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.
2,993 Comments on “Homemade Sourdough Bread, Step by Step”
I’ve been making sourdough bread now for at least two years and my starter, ‘Mother’, is just as old as that. I keep ‘her’ in the fridge and refresh ‘her’ as required.
I’m always looking at other recipes and wanting to improve my sourdough and I found you online and immediately loved your recipe for simple sourdough. I watched your video and immediately set about making a loaf as I had my starter to hand. I followed it to the letter, but when turning the dough I wet my hands. After resting for 10 hours my dough was very very slack and almost unworkable. I didn’t want to throw it away so I made the best of a bad job and got it into a lined proving basket, covered it and put it in the fridge for 24 hours. I heated my oven to 270f and put the dough in, scored as best I could, and baked for 20 minutes at this heat, then turned heat down to 240 for another 15 minutes. It did rise and the crust was fabulous. I couldn’t believe the crumb when I cut it. It’s the best loaf I’ve ever made, regardless that it resembles a 🛸. I’m just waiting now for my second loaf which is now doing its’ 24 hours in the fridge before baking, which I might add I turned with a dry hand, but the dough was still slacker than your on your video. Can you advise me where I’m going wrong. I’m using digital scales and weighing everything including liquids.
I made a batch of your easy pittas yesterday and they were phenomenal! I’ll never buy a shop pitta again.
I love your website and give you a 10/10 rating and 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Awww thank you for all of this, Carol 😍😍😍😍 Too kind.
I think it will just be a matter of using less water. I would try holding at least 50 g of water back. After you mix the dough, you can always add a bit more water back in if it seems too dry.
It doesn’t sound as though the dough is over fermenting, which is great. I think it will be an easy-ish fix with the lower amount of water.
So glad you liked the pita. Please keep me posted on how this recipe turns out with less water. Love that your starter is named Mother 💕💕💕
Hi Ali
Just wondering how Carol’s next loaf turned out? I’m having the same issues as she mentioned in the post. I’ve put the dough mess in the fridge for 24hrs but I very much doubt I’d even be able to turn it out or score it….:(
The first rise was quite quick and it doubled in size after about 3hrs so i put it in the fridge. This morning it looked like it was tripple the size…
My starter has been going for about 4 months and I’ve never had any issues with it but it might just not be strong enough for this level of hydration…or it could be too much water, I used about 350g/360g…or indeed it could be the flour 🙂
If I use less water does that alter the final crumb?
Would be great to hear from you.
Best Wishes
Caroline (UK)
Hi Caroline! Sticky dough is usually a matter of two issues: 1. Too much water from the get go. 2. Too long of a bulk fermentation.
It sounds as though your starter is very active, so I would maybe reduce the water. 3 hours is as about as short of a bulk fermentation I have ever heard. Was your dough nearly doubled in 3 hours?
Keep me posted on how it bakes! Yes, reducing the water will affect the crumb structure, but not necessarily negatively.
This was my first-ever attempt at sourdough and I appreciated the simple instructions. My bread came out a bit burnt but had a beautiful crumb and tasted absolutely delicious despite some black in the bottom. Some of the best bread I’ve ever eaten!
Wonderful to hear this Amy! Two questions: Are you using flour or rice flour to dust the tea towel? And, are you preheating the Dutch oven? One more: are you lowering the oven to 450ºF once you put the bread in?
I’ve been making sourdough for a few months now and I only use this recipe. I’ve made it probably 10 times and I’ve never gotten my dough to look like yours. I measure all my ingredients and make sure my starter is active but everytime I combine the ingredients it becomes flakey and then I have to knead it to make it for together. Additionally, at the step where you have to stretch and fold it multiple times I have to use one hand to hold it down and the other to pull slowly otherwise it rips. My starter consists on 1 cup flour to 1/2 cup water. What do you think I should do?
Hi Cody!
Questions: are you using a scale to measure the ingredients? If not, that would be my first suggestion. This is the one I recommend. Second, I feed my starter with equal parts by weight flour and water, which is probably similar to your volume measures, but the best way of knowing is to use a scale.
