Homemade Sourdough Bread, Step by Step
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
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.
3,056 Comments on “Homemade Sourdough Bread, Step by Step”
i’ve only been on the sourdough train since the start of the pandemic..who hasn’t been! this is my second tried recipe and i’m so much happier with my final product using your recipe! It’s more time consuming but gives a more airy, genuine loaf.
I have a question though. When watching your video, i notice my loaf is a lot more dense/dry and not as pliable/mailable as yours. Do you have recommendations? I don’t have a food scale so I measure by cups. Sometimes I get a full 50% rise but most of the time it gets soft and airy but does not rise as I had hoped. Still produces a great loaf, a few have been more dense but still taste great. Just trying to find out how to get that softer workable dough!
Hi Brittany! So great to hear this. Brittany: are you open to investing in a digital scale? This one costs $8.45 right now — it’s such a great price, and it will make ALL the difference in your sourdough experience. A scale will help you get way more consistent results. You’re likely adding more than 500 grams of flour, but there’s no way to know for sure if you don’t use a scale. I hate to suggest purchasing something, but you sound committed to sourdough, and I know it will be a huge help to you.
I have really enjoyed this bread. I tried the recipe in a regular large loaf pan today and it worked! I baked it at 450 degrees for 10 minutes, 350 degrees for 15 minutes, then painted the dome with butter and covered it with a foil tent for another 15 minutes at 350 degrees. I took pictures so I can share with others. Thanks for your website.
Wonderful to hear this, Kerrie! The buttery crust sounds amazing!
Hello, I just had a question – is there anything specific that you look for when you take the dough out of the fridge after the the second/last rise?
Hi Mary! Yes. First, keep in mind it won’t look that different from when you put it in — sourdough doesn’t change much in the fridge. But, when you pull it out of the fridge, you should feel some airiness, lightness to it when you touch it. When I turn the dough out onto a sheet of parchment, I can feel that it is full of air; at the same time: it holds its shape and there’s a firmness to the dough. Hope this helps somewhat!
I love this recipe and have used it several times with great success! Thank you! I’m currently trying to experiment with using almond flour but failing miserably :-/ My starter is still fed with normal flour but I was trying to make the dough using 500g of almond flour instead of bread flour and it’s a wet, awful mess. LOL. Any suggestions? Thank you!!
Hi Melinda! There is no gluten in almond flour, so it’s no wonder you’re having trouble … there’s very little potential for it to rise because there’s no gluten. I do not have experience making gluten-free sourdough, but I do have one gluten-free bread recipe on my blog that people like. You may be able to use this as a guide: Gluten-Free Peasant Bread Recipe
Thank you! I have made this for my family three times now and last time I successfully made it with no recipe. Everyone loves this and even the picky eaters. Thank you.
So nice to hear this, Long! So nice when the pick eaters approve 🙂
After 3 attempts of making sourdough bread…
I was victorious with this recipe!
I am sooooo happy!
It is amazing!
Thank you so much!
I wish I could post a pic…
It is so beautiful and the crumb is perfect!
Second Proof in the fridge for 15 hours.
Wonderful to hear this, Kathie! Thanks so much for writing 🙂 🙂 🙂 I wish you could post a pic, too … that would be a fun feature to add here. Stay tuned 🙂
I had a quick question! After a little over 24 hours in the fridge, the dough ended up having a hard top even though I had covered it with the clean towel. Did I do something wrong with the dough, or is that normal?
Hi Katie! This does happen time to time. Next time, you can stick your dough (wrapped in the towel in its pan) in a bag — the plastic produce bags from the grocery store work well for this. This will help prevent a crust from forming. I’ll leave a note in the recipe now. How did it end up baking?
My parent told me to throw it out, so I never got to test it 🙁 I’m glad to hear that that’s typical though so that I know next time to try it out rather than trashing it. Thanks so much for replying to clarify my confusion!!
I’m new to bread making and I am loving this simple sourdough. I really appreciate your step by step video. Wanted to know if I can be a little more adventurous and add ingredients to this simple sourdough to create new versions of bread such as; rosemary bread or blue cheese and walnuts or kalamata olives etc.. At what step could I add the ingredients.
Thanks
Great to hear, Heather! And yes, you can. Add them after you’ve done at least two sets of stretches and folds. Sprinkle them over top. As you stretch and fold after the ingredients are added, they’ll incorporate.
This recipe is amazing, thank you! I was totally skeptical about trying the sourdough craze— but this bread is better than anything I’ve ever bought in a bakery. We are hooked.
