the flavor. We need the “pancake” to be pourable, and to spread easily over the sausage and eggs. It also plays a part in the Maillard reaction, helping the dish to brown in the oven.

Maple Syrup

I use maple syrup to sweeten the batter, in order to mimic the McDonald’s McGriddle. While McDonald’s injects their griddle cakes with a syrup jelly, I find the extra effort is not worth it and chose to use maple syrup to flavor instead. Depending on your personal tasters, the amount can be increased or reduced, or this sweetener can be substituted for another of your choice. However, I would not recommend removing the sweetener completely.

Sugar, in this case maple syrup, plays an important part in coloring the dish. Without sugar, your sheet pan breakfast will not turn brown! This ingredient plays a part in what’s called the Maillard reaction; without it, we cannot have golden brown pancakes.

Leavening

I prefer chemical leavening for sourdough discard recipes because we are using starter that is not in its prime state, and may not rise well (especially in this recipe, where we don’t add any flour). The truth is – without the baking soda, this dish would be much denser.

The baking soda reacts with the sourdough discard to leaven the batter: trapping carbon dioxide gases and creating bubbles which cause the batter to rise and become light and fluffy. It is the perfect match for a discard-heavy recipe like this one, since the acids in the discard allow the baking soda to do its work.

If your discard is on the older end, you’ll notice it doesn’t get too great of a rise. I do recommend using discard that is less than one month old, or that hasn’t gone completely dormant and started producing hooch.

If needed, you can substitute one tablespoon of baking powder (which contains the acids needed to leaven the dish) for the baking soda.

Salt

Salt brings out flavor. I use a teaspoon in this recipe to enhance all the flavors.

Quick Tip: Read the recipe in its entirety before you start cooking. This will help you understand the ingredients, steps, and timing involved, and allow you to prepare any necessary equipment or ingredients beforehand.

Calling all sourdough bakers who are also German pancake lovers! This recipe for you! Here, you’ll find a Dutch baby that does not have any added flour, only sourdough discard.

What Is A Dutch Baby?

A Dutch baby, also known as a German pancake, is a type of pancake that is baked in the oven rather than cooked on the stovetop. It is an egg-heavy dish with a texture that is somewhere between a pancake, a crepe, and a popover. Dutch babies are popular as a breakfast item and are relatively simple to make, though sure to impress with their dramatic appearance and delicious flavor.

What I Love About This Recipe

Simple and delicious. Pop a few ingredients in a blender, bake them in a preheated skillet, and viola! Breakfast.

All The “Why’s”

Sourdough Discard

This is a sourdough discard recipe, so sourdough discard is used in place of flour and most of the milk. It adds structure and moisture to the Dutch baby.

Discard has one negative effect: the fermented state of the flour reduces the Dutch baby’s ability to “pop” as much as one made without sourdough discard. (Don’t fear, if your ingredients are at room temperature and your oven is piping hot, you can still get a great “pop!”)

It is important that you know how much discard you are adding. Dutch babies are an egg-heavy dish, and too much flour will weigh it down. This means if your discard is older and thinner (hardly any bubbles) it may be beneficial to weigh the ingredients, rather than using volume measurements. The volume of sourdough discard changes greatly depending on how broken-down it is. Weight will always give you accuracy.

Milk

Milk is added to thin the batter and enhance the flavor. A thinner pancake is lighter and has a greater chance of puffing up in the oven.

Eggs

Eggs are a key ingredient, and they’re the secret to the amazing oven spring a Dutch baby gives! I like to call this recipe a “very eggy pancake” because it does use a lot of eggs. As the eggs heat, their proteins coagulate, trapping steam and creating a soufflé-like rise. They also contribute a lot of moisture and give the pancake a lighter bite.

Butter

Butter contributes to a rich flavor and crispy, golden exterior. It also acts as a nonstick coating on the skillet so that the Dutch baby releases easily after baked.

Sugar

I’ll be honest about the sugar. My American taste buds needed it. Sugar here is just used as a sweetener, to enhance the taste. It can be completely left out, if desired. This means you can increase or reduce the amount to your personal preference.

Salt

Salt brings out flavor. I use a half teaspoon in this recipe to enhance all the flavors.

Room Temperature Ingredients

Room temperature ingredients in this recipe function just as room temperature bread dough does when it hits a hot oven. It allows for the biggest possible oven spring and “pop.” If you don’t mind a flat Dutch baby (it will still taste great), you don’t have to worry about warming those ingredients. But, for the best oven spring, make sure your ingredients are not cold.

A Hot Pan + Oven

We want the skillet and the oven to be piping hot! When room temperature batter meets the heat of the pan + oven, this is where the oven spring will occur. The eggs will work their magic – trapping hot steam and rising dramatically. It will happen over the entire course of baking (the full 15 minutes), so it is important to keep the heat contained a much as possible (keep the oven door shut!)

Quick Tip: Read the recipe in its entirety before you start cooking. This will help you understand the ingredients, steps, and timing involved, and allow you to prepare any necessary equipment or ingredients beforehand.

When high protein bread became a trend, I knew I had to jump in for the sourdough world. After all, all of us sourdough people that are looking for versatile and healthy ways to use our sourdough starter need a good recipe like this one.

Why Cottage Cheese Bread?

I had to ask myself this question when I discovered “cottage cheese bread” was trending on Pinterest and a viral recipe on TikTok. The reason this bread is so beloved: protein. This bread includes a large amount of cottage cheese and egg whites, which make it a protein sensation.

What Kind Of Cottage Cheese Bread Is This?

I have seen many versions of cottage cheese bread since beginning my research on this recipe. There are two kinds that stand out as the most popular: the flourless cottage cheese bread and the bread machine cottage cheese bread.  The flourless version, made by beating egg whites, mixing with cottage cheese, and baking, has been a social media sensation. It may be good, but it is not something attainable with sourdough baking. The bread machine version, made with flour, water, egg whites, cottage cheese, and yeast is simple, but I wanted even better, fluffier results and I wanted it to be sourdough. 

This cottage cheese bread is a simple sandwich bread made with the basics, similar to the bread machine version, and includes flour. To keep the bread light and fluffy, I have increased the hydration, creating a dough that is fairly wet. This version is developed by hand, rather than by stand mixer, because of this. It does not include enrichments like butter or sugar to make it taste “better,” which helps keep the health value high. Does it still taste good? Absolutely. I would not publish a recipe that didn’t. 

The Truth About The Comparison To Brioche

When described, this bread is often compared to brioche. I think this comparison is incredibly deceptive. Those who make this comparison may not understand the unique characteristics of brioche. 

Both breads are light and fluffy, due to the addition of egg. However, brioche is made with a lot of butter. The butter makes for an incredibly tender bread – one that melts in your mouth with each bite. The whole eggs in brioche also add fat and flavor, while the addition of sugar works to reduce sourness in the slow-rising dough.

Cottage cheese bread is only enriched with cottage cheese and egg whites. The only similarity is the fluffiness added from the egg whites. While cottage cheese bread and brioche are both fluffy breads, they are not the same. One is meant as a health food, while the other is used as a base for sweet recipes. The lack of fat in cottage cheese bread leads to a completely different end result.

What I Love About This Recipe

My honest-to-goodness favorite thing about this recipe is that I can feed it to my kids and they think it is just regular white bread. They love it. And, I get the satisfaction of knowing they are receiving a good amount of protein from it. There is absolutely nothing “bad” in this recipe. I did not even choose to wash the loaf with butter like I do many of my sandwich breads. The combination of high hydration plus large amount of egg whites creates a bread that is light and fluffy. The cottage cheese does not add a fowl flavor. It acts more like milk in the dough more than anything else, which is a common addition to sandwich bread. Overall, this bread is like a feel-good, healthy version of a white bread.

All The “Why’s”

Cottage Cheese

Because cottage cheese is a dairy product, the effects are similar to that of milk. Cottage cheese is a tightening agent, meaning it creates a firmer gluten structure that requires an extended fermentation (it needs more air to blow up). It also adds density to the dough and has a tendency to burn if baked at too high of a temperature in the oven.

