How to Bake the Perfect Sourdough Loaf at Home (Using a Baking Steel)

So you’ve got your bubbly, active starter. Your dough is rising like a dream. You’ve followed the recipe to the letter. But when you pull your sourdough out of the oven… it’s pale, flat, and a little too gummy inside.

Sound familiar?

You’re not alone—this happens to even experienced bakers. And here’s the kicker:

➡️ It’s not always your recipe.
➡️ It’s not always underproofing or overproofing (though that can happen).

More often than not, it’s a combo of three things that make or break your loaf: oven heat, shaping, and surface contact. And that’s where a baking steel becomes your new best friend.

Let’s walk through how to actually bake sourdough at home, with crust, spring, and structure that’ll have you saying: “Did I just bake that?!”

? What You Actually Need to Bake Sourdough at Home

Forget the 20-item Amazon checklist. If you’re starting out (or leveling up), here’s what really matters:

✅ A strong starter
✅ A baking steel (not a stone—more on that in a sec)
✅ A good lame or sharp blade
✅ A bench scraper
✅ A proofing basket (or bowl with a floured towel)
✅ A spray bottle or steam setup
✅ A digital scale (please, always)

The steel is the game-changer here. It gives you professional-level heat in a home oven, which means:

? Better oven spring
? More caramelized crust
? No pale-bottomed loaves

? Step-by-Step: Baking the Perfect Loaf on a Steel

We’re keeping it straightforward. Here’s the roadmap:

1. Feed Your Starter
Let it peak. You want it bubbly and domed - ready to raise some serious dough.

2. Mix & Autolyse
Flour + water = autolyse. Let it sit for 30-60 minutes before adding salt.

3. Bulk Fermentation
Add salt, mix again, then stretch and fold every 30 minutes for a few hours.

4. Preshape + Rest
This is where most folks skip ahead… and regret it.
Gently pre-shape your dough into a round and let it sit for 15–20 minutes. It’ll relax and be easier to final shape without tearing.

5. Final Shape
Now shape it tightly, without deflating all your bubbles. Place it seam-side up in your floured basket.

6. Cold Proof
Overnight in the fridge = better flavor, easier scoring, and a stronger crust.

7. Preheat Your Oven & Steel
Blast your oven to 475°F (or higher if it handles it) for at least 45 minutes. Yes, really. The steel needs to be blazing hot.

8. Score & Bake
Turn the dough onto parchment, score with confidence, and slide it onto the steel.
Add steam (spray the sides of the oven or use a tray of hot water).

9. Cool (Yes, Really)
The hardest part. Let it sit for at least an hour. This sets the crumb and gives you that chewy texture.

? Why a Steel Makes All the Difference

If you’ve been using a Dutch oven or a pizza stone, you're already ahead of the average home baker. But if you want bakery-quality loaves in a regular oven? A baking steel takes it next level.

Here’s why:

• It holds more heat than a stone, so your loaf gets a blast of radiant heat from the bottom.

• Better oven spring from the base = open crumb and tall profile.

• Incredible crust—that deep brown, blistered, crispy edge we all chase.

And bonus: You can use it for pizza, bread, cookies, flatbreads, even roasted veggies.