Finally, what type of flour are you using?
I love this recipe so much! I’ve baked 6 loaves of perfect bread every time. If I were to double it to make two loaves, would it just be as simple as doubling all the ingredients? When would be the optimal time to split the dough – before the cold proof or before the bulk fermentation?
Hi Emily! Yes, simply double all of the ingredients — it will work beautifully especially if you are using a scale to measure. Split the dough after the bulk fermentation.
This did not work for me. I watched the video and made notes. I think I followed everything to a T, but after 24 hours in the refrigerator I have a goey ball that pours like heavy molasses. So frustrated.
OK, let’s start from the top:
1. Are you using a scale to measure?
2. Tell me about your starter: is it very active? as in, does it double in volume within 4-6 hours of feeding it? have you had success with other recipes using it? or is it a young starter?
3. What type of flour are you using?
Yes I use a scale.
The starter does not quite double in size, but close. Unbleached all purpose flour. My bread comes out goey, inedible in the middle and a sickly pale yellow colour on the outside. Followed the instructions to a T. Did a second attempt today. Same result. My house is 21 dry degrees. I live in the prairies.
I think you need to work on strengthening your starter. It should double in volume within 4-6 hours of a feeding, and it should pass a float test.
This is the advice I always give in regard to strengthening your starter: be aggressive with how much you are discarding: throw away most of it, leaving behind just 2 tablespoons or so. Feed it with equal parts by weight flour and water. Start with 40 g of each or so. Use water that you’ve left out overnight to ensure any chlorine has evaporated. (This isn’t always necessary, but it might make a difference.) If you can find some organic flour — my store carries small bags of KAF organic flour … they’re a little more expensive ($3.49 for 2 lbs) but I use it exclusively for feeding my starter. Organic flour or a little bit of rye flour or some stone milled flour (fresh or locally milled if possible) can make a difference.
Also, try feeding your starter more often. When you see it starting to rise, feed it again with 40 g flour and 40 g water.
Hello again. Yes, I do indeed use a scale. As for the flour I use all purpose flour. My local store doesn’t supply bread flour or self rising flour. I’ll check next time I’m there. Didn’t even cross my mind to try and use a different flour. Thanks for the ideas. Also, even though it doesn’t rise all that much for me the recipe is still very good.
Hi, no rice flour over here, would you suggest making my own with brown rice or using standard AP flour?
Hi Luisa! You’re amazing to even consider making rice flour from scratch … if you are familiar with that process, go for it, but otherwise, I would use AP flour. Try to use it sparingly to prevent too much from burning.
Fantastic instructions, so clear even with just the pictures. First time making sourdough bread and even with a few tweaks, my first loaf came out perfect!
I used 100g(ish) of whole meal starter (it’s the middle of winter in South Australia). I halved the water and flour from the recipe and of that, used half whole meal and half bread flour.
After the initial four folds, I let it rest over night on the bench top before folding twice more in the morning and transferring to the fridge. Got impatient and decided to bake my loaf after about 9 hours of resting in the fridge.
Followed the same bake time but in a fan forced oven at 250 degrees Celsius (as hot as my oven will go) and rested the bread for 50 minutes before cutting.
Fantastic recipe, this will now be my go too! Thanks so much!
Wonderful to hear this, Posh! Thanks so much for writing and sharing all of the details — so helpful for others!
I think this recipe is fantastic! I love sharing these beautiful loaves with family and friends. One question, should the crust stay crisp after it is cooled? I have actually baked it for 30 minutes after removing the lid from the cast iron pan and it has never over baked. thanks!
Wonderful to hear this, Debra! Are you finding that the crust is crisp initially after baking? But softens when it cools?