If you are not a fan of cottage cheese, fear not – its use in this recipe does not lead to a strong “cottage cheese” flavor. The most important reason for its addition is protein, making the end product more nutritious. Because cottage cheese contains moisture, its use, combined with the use of egg whites, means the addition of any other kind of liquid (milk or water) is not necessary in this recipe. By keeping this ingredient in proportion with everything else, its health benefits can shine, while still producing a delicious bread.

Egg Whites Over Whole Eggs

Egg whites contain proteins that help structure the dough (as well as [maybe] help your diet). While they can help create a tall loaf with lots of fluff, they also result in an extended fermentation, due to the fact that they, along with cottage cheese, tighten the gluten structure.

I had to test both egg whites and whole eggs, knowing this question would come up. Both egg whites and whole eggs have the same effect, meaning whole eggs can be substituted for egg whites if you prefer. My personal preference is just the egg whites for their more neutral flavor. Because this dough is not enriched with copious amounts of butter (like brioche), I do not find the additional fat and flavor from the egg yolks to fit the neutral flavors I’m going for in this sandwich bread. It’s just not my preference.

This recipe can be made with freshly separated egg whites, or with egg whites that come in a carton at the store and have been pasteurized. And, of course, use whole eggs (the same amount by weight) if you prefer.

Neutral Oil

A small amount of neutral oil helps to lock in moisture and keep the bread (and crust) soft during/after baking. Sandwich bread is meant to be soft, not crusty or excessively chewy, making oil incredibly helpful to achieving the right texture.

Since we are only using a small amount of oil, gluten development is not affected enough that we have to change our technique. This bread is still easily developed by hand through time, a little bit of kneading, and folds.

Bread Flour

As per usual, I love to use bread flour. This recipe is no different. Bread flour contains a higher percentage of gluten-binding proteins, which helps gluten come together quicker and stronger, helping us to create a strong dough by hand. Due to the cottage cheese and egg whites, gluten will struggle to come together anyway, meaning bread flour can be very helpful.

You’ll also notice I use less bread flour in this recipe than I do others. Unlike other sandwich bread recipes, I found that a cottage cheese bread made from a stiff dough results in a bread that is far too dense and tastes like cardboard. A wetter dough (unlike a stiff dough) encourages gluten to come together, which helps the dough hold in air – keeping the loaf light. It could be that too much flour paired with tightening agents like eggs and cottage cheese just creates too tight a dough, causing fermentation to struggle. Either way, the extra moisture is helpful in this recipe.

Salt

Salt helps bring out flavor (without salt, bread would taste almost like nothing), but also has notable effects on the dough. Salt, just like cottage cheese and eggs, is a tightening agent, meaning it helps create a more elastic (strong) dough. It also slows fermentation, but this is something we must account for in our recipe because we cannot have a recipe without salt. It is important to use just the right amount, enough to bring out the flavor, but not so much that the loaf cannot ferment or come together.

If you are a bread nerd, you might notice that the percentage of salt I add to this recipe is strange. I agree, it is strange. I added my standard 10 g for a single loaf of bread (really, I wasn’t thinking about the math), which puts the percentage of salt (in relation to the flour; baker’s math) at 3% instead of 2%. In fact, 1.5% salt would pair even better with the effects of cottage cheese and egg whites. Why on earth would I use 3% salt when there are already so many other tightening agents in the dough?

To tell you the truth, I just was not thinking about the math. The way I strengthen this dough paired with a long, overnight fermentation means the dough actually turns out perfectly balanced; it’s not too elastic despite all the tightening agents. It ferments perfectly for me. And the salt? Well, this bread has never tasted too salty to me.

If you feel the need to reduce the salt, you can reduce it to 5 g (1.5%) or 7 g (2%), noting that your dough will be slightly more extensible, which will decrease the time it takes to ferment.

Sourdough Starter

The thing about this dough is that everything we add to it makes it tighter (aside from the oil). This bread doesn’t even contain water to help with extensibility. This isn’t necessarily a problem, it just means the dough needs more air to help blow it up. That is why I add more starter. By using extra sourdough starter, the dough gains a head-start on microorganisms that help with fermentation. I prefer this method over increasing the length of fermentation (bulk is already at 12 hours!) As long as your starter is healthy, you shouldn’t notice any sour flavor coming from the extra starter.

Hydration

This is a wet dough, even though it does not contain any water. The moisture comes from the cottage cheese and the egg whites – making the exact hydration difficult to calculate. While the wet dough is sticky at first, it plays to the benefit of gluten by creating an environment where molecules can bond easier. It also allows us to work this dough by hand through time and folds.

Dough And Gluten Development

Gluten needs just a little help to come together in this recipe. I give this dough two short rounds of kneading, followed by a thirty minute rest in between. By then, the gluten should have come together and the dough should have a windowpane. Then, the dough is fully strengthened through folds before being left to rest overnight.

The method in this recipe does a really good job balancing the tightening agents (cottage cheese, egg whites, salt). The dough is not too elastic; therefore, it ferments well and does not take forever to reach the top of the loaf pan. In fact, the dough is somewhat loose, which is surprising considering the circumstances. This looseness can lead to air bubbles forming at the top of your bread dough. Make sure to pop these before you bake the bread (they’ll only be at the top!). Since we shape the dough early, there is no degassing stage in this recipe.

Shaping

Shaping sandwich bread is so easy. You can really shape it however you want, as long as the top is smooth and the seams are sealed. I like to turn the dough out, pat it into a rectangle, fold the outer thirds inward, then roll it into a log. Because this dough is being shaped early in the fermentation process, it is still fairly sticky. I use a heavy dusting of flour to make shaping more manageable.

Bulk Fermentation

Letting the dough rise as much as possible, but not too much, contributes to the airiest of loaves. This recipe works a bit in reverse order; the majority of fermentation occurs in the loaf pan. This way, you’ll know exactly when your dough is ready. Fermenting dough for this long is only possible if the dough is well-developed (otherwise it would deflate). The tightening agents – cottage cheese, egg whites, and salt – also keep the dough strong and allow this long fermentation.

I chose to do it like this for the sake of simplicity. I can start the dough early in the evening (before I am too tired), develop the dough before I go to bed, and let it fully ferment overnight. I can bake it first thing in the morning, or I can stick it in the refrigerator and bake it when I am ready. It’s a different method; however, it’s one that I find works for a busy schedule.

In an attempt to favor the yeast and reduce sourness, I recommend keeping the dough temperature between 70-75 F (21-24 C). I usually ferment this dough around 70 F (21 C). This dough can rest about twelve hours in the loaf pan in cooler home temperatures (68-70 F; 20-21 C) and about nine hours in warmer home temperatures (75 F; 24 C). If your home is much warmer than this, I recommend beginning this recipe in the morning and baking when the dough is appropriately risen, which will be a much quicker timeline. Watch the dough and ferment until it surpasses the top of the loaf pan.

Egg Wash

I wanted to keep all the ingredients for this recipe simple, healthy, and high protein. Therefore, I chose not to use butter (my favorite sandwich bread wash) for this loaf. Instead, I use an egg, which is whisked altogether and brushed on top before baking.

Depending on if you are separating fresh eggs or using pasteurized egg whites from a carton, you may or may not have extra egg yolks. A single egg yolk can be used in place of one whole egg for the wash. The difference here will be the shine. Egg whites create shine on baked goods, while egg yolks create a beautiful dark color. A bread washed with one whole egg will have a beautiful golden color and be shiny, while a bread washed with just the egg yolk will have a beautiful golden color without shine.

Baking Method: Temperature

Many cottage cheese bread recipes bake their loaves at a higher temperature than I have written for this recipe. The problem here is that cottage cheese is a milk product, and milk products need low and slow baking because they tend to burn. I did, however, test a loaf at 400 F (205 C) just to see what would happen. Of course, it became exceedingly dark and, surprisingly, developed a really thick crust. Baking the bread lower (350 F; 175 C) turns out much better results.

