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.
3,043 Comments on “Homemade Sourdough Bread, Step by Step”
Heres my Pre k question(LOL) I have tried many recipes with some successes and MANY failures.
If I feed my starter at 1030 AM and it is good to go at 230, I mix my dough , do series of stretch and folds, then do i put in the fridge for the next rise? I am confused because the video does not show you putting in fridge for the rise. You take and out it on the cutting board and do the folds then into the oven, so I am REALLY confused. I know its me.. :/
Hi Paige!
After you do the set of stretches and folds, you want the dough to rise at room temperature (this first rise is called the bulk fermentation). You’re looking for the dough to increase in volume by 50% (so not quite doubled). After it has reached that height, you turn the dough out, shape it, transfer it to a bowl; then, transfer to the fridge for 12-48 hours (this second rise is called proofing).
Now, that said, because sourdough is so finicky, you really want to make sure the first rise doesn’t go too long. So, if your dough is taking a long time to rise during the bulk fermentation, and you need to go to bed, you can cover your bowl and stick it in the fridge. This will slow down the fermentation and therefore prevent over fermentation. In the morning, take the vessel out, and let the dough rise until it has increased in volume by 50% or so.
Hope that makes sense!
This is a fantastic fool proof recipe which results in the most fantastic bread. I’m so glad that I stumbled on this site after other unsuccessful attempts to make sourdough. The instructions are so clear and the end product is just delicious. I’ve been making it with 50% plain unbleached flour, 25% spelt and 25% dark Bavarian rye flour – delicious!
So nice to hear this, Sally! Thanks for writing 🙂
I use this at least 1x a week. Everyone is crazy about this recipe! The video is SO helpful & we’ll done.
Thanks.
Wonderful to hear this, Kathy! Thanks for writing 💕
I have never had any rise in any part of the process of sourdough making, so I’m thrilled with this recipe and guided process! Thank you! I am wondering though how you prevent drying out of the top of the loaf when you are refrigerating it right before baking. I use the flour sack towels to cover and it dries and creates a little dried crust on the top. I mean, maybe this is normal, I don’t know…
Hi Susan! So nice to hear this. Are you opposed to plastic? If not, you can save your grocery store produce bags, and tuck the bowl of dough (still wrapped in the flour sack towel) into the plastic bag, and tie a knot. That should help prevent the crust from forming.
I’m new to this, but upon looking up 500 grams of bread flour in cups is .1 or 1/10 of a cup. In the pics, it shows much more flour than that being poured in, so please tell me what is correct. Thank you!
Hi Beth! 500 grams of flour is about 4 cups.
Hi
Do you have any recipes using 75% hydration discard?
Hi Anita! I don’t … my starter is 100% hydration, so that’s generally what I use. But I think what you can do when adapting recipes you see that call for 100% hydration discard is just add a bit more water to feel. Your starter will be a little stiffer/dryer than one that is 100% hydration, so adding a bit more moisture should do the trick.
Great, thanks for the tip Ali
This is by far the best Sourdough course online and recipe for beginners. I have achieved amazing results with this recipe and its boosted my confidence and made this long journey with Sourdough so much easier. There are many complex and confusing recipes and advice out there but I kept coming back to this one and wish I had found it earlier in my research for Sourdough loaves. Thank you Ali !
Wonderful to hear this, Susan! Thanks so much for writing. Happy Happy Baking 🍞🍞🍞🍞🍞🍞
Hello! I would really like to try this recipe but I don’t have a Dutch oven. Can I get away with baking the first stage with a small pot of water inside the oven and then removing it for the second stage? Thank you!
Hi Jean! Sure, you can try that! I also have other ideas for what to use if you don’t have a Dutch oven on this sourdough troubleshooting post.
Hi! In the middle of my stretch and folds…so far I’m liking the dough better than the other recipe I’ve tried. Question….do you ever double the recipe and do 2 loaves at the same time? Any advice for that— would anything change besides doubling?
