Homemade Sourdough Bread, Step by Step
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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. 🍞🍞🍞
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Review:
“Absolutely the best sourdough recipe EVER! I have been baking bread for years (sourdough included,) and things were many times hit or miss. Not with your recipe. You have nailed it. I thank you!” — Rosemary Patterson
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 three 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 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 it is in 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
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
Mix the dough.
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:
Let it Rise. (Bulk Fermentation)
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 — I love these Dot and Army cloth bowl covers for this — and set it aside until it increases in volume by 50% or so.
How long should the bulk fermentation take?
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%. 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.
Shaping
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.
Proofing
Shape the round again; then place in prepared bowl for proofing. Transfer to fridge for 12 to 48 hours.
Bake It.
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
- Sourdough Detroit-Style Pizza
- Simple Sourdough Sandwich (or Toasting) Bread
- Sourdough Ciabatta
- Two Sourdough Discard Recipes: Sourdough Flour Tortillas & Irish Soda Bread
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!
Homemade Sourdough Bread, Step by Step
- Total Time: 18 hours 45 minutes
- Yield: 1 loaf
Description
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.
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 towel and let 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% 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.
2,999 Comments on “Homemade Sourdough Bread, Step by Step”
hi, A great recipe and a great website. I baked my 3rd loaf today, and seem to have an issue with the bottom burning. I”m using an authentic dutch oven and even lowered the temperature to 490. Any tips would be appreciated. thanks!
Hi Robert! I actually find my bread gets to the appropriate color much faster than the suggested times — after I uncover the pot, I only bake it for 20 more minutes. So, you could try baking it less or do this: preheat your oven to 450F and bake as directed at 450F. I think Jim Lahey’s no-knead bread recipe calls for baking at 450 and it turns out beautifully every time. Hope that helps!
This recipe is a win every time! Thank you.
Sprinkle a generous layer of corn meal into the bottom of your Dutch oven before plopping your loaf in. It works great!
This looks sooooo good! Your blog is so beautiful, by the way! I just stumbled upon it today and I’m having the time of my life perusing through your bread recipes ^_^
Thanks, Naty!!
Made it but though the 1-hour rise in the fridge would not rise so I left it on the counter for a lot 2-3 additional hours. While it didn’t look like it rose significantly, when baked it came out nice and plump and round. Excellent bread. Thank you for the idea of the rubber band around the 250ml mason jar, I knew it had risen sufficiently by this marker. Would have never dawned on me. I found that the outside crust was a little to think and hard. Maybe I left it in the oven too long.
Hi Miguel, Nice improvising with the additional time on the counter — smart! In regard to the crust, next time I would bake the bread for less time. Maybe try 20 minutes covered and 20 minutes uncovered? Or lower the oven temp to 450F?
Lahey’s no-knead bread calls for this: 450F covered pot 30 min; uncovered 15 to 30 min more. I would give that a try.
I did leave it too long and my drop down temp was a bit high. Reduced to your instructions (time and temp) and came out perfect. Thanks again.
I love this recipe for many reasons. It makes a smaller loaf which is perfect for smaller families or to gift. I’ve made it several times and it always comes out great. Beautiful color and texture! It’s also very forgiving. I’m really just starting out but I am loving my sourdough. Thank you very much for the recipe and beautiful post!
Can this bread be made with King Arthur All Purpose flour instead of the bread flour? I started my starter with whole wheat, been refreshing with all purpose. I usuallyI switch them out for my other bread recipes? Will it affect the results?
I have been baking sourdough off and on for A VERY LONG TIME with less than ideal results. I have literally watched every tutorial, read every book, listened to every expert. The moment of bliss I experienced when I cut into the loaf I made from your recipe is beyond describable. You’ve changed my life. Thank you SO SO MUCH. Baking my 3rd loaf in two days, my family is living off sourdough bread ????????♀️. Kind regards, Shannon
Oh yay!! This makes me so happy. Emilie really streamlined the whole process for me, too.
Ditto. I felt the same way after trying this recipe. It’s relaxed, pretty hands off, and comes out right every single time. Plus, it’s nearly no fuss, which makes me love it even more. Seriously. Life changing recipe.
A friend gave us a taste of her loaf, made from the recipe in the book. My response: I must get that book! She gave me some of her starter (from another local friend).
Meanwhile, Before I try the recipe you give, could you clarify something, please? Does the parchment paper and dough stay together in the Dutch oven while the bread is baking? (I’ve made Jim Lahey’s no-knead bread and used various kinds of seeds or cornmeal on the bottom of the pot to prevent sticking and add crunch. ) Thanks very much!
This is fantastic. I bulk fermented it overnight. However, it’s not as tangy as I thought and tastes like normal bread. How do I make it more sour? I used the starter about just when it was starting to sink.