Baking Method: Steam

Since this is a sandwich bread – which is purposefully soft – you don’t have to remove the steam from the oven like you would for a crusty bread. It helps the dough stay soft, which leads to better expansion and texture. I use a pan of boiling water next to my dough, but you can use any method you like.

Suggested Timeline

Suggested Timeline

Quick Tip: Read the recipe in its entirety before you start cooking. This will help you understand the ingredients, steps, and timing involved, and allow you to prepare any necessary equipment or ingredients beforehand.

Drop biscuits. A simple version of a biscuit. While some biscuits are layered, these are flavored. This recipe is an enhanced “copycat” of Red Lobster’s recipe. Not only is there a major flavor boost from the use of fresh ingredients, but the incorporation of sourdough and heritage flours means this recipe is truly feel-good. It is the perfect companion to a variety of dishes – from casual meals to more elaborate dinners.

What Is A Drop Biscuit?

A drop biscuit is a type of biscuit that is made by dropping spoonfuls of dough onto a baking sheet, rather than rolling out and cutting the dough into shapes. This method is a quick, easy, and convenient option for home bakers. Drop biscuits have a more rustic and uneven appearance compared to other types of biscuits with crispy, slightly browned edges and a soft, tender interior.

A Brief History Of The Cheddar Bay Biscuit

Cheddar Bay biscuits are a staple of Red Lobster chain restaurants around the world, developed by their own culinary team in 1992 to complement the seafood offerings and provide a warm, flavorful bread option. The biscuits were first introduced under the name “Freshly Baked, Hot Cheese Garlic Bread,” which was later changed to “Cheddar Bay Biscuits” to evoke a coastal, seafood-friendly image and to reflect the cheesy, savory nature of the biscuits. “Cheddar Bay” is a fictional place created to enhance the marketing appeal of the biscuits, suggesting a seaside origin. The biscuits quickly grew in popularity, remaining a staple item of Red Lobster restaurants even today.

Sunrise Flour Mill Heritage Flours

Sunrise Flour Mill’s story began with the desire to make a good loaf of bread. During the process, the owners (Darrold and Marty Glenville) discovered how important high-quality flour was in the process. During their journey to learn the science of bread, and after increased habits of bread consumption, numerous health issues began to occur. After going gluten-free, the health issues settled, but the desire for good bread did not.

After much research, the couple discovered the major differences between modern wheat, what they had been eating and baking with, and heritage wheat. They had high hopes that the switch to heritage wheat would solve their flour problem, and, sure enough, they were right! The health complications demolished and the gluten-free diet was no longer necessary.

So began their mission to bring heritage wheat to the world. Sunrise Flour Mill’s organic, heritage wheat is more nutritious (higher in protein, vitamin, and mineral content) than other flours. These organic, heritage grains are easier to digest, and, especially when paired with the fermentation benefits of sourdough, mean many who are gluten-sensitive are able to enjoy real bread again. To learn more about their flour and the products they offer, visit their website here.

What I Love About This Recipe

When I first posted this recipe on Instagram, it went viral. And, because of that, I learned how the real Red Lobster Biscuits are made. Bisquick, water, soy cheese – not this recipe.

While this is meant to be a copycat recipe turned sourdough, I think it turned out so much better. These biscuits are packed with flavor and so incredibly good for you. Made from quality and fresh ingredients, these biscuits are not only absolutely stunning, but also great for your health.

All The “Why’s”

Sunrise Flour

Sunrise Heritage White Flour is basically a better-for-you all-purpose flour. Heritage grains, compared to modern wheat, are much easier to digest, making this recipe that much better. Really any flour that has a lower protein content (under 12%) is best for a recipe like this because gluten is undesirable. We want these biscuits to be flaky, not chewy. In fact, the lower the protein content, the better. Though I have not tested it, cake flour may even work wonders. The problem is: cake flour is not a staple ingredient in many homes; therefore, I choose not to base a recipe off of it unless it is absolutely necessary.

Baking Powder

This is a quick recipe, so I use baking powder, over sourdough, to leaven the biscuits. I prefer chemical leavening for sourdough discard recipes because we are using starter that is not in its prime state, and may not leaven well. While it is true that the addition of flour feeds the yeast, and you may get a slow rise, sourdough-discard-leavened biscuits have the potential to be more sour, due to the ever populating bacteria (which are responsible for the sour flavor) and still may not rise properly.

Salt

Salt brings out flavor in any dish – and that is its exact purpose here. Don’t skip it.

Garlic Powder

Garlic, cheese, and salt make up the flavor profile of Cheddar Bay biscuits, so of course I had to include garlic powder in the batter. Feel free to add more or less depending on your personal preferences.

Cayenne Pepper

This secret ingredient is not classic to Cheddar Bay biscuits, but I think the subtle kick cayenne pepper gives suits and compliments the flavors of these biscuits well. It’s technically optional, meaning you can skip it if you prefer.

Cheddar Cheese

After making this recipe way more times than I would like to admit, we do need to talk about the cheese. The cheese you use may have an effect on the overall moisture of the biscuits, and without careful thought may lead to a dry end result.

First off, I haven’t tested this recipe with anything other than cheddar cheese. After all, cheddar is the last of the trio of flavors we are going for here to get the “Cheddar Bay” flavor profile.

For most of my testing, I used freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese. The “sharp” part does not really matter, it’s the “freshly grated” part that makes a difference.

Pre-shredded, store bought cheese is covered in starch (to prevent caking), which plays a role in these biscuits. The extra starch effectively dries out the dough and makes the biscuits firmer and drier. You can counter this by washing the starch off in the sink; it will easily slip out into the water. Only, then your cheese adds extra moisture to the dough. In my opinion, more moisture is better than less if you have to use pre-shredded. But, for the best results, I do recommend grating the cheese yourself.

Butter

Butter is what makes a biscuit a biscuit. And melted butter is what sets drop biscuits apart from other types of biscuits. Since the butter is melted, it does not produce gases that create layers. Instead, it absorbs into the flour and results in spread.

Aside from the difference in appearance, melted butter also makes drop biscuits easy and clean: mix in one bowl, scoop, and drop them onto the baking sheet. Simple as that.

Sourdough Discard

The sourdough discard in this recipe takes the place of milk (or buttermilk) and some of the flour. The main goal: to use as much as possible and still get great results. In biscuit batter, it serves as a source of moisture and as a binder that brings the dough together.

It is important to note that with this much sourdough discard, your biscuits may or may not be sour. It all depends on your maintenance routine and the health of your starter. You can taste your discard (just a smidgen) before making this recipe – it’ll tell you what the results might look like! I have made this recipe many times and have never had a sour outcome, while others cannot even imagine making a recipe like this because their discard is so sour. Sourness comes from the bacteria in your starter. When they overpopulate, you can taste it.

The Topping

I found that including fresh ingredients in the topping leads to a huge flavor boost, not to mention the stunning appearance. I am pretty sure Red Lobster does not do this for the sake of practicality in their chain restaurant, but, as a home baker, these fresh ingredients can escalate this dish to a whole new level. I would highly recommend following the recipe as written, though I have provided the necessary adjustments for using dried herbs and garlic if you are in a pinch or cannot access fresh ingredients.

Working Order

As mentioned above, keeping the development of gluten low is incredibly important, but this can be difficult with the incorporation of sourdough starter. That is why the order I have written this recipe in is incredibly important. Namely, when the cheese is added. The cheese must be added after the dry ingredients are added, rather than folded in after the batter is mixed. This is because the use of sourdough starter provides a thicker and stickier consistency in the dough compared to a drop biscuit made with buttermilk or other liquid. Working in the cheese after the sourdough starter is added is more difficult, and leads to a significantly increased amount of gluten-development, an undesirable outcome in this recipe.

Baking Temperature + Time

I bake these in a 425 F (220 C) oven for fifteen minutes. These biscuits do not have to be baked as hot as rolled biscuits since the rise will not be as dramatic. Fifteen minutes is the perfect amount of time to cook these babies through, but still keep them soft.

