How to Make French Batard Bread (Sourdough Recipe)

Step-by-step guide to making a crusty loaf of bread from scratch

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Prep Time 45

Cook Time 35

rising 16

Total Time 17 20

Course Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine American

Servings loaf

In a medium sized bowl, combine the water and sourdough starter. Stir until the starter dissolves and the water looks cloudy.
In a large bowl, whisk the flour and salt together.
Pour the starter mixture into the flour mixture. Using a wooden spoon, mix until everything is well combined. The dough will be shaggy, sticky and difficult to stir towards the end.
Cover the bowl with a damp dish towel for 15 minutes.

Do the first set of stretch and folds: Set up a small bowl of water for your hands. Uncover the dough. Using one hand, dip your fingers in the bowl of water. Then, lift the dough on the far side of the bowl and fold it towards you. Tuck the dough under.
Turn the bowl half a turn. Wet your fingers again, lift the dough on the far side of the bowl and fold it towards you.
Repeat this process of turning the bowl and folding the dough over itself until the dough becomes less pliable and resists. Then, cover the bowl again with a damp dish towel for 15 minutes.
Do the second set of stretch and folds, exactly like the first set. Stop when the dough resists and cover the bowl with a damp dish towel. Set the bowl in a warm place, away from any drafts, for the final proof.
Do the second set of stretch and folds, exactly like the first set. Stop when the dough resists and cover the bowl with a damp dish towel. Set the bowl in a warm place, away from any drafts.
The dough should rise within 12-16 hours, depending on how warm your house is. It will not double in size.

Poke your finger straight down into the middle of the dough. If it springs back for the most part, it's ready.
If the dough is still loose or runny, let it rise longer.

Wet your hands and work your fingers all the way around the dough between it and the bowl to loosen it from the sides of the bowl.
Wet your hands again. This time, use both hands to stretch the dough from the center vertically upwards. Stretch as high as possible until it starts to break. Then, fold the dough over itself.
Turn the bowl a quarter turn. Wet your hands and repeat the stretch and fold.
Turn the bowl a quarter turn. This time, when you stretch the dough up, lift it all the way up and place it down on a sheet of parchment paper.

Use both hands to stretch and elongate the dough into a batard shape.
Wet your hands. Fold one side of the dough into the middle. Now, fold the other side over the middle to the other end.
Dust the oval loaf on the top and the sides with bread flour. Lift the edges of the dough. slightly so that you can get some flour underneath the dough.
Transfer the dough to an oblong bowl or 9x13 baking dish. Refrigerate, seam side up, for 1 hour or longer (up to overnight).

Place a Dutch oven with a lid into the oven. Preheat the oven on the convection setting to 500 degrees. If you don't have a convection setting, still preheat to 500 degrees.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and score it (make diagonal lines across the surface).
Working quickly, remove the hot Dutch oven from the oven. Touching only the parchment paper, lift the dough out of its bowl and place it into the Dutch oven. Cover it with the lid and quickly place it back into the oven.
Bake 20 minutes on convection or 25 minutes without convection. Quickly open the oven door and remove the lid of the Dutch oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 450 degrees. Bake 15 more minutes. If you have an instant-read thermometer, check that the internal temperature is at least 205 degrees (this is an optional step).
Remove the Dutch oven and place it on a safe surface. Touching only the parchment paper, lift the batard out of the Dutch oven and place it on a wire rack to cool.
Let the batard cool completely before slicing.

Keyword bread, dairy free

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