Cannonball Loaf (Boule)

Let's make some dough!

Whether you're new to sourdough or looking to refine your technique, this sourdough guide is the perfect starting point. In this first installment of our series, we'll walk through the process of baking a simple, rustic loaf — a boule, or as we call it, the cannonball — that will lay the foundation for all your future sourdough adventures.

Why It Matters: Sourdough baking can be as simple or as complex as you want it to be. In this recipe, we're stripping it down to the essentials: flour, water, salt, and mother dough. This basic loaf is designed to get you comfortable with the process without overcomplicating things. Once you've mastered this, you'll be ready to expand your repertoire and get creative with your bakes.

If you're anything like me, you'll quickly start to develop a feel for your dough. You'll know when it's ready to bake, how to adjust the flour-to-water ratio, and even how to experiment with add-ins like seeds, herbs, or different flour blends. If the thought of mastering sourdough appeals to you, this is where it begins.

When I first started teaching bread baking, I helped a high school student launch a micro bakery. He began by giving loaves away to friends and classmates. Soon, he was selling $50–100 worth of bread weekly to classmates, teachers, and even his coworkers at Wendy's. The secret? Building a strong foundation and mastering the basics. Over time, he started baking sourdough bagels, pizza, and even croissants — but it all started with a simple loaf like this one.

Cannonball Loaf Recipe

Ingredients:

- 300 g water

- 400 g bread flour

- 40–80 g mother dough

- 8 g salt

Instructions:

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt. A quick mix will do (you just want to make sure you don't have a big salt pocket). Mix in the mother dough and water until no dry flour remains.

2. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest 15–60 minutes. Perform a round of stretches and folds, rest at least 15 minutes, then perform a second round.

3. Let it ferment 18–26 hours in moderate weather (8–16 hours in summer heat). This takes time — let the natural health and flavor develop the right way. Once the dough reaches 75–85% of its maximum size and is full of bubbles, invert your mixing/fermenting container onto a well-floured counter, cut off 40–80 g (about 5–10%) of your dough and reserve it (this is now your culture), and gently shape the remaining dough into a ball.

4. Allow your dough to rest for 20 minutes to an hour (or up to 4 hours, or overnight in the fridge) as your oven heats to 500°F.

5. Score the dough with a sharp knife or a pair of scissors and transfer it to the preheated oven.

6. Bake for 15 minutes, then check for even baking (rotate the loaf if your oven has a hot spot). Continue baking about 15 more minutes — roughly 30 minutes total — until the crust is golden and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.

7. Cool the loaf below 140°F before slicing to prevent a gummy crumb.

8. Store your reserved dough in the fridge for up to 2 weeks to preserve your culture. The next time you bake, simply use all of your reserved dough instead of feeding and discarding a jar of goo.

Ready to level up?

Mix just the flour and water, allow it to rest ~30 minutes, then add the mother dough and salt. This additional step is what everybody else calls autolyse. To find out more, check out the Autolyse blog in this library.

Next in the series: Sourdough Oval Loaf (Batard).

When you bake some of the other simple breads in this series, your understanding and experience will compound.

Until next time, let's give thanks for our daily bread…

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