Baking On Any Schedule

Whether you have a full-time job, kids, or even just an active social life, you can easily find a schedule that will fit your lifestyle. Your bread shouldn’t control your life, and thankfully it doesn’t have to.

These 4 schedules will work for 90% of people. As long as you are working within the time frames given below you can adjust the timings anywhere within those windows to fit your schedule.

There are 7 steps that you’ll go through every time you make a loaf of sourdough. Each of these steps can be manipulated and shifted to make the process fit your lifestyle and schedule. The most flexible steps are the two proofing steps. Here are the 7 basic steps and their rough time frames you can work within.

1. Make leaven (8-12hrs)
2. Mix ingredients (30-90min)
3. Fold (1.5-2hrs)
4. Proof #1 (2-48hrs)
5. Shape (30min)
6. Proof #2 (3-36hrs)
7. Bake & Cool (1.5-2hrs)

For those that like a more granular breakdown

• Mix leaven – 5 min
• Wait 8-12 hrs
• Mix dry ingredients – 10 min
• Wait 30-60 min
• Mix salt – 3 min
• Wait 30 min
• Fold 1, wait 30
• Fold 2, wait 30
• Fold 3, wait 30
• Fold 4
• Wait/proof 2-3 hrs (room temp) – 12-48 hrs (cold)
• Shape, rest, and prep for 2nd proof – 30 min
• Wait/Proof 3-4 hrs (room temp) – 6-36 hrs (cold)
• Prep oven X minutes before baking – 2 min
• Score & Bake – 60 min (5 min score, 55 min bake)
• Cool – 60 min

Ready For Dinner Schedule

Start this the night before you want bread and you’ll have a loaf ready for a 7-7:30pm
dinner the next day.

1. 9pm: Make leaven (12hrs)
2. 9am next day: Mix ingredients (90min)
   • Mix->wait 60min->add salt->wait 30min
3. 10:30am: Fold (1.5hrs)
4. 12pm: Proof #1 (2hrs, room temp)
5. 2pm: Shape (30min)
6. 2:30pm: Proof #2 (3hrs, room temp)
7. 5:30pm: Bake & Cool (1.5-2hrs)

Ready For Breakfast Schedulew

Start this two days before you want bread and you’ll have a loaf ready for an 8:30-9am
breakfast.

1. 9pm: Make leaven (12hrs)
2. 9am next day: Mix ingredients (90min)
   • Mix->wait 60min->add salt->wait 30min
3. 10:30am: Fold (1.5hrs)
4. 12pm: Proof #1 (2hrs, room temp)
5. 2pm: Shape (30min)
6. 2:30pm: Proof #2 (17.5hrs, fridge)
7. 7am next day: Bake & Cool (1.5-2hrs)

Working 9-5 Schedule

For those of us who don’t work from home, there’s still a schedule that will make incredible sourdough bread. Below are 2 different schedules you can choose from. One starts in the morning and the other starts in the evening. Pick whichever works best for you and know that you can take advantage of cold proofing to extend your timeline significantly and in creative ways

Start this the morning before you want bread and you’ll have a loaf ready for either breakfast or dinner the next day. Your choice.

1. 8am: Make leaven (9hrs)
2. 5pm: Mix ingredients (60min)
   • Mix->wait 30min->add salt->wait 30min
3. 6pm: Fold (1.5hrs)
4. 7:30pm: Proof #1 (2hrs, room temp)
5. 9:30pm: Shape (30min)
6. 10pm: Proof #2 (9-19hrs, fridge)
   • If you want a breakfast loaf, take it out and bake in the morning
   • If you want a dinner loaf, keep it in the fridge until 5-6pm and bake just before dinner)
7. 7am-5pm next day: Bake & Cool (1.5-2hrs)

Start this two evenings before you want bread. You can make this either a breakfast or a dinner loaf. Your choice. You’ll notice the order of the steps is a little different here. This schedule is a great example of just how flexible the process of making sourdough can be. So long as you get enough total proofing time you can do the steps in almost any order you desire!

1. 8pm: Make leaven (12hrs)
2. 8am next day: Mix ingredients (30min)
   • Mix->wait 30min->add salt->place in fridge
     • You could even add the salt right away and place this directly in
       the fridge. The effects on the end result will be minor.
3. 8:30am: Proof #1 (9hrs, fridge)
   • We’ve changed the order here so Proof #1 happens while you are at the office. So long as we get enough total proofing time, this works fine!
4. 5:30pm: Fold (1.5hrs)
5. 7pm: Shape (30min)
6. 7:30pm: Proof #2 (12-21.5hrs, fridge)
   • If you want a breakfast loaf, take it out and bake in the morning
   • If you want a dinner loaf, keep it in the fridge until 5-6pm and bake just before dinner)
7. 7am-5pm next day: Bake & Cool (1.5-2hrs)