Thank you!
Hi Melanie! Great to hear this. Hope it turns out well… keep me posted. Yes, doubling works out great. No need to make changes. Just be sure you have a vessel large enough to handle the bulk fermentation. That’s it!
Hello,
I’m making this for the first time. I love your videos! thank you so much for making them. My dough is at the “rest on the counter stage” and is not holding itself into a ball as much as yours does in the video. It flattens out a bit more. What is different do you think? When I fold it and shape it as you do, it seems stickier.
Perhaps it will all work out in the end, I’m not there yet, just wondering. thank you!
Hi Lisa! Thats OK — your dough is likely a little wetter than mine.
Question: when you shaped it into a ball, did the dough still have some strength and elasticity? Or was it totally wet, slack, puddly, and without strength?
A little bit of stickiness is fine — it makes the dough hard to work with, but it’s fine. A lot of stickiness is not OK.
Let me know! Also, here is my comprehensive troubleshooting guide: Why is My Sourdough So Sticky?
Great recipe! So easy & already making it again! Ordered your cook book too! Thank you!
Aww, Melanie, thanks so much 🙂 🙂 🙂 That means the world.
Hi, I would like to make cranberry sourdough…when would you suggest I add the cranberries?
Hi Sun! Add them after you do one set of stretches and folds.
Just finished baking my first loaf. Came out amazing however it lacks the sourness of bakery bread I’m accustomed to. How can I make it more sour? Thanks for such a simple great tasting recipe!
Hi Mike,
Great to hear this! Here are a few ideas on how to make your loaf taste more sour. For future reference, these ideas can be found on this troubleshooting post.
There are a number of ways to make your loaves taste more sour, but my biggest tip is to do a long, cold, refrigerated proof. The longer time the shaped loaf spends proofing in the fridge, the more sour the flavor. Try for at least 24 hours but for as long as 48 hours.
Another tip: use less starter. It’s counterintuitive, but using less starter usually means your bulk fermentation will be longer, which means your starter will go through its food source at a slower rate and therefore produce more acetic acid along the way.
In my experience, I see little difference in both the length of the bulk fermentation and the resulting sourness in a loaf whether I use 50 g or 100 g of starter in a recipe. But if you are after more sour flavor, using less starter may be something to try.
First off this recipe is amazing also made your sourdough pizza crust last night and it is hands down the best crust my family and I have ever had! I did cold ferment for almost 3 days and it was delicious! I’m attempting to try adding rye flour to your bread recipe but wondering what adjustment I need to make ie. How many grams of rye vs bread flour and would I increase water??
Wonderful to hear this all of this, Jennifer!
OK, for rye, I would start small, because rye flour will affect the texture of the dough. This will seem like a tiny amount, but I would start with 50 grams rye flour and 450 grams bread flour. I wouldn’t change the water just yet. See how the loaf turns out and next time around you may need to increase the amount of water, but I think when using such a smaller percentage, no change should be necessary.
If you end up wanting to add more rye flour the next time you make a loaf, you may want to add a little more water — you’ll know when you mix the dough if it feels on the dry side.
Hi, when the dough is removed from fridge, must it be returned to room temperature first before baking? Not using Dutch Oven..
Nope! What are you using to bake the bread out of curiosity?
Hi Ali,
I have done my first ever sourdough, following your guidances! Turned out super!
I used baking tray with a pot of water below, preheat them at 250 deg C. And rest of the procedure as per your instructions.
Very very amazing results. Super good looking bread with crunchy exterior and soft inside.
And by the way, only cold proof for 12 hours but turned out with a lot of holes inside. Think because I added in all the water per the recipe and it was too wet for the humid country I am living in. So I spent some time to hand knead in more flour. Blessing in disguise! 👍😄
If there is a way I can share photos of my first ever sourdough under your recipe, I would gladly do!
