Best Sourdough Bread Bake Off - The Pancake Princess

If you’re new to sourdough and trying to figure out a recipe to start with, we tested 9 different sourdough recipes to compare the differences in hydration and flours!

9 slices of sourdough on a gray background.

Like many cooped up at home during Covid, I had a brief experimentation with sourdough that lasted through one flat, overproofed loaf and ended there. In 2023, I managed to make a single loaf that I was pretty happy with but for the most part, I’ve been happy to buy my sourdough from the experts.

However, when Christine from the I Loaf You sourdough microbakery offered to collaborate on a sourdough bread bake off, I couldn’t turn down the opportunity. Christine’s approach to sourdough is so simple and approachable, it made me excited to try my hand at sourdough again.

Finding the “best” sourdough recipe is a bit of a misnomer–sourdough relies greatly on technique and has so different variables outside of the recipe itself that contributes to a great bread. Accordingly, this bake off is a bit different than others in that we standardized the recipe process and mainly focused on analyzing the differences in hydration and various flours.

Methodology

All sourdough recipes were mixed, proofed and shaped the day before. All loaves were baked the same day as tasting (see additional details under the Method section).
45 total tasters rated samples of all 9 breads
Each taster rated each breads on a scale from 0-10 for flavor, texture and overall as a whole (see Results section below)
All recipes were baked the same day of tasting for freshness
Ingredients were measured by weight according to King Arthur (unless the recipe specified weights)

Ingredients

King Arthur bread flour (12.7% gluten)
King Arthur whole wheat flour (13.8% gluten)
Trader Joe’s all-purpose flour (13% gluten)
Morton’s kosher salt

The Method

In order to isolate the results of hydration/different flours, we standardized the loaf method on Christine’s typical sourdough loaf method:

Feed the starter: One peak-to-peak feeding of the starter prior to feeding the levain (starter for the loaves).
Feed the starter at a 1:2:2 ratio: 10am: Fed starter for levain.
Mix the dough: 5pm: Mixed all the doughs (each loaf was scaled to 500g flour and 100g sourdough starter), reserving 25g of water from each recipe to add with the salt.
Add the salt: After 30 minutes, added the reserved 25g water along with the salt, dimpling and folding the dough to incorporate.
Bulk fermentation + stretch and folds: A series of four stretch and folds, each 30 minutes apart.
Cold ferment: After 5 hours of bulk fermentation, each loaf was shaped, put into a banneton, covered, and placed in the fridge overnight for a ~9 hour cold ferment (around 10pm-7am).
Bake: Each loaf was scored with a “single crescent” score + sprayed with water, baked at 500/550°F in a Dutch oven (the hottest it can go) for 6 minutes, scored again, and baked for 14 minutes with the lid on, then 16 minutes with lid off.

Note: We standardized the amount of starter to 100g for all loaves to control the timing for all 9 loaves. In general, the amount of starter can vary total bulk fermentation time, but 100g for 500g of flour is standard across many recipes.

Q&A: how to make sourdough from a sourdough baker

Christine Yang of I Loaf You just started making sourdough three years ago. To date, she’s made 500+ loaves of sourdough and sells the loaves (and sourdough bagels) from her home bakery. Her no-nonsense approach to sourdough made me, someone who’s always been happy to outsource bread baking to others, feel inspired to start baking my own.

While I am still FAR from a sourdough expert, I hope that this primer helps inspire any other sourdough beginners on how to get started with sourdough from Christine’s perspective.

What are the most important things to master when making sourdough?

I’d say the starter matters most, then technique. By technique, I mean figuring out what works best for your conditions. This includes your ambient temperature, how to handle the dough, shaping/scoring the loaf, how your Dutch oven performs, fridge temperature, whether your oven temperature is accurate, where the oven hot spots are, etc. The next level of technique once you have the basics down is knowing how to adjust when variables change, e.g. when the weather changes and your kitchen is suddenly a few degrees warmer/cooler.

