Easy Sourdough Bread

New to sourdough bread? Here’s the easiest recipe for no-fail, Sourdough Bread with step-by-step instructions that thousands of readers have had great success with! Includes 3 videos.

Learn how to make your own homemade sourdough starter from scratch here!

Are we free enough to open to the flow, no matter what it may contain?

Dorothy Hunt

Last week, I shared my recipe for Simple Sourdough Starter with you and by now your starter may be happy and bubbly and ready to bake your first loaf of sourdough bread!

This beginner’s guide to Sourdough Bread is almost fail-proof, it is so simple. Kids have mastered it! Learn the basics, then use it as a launching pad for your own creative sourdough journey.

Some of you too may even open up your own bakery (like some of our readers) be sure to read through the success stories in the comments!

My lovely friend Bee (from H is for Love) taught me how to make sourdough bread, now over 10 years ago and it hasn’t failed me yet all the while bringing me so much joy over the years.

This Sourdough Bread recipe is flexible and easy but most importantly it works with my schedule. It doesn’t require a lot of hands-on time- although there is a tiny bit, just enough to make it feel wonderfully gratifying.

Why I love this Sourdough Bread Recipe

The dough is made the night before and proofs overnight on the counter (10-12 hours) and bakes in the morning. (Alternately, the dough can be made in the morning and baked at night).  

Because my schedule allows me to be home in the mornings, this bread schedule works well for me.

It’s very flexible too and can be placed in the fridge if plans change, and something comes up, and I can’t bake in the morning, slowing the process down.

Inversely, you could mix the dough early in the morning and bake it that night.

There are many ways to make Sourdough bread. Many of you are well beyond this recipe in terms of expertise, technique and knowledge and this may not the recipe for you, but if you are new, this may help clear up a few things. 😉 But first…

What is Sourdough Bread?

In the simplest terms, it is bread made without commercial yeast, but rather a “sourdough starter”  instead. Think of this like “wild” yeast. The starter is what makes the bread rise.

You can make sourdough starter at home (takes  5-8 days) or purchase it here.  To maintain it – you’ll store it in a jar, and feed it.  Like a pet. 🙂 Yes, you can even name it.

Bread made with sourdough starter has so much more flavor and complexity than yeasted bread. It is also much easier to digest because it is fermented. Many people who are gluten-sensitive do much better with bread made from sourdough starter.

We offer this Sourdough Making Kit at our Bowl and Pitcher Shop if you are interested. 

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How to make Sourdough Bread (Step-by-step)

***Scroll down to the recipe card for concise instructions. 

STEP ONE:  Feed your sourdough starter in the morning 8-12 hours before making your bread dough -leaving it out on the counter-using it slightly after it peaks. Always use a slightly “hungry” starter.  TIP: You know your starter is active and healthy if it doubles within 6 hours of feeding.

STEP TWO: In a large bowl, weigh bread flour (520 grams ) using a kitchen scale- being careful not to include the bowl’s weight. Here I’m using roughly 4 cups of flour, spooned and leveled. (3 1/2 cups of organic white bread flour and a 1/2 cup rye flour.)

THEN Add 2 teaspoons salt and seeds if you like- here I’ve added 1 tsp fennel seeds, 1/2 teaspoon caraway and 1 tablespoon chia seeds.- I love this combination. Yes, you can add other spices and seeds. Get creative, but for the first loaf, I suggest going easy.

STEP THREE:  Stir down the starter, then mix 1/3 cup of sourdough starter (90 grams) with water (385 grams) using a fork.

It will look like cloudy water.

STEP FOUR: Pour the starter/water mixture into the flour mixture and stir, using a fork, into a thick, sticky ball. Switch to a wood spoon. Mix the dough for one minute to incorporate all the bread flour, using the wooden spoon.  Just try your best to incorporate all the flour.

It will be thick, shaggy and hard to mix. If the flour absolutely won’t mix in, then add a tablespoon of water at a time to incorporate it.  Sometimes whole grain flours are “thirstier” than white flour so you may need a little more water, a tablespoon at a time.