Quick Tip: Read the recipe in its entirety before you start cooking. This will help you understand the ingredients, steps, and timing involved, and allow you to prepare any necessary equipment or ingredients beforehand.

I made this to be the ultimate beginner loaf of bread. It is simple, yet still yields a great bread that is naturally leavened with sourdough starter. This one is for those who need some relief from the complexities of sourdough, and are looking for something they can win. If this is you, you’re in the right place.

What Is Batter Bread?

I have found “batter bread” can mean something different to every person. For the purposes of this recipe, batter bread is a type of bread made of simple ingredients through a simple, no-knead process. A batter is mixed, left to rise, and then baked. Extensive kneading or folds are not required because gluten development is not prioritized for the crumb and texture of the final baked product. The end result is a moist and rustic loaf of bread, great for sandwiches or eating on its own!

What I Love About This Recipe

This bread is much easier to make than traditional sourdough. It requires three steps: mix, ferment, bake. This recipe results in a loaf that is incredibly moist and slightly sour (depending on the state of your starter), which means if you are someone looking for a true sourdough flavor in their bread, this will provide it for you! Best of all, this recipe is fail-safe. It’s the perfect recipe for testing out a new starter, to see if it is ready for more advanced projects. Beginner and experienced sourdough bakers alike will enjoy this loaf!

All The “Why’s”

A Butter-Laiden Loaf

I cover my pan and the top of my loaf with butter. The butter not only makes my pan incredibly non-stick, but it adds a rich, decadent flavor to the bread.

Bread Flour

The purpose of this recipe is to be incredibly simple, yet still yield a delicious end result. For the best results possible, choose a bread flour with a protein content of at least 12%. The higher protein content in the flour will help the gluten come together better, which is important in this recipe because we do not take measures to develop the dough at all. The naturally-developing gluten from the high-quality flour will help prevent the loaf from collapsing before it fully doubles in size. I use King Arthur Bread Flour (protein content 12.7%) in this recipe.

Salt

Salt helps bring out flavor (without salt, bread would taste almost like nothing), but also has notable effects on the dough. Salt does slow fermentation, as well as gluten development, but this is something we must account for in the recipe because we cannot have a recipe without salt. It is important to use just the right amount, enough to bring out the flavor, but not so much that the loaf cannot ferment or come together. I use the standard – 2% salt – in all my recipes, unless otherwise noted.

Honey

The small amount of honey acts as food for the yeast in your starter, speeding up fermentation slightly, which I think can be helpful in a beginner recipe like this one. It does not sweeten the loaf, and can be eliminated if desired.

Starter To Flour Ratio

This recipe includes a large percentage of starter – 50% of the total flour in the recipe! (For comparison, a normal sourdough bread recipe includes only 20% starter.) The large amount of starter means your bread will ferment faster than other recipes, so it is not necessary to ferment the dough for near as long as you normally would. This percentage of starter can also contribute to a slightly sour flavor in this bread, depending on your sourdough starter care and maintenance routine.

Hydration

This recipe has a moderately high hydration, resting at approximately 87%. This amount of water in this recipe is a good amount – not too high, but not too low – for helping gluten come together with ease. It also contributes to the final light and moist texture of the baked bread.

Mixing Time

Since we do not take the time to develop structure through folds, mixing is an important step that will help the dough rise to its fullest potential. While not essential, a longer mix means more elasticity, which means the dough can more readily hold in air bubbles and rise to double in size without worry of collapsing. After all of the flour is incorporated into the batter, try to mix the dough for a solid three to five minutes for best results. This small consideration, in addition to the right flour, will develop the dough just enough for success.

Fermentation

This dough is easy to ferment. Simply watch the dough until it reaches the top of the container, which should be exactly double in size. There are no folds and there is no refrigeration step, which means it is even easier than ever to tell when this bread is ready to bake.

It is important to note that fermentation times vary significantly depending on temperature and climate. My home generally rests around 68-72 F (20-22 C), so my fermentation times are very extended from someone whose home rests around 75 F (24 C), or even warmer.

Here are some general guidelines to help you with approximate timing for this recipe:

Generally, loaves that ferment around 70 F (21 C; this is the temperature I ferment my dough) take about 6 hours to bulk ferment. Colder climates, say 65 F (18 C) take much longer, a minimum of 8 hours, and sometimes more. Increase the temperature to 73-75 F (23-24 C), and the bulk fermentation time is reduced to around 4 hours. Last, very warm temperatures, 78-80 F (25-27 C) generally take only 2-3 hours to complete fermentation.

(Lack Of) Dough Development

Due to the lack of dough development (folds, kneading), the dough is weaker. It will not hold in large air bubbles, will not have the ability to hold its own shape, and will not have an oven spring. In fact, you will notice bubbles popping through the surface (air escaping) due to the weak dough. This bread takes the shape of the pan it is placed in and rises to the top, but cannot hold any more fermentation than this since strength is not present to keep the loaf from collapsing. This is why the proper sized pan is essential, as the batter (before fermenting) should fill the pan exactly halfway.

Baking Method

This loaf can simply be baked in an open oven without steam or any special equipment, such as a Dutch oven. The loaf itself contains a fairly high percentage of water, which keeps it moist enough to rise appropriately, though it does not have a large oven spring due to the lack of development.

Suggested Timeline

Quick Tip: Read the recipe in its entirety before you start cooking. This will help you understand the ingredients, steps, and timing involved, and allow you to prepare any necessary equipment or ingredients beforehand.

For some reason, good English muffin recipes are rare. Many are dense and heavy, lacking nooks and crannies for all that butter and jam. Not this one. My perfect English muffin is one that is light, slightly soft, with a subtle crisp when bitten into. It has nooks and crannies scattered throughout, but not as in “random large holes.” No – nooks and crannies as in: a bunch of little holes all next to each other that perfectly and evenly hold their filling. It is possible, and it is not that hard. You just have to know a few key pieces of information, which (of course) I spill the beans on below.

What Are English Muffins?

English muffins are a small, round, and flat yeast-leavened bread product. They are fried on a griddle or stovetop, which gives them their unique texture and appearance – golden and crispy on the outside, yet soft and chewy on the inside. English muffins are often split open with a fork, toasted, and served with butter, jam, or used as a base for breakfast sandwiches (my favorite!).

A Brief History Of English Muffins

English muffins were invented by a British expatriate in America in the late 1800s. A man named Samuel Bath Thomas developed them as a thinner, pre-cut version of crumpets. While crumpets are made from a wet batter that is cooked only on one side, English muffins are made from a firmer dough that is split down the middle, usually with a fork. They are much more well-known and popularized in America than England, where they are termed, “American muffins.”

What I Love About This Recipe

This recipe creates an English muffin that is beautifully light and airy with nooks and crannies throughout. To create them, I break a few traditional rules, such as frying low and slow until the muffins are cooked completely through. I also bring back forgotten knowledge, such as the main liquid base for English muffins. I also use some techniques I do not see often, such as dividing the dough into equally-weighted sections and shaping into rounds, rather than rolling out the dough and cutting with a dough cutter. Altogether, I think the blend of techniques and ingredients in this recipe creates a stunning end result that will leave any baker obsessed with baking more.

All The “Why’s”

Bread Flour

Here’s the thing about artisan bread: most of the gluten is developed through time during the slow fermentation process. You see, as dough rests, gluten comes together naturally and fermentation provides strength. Bread flour contains more gluten binding proteins, which naturally create a stronger network that traps air and helps the loaf ferment more efficiently. I use King Arthur Bread Flour in most recipes that calls for “bread flour” because of its higher protein content (12.7%) and excellent ability to form gluten.

Salt

Salt helps bring out flavor (without salt, bread would taste almost like nothing), but also has notable effects on the dough. Salt is a tightening agent, meaning it helps create a more elastic (strong) dough. It does slow fermentation, as well as gluten development, but these are things we must account for in the recipe because we cannot have a recipe without salt. It is important to use just the right amount, enough to bring out the flavor, but not so much that the loaf cannot ferment or come together. I use the standard – 2% salt – in all my recipes, unless otherwise noted.

