How long does it take to make Sourdough Bread?

During the first rise, fold the dough every half hour with wet hands: stretch and fold from all four sides.

14 hr 37 minTotal

22 minActive time

14 hr 15 minSetting

#	What to do	How long
1	Mix the whole wheat flour, white flour and water	30 min
2	Add the starter and the salt and Knead 10 minutes	10 min
3	Leave the dough in a covered bowl 4–6 hours at room temperature, folding it every half hour	5 hr
4	Shape into a loaf and place in a floured proofing basket, cover and refrigerate overnight	8 hr
5	Preheat the oven to 250°C (480°F), with a cast-iron pot inside	12 min
6	Turn the dough out into the hot pot and slash the top with a sharp knife	—
7	Bake in the covered pot 20 minutes	45 min

Autolyse lets the flour absorb the water before the starter and salt: the gluten develops on its own, and the kneading is shorter.
Folding: pull one side of the dough up and fold it over itself, turn the bowl and repeat from all four sides. This strengthens the dough without kneading.
Put things in the oven only once it's reached temperature, after the heating light has gone off: an oven that hasn't reached temperature changes baking times, and the bake burns outside or stays underbaked.
The covered pot traps the dough's steam during the first half: the crust stays soft, and the bread rises fully before it hardens.

For yeast dough, use the windowpane test: a small piece stretches into a thin, translucent sheet without tearing, and that's the sign the kneading is done. Add flour only by the tablespoon, and only if the dough is still sticky after a few minutes: too much flour makes a tough dough.
Check by the cue (until…), not just the clock: every oven bakes a little differently.

For 1 kg flour (mostly white), about 650 g water, 200 g starter and 20 g salt.
The starter is made from equal amounts of flour and water, and it gives the bread a tangy flavor and deep aroma.