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Homemade Sourdough Bread, Step by Step
By Alexandra Stafford
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Last Updated: 03/17/2026
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
If you love fresh sourdough bread with a golden, crisp crust and a light, airy crumb, this recipe is for you. It’s one of the simplest homemade sourdough bread recipes, and one of the best, too. It requires only 25 minutes of hands-on work and no autolyse or preferment. Below you will find guidance for every step of the way. 🍞🍞
This post will show you how to make the simplest of simple sourdough breads. There is no autolyse or preferment, which means the dough itself comes together in less than five minutes.
For those intimidated by sourdough bread baking, this recipe, as well as this sourdough focaccia recipe, are the recipes I suggest making first, both for their simplicity and flavor. Another great beginner’s bread recipe to try is this overnight, refrigerator focaccia or my mother’s simple peasant bread recipe, both of which require minimal effort but yield spectacular results.
This post is divided into 13 sections:
- What is Sourdough Bread?
- What is a Sourdough Starter?
- How to Feed a Sourdough Starter
- When is My Starter Ready to Be Used?
- Equipment
- How to Make Sourdough Bread: A 5-Step Overview
- How this Sourdough Bread Recipe Differs From Others
- Simple Sourdough Bread: A Step-by-Step Guide
- #1 Sourdough Bread Baking Tip
- Troubleshooting: Where Sourdough Goes Wrong
- Sourdough Baking Resources
- Other Sourdough Bread Recipes to Make
- Sourdough Bread Baking Schedule
What is Sourdough Bread?
Sourdough bread is bread that has been leavened naturally, meaning it has been leavened by a sourdough starter as opposed to by commercial yeast or a chemical leavening agent such as baking powder or baking soda.
What is a Sourdough Starter?
A sourdough starter is a fermented mix of flour and water containing wild yeast and bacteria (lactobacilli). Provided it is healthy and active, a sourdough starter is what will make your bread rise.
You can make a sourdough starter from scratch in just about a week. I only recommend doing so if it currently is summer (or a very warm fall) where you are. While it is immensely satisfying to build a starter from scratch and subsequently use it to make a beautiful loaf of bread, I am a huge proponent of purchasing one for a few reasons, namely: when you purchase a starter, you are guaranteed to have a strong, vigorous starter from the start. In other words, you can start baking with confidence right away.
Here are two online sources for reasonably priced sourdough starters:
How to Feed a Sourdough Starter
In order to keep your starter alive, you have to feed it — it’s not unlike having a pet, but know this: caring for a sourdough starter is akin to caring for a very low maintenance pet, one that requires feeding only once every two to three weeks to stay alive, but one that requires feeding much more regularly if you like to bake frequently.
When I am not baking regularly, I store my starter in the fridge in the above-pictured vessel with its lid on. As noted above, it can hang out there for 2-3 weeks (if not longer) without being touched. To wake it up or activate it, I like to feed it twice before using it. Often, I’ll remove it from the fridge after dinner and feed it: this involves discarding most of it (down to a few tablespoons or 50 grams) and replenishing it with equal parts by weight flour and water. (Please read this post, which explains in detail how to activate, feed, and maintain a starter.)
I will repeat this process in the morning: discard most of it, then replenish it with equal parts by weight flour and water. By midday, or when my starter has doubled in volume, it is ready to be used.
To store your starter, you should feed it, let it rise till it nearly doubles, then cover it and stash it in the fridge for 2 to 3 weeks until you are ready to use it again.
How Do I Know if My Starter is Ready to be Used?
If your starter doubles (or triples!) in volume within 4 to 8 hours after a feeding, it is ready to go. And ideally, you want to use your starter 4 to 8 hours after you feed it or when it has doubled. Every time I feed my starter, I place a rubber band around the vessel to mark its height. This helps me see when it has doubled in volume and is, therefore, ready to be used.