Hi, after a numerous attempts with different recipes, I have landed on yours and I am getting the same problem and I wonder if you can help. I followed every step religiously but the problem is when I take the lid off after 30 mins of baking at 230C, the bread looks WHITE (not browned at all), although it raised a bit. I removed the lid any way and baked further 15 mins at 200C but the bread is only slightly browned but still white overall. I don’t know what I am doing wrong as I get this problem even if I baked 20 mins at 250C (the highest) and then 15mins at 230mins (from another recipe). When I remove the bread from oven after 5-15mins more of baking than mentioned in the recipes, the inside is very dense and sometimes doughy in the middle when I cut. I know my oven is ok because I can cook other food perfectly. I doubled checked my ingredients and it’s all good. What would be the problem?
Hi Sarah,
This likely isn’t the issue, but I have to ask: are you using bleached flour? If not, what kind of flour are you using?
Are you preheating your Dutch oven? And if so for how long? What material is it?
Thanks for commenting on my question. I used bread flour that is not bleached. I do not have dutch oven, so I just used oven tray with stainless pot covering upside down on the bread. It was all preheated… Do you think that would be the problem?? I am so lost…..(tears)
I think possibly, Sarah. It’s possible you’re just not getting a good seal, and it’s possible the materials of the tools you are using just aren’t getting hot enough or retaining their heat long enough.
If you don’t feel like investing in a cast iron pot, this is another great beginner sourdough recipe: Simple Sourdough Focaccia
Thank you very much, I will look into it. Appreciate your response.
This is the first recipe I found that addresses humidity and weather! I am from the Philippines, and my first few loaves would turn slack and not hold together properly, but with your recipe, I decreased my starter (100% hydration) to 50g and held back some water – that did the trick! Thank you!
I have a question – should I apply this rule (decreasing the starter by about half, holding back some water) to other sourdough recipes? I want to try a whole wheat loaf next, but I am not sure how to proceed.
Wonderful to hear this, Andrea! And yes, I would decrease the water and use less starter with every sourdough loaf you bake.
This worked so well! I’ve been learning, slowly, how to manage sourdough baking, and your suggestions about bulk fermentation, cold proofing (I did 36 hours), and parchment paper to lift dough into the dutch oven made all the difference. I appreciated the pointers about pre-heating the dutch oven to 550 with the lid on, reducing heat to 450, and *then* putting the dough in the dutch oven with lid. My bread rose and cracked during the baking, I got a blistery golden crust, and now I am waiting to eat it. Thanks!
Wonderful to hear this, Ivy! Enjoy your efforts 🍞🍞🍞🍞🍞
Hi, although I have been baking rustic breads in a dutch oven this is my first attempt with sourdough. Mine so far is like others, a bit too much water so it is very sticky, I will put in less next time. I have it in the fridge for 24 hours of proofing and am hoping to ask and get an answer before I attempt to bake the loaf……you bake it directly out of the fridge? No “warming” up time, just from fridge to oven? Seems like you would want it to hang around for a while but I’m new to this and would appreciate anyone’s input!
Hi Andra! No need to bring it to room temperature before baking … simply remove from fridge, score and bake.
Definitely reduce the water next time to make the dough more manageable 💕
Excellent recipe and instruction! Thanks!
Wonderful to hear this, Deanna!
All around, this an extremely well-done instructional. I’ve used this recipe about a dozen times across a couple seasons. Compensating for humidity and temperature, I’ve had really good success every time.
During cooler months, as Alexandra suggests, the initial fermentation will take much longer. Also, I’ll add 100g of strong starter. During warmer months, the initial fermentation takes about 6-8 hours and 75g of starter is plenty.
As a high-hydration loaf, I found the dough initially sticky and difficult to work with, especially during turns. Using a flexible scraper helped quite a bit. After a couple of loaves, you get accustomed to working with the sticky dough and the turns become a breeze.
A couple notes/reinforcements:
The initial fermentation is really important. Don’t let the dough over-rise. It’s best to just check it every couple of hours rather than rely on certain set time limits.
I prove, in the fridge, for about 18 hours. Taste and texture are perfect.