Starter-wise, you need a strong starter to really succeed for baking bread. If your starter is too acidic, you can see signs of underproofing (huge bubbles) or overproofing (it’ll be flat). (More on building your starter below.) I recommend getting a mature starter from a friend/neighbor or buying a dehydrated starter (King Arthur has one!), rather than starting from scratch if you want to bake a loaf anytime soon.

How should we go about building a strong starter?

Because I bake almost every day, I feed my starter every day which keeps it strong and not too acidic. If you’re not baking as often, you should feed it about every 7-10 days to maintain it and keep it in the fridge once it peaks. If you keep it in the fridge, it is good for a month or longer, but then you need to do a series of peak-to-peak feedings before baking with it to strengthen your starter.

To revive a neglected starter or if you’re feeding your starter less frequently: try using a 1:3:3 ratio (example: 25g starter + 75g flour + 75g water). This should reach its peak (meaning the highest level- you can use a rubber band/tape to mark the initial volume on your container that you’ve using to feed your starter) in 8-12 hours
For a less often feed/slower rise: use a 1:2:2 ratio (example: 50g starter + 100g flour + 100g water). This should reach its peak in 6-8 hours
Most common feeding ratio with fastest growth: 1:1:1 (50g starter/50g water/50g flour). This will reach its peak in 4-6 hours.

This is a helpful resource! The more starter you use relative to the ratio of water and flour, the faster it’ll rise and reach its peak. The ratio you use to feed it can depend on how strong your starter is (if you’re trying to strengthen it, use a higher ratio) or if you are timing when you plan to make your dough. I usually time my starter so I can feed it in the morning, and it peaks by the time I get home from work.

What do you do with your sourdough discard?

Since I require a lot of starter for my bakery, I actually don’t discard any starter–I feed what I need e.g. if I need 500G of starter, I will feed 100G of starter + 200G of flour + 200G of water. However, if you are not baking loaves often or just starting out, you will inevitably have a lot of starter to discard…don’t waste it!! There are so many easy sourdough discard recipes that are so creative, from cinnamon toast crunch to pizza dough to granola…my favorite ways to use discard are pancakes, banana bread, granola, and to marinate meat–it gives an extra crunch if you sear it or bake it!

What are your thoughts on an autolyse?

[An autolyse is the process of mixing flour with water and leaving the mixture to rest to allow the flour to fully hydrate. This reportedly can improve dough extensibility and fuller flavor development.]

I’ve tried sourdough both ways, and I don’t think it makes a big difference, so I skip this step. People say it helps with gluten development, but sourdough takes so much time from start to finish as is. Personally, I don’t think it’s worth the extra effort.

Note: to read more on this topic, King Arthur has a great article on the autolyse method.

Why do you add the salt after 30 minutes?

Salt kills some of the yeast, but it also adds structure to the dough. By waiting 30 minutes, you give the yeast a head start with fermentation. Adding the salt along with a small portion of water (say 25 grams) that you hold back from the initial mix makes it easier to disperse the salt into the dough.

How long do you typically bulk ferment/cold ferment for?

The bulk fermentation technically starts the moment you mix the starter with the flour and water for the dough. The total length of bulk fermentation at room temperature can vary depending on the temperature of your home. In the summer, I ferment for around 4.5 hours vs. closer to 6 hours in the winter.

To figure out your bulk fermentation timing, use Sourdough Journey’s chart as a starting point. Using a Cambro with measurements on the side is a helpful way to measure whether your dough has hit the target % rise that you’re looking for before you start the cold ferment.

Meanwhile, the cold ferment (or cold retard) should be done under 40F to slow down the yeast, so I set my fridge to 39 degrees. This temperature basically makes the yeast go inactive, so it’s barely proofing and mostly just developing flavor. I typically cold ferment overnight, but you could go for up to 48 hours to get maximum flavor. However, the length of the cold fermentation shouldn’t affect the rise since the yeast is basically inactive.