If your starter is not doubling within 4 to 8 hours of feeding it, you should spend a few days strengthening it. This will involve discarding most of it — truly, don’t be afraid to be aggressive with how much you are discarding — and replenishing it with equal parts by weight flour and water. If you do this twice a day for several days, your starter will be in great shape.
What Equipment Do I Need?
At a minimum, you’ll need:
- a sourdough starter (see above)
- flour, bread flour if possible, my preference is King Arthur Flour
- salt
- water
Ideally, you’ll also have:
- digital scale
- straight-sided vessel for monitoring the bulk fementation
- bench scraper
- flour sack towels
- parchment paper
- banneton, such as this one or this one
- razor blade
- heavy lidded vessel, such as this one or this one
What is the Best Dutch Oven for Sourdough Bread?
I love my Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Double Dutch Oven, which I’ve had for years! The Lodge is a great value at around $49, but if you like the idea of making batards, baguettes and other oblong-shaped loaves, I can’t recommend the Challenger Bread Pan enough, which costs $299. The placement of the handles makes for easy removal and closure of the lid, and it creates beautiful, crusty loaves every time.
How to Make Sourdough Bread: A 5-Step Overview
There are essentially 5 steps to making sourdough bread. Each of these steps is explained in more detail below.
- Mix the Dough: This is simply a matter of combining water, sourdough starter, salt and flour in bowl, and stirring to form a sticky dough ball.
- Bulk Fermentation: This is just a fancy name for the first rise. During the first two hours of the bulk fermentation, you’ll perform a series of stretches and folds, which will give the dough strength and elasticity.
- Shape + Bench Rest: This step ends the bulk fermentation. You’ll shape the dough, let it rest, then shape it once more.
- Proofing the Dough: In this recipe, you’ll cold proof the dough in the fridge, ideally for 24 to 48 hours, though you can get away with a shorter proof.
- Scoring + Baking the Dough: After the dough has proofed, you’ll turn it out onto a piece of parchment paper, score it; then transfer it to a preheated baking vessel.
How This Sourdough Bread Recipe Differs From Others
This recipe differs from others in three main ways:
- No Autolyse. Why? I’ve never found employing an autolyse makes a big difference in the final texture of the bread, and I find the process of doing an autoylse frankly to be kind of a pain. What is an autolyse? Autolyse is a technique that calls for mixing flour and water together and allowing them to sit for several hours before adding the salt and sourdough starter. This process allows gluten to develop in dough prior to mixing. It also makes the dough more extensible. This is due to the hydrating effects of soaking the flour, as well as — and this is getting a bit scientific — from the enzymatic activity of protease, which breaks down some of the gluten that forms as the dough hydrates. This process weakens the dough’s elasticity, in turn increasing its extensibility. If you are after a super open crumb, autolyse is something to consider.
- 50% (roughly) Increase in Volume. If you come from the yeast-leavened bread world, you are accustomed to letting your dough double in volume during the first rise. When I first got into sourdough, I was applying this same method, and while I had success, I realized I was often letting my dough overferment — I was pushing the bulk fermentation too far. As soon as I stopped the bulk fermentation when the dough increased by 50-75% in volume, I got a much better oven spring.
- Long Cold Proof. After the bulk fermentation, you’ll shape the dough, and store it in the fridge ideally for 24 hours but it can hang out there for 48 hours or even a bit longer. This long, cold proof will make for a much lighter, open, airy crumb. (Note: If you were to leave the dough in the fridge for 12 hours or less, which you can do, the crumb will be tighter and denser.) After you remove the dough from the fridge, you score it, and transfer it immediately to the oven — there is no need to do a room temperature proof first.
Simple Sourdough Bread: A Step-by-Step Guide
To start, pour 375 grams of water into a bowl:
Add 50 to 100 grams of sourdough starter.
Stir to combine; then add 11 grams of salt:
Finally, add 500 grams of bread flour:
Stir to combine:
Transfer the dough to a straight-sided vessel. Cover it, and let it rest for 30 minutes.