Hydration

This recipe has an approximate hydration of 70%. The amount of liquid present is just enough to create a soft dough that can be structured by hand through folds. Increased hydration (more liquid) leads to chewier textures, which I do not want too much of in this recipe. I find this amount of liquid to yield the perfect texture in the bread, as well as create the right consistency of dough to make for easy handling for any level of sourdough baker.

Little To No Milk

While most English muffin recipes on the internet today are primarily milk-based, this one is not. This recipe includes hardly any milk, though it does include a smidgen for reasons I will explain in a moment. In fact, your muffins will come out great if the milk is skipped altogether and replaced with water. This factor is so very important to the overall texture of the muffins and it plays a large role in the presence of the nooks and crannies.

Originally, I did not include any milk in the recipe. But, milk creates density and softness. A small amount of this is actually very helpful to balancing out the chewiness that water creates. That is why I, inevitably, decided to include a small percentage of it in this recipe. Did you know the original English muffin recipe did not include milk at all? It is not essential.

Aside from the positive effects, milk has some neutral effects, such as darkening of the crust, and also one majorly negative effect for English muffins, and that is that it completely closes the crumb. Why? Milk is a tightening agent (like salt), and in large portions brings too much elasticity to the dough. With milk as the base, no matter the fermentation, it is nearly impossible to achieve the openness desired in English muffins. Therefore, this recipe is primarily made with water as the liquid base, and uses only a small percentage of milk (small enough to still allow for those gorgeous nooks and crannies to come through) to add a little bit of softness to the interior of the muffin. For a deeper dive into the effects of milk in English muffins, see my expansion post on this topic, linked below:

Oil Over Butter

Oil, in addition to milk, adds softness to the dough. I chose to use oil over butter in this recipe due to the fact that I chose to hand mix the dough and develop the gluten through folds. Unless the liquids are heated (which I do not do) butter will solidify during mixing and is much more difficult to incorporate. Butter can be used, if desired, keeping this fact in mind, being sure to warm the liquids so that it can be incorporated easily.

No Added Sugar

Many English muffin recipes add sugar, usually only a small amount, to the dough. The purpose of the small portion of sugar would be to aid in fermentation. Unlike adding a large amount of sugar (which slows fermentation) a small amount of sugar can help the yeast get going. This is more important in English muffins made with commercial yeast, and is not necessary for a sourdough English muffin recipe like this one. The yeast are able to receive plenty of nutrients and sugars through the flour and the milk in this recipe. It is not even necessary to sweeten the dough for the purposes of eliminating a “sour” flavor, as a well-developed “sour” flavor is often a sought-after trait in English muffins. 

Dough and Gluten Development

This dough includes only a small percentage of enrichments (oil, milk), neither of which is enough to interfere with the natural process of gluten development that happens over time. This means we can let fermentation do most of the strengthening of our bread, aerating it and building structure, while we take time to fold the dough, which helps fermentation do its best work.

Folding the dough has many benefits, and time you fold it in relation to its stage in fermentation can also change the outcome of your crumb completely. More folds up front (sometimes, I also pair this with increased mixing time) creates a more elastic loaf, which just means the end result will be taller with a more defined shape. Less folds, or folds that are more spaced out, can mean a flatter muffin, but with a more “wild” and open crumb.

Troubleshooting

• If you feel your crumb is too closed (and you know fermentation is on point), try spacing the folds out more.
• If you feel your muffins are too flat, try replacing the first set of folds with two to three minutes of kneading, adding one to two sets of folds to the recipe, or performing your folds closer together.
• Beware of how temperature plays a part; you will want to do your folds closer together if the environment is warm (above 72 F, 22 C) and farther apart if the environment is cool (below 72 F, 22 C)

For this recipe, I aim for four folds. The key is to make sure the dough relaxes completely between each set. This way, the folds are more efficient at structuring the dough. You can do each set of folds a minimum of fifteen minutes apart, but thirty minutes is better. Even an hour apart can be okay, but then it may throw off your ability to judge fermentation, which is only a factor if you are new to making sourdough and do not quite know the right timing for your environment. Feel free to play around with everything I just mentioned and notice what intervals gives you the results you are looking for in your bread. You can do a minimum of four sets of folds, or a maximum of eight sets; though, I do not see a reason to go so high.

Bulk Fermentation

It is important to note that fermentation varies significantly depending on temperature and climate. My home generally rests around 68-72 F (20-22 C), so my fermentation times are very extended from someone whose home rests around 75 F (24 C), or even warmer. Always watch the dough and read your baked loaf as best as possible to be able to determine necessary adjustments for your next attempt. The goal is to ferment the dough as long as possible, but not to overproof. The longer the dough ferments, the lighter and airier your bread will be.

If you choose to cold ferment your dough, as I do in this recipe, the temperature of your bulk fermentation is very important. A warm dough will continue to rise significantly in the fridge, while a cooler dough will not. I keep this dough around 70 F, and bulk ferment it until it reaches 50-75% in size after folds are complete. The bulk fermentation here is significantly reduced from what I usually do, and that is because I let the dough rest on the counter for a very long final proof. If you live in a climate like mine, or even cooler, this method will work fine. But, if your environment is warmer, you will need to consider decreasing the percentage of rise you give the dough before you shape it. I can give you some guidelines, but ultimately you will need to experiment and find your own way for your own environment.

Generally, loaves that ferment around 70 F (21 C; this is the temperature I ferment my dough) take about 5-6 hours to warm bulk ferment (before the refrigerator) in this recipe. Colder climates, say 65 F (18 C) take much longer: a minimum of 8 hours. Increase the temperature to 73-75 F (23-24 C), and the bulk fermentation time is reduced to around 3-4 hours. Last, very warm temperatures, 78-80 F (25-27 C) generally take only 2 hours to complete the first fermentation. All in all, your dough is in your hands, and in your climate.

Cold Bulk Fermentation

Though placing the dough in the fridge isn’t necessary, it will create a deeper final flavor, as well as add flexibility to the baking timeline. I choose to do this before the muffins are shaped, rather than after, but either way will result in a beautiful flavor. The dough must be at room temperature or slightly warmer before frying, which is why placing the dough in the fridge at the end of bulk fermentation seems to make the most sense. Furthermore, it will also make handling the dough for shaping slightly easier.

If you choose to skip cold bulk fermentation, you will want to shape the dough after about a 50-75% size increase, and then let the muffins proof on the counter until about double in size for best results. When skipping the fridge, it is easy to use visual cues since we do not have to worry about the dough rising too much in the refrigerator.

Shaping

The dough is shaped by dividing into twelve equal sections and shaping each section into a round by using a clean counter and your pinkies to tighten the outer skin. This method, at least in my opinion, is much easier and a lot less time consuming than rolling out the dough and cutting into rounds using a biscuit cutter. 

A Long Final Proof

A “final proof” is simply the time the dough is left to rest and ferment after shaping, but before cooking. This recipe includes a long final proof, which is possible due to the shortened bulk fermentation, for a reason. After the dough is shaped, it is left to ferment and develop bubbles, remaining unhandled. This, in addition to everything else mentioned above, is an important factor to achieving those gorgeous nooks and crannies. A dough that has not been left to proof long enough will not result in the same nooks and crannies as one left for longer. There is one catch, though. A dough left to proof too long will not have as much of a “spring” on the hot griddle (though it may or may not still result in beautiful nooks). It is important to let the dough relax and expand a good amount, but not flatten completely, in order to achieve the perfect English muffin.

Room Temperature Dough

A dough that is room temperature, or slightly warmer, will result in the best “spring” on the griddle, as well as the biggest air bubbles inside. I learned this lesson when working on baguettes, as I tried to mimic my standard country loaf and bake them from cold, only to discover a major lack of desired oven spring. This same concept applies to English muffins. The warmer dough temperature hitting a high heat on the griddle will cause the muffins to puff up rapidly and produce beautiful air bubbles inside.