In theory, you could bake the loaf immediately after the bulk fermentation without a cold ferment, but it will lack flavor. It’s also harder to score the dough at room temperature– chilling the dough allows it to form a skin, which will give you a clean score.

Why do people cold ferment their loaves in batards?

I prefer batards instead of boules because they tend to yield rounder loaves. Because batards are more narrow, the oven spring (how much the loaf rises) tends to be better.

If you don’t have a batard, you can also just use a bowl lined with a towel–just make sure the size of the bowl (which will dictate the shape of your dough/loaf) fits inside your Dutch oven.

How do you shape the dough before baking?

I stretch it as much as possible, and then roll it up (see example) along with stitching to create extra surface tension, which gives it a better oven spring.

Adding water for baking a loaf in some form is also an important step and helps with both oven spring and developing a crust. I use a continuous spray bottle to give a more controlled moisture distribution. Some people put ice cubes under the parchment in the Dutch oven which gives the same steamy effect, but I don’t prefer this because the melted ice can mix with excess flour and then burn on the bottom of the Dutch oven. You can also place a baking sheet of water or ice under the Dutch oven, but I find spraying is easier and more controllable.

Does preheating the Dutch oven really make a difference?

Preheating your oven for 30 minutes at the hottest temperature possible is fine. I don’t see a difference between preheating for an hour vs. 30 minutes, as long as your Dutch oven reaches the right temperature. I personally like to bake at the max temp the whole time instead of turning down the temperature once you put the loaf in.

Some bakers also “open bake” their sourdough loaves, but I find that my loaves come out more consistently with a Dutch oven.

How can you tell if a loaf is overproofed or underproofed?

This chart is a really helpful guide to what different crumb structures look like. When sourdough proofs, you’ll have larger bubbles that eventually break up into smaller, more even (but still irregular) bubbles. You can see underproofed loaves have giant gaping holes next to really tight crumbs–those bubbles didn’t have enough time to disperse. Meanwhile, the overproofed loaves have had bubbles sitting for so long that they start to lose structure which results in a more dense, gummy crumb.

The middle “nicely proofed” loaves are all about preference–whether you prefer a more open or closed crumb. A lot of professional bakers prefer an open crumb, but I’ve had some customers tell me they don’t love more open holes because then their toast toppings fall through.

When did you start feeling confident in your bakes?

I baked 350 loaves last year, but I started feeling confident around loaf #20. To develop my current recipe that I sell, it was all about experimenting. I love a creamy, bouncy crumb, so I kept increasing the hydration for a softer texture, but I also love crunchy crust. The thing about crust is that it’s really best fresh– once it sits at all, the crust starts to soften.

How do you store sourdough bread?

I always recommend freezing sourdough right after it cools to lock in the maximum amount of moisture, so that when you toast from frozen, you bring back the nice crust. I tell my customers to freeze slices in a Ziplock and toast directly from frozen.

Results

Christine and I thought about doing this bake off by just testing different percentages of water/flour but ultimately decided to use recipes by actual developers. But as you just read above, we didn’t actually follow the recipe directions–instead, we standardized the process on Christine’s typical method.

So the results below are really referring only to taster preference on the RATIOS of the recipe itself, made according to Christine’s process. On one hand, I felt it wasn’t really fair to refer to the “recipes” by name since we didn’t follow the exact recipe. On the other hand, I felt like it was easier to keep this format consistent with other bake offs for easier identification of each formula, so here we are.

From the results, two main themes became clear (neither very revolutionary):

Most people prefer a higher hydration loaf for the moist and stretchy consistency
The loaves with whole wheat flour were generally less preferred, which explains why the loaves with a higher percentage of whole wheat flour (Bryan, Claire, The Perfect Loaf) all landed near the bottom of the rankings.

More discussion in the Factors section below, but here’s how the taster ratings shook out:

Factors

The below chart shows the baker’s percentage breadown for each recipe, which is slightly different from the recipe composition charts I normally show.

