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.
3,016 Comments on “Homemade Sourdough Bread, Step by Step”
Hey, so I am very new to this sourdough thing, and have tried out your Easy Whole Weat-ish recipe (which was awesome!!😋) but I have some questions: What’s this refrigeration process for? Why so many different baking/timing/positioning techniques?
Hi Tristan! So glad you liked the easy whole wheat-ish sourdough post. That is the process I follow these days — the long, cold refrigeration creates a lighter, airier crumb. Regarding your second question, are you referring to the montage of photos?
No, not the photos. I was just referring to the way you do it in a dutch oven covered, then not covered, then on the oven rack for a little?
Thanks!
Ok, got it: Covering the pot creates a steamy environment that promotes a good rise initially, but if you keep it covered the entire time, it won’t brown. So uncovering it for the last 10-15 minutes encourages some nice browning. Putting the bread directly on the rack serves the same purpose … browning + crisping.
Okay thanks! That’s great then. Right now I’m making my second one!!
Hello, I’m making this bread at the moment (it is my first sourdough attempt). Do I not need to knead the bread at all? It isn’t mentioned in the recipe, I think.
No kneading! If you are looking for video guidance, check out this post … lots of videos that help with the “turns”, which is what you do in place of kneading: Easy Whole Wheat(-ish) Sourdough
This method is the real deal. Other recipes I have tried recommend baking at 400° but I haven’t been happy with any of the results. I ended up refrigerating this for 10-12 hours by accident, but that didn’t seem to harm the bread at all. I also didn’t have any parchment paper so I sprinkled cornmeal on the bottom of the Dutch oven. Crispy crust, soft and chewy center, and awesome flavor! Thank you!
Wonderful! Cait, I think a longer refrigeration is key. This is the recipe I make most often these days, and I refrigerate the dough often for 24 -48 hours before baking: https://alexandracooks.com/2019/11/07/easy-whole-wheat-ish-sourdough-bread/
Morning, I haven’t tried this recipe yet, but definitely going to. But I have 1 little problem, no Starter, to work with. I have tried a couple different recipes for sourdough starter and none of them have worked. Would you have or know a simple starter recipe for a beginner?
Christine, I recommend buying one … they’re relatively cheap, and you’ll have one ready to go within a few days. I would recommend checking out this post, which is a great beginner’s sourdough recipe: https://alexandracooks.com/2019/03/22/simple-sourdough-focaccia-a-beginners-guide/
and this one, too, where I have a ton of videos and more detailed instructions about my updated process: https://alexandracooks.com/2019/11/07/easy-whole-wheat-ish-sourdough-bread/
Thank you for the detailed recipe and step by step photos! This was my second try making sour dough bread and WOW I even impressed myself <3 I didn't know what I was doing but trusted and followed the steps and it came out great! Thank you again!
This has been working out great for me, and is definitely a top notch!! Super good. I’ve been making so often now.
So, is there going to be too much of a difference if I use all whole wheat flour in this recipe?
Yes. It will be very dense.
So that’s a bad idea then?😳
I think you’ll be disappointed in the texture of the bread. If you like super dense, heavy breads, go for it.
So I did try it out, and it was pretty good, although very filling. I did have to bake it for a little longer, but you know what? Everyone loved it!!
I’m happy to hear this, Tristan!
Hi! I can’t wait to try this. I have a starter from a friend. My only issue is that I have TONS of AP flour but no bread flour. Can I use this in the same weights? Or do I need to modify?
Hi Matthew! Yes, you absolutely can use ap flour … truthfully, more often than not I use ap flour. You may not need to make any changes, but if you live in a humid environment or if you dislike working with wetter doughs, you may want to cut the water back.
First: please check out this post which has my updated recipe and process and lots of helpful videos: Favorite Sourdough Bread. With that recipe, which calls for 300 g water, you might want to start with 280 g water; then slowly add the remaining 20 g of water as needed. Reference the video for what the texture should look like.
Let me know if there is anything else!
Hi Alexandra,
I wanted to make sourdough bread for the first time and I’m comparing the recipe between this one and the easy, whole wheat-ish one. This one calls for 50gr starter and the other is 100 gr starter. Why is that?