Perform a set of stretches and folds:
If time permits, perform four total sets of stretches and folds every 30 minutes for the first 2 hours. You should notice the dough getting stronger and more elastic with every set of stretches and folds. This is the 4th set:
After the 4th set of stretches and folds, cover the vessel, and set it aside until it increases in volume by 50%-75%.
The time will vary depending primarily on the strength of your starter and the temperature of your kitchen. Rather than rely on a time period, however, you should rely on visual cues.
This video shows the dough nearly doubling (increasing by 100%) in volume, but the more I bake sourdough, the more I realize I have better success when I stop the bulk fermentation when the dough increases by 50%-75%. It may take some trial and error to know what works best for you. You may find a 75% increase in volume is best or you may find that to be too long. Sourdough is all about experimenting and adapting based on your experiences.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface:
Shape the dough gently into a round and let it rest for 20-40 minutes. This is called the bench rest.
Meanwhile, prepare a bowl or banneton with a flour sack towel and rice flour.
Shape the round again; then place in prepared bowl for proofing. Transfer to fridge for 12 to 48 hours.
Remove bowl from fridge, and turn it out onto a sheet of parchment paper.
Score it.
Transfer to preheated Dutch oven. Bake covered at 450ºF for 30 minutes; uncover, lower the temperature to 400ºF, and bake for 15 minutes more:
Remove from oven and let cool one hour before slicing.
You’ll need a sharp knife (like this one or this one) when it’s time to slice:
#1 Sourdough Bread Baking Tip
The refrigerator is your friend. Use it.
The most common mistake I see people make when making sourdough bread is letting the bulk fermentation go too long. They mix the dough at night; then wake up to dough that has tripled in volume and is a sticky mess.
To prevent over-fermenting your dough, use your refrigerator as needed. After you complete the 4 sets of stretches and folds, you can put your dough in the fridge at any time. If you are tired and need to go to bed, transfer the dough to the refrigerator; then pick up where you left off in the morning: remove the dough from the fridge and let it continue to rise until it increases in volume by roughly 50%.
To accurately gauge when your dough has risen to roughly 50% in volume, I highly recommend investing in a straight-sided vessel such as this 4-qt Cambro (or this one, which is BPA-free!). When dough rises in a bowl, judging when it has risen sufficiently is tricky. There’s no question with a straight-sided vessel.
Troubleshooting: Where Sourdough Goes Wrong?
If you have ever had trouble baking sourdough bread, your issues likely stem from one of four places:
- Using a weak starter or not using starter at its peak.
- Using too much water relative to the flour.
- Over fermentation: letting the bulk fermentation (first rise) go too long.
- Using too much whole wheat flour, rye flour, or freshly milled flour.
I address each of these issues in this post: Why is my sourdough so sticky? 4 Common Mistakes, so please give it a read if you’ve had trouble with sourdough bread baking.
Sourdough Resources
- Sourdough Troubleshooting: This post addresses 4 common mistakes people make when baking sourdough bread and answers many FAQ’s as well.
- The Nutritional Benefits of Sourdough Bread + 6 Healthy Toast Topping Ideas
- Feeding Your Sourdough Starter
- Essential Equipment For Sourdough Bread Baking
- A tip for getting a more open crumb? Shape a batard as opposed to a round:
Other Sourdough Bread Recipes to Make
- Simple Sourdough Focaccia
- Sourdough Bread, Whole Wheat-ish
- Simple Sourdough Pizza
- Simple Sourdough Sandwich (or Toasting) Bread
- Sourdough Ciabatta
- Sourdough Discard Recipes
Sourdough Bread Baking Schedule
If you are new to sourdough bread baking, the timing of it all may feel overwhelming — you may find yourself asking: How can I do this without baking at midnight?
