Pain de Campagne (French Sourdough Country Loaf)
A big, crackly French country loaf with a tangy, chewy crumb and a little wholemeal and rye for flavour.
- Time21 hr (mostly resting)
- LevelHard
- Costabout £0.16 a head
- Oven240°C (220°C fan)
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Mix the starter, water and all three flours in a large bowl with your hand until there is no dry flour left. Cover and rest for 45 minutes.
45 min - 2
Sprinkle the salt over the dough and squeeze it in with wet hands for about a minute. Now stretch and fold: lift one edge, stretch it up and fold it over the middle, turn the bowl a quarter and repeat 8 times. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
30 min - 3
Do three more rounds of stretch and folds, 30 minutes apart. Then leave the dough, covered, at room temperature until it is puffy, wobbly and about 50 percent bigger. This takes 2 to 3 hours in an ordinary kitchen.
150 min - 4
Tip the dough onto an unfloured worktop. Fold it into a rough round and rest for 20 minutes. Then shape it into a tight round by dragging it towards you so the top is taut. Dust a banneton or a bowl lined with a tea towel with the rice flour and put the dough in, seam side up.
20 min - 5
Cover and chill for 12 to 14 hours or overnight.
780 min - 6
Put a lidded cast iron pot or heavy casserole in the oven and heat it to 240°C (220°C fan) for 45 minutes. Make sure the pot is oven safe to this heat.
45 min - 7
Turn the cold dough out onto a sheet of baking paper. Slash the top with a very sharp knife in one long curve or a cross. Lift it into the hot pot by the paper, put the lid on and bake for 25 minutes.
25 min - 8
Take the lid off, turn the oven down to 220°C (200°C fan) and bake for 20 minutes more, until deep brown and the base sounds hollow when tapped.
20 min - 9
Cool on a wire rack for at least an hour before slicing. You will hear the crust crackle as it cools.
60 min
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.