I’ve tweaked the baking portion just a bit. I start at 450F (no fan) for only 20 minutes, covered in a dutch oven. Then, I lower the temperature to 400F, uncover, and leave for another 20. After that, I turn the loaf to achieve a more even browning and try to account for hot spots in my oven for another few minutes.
Also, a scale is critically important! You must weigh our your ingredients.
Hi Ian! Thanks so much for writing and for sharing all of these thoughts and notes. Relying on the visual cues is so important — thank you for reinforcing this idea, and thank you for encouraging the use of a scale. It makes ALL the difference.
I’ve been hopping through several “simple” “beginner” “Easy” sourdough recipes for months. Finally found this one and it worked perfectly! Thank you for the straightforward directions!
Wonderful to hear this, Kelsee!
This is THE easiest and most amazing recipe! If I was to divide this into smaller rounds (small spud bread bowls) how would you adjust the time? If I was to divide it into three let’s say? Any advise?
Wonderful to hear this! Regarding the smaller loaves: Maybe try: covered for 20 minutes at 450ºF. Then uncover for 10 minutes at 400F … just keep an eye on the loaves once you uncover the pot.
Love the recipe but when I bake boule’s in my enameled cast iron dutch oven, they burn on the bottom. What can I do? Do I need to replace the dutch oven with a Lodge cast iron?
Hi Holly! Maybe lower the temperature: Preheat it at 450ºF; then lower it to 425F for the first 30 minutes covered and lower to 400F for the last 15 minutes or so. Before you invest in another pot, experiment with lower temperatures. Also, what type of flour are you using to dust? I find rice flour doesn’t burn the way wheat flour does, which is why I prefer it.
Have absolutely loved this recipe, this has allowed me to understand the whole process/science behind it all so thank you for going so into detail! A quick question, after about 5 loaves I’ve finally perfected the timing and art of the rising/shaping and all that. The one thing I’ve been having trouble with is the bottom of the loaf.
I want the top to be nice and golden (and maybe slightly crispy at the very very top), I can get this using the 30 min covered/15 min uncovered. However, the bottom is always slightly burned so when slicing it’s always harder to cut all the way through at the bottom. Is there a way to avoid burning the bottom? I use the following:
– Staub Dutch oven that’s inside the oven as it preheats to 550 degrees
– Using parchment paper inside the Dutch oven
Any advice on how to not burn the bottom while still having that same golden crust on top?
Wonderful to hear this, Ryan! Thanks for writing.
It’s so interesting to me to hear how different materials of pans affect the browning. Question #1: you are lowering the oven to 450ºF once you place the dough inside the Dutch oven, right? Question #2: Are you using rice flour or ap flour for dusting? Rice flour won’t burn the way wheat flour will, so that is one reason why I prefer using it for dusting.
A few other thoughts:
You could check the underside of the loaf after the 30 minutes — this way you’ll know if the burning is happening during that initial 30 minutes or if it happens during the remaining 15 minutes.
If the burning is happening during the first 30 minutes, you could, next time, preheat the oven to 450ºF as opposed to 550ºF. If the loaf does not look burned underneath during the first 30 minutes, then you know the burning is happening during the last 15 minutes, in which case you could try removing the loaf from the pot and baking it directly on the racks or on a (non preheated) sheet pan.
Hope that helps! Let me know your thoughts.
Yup i’m lowering it to 450 before placing the bread in, and also using AP as I haven’t been able to find rice flour (or maybe I’m just looking for the wrong thing haha). Will definitely try those suggestions, trying to find the perfect balance to get that outer crisp on the top but not burning the bottom.
What do you think the lowest I could bake at? I’m assuming 400 wouldn’t be hot enough (then adding 15-20 minutes total bake time)? But I will let you know next time I try to see exactly when it’s burning, thank you!
This recipe is awesome. I’ve made it about a dozen times now and it turns out great every time. Mine never is quite as airy as whats in the photos above, but it still tastes damn good.
Wonderful to hear this, Lars!
Regarding airiness: what type of flours are you using? how long is your bulk fermentation going?
