Sourdough Art Valentine Hearts (Print View)

Crisp, airy sourdough hearts shaped and decorated with flour patterns for a festive touch.

# Components:

→ 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

# Directions:

01 - In a large bowl, combine sourdough starter, bread flour, whole wheat flour, and water until fully incorporated. Cover and rest for 30 to 45 minutes to develop gluten structure.
02 - Add fine sea salt to dough. Mix thoroughly and knead until salt is evenly distributed throughout the dough.
03 - Perform 3 to 4 sets of stretch-and-fold motions, spacing each set 30 minutes apart. Cover dough with a damp towel between cycles 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 volume doubles, approximately 4 to 6 hours.
05 - Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into two equal portions. Shape each piece into a heart by flattening slightly, pinching the base to create a point, and indenting the top center deeply.
06 - Place each heart-shaped dough into a floured proofing basket or bowl lined with a floured towel. Cover and refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours for extended flavor development.
07 - Set oven to 465°F (240°C) and position a Dutch oven or baking stone inside to preheat for at least 30 minutes.
08 - Remove dough from refrigerator and invert onto parchment paper. Dust generously with rice flour and use a sharp lame or razor blade to score artistic heart patterns into the surface.
09 - Transfer parchment with shaped dough to the preheated Dutch oven or baking stone. Bake covered for 20 minutes to trap steam and develop crust.
10 - Uncover Dutch oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes until crust is deep golden brown and crispy.
11 - Transfer loaves to a wire rack and cool completely before decorating with optional edible flowers or seeds for final presentation.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Your sourdough becomes an edible declaration, with that crispy crust and open crumb that feels like an accomplishment you can taste.
  • The cold overnight rise removes the panic—most of the work happens while you sleep, leaving just the scoring and baking for the morning.
  • People genuinely react differently when bread arrives at the table shaped like a heart; it shifts the entire mood of a meal.
02 -
  • Cold proofing is not optional here—room temperature shaping followed by immediate baking will give you a dense crumb and flat oven spring because the dough hasn't had time to relax after being handled.
  • Overflourring during shaping is the sneaky enemy of good crumb; use just enough flour to prevent sticking, and brush off excess before proofing so you don't dry out the surface.
  • Your sourdough starter's strength matters—a weak or young starter will extend your timeline and potentially give you a gummy interior, so make sure yours is reliably doubling within 4 to 8 hours of feeding.
03 -
  • If your overnight cold proof goes longer than 12 hours, the dough might start over-proofing—pull it out after 12 hours and bake immediately, or it will spread instead of rise in the oven.
  • The scoring matters more than you think; those cuts are where the bread bursts open, so hesitant scratches won't give you the dramatic ear and definition that makes these hearts feel intentional.
Return