Sourdough Heart Loaves Art (Printable Copy)

Crisp crust and airy crumb combine in heart-shaped sourdough loaves with artistic flour decoration.

# What You Need:

→ Sourdough Starter

01 - 3.5 oz active sourdough starter, fed and bubbly

→ Dough

02 - 12.3 oz bread flour
03 - 1.8 oz whole wheat flour
04 - 9.9 fl oz water, room temperature
05 - 0.3 oz fine sea salt

→ Decoration

06 - Rice flour for dusting
07 - Edible dried flowers or seeds for garnish (optional)

# How to Make:

01 - In a large mixing bowl, combine sourdough starter, bread flour, whole wheat flour, and room temperature water until fully incorporated. Cover and let rest for 30 to 45 minutes to allow autolyse.
02 - Add fine sea salt to the dough and mix thoroughly until salt is completely incorporated throughout.
03 - Execute 3 to 4 sets of stretch-and-fold technique spaced 30 minutes apart. Cover dough with a damp towel between each set to maintain moisture.
04 - Shape dough into a tight ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover and allow to rise at room temperature until doubled in volume, approximately 4 to 6 hours.
05 - Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and divide in half. Shape each piece into a heart by flattening slightly, pinching the base to form a point, and creating an indent at the top center.
06 - Place each heart-shaped dough into a floured proofing basket or bowl lined with a floured towel. Cover and refrigerate overnight for 8 to 12 hours.
07 - Preheat oven to 465 degrees Fahrenheit with a Dutch oven or baking stone positioned inside.
08 - Remove dough from refrigerator and invert onto parchment paper. Dust generously with rice flour and score artistic heart patterns using a sharp lame or razor blade.
09 - Transfer scored dough to preheated Dutch oven or baking stone. Bake covered for 20 minutes to trap steam.
10 - Uncover and continue baking for an additional 15 minutes until the crust achieves a deep golden color and crisp texture.
11 - Transfer baked hearts to a wire rack and cool completely before applying optional edible flowers or seeds for decoration.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The cold overnight proof means you can prep the day before and wake up to baking fresh sourdough without the stress.
  • Shaping them into hearts feels playful and meditative at the same time, giving you kitchen therapy that actually produces something gorgeous.
  • That contrast between the crispy, artistically scored crust and the impossibly soft, open crumb inside is the kind of thing that makes people ask for the recipe.
02 -
  • The cold overnight proof is non-negotiable for texture and flavor; rushing this step by doing a quick room-temperature proof will give you denser crumb and less of that sourdough tang.
  • If your sourdough starter seems weak or slow, it's actually better to feed it again rather than push forward; a vigorous starter makes all the difference in rise times and final flavor.
  • Rice flour truly is the secret to that bakery-quality dusty finish; don't substitute cornstarch or regular flour, as they behave completely differently on a hot crust.
03 -
  • A bench scraper is genuinely your best friend here; it lets you flip and maneuver the dough without adding extra flour or deflating hours of fermentation.
  • If you're nervous about shaping, practice with a ball of clay or playdough first to get the heart indent just right before you touch your actual dough.
  • Save any leftover rice flour; it's perfect for dusting future loaves and lasts forever in a sealed jar.
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