Hi David, I’m not the best resource for sourdough baking, but I think if you want to make it more sour, I would maybe consider a few things: using more starter (but then decreasing some of the liquid); letting the dough rise longer—maybe consider letting it rise in the fridge for 8-10 hours, then again at room temperature; using the starter when it’s a little riper—maybe feed it for a few more days before using it? Hope these ideas help!
Your bread looks really good!
I’ve been making sourdough bread for a few years but never used a Dutch oven.
What temperature and time would it take to bake your bread on a cookie sheet??
When I’m not baking anything but sourdough bread I use twice as much starter + the extra water and flour, then I deduct the extra flour + water I used. I can not taste or see any difference compared to when I use the normal amount of starter.
Hi Lena,
I would probably do something like bake at 425F for 20 minutes; then reduce to 375F for another 20 minutes or until golden all around and done.
Thanks for the tip on using twice as much starter!
Delicious bread and super easy … directions are perfect and bread comes out awesome ..
wonderful to hear this!
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! So delicious. Bread turned out perfectly!
Yay! So happy to hear this.
Thank you for your great blog! Last minute question: Can we let it rise longer than 8-10 hours overnight? We’re going out at 3pm and won’t be home until 10am tomorrow but would like to bake a loaf tomorrow. Any tips? Many thanks
So sorry for the delay here 🙁 🙁 🙁 What did you end up doing? I would say yes! Refrigerating it for 8-10 hours would probably even improve the texture and flavor. Hope it worked out and sorry again for the delay!
I made this for the second time today and love it. It’s such a great method for baking fresh bread in the morning. I’ve baked it once in a Le Creuset cast iron pot and once free form on a baking stone and both gave great results. I’ve been making sourdough loaves for quite a while now (my starter is 6 years old) but have never come across the tip about floating starter in water before. Love it! Thank you.
So happy to hear this, Amy! I’ve been on a huge sourdough kick right now … it’s so much fun, right?
I totally agree. I love how you start with the simplest of ingredients and end up with something so delicious. By the way, in case it is useful for others, when I baked it free-form on the baking stone (you can lift it on the paper and bake on the paper, or without, as you prefer), I used a water spray and gave it 10 minutes at 250 C / 280 F, then 35 minutes at 220 C / 430 F. I have no doubt there are many different ways of getting a good result, but I can recommend this one as it worked for me. If you don’t have a baking stone, heat up a baking tray and put it on the hot tray. I look forward to trying more recipes from your blog.
Thank you for these tips, Amy! So helpful for others.
Note my typo – it should say 480 F. Sorry!
Got it!
I want to love this recipe, because it’s the easiest one I’ve found. However, I tried to make it and it flopped! The first rise was great, but then when I took it out of the bowl and couldn’t shape it, it was so wet and floppy. Can you suggest what I should do differently? I’m assuming I need more flour? How do I know how much more to do?
Bummer! Are you using a scale to measure the flour?
I have the same problem! Ended up adding flour til it sort of behaved like the video, but I think that’s entirely ruined the bread. I definitely measured with a scale – what am I doing wrong?
Lee, hi! I have an updated sourdough post that might be helpful to read… there are step by step videos of the entire process. Check that out first, then we can start troubleshooting: Easy, Whole Wheat(-ish) Sourdough Bread
Hi there,
Just made this recipe and it turned out nicely but was a little too dense and heavy, any tips for getting a lighter loaf?
Thanks!
Hey! I just posted a new sourdough recipe that addresses this issue and a whole bunch of other sourdough FAQ’s: https://alexandracooks.com/2019/11/07/easy-whole-wheat-ish-sourdough-bread/
In short, however, I think you need to increase the proofing phase (second rise) and use the refrigerator. Details in the post!
I’ve been making sour dough for a while now with not always successful results! I came across your instructions and it’s in the fridge looking exactly how it should, fingers crossed it works! My question is, I have put mine in a bread tin as I don’t have a Dutch oven and lined it with baking paper and a sprinkle of flour. In the past I cook with a tray of water in the oven, so should I still do this to get a crust and at what temperature do you suggest? Thank you! 😊
Hi Roxy! I would still do the tray of water if that’s what you like doing, and I would suggest baking it at 375ºF for 45 minutes. How long did you keep the dough in the fridge?? I’ve updated my method somewhat and I now do a longer “proof” in the fridge. Here’s the updated post: Easy, Whole Wheat-ish Sourdough Bread
Can I use this same recipe for whole spelt wheat? Your bread is so beautiful!
Hi Nancy! I think we emailed. Definitely check out this other sourdough post, which addresses the issue of whole wheat flour: Easy, Whole Wheat(-ish) Sourdough Bread
I tried this recipe and I know I made several mistakes. I need to invest in a kitchen scale. I am pretty sure my starter was ready because I did the float test. But my loaf didn’t rise much. Cutting into the bread, there were nice holes but it was a bit gummy. Bread is heavy. Did I just undercook it or do I have more issues such as not having proper measurements? TIA
Hey! Would you mind taking a look at this post? https://alexandracooks.com/2019/11/07/easy-whole-wheat-ish-sourdough-bread/ I’ve updated my method, and I have videos for every step of the process … I think it might help answer your questions. But yes, FIRST: get a scale!! It changes everything. This one costs less than $10.
