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.
3,012 Comments on “Homemade Sourdough Bread, Step by Step”
Hi.. I’m wondering why my dough doesn’t stay shape (Gets flatter) when I take it out of the fridge and put it in to my Dutch over to bake.. I left it in the fridge for about 20 hours.. would you know why? This is the second tim I tried this recipe.
Hi Shay! How long is your bulk fermentation going? It almost sounds as though it is over-fermenting? When you shape it, does the dough have good strength and elasticity? Are you able to get good tension?
is this recipe for 1 loaf? can I double it for 2 loaves?
yes, 1 loaf. You can double for 2!
sadly my batch did not turn out 🙁 (I am new @ this) but my bulk fermentation was crazy huge could that be the reason for end result?:flat :did not expand out the top? also do you do the poke test before putting it in the oven?
It sounds as though it over fermented. Sorry to hear this! How many hours was the bulk fermentation? And at what temperature is roughly is your kitchen?
So I have a question on feeding. I always see the measurement of water and flour but never the start. Is it equal weight with start(40)-water(40)-flour(40) ??
Thanks a bunch, looking forward to trying this recipe.
Hi Greg! Truthfully, the starter amount can vary. The idea is that if you are always feeding your starter with equal parts by weight flour and water, no matter what amount of starter you use, you will be keeping the ratio of flour and water in that starter the same by adding equal parts flour and water.
That may sound confusing, so let me know if that makes sense. FYI: when you feed your starter with equal parts by weight flour and water, it’s called a 100% hydration starter.
I keep a very lean starter, meaning I only keep about 100 g of it on hand at one time. When I am ready to use it, I discard most of it, and feed it with 50-60 g flour and water each or more depending on how much baking I’m planning on doing.
Let me know if you have any other questions.
Oh that is such good info, I have been playing with sourdough for years and never realized that!
Great 🎉
Hi, I’ve not had great success with my loaves in the past so I’m hopeful here! Could you please tell me what size Dutch oven you’ve used? Mine is big so I was wondering if I should put it in a loaf tin inside the Dutch oven? Please advise, it’s proofing in the fridge! Thanks so much.
Hi! I use a 5-qt Dutch oven. This the Lodge one I use.
What size is yours? I think it should be fine without the loaf tin.
Worked out perfectly! Will share it and use it again and again! Thanks for the easy recipe!
Wonderful to hear this, Linda! 🍞🍞🍞🍞🍞
I literally jumped for joy when I pulled this beauty out of the oven! My loaf was brown and crispy on the outside and a soft spongy sour crumb. My boyfriend said it looked like it belonged in a professional bakery!
I am thrilled with this recipe!!! I am especially thankful for the video you added, it makes following the recipe so easy.
The only change I made was the baking time. I don’t have a dutch oven so I used my large stainless steel pot and a cookie sheet as a cover. I baked with the lid on for 30 min (might make it 40 min next time because the loaf was not brown at all) then uncovered for 20 min and on the rack for 15-20 min.
Thank you for making my baking experience enjoyable and tasty!!
Wonderful to hear this, Gabby! And nice work on creating a “Dutch oven” with what you have on hand.
If you want MORE color, it needs to be covered less. Covering helps the bread to rise and build a thicker crust, but most of its benefits end in less than 20mins. You have to remove the lid to start developing color.
Cook it for the same total time but cover it less
Curtiss thank you for this! So helpful.
hi! I just finished my first fold and realized that my dough seems to have hard lumps in it (seems like my initial mix wasnt as thorough?) I’ve squished a lot of the hard/dry lumps out in the first fold, but wondering if I should be aware of anything (or be ready to do anything to help save the dough haha), also it’s quite wet overall, hopefully thats correct?
Any advice?
Hi Deets! And sorry for the delay here! The hard lumps likely are just flour that didn’t get absorbed by the water. As you do the stretches and folds, any lumps of flour should dissolve. Did you find that the lumps dissolved during the stretches and folds? And yes, it’s definitely a wet dough.
HI’ve been making this bread for the past few months and it has never let me down! I love it!
I’m wondering if I can double the recipe (maybe not all the salt doubled…) to make two loaves? Or, do I need to make the dough twice…
Thanks!
Darlene
Wonderful to hear this, Darlene!
And yes, absolutely you can double the recipe.
