Slow fermentation, honest crusts.
Master bakery-level sourdough at home. We share tried-and-tested open-crumb formulas alongside our live heritage culture, fresh country loaves, and stone-milled pantry essentials.
100%
Wild culture
36h
Cold proof
10+
Master guides
Heritage San Francisco Starter
Hydration 78% · Live & Active
Everything for your artisan bake
Explore live heritage starters, fresh loaves, stone-milled flours, and precision tools.
Looking for something specific? We ship freshly milled staples and live cultures weekly.
View full shopEveryday staples, fermented with care
Bake at home with established heritage cultures, fresh hearth bakes, and stone-ground grains.
Looking for seasonal bakes and baker kits?
Explore our full online pantry selection and equipment collection.
From wild culture to golden hearth
Real sourdough asks for four humble ingredients: flour, water, salt, and time. Follow our master six-step workflow to bake tall, blistered loaves with an open, tender crumb.
Culture feeding & levain build
Combine ripe starter with equal parts stone-milled flour and filtered water. Let it rise until dome-shaped and aerated.
Baker note: Look for tiny bubbles clinging along the glass and a sweet, yeasty aroma.
Autolyse & gentle mixing
Rest flour and water together before adding salt and levain. This allows enzymes to jumpstart natural gluten development.
Baker note: Keep dough temperature steady so yeast fermentation starts on schedule.
Bulk fermentation & coil folds
Perform gentle coil folds every thirty minutes to build structural tension without tearing the delicate gas pockets.
Baker note: Stop folding once the dough feels pillowy with domed edges and bubbly surface.
Pre-shaping & bench rest
Turn dough onto an unfloured wooden bench. Use a bench knife to gently round the dough into a smooth, taut boule.
Baker note: A 20-minute rest relaxes the gluten sheet for effortless final shaping.
Cold retardation in banneton
Place shaped dough into rice flour-dusted cane baskets, then chill overnight to develop deep lactic and acetic flavors.
Baker note: Cold dough stays firm, making scoring clean lines much easier.
Scoring & hearth baking
Score with a sharp curved lame at a 30-degree angle. Bake in a preheated cast iron Dutch oven with trapped steam for maximum oven spring.
Baker note: Remove the Dutch oven lid for the final 20 minutes to caramelize the crust.
Ready to start your first loaf?
Order our proprietary live sourdough starter culture or explore detailed recipes with complete baker percentages.