How long does it take to make sourdough bread from start to finish?
Roughly a day, most of it hands-off. Feed the starter the evening before, then the bulk fermentation runs about 8 to 12 hours, proofing another 1 to 3 hours at room temperature or overnight in the fridge, and the bake around 45 minutes. Times shift a lot with temperature, so I go by the dough growing about 50 percent rather than by the clock.
Answered by Hendrik, The Bread Code
From the book
Based on my experience and my sourdough, my ideal bread always takes around 8 to 12 hours during bulk fermentation. Based on my availability throughout the day, I use a higher or lower starter quantity. If I wanted to achieve a completed fermentation in 8 hours, I would opt for a 10 % sourdough starter. If I wanted it to be ready in 12 hours, I would opt for less starter, around 5 %. Simply mix all the ingredients and your fermentation begins. The enzymes and microorganisms commence their work. On a very warm summer day, the mentioned quantities no longer work. With a 10 % starter, the same dough would be ready in 5 hours up to a point of no return. Another additional hour would cause the dough to break down too much. In this case, I would opt for 5 % sourdough starter to slow the whole process down to reach the 8 to 12 hour window again. If it is very hot, I might use as little as 1 % sourdough starter. 4 You have to play with the timings on your own. Rather than relying on timing though, I will show you a much better and more precise approach by using a fermentation sample. This will be covered later in this chapter.
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