A Simple Sourdough Boule to Bake on Repeat

Bulk, shape, bake. Learn “ready” in your own kitchen.

Author

Cathy Warner
January 25, 2026

January is a good time to return to the fundamentals of sourdough baking. Instead of changing recipes or trying new techniques, this month’s Back to the Basics reset focuses on using one simple dough to learn how fermentation and shaping behave in your kitchen.

When you bake the same dough repeatedly, it becomes easier to read cues instead of relying only on the clock. During bulk fermentation, look for a dough that feels lighter and shows bubbles at the edges. When it’s ready to shape, it should hold a loose mound and feel elastic rather than pourable.

Shaping doesn’t create structure.
It reveals whether the dough is ready to hold it.

If the dough spreads quickly or feels hard to manage, that’s useful information. It usually means the dough is very relaxed or fully fermented, not that your shaping was wrong. A proofing basket can support the dough, but the most important skill is learning when the dough is ready.

For this reset, use a simple sourdough boule and bake it several times. The goal isn’t to perfect the shape or chase a specific crumb; it’s to notice how the dough behaves from mix to bake and let that guide your timing and handling.

The featured recipe, Simple Sourdough Boule (a foundation loaf), is a place to start. If you already have a favorite basic boule, you can use that instead and focus on the same cues.

Featured Recipe: Simple Sourdough Boule – A Foundation Loaf for Learning Dough Cues

This simple sourdough boule, made with all-purpose flour, is designed to help you learn dough cues for bulk fermentation, proofing, and timing, for a light, even crumb.

I come back to loaves like this when I want to reset my baking rhythm or pay closer attention to fermentation and shaping cues. The simplicity is intentional. When fewer things change, it becomes easier to notice what actually matters.

Crumb Shot of Basic Sourdough Boule

Here are three cues to focus on:

  • Bulk: the dough looks slightly domed and shows bubbles at the edges

  • Ready to shape: it holds a loose mound and feels elastic rather than pourable

  • Ready to bake: the poke test gives a slow spring-back and leaves a shallow impression

If your loaf doesn’t look the way you hoped, don’t assume you “messed it up.” For example, if your loaf has big holes near the top, with a tighter crumb below, it usually suggests a timing issue or early dough organization, not shaping alone.

Crumb shot of sourdough boule with big holes

Try this as a simple two-bake reset:

  1. Bake it once exactly as written.

  2. Bake it again and change just one thing (timing or temperature), then compare.

This month, try baking one familiar loaf and let the dough teach you what “ready” feels like.

Basic Sourdough Boule in Dutch Oven

If your first bake isn’t “perfect,” you’re not behind. You’re learning. Save one note from Bake #1 and bring it with you into Bake #2.

So, grab your ingredients, choose your baking method, and let’s celebrate with a golden-crusted loaf!

Happy baking,
Cathy, Bread Experience