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.
3,035 Comments on “Homemade Sourdough Bread, Step by Step”
Hi what size of proving banneton should I get? a 500g or 1kg?
I usually get something in between:
Round
Oval
Hi
Tried this recipe, used 75g of starter as a trial. Only the second loaf we made, but for some reason the recipe was undercooked had to cook it for another 40 mins, any suggestions. The oven was set correctly, we proved it for 36 hours.
Thanks
What are you using to bake the loaf in?
A Le Cruset pan with a lid. It was brown and well cooked on the outside but still quite wet on the inside even after more baking. Thanks
And are you preheating the pan sufficiently? Have you made other sourdough breads successfully in the Le Creuset pan or in your oven?
Hi! Early learning break maker here – so excited to try this recipe though can you help me understand why the range of 50-100 for the starter? Is it a consistency I am looking for? Is it based on the state of the starter? I see a lot of the comments used 75 and that seemed to work. Any clarification/advice on that part would be greatly appreciated!
And by break I clearly meant *bread 🙂
Hi! Using 100 grams of starter will make for a slightly wetter dough, which I love — I always use 100 grams of starter. It also will help the dough rise a little more quickly. 50 grams of starter will make for a slower rise and potentially more sour flavor thanks to that slower rise. Honestly, I don’t think you can go wrong or will actually see much of a difference in the dough if you use either 50 or 100 grams. I say go with 100 grams 🙂
Thank you! This is extremely helpful 😊
Hi! Quick question – if I started my bulk fermentation at 2:30, I would need to wait 8-10 hours before shaping/placing in the fridge. If I don’t want to wait up that late, can I stick it in the fridge? If so, how do I pick back up where I left in the morning?
Thanks!
Yes! When you remove it from the fridge, just pick up where you left off: let the bulk fermentation continue until the dough increases by 50-75% in volume. Make sure the dough is covered in the fridge.
I do think this recipe is foolproof and I like the long cold proof and super hot oven tips. But, I added flax meal and the dough was a bit under cooked in the middle 😕. The crust was lovely and the flax added a nutty flavor. I will bake longer next time I add flax, I guess.
This recipe has worked for me 100% of the time! My loaves come out perfect and delish!
Great to hear, Stefanie 🙂 🙂 🙂 Thanks for writing!
I just started my sourdough journey at the start of the New Year and I am ADDICTED!! Your recipe was so simple to follow and has helped me to make COUNTLESS loaves. Most I have given away to family, friends and church family. Thank you for your help!!
Yay! So nice to read this, Katie. Thanks so much for writing 🙂 🙂 🙂
Followed your instructions to the letter for my first attempt and winner, winner, sourdough dinner!
Woohoo!! Great to hear, Caitlin. Thanks for writing 🙂
This recipe seems to be foolproof! I’ve made about 15 loaves and while no two are exactly the same, everyone of them has been devoured. Thank you for the videos and related text to help me get starte!
Great to hear, Renee! Thanks so much for writing 🙂 🙂 🙂
You say, ” ..if necessary, bake the last 5 to 10 minutes on the oven rack.”
Um, what do we look for to tell that’s needed?
If you want to get more color on your loaf, sometimes it helps to remove it from the pot, especially if you are using a pot with high sides.
Got it. Thankfully, we liked the golden crust we got, so no more fussing required.😉
Great to hear, Leo!
Switching gears, I’m curious about the lack of moisture and steaming tricks, when baking the sandwich loaf in smaller loaf pans that I see with traditional round loaf baked in a Dutch oven.
Hi Leo — not sandwich loaves, I’m not looking for a super crusty crust, so a traditional baking method is fine; for the boules and batards, the Dutch oven creates that steamy environment that helps create a crusty, burnished crust.
Would you make any modifications to take baking temp if someone uses all purpose flour instead of bread flour?
Hi! Can you clarify this “any modifications to take baking temp”? Thanks!
Sorry, I meant “would you make any modifications to the baking temperature or time if someone used all purpose flour vs bread flour”
Was nursing a baby and didn’t proof read 😂🤪
Been there! No worries at all.
Got it: and no, no need to make any modifications there.
Do keep in mind, a dough made with bread flour will be slightly stiffer — bread flour absorbs more water than ap flour — and potentially easier to work with, so keep that in mind if you don’t love working with high hydration doughs.
Good luck!
There wil be yeast in breadflower, isn’t?
I would not use bread flour if it contains yeast.
I’ve searched and searched for a recipe I can follow and this is definitely fool proof. I just used this for my very first sourdough bread and it was a success! My kids won’t stop eating it lol
Great to hear, Katrina! Thanks so much for writing 🙂
Hello,
I’m new. Made a few loafs and they are perfect. Before shaping the loaf can I split it into 2 smaller loafs and if so how would I adjust the time?