Thank you so much! 🙏
So wonderful to hear this, Sofie! Thanks so much for writing. The best way to share a photo is on Instagram? Are you on IG? I’m @alexandracooks.
Hi Alexandra,
If I were to add toppings such as berries and nuts, when would be the best time to add them?
Thank you
Hi Aaron! Do you want to add them as “toppings” or do you want to mix them into the dough?
If you want to mix them into the dough, do so in the early part of the bulk fermentation after you’ve done at least one set of stretches and folds. Before the second set, sprinkle the ingredients over top of the dough. As you do the stretches and folds, the ingredients will incorporate into the dough.
Thanks Alexandra! I’ll try it out and see how it goes
Hi Alex, I’ve been using this recipient as my baseline for a couple months now and have decided to try making multiple small loaves, by dividing the dough into four rolls after the bulk proof, so that the final proof is four separate loafs. My question is, what is the cooking time for the smaller loafs? The full loaf cooking time I’ve been using is 30mins lid on @ 230c and 15mins lid off @ 200c.
Great to hear Amal! I would try 20 minutes with lid on; then uncover and bake until it is browned to your liking … it may take 15 minutes. You may want to play around with not reducing the temperature after you uncover the lid to ensure it darkens to your liking. Good luck!
I love this recipe, and your Mothers Peasant bread recipe is to die for. Also, my daughters name is Alexandra, so how can I not love this website?1??
Just a quick question: how do you feel about spritzing the bread/dutch oven with water right before baking? Do you feel like this makes it any better? I used to always do this, but not I’m not so sure that it really makes any difference. What do you think?
Thanks again for the most DELICIOUS recipes on the web!
Awwww, so nice to hear all of this 🙂 🙂 🙂 Thanks so much for writing.
I don’t every spritz the bread, but I think that’s just because I’ve been happy with the results I’ve been getting without doing it. I think for some people, especially if they don’t have a Dutch oven or a pot with a tight seal, the spritz of water helps promote a steamy environment.
The next time you make it, I would give the spritz a try and see if you think it makes a difference — you certainly can’t hurt it by spritzing it.
Thanks so much again for your kind words.
I love this recipe! So simple and easy to time! I have a small issue though. After my long rise, the top layer of the dough dries out a bit and gets a kind of hard. Is there any way to combat or prevent this?
Hi Elliott! Yes! Slick the top of the dough with a teensy bit of oil Just drizzle some over top and rub with your hand to spread it over the surface.
WOW! I would have given it 200 stars. I had tried to improve on a different recipe, never any success. I finally gave up and did another search and found your website. Your recipe is easy, no fuss and the bread came out PERFECTLY! I left it in the fridge for 24 hours and next time, I will try 48. Thanks you so much. Your blog is for real (I have my doubts about the other website whose recipe I was following).
So nice to hear this!! Thanks so much for writing and thanks for your kind words 🙂
Oh my goodness – I made the most delicious and beautiful loaf of bread today. My first EVER and I couldnt believe how professional it looked (and tasted!). thanks so much for this recipe. I have been watching sourdough videos online for months and finally got up the courage to give it a go. All of your tips were amazing – feeding the starter a couple of times, using digital scales etc. Can’t wait for my next loaf now, my husband has already talked about how impressed our guests will be when I pull this out at our next bbq! haha love it xxx
So wonderful to hear this, Ella! Making a good loaf of bread truly is thrilling. Thanks so much for writing.
This is how I learned to bake Sourdough Bread! Everyone loves it! Thank you so much!! I would also give many, many more stars if possible! I think I’m up to 18 loaves and all have turned out beautifully (except #3, we don’t talk about #3…proofing gone bad….)
I have recently been thinking about freezing the dough and was wondering if you have ever done it, how you’ve done it, and how it turned out?
Again, love the recipe, the tutorial/recipe and video are perfect combination. Thanks!!
So nice to hear this, Sheri! And #3 … we’ve all been there … inevitable with sourdough to have at least one dud.