Dough will be heavy, thick and sticky (see photo below) to begin with, but will loosen up as it rests and proofs. Cover with a damp kitchen towel, for 15 minutes.

STEP 5:  Do 2 sets of  “stretch and folds” to help build the gluten.  Do this twice, 15 minutes apart.  Watch the first video here below.  With wet hands, stretch and fold.  Let rest 15 minutes covered, then repeat.

STEP 6: PROOF Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel  (wet it thoroughly, then wring it out) and let the dough rise on the kitchen counter overnight 8-12 hours. This is the tricky part that gets easier as you practice. Every environment is different. And seasons will affect proofing time. Warmer homes proof much faster, colder homes, much slower. In midwinter in the Northwest, I’ve even proofed for as long as 18 hours on the counter. Here in Santa Barbara, in summer, the dough was ready in 8 hours.

TIP You can’t always look at the clock, you MUST look at the dough. It should be slightly domed, springy, slightly jiggly like a happy, full belly, almost doubled. Shake the bowl, look for a little jiggle. 

Do the poke test: Carefully poke the dough with a floured finger, 1/2 inch deep. If it is easy to indent, and the dough springs back, this is a good sign it has risen enough. If the dough feels very firm and hard to indent, it probably needs to proof longer. If the dough doesn’t spring back, holding the indentation, or feels overly soft, liquidy or loose- it is probably over-proofed. Don’t toss it. You can still bake it but will not rise as much in the oven and will be harder to handle. Put it in the fridge to firm it up a bit before doing the stretch and fold. You may still get an OK loaf. Hard to tell.

PREPARE the SHAPING BOWl:  Place a piece of parchment in a bowl.  I like using a high-sided medium-sized bowl versus a flat or shallow bowl, to help shore up the sides.

NOTE on Parchment: I use this parchment brand. It doesn’t stick or burn. If unsure about yours, spray your parchment with a little oil to prevent sticking.

As you progress in your baking journey, you may want to use a Banneton (bread-proofing basket below). If using a Banneton, flour it well (rice flour works best here) and place any seeds on the bottom, placing dough seam-side up.

I will say- if starting out, it can be a bit tricky to flip the Banneton into the hot dutch oven, and have it land centered. I prefer to flip it onto parchment, score, then place the parchment and dough into the hot dutch oven. Up to you.

With using the parchment in a regular bowl, there is no flipping, just lifting by the parchment and placing it in the dutch oven. MUCH EASIER FOR BEGINNERS.

STEP 7: STRETCH and SHAPE

Watch the 2nd video below for a different “stretch and shape” technique to use AFTER the dough has been proofed.  Loosen the dough from the edges of a bowl with a wet spatula or wet plastic dough scraper, sliding it down the sides of the bowl.

With wet hands, carefully pull the dough up on each side, lift it up about 1-2 feet high, and place it back down, folding it on top of itself gently.

Wet your hands again and give the bowl a quarter turn and do this again. (You could repeat this 20 minutes later)  Then the 3rd time you lift and stretch, you will either lift it all the way up into your parchment-lined bowl seam side down. (EASIEST)  or into the floured proofing basket,  seam side up (pinching it closed). 

AS you see above, the dough after proofing will become much looser. The starter has metabolized the flour overnight. This can be tricky to handle. BUT, using wet hands and learning the 2nd stretch and shape technique in the second video above, will make the wet dough much easier to handle. Trust me here. 🙂

After the second set, lift the dough into the parchment-lined bowl.

Sprinkle with seeds if you like.

Sprinkle with a little flour or rice flour (makes it easier to score) especially if using the banneton, get those sides sprinkled well- so it flips out without catching!

STEP 8: FINAL RISE and PREHEAT OVEN:

Place the dough in the fridge for one hour (or up to 3) while you heat up the oven to 500F with your dutch oven inside (PLEASE SEE NOTES ) for 50-60 minutes. Chilling the dough will make it easier to score and give it a little more “oven spring”.  It is not intended to rise here.

STEP 9:  SCORE & BAKE.

