22Sep2026
Sourdough Bread Recipe
I was away at a conference the last few days, and my bread supply ran out. On Saturday evening, around 8:30 pm after dinner, I began feeding my starter, mixing 50 g of fresh flour and filtered water with 50 g of mother starter that had been sitting in the fridge for a week. By 11 pm, the live starter had doubled in size, so I added flour, water, and salt to make the dough.
I’ve been on this sourdough journey for about four months now, and I truly enjoy it. I used to think sourdough was difficult and complicated, but once I tried it hands‑on, my perception changed. Yes, it requires patience, waiting, and knowing when to act, but it has also taught me about God the Creator, who is patient and faithful with me always.
Recently, I was in Yunnan, Kunming. Because of altitude issues, I ended up in Kunming Government Hospital, and my 8‑day trip was cut short to just 3 days. We cancelled everything from Day 4 onwards. Yet through this saga, I saw God’s faithfulness. He never promised a trouble‑free life, but He promised His presence in trouble. Psalm 46:1 says: “God is our protection and source of strength. He is always ready to help us in times of trouble.”
That was very true for me, He kept me well during the hospital visits, taxi rides, and even the flight home. Only when I reached the hotel and later back in Singapore did the altitude sickness really hit me, and I had a rather dramatic episode... like the Merlion fountain in full flow 😅. It wasn’t pleasant, but even then I was reminded of God’s sustaining grace.
Back to my bread: after mixing the starter with flour and water at 11 pm on Saturday night, I decided to change the taste a little by adding 10 g of sugar and two tablespoons of skimmed milk. After 15 minutes, I did three sets of stretch‑and‑fold at 15‑minute intervals. By midnight, I was exhausted, so I covered the bowl with a disposable shower cap and placed it in the fridge.
On Sunday morning at 5.30am, I took the dough out. It looked different, the exterior was harder and darker than usual, and the stretch‑and‑fold was tougher. I left the dough on the kitchen top after 1 set of stretch & fold. I went back for another hour of “beauty sleep” 😄. Normally, Sunday mornings are reserved for time with the Lord and church, but this time I managed both, dough work, rest, shower, and breakfast, all within an hour. I was amazed.
At 8 am on Sunday, I quickly shaped the dough without worrying too much about fermentation, placed it in a baking tin, covered it, and returned it to the fridge. By the time I came home at 3:30 pm, the dough had only proved a little. I left it on the counter for two more hours, covered, until it reached about 70% proof.
Preheat at 230 degree C.
Ingredients 150 g live starter 285 g water (refilled) 300 g unbleached bread flour (plus 2 tablespoon) 100 g wholemeal flour 2 tbsp skimmed milk powder 10g raw sugar 8 g pink salt
Method
Saturday 8:00pm night Day 1 – Starter Refresh
Mix 50 g starter with 50 g water and 50 g wholemeal flour (1:1:1 ratio).
Leave at room temperature for 2 hours when it double in size at about 11pm.
150 g of active starter ready for dough preparation.
Saturday 11pm Day 1 – Dough Preparation
1. Mix Dough — In a large bowl, combine the live starter with water and stir well.
Add the flours, milk powder, sugar and salt, mixing until just combined.
Cover with a shower cap or cling wrap and let rest for 15 minutes.
Stretch and Folds — Perform 3 sets of stretch‑and‑folds at 15‑minute intervals to strengthen the dough and build structure. And I put the whole bowl covered with shower cap into the fridge.
Bulk Fermentation — the dough was left in fridge to ferment overnight from 12mid night until Sunday morning 5:30am but it did not really prove much. I let it continue to ferment at room temperature for about 2hour 30min from 5:30am to 8am. (Note: this is the unusual way for bulk fermentation. The usual way - after mixing the dough after 4 set of stretch & fold with 30min intervals, I allowed the dough to ferment at room temperature until the dough reached 70% proof. Due to insufficient time, this is my first time doing the unusual way allowing the bulk fermentation in fridge)
Shape Dough — 8am Sunday morning, Day 2 Lightly flour the surface and pre‑shape the dough into a oval. Place seam‑side down in a parchment‑lined loaf pan and covered with disposal shower cap. I left it in the fridge as I was out until later afternoon.
Second Rise — 3:30pm Sunday afternoon, Day 2 I removed the dough from fridge (still in the loaf pan covered) and left it at kitchen countertop at room temperature for 2 hours until proved 70% in size, it was about 6pm. .
Sunday 6pm, Day 2, After Final Proof & Bake
1.Preheat Oven — Set oven to 230 °C.
2.Score the Loaf — Remove dough from fridge. Using a sharp blade, score the dough just before putting into oven. I cut straight down the middle.
3.Bake (Two‑Pan Method) — Place the loaf pan with the dough on the oven rack and cover with a second loaf pan as a lid.
- Bake 30 minutes covered at 230 °C.
This is after 30min bake, covered, at 230 °C
- Remove the top pan, reduce oven to 210 °C, and bake for another 10 minutes until golden brown.
- I follow the Two‑Pan Method from Stretch and Folds Sourdough Bread in a Loaf Pan by Tina Bevk and also Sunflowerchasing by Annaz.
4.Cool the Loaf — Remove the bread from the pan immediately to prevent a soggy crust. Let it cool completely before slicing.
Notes:
- Parchment or Oil — Line pans with parchment paper or lightly spray with olive oil for easy release.
- Scoring — Use a sharp blade to score the dough before baking; this controls expansion.
- Cooling Time — Patience matters! Allow the loaf to cool fully to avoid a gummy crumb
Singapore’s warm climate - Fermentation timing may vary depending on the weather.
After performing 3 sets of stretch‑and‑folds, cover the bowl of dough and let it bulk ferment at room temperature for about 2–3 hours, or until it has increased by roughly 70% in size.
Shape the dough and place it into a loaf pan lined with parchment paper. Cover, then refrigerate overnight for slow fermentation.
The next day, remove the dough from the fridge once it has proved to about 70%.
Score the dough just before baking, then bake according to the usual timing.
I hope you’ll enjoy baking this recipe and discovering the joy it brings! If you give it a try, I’d love to hear how it turned out, feel free to share your experience in the comments
Singapore’s warm climate - Fermentation timing may vary depending on the weather.
After performing 3 sets of stretch‑and‑folds, cover the bowl of dough and let it bulk ferment at room temperature for about 2–3 hours, or until it has increased by roughly 70% in size.
Shape the dough and place it into a loaf pan lined with parchment paper. Cover, then refrigerate overnight for slow fermentation.
The next day, remove the dough from the fridge once it has proved to about 70%.
Score the dough just before baking, then bake according to the usual timing.