I made my first sourdough loaf using this recipe and I couldn’t have been happier with the results. There’s so much information out there about sourdough that I was getting overwhelmed, but these instructions were simple enough for me to follow and had beautiful photos! I also wanted high hydration and the dough was fairly easy to work with and resulted in open, airy crumb. I did modify a little and performed a series of stretch and folds during the bulk rise stage. I really wasn’t expecting my first loaf to turn out well, but it was nearly perfect. Thanks for the great recipe! Can’t wait to try the whole wheat(ish) bread next.
So wonderful to hear this, Lauren!
This was the second sourdough bread I’ve ever made and the instructions were simple and elegant to follow. Came out beautifully and will be trying this again.
So happy to hear this!
The outcome was delicious and it was by far the easiest sourdough recipe I’ve used thus far. I had a starter already so I skipped that part of the recipe. I used King Arthur bread flour for the whole thing and was still happy with the crumb – nice and open. It was a soft and chewy sourdough that my whole family loved!
So happy to hear this, Sarah!
I am new to your beautiful website, and was anxious to try out the recipe. I am not sure what it means to ‘mix’ because I thought that it would be normal to knead… is there really no kneading needed? Thank you!
Hi Ingrid! Welcome. Mix literally just means mix (with a spatula). No kneading necessary. If you are new to sourdough, I would recommend reading this post first: Easy Whole Wheat(-ish) Sourdough Bread
I’m new to sourdough baking and have tried a few recipes. This one is super easy and amazing! My search is done for now. I don’t see how to top this consistently delicious loaf.
I made this today and it’s delicious. My only question is this: My crust seems to be a bit like Fort Knox to cut into. Even the Labrador, who rarely chews anything, had to chew the bit of crust I gave her. Any advice?
The Dutch oven method is going to give you that sort of crust. You could instead bake the loaves in loaf pans or buttered Pyrex bowls, which will give you a much softer crust.
Although the recipe is good, it has too much water. The dough is very very difficult to shape and handle, wont hold shape no matter how tightly you shape it. difficult to score too since its impossible to build the tension during shaping. I have made this bread about ten times and realized its just the recipe and not me.
I ‘sort of’ followed this recipe last week. The bread was nice and sour, but very dense. This week, I followed it more closely, including the refrigeration and baking in a cold dutch oven. Wow. I’ve been making sourdough for years (off and on), and in terms of the crust and air holes, this was probably the best loaf I’ve ever made. I don’t think it was quite as sour as last week’s, but it was darned delicious! I’ll definitely be making it again, and experimenting by adding some whole wheat flour to see how much I can add without compromising the crust and texture too much.
In any case, now I know I can make a spectacular sourdough bread, if I just follow your instructions.
Great to hear this, Bill! I have some thoughts on adding whole wheat flour as well as some notes on my updated process. Check out this post for video guidance and more details: Easy Whole Wheat(-ish) Sourdough Bread
I was lucky enough to receive a starter from my daughter and having never made sourdough bread before I was pretty sure I wasn’t going to have success. BUT…this recipe turned out a pretty perfect loaf!! Thank you!!
Wonderful to hear this, Cynthia! Also, I have updated my process a bit, and I have some new videos/guidance here:
Easy, Whole Wheat(-ish) Sourdough Bread
Was worried but it works. Really good bread. Thanks
I’ve been wanting to make sourdough bread from scratch for months now. Attempting to get a good starter with just Unbleached AP flour. Had my ups and downs with it. Once the starter was ideal, I needed a recipe for artisan sourdough bread and I’m thankful I found this site. Very easy instructions and my loaf that just came out of looks amazing, smells amazing, **omg an hour before I can cut into it to taste it?!** Sorry, that’s my patience level talking. I halved the recipe due to low flour stock but still, it’s a loaf and I can’t wait to know how it officially came out.
So happy to hear this, Colby!
I tried my first sourdough using this recipe. I was really worried for multiple reasons. First, I made my own starter that took about a week longer than I thought it would. Glad I didn’t give up there. Next, I wasn’t anticipating the dough to be so wet. I couldn’t get it to set its shape like all videos I watched did. I worked it for a while and just hoped it would work after placing in the basket. At the end, it worked. I’m still perplexed how to work with dough when it’s so wet, but I’ll definitely try it again, esp since I invested so much time on the starter.
Hi Jayme! I have an updated sourdough recipe on this post: https://alexandracooks.com/2019/11/07/easy-whole-wheat-ish-sourdough-bread/ I think if you give that a read and watch the videos there, you might have some better luck shaping. There is a shaping video in that post that uses a bench scraper, and it works great. If you are struggling with the wet dough, however, you can always reduce the amount of water by 50-70g.