Score:  Grease your blade or lame,  and score the dough swiftly and deeply, at a 45-degree angle, 3/4 inch deep. Score where you want the dough to puff up. You can do one simple slash, a crescent, or a crisscross, or feel free to add other designs. (Just google sourdough scoring designs and be mesmerized for hours!)  Oiling the knife helps. The lame really does make this 100 times easier!

Carefully take out the dutch oven from the oven and close the oven door. Remove the lid. Gently lift your dough holding onto the parchment corners, and lift it into the dutch oven, and quickly cover.

Bake: Place in the middle of the oven for 18-22 mins. Remove the lid; it should be nicely puffed, lightly golden, and around 200F.  This is your goal. Continue baking 10- 15 minutes until deeply golden and internal temp reaches 208F.

Pull it out, place it on a rack and let it cool before cutting. The HARDEST part!  😂

Please try to get your loaves crusty and deeply golden. Let them go a bit longer than you might think. 🙂

It will smell heavenly and you will feel proud. Bask in it! It truly is an accomplishment!!

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SOURDOUGH BREAD TIPS:

1. SOURDOUGH STARTER:   Using your starter slightly after its peak will ensure your bread rises sufficiently. Make sure your starter is healthy, strong and “hungry”, and doubles in size 6 hours after feeding. If you like a more “sour” taste, use an un-fed starter that has been stored in the fridge 5-6 days- and use without feeding it first.
2. FLOUR: For your very first loaf, I highly suggest just using Organic White Bread Flour and be sure to weigh it. ***Please “zero out” the weight of the bowl.  Weigh the flour without salt, seeds, or other additions. Try substituting a 1/2 cup of flour for another kind. For example, 3 1/2 cups white bread flour, plus 1/2 cup rye or whole wheat. If you add more whole grain than that, your loaf will be quite heavy and dense. I really don’t want this for your first loaf and neither do you. You want it to be amazing so you feel inspired to make it again and again. So be patient. After several practice loaves- yes, fiddle with other flours as much as you like!
3. WATER: (Hydration)  385 grams A wet dough will produce a lot of beautiful air pockets but it is much harder to work with, in the beginning.  A dryer dough will yield a slightly denser,  less airy loaf but will be easier to work with, in the beginning. This one falls towards the later – at 75% hydration- but you can easily adjust this down the road, as you practice, by adding a little more water or less flour in the initial mixing stage. To calculate the hydration level, you divide the water grams by the flour grams. In this case 385 divided by 520 = .75 or 75% hydration. As you get more comfortable, try for 80%-85% hydration, adding in a few extra folds at both stages.
4. ADDITIONS:  If you want to start adding things to your bread- nuts, olives, cheese, dried fruit, roasted garlic, etc., I recommend folding these in after it rises overnight. Use this recipe for Rosemary Olive Sourdough Bread as a guide.
5. BAKING:  500F. Always preheat. If you have convection, use it! Use a 4-6 quart dutch oven: Make sure your dutch oven can handle a 500F oven. Plastic handles will melt. If not, 475F or 450F will suffice, but you’ll need to bake it longer (25-ish minutes) before removing the lid, then bake for 10-15 more minutes uncovered.  Always check bread with a  thermometer.