How do you keep your bread fresh between eating the first half at breakfast and the second for lunch?
So great to hear this, Juliette! Love your question 🙂 🙂 🙂 I think a Ziploc bag is best for preserving bread/keeping it the freshest the longest. You can also use an airtight storage vessel if you’d rather not use a plastic bag. Always toast or reheat bread on day two and beyond, which will revive the crust.
Hi Ali!!
I’m thoroughly loving this sourdough recipe. I’m on my third round of it and they just keep getting better and better! I find myself not eating the entire loaf.. is it possible to just half the loaf into two loaves? Would I bake for less time since it’s a smaller loaf?
Thanks a bunch!
Emily
Great to hear, Emily!
Yes, you can make two smaller loaves, and yes, I would bake each for slightly less … I would maybe to covered for 25 minutes; then uncovered for 10 minutes or until browned to your liking.
This bread turn out great. Alot of work but the end result was great. I took a picture but can’t seem to attach it. Will make again. Also my starter is a month old made with 1/2 rye and 1/2 unbleached flour. Have fun baking and thanks for the recipe.
Great to hear, Susan! Thanks so much for writing. Rye flour does wonders for a starter.
(Also, I don’t have a way of attaching photos here … wish I did! But I’m looking into this feature … maybe soon!)
Started with your recipe awhile back. Tried a couple of others..eeh. Staying now with this recipe and on my up-tenth loaf. THANK YOU! Slow and steady wins the race and what a reward it is! Gina
So nice to hear this, Gina! Thanks so much for writing 🙂 🙂 🙂
Hi! I am using a different recipe which requires 150g starter per 425 grams of bread flour and 275g water. The bulk fermentation including 3-4 stretch and folds is 4 – 4.5 hours, then I preshape, shape and cold ferment overnight. I was wondering is there a way to tweak this recipe where I don’t have to use that much starter?
Hi Ann! Yes, just cut back your starter without making any other changes. You could use 50 g starter or 100 g starter … keep in mind, your bulk fermentation may take longer with less starter. End the bulk fermentation based on visual cues as opposed to time — when the dough has increased in volume by 50%, it’s ready to be shaped and stashed in the fridge. I also encourage a longer cold proof: 24 hours if you have the time.
Best sourdough recipe I’ve tried!
Great to hear, Alysia! Thanks for writing!
Best bread recipe ever. Being originally from Germany I missed good, honest bread with a lovely crust. I had only one fail and that was when I did not weigh the flour but used cups. Never again lol
So nice to hear this! And I hear you: I’ll never use cups again when making bread.
The directions were easy to follow, and my bread had a great rise. I still need to practice shaping – the bottom was a little wonky – but this was delicious!
One question: Can this be converted to make sourdough rolls? If so, at what point would you separate and shape them?
Hi Stephanie,
I have never made sourdough rolls, but I think what you would do is divide the dough after the bulk fermentation and ball up the portions. You could do an overnight proof or simply let the balls proof at room temperature on a sheet pan; once they’ve proofed sufficiently (… I would guess 3 to 4 hours … you could test with the poke test), bake them.
Hope that helps somewhat!
So easy and great for first-timers like me – takes the intimidation out of making it!
Wonderful to hear, MK!
Hi!
My oven only goes up to 250c, is there anything I should do different during the portion where it’s supposed to bake at 290?
Thank you! Looking forward to trying this out.
Hi! I would just maybe be sure to give your Dutch oven or whatever baking vessel you are using a good long preheat — try for at least 45 minutes before baking.
I am curious if you take the dough out of the fridge as you start to preheat the oven or do you pull it out right before putting it in the pan? I have been pulling the dough out of the fridge when I turn the oven on, assuming it should come to close to room temp before baking but that was just a guess.
Hi Jared! I actually don’t bring it to room temperature — there’s no need to do so as the dough will have sufficiently proofed in the fridge. Also scoring cold dough is so much easier than scoring room-temperature dough.
Great recipe! My loaves came out beautifully!!
Wonderful to hear, Kenny!
Hello! I placed my dough in the fridge after the fourth stretch and fold because it was late at night. I just popped it out this morning for the bulk fermentation. Do I need to place it in the fridge again for 12 hours, or can reduce the time since the dough spent the night in the fridge? Please let me know 🙂
Hi Lauren, yes I would. After the bulk fermentation, and after you shape it and transfer it to a banneton or bowl, I would refrigerate it for 24 hours if possible (12 to 18 hours is fine, but you’ll get a better crumb with 24 hours). I know it’s hard to wait, but when you go through the effort, I think it’s worth being patient with the cold proof.