It’s a very good question! As noted above, your biggest friend when it comes to sourdough bread baking is your refrigerator. If after you’ve performed your stretches and folds, you don’t have time to stay up for the dough to complete the bulk fermentation, stick the vessel in the fridge and pick up where you left off the next day or the day after that.
Here is a rough schedule I like to follow. Adapt it to work for you:
Wednesday Evening: Remove starter from fridge. Feed it by discarding most of it and replenishing it with equal parts by weight flour and water.
Thursday Morning: Feed starter by discarding most of it and replenishing it with equal parts by weight flour and water.
Thursday Afternoon: Mix dough, let it rise. On Thursday evening, when the dough has completed the bulk fermentation, I’ll shape it and stick it in the fridge to proof. (As noted: If the dough hasn’t completed the bulk fermentation, I’ll stick the vessel in the fridge, and pick up where I left off the following day.)
Friday Evening or Saturday Morning: Score and Bake it. There is no need to let the dough come to room temperature before baking it. Simply remove it from the fridge, turn it out, score it, and bake it!
Print
Homemade Sourdough Bread, Step by Step
- Total Time: 18 hours 45 minutes
- Yield: 1 loaf 1x
Description
If you love fresh sourdough bread with a golden, crisp crust and a light, airy crumb, this recipe is for you. It’s one of the simplest homemade sourdough bread recipes, and one of the best, too. It requires only 25 minutes of hands-on work and no autolyse or preferment. Below you will find guidance for every step of the way. 🍞🍞🍞
Inspired by The Clever Carrot
If you are new to sourdough, watch the step-by-step video here: Simple Sourdough Bread or in the post above.
Troubleshooting: If you have issues with your dough being too sticky, please read this post: Why is my sourdough so sticky? The 4 common mistakes.
Notes:
- You need an active sourdough starter. I have had success activating starters from:
- As always, I highly recommend investing in a digital scale before beginning any bread baking adventure.
- This is the Dutch Oven I use for sourdough bread. I used this Dutch oven for years, and it’s a great one, too.
- Flour sack towels are a great investment because they ensure your dough will not stick while it is proofing.
- I love using rice flour for dusting (as opposed to ap or bread flour) because it doesn’t burn. When you use a flour sack towel, however, you don’t need to use any flour.
- Find all of my sourdough essentials here: Essential Equipment For Sourdough Bread Baking
- I love a high-hydration dough, and I have great success using 380 grams of water in this recipe, so feel free to play around and push the hydration here.
- Salt: I have had success using both kosher salt and fine sea salt here. When I use kosher salt, I use the Diamond Crystal brand. When I use sea salt, I use the Baleine Fine brand. Regardless of the brand, I use 12 grams.
- Shaping: If you’re looking to get a more open crumb, try shaping a batard (as opposed to a round). Watch this video for guidance. Also: The recipe below follows the traditional shape once, rest, then shape again method. I often skip the preshape now and simply shape the dough once. I still get a nice open crumb.
- Adding Other Ingredients: See this post on adding “inclusions”: Rosemary-Olive Sourdough Bread (+ A Better Way to Add Inclusions to Your Sourdough Bread)
How much Sourdough Starter to Use?
- Because my kitchen is cold for much of the year, I like using 100 g (1/2 cup) of starter as opposed to 50 g (1/4 cup). When determining how much starter to use, consider a few things: If you live in a warm, humid environment, 50 g should suffice. If you plan on doing an overnight rise, 50 g also should suffice. If you want to speed things up or if you live in a cold environment, consider using 100 g starter. Note: If you use 100 g of starter, your dough may rise more quickly, so keep an eye on it. As always, rely on the visual cues (increasing in volume by 50%) when determining when the bulk fermentation is done.
- A straight-sided vessel makes monitoring the bulk fermentation especially easy because it allows you to see when your dough has truly doubled.