Cooking Method: High Heat

Hear me out on the high heat. Maybe you have researched and are positive that English muffins are meant to be fried from start to finish: slowly at a lower temperature. And the truth is, you can do this and I will tell you how (more on this in FAQs). The pitfall to frying “low and slow” is the goal of the nooks and crannies. Room temperature (or slightly warmer) dough needs to hit high heat. This reaction will cause the muffins to puff up immediately, expand beautifully, and produce gorgeous air bubbles. By using a lower heat, the muffins will rise slower, and will still produce air bubbles as they expand (maybe even enough for you to be satisfied!), but not in the same way as a muffin cooked on a higher heat. Unfortunately, using the higher heat means the muffins would burn on the outside before they are cooked all the way through, which is why I combine this method with baking in the oven.

An Oven-Baked Finish

I finish these muffins by baking them in a 350 F oven for 15 minutes. The muffins received their “spring” and golden exterior on the stovetop, but now they must finish cooking through. A moderate heat is all that is necessary, since expansion and proper browning has already occurred. I prefer to place the muffins directly in the oven after they are finished on the stovetop, in order to keep the heat on them until they are finished cooking. To do this, I work in batches and use multiple timers on my phone to know when everything is ready. Alternatively, place the muffins on a baking sheet as they are finished on the stovetop and bake the muffins altogether for fifteen minutes.

Suggested Timelines

Suggested Timeline

All-In-One-Day Timeline

Quick Tip: Read the recipe in its entirety before you start cooking. This will help you understand the ingredients, steps, and timing involved, and allow you to prepare any necessary equipment or ingredients beforehand.

For some, a bread recipe that requires extremely minimal effort is the ultimate goal. Who cares about perfection? I just want bread! This recipe is just that – minimal effort, moderate results. I wanted to make this recipe stupidly simple, so that those who do not have the time, effort, or desire to slave over their loaves all day would have something to turn to.

Let me be clear – this is not me. I’d much rather take the two minutes every hour to fold my dough and to meet all of its needs so that I can have my perfect loaf: one that is tall and defined, bursts in the oven, and presents a wide open crumb. As of the time of this writing, I am still searching for this recipe, though I get closer with every bake.

However, I also seek to meet all the needs of the sourdough community. And, for many, that is minimal effort. I respect that. We do not all have a sourdough obsession: we just want to make good bread.

So, let us do just that. Make bread. And, let me tell you about the “why’s” behind everything you will face here, so that you really understand what is going on.

What Is Country Bread?

Country bread is a French-inspired rustic loaf of sourdough bread. It can be shaped into a boule (round) or a batard (oval). This is the bread that most people simply call “sourdough” today. This bread was popularized in the early 2000’s by Chad Robertson, whose book, Tartine Bread, is the root for which all modern sourdough is based today.

This type of bread can be made with a variety of flour types for different flavors and textures. For this recipe, we will stick with the simplest version, using just the most basic ingredients: white flour, water, salt (and sourdough starter). And, very unlike the original, we will use our stand mixer to do the bulk of the work for us.

What I Love About This Recipe

Twenty minutes. That is all you need. Twenty minutes and you have (well, actually your stand mixer has) done most of the work. There is no coming back and checking on the dough, unless you are so inclined. Ferment it, shape it, bake it, and you have sourdough.

All The “Why’s”

Flour Choice

I almost always use bread flour in my leavened bread recipes. The reason can change, depending on the type of bread I am making, but I almost always fall back to bread flour for one reason or another. In this recipe, gluten is developed in a stand mixer, which means that we must take into account a few important things about this type of bread and how it comes together in a stand mixer specifically.

My main reason for using bread flour in my artisan bread recipes gluten-forming proteins. This is very important in hand-mixed dough, which comes together naturally through fermentation. Without bread flour, the gluten does not come together as quickly or as strong, leading to a weak dough that is overly extensible and readily loses air.

This same concept applies to bread mixed with all-purpose flour in a stand mixer, but in a different way. With all-purpose flour, the dough takes longer to come together during mixing, just like it takes longer to come together naturally over time. Longer mixing times have their pros and cons, the biggest drawback being the incorporation of oxygen into the dough. While oxygen incorporation is necessary, it is a good thing only to a certain extent. Too much oxygen in bread dough is called “over-oxidation” and it produces a very white bread with a bland taste and closed crumb. This was the reason for Calvel’s invention of autolyse, which allows gluten to come together naturally before mixing begins, meaning mixing times are significantly reduced, even when using weaker flours.

To counter a weak flour without autolyse, we can simply add more flour. Adding more flour also has its pros and cons, but we must do what is best for our bread with the flour we are working with. The choice is yours: use a strong bread flour that comes together easily during mixing, or use a weaker all-purpose flour that might require additional flour or need to be mixed for longer. You might even choose to meet in the middle with a quality brand of all-purpose flour.

Salt

Salt helps bring out flavor (without salt, bread would taste almost like nothing), but also has notable effects on the dough. Salt is a tightening agent, meaning it helps create a more elastic (strong) dough. This is important in a simple, stand mixer recipe, since we do not want to have to come back to the dough until it is time to shape.

Salt does slow fermentation, as well as gluten development, but these are things we must account for in the recipe because we cannot have a recipe without salt. It is important to use just the right amount, enough to bring out the flavor, but not so much that the loaf cannot ferment or come together. I use the standard – 2% salt – in all my recipes, including this one, unless otherwise noted.

Hydration

For this recipe, I take down the hydration a bit since we do not need a dough extensible enough for folding. Since the plan is to not have to come back to the dough, we need to create enough structure through the proportions of each ingredient and through mixing. The more water in a recipe, the looser the structure, and the more times we have to come back and fold the dough to boost productivity during fermentation.

This recipe has an approximate hydration of 70%. It could even go down to 65%. But, beware! Balance is needed. While too much water means too little structure, too little water means strained ability to form gluten. Without gluten, the dough loses air and the loaf cracks. We have to have just the right amount of water for gluten to be able to form and for our dough to still stand tall on its own (without folds). 70% seems to be the perfect balance, creating a moderate hydration dough with these characteristics.

Mixing

All of the dough and gluten development in this recipe is done in a stand mixer. That makes mixing the most important component, aside from fermentation. While simple, a little knowledge can go a long way in helping us achieve the characteristics that are desired in a loaf of bread.

The goal of mixing is to incorporate all ingredients and to develop the gluten network, including the right balance of elasticity (strength, the loaf’s ability to stand tall and hold its shape) and extensibility (flexibility, stretchiness, the ability of the loaf to expand during fermentation and have a massive oven spring). Incorporating the ingredients is easy, and can take two minutes or less. But, if we just did this, we would still need to come back and structure the dough as it ferments, otherwise the loaf would be flat with a dense crumb: majorly underdeveloped. Trust me, I tried this and failed miserably, more than once. Dough and gluten development are essential to success, and we must do this properly in the stand mixer.

Extensibility

When you hand-strengthen a loaf of bread, extensibility is desired. It helps the loaf to be folded and structured properly throughout fermentation. Since we are not going to be touching the dough from mixing until shaping, it is actually better not to strive for excess extensibility. The dough will naturally relax through fermentation, which will give us all the extensibility we need for shaping and a good oven spring.

Extensibility (flexibility, stretchiness) is developed through increased hydration (more water), autolyse, weaker flour, or higher mixing speeds. Did you catch that? Higher mixing speeds are not bad, but they do create a more extensible dough. This extensibility is desired in some recipes, for example enriched doughs, especially milk breads, that we want to spring up more in the oven after a long fermentation. But, in a simple loaf like this, not so much.

Maybe you are wondering, “How do higher mixing speeds increase extensibility?” Maybe you thought it was the opposite, as I once did. Less mixing = a more relaxed dough = more extensibility. Too much mixing = a tense dough, which risks breaking apart the gluten completely. This is not so. You see, extensibility is a sign of weakness in bread dough, even though it is a necessary component of bread-making. Autolyse creates extensibility because important proteins are being degraded over time. Faster mixing speeds create extensibility because the gluten is being whacked around and broken when the dough is mixed more aggressively. You can choose how much extensibility you want in your dough by 1) knowing your flour and 2) choosing your mixing speed appropriately.