I double it every time I make it. As long as you have a large enough container for bulk proofing, you should be fine (my original container was not large enough and overflowed overnight!)
Thanks for this Alli!
Hi Ali,
Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe. I just made my 5th loaf and I have learned so much with every loaf. The 2 things that have been the most challenging to me are 1) how long to bulk ferment and 2) how to shape successfully. My dough never doubles no matter how long I let the bulk ferment go on so I’m trying to let my dough “speak” to me as to when it’s ready for shaping. Shaping just takes practice but I have come a long way.
I know there are many complicated sourdough recipes out there. In fact, I was put off from trying sourdough for a long time because it seemed too difficult. You have changed that. I am getting wonderful bread that I am very proud of by following this recipe. My husband also wants to thank you for this recipe as he is enjoying my efforts.
Thank you again for this recipe and accompanying video!
So nice to hear this, Mary! And think you are spot on by letting your dough “speak” to you 😍😍😍 Question: do you have a straight-sided vessel for monitoring the bulk fermentation?
I do and I use it. It seems to never rise more than 50% but I get wonderful loaves and have great oven spring. Maybe it’s the flour I am using. I am buying bread flour online due to lack of availability where I live.
Ok, great! Well, keep doing what you are doing if you are happy with the results. To be honest, I think when the troubles arise for people, it’s when the dough goes beyond double, and I think, especially when people don’t have a straight-sided vessel, what they think is doubled might actually be beyond double. In any case, follow your instincts! They’re good 😍
I made my first ever loaf of bread following this recipe and it was the best loaf of bread I’ve ever eaten! I’ve since made another four and shared them with my friends. Thank you for sharing this easy to follow recipe!
I’ve also been following another recipe for spelt flour and they never call for the cold proof the following day. Will it work if I follow your method but using spelt flour? (Not the quantities, just the methodology).
Hi Amy! Wonderful to hear this! And yes, it should work. What is the ratio of spelt flour to bread or ap flour? Or is it 100% spelt flour?
Hi Alexandra,
I’ve been using 100% spelt but did try a blend last week, only because I didn’t have enough spelt. I tried this method and it did work but I don’t think I cooked the loaf for long enough as it was a bit too wet still. Trial and error!
I’m halfway through another one to this recipe though 🙂
Wonderful to hear this, Amy! And yes, sourdough is ALL about trial and error.
Love this recipe! This is my 4th time making it and I am just giddy every time I remove it from the oven. It just turns out perfect every time!
Wonderful to hear this, Heather!
Hi there,
How long can the sourdough be kept after bake?
Sourdough keeps for an amazingly long time. I store it at room temperature in an airtight container for at least a week, if not longer. It also freezes beautifully.
This recipe, along with the video support, is amazing. I’ve made the best three times now, following the instructions and suggestions very closely, and my bread looks like it comes from a bakery! I’d share a picture of I could!
Wonderful to hear this, Susan!
I love this recipe and your “Whole Wheat-ish” recipe! My loaves have turned out great every time! So much fun to bake with such a beautiful outcome.
Thank you!
Wonderful to hear this, Allison!
So I have a question on feeding. I always see the measurement of water and flour but never the start. Is it equal weight with start(40)-water(40)-flour(40) ??
Thanks a bunch, looking forward to trying this recipe.
Hi Greg! Truthfully, the starter amount can vary. The idea is that if you are always feeding your starter with equal parts by weight flour and water, no matter what amount of starter you use, you will be keeping the ratio of flour and water in that starter the same by adding equal parts flour and water.
That may sound confusing, so let me know if that makes sense. FYI: when you feed your starter with equal parts by weight flour and water, it’s called a 100% hydration starter.
I keep a very lean starter, meaning I only keep about 100 g of it on hand at one time. When I am ready to use it, I discard most of it, and feed it with 50-60 g flour and water each or more depending on how much baking I’m planning on doing.
Let me know if you have any other questions.
Hi! What dutch oven do you use? The one I own only is rated up to 500 degrees F…Do you think that would be sufficient for the vessel preheating?
That will be totally sufficient! This is the one I have: Lodge Double Dutch
Hi, it’s my first time baking a sourdough bread. Everything seems perfect before putting into my microwave oven. I used a corningware pot. I’m living in a humid country, S&F 4x in 2 hours, bulk fermented for 5.5 hours, 20 hours in the fridge before baking process.