Ingredients
- 50 – 100 g (1⁄4 – 1/2 cup) bubbly, active starter — I always use 100 grams, see notes above
- 375 g (1 1/2 cups plus 1 tbsp) warm water, or more, see notes above
- 500 g (4 cups plus 2 tbsp) bread flour
- 9 to 12 g (1.5 – 2.5 teaspoons) fine sea salt, see notes above
Instructions
- Make the dough: Whisk the starter and water together in a large bowl with a fork or spatula. Add the flour and salt. Mix to combine, finishing by hand if necessary to form a rough dough. Cover with a damp towel and let rest for 30 minutes.
- Stretch and fold: After 30 minutes, grab a corner of the dough and pull it up and into the center. Repeat until you’ve performed this series of folds 4 to 5 times with the dough. Let dough rest for another 30 minutes and repeat the stretching and folding action. If you have the time: do this twice more for a total of 4 times in 2 hours. Note: Even if you can only perform one series of stretches and folds, your dough will benefit. So don’t worry if you have to run off shortly after you mix the dough.
- Bulk Fermentation (first rise): Cover the bowl with a damp towel or, ideally, a lid or something that will create an airtight seal to prevent the dough from drying out. Let the dough rise at room temperature, about 8 to 10 hours at 70°F (21°C) or even less if you live in a warm environment. The dough is ready when it has increased by 50-75% in volume, has a few bubbles on the surface, and jiggles when you move the bowl from side to side. (UPDATE: In the past I have recommended letting the dough rise until it doubles in volume. If you’ve had success with this, continue to let the dough double. Recently, I have been stopping the bulk fermentation when the dough increases by 50% in volume, and I feel I am actually getting better oven spring in the end.) (Note regarding timing: If you are using 100 g of starter, the bulk fermentation may take less than 8 to 10 hours. If you live in a warm, humid environment, the bulk fermentation may take even less time. In the late spring/early summer, for example, my kitchen is 78ºF and the bulk fermentation takes 6 hours. It is best to rely on visual cues (increase in volume by roughly 50%) as opposed to time to determine when the bulk fermentation is done. A straight-sided vessel makes monitoring the bulk fermentation especially easy because it allows you to see when your dough has truly increased in volume by 50%.)
- Shape (See notes above): Coax the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gently shape it into a round: fold the top down to the center, turn the dough, fold the top down to the center, turn the dough; repeat until you’ve come full circle. If you have a bench scraper, use it to push and pull the dough to create tension.
- Rest: Let the dough rest seam side up rest for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, line an 8-inch (20-cm) bowl or proofing basket with a towel (flour sack towels are ideal) and dust with flour (preferably rice flour, which doesn’t burn the way all-purpose flour does). Using a bench scraper or your hands, shape it again as described in step 4. Place the round into your lined bowl, seam side up.
- Proof (second rise): Cover the dough and refrigerate for 1 hour or for as long as 48 hours. (Note: I prefer to let this dough proof for at least 24 hours prior to baking. See video for the difference in the crumb of a loaf that has proofed for 6 hours vs one that has proofed for 24 hours. If you choose to proof the dough in the fridge for an extended period of time, you may want to tuck it into a loosely tied bag — produce bags from the grocery store are great for this purpose — to ensure the dough does not dry out. The original recipe calls for a 1-hour rise, and if you have had success doing that, by all means, keep doing it.)
- Place a Dutch oven in your oven, and preheat your oven to 550°F (290°C). Cut a piece of parchment to fit the size of your baking pot.
- Score: Place the parchment over the dough and invert the bowl to release. Using the tip of a small knife or a razor blade, score the dough however you wish — a simple “X” is nice. Use the parchment to carefully transfer the dough into the preheated baking pot.
- Bake: Lower the oven to temperature to 450ºF (230ºC). Carefully cover the pot. Bake the dough for 30 minutes, covered. Remove the lid, lower the temperature to 400ºF (200ºC) and continue to bake for 10 – 15 minutes more. If necessary, lift the loaf out of the pot, and bake directly on the oven rack for the last 5 to 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour before slicing.