To calculate the baker’s percentage for any ingredient, you divide the total weight of the ingredient by the total weight of flour (which in this case was 500g for each recipe).

Note: I omitted the starter and salt percentages from the above chart because they were the same for each loaf: 20% starter and 2% salt.

Higher hydration leads to a creamier, generally more desirable crumb

None of the recipes we used are technically considered “high hydration” as some consider anything over 80% to be high hydration. We stuck to a relatively tight band of 66% to 80% hydration, which is a sweet spot for most sourdough beginners in terms of handling the dough.

More hydration obviously leads to more moisture in the bread, leading to a more creamy, tender texture and can contribute to a more open crumb thanks to more steam produced internally. There are some downsides of higher hydration which include: it’s harder to shape the dough, the larger holes aren’t desirable by some, and excessive hydration/improper technique can actually lead to a gummy crumb. But I personally prefer a high hydration bread and I suspected most people would share this preference.

I expected an obvious trend with the highest hydration recipes at the top and lower hydration recipes at the bottom. And this did prove true on one end–the highest hydration loaves (Ballerina Farm and King Arthur) took top honors. But there were a few interesting exceptions to the rule: the lowest hydration loaf, Clever Carrot (66% hydration), took fourth place. And Little Spoon Farm (70% hydration) outperformed Tartine (75% hydration).

I suspect Tartine’s performance can be attributed to its small amount of whole wheat flour in as whole grain flours tend to absorb more liquid than white flour. Meanwhile, I think Clever Carrot’s compensates for its lower hydration level with low-absorption all-purpose flour. While Little Spoon Farm has a higher hydration level, using 100% bread flour (which is more absorbent than all-purpose), could have led to an overall similar moisture level in the crumb. General wisdom dictates that because bread flour also absorbs more water than all-purpose, it’s better to use bread flour in higher-hydration doughs to create strength. However, the trade off is that it can also absorb more water and lead to a slightly drier crumb.

Interestingly, Heartbeet Kitchen (76% hydration) has very similar ratios to Tartine yet scored a few slots higher. This could be due to taster blindness (the breads do start tasting very similar), or it could potentially be due to the slightly lower percentage of whole wheat flour in HK.

Overall, the winning taster formula tended towards higher hydration + majority all-purpose or bread flour.

Bread flour leads to a more open crumb and better oven spring (assuming same hydration)

Compared to all-purpose flour, bread flour has a higher protein content which allows the development of a stronger gluten network. Having a stronger gluten network allows the bread to stretch to accommodate carbon dioxide bubbles produced by yeast, which leads to big bubbles and a more open crumb.

This explains the relatively tight yet moist crumb in Ballerina Farm (all-purpose flour) vs. the more open and still moist crumb of King Arthur (bread flour) while essentially having the same hydration. Ballerina Farm also had significantly less oven spring and was quite a bit flatter compared to King Arthur’s round shape.

At the same level of hydration, all-purpose flour won’t have as much structure as bread flour (but will still taste amazing). So, picking a recipe with bread vs. all-purpose flour depends on your textural and aesthetic preferences. This is a fun side-by-side test of all-purpose vs. bread flour.

Just a little whole wheat flour might contribute to the perception of tang

One of the main complaints about these loaves was that the sourdough tang wasn’t as present as tasters would have preferred. (For a stronger tang, I’d try bulk fermenting for 2 days instead of just overnight next time).

As discussed above, most tasters didn’t prefer loaves with a heavier whole wheat flour flavor. But I was intrigued by the fact that 2 recipes with a small percentage of whole wheat flour (King Arthur and Heartbeet Kitchen) rose to the top with 10% and 8% whole wheat flour, respectively.

Whole wheat flour does increase fermentation activity compared to all-purpose flour thanks to additional nutrients, so I suspect this could have contributed to the flavor being a bit more tangy/sour. But I do also also wonder if just a small, amount of whole what flour provides just enough difference in flavor that it serves as a proxy for tang in a mostly white loaf (vs. loaves that have 30% whole wheat flour that are decided whole grainy in flavor).

