Beginners Sourdough Bread Recipe (with video)

It’s easier than you think to make this easy sourdough bread recipe for beginners! It’s long-fermented, crispy crust on the outside, soft & chewy inside, and oh so good!

This sourdough bread recipe is a bit different because it uses 2 cups of starter… Most recipes only call for 1/2 a cup. The extra sourdough starter helps this bread to rise faster and bulk ferment faster, so you can actually make it in one day, if you want!

4 Basic Sourdough Bread Recipe Ingredients

• sourdough starter This takes the place of commercial yeast in common bread. (100% hydration means your sourdough starter is made from half water and half flour in equal parts by weight;)
• sifted all-purpose flour (You can also use whole grain flours and Bread flour!)
• filtered warm water (cold water will make dough take longer to rise.)
• salt

Basic Tools

These tools make making sourdough bread easier and can help it to turn out fluffier and prettier. But you can most definitely make sourdough bread without some of them! Here are the tools I use:

• Large Mixing Bowl
• A Bench Scraper – to keep sticky dough off the counter and in your loaf.
• Dutch Oven – For best results use a Dutch oven with a lid. (Dutch ovens with lids hold in moisture while cooking bread causing the bread to rise more, or spring, better than cooking on a baking sheet or pan.)
• Parchment Paper – This is a luxury, not a necessity but I really love using it!
• Proofing Basket or Banneton or towel lined bowl – These baskets give your loaf those pretty circle designs around the loaf as it shapes into the basket over night.
• Tea Towel to Cover the rising dough with.
• A Wooden Spoon or Danish Whisk
• *Optional stand mixer with a dough hook. I just use my Danish whisk and hands.
• Razor or very sharp thin knife for scoring.
• Many sourdough bread recipes require you to use a kitchen scale, I do not use one for this recipe, and it turns out great every time… But I’m including weight measurements in the recipe card if you want to;)

Start a Sourdough Starter

Homemade sourdough starter is a natural yeast, made from collecting wild yeasts from grains and in the air, that collect and grow in a mixture of flour and water. These wild yeasts make the dough rise as they ferment it! Choose a non-reactive container for your starter glass jars work great. (Avoid metal containers, some metals react with the acid in sourdough and affect the fermentation process.)

This sourdough starter is allowed to ferment for several days to develop the wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria, which give sourdough its unique flavor and leavening ability in breads. The active starter is nice and bubbly, and that’s the way you want it for use in this recipe.

If you are interested in making your own homemade starter, I share with you how to make sourdough starter from scratch!

How to Use Sourdough Starter For This Recipe

Take the Starter out of the Fridge: If your sourdough starter has been refrigerated, take it out and let it come to room temperature for a few hours. It’s best to use a well-fed and active starter for baking.

Feed the Starter: Before using the starter, it’s a good practice to feed it to ensure it’s active and strong. Add equal parts of water and flour to your starter. Learn more about activating your starter here.

Measure the Amount Needed: The amount of starter you need is 2 cups of sourdough starter, or 400 grams, for this recipe. You can use a kitchen scale to measure by weight, which is more accurate, or use measuring cups. I use 3/4 cup all purpose or bread flour (100 grams) and 2/3 cup (100 grams) filtered water for this recipe. And you’ll need 2/3-3/4 cup active starter (100 grams). This should get you 2 cups of active bubbly starter at the right hydration so that the bread dough isn’t too sticky.

Incorporate into Your Recipe: Once your starter is active, you can incorporate it into your sourdough recipe. Follow the steps in this sourdough recipe for mixing, bulk fermentation, shaping, proofing, and baking.

Maintain Your Starter: After using the portion of starter for your bread, don’t forget to feed and maintain the remaining starter. If you’re not baking frequently, you can return it to the refrigerator and feed it regularly (weekly or bi-weekly) to keep it active;)

Instructions

• In a large mixing bowl (not metal) add “Levain”: 2 cups of 100% hydration active sourdough starter. To make the “Levain” add 3/4 cup all purpose or bread flour (100 grams) and 2/3 cup (100 grams) filtered water with 2/3-3/4 cup active starter (100 grams). Let this sit on the counter till doubled in size. This will yield 2 cups of active bubbly starter to use in the recipe. If you just use your starter without mixing it this way, the bread may be too sticky.
• Add 3 cups of sifted bread flour, or 360 grams. (Sift or fluff your flour before measuring so it isn’t too compact in the measuring cup.)
• Add 1 cup of warm water
• Add 1.5 teaspoons salt. (I use the Himalayan Pink Salt, use your favorite!)
• Use a large spoon to mix the ingredients together. It will be wet, shaggy dough.
• Cover this shaggy dough with a clean damp kitchen towel, and let the dough rest in a warm place for 2 hours. (Or in a warm oven (about 80 degrees) for about 1 hour)

Stretch & Folds

First stretch and fold: After 2 hours of rising on your counter, uncover the dough, with wet hands pick up one side of the dough and fold it in half, over on top of the other side of the dough. Turn the bowl 90 degrees. Repeat 4-6 times by stretching and folding over all four sides of the dough, then rotating the bowl and repeating the stretch and folds on all sides. (The dough does not stick to wet hands as badly as dry hands.)