Preheated fully at its max 250C and baked it at 230C for 30mins (colour was still kind of raw), uncover for 15mins 200C (still kind of raw, better than cover) so on the flat tray for another 8mins 200C. The colour was a lot better, not perfect.
Sadly, the bread sticks to the parchment paper so badly that I have to cut off and dispose the bottom crust. I should have put rice flour on top of the dough in the bowl before inverting it to the parchment paper. I found out in the video, you skipped the scene whereby you added flour underneath the dough. Probably you can add in in your instructions. It’s for the benefit for first time SD baker. 🙂
So my bread turns out kind of moist and chewy. Is it undercooked or somewhere went wrong? Should I increase covering time for another 10-15mins since I can’t preheat my mic oven to 290C?
Hi Vivien! Yes, unfortunately, not all parchment paper is created equally … some stick and some don’t. I learned the hard way, too. I recommend the If You Care brand … not sure if they have that where you live. I use very little rice flour in the bowl on top of the towel and very little if any on the exposed side of the round, which becomes the underside. I rely on parchment for no sticking and for the easy transfer.
OK, one thought for you. You can try the cold oven, cold pot method: you put your cold dough in the cold pot, score it, cover it, put it in the cold oven, turn it to 240ºC, and cook it for 55 minutes total covered.
Let me know if you give this method a try!
Thank you so much for giving another alternative to cater to what I have.
I’ll probably source for a better parchment paper (PP). The one I used is really cheap so the quality of the PP may be one of the reason which makes it stick.
And I’ll definitely try baking it w a cold oven (CO). Do I still have to put a PP if I use CO method? And after 55mins CO method, do I still have to uncover for 10-15mins and without pot for another 5-10mins or so?
Sure thing! You may be able to get away with no parchment paper, but I would hate to leave you astray. It would be terrible if you went through the effort only to have your loaf stuck in your pot. You could try buttering the center of the pot or the surface area where the loaf will be and sprinkling cornmeal over top? Again, I haven’t tried, so I worry about advising you astray here. You shouldn’t have to uncover with the CO, cold DO method, but if you are unhappy with how it looks after the 55 minutes, you could try uncovering for a short period of time.
Hi When the doughcomes out of the fridge do you need to bring it up to room temp or can it just go straight in the oven? Many thanks
Sue
It can go straight into the oven!
This has been my go to recipe as I’ve used it 4 times now. The last loaf I added fresh rosemary and roasted garlic during the first fold. It turned out fragrant and flavorful and the house smelled amazing!
Oh yum! That sounds amazing! So great to hear this, Juan.
I completed maturation of my starter and have baked your foccacia recipe several times to amazing results (dust too with ground rosemary, kosher salt, pepper and garlic powder before baking).. now I am on to this sourdough recipe. Do you experience baking on a pizza stone with the Dutch oven on top versus the using the lid? Would cornmeal on the stone be fine like I use for keeping pizza dough from sticking?
Hi Richmond! I have not tried the stone + inverted Dutch oven lid, but I have seen in various posts around the web, that this method works. And yes, cornmeal should be sufficient with preheated stone for preventing sticking. Good luck!
So great to hear that the focaccia has turned out well. Your toppings sound amazing!
Hi I’m not having great success tried 4 times now . I just can’t get it to double in size . I have left it for 10 hours but won’t rise . It feels perfect stretchy it tastes great but is flat not much height in it . I’m sure it’s in my rising. My starter is perfect I check it with the float system and it’s great . Keep trying not giving up cheers Sue
Hi Sue! What type of flour are you using? In addition to the float test, does your starter double in volume after you feed it within 4-6 hours?
Hi, I don’t have Dutch oven,can I bake it in aloaf tin.Thanks
Hi Renu! You can, but you’ll want a large enough tin: 10×5-inches, and you’ll want to let it rise in the tin after you remove it from the fridge till it crowns the rim. I have loaf pan instructions on this post, which skips the cold proof: Easy Sourdough Sandwich Bread
best sourdough bread I’ve made and rivals SF restaurants!
Yay 🎉🎉🎉 Thanks for writing, Nancy 😍😍😍
Last week I made my first attempt at baking sourdough bread. Thank you for posting your step by step recipe. My bread came out perfect! Tonight I am making attempt #2 but adding garlic and rosemary.
Yum! And Yay 🙂 🙂 :). So great to hear this, Holly!