Analysis of the best sourdough bread ratios

The commentary is a bit shorter than usual for these recipes because 1) we’ve discussed so many of the factors above and 2) the differences between the loaves weren’t as drastic as some bake offs.

hands holding two halves of a whole grain sourdough loaf.

Bryan Ford: a slightly closer-crumbed, whole wheat-forward loaf

With a 70% hydration and 30% whole wheat flour, this loaf definitely had the deck stacked against it since the general preference turned out to be for non whole grain loaves. However, this had a really nice whole grain flavor with a somewhat closer crumb (great for toast) and spongy texture. A surprising number of tasters noted that the “wheaty” flavor overwhelmed the sourdough flavor for the most part.

This had the lowest hydration of all the whole wheat loaves we tried and accordingly had the relatively driest crumb (though not actually dry!) But tasted side by side with Claire’s similar loaf, this one definitely felt a smidge drier.

As a note on whole grain flour: because whole grain flour like whole wheat and rye are lower in protein, they’re almost always paired with bread flour to help compensate for lack of protein to ensure a nice rise on the bread. (This is true for all the whole wheat loaves in this bake off). I was curious why Bryan uses a combination of AP, bread and whole wheat flour in his recipe. One commenter on Reddit notes that they target an absolute protein amount of 12%, so they only use as much bread flour as needed to hit 12% (in their opinion, AP flour has a more complex flavor than bread flour). Fascinating!

Taster comments:

Bread looked similar to Tartine or another fancy bakery, sour flavor, more whole wheat notes and a lot of char flavor from crust
Texture was on point, moist and chewy, but there was only wheaty flavor, no sour
Sandwich bread type tighter crumb that’s more dry, also has whole wheat flavor come through more than the sourdough notes
It was fine – nothing super remarkable about this one. The crust had a good chew but the interior was a bit dense and didn’t have too much flavor and what flavor it did have was quite wheaty.
In terms of flavor, I can’t decide if it was bland or just not what I would call sourdough. I don’t think it was bland, but I didn’t think there was any tang or sourness to it. The texture of the crumb felt spongy, not necessarily in a bad way, just a notable way. And it was a bit drier than the rest of the breads. The crust was chewy.
Lacking sourdough flavor, seems like whole wheat flour. Better texture than [Claire Saffitz] but still not my preferred flavor in a sourdough loaf.
A bit dense, but a bit of a tang. Guessing whole wheat flour, but this one I can see as a sourdough. The crust is fine. Probably my least favorite for texture.

Claire Saffitz: a slightly more moist whole wheat-forward loaf

With 75% hydration and 30% whole wheat flour and 70% bread flour, Claire’s recipe is an interesting comparison point against Bryan’s similar loaf. As you’d probably guess, tasters preferred the moister texture of the 75% loaf vs. the 70% hydration in Bryan’s loaf. You can see the holes in this loaf are slightly bigger (so if we’re nitpicking and you’re worried about toppings falling through the holes of your toast, maybe go with Bryan’s).

Personally, I loved the creamy texture but found the flavor too wheat-y for my personal taste if we’re comparing it against non-whole wheat sourdough. (As a standalone whole wheat loaf, it’s very solid.) Tasters also commented that this loaf tasted like a really great whole wheat loaf but didn’t have as much sourdough tang as most desired.

Taster comments:

Wow!! What a stunner – she was so well-balanced. kind of earthy aftertaste? so good
Good wheaty flavor, softer and creamy texture
I liked the flavor but I don’t know if I’d call it a sourdough. You could taste a mild sourness towards the end, but the flavors from the other ingredients shone more. Texture was fine. Nothing special, I’d eat it again. A little on the doughier side for my preference.
This sample seemed like it may have had a different flour blend. Personally was not my favorite taste / a little bitter but nice crust
Strong whole wheat flour flavor with not a ton of sourness, soft and springy dough
It was bland. I think it’s whole wheat flour based on the texture and color. If so, it’s actually a great loaf of whole wheat bread, with a really nutty flavor and a lovely crust. But, if this wasn’t in the sourdough bake off, I would swear it was mislabeled. That said, I do like the bread and if this was a whole wheat bake off, it would be a top loaf.