Mixing Speed

You can see in my original Stand Mixer Sourdough video on YouTube (also linked at the end of the recipe card), that I chose a higher speed to mix my dough. There are several reasons why I chose to do this. Let’s talk about them and what effects they caused.

My goal with the recipe I published on YouTube was to mimic a hand-strengthened loaf of sourdough country bread. My original thinking was that the amount of water was a key component in mimicking this crumb, so I chose to keep the amount of water the same. This meant my KitchenAid struggled to pick up the dough, which lead me to counter this by using higher speeds. Otherwise, the dough would take a very long time to come together (minimum of thirty minutes), and I might as well have just done the whole process by hand.

Using higher speeds helped me to be able to keep the hydration I wanted, without excessive mixing time. I was able to achieve a windowpane in a maximum of fifteen minutes. The dough fermented well-enough, was structured enough, and still produced a semi-open crumb.

Notice in the video how I struggled to judge fermentation. I folded the dough to help me keep my usual timing, and even in the end the dough still had not risen as much as I thought it should have. I could not answer this then, but I can answer it now. The gluten structure was too weak, too extensible. That dough needed the fold in the middle and it needed the lamination during shaping to present the minuscule amount of success that it did. Those things build strength (elasticity) which counters extensibility. Maybe this dough still needed folds just like what any sourdough baker usually does when mixing by hand. But, because whacking the dough around breaks gluten bonds, I do not think that kind of extensibility was ever going to be able to be fully fixed. Without a strong gluten network, fermentation cannot properly occur. This, my friends, is why I believe my fermentation was out of whack.

Different mixers have different speeds, and you can choose your speed according to your own personal preferences, based on to how your mixer functions and how your dough performs during fermentation. Our goal is to not have to come back to this dough and fold it. So we need to find some sort of balance that works with our dough, our mixer, and our process goals. We still need extensibility, we just do not need too much of it.

How To Accomplish Our Mixing Goals

During mixing, we want to develop the dough to medium development. Your dough should have a rough, but not complete, windowpane. Your dough will gain more strength during fermentation, so we need it to be just extensible enough to be able to expand, but not so extensible that the gluten structure is too broken (over-mixing), or that we need to help it out later with folds (under-mixing).

Start by mixing the dough at a low to medium-low speed until the ingredients are incorporated. This ensures everything is combined before gluten begins forming, that way the gluten can develop evenly and efficiently. Next, mix the dough at a slightly higher speed, medium-low to medium, until you can pull up on the dough without it tearing. This tells you that your dough may be ready to ferment.

Stop the mixer and check the windowpane. You want the be able to see through the dough only slightly. It should still have some dark patches (not see-through) interspersed with clear (see-through) dough. It should still tear when stretched excessively. If you can check both of these boxes, the dough is ready to rest and ferment.

Other Considerations

The Flour/Water Balance

Another important component to this kind of recipe is flour, which is discussed above. Different flours will perform differently during mixing. I kid you not when I say that every single flour needs to be worked with in a completely different way. This recipe is made for a 100% white flour bread, the choice being between the quality of proteins in the flour. Cake flour is out of the question, so the choice is between all-purpose flour and bread flour.

Since we are not building structure through folds, using more flour (or less water) is okay. Flour provides structure, we just have to make sure there is enough water that gluten can properly form. It is all about balance. Again, the dough needs to have enough moisture that it can stretch, but also needs to be stiff enough that it can hold itself firmly without requiring folds.

Oxygen

Mixing incorporates oxygen. While oxygen incorporation is necessary and good, too much can cause things to get out of whack. This is why too much mixing can lead to a closed crumb, white color, and bland taste. It is better to add more flour to help the dough come together than to mix for longer. Either way will result in a closed crumb, so you might as well add the flour and keep the taste, texture, and better fermentation capabilities of perfectly mixed bread.

Bulk Fermentation

This loaf is easy to ferment because it does not require any folding. Watch the dough until it doubles in size, then shape. Unless you use the fridge for the final proof, that is. That is where things could get complicated.

Warmer dough continues to ferment a considerable amount in the refrigerator. Colder dough does as well, but to a much lesser extent. It is all about the time it takes for the dough to cool off to the temperature of the refrigerator. In that case, I can provide you with some guidelines on fermentation. Always watch your dough and do your best to read your bread once it is baked and make necessary adjustments for your next attempt.

Generally, loaves that ferment around 70 F (21 C; this is the temperature I ferment my dough) take about 12 hours to bulk ferment (the time from mixing to shaping). Colder climates, say 65 F (18 C), take a very long time, a minimum of 16 hours, and sometimes longer. Increase the temperature to 73-75 F (23-24 C), and the bulk fermentation time is reduced to around 9 hours. Last, very warm temperatures, 78-80 F (25-27 C) generally take only 4 hours to complete fermentation. All in all, your dough is in your hands, and in your climate.

However, if you do not use the refrigerator at all in the entire process, it is easy to rely on visual cues. In this case, simply watch the dough until it doubles in size. A container with straight sides can help with this. Then, you can shape the dough and watch it again until it looks puffy and maybe even doubles in size again.

The goal with fermentation is to push it as long as possible. Bread that tastes gummy or chewy could always ferment longer. A well-fermented dough should taste light, airy, and soft. If you are having trouble achieving this kind of texture before the dough “overproofs” (which is when the bacteria have completely degraded the flour), this is a sign of starter imbalance. This topic is way too complicated, and I will save it for another day.

Shaping

Since we are only making one loaf of bread, it is not necessary to pre-shape the dough. Simply turn it out, and shape it using your preferred method for a boule or batard before adding to your banneton.

It is important to be very gentle with the dough during this step, if you want to keep air bubbles intact, that is. If not, simply pat the dough all over after turning out, which will degass the dough and result in a more closed and even crumb.

Cold Proof

A cold proof is always an option to extend the baking timeline, which creates flexibility. I cold ferment this dough when I make it in the morning and let it bulk ferment all day. I skip the cold ferment when I make the dough at night and let it bulk ferment overnight. You can bake this loaf straight from the fridge, or after a minimum one hour rest on the counter after shaping.

Scoring

I am super simple when it comes to scoring. You only need one score, 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep, to help this loaf expand without cracking all over. I am not about decorative scoring, but if you are, then go for it!

Baking Method: Temperature

The best oven spring and crumb comes from baking the dough hot and fast. I chose a temperature of 500 F to give the dough the best “pop” in the oven.

Baking Method: Steam

Because I have a gas oven, it is hard to open bake. I open bake breads that are smaller in size, such as bialy or pan de cristal, but whole loaves do not do well. Therefore, I always use a Dutch oven for bakes like this (lid on for the first half of baking [steam], lid off second half [to firm up the crust]). Currently, that is my Challenger Bread Pan (which I absolutely love!).

In reality, you can open bake this bread, just make sure your oven has plenty of steam for the first twenty minutes of baking to help the dough expand properly. Open-baking works best with electric ovens that do not have vents. The main goal: make sure your bread has the ability to expand to its maximum potential before the crust begins to harden.

Suggested Timelines

Suggested Timeline

Work Day Timeline

Quick Tip: Read the recipe in its entirety before you start cooking. This will help you understand the ingredients, steps, and timing involved, and allow you to prepare any necessary equipment or ingredients beforehand.

I am going to be honest with you: I never make this bread the same way twice. This is one of those recipes that can take years to master, and I am still working on mastering this one. This particular recipe was originally published November of 2023 as a YouTube video, which I later transferred to my blog in February of 2024. To say that I have changed my technique a lot since publishing this recipe is an understatement. I have experimented with everything under the sun, and am still experimenting with more. At the time of this update (October 2024), I have gained so much insight, and I am excited to share some of it with you in this post. But, do I ever follow this recipe? No. In fact, when I finally do hone in on one particular technique, I bet it will look nothing like this one. So, for now, I present to you an abundance of bread knowledge and a recipe that works, but is still being refined.

