Simple Sourdough Bread From Scratch
If you’re just getting started making sourdough bread, this easy recipe is perfect for beginners! All you need is a bubbly and active starter, some bread flour, water, and salt, and you’ll be on your way to enjoying nourishing sourdough bread that is soft on the inside and has a crisp golden crust on the outside!
I feel like sourdough bread is one of those things that seems super complicated but actually isn’t at all (or at least, it doesn’t need to be!).
I created this recipe well over a year ago and have been consistently making dozens and dozens of loaves of tasty sourdough bread with it. It’s my tried and true recipe!
This recipe is easy and straight to the point. You’re going to need flour, water, salt, and an active sourdough starter. That’s it, folks!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy to follow
- Simple recipe
- No fancy vocabulary words (looking at you, 85% hydration) or ingredients
- Tasty as all get out!
Ingredients
- active starter
- bread flour
- warm filtered water
- salt
Equipment
- kitchen scale – This one is important. Weighing your ingredients is far more accurate than using measuring cups (this is true in all baking, but especially when baking sourdough bread!). They are very reasonably priced. I got mine off Amazon. If you buy nothing else but this for sourdough baking, you’re golden.
- dough whisk – I like using my dough whisk to combine the starter, flour, and water initially. You can also use your hands or a wooden spoon.
- mixing bowl
- bread lame – This is the utensil (blade) that you score the sourdough bread with.
- bread banneton – Also known as proofing baskets. For a while, I simply proofed my sourdough bread in the same glass mixing bowl in which I combined all the ingredients in. Use what you have if you can’t get all the equipment.
- dough scraper – This one isn’t necessary. It’s helpful, but I don’t reach for mine very often.
- parchment paper or a bread sling – I usually use parchment paper, but others prefer the bread sling.
- Dutch oven (or other oven-safe baking dish)
Step-By-Step Instructions (With Video!)
I highly recommend watching the video below before you get started (especially if you’re a visual person). Watching it first will help you understand how to work through each step and what the dough should look like.
Step One: Feed your starter 4-6 hours before starting the dough. The starter is active and ready to use when it’s about doubled in size and bubbly.
Step Two: Mix the dough and let rest for 30 minutes. Use a kitchen scale to measure out the ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, add 150 grams of active sourdough starter, 400 grams of lukewarm filtered water, and 550 grams of bread flour.
Mix all the ingredients with your dough whisk. The dough is going to look shaggy and that’s just fine.
Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and allow it to rest in a warm area for 30 minutes.
Step Three: Add salt and start the stretch and folds. After about 30 minutes, add 10 grams of salt. I use my fingers to press the salt into the dough.
Then start the first set of stretch and folds. Gently pull the dough from one side of the bowl up and fold it over the dough ball. Rotate your bowl 90 degrees and stretch and fold the dough again. Repeat until you’ve worked around the bowl for 4 total stretch and folds.
Step Four: Bulk Fermentation begins (4-6 hours). Cover with a towel and place in a warm place. Repeat the stretch and folds every 30-45 minutes for 4-6 hours.
Towards the end of the bulk fermentation process, I switch from stretch and folds to coil folds.
To coil fold, bring both your hands under the middle of the dough and gently stretch the dough up, then tuck it under the ball of dough. Rotate 90 degrees and repeat 3 more times.
The dough is ready to be shaped once it has increased in size by 50-100%.
Step Five: Shape the dough. Scrape the dough out onto a clean and lightly floured surface. Stretch the dough out into a rectangle about 8″ by 15″.
Stretch each corner of the dough out and fold it into the center of the rectangle. Wrap the dough in a similar shape to a burrito, then fold the short sides underneath the dough.
To create tension in the dough, use both hands to push the dough away from you and coax it back multiple times, shaping it into a ball.
Flour the banneton and use a scraper or your hands to flip the dough ball top down into the banneton.
Step Six: Refrigerate overnight (12-24 hours). Cover the banneton and place the dough in the fridge overnight for around 12 hours. This is the final proof.
Step Seven: Bake the bread. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Place your Dutch oven in the oven and allow it to heat for 30-60 minutes.
Lay out some parchment paper, sprinkle with flour, and remove the dough from the fridge. Flip the banneton upside down on top of the parchment paper and sprinkle the top of the dough with rice flour (optional).
Step Eight: Score the bread. Use a bread lame to score the bread. I like to make light leaf-like scores and one deep cut through the middle of the bread.
You can get as creative as you’d like at this part or keep it nice and simple with one deep cut.