The Perfect Loaf (weekday sourdough): a lightly wheaty, airy and bouncy loaf

The third and last loaf containing a higher percentage whole wheat flour follows a predictable pattern. This has a similar hydration ratio to Claire (74%) and the lowest ratio of whole wheat flour (17%). Thus, our tasters preferred this higher-hydration and lower ratio of whole wheat flour the most!

This had a similar crumb structure to Claire’s loaf with some tighter pockets and some bigger pockets of holes. I loved the bounce, spring and moisture of the crumb. If I wanted more of a whole grain option, I would happily make this again.

Taster comments:

This one looked the best overall because of how tall and fluffy it was. The crust was a bit tough for my liking. It had a yeasty flavor with a nice tang.
Really liked how fluffy this was. The flavor is tangier, which we preferred.
The airy bouncy inside is what I enjoy a lot. The crust is not as crisp as some others though. I think the smell is the weakest among nine samples.
Easy to eat, less chew than the first, seemed to have an airier crumb and crust had softer exterior, which is not my preference for sourdough.
Aftertaste is very sour and a little bitter, tighter crumb with some tall air pockets
Crust too soft and bread too springy. Felt like a combo between a cake and a bread.
Least favorite of all of them. Sourdough flavor was there but not super strong, but interior was one of the driest. Crust was thin and kind of hard to chew.

Tartine: A classic chewy sourdough with a perfect bubbly interior

Tartine’s loaf shares the same level of hydration as Claire and The Perfect Loaf but with 90% bread flour and just 10% whole wheat flour. Even though the loaves were all standardized on the same amount of salt (10g), the salt level felt especially perfect to me in this loaf. I think the small amount of whole wheat flour contributed to more perceived sourness by tasters–personally, I enjoyed the subtle whole grain flavor that wasn’t overtly whole wheat-y.

Another loaf with a nice balance of larger holes and pockets of tighter crumb–I though this crumb overall had a very decent squishiness and moisture level. (Though at least one taster found this texture too gummy!)

Taster comments:

Not too sour, very hydrated, chewy, and springy dough that is a nice classic sourdough
Nice bouncy chew, moist interior and tangy flavor, but the overall crust was lacking compared to the other samples. Crumb seemed a bit tighter and softer than second row.
Great chewy texture, super airy without being too light. Sourdough flavor was there just not in your face.
This bread had a tang and sourness to it that was subtle at the same time. The crust was crusty and bread had a good chew that was more doughy and dense.
The crumb was tight, which gave it a bit more chew than I prefer in my sourdough
The texture (inside) is denser than some other samples and has more moisture than others so not bouncy enough. The crust has a darker color.
It has a nice pillowy interior and good chewy crust that holds its own flavor. I wish there was a bit more of a tang but a good sourdough nonetheless!
This was one of my least favorites. Had a good tang, but it was extremely gummy and chewy.

Little Spoon Farm: a plush, airy and bouncy white bread

Little Spoon Farm is a 70% hydration loaf with 100% bread flour which might predict a slightly drier crumb given the medium hydration level in combination with the bread flour. But I really enjoyed this one!

In my notes, I marked this one down as similar to Tartine but slightly more plush. Without the conflation of the whole wheaty flavor, I liked the sour, purely bready flavor on this loaf. I loved the nicely irregular open crumb of this loaf that felt very airy without having a ton of gaping holes.