I made my first sourdough bread ever using this recipe… I didn’t have a Dutch Oven, so I pressed some pieces of aluminum foil into a dome shape using a large mixing bowl as a mold, and then placed the foil dome over my bread on a cookie sheet. When it came out of the oven I was giddy, it looked so beautiful. Delicious mild sourdough flavor and lovely large holes (I did the 24 hour cold proof.) I’m hooked!
YOU ARE A GENIUS I AM SO IMPRESSED.
No, truly, this is genius. I can’t believe I’ve never thought to fashion a lid out of foil. I will instruct others who do not have a Dutch oven to do the same. Thank you!
I have never had success baking bread in the past. I watched the video (3x) and followed it to a tee. The results were amazing! Best bread I have tasted. I am going to try the focaccia bread now. Thank you so much for the clear instructions. What should I try after the focaccia?
Wonderful to hear this Sarah! Thanks so much for writing. I would try the easy, sourdough boule (whole wheat-ish) … if you can get yourself some stone-milled flour (notes in the post), it offers such a nice flavor, color, and aroma. A little goes a long way, so you can stash it in the freezer and use it as you need.
such a good recipe especially for a beginner in sour dough land… first try came out perfect but I agree if you have the 2 hrs on first rise dooooo it, a lot more airy, 1hr process good but 2 is sooo much better
Wonderful to hear this, Maureen!
Hello, i just made this recipe for the first time today and the bread turned out BEAUTIFUL. However, i would like to make different kinds such as jalapeño cheddar, garlic ,or olive. Can i simply add those ingredients and will the bread turn out the same ? Or do you have special recipes for those types of sourdough boules ?
Wonderful to hear this, Lyndsey! And yes, absolutely re adding ingredients! I would add the add-ins during the third set of stretches and folds. You may want to add a fifth set of stretches and folds to ensure the ingredients are nicely dispersed.
This was amazing and I have made two loaves already. Would love to make a olive, rosemary garlic version. Do you have recipe for that?
Wonderful to hear this, Swati! I don’t have a version for that, but I think you could start with: 1.5 cups halved olives, 1 clove minced garlic, 1 teaspoon minced rosemary … sprinkle these ingredients over the dough during the 3rd set of folds. Maybe add a 5th set of folds to ensure the ingredients are evenly dispersed.
First time sourdough bread maker and the loaves came out GREAT! Thanks for such an easy to follow recipe and detailed guidance!
Wonderful to hear this, Laura!
Your recipe, the videos and pictures are amazing – thank you so much. I’ve been using your recipe since my sister-in-law gifted me a sourdough starter 2 months ago.
My question is whether or not the crust will be more crisp if I remove the loaf from the dutch oven and just bake on the rack (as per your recipe) for the last 15 minutes.
Thanks again!!
Wonderful to hear this, Sonya! I think it might be… every oven is different, and the materials of various Dutch ovens can also play a role in the crispness of the crust, but I am all for experimenting. Next time around, after you uncover the Dutch oven, place the loaf on the rack for the last 15 minutes, and see how it turns out.
Hi Alli,
Thank you for such a detailed explanation!
I halved the recipe to make one small loaf. So, I essentially used 50g starter, 2 cups all purpose flour and 3/4th cup water. My dough is bulk proofing now. However, it doesn’t look as wet as yours, it looks like a normal flatbread dough. Will it still work? (I wish it does!)
Hi Sheetal! Did the dough end up rising?
Hi Alexandra, the dough did rise to around 1.5x. However, after the fridge proofing, it became quite hard and the resulting bread was hard and inedible.
Do you suggest I use more water next time? Because as soon as I kneaded the dough, i could feel that it was too dry.
Hi! Are you using a scale? If not, that is my first recommendation.
Can you tell me about your starter? Is it very active? Have you had success using it with other recipes?
No, I am not using a scale, just the cups to measure.
My starter passed the float test. I strengthened it. It passed the test again.
Ok, great re starter! My next suggestion is to try again but to use a scale. It’s so hard to troubleshoot what went wrong if the ingredients aren’t measured accurately. Wish I could help more!
Hi, this was my first try at making sourdough. After looking at a bunch of recipes I went with yours because your instructions were so easy to follow and the pictures are great. I just baked my loaf this morning and it turned out perfect! I can’t wait to do another loaf. I am never buying bread again! Thank you!
Wonderful to hear this, Becky!