Hi! I have been using this recipe a few times and I have noticed that my loaf isn’t as airy. I was wondering if it maybe is my starter? My bulk fermentation isn’t as bubbly as yours in the straight sided vessel. Could you help? Thank you!
Hi Sylvia! After you feed your starter, how long does it take for it to double in volume? Check out this troubleshooting post for how to strengthen your starter.
Hi
I’m using the starter made 50:50;rye n APF. After doing all the 4 stretch n folds , I kept the dough for 50% rise. It’s late night for me so before the dough could rise till 50% I have kept the dough as it is in the refrigerator.
What can be done tomorrow ?. Keep it out of the refrigerator Nd allow it to rise 50% n then shape n keep it for cold retard for 24hrs??. How can I go about..
Plz guide.
I’m trying your recipe first time.
Thank you.
Hi Grace! Yes, exactly. Remove the dough from the fridge in the morning; let it rise till 50% increase in volume; after you shape it and transfer to its bowl, transfer it to the fridge for 24 hours. Then bake it.
Do you allow the refrigerated dough warm up to room temperature prior to placing it in the Dutch oven, or is it inserted cold from the fridge?
Just cold straight from the fridge. No need to bring it to room temperature. Score it of course, before placing it in the oven.
Hi im new here! It’s my first time making sourdough bread, somehow it feels a bit dense and .. how do I make it lighter?
Hi!
Question for you: are you using a scale? And regarding the density, are you referring to the texture of the dough pre baking or the texture of the finished bread?
I just sliced my first loaf made by following your recipe and videos. Thank you! Thank you! I have tried other recipes without success, but with your help, I created a beautiful boule Not only is it picture perfect, but the taste is delicious.
Now I would like to make your “ whole wheatish ” sourdough bread. I went to the sites which you suggested for purchasing stone milled flour. Community Grains offered quite an education on whole grains on their website, and I would like to buy from them. However, I am unsure of which flour to choose. I would appreciate your guidance.
Wonderful to hear this, Sally! I might try a bag of this first: https://shop.communitygrains.com/collections/polenta/products/hard-red-winter-wheat-flour
And a bag of rye: https://shop.communitygrains.com/collections/polenta/products/organic-gazelle-spring-rye-flour-4-lb-bag
As always: start small: In the whole wheat-ish recipe I recommend using only 50 g of these flours to start; then you can increase gradually. When you are comfortable using them, I might try 275 g bread flour (like KAF), 25 g rye flour, 100 g hard red winter wheat flour.
But start small! Good luck.
Hello! Can’t wait to try this recipe! I’m just curious – if going with either the 1/4 or 1/2 cup of starter does the water ratio stay the same? Thanks! 🙂
Hi Ashley! Yes, it stays the same. I always use 100 g.
Are you supposed to put the cold dough from the fridge right into the preheated pot and start baking? It sounds like it, but I wanted to make sure.
Yes! No need to bring it to room temperature first!
This recipe sounds delicious. Would it be possible to omit the fridge time, as I would really need it by tonight. (it’s currently 8am).
You can try, but I don’t think you’ll get a great crumb. Sourdough, unfortunately, takes time, and I think to get that light, airy crumb, you need a long, cold proof.
Hello, thank you for your reply. I just put it in the oven after 4 hours in the fridge. I guess we’ll se how it goes. I do have another question. My dough always kinda deflates while I’m putting it in the oven. And it doesn’t really rise during baking even if I put it in the fridge over night. What could be the reason?
Hi! Deflating is a sign of over-fermenting or over-proofing.
Are you confident in the strength of your starter? I would give this troubleshooting post a read to help pinpoint where things might be going wrong.
Hello, thank you for your answer. I must say I spoke too quickly. The dough rose beautifully in the oven and the crumb was really good. I got quite a lot of big bubbles. Right now I’m making another loaf and I’m gonna let this one chill in the fridge over night. Thank you for this great recipe. ❤️
Wonderful to hear this! Thanks so much for reporting back 🙂
Hello, I am trying your recipes and seems that it is working for me however I had tried to bake a loaf of sourdough and it didn’t raise. Is this because I did use strong bread flour which has additives. ( I haven’t noticed that till today)?
Bread looks bubbly and airy.
Appreciate your answer x
Hi Otilija! Stong bread flour shouldn’t matter … what additives are in it?
Are you confident in the strength of your starter? Have you made other sourdough breads successfully or is this your first go?
You might want to read this troubleshooting post to pinpoint where things went wrong.
Can we make this with all-purpose flour?
Yes!