Yes! Reduce the baking time by 5 minutes at each phase of the baking process (covered and uncovered).
Making this as we speak!!! or write
Autolyse… You may as well. What you can do is seperate 100g of water for the dissolving of your starter and another 10g to dissolve the salt. You won’t fully dissolve the salt, but you will dissolve a lot.
All of this is going to make it easier to introduce to each other and help to make a more cohesive dough.
Those are great tips, Jeremy! I hate doing an autolyse bc I find it so tricky to incorporate the salt after the initial mixing… I’ll try this 🙂
Let me know how the “divided water” autolyse went!
My first loaf(s) turned out… OK
Timing was terrible, over risen/proofed, so kneaded in a bunch of flour. So turned out a little “toothy”, but the flavor was fantastic!
Working on batch #2. Going to pay attention to my timing, cut the starter from 100g to 50g.
But have already experimented with different pizza recipes using the starter and those have turned out AMAZING.
Will do! Great to read all of this. Always know that you can use your fridge when life gets in the way. I often stick vats of dough in the fridge during the middle of the bulk fermentation if I am worried about overfermentation and not being able to tend to it due to being out of the house (or asleep). Good luck with batch 2!
I have been making french bread for years but not sourdough. I used a different sourdough starter recipe, but followed this for the bread itself. I did a 24 hour fridge rise and used a preheated cast iron round dutch oven with lid. It is literally perfect. Wish I could upload a photo for you! Super recipe.
Great to hear, Laura! Thanks so much for writing 🙂 🙂 🙂
Hi Ali – I’m new to sourdough, I followed this recipe, and my first boule came out amazing! I have a question about mini boules – can I split the dough in two to make two mini boules to share? If so, at what point do I do it? Does it change the proofing/baking time?
Yes! After the bulk fermentation, split the dough into two portions; then proceed with the recipe. Reduce the baking time by 5 minutes at each phase (covered and uncovered).
I had great success with this recipe the first time! It is delicious!!
I am wondering if I can cut the loaf in half and back two smaller loaves.
If this is possible, can you please recommend the cooking time for the smaller loaves?
Yes you can halve it! Reduce the cooking time by 5 minutes at each phase (covered and uncovered).
Am I double this recipe
You can double it!
The first ever loaf made from my own starter, Hyperion. The most beautiful dough I’ve ever worked with. It was not sour at all. Easy to make and work with. My house smells like a bakery!
Great to hear, Laura Mae! Thanks so much for writing 🙂 🙂 🙂
Hi Ali,
Thanks for your recipes, they are really easy to follow and give great results. I’m just wondering about your “no autolyse” comment. In my research into sourdough, the 30 minute rest you recommend just after blending the ingredients IS the autolyse phase. I find that the discussion is whether the salt should be included in this phase or not. Either way, your method is easy and effective. Thanks.
Hi Chris! This is so interesting. I’m going to re-read some of my sourdough materials… my understanding is that a true autolyse is just flour and water — no salt, no starter. I will report back. Thank you for your kind words 🙂
Ik have made this recepy twice, buth both times is collapses afyer the bulk fermentation. Al flat on my counter, I couldn’t make a nice dough ball, all sticky.. second time I decrease the amount of water, buth this didn’t help.. I use normal flower. Is that were it goes wrong? In bread flower here in Holland they put yeast, so that doesn’t seem right to use?
Hi! It sounds as though your dough is overfermenting during the bulk fermentation. I think you need to shorten your bulk fermentation. Are you new to sourdough? Is this your first sourdough loaf? Or have you had success with other recipes?
I would check out this troubleshooting post: Why is my sourdough so sticky? 4 Common Sourdough Mistakes + Answers to FAQ’s
Hi Ali, made this last week and it turned out amazing! I’d like to start experimenting with flavours like adding garlic or olives. Do you have any tips or adjustments you’d make? Thanks in advance xx
Great to hear, Ande! I suggest adding flavorings after the second set of stretches and folds; then be sure to do at least two more sets of stretches and folds to ensure the ingredients are incorporated evenly.
Thanks so much for your help 🙂
Will give it a try!
Perfect instructions. Thank you.
Great to hear, Sally!
My loaves using your recipe have been delicious. They have a great crumb and a crispy crust. But it seems like my loaves should be bigger. I weighed the last one and it weighed 838 grams. Does that seem right based on this recipe? I used 75 grams of starter.