- This loaf will stay fresh up to 3 days stored at room temperature in an airtight plastic bag or container. It freezes beautifully, too.
Notes
- This recipe has been adapted from Artisan Sourdough Made Simple. Changes I have made to the original recipe include:
- Using 11 g salt as opposed to 9 g.
- Performing 4 stretch and folds during the first 2 hours of the bulk fermentation, which build strength in the dough.
- Doing a cold proof for at least 24 hours before baking, which produces a lighter airier crumb. In the video, you can see the difference between the crumb of a loaf that has proofed for only 6 hours vs a loaf that has proofed for 24 hours.
- Finally, I like preheating my Dutch oven, which makes a crisper crust.
- Prep Time: 18 hours
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
6,184 Comments on “Homemade Sourdough Bread, Step by Step”
You haven’t got autolsys wholly correct.
Aulolosys / autolease in French, is a fairly dated term. No actual autolysis is taking place.
Protease is not so activity until the dough acdity increases. So its effect is less than minimal at the beginning. More than that salt controls enzyme activity and it has only a very slight effect on the rate of yeast development. Add it at the beginning.
A more modern term is Hydration period. Nothing much can be done with the dough before the starch and proteins in the flour hydrate.
A the yeasts in a natural leaven / sourdough starter have yeast lag. They do nothing as they adjust to the new environment for about 1 – 2 hours so getting the starter in early is a time saver.
The gluten network starts to form during flour hydration. So no time is lost.
So there is no time loss with using a hydration rest.
After the rest the baker can assess the hydration and fine tune it. They can also use bassinage.
There is a reason why small bakeries use a hydration period and for them time is money. It is an informed choice.
Literally no one asked and if you thought you were helping, you didn’t. You just confused at least 100 people who are baking for enjoyment.
My reply was to mis-information in your instructions.
So I am back at you with “YOU are confusing people who want to bake and your errors make it harder.”
I have helped a lot of people over the years who follow your recipes and some of them simply don’t work.
If you are going to explain something at least get it right.
The fact that you are a large commercial business is no excuse.
Oh, I forgot to say:
I only visit this commercial site, styling itself as being a homely baker called Ali, when someone has a bread failure quotes one of your recipes and asks for help.
Invariably I find it is because of errors in your recipes.
I am far from alone in finding this. Check the forums.
Hey Kevin. No need to be pompous. What works for her isn’t going to work for everyone. She stated several times in the notes that there are several different variables as to how your bread will turn out. Help those who ask for it. That’s cool. But it’s really not that deep. It’s just bread yo.
Utter and complete blow hard. Just stop.
I posted the correct science, politely and then replied to a subsequent response which was not about the science, but less constructive.
Your ‘just stop’ is a little dysfunctional when it is you continuing the dialogue. I had already stopped. I have better things to do.
Your unecesarilly unpleasant comment is unconstructive too.
People who post publicly in the style of being an authority should respect their readers enough to get their facts right.
I have only posted some half a dozen times here over the last ten or more years. Always when someone has asked for help using a recipe from this site. Then I have sometimes posted to correct a major error in that recipe. Mostly I don’t bother because those recipes were never corrected. There are enough of them that there is steady traffic on the forums of people seeking help with failed breads.
No more need be said.
You are not being helpful, stop trying to be a know it all, and take your feedback somewhere else it is not wanted and was not asked for
Well, Stacey, not helpful to you. But, the thrust of this thread was not about that and you cannot speak for everyone. Think of me as a bread baking tutor of over 20 years tired of helping people who have come to me after struggling with errors and at times poor guidance in some recipes from this site. It is more that I care about those trying to learn when faced with truck loads of bad baking information online.
your comments are absolute gibberish and should be removed from this site.
If they are gibberish then they are gibberish at post graduate bread biochemistry level. That is the level I do my research at.