TROUBLE-SHOOTING Sourdough Bread 

1. OVER-PROOFED: If your dough feels overly runny, loose, or breaks, after proofing,  you have probably over-proofed it or possibly incorrectly measured the flour/water.  Note the rising time and temperature in your home, and shorten this next time.  It’s easy to overproof in very warm climates. You can tell if it is over-proofed if the dough is flat and runny with lots of air bubbles at the top (meaning it probably peaked already and now is going down) or doesn’t spring back when you do the poke test, or breaks when stretched.  Even still you could try to bake it (might as well at this point, right? ) Do the 2nd video stretch and folds-it will be runny, so manage as best you can and put it in the fridge to firm it up a bit before baking.) Turn “imperfect loaves” into croutons,  bread crumbs, etc.
2. UNDER-PROOFED: Gummy dense bread with big holes. This usually means your bread didn’t proof (rise) long enough in the initial overnight rise or the sourdough starter wasn’t “strong/active” enough. Double-check that your starter is doubling in size within 6 hours of being fed. Note the time and temp in your house, and it let rise longer next time.   This can happen if you are used to baking in summer and now shifting into winter. The kitchen is colder so the dough will require longer proofing. You will be able to tell when you do your second set of stretch and folds. If it is not stretching like the video it probably has not proofed long enough. Just let it go longer -or leave it out to rise in the bowl after shaping (instead of putting it in the fridge) for an hour or two. Gummy bread can be turned into croutons. Or try toasting the bread before consuming it, it may help the texture.
3. Not Rising: It could be the starter. Is it healthy and active? Did you use “hungry” starter, using it after it has peaked? Double-check your starter is doubling in size within 6 hours of being fed. Also, I’ve found this type of dough will not rise and puff up as much as other bread doughs. It may only rise by  1 1/2 or 1 3/4 (not actually doubling in size). Just look for that slight dome and jiggly belly feel,  and do the “poke test”.  It will flatten out overnight, with a subtle swell (like a full belly)  or slight dome and a bouncy spring to the touch. Check the temp with a thermometer. If it is under 70F it might just take a little longer.  If you want to be very precise about the rise, and the rise time, you can measure the overnight rise in a 2-quart measuring container with clear sides the first few times to get an idea rise level and timing.  It should rise by 1.5 or 1.75, so not quite double. I found this practice to be very helpful.
4. Flavorless: Did you forget the salt? Salt is imperative here.
5. Too Sour: The “hungrier” the starter, the sourer the bread. Feed the starter 8-10 hours before baking for less sour loaves.
6. Not sour enough: Use an unfed starter. The longer it’s unfed ( within the 7 days) the sourer it will be.
7. Many people accidentally mismeasure the flour because they forget to “zero out” the weight of the bowl or measuring cup on the scale! Check your weight (without seeds, salt or any additions) only flour.
8. GUMMY BREAD: If you are sure you are not under-proofing your dough, and that your starter is strong ( doubles within 6 hours of feeding) check that your oven temp is accurate. Buy an oven thermometer and double-check that it is indeed getting hot enough. Confirm bread is 200F when you remove the lid, and 208F after baking uncovered. Adjust timing if need be.  Lastly, test letting your bread sit longer before cutting- like 4 hours.
9. Weird sweet flavor/scent: Your starter may have been contaminated with unpleasant bacteria. Bread should taste/smell heavenly, earthy and “bready” after coming out of the oven. Like the best smell ever. 🙂
10. Burned Bottoms: Perhaps lower heat to 475F with a slightly longer bake. Also, try placing a sheet pan under the dutch oven (but don’t preheat the sheet pan). Or add a layer of cornmeal below the parchment. Burnt bottoms seem to happen mostly in electric ovens.
11. Flat loaves with lots of holes: Over-proofed. Make croutons. 🙂
12. Starter: If your starter floated, but no longer floats, but still doubles in size after feeding within 6-8 hours, it is probably fine to use in baking (this is what you have been telling me).

WAys to use Sourdough Starter

1. Soft Sourdough Rolls
2. Sourdough English Muffins
3. Sourdough Baguettes
4. Sourdough Crackers
5. Vegan Banana Bread
6. Overnight Sourdough Waffles 
7. Sourdough Pancakes 
8. Sourdough Scones 
9. Sourdough Biscuits
10. Sourdough Buns
11. Sourdough croutons 

The Sourdough Making Kit is available at our Bowl and Pitcher Shop if you are interested. 

For the love of Sourdough

Sourdough baking is such a satisfying hobby.  Making your first “good” loaf is the BEST feeling EVER! Know that every time you bake, your bread will get better and better as long as your starter is healthy and active.

I suggest that you make the same exact loaf, repeatedly, a few times to get it down before changing any variables. Consider this first month of baking as “practicing”.  The most challenging thing is getting to know your environment, temperature and timing, and getting your starter healthy.

So just be patient, keep trying and don’t give up. I promise, you will get it! Sometimes it just takes time.

Enjoy the process,

xoxoxo

Sylvia

More Sourdough Recipes

Simple Sourdough Starter

Sourdough Pizza Crust

Rosemary Olive Sourdough Bread

Sourdough Crackers

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