That seems almost right… maybe a little small:
75 g
375 g
500 g
12 g
This should total: 962 grams
I’ve made this recipe many times & it has never failed for me! Love it! One question though, i would like to make a loaf that’s a bit more sour. My loaves have never been very sour. Is it cause I always use 100g of starter? I like using 100g starter cause it makes a high hydration loaf. Would I need to cut back on the starter so it rises slower, yielding a more sour loaf? If so how would I keep the same hydration in the dough. Sorry, hope this makes sense.🙈
Hi and yes, this makes total sense: less starter will yield a more sour loaf due because 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.
Using just 5 more grams of water and 50 grams of starter, will keep the hydration at 77%:
500 grams flour
50 grams starter
380 grams water
9-12 grams salt
Thanks❤️ will try it!
Question. What is the purpose of the 30 min rest seam side up and re shape before cold fermentation? I don’t recall seeing this before in other recipes so wondering if needed or purpose. Thanks
Hi! It’s called the “bench rest” and it’s a typical step for these types of sourdough loaves. I absolutely have skipped it without adverse affects, so definitely do so if you are pressed for time.
I love love love this recipe! Sometimes the bottom of my loaf is too thick and is difficult to cut through though. It doesn’t look burnt. Do you have any suggestions to help with that? I use my cast iron Dutch oven with parchment paper. Thanks!
Hi Taryn!
If you are after a crusty boule, but you just want it a little less crusty, there are a few things you can do:
Use rice flour as opposed to bread flour for dusting.
Be sure you are using a good Dutch oven, which will create a good steamy environment during the first 25-30 minutes of baking. These are two I like: 5-Qt Lodge Double Dutch oven and The Challenger Bread Pan.
Spray your dough with water before covering the Dutch oven.
Lower the baking temperature. Continue to preheat your Dutch oven at a hot setting (500ºF or above) but lower the oven temperature to 425ºF when you place your dough in it. Bake it for 30 minutes covered. Uncover the pan and transfer the loaf to a sheet pan. Bake for 15 minutes more or so. If you have an instant read thermometer, it should register 207ºF or above to ensure the bread is cooked.
LOVE this recipe. Has any one calculated the calories for this bread? I have been trying but my math isn’t mathing.
we’ve declared it calorie-free. it’s too good to care 🙂
Hi Ali!
My son received some starter as a gift from Mindy’s Bakery in Chicago. He left it behind and asked me to feed it and mail it to him. I had no idea what I was doing and panicked! Already a fan of your blog, I found your instructions so valuable! I fed it, mailed it and kept the discard myself. I’m baking my 7th loaf while writing. It’s been a little trial and error but not much. No disasters as of yet. Any suggestions to soften the bottom crust? It’s nice and crispy, but we have to really saw through it to cut a slice. I’ve tried NOT preheating the dutch oven and reducing the flour by 50g. Not a lot of change. I use King Arthur brand flour. Thanks for the incredible wealth of information! It made a baker out of me.
This is so awesome, Brenda! I love that you took care of your son’s starter and then became a sourdough baker as a result 🙂
A few thoughts: you could make this recipe instead: Easy Sourdough Sandwich Bread, which is baked in a loaf pan — similar in flavor to the one you are making here but different texture, especially in the crust.
Or here are a few more ideas:
If you are using a preheated Dutch oven, consider lowering the temperature. Before you make changes to the temperature, however, next time you bake, check on the loaf after 30 minutes. If it is browning too much on the bottom, you know that it’s happening during these first 30 minutes, in which case, you should lower the temperature from the start. Decrease it by 25ºF.If the loaf is not browning, then you know the browning is happening during the last 15-20 minutes of baking, in which case you could remove the loaf from the pot after 30 minutes and bake it on a sheet pan.
Another option: place your Dutch oven on two sheet pans. I do this with challah to prevent the bottom from burning. The extra layer of sheet pans may prevent the bottom of your sourdough from crisping up too much.
Finally: Use rice flour for dusting — it makes all the difference. It does not burn the way wheat flour does. It also doesn’t coat the loaves with an unpleasant raw flour taste. One bag will last you a long time.
Ali, Number 1 Fan Club Member here.
It’s taken me a year since first receiving my starter to get to baking a loaf. I’ve baked discard everything – crackers (your recipe), pancakes (Martha Stewart pumpkin pancakes), scones (blueberry – your recipe) – and today I baked and ate my first loaf. Your instructions are so easy to follow, make sense out of a rather complex process, and created an amazing loaf of sourdough. I can’t wait to bake my next loaf and get into the routine of a weekly sourdough loaf. Thank you for creating such easy to follow instructions and videos (I need to work creating tension). (fyi – I used 100 gm starter – my kitchen is freezing this time of year).
So nice to read all of this, Cindy! Sourdough is definitely a process and I’m glad you took your time with the discard recipes and learned to find your rhythm — it’s almost like learning a new language, and the best way to learn it is to practice. Thank you for writing and sharing all of these notes. Building tension will come!