Hi Jennifer! This is a much older post. I’ve since updated my method and the recipe. The new post has lots of step by step video, which I think is so important for sourdough: Favorite Sourdough Bread. In short, I like using more starter for a few reasons: 1. I like using more starter because I feel I’m wasting less of it when I use more of it. 2. This is counterintuitive, but using more starter actually makes the bread less sour. I find with 100 g, I get a perfect amount of sour flavor.
But you know I think I do like the regular better.😁
Totally understand likely regular better 😍😍😍 Texture of bread is very important to me, which is why I recommend no more than 12.5-25% whole wheat flour. Glad you gave it a go and that it was well received!
Hi – this looks great. What if there’s a hypothetical scenario where a pandemic is playing out and you only have all-purpose flour? Worth a shot, or probably not?
😂😂😂
Absolutely! I actually most often use ap flour these days because I always have it on hand. Also: This is the recipe and method I use most often these days: Favorite Sourdough Bread There are lots of videos and a more thorough explanation of the process. You can use ap flour here as well.
Wonderful. I will give it a shot tonight, possibly daily thereafter….
Thanks for such a well written post! I’m new to sourdough baking and had a meh experience the first time around, from another recipe. But now I followed your directions and came away with a beautiful (at least to me lol) loaf of sourdough. I used a 60-40 ratio of all purpose and spelt (as that is all I had). I let the bulk fermentation take place inside the oven with the light on, and so had to skip ahead to the folds only at 6 hours, instead of your recommended 8-10. After folding, I left it in the fridge for 12 hours and was concerned about how it turned out, but no issues there it looks like! The only thing I would do differently next time is either let the loaf bake longer (uncovered step) at 450 or increase the temperature, to get a crunchier crust. Any thoughts?
So happy to hear this, Sree! You can also remove the loaf from the pan and bake it directly on the oven racks during the last 15 minutes (or longer) to get a crisper crust.
I made a starter on the 17th, baked a loaf on the 24th. I followed all of your guidance as best as I could with some limited resources (no Dutch Oven), and it turned out incredible! For those without a dutch oven, I filled a glass baking dish with water and put it under the baking sheet with my bread, and left it there until the last 10 minutes. I don’t know if it was beginner’s luck, or your great instructions, or both! Thank you, and now a bunch of my friends have my shared starter to bake their own sourdough, and I referred them here to your instructions 🙂
So happy to hear this, Andrea! Congrats on successfully making your own starter … not an easy task!
Looks awesome, but I burned the bottom!!!! I baked it following temp and time. I did have it on the bottom rack in a gas oven. Maybe I will try and move it to the middle of the oven the next go around.
Hi Bobby! Moving it to the middle is a great idea. Also, sometime excess flour can burn. I always use rice flour now. Here is my updated process/recipe: Favorite Sourdough Bread
What happens if I don’t let the dough rest for 1 whole hour before working it into a ball? I always find myself wanting to shorten this time period. Any flexibility with this step?
Yes, totally! In fact, I don’t even do this anymore: I simply mix the dough, transfer it to a clear, straight-sided vessel, and let the bulk rise begin. I do “turn” the dough during the bulk fermentation. My updated process/recipe is here: Favorite Sourdough Bread.
Loved your recipe blog. Ready to dive in. Now that we’re quarantined I’m working with what I have. I have enough flour to make a starter but as time goes on, all that I’ll have left is homemade gluten free flour/ rice and oatmeal in the vitamix per recipe and less regular flour on hand. How do you think the sourdough recipe will work with that substitute?
Hi Patrice, Thank you for the kind words. Unfortunately, I don’t think you’ll be able to make a 1:1 substitution with the gf flours … gf baking is such a science and so tricky. I have 1 gf bread recipe if you want to reference that, but I do not know how to advise in regard to gf sourdough. Here’s the: Gluten Free Peasant Bread.
Thanks. Cant wait to try it. Be safe and keep ,baking. 🙂
Hi thanks for the well planned out directions and gorgeous picture tutorials! One question: do you heat the dutch oven while preheating the oven or does the scored loaf go into a unheated pot? Recipes I’ve used in the past required the dutch oven to heat for 30 minutes but I don’t want to scorch this. Thanks again.
I do preheat the Dutch Oven now. You don’t have to, but mine essentially lives in my oven, so I just find it easier. This is my updated recipe/process: Favorite Sourdough Bread.