OK, so sourdough doesn’t freeze as well as yeast dough, and why that is, I am not sure. I have experimented with freezing sourdough pizza dough, and it’s good for a week, maybe a little longer, but if it spends much more time in the freezer than a week, it loses a lot of its air bubbles. SO, I would hate for you to go through the effort only to end up with a dough that doesn’t spring for you.
This is the best sourdough recipe I’ve come across! I love how it’s more relaxed than others by not demanding 4 stretches and folds and encouraging what we can do! So far have had an 100% success rate even without having a Dutch oven, just cooking in a baking dish
Wonderful to hear this, Erika! Thanks so much for writing. I think sourdough bread recipes can be needlessly complicated at times.
Hi Ali! Thanks so much for this clear and accessible sourdough recipe! I tried my hand at more complicated ones and never succeeded, so I’ve been making yours every weekend for the last few months to see if I can make it happen. So far, the main problem with my dough is that it doesn’t hold its structure/shape. Every time I think every step has gone perfectly but it always collapses once it’s out of the banneton and going into the oven. I’ve tried everything I can think of: improving starter health, withholding water, using high quality bread flour, increasing bulk rise, decreasing bulk rise, warm kitchen, cool kitchen… lol!! I’m concerned the issue might be when I shape it. Can a poor shaping job mess up the whole loaf? Either way, I’ll keep trying. It does always turn out as delicious, if flat, and we have no problems eating it up anyway. Thanks so much!
Hi Ariana! So nice to hear this, but bummer about the shape. It does seem as though you’ve tried everything. I’ll try to dig a little deeper: What size banneton and what size Dutch oven are you using? When you shape with the bench scraper, do you feel you are getting good tension, as in this video.? Are you using a straight-sided vessel to gauge the bulk fermentation? Finally, what brand flour?
Thanks so much for the reply! I’m using a 7 inch round banneton and a 5 quart Lodge dutch oven. I recently switched to King Arthur unbleached 12.7% bread flour and the dough is MUCH happier with this flour. Very silky and cooperative. I am using a straight sided vessel and in my kitchen it seems like ~8 hours at 75 degrees is the sweet spot, not quite doubled but significantly risen. I actually do get good tension when I shape it like your video but I realized just now while watching it that this time I forgot to flip it back over after it’s been folded over itself before pushing and pulling to create tension on the counter. And when I transfer it to the banneton it usually sticks to one hand and gets rumpled. I think I need more practice with these final steps. I’m also having trouble with scoring…it seems like even when I’m gentle with the razor the dough starts to flatten even more while scoring. I’m also wondering if my fridge is cold enough.
Hi Ariana!
OK, this is very helpful. I think you are so close to getting a beautiful loaf as it seems as though you are doing all of the right steps. If you can work on your shaping with the bench scraper, I think that will help. Here’s another shaping video — the second shape before transferring the dough to the towel-lined bowl.
Part of me wonders if you should shoot for even less time than 8 hours. Again, rely on visual cues, but shoot for ending the bulk fermentation when the dough has increased in volume by 50%.
Regarding scoring: what are you using? Also, I don’t let the dough come to room temperature after removing it from the fridge — it goes from cold fridge, to being scored, to the oven. A cold dough is much easier to score. Is this what you have been doing? Or bringing it to room temperature before scoring?
Hi! I love this bread. A big hit with everyone! Just one thing, when I’m done the bread is really airy on the inside making it a little challenging to slice. What can I do?
Hi Ashley! Great to hear this! Questions: are you letting it cool sufficiently (1 hour) before slicing it? And do you have a good, sharp serrated knife?
Hi Alexandra
Thanks for the recipe! I also wanted to point out that it’s not quite clear if after the fridge the dough needs to rise up again to increase in volume. You only describe the transfer to the parchment and scoring. So I did – got it out of the fridge, transferred and scored straight after the fridge without leaving it to grow in volume again. So the bread came out flatter than I expected. So do you recommend letting it rest and worm up after fridge?
thanks!