What Is Country Bread?

Country bread is a French-inspired rustic loaf of sourdough bread. It can be shaped into a boule (round) or a batard (oval). This is the bread that most people simply call “sourdough” today. This bread was popularized in the early 2000’s by Chad Robertson, whose book, Tartine Bread, is the root for which all modern sourdough is based today.

This type of bread is made from a fairly wet dough, which easier to develop by hand. The long fermentation time allows gluten to come together, as well as provides the dough with most of its strength. It is baked at a high temperature with steam (for a fuller expansion) to achieve a sort of “explosion” in the oven, which gives the loaf a beautiful oven spring and interior.

This type of bread can be made with a variety of flour types for different flavors and textures. For this recipe, we will stick with the simplest version, using just the most basic ingredients: flour, water, salt (and sourdough starter).

What I Love About This Recipe

This recipe makes a great loaf of bread, but without a wildly open crumb. It is perfect for sandwiches or toast. It does not require any advanced steps, such as autolyse; rather all ingredients are mixed at once. This way: you will not forget to add anything to the dough. Working the dough by hand means that no special equipment is necessary to get it together, as folds and a long fermentation time create the necessary structure. Visual cues help you learn to read your dough to know exactly when the next step needs to take place, or if something about the process is off. The Dutch-oven bake gives this recipe the perfect crust and oven spring, while the cold ferment helps set the classic sourdough flavor.

All The “Why’s”

Bread Flour

Here’s the thing about artisan bread: most of the gluten is developed through time during the slow fermentation process. You see, as dough rests, gluten comes together naturally and fermentation provides strength. Bread flour contains more gluten binding proteins, which naturally create a stronger network that traps air and helps the loaf ferment more efficiently. I use King Arthur Bread Flour in most recipes that calls for “bread flour” because of its higher protein content (12.7%) and excellent ability to form gluten.

Salt

Salt helps bring out flavor (without salt, bread would taste almost like nothing), but also has notable effects on the dough. Salt is a tightening agent, meaning it helps create a more elastic (strong) dough. It does slow fermentation, as well as gluten development, but these are things we must account for in the recipe because we cannot have a recipe without salt. It is important to use just the right amount, enough to bring out the flavor, but not so much that the loaf cannot ferment or come together. I use the standard – 2% salt – in all my recipes, unless otherwise noted.

Hydration

This recipe has an approximate hydration of 75%. This amount of water is just enough that the dough can be structured by hand through folds with ease. The higher the hydration (the more water present in the dough), the harder the dough is to handle. I find the amount in this recipe to be a perfect balance between easy handling and beautiful stretching/ease of dough development, which makes the balance of this recipe perfect for even a beginner. Read more about dough hydration here.

Dough and Gluten Development

Because this dough is unenriched (no fat, sugar, etc.) and because our sourdough starter works slowly, gluten develops naturally over time. This means we can let fermentation do most of the strengthening of our bread, aerating it and building structure, while we take time to fold the dough, which helps fermentation do its best work.

Folding the dough has many benefits, and time you fold it in relation to its stage in fermentation can also change the outcome of your loaf completely. More folds up front (sometimes, I also pair this with increased mixing time) creates a more elastic loaf, which just means the end result will be taller with a more defined shape. Less folds, or folds that are more spaced out, can mean a flatter loaf, but with a more “wild” and open crumb.

For this recipe, I aim for six folds. The key is to make sure the dough relaxes completely between each set. This way, the folds are more efficient at structuring the dough. You can do each set of folds a minimum of fifteen minutes apart, but thirty minutes is better. Even an hour apart can be okay, but then it may throw off your ability to judge fermentation, which is only a factor if you are new to making sourdough and do not quite know the right timing for your environment. Feel free to play around with everything I just mentioned and notice what intervals gives you the results you are looking for in your bread. You can do a minimum of four sets of folds, or a maximum of eight sets; though, I do not see a reason to go so high.

Bulk Fermentation

It is important to note that fermentation varies significantly depending on temperature and climate. My home generally rests around 68-72 F (20-22 C), so my fermentation times are very extended from someone whose home rests around 75 F (24 C), or even warmer. Always watch the dough and read your baked loaf as best as possible to be able to determine necessary adjustments for your next attempt. The goal is to ferment the dough as long as possible, but not to overproof. The longer the dough ferments, the lighter and airier your bread will be.

If you choose to cold proof your dough, as I do in this recipe, the temperature of your bulk fermentation is very important. A warm dough will continue to rise significantly in the fridge, while a cooler dough will not. I keep this dough around 70 F, and bulk ferment it until it reaches double in size after folds are complete. If you live in a climate like mine, or even cooler, this method will work fine. But, if your environment is warmer, you will need to consider decreasing the percentage of rise you give the dough before you shape it. I can give you some guidelines, but ultimately you will need to experiment and find your own way for your own environment.

Generally, loaves that ferment around 70 F (21 C; this is the temperature I ferment my dough) take about 12 hours to bulk ferment. Colder climates, say 65 F (18 C) take a very long time, a minimum of 16 hours, and sometimes longer. Increase the temperature to 73-75 F (23-24 C), and the bulk fermentation time is reduced to around 9 hours. Last, very warm temperatures, 78-80 F (25-27 C) generally take only 4 hours to complete fermentation. All in all, your dough is in your hands, and in your climate.

Shaping

Since we are only making one loaf of bread, it is not necessary to pre-shape the dough. Simply turn it out, and shape it using your preferred method for a boule or batard before adding to your banneton.

It is important to be very gentle with the dough during this step, if you want to keep air bubbles intact, that is. If not, simply pat the dough all over after turning out, which will degass the dough and result in a more closed and even crumb.

I actually do perform a pre-shape in the recipe video. Here is the reason for a pre-shape: to get your dough into a shape that will make it easier to achieve the final shape you are looking for. Pre-shaping is commonly used when the dough has to be divided, such as when making rolls, baguettes, or multiple loaves of bread. It might also be used if your dough came out of the container strangely, and would be difficult to evenly shape into its final form. Pre-shaping tightens gluten and builds elasticity, which is why the dough must rest afterward before the final shape: to allow it to loosen up again so that it stretches and shapes into its final form with ease. But, like I said before, since this recipe only makes one loaf, you do not have to worry about a pre-shape.

Cold Proof

A cold proof is always an option to extend the baking timeline, which creates flexibility. I do usually cold ferment this dough, that way I can prepare it the day before and bake it whenever I want fresh bread the next day. If you make this recipe as an overnight dough, you may not want to cold proof (and, that works as well!). Simply let it rest for one to three more hours before baking, depending on the climate and how the dough is looking.

Scoring

I am super simple when it comes to scoring. You only need one score, 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep, to help this loaf expand without cracking all over. I am not about decorative scoring, but if you are, then go for it!

In my video, I teach you how to score your dough at the right angle for the most prominent ear, as well as how to do a five-minute score to improve expansion in the oven. In reality, if your dough is well-strengthened, the loaf will expand just perfectly without scoring at the right angle or adding the extra score at five minutes.

Baking Method: Temperature

The best oven spring and crumb comes from baking the dough hot and fast. I chose a temperature of 500 F to give the dough the best “pop” in the oven.

Baking Method: Steam

Because I have a gas oven, it is hard to open bake. I open bake breads that are smaller in size, such as bialy or pan de cristal, but whole loaves do not do well. Therefore, I always use a Dutch oven for bakes like this (lid on for the first half of baking [steam], lid off second half [to firm up the crust]). Currently, that is my Challenger bread pan (which I absolutely love!).

In reality, you can open bake this bread, just make sure your oven has plenty of steam for the first twenty minutes of baking to help the dough expand properly. Open-baking works best with electric ovens that do not have vents. The main goal: make sure your bread has the ability to expand to its maximum potential before the crust begins to harden.

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Quick Tip: Read the recipe in its entirety before you start cooking. This will help you understand the ingredients, steps, and timing involved, and allow you to prepare any necessary equipment or ingredients beforehand.