Thank you Alexandra for your clear detailed instructions
🙂 🙂 🙂
I have never made sourdough and I’m not gonna lie I was very intimidated just looking through recipes and how to’s. This recipe was absolutely amazing and the directions we’re so easy to follow. The bread came out perfect!!! Thank you so much!
So happy to hear this!
This is a wonderful recipe! I’ve been baking for about a year now, and this was the first sourdough recipe that gave me actual nice artisanal crust and bubbles. However, I wanted to get it more sour! I read elsewhere that maintaining your starter with whole wheat might increase the sour content of the loaves, so I did that, but kept the recipe the same everywhere else. I got a beautiful crust with a wonderfully sour bread, but it was very very close textured. The dough wasn’t as slack as it had been in the past, and it held a much firmer shape throughout the entire process, though it was rising nicely, and still had nice bubbles at the end of the bulk rise. But the folding process before the second rise didn’t go as well, because the dough was so dry that it didn’t stick to itself at all.
Any suggests for modifying the recipe for a whole wheat starter or maybe modify the recipe to keep it as white flour, but increase the sour?
Hi Jenna! I have also heard that rye flour even just a handful here and there works wonders on a sourdough starter. You can also “push” your starter a little longer before using it … you have to be careful because you still want to use it at its peak; I also find when my starter is more liquidy, it’s a little more sour.
OK, regarding your questions, will you check out this post?: Favorite Sourdough Bread. I have updated my process and recipe, and the crumb is much more open. Lots of video guidance and updated notes are in the post.
could I make this recipe with rye + whole wheat?
I love adding a little bit of whole wheat flour into my sourdough breads. Please see this recipe before proceeding: Favorite Sourdough Bread. It includes my updated recipe with notes and lots of video instruction.
Hi Alexandra,
I used your recipe for the first time last week and I turned out brilliantly, thank you so much! I’d like to keep using this recipe to bake a fresh loaf every week but want to try adding olives or rosemary & garlic, etc. Do you have recommendations for how and when to add inclusions to the dough? Your insight would be much appreciated. 🙂
-Lindsey
Yay! I would add them to the flour and toss; then mix that mixture into the water, salt, starter. Also: I have an updated method/recipe you might be interested in checking out: Favorite Sourdough Bread (lots of videos and updated notes).
I am finding my dough is too sticky to handle. Should I use less water?
Hi! Yes, but first: are you using a scale to measure the flour and water? I have an updated post with video guidance re shaping: Favorite Sourdough Bread. The dough definitely is sticky, and I don’t use flour to shape it, but I do use a bench scraper, which allows for minimal handling.
It’s been years since I made sourdough, & I used to feed it with potato flakes. ??
On my New England town of Carlisle’s chat group, an offering of sourdough starter was made. With our family of five all working/learning from home, we’re going through bread faster than tp! I leapt at the chance to bake bread again, with only the ingredients I have on hand – including AP flour.
I’d love to share a photo of the gorgeous result, but can’t seem to figure it out here.
Question: I don’t have a Dutch oven; rather, I baked the bread in a covered Le Creuset-type pot. While everything about the bread was divine … the crunchy crust, the delicate interior, the melting Irish butter … the crust was quite hard, quite difficult to cut through. Thoughts? Ideas? Suggestions?
Kindest regards, and stay well,
Shee Shee
“On the other hand, the road runs up to Carlisle, city of the woods, which, if it is less civil, is the more natural. It does well hold the earth together. It gets laughed at because it is a small town, I know, but nevertheless it is a place where great men may be born any day, for fair winds and foul blow right on over it without distinction. It has a meeting-house and horse-sheds, a tavern and a blacksmith’s shop, for centre, and a good deal of wood to cut and cord yet.” Henry D. Thoreau
I’m trying this one now will let you know how it goes. Also the focaccia – letting you know now that your videos are excellent and demonstrate so many of the tacit knowledge snippets that are so valuable in a practical art like bread-making. Thank you.
Jeannie
I’m so happy to hear this, Jeannie. Thank you. Keep me posted!
I don’t have bread flour on hand, just all purpose. Will that do for this recipe?