Hi Ali,
I have made this bread a few times with somewhat inconsistent results as I just cant figure out your measurements. If I use 100g starter, 375g water and 500g flour (as you state in the recipe) it is truly a sticky mess that is waaayyy too wet!? When I am on the shaping phase, I end up having to add so much more flour just to keep it in a form. Doing this, I just dont know what the true ingredients are and therefore the inconsistent results. I am using bread flour, filtered water and allowing a good 24hr second rise in the fridge. Any suggestions?
Thank you!!
Hi Kerry!
It sounds as though you need to reduce the amount of water you are using.
Questions for you:
1. Is your starter very strong? Does it double in volume within 4-6 hours of a feeding? Have you had success using it with other recipes?
2. How long is your bulk fermentation? This dough is a high hydration dough, but I worry you might be over-fermenting your dough. When you shape is the dough without strength and elasticity? Is it totally slack? Or is there some strength?
Thanks for your response, Ali! I believe I have a strong starter that seems to double in 2-3 hours…Should I wait for the full 6 hours when it is more bubbly? This time of year in NH seems very humid so maybe that is adding to the hydration problem? I have tried cutting back on the water but maybe I need to cut back more. Last bake I used 365g of water but again, it was a very humid day. To answer your questions: Bulk fermentation is 24 hours in the fridge an there is little tension….when I shape the bread it seems to flatten and spread out a bit, but there is some?? Thanks for any help you can give!!
OK, great, re starter: it sounds as though it is good and healthy. No need to wait 6 hours to use it … use it when it doubles (roughly).
Regarding bulk fermentation (first rise): is it all being done in the refrigerator? any time at room temperature?
Hi Alexandra, your recipe by far is the most simple and straightforward. I have used it now a couple of times, but my dough doesn’t quite resemble yours after the initial mix. After the bulk fermentation, my dough is still sticky when I attempt to do the folds and first shaping, and I don’t want to use more flour on the surface but the stickiness of the dough requires it (I think). After putting in the fridge for 24 hrs or so, the dough appears to not have risen at all so I leave it in a warm spot (cupboard over my fridge) until it has risen somewhat, then put it in the preheated oven to bake; however, the dough collapses when I transfer it from the proofing bowl to the dutch oven. What am I doing wrong? Should the dough be placed immediately from the refrigerator into the preheated dutch oven without letting it warm up or rise? I live in Alberta, Canada which has variable temperatures and usually low humidity.
Hi Lisa!
It sounds as though you could try reducing the amount of water to see if you get better results regarding texture.
Also: sourdough does not change much visually in the fridge, so this is normal. And no, you do not need to let it come to room temperature: I think you will get less collapsing in fact if you go straight from the fridge to the oven.
Keep me posted on your trials or let me know if you have any other questions.
Hi Alexandra,
I know different recipes work differently in different areas. Sourdough is a diverse performing group of yummy organisms obviously 😜. I am fairly new to the game, but I was having amazing results with your first recipe back in March vs the latest (I’m assuming )changes. I live in the Denver, CO area..mile high.
Could you possibly send me or post the original recipe measurements,times, etc? I should have printed it, but I simply bookmarked and the whole process for me now hasn’t been as easy nor successful in flavor.
It still makes a good loaf but my flavor is lacking and it’s taking me double time. 🤷🏼♀️
I’d love a copy of the former plan just as it was. I’ll even pay 🤣😂.
Hi Carolyn! These are the changes: Original recipe calls for 50 g starter and 9 g salt. There are no stretches and folds in the original recipe. Simply: mix the dough; then, 1 hour later, shape it into a ball and let it rise for 8-10 hours or until it doubles. Then, shape it into a round and stick it into the fridge for 1 hour. Then transfer to un-preheated Dutch oven, score it, cover it, and bake it for 30 minutes. Then uncover and bake it for 10-15 minutes more.
Let me know if that clarifies or if you have any other questions!