Taster comments:

Very crusty with an airy inside. The clear winner to me
It is probably my favorite with a slightly crispy crust and moist but not dense inside. It is also not very sour. Crust also has a nice color.
This is what felt like SF sourdough–airy while having a chew, sour from the very first bite, loved it (it was contentious between this one and [Ballerina Farm])
Glutinous, mochi-like! My ultimate fave. Nice bouncy interior
Middle was so soft and fluffy I would be thrilled to be served this at a restaurant. Has a nice after taste too. Only thing is I wish the crust was crispy
Had some bigger, nice air bubbles and was moist. Crust was pretty thin. Not much sourdough flavor at all and a little bland.
Crust was nice and crunchy, body of bread felt airy and spongy. Sourdough tang was weak
Not chewy enough and very dense. Kind of bland. Sour notes only come at the end, which is strange. not salty enough.

The Clever Carrot: a slightly tighter-crumbed loaf with a light tang and fluffy texture

With a 66% hydration, The Clever Carrot managed to score higher than several similar loaves with higher hydration levels. As discussed above, I suspect the use of 100% all-purpose flour led to a more moist texture as opposed to using a more absorbent bread flour.

In any case, I really liked the mixture of big bubbles along with pockets of tighter crumbs. This one tasted extremely similar to Little Spoon Farm to me–both have a pure white bread flavor with a hint of sour tang. If I were deciding which one to make, I’d let whichever flour (bread or all-purpose) I had more of in the pantry dictate the decision. It’s a bit hard to tell, but The Clever Carrot and Little Spoon Farm both had some of the best oven spring and most rotund loaf structures of all the loaves we baked. These are both great beginner-friendly loaves that will likely yield a really picturesque outcome.

Taster comments:

This one had a really great flavor. Not overly tangy, nice texture, crust had a slight chew. My favorite overall.
This is the best flavor yet! I could taste the tang – light and fresh kind of sour. yum!
One of the best ones for sure. I really liked the flavor, though it wasn’t very sour. The crust was good and thick but not too chewy. Reminded me of a bakery sourdough loaf.
Not as hydrated dough, but very soft and fluffy with a nice crispy crust and hint of sour, tastes like it would be a great sandwich sourdough bread. I would use this as my all purpose sourdough recipe
I liked how you could taste the sour in this one. Wasn’t as airy as some of the others though and lacking a bit of salt.
This bread was totally fine but it really tasted more like a white bread rather than a sourdough. The interior was also a bit denser than the others. Visually it also looks a lot brighter and whiter than the others.
Very mid. Didn’t love it or hate it. It will do the job. Subtle sourness at the end but overall felt it was bland in flavor. The dough wasn’t light or dense and the crust wasn’t soft or crispy. I’d call this the goldilocks of sourdoughs.

Heartbeet Kitchen: a bouncy, plush loaf with just a hint of wheatiness and tang

As soon as we sliced into this loaf, Christine immediately commented that this loaf looked a little underproofed. The indicators? The large bubbles throughout the bread that didn’t have time to break up into smaller but still uneven bubbles. Still, this loaf made it into the top three thanks to a relatively high 76% hydration, high percentage of bread flour and just a touch of whole wheat flour.

This was another case where I think the whole wheat flour gave this loaf just a touch of wheaty tanginess that some interpreted as a sour flavor (without overwhelming the palate with a wheaty flavor). Overall, I loved how bouncy and plush this crumb was. This recipe is honestly very similar to Tartine’s recipe (just a SLIGHTLY lower % of whole wheat flour) but I personally find Heartbeet Kitchen’s written process a bit more approachable.

Taster comments:

The most pronounced flavor. This is what I want in sourdough! Chewy, but light and really nice aeration. My top loaf for flavor, but I like a punch you in the face sourdough…
My favorite. Very good crust and moist, chewy interior. The sour flavor wasn’t super strong, but it had another subtle, interesting flavor that was different from the others.
More classic sourdough flavor. Chewy with a good crust
While I think the crust is a bit too chewy and tough, this bread has a super good flavor and a nice light crumb. I would gladly made this and eat it again.
texture was soooo springy it was great. less distinct tangy flavor, more like a solid french bread
This one seemed almost more moist than others. I liked the flavor and texture.
Crust was better texture but middle was slightly less fluffy/flavorful than #3
Nice sour flavor. Wish it had a thicker crust, but nice airy inside
Not a ton of flavor in this one, needs maybe a little more salt, has a lot of air pockets
A little bit too sour? Didn’t love it

King Arthur: a stretchy, fluffy, chewy loaf with just a hint of tang and wheatiness

King Arthur technically had the highest hydration percentage (80%) by 1 percentage point. This was an interesting point of comparison against Ballerina Farm because both recipes are essentially the same hydration but BF uses all-purpose flour whereas KA uses mainly bread flour with a bit of whole wheat flour.

