Country boule
A round loaf to share at the table, with slices that change size as you cut.
- Check your setup & method
- Match your round basket and baking vessel to the dough weight. Boule names a shape, not a fixed hydration or flour blend.
There is more than
one beautiful loaf.
Crackly and rustic. Soft and sliceable. Filled with grains, fruit or seeds. Choose what you want to eat, then choose the formula and method that belong to it.
Start with the slice
you want on your plate.
These 13 entries mix shapes and bread styles deliberately: a round boule can also be whole wheat or seeded. They are choices to compare, not mutually exclusive categories.
The photographs are credited bread reference images. The links below lead to each recipe publisher’s instructions; these are not Sourdough Bench test-bake records.
A quick way to narrow it down.
| If your priority is… | Start by comparing… | Check before you mix |
|---|---|---|
| Everyday sandwich slices | Sandwich loaf, bâtard, ciabatta | Crumb texture, slice shape and oven or pan size. |
| A loaf to share at the table | Boule, focaccia, baguette | Serving shape, baking space and transfer method. |
| Exploring flour and texture | Whole-wheat blend, high rye, seeded loaf | Flour proportion and the method for that blend. |
| Breakfast baking | Cinnamon-raisin loaf, English muffins, bagels | Inclusions, shaping and whether cooking includes griddling or boiling. |
Crusty & free-standing
Country bâtard
An oval loaf with a longer run of similarly sized central slices.
- Check your setup & method
- Check basket length and oven space. The same formula can make a boule or bâtard; shaping and scoring change.
Sourdough baguette
A long, slender loaf with plenty of crust relative to each slice.
- Check your setup & method
- Check oven length and how you will transfer the dough. The linked King Arthur recipe uses commercial yeast; its schedule is not a starter-only timetable.
Sourdough ciabatta
A low, elongated bread with an open interior for splitting into sandwiches.
- Check your setup & method
- Choose a complete high-hydration handling method. Adding flour until it behaves like a firm boule changes the intended result.
Grains & texture
Whole-wheat blend
A loaf that makes whole-wheat flour part of the flavor and crumb.
- Check your setup & method
- Count whole-wheat flour carried in the starter as well. The linked fifty-fifty formula is a particular blend, not a method for every whole-grain flour.
High-rye loaf
A close-textured loaf for substantial slices, rather than a dramatic open wheat crumb.
- Check your setup & method
- Use a rye-specific recipe, mixing method and cooling instructions. A high-rye loaf is not a wheat dough with a direct flour swap.
Seeded sourdough
Seeds through the dough or on the crust give each slice another layer of texture.
- Check your setup & method
- Check whether seeds are soaked, toasted, folded in or applied outside. A topping and a soaked inclusion affect the formula differently.
Walnut & cranberry
Fruit and nuts in a loaf for a cheese board or a simple spread.
- Check your setup & method
- Record inclusion weights and preparation. Our four-ingredient dough calculator does not include their mass or moisture.
Soft & shareable
Sourdough sandwich loaf
Regular, soft slices that hold a filling without large holes.
- Check your setup & method
- Check pan dimensions and enrichments. The linked formula includes butter, milk, sugar and added yeast; its soft crumb is deliberate.
Sourdough focaccia
A pan-baked slab cut into generous pieces for sharing.
- Check your setup & method
- Check pan area, depth, oil and topping preparation. Use a dedicated focaccia formula: the pan supports the dough differently from a basket.
Cinnamon-raisin sourdough
Fruit and spice in a loaf for breakfast toast and butter.
- Check your setup & method
- Check fruit preparation and the mixing or layering method. Decide whether you want a swirl or fruit dispersed through the crumb before choosing a recipe.
Breakfast & smaller bakes
Sourdough English muffins
Individual breads split for toasting, with a rough, craggy interior.
- Check your setup & method
- Follow a dedicated griddle method and any oven finish in the recipe. These are not miniature boules; the linked recipe also uses commercial yeast.
Sourdough bagels
A chewy ring-shaped bread with its own shaping and boiling sequence.
- Check your setup & method
- Choose a bagel recipe from the start. A boule formula reshaped into a ring does not supply the whole bagel process.