Kind regards,
Alexandra
Hi Alexandra! I do not let the bread come to room temperature before scoring and baking it. Scoring cold dough is much easier than scoring warm dough, and though the dough will not look much different when it emerges from fridge than when it entered, a lot is happening in the dough that we can’t see.
Regarding the shape of the bread being flat, this could be caused by a number of things. Have you had success baking a lofty boule with other recipes? This troubleshooting post may help you identify your issue in that regard.
Let me know if you have any other questions!
Thank you for explaining things in a way that helped me succeed. This is the bread I was hoping I could achieve after severe unsuccessful attempts.
Wonderful to hear this, Felipa! THanks so much for writing 🍞🍞🍞🍞🍞🍞
I’m confounded by this recipe. I’ve made it with measuring cups for the amounts of water, flour and starter because I didn’t have a food scale, and it has turned out really well. I actually usually give it a bit extra flour but it’s always eyeballed. For the first time, I finally bought a food scale based on the notes, and I did the measurements to the gram with the correct bread flour, etc. It was very wet compared to what I’m used to, but I soldiered on. After the first proof, it flopped out into a putty on the work surface, and was like a gluey goo that could not be shaped and stuck to absolutely everything. What could that be due to, and how would you deal with that? Can you add flour at this point, or is it too late after the first proof?
Hi Ani! It sounds as though it overproofed. Unfortunately at this point, there is not much you can do to salvage it, especially if the dough has lost all strength and elasticity. Check out this troubleshooting post, which may help you identify where things went wrong. My guess is that the bulk fermentation went too long.
D’oh! I even marked up a clear, straight-sided Tupperware to try and avoid that. Thanks for the link. I’ll try again, but also might try and reduce water as well as the proofing time. I have to admit, because I hate food waste, I dumped a bunch of flour into the goo and tried to shape it and will try to bake it still. If my house burns down, we’ll know it didn’t go well.
Oh boy! Fingers crossed your house is still standing… let me know how the loaf turns out. I realized after I sent the reply to you earlier that one thing people do with overfermented dough is spread it out onto a sheetpan (parchment lined!), and season it with salt and seeds, and bake it … then you can break into shards and use it for crackers.
Oh – I like that idea! That said, the house is still standing, and the bread turned out GREAT. It has a nice and crispy crust, a yummy chewy inside, and a decent crumb. It didn’t rise as much as other loaves I’ve baked, but I gotta say, it turned out really well all things considered. So hooray to that. We can call it the recipe that keeps on giving, even when you screw up a good half of it. 😀
So nice to hear this, Ani! Thanks for reporting back!
By far my favorite sourdough recipe I’ve tried!! Comes out perfectly every time
So nice to hear this, Amanda!
thanks so much for all your hard work. i’m hoping you can give me your thoughts…when i measure, using weight. my dough does not come together looking as firm as your in the video. why could this be happening? thank you!
Hi Ryan,
What type of flour are you using? And do you live in a humid environment?
This is a wonderful recipe. I made it once before and I loved it to the last crumb. I am now making my second batch (dough in fridge for over 48 hours). This time, I decided to add Vital Wheat Gluten to my all purpose flour. I think I added a little too much. I did not measure, but suspect it was approximately 1/4 of the total flour. The stretch and folds were getting slightly tough but still OK to do. This time, the dough has risen slightly and is very tough to touch.
My dough did not feel or look like your videos. Can I save it? Should I be making smaller buns as the bread might become too tough and chewy?
Hi Sherry! Great to hear that you had success and are onto a second batch. What did you end up doing? Baking a full loaf or buns? How did it (or they) turn out if so? I have never used vital wheat gluten, so I can’t advise on how the dough should look or feel. I don’t think making smaller buns would have made much difference in the texture of the bread.
Thanks Ali. I ended up baking it as it was in one piece and it turned out good. The inside was a little gummy, but I just toasted the slices and they tasted great.