Hi I’m looking forward to making this recipe I just need some tips. 1. How much water and starter should I use my starter is very active I feed it 1/2 cup flour 1/4 cup water it is high 70s in my kitchen. 2. How long should I let it rest in the fridge because when I leave it outside the bread is always runny when I turn it out of the proofing basket. 3. What flour should I use to flour the proofing basket. Thanks
Hi John!
I would maybe use 50 g starter.
Question: are you using a scale to measure ingredients?
Regarding question #2: It sounds as though you are over fermenting the dough during the bulk fermentation. How long typically are you letting the first rise/bulk fermentation go?
Rice flour is my preference for proofing baskets.
Let’s back up: your starter is 10 days old? Have you had success using it with other recipes or was this its first go?
A perfect user guide for beginners and experts Aline! Thanks for helping me make my first sourdough! The result was spectacular and my family is impressed with the result! Thanks a lot
Wonderful to hear this, Nav!
Hi Alexandra,
Thank you for your recipe! I have a few troubleshooting questions. I used 50g of starter as recommended and the bread flour I used was Rogers Enriched White Bread Flour. My kitchen temperature was between 24-27 degrees C when working with the dough. I let the dough sit on the countertop overnight for even almost 11 hours and the dough did not double in size. The dough is sort of moist, but it holds shape, when folding it, the dough was still quite soft and pillowy and elastic-like. Would you have any recommendations of why the dough did not rise? I decided to proceed to the next step and it is proofing now in the fridge for 24 hours.
Rachael
Hi Racheal! The rising process probably has to do with your starter, but I’m happy to hear the dough was pillowy and elastic. Keep me posted on how it bakes!
Regarding your starter, can you tell me more about it? How old is it? How often are you feeding it? Does it double in volume within 4-6 hours of a feeding?
Hi, I’ve had great success with this recipe. Would it be ok to let it proof in the fridge for over 24 hours? Many thanks, Emma
Yes, totally fine!
This is my favorite recipe for sour dough. I do have trouble getting the dough into the ball after it has doubled in volume. Extremely sticky. I don’t want to use too much flour so this step can be messy. The bread does turn out, but it goes into the floured tea towel sloppy
Hi Sherry! High hydration doughs definitely take a bit of practice getting use to, but they do produce beautiful tasting and textured loaves.
Two thoughts for you: try reducing the amount of water you are using. Try shortening the bulk fermentation. Shape the dough before it doubles in volume — when it has 1.5x its height or maybe a little bit more.
My best loaf ever, thank you so much! You now started an obsession.
I would like to try introducing whole wheat (I have some from King Arthur). Should I simply replace a little bit of the bread flour with whole wheat, or switch over to your Favorite recipe instead?i
Hi Rachel! Either! I would start with 1 cup of whole wheat flour at the very most, then slowly increase or decrease the amount of whole wheat flour based on your results.
Reporting back that I used this recipe but with 15% whole wheat and 85% bread flour. I also added 10g of water due to the whole wheat, but not sure that was necessary (just did it based on texture). I tried this recipe previously with a 24 hr retard and so I did that again with the whole wheat. I was amazed at what a difference the whole wheat made in taste, but also, how versatile this recipe and instructions are. THANK YOU!
So wonderful to hear this, Rachel! Thanks so much for reporting back. 💕💕💕
I have made this recipient 4 times. The first one came out great. I use 400g of local stone ground all purpose flour and 100g whole wheat flour. They are local heirloom flours. I have been having trouble with the dough being too loose to form a ball after the first proof. I was using 100g of starter but tried 50g this time, same problem. What can I do?
Robin
Hi Robin!
I think especially in these warmer months two things are important: really monitoring the bulk fermentation and being sure it’s not going too long. Recently, I have been finding all of my sourdoughs after the bulk fermentation to be on the wet side, so I’ve cut the bulk fermentation back so that I’m shaping well before the dough doubles in volume. I can’t give an exact time, but if you are using a straight-sided vessel to monitor the bulk fermentation, I would stop the bulk fermentation when the dough has grown 1.5x or a little bit higher.
Finally: you definitely could try holding back some of the water. Hold back 50 g and see if that makes a difference.