Absolutely. Please check out this recipe before proceeding as it contains my updated recipe and notes and there is lots of video guidance: Favorite Sourdough Bread. Generally: with ap flour, you may find the dough wetter, so you may want to cut back the amount of water with whatever recipe you are using and add it to the dough slowly to ensure your dough doesn’t turn to batter. Truthfully: I use AP flour more often than anything but I often recommend bread flour in my sourdough recipes because it seems to be easier to work with for many people.
I used the all purpose flour instead. Right now it is rising for the 8-10 hour span. I did notice it was wetter dough. What should I do going forward now? Just maybe put down some extra flour for the next step of shaping it?
I dont want it to just fall and not turn into a nice risen loaf because it’s wetter.
Yes, you can do that, but you also could cut back some of the water from the start. That is what I would recommend. Did you end up making this recipe or this one: Favorite Sourdough Bread ?
I made my first loaf of bread using your recipe from starter I was given. Turned out superb!
Is there any harm in leaving the rise time out on bench for 12 hours?
And is the hour in fridge exact? Does no fridge time or more fridge time matter?
Thank you. Making second loaf now
Kath
Hi Kath! Wonderful to hear this! The hour in the fridge is not exact and in fact I never do this anymore. After I shape my loaves now, I transfer them to the fridge for at least 12 hours but more like 18-48 hours. This is my updated recipe and process: Favorite Sourdough Bread. Please check it out as there are lots of updated notes and video guidance.
Regarding your question about the bench, can you clarify? Which phase are you referring to? My first rise (bulk fermentation) is typically 8-12 hours in my cold kitchen. Is that what you are referring to?
Yes I meant the bulk rise. I think your recipe says 8-10 hours but I left it 12-13 hrs to rise. Thank you I’ll check out your updated methods.
Thanks, I’m loving making bread. And it’s just so delicious. Very satisfying being able to make my own 🙂
So nice to hear this, Kathryn! My rises are often much longer. I always suggest to people to rely on visual cues … every kitchen/environment is different. Hope the updated post is helpful!
Hi!
I’ve been making this recipe for months and I have recommended it several times for its simplicity without compromise on flavour and texture. I usually add a little more salt, I’ve been playing around with flour combinations, and I’ve started kneading after the rest cause I love a super crispy thick crust. But I have a problem! My dough is never firm enough to hold its shape after coming out of the proofing basket. Would this be helped by a longer refrigeration? I noticed you suggested 24-48 hours in the comments. I am using a scale to measure so I don’t think it’s the proportions. And it’s been the same no matter which flour combo I use. Thoughts?
Hi Jennifer! I add more salt now, too : ) 🙂 🙂 My updated recipe and process can be found here: Favorite Sourdough Bread I have lots of updated notes and video guidance for every step of the recipe, including for the shaping, which I do with a bench scraper, which be helpful given your question. And yes, I think refrigeration is key: I always refrigerate for at least 12 hours but often more like 24-48 hours. Let me know if you have any more questions!
Tastes delicious but it is coming out really dense for me, are there any tips you can recomend? I used a good white baking flour
Hi David, I have an updated recipe and process, which creates a much lighter crumb: Favorite Sourdough Bread In short: both the bulk fermentation and the proofing are a bit longer, and the proofing happens in the refrigerator. I have lots of updated notes and video guidance in the post … let me know if you give it a go.
Hi Ali,
I dont have a dutch oven. Are there alterative methods for the final step of baking without one? Thanks
Hi Katie, Are you looking for a crusty boule? Or would you be OK with a sandwich style loaf?
I would prefer the crusty boule 🙂
OK: Do you have any oven safe pot with a lid? Or a pot you could cover with a sheet pan? Or a pizza stone or Baking Steel you could preheat, slide the dough onto, and then cover with a turned-over pot?
Hello. I dont have a dutch oven but I have a pizza stone. Will that work?
Yes, but you’ll need a cover. Do you have a pot or something you can turn upside down and place over the loaf of bread in the oven?
Hello! I am so excited to try this recipe. I am planning to make two loaves. Would it be ok to double this? Thank you!
Yes! But please visit this post first: Favorite Sourdough Recipe. It has my updated process with notes/videos for every step of the way.
Super amazingly wonderful!
I have baked for many years, but this is the first amazingly wonderful sour dough I have EVER made!!!!!!!
Thank you ever so much!
So happy to hear this, Elaine!