Science does not change just because you don’t like, or understand it.
But, it is not for everyone and I respect that.
Well, Kevin…aren’t you the helpful one! Thank you so much for imparting your wisdom to the comments here! I’ve used this recipe for years, and have more than pleased with the results. But now that you’ve explained autolsys—-or is it aulolosys? or maybe autolease for all the French reading this….or maybe autolysis… it’s a little unclear from your post —- I feel so silly for following her directions, and ending up with perfect bread, but for all the wrong reasons!!
Regardless, your quote “Protease is not so activity until the dough acdity increases” certainly helped me understand the issue you’re making. Thank you!
Super great base sourdough recipe that turns out every time for me. Kevin’s an a$$.
Hello!
I feel like I am constantly struggling with sourdough and your recipe has been the closest to real bread I’ve been able to pull off!
My sourdough starter is really slow, crazy slow, and I’ve tried everything to make her move faster and the only thing that has any effect is heat (I thought this might be helpful information for my loaves. My sourdough starter normally takes 8-10 hours to peak at around 76°F at any ratio I’ve tried using whole wheat flour [because unbleached was taking even longer]).
The last time I baked using your recipe I got a loaf that was looking like it would work the whole time and came out gummy. The only thing I can figure out is it has something to do with the BF. My bulk ferment is taking a crazy amount of time (My current loaf is on 12 hours after stretch and folds, and has maybe grown 20-25%. I’m taking a darn tape measure to watch the sides to check my rise!
Do you think that maybe it’s just an issue with my starter? Or do I just have a really lazy starter that takes longer than normal? Do I just let this bulk ferment go until it’s ready?
Sorry for the large text box, I really love how this recipe turns out I just am trying to make my sourdough cooperate!!
Hi! I think you should spend some time strengthening your starter. It’s possible that it’s too acidic. One thing you could try is this: place 20 grams of it in a new jar, then add 100 grams each water and flour (like King Arthur bread flour). Do this at night before bed and let it rise at room temperature on the counter. Mark its height and note the temperature. See if it’s doubled in the morning, and if it has, that’s a good sign. Repeat this 1:5:5 feeding — I would start a new jar to prevent amassing a huge amount of starter — and note again how long it takes to double. Once you do this, circle back, and I can troubleshoot further.
Thank you!!! Finally a loaf with an open airy crumb. I’m relatively new to sourdough making, just a few months, and have struggled with my loaf texture. Previously, with other recipes, I followed all the steps, the loaf is pretty, but the crumb was dense. With your recipe & detailed instructions, I actually had holes & an airy loaf..yay!! I live in Florida..hot & humid..my dough seemed ready after only about 5 hours of bulk ferment. I was really nervous that it wasn’t ready, but it had the right rise, jiggle & poke. Huge moment of truth after baking, but yes it looked & tasted great.
One question, if I wanted a little sweetness to the loaf, could I add honey without compromising the texture? If so, how much should I add & do I cut back on the water?
Thank you!
Great to read all of this, Kim! Thanks so much for writing and sharing your notes and experience — so inspiring/encouraging for others.
Yes, you could definitely add a little honey. Keep in mind: honey might cause the dough to ferment even faster; it also will promote browning, so you may want to make just at a slightly lower temperature. Finally, it may make the crumb a little softer, but it shouldn’t affect the openness. I would start with no more than 1 tablespoon, the addition of which should cause little overall change. If you give it a go, I’d love to know how it turns out 🙂
Hi I had a very lazy starter that I was going to throw away but when I switched to feeding it half rye flour and half bread flour it made it rise and behave so beautifullly. I will never go back to just feeding my starter with just bread flour again. I find a 50/50 mix of rye and bread flour makes my starter happy. Hope you try it and it works for you.