Why does bread scoring matter? By exposing parts of the dough’s interior, scoring contributes to a variation in crust texture—crispy edges around the cuts and a softer crust elsewhere.
Step Nine: Bake the bread! The time has finally arrived, people. We are about to bake the bread.
Remove the Dutch oven from the oven. Sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons of uncooked rice or cornmeal evenly on the bottom of the pan. Then place the parchment paper and dough into the Dutch oven.
Bake covered for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the cover and bake uncovered for another 30 minutes. The bread is baked after 60 total minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow it to rest for 30-60 minutes before slicing and enjoying.
Tips for Making This Sourdough Bread the Best
- Water Temperature – When adding water to the mixing bowl, it’s best to have it lukewarm. We’re aiming for between 75 degrees Fahrenheit and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. For best results, use filtered water.
- Room Temperature – A warm environment (about 70-75 degrees Fahrenheit) is best to allow the sourdough starter to activate and the dough to rise during bulk fermentation.
- Avoid a Tough Crust – To avoid the bottom of the bread getting too crispy, sprinkle some uncooked rice (about 1-2 tablespoons evenly spread out) on the bottom of the Dutch oven before covering it with parchment paper and the dough. The rice helps create a slight cushion that may distribute heat more evenly across the bottom of the loaf, preventing hotspots or burning.
Simple Sourdough Bread
Ingredients
- 150 grams sourdough starter active and bubbly
- 400 grams warm water
- 550 grams bread flour
- 10 grams salt
Instructions
- Feed your starter 4-6 hours before starting the dough. Your starter is active and ready to use when it has roughly doubled in size and is full of bubbles.
- Mix the dough and let rest for 30 minutes. Use a kitchen scale to accurately measure your ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, combine 150 grams of active sourdough starter, 400 grams of lukewarm filtered water, and 550 grams of bread flour.Mix the ingredients using a dough whisk or your hands until fully combined. The dough will look shaggy, which is perfectly normal.Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let the dough rest in a warm spot for 30 minutes.
- Add salt and start the stretch and folds. After the dough has rested for 30 minutes, sprinkle 10 grams of salt evenly over the surface. Use your fingers to gently press the salt into the dough.Begin the first set of stretch and folds. Gently lift the dough from one side of the bowl, stretch it upward, and fold it over the center. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat. Continue until you’ve completed 4 stretch and folds, working your way around the bowl.
- Bulk Fermentation begins (4-6 hours). Cover with a towel and place in a warm place. Repeat the stretch and folds every 30-45 minutes for 4-6 hours. Towards the end of the bulk fermentation process, I switch from stretch and folds to coil folds. To coil fold, bring both your hands under the middle of the dough and gently stretch the dough up, then tuck it under the ball of dough. Rotate 90 degrees and repeat 3 more times. The dough is ready to be shaped once it has increased in size by 50-100%.
- Shape the dough. Scrape the dough out onto a clean and lightly floured surface. Stretch the dough out into a rectangle about 8" by 15".Stretch each corner of the dough out and fold it into the center of the rectangle. Wrap the dough in a similar shape to a burrito, then fold the short sides underneath the dough.To create tension in the dough, use both hands to push the dough away from you and coax it back multiple times, shaping it into a ball. Flour the banneton and use a scraper or your hands to flip the dough ball top down into the banneton.
- Refrigerate overnight (12-24 hours). Cover the banneton and place the dough in the fridge overnight for around 12 hours. This is the final proof.
- Bake the bread. Preheat the oven to 450°F (232°C) and place your Dutch oven inside to heat for 30–60 minutes.Prepare a sheet of parchment paper by sprinkling it with flour. Take the dough out of the fridge, then turn the banneton upside down onto the parchment paper to release the dough. Optionally, sprinkle the top of the dough with rice flour.
- Score the bread. Use a bread lame to score the dough. I prefer to create light, leaf-like patterns along with one deep slash down the center. Feel free to get creative with your designs or keep it simple with a single deep cut.Why does bread scoring matter? Scoring reveals parts of the dough's interior, creating a crust with varied textures—crisp edges around the cuts and a softer crust in other areas.
- Bake the bread! Carefully remove the Dutch oven from the oven and sprinkle 1–2 tablespoons of uncooked rice or cornmeal evenly across the bottom of the pan. Place the parchment paper with the dough on top of the prepared surface.Cover the Dutch oven and bake for 30 minutes. Then, uncover and bake for an additional 30 minutes. After a total of 60 minutes, your bread will be fully baked.Remove it from the oven and let it rest for 30–60 minutes to cool before slicing and savoring.
