How to Bake Sourdough with Italian Type 1 Flour

Sourdough has become the bread of choice for home bakers who want real flavor, a crackly crust, and that open, irregular crumb. The flour you use matters as much as your starter. Italian Type 1 flour has become a favorite for sourdough because it brings more wheat character than white flour while staying strong enough for long fermentation. Here's what Type 1 is, and how to bake your first loaf with it.

What is Type 1 flour?

Italian flours are graded by how much of the wheat kernel stays in the flour after milling. Type 00 is the most refined, classic for Neapolitan pizza. Type 1 is a high-extraction flour: it keeps more of the kernel, so it has deeper wheat flavor, a golden color, and a more rustic texture, while still giving bread enough strength for a light, open loaf.

Why Type 1 works so well for sourdough

• Flavor: more of the wheat kernel means a fuller, nuttier taste in the finished loaf.
• Strength for long fermentation: a protein level around 11.5–12.5% holds the dough together through overnight bulk and cold retards.
• High hydration: it absorbs water well, which is what gives sourdough its big, glossy holes.
• Happy starters: many bakers feed their starter with Type 1 because it brings more of the wheat kernel than white flour.

The flour we use: Polselli Organic Type 1 Bread Flour

Polselli Organic Type 1 Bread Flour – Open Crumb is an everyday organic bread flour milled in Italy from 100% Italian wheat. It's USDA Organic, unbleached, non-GMO, and has no additives and no enzymes, with 11.5–12.5% protein and W 250–300 strength. We chose it because it's built for exactly what sourdough demands.

A simple Type 1 sourdough loaf

Ingredients

• 1,000 g Polselli Organic Type 1 Bread Flour
• 720–750 g water (72–75% hydration)
• 200 g active sourdough starter (100% hydration)
• 20 g fine sea salt

Method

1. Mix and rest. Mix the flour with most of the water until no dry flour remains. Cover and rest 30–60 minutes.
2. Add starter and salt. Add the starter, salt, and remaining water. Squeeze and fold until fully combined.
3. Bulk fermentation. Over the next 3–5 hours, do 3–4 sets of stretch-and-folds about 30 minutes apart, then let the dough rest until it's airy, jiggly, and grown by roughly half. Timing depends on your starter and kitchen temperature.
4. Shape. Turn the dough out, pre-shape into a round, rest 20 minutes, then shape into a tight boule or batard and place it in a floured banneton.
5. Cold retard. Cover and refrigerate overnight, 8–16 hours. This develops flavor and makes scoring easier.
6. Bake. Preheat your oven and Dutch oven to about 480°F (250°C). Score the loaf, bake covered for 20 minutes, then uncovered at about 450°F (230°C) for 20–25 minutes until deep golden.
7. Cool. Let the loaf cool at least an hour before slicing so the crumb sets.

Tips for a more open crumb

• Raise hydration slowly. Once you're comfortable at 72–75%, try 78–80%.
• Watch the dough, not the clock. Under-fermented dough gives a tight crumb; over-fermented dough spreads flat.
• Use a strong, active starter. Feed it so it peaks right when you mix.
• Bake hot and steamy. A preheated Dutch oven traps steam for better oven spring.

Not just for sourdough

Type 1 is a great everyday bread flour too: sandwich loaves, rolls, baguettes, ciabatta, focaccia, and long-fermented pizza all benefit from its flavor and strength.

Ready to bake? Shop Polselli Organic Type 1 Bread Flour, plus sea salt, olive oil, and dough proofing boxes for your bread setup. Wholesale Italian Food has been importing authentic Italian foods since 1979.