Master Ingredient List

Sourdough Starter (cumulative over 14 days)

• Whole wheat flour — 370 g total
• Bread flour — 290 g total
• Warm water — used at every feed

Levain (built ~3 hours before mixing dough)

• Whole wheat flour — 19 g
• Bread flour — 19 g
• Lukewarm water (78–80°F / 25–27°C) — 38 g
• Active starter — 19 g

Bread Dough

• Bread flour — 387 g
• Whole wheat flour — 83 g
• Lukewarm water — 340 g total (hold back 20 g for later mixing with salt)
• Kosher salt — 9 g (about 1½ tsp)

Optional Homemade Butter

• Heavy cream — 480 mL (2 cups)
• Kosher salt — to taste

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PHASE 1 — BUILD THE STARTER (Days 1–14)

Why 14 days? A starter only develops the wild yeast strength and lactic-acid bacteria balance needed to leaven bread after about two weeks of consistent feeding. Before that, the rise won't be reliable and the flavor will be flat.

Pick a name. Nick named his "Bread Pitt" (after his dad Chris, a sourdough baker). Naming sounds silly, but it reinforces the idea that you're tending a living culture.

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