HELP, my first two loaves turned out PERFECT and now after my first rise, the dough is unmanageable it’s so thin! I’ve tried less water and less starter and nothing works. The bread will bake and rise a little but turns out dense 🙁
Hi! Questions: are you using a scale to measure? What type of flour, brand included, are you using?
It sounds as though your dough is over-fermenting during the bulk fermentation. This could be because you’re leaving it too long. But it also could be because your starter has become too acidic. When you smell your starter before using it, does it smell very acidic/vinegary?
When do you typically like to mix your dough, let it rise, etc? I can give you some suggestions once I know your baking schedule.
I have tried and failed and made one fairly good loaf, then I found your recipe and voila, Perfect sour dough loaf! Thank you do much for sharing. No more $6 store loaves for me.
Great to hear, Susan! Thanks so much for writing and sharing this 🙂
Love this recipe but I’m wondering if you have any tips to prevent the bottom from crisping up too much while keeping the overall crust crispy?
Thanks so much!💕
Hi! Try transferring the loaf to a sheet pan (not preheated) after the 30-minute covered phase. I find this prevents the bottom crust from getting too tough/dark/crispy.
I do this already! I do 30 mins in the preheated Dutch oven then the last 15 min on a non preheated sheet pan as per your recommendation. Wondering what you think beyond this to prevent the bottom from borderline burning!
Interesting! OK, what material is your Dutch oven? Maybe try preheating it at 425ºF and baking it at 425ºF covered for 30 minutes and see if that helps.
I believe it’s enamelled cast iron! I will try the lower heat 😊 thank you 🙏
I love this recipe. I’ve made it at least 100 times. Now my family is asking for it and I need to make 10 loaves a week. Is there a way to make and freeze or what is the best way to bulk make these so they stay fresh while I’m making the rest? Thank you!
Hi! This is so great to hear 🙂
You can freeze the baked loaf. I do not find that sourdough dough freezes well — it loses some of its oomph. But the baked bread, either whole or in slices, freezes well. I always reheat bread that’s been frozen and thawed before serving to revive its crust and crumb.
I made this recipe after failing with a recipe from a different site. The first three loadfs i tried from the other recipe were not fit for human consumption, even as focacia. But i’m no quitter, so I tried your recipe. It worked so much better! My dough was a lot wetter and thinner though and it spread out when I tried to shape it. It seems to get very wet during the bulk fermentation stage. I checked it every 30 minutes after the 8 hours, but it never really increased even over12 hours. Should I have waited longer? Any help you can give me would be appreciated! I was surprised when the loaf rose in the oven, because it was pretty flat when I put it in.
Hi! Great to hear. Questions:
Are you using a scale to measure?
What type of flour, brand included, are you using?
Do you live in a humid environment?
Are you using a straight-sided vessel for the bulk fermentation?
Finally, tell me about your starter? Does it double in volume within 6-8 hours of feeding it? How does it smell when you use it? Acidic? Or mild?
Do you have a favorite SD jalapeno cheddar recipe you wouldn’t mind sharing.
Thank you,
Cindy
It has been on my to-do list… stay tuned. Hopefully soon 🙂
Can hardly wait to see what you come up with.
Thank you for the reply
Cindy
The dough was unmanageable for me. I followed your recipe to a T. What am I doing wrong?
Hi! Are you using a scale to measure? What type of flour are you using?
Made my first sourdough and it came out great! Got a starter from a friend.
Holy crap…this is the only recipe that will ever work (and she isn’t kidding that you can just ignore it if you have to run out the door)! TYSM!!!!
Great to hear, Misty 🙂
what is the highest temperature you would use if using a proofing box for bulk fermentation
No higher than 80ºF, but ideally something like 77-78ºF.
I’m fairly new to sourdough baking, but have made this recipe successfully a few times now. Unfortunately, I’m celiac, so it’s just my husband eating the bread. Can I half the dough say at the final rise, so I have 2 smaller loaves. One to bake & one to freeze? Would the frozen loaf be good to bake in a week or two?