To me, this loaf tasted extremely similar to Heartbeet Kitchen but had a slightly more moist crumb. Which, if you look at the ratios, is exactly what it should taste like! The ratio of whole what flour to bread flour is nearly the same across Tartine, Heartbeet Kitchen and King Arthur. The main difference is the hydration ratio, underscoring the point that most people preferred a higher hydration bread. Interestingly, many tasters also thought this had the best flavor and sour level. Overall, a winning combination if you feel confident in venturing forth into higher hydration bread territory!

Taster comments:

Best overall sourdough flavor, crust was crunchy but not cut the roof of my mouth crunchy and crumb texture was perfect combo of airy and chewy.
Really good! Light, fluffy, chewy texture, with a good amount of salt! Probably the best one.
This was good! Crust was nice and crisp with some give. The crumb had a nice texture and I liked the spacing and variety of the air bubbles to create good chewiness without being dense and doughy. Good depth of flavor — you could taste the sourness but it wasn’t bland beyond the sourness like some others.
Very balanced flavor, nice fluffy texture. Visually, a nice crust and color.
Darker roasty crust flavor, nice hydration, very airy
Tasty, just sour enough with great texture
Interior had a nice, thick moistness, and it had a pretty sour flavor. Crust was nicely charred but a little overpowering. Overall flavor was good.
Very little flavor at all, even from the crust. Crust had a nice chew and interior was a little bit gluey and dense.

Ballerina Farm: a moist and stretchy crumb with great chewy density

Ballerina Farm combines one of the highest hydrations (79%) with all-purpose flour for a simple but effective loaf! This was my personal favorite formula simply because the higher hydration gave this such a distinctly moist, stretchy crumb. While I could detect were minor differences in moisture among the other loaves, this one immediately stood out as the most moist and creamy.

The trade off with this higher hydration + all-purpose flour formula is the difficulty in shaping thanks to the lower protein AP flour, which led to its flatter shape. You can see the significantly more oblong loaf above compared to say, King Arthur. I’d be curious to try this with half AP, half bread flour to see if that would improve its structure. I liked the amount of tang in this loaf though some tasters wished for a stronger sour flavor (again, I’d try fermenting this loaf for 2 nights instead of one to solve for this issue). Overall, this was our clear textural winner in terms of the most moist, stretchy, creamy crumb.

Taster comments:

This was a really great bread. Really good aeration, awesome texture, and a nice crust. Pronounced tang. One of my tops.
Nice subtle sourdough flavor, very small air pockets with nice flavor, feels light to eat, thin chewy crust, my second favorite bread
Really liked this one! Reminds me of [Little Spoon Farm] which I also loved because it is fluffy but might have better crust here. Good tang too.
This one fought it out with [Little Spoon Farm] the trifecta of moist, airy, and chewy. The main difference was this sour was a slow burn, gradually becoming more sour in your mouth as you ate, not the same immediate punch as [Little Spoon Farm]
Very nice chewy texture. Lacking the sourdough flavor but had a good amount of salt.
Almost wet in terms of texture, delicious flavor that was very balanced between “sour” and “bland”
Strong crust, wish the flavour was a little stronger, but overall quite enjoyable
Looks much more similar to an amateur sourdough loaf compared to some of the other ones, sour flavor is there but overall depth of flavor and texture is a bit lacking.
Really liked the chewiness of it but was more bland than others.