Rise: Cover with a clean towel (or plastic wrap), and let the dough rise (about 45 minutes depending on the temperature of your kitchen) or till doubled again.

Second stretch & fold: Uncover the dough, wet your hands, then pick up one side of the dough and fold it in half, over on top of the other side of the dough. Rotate bowl 90 degrees. Repeat 4-6 times by stretching and folding over all four sides of the dough. The dough is becoming more bread-like now!

Rise: Cover with a clean towel, and let rise till doubled again.

3rd stretch and fold: Uncover the dough, wet your hands, then pick up one side of the dough and fold it in half, over on top of the other side of the dough. Rotate the dough 90 degrees. Repeat 4-6 times by stretching and folding over all four sides of the dough. The dough is even more smooth and bread-like now!

Rise: Cover with a clean towel, and let rise till doubled again.

4th stretch and fold: Uncover the dough, wet your hands, then pick up one side of the dough and fold it in half, over on top of the other side of the dough. Turn the dough 90 degrees. Repeat stretch and folds 4-6 times by stretching and folding over all four sides of the dough, rotating the dough and doing it on all 4 sides each time. The dough is fluffy and bread-like now!

Shape your dough into a round loaf.

• Dust a towel, or proofing basket, generously with flour and put it into a large round bowl to rise one last time.
• Turn bread dough out onto a lightly floured work surface,
• Final Shape- Shape dough into a round loaf by pushing it back and forth to build surface tension on your loaf.
• Using a bench scraper, Place the dough ball into the floured towel in the large bowl, or into a floured banneton basket.
• Dust the top of dough ball generously with flour.
• Cover with a towel by folding over the ends (or use another clean towel.)
• Place the bowl into the refrigerator to chill and rise overnight, as bulk fermentation and final rise. (Now you can rest and pick up where you left of the next day!)

Day 2 – Baking Sourdough Bread

The next morning, when you are ready to bake, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. and place your dutch oven into the oven to preheat too.

Cut a 2-foot section of parchment and place it on your counter.

Gently dump your chilled bread dough ball onto a large piece of parchment paper.

Lightly dust the top with flour, and spread it evenly over top with your hand, being careful not to push the dough down.

Scoring Sourdough Bread

Using a very sharp knife or razor blade, score a design into the top of your dough.

Score the top of the dough with your razor blade. Make your own design or use mine. This gives the loaf a constructive place to rise without bursting open during the baking process.

Remove your hot dutch oven from your preheated hot oven.

Lift your dough loaf into the Dutch oven by the ends of the parchment paper. (It’s ok for parchment paper to hang over the sides of the Dutch oven, it won’t burn.)

• Place the lid on your Dutch oven.
• Use hot pads or towels to put the hot Dutch oven back into the preheated oven at 400 degrees.
• Bake covered for 25 minutes.
• Then, Remove the Dutch oven lid.
• Bake for 25 more minutes! Your loaf should be nice and golden brown on top by now!
• Remove and place on a safe surface. (I like to use a cutting board or my stove top.)

Place your sourdough bread on a cooling rack and cool completely to see all the beautiful air holes! If you cut into your loaf of bread right away the bread will be too soft to hold its form with all the beautiful air holes. It will taste amazing but doesn’t look quite as wonderful. Enjoy!

Dough Temperature

The speed at which sourdough dough rises depends on its temperature or the temperature of your kitchen for rising. For best results your sourdough ferments between the temperatures of 80–90°F (27–32°C). That temperature is optimal for the home bakers sourdough to rise. However, you can also get a faster rise with warmer temperatures, and of course, a slower rise in the fridge overnight with cooler temps.

My pilot light keeps my oven at 93 degrees all the time. At 93 degrees F, I can rise my sourdough dough in 1.5 hours to double. Then I stretch and fold, cover, and repeat the process 4 times before doing the final shape and refrigerating overnight.

RISING TIME & ROOM TEMPERATURE

The room temperature of your kitchen, or your rising space, makes all the difference in how long it takes to proof sourdough bread dough! In a cold kitchen (or rising spot) your dough will take all day to proof. I let my dough rise in a warm oven.

My oven has a pilot light which keeps it nice and warm, but not hot, at 93 degrees F. If you do not have a pilot light, preheat your oven to 180 degrees for about 5 minutes then turn it off. A great way to test the temperature of your oven is with an instant-read meat thermometer.

How to Store Leftovers

If you are lucky enough to have leftovers, place your homemade bread into an air-tight container or zip-lock bag, and store it on the counter for up to 4 days. If you store in the fridge the bread will get firmer, and not be as soft, but it softens up right away if you reheat it! (I think the best way to reheat sourdough bread is to pan-toast it with butter for breakfast!)

Leftover sourdough bread is also great to make croutons, the best French toast, bread pudding, or hot and cold and sandwiches!

Tips for Success

• Good-quality flour and filtered, or unchlorinated, water are essential for a flavorful and successful sourdough bread. Chlorine in your water damages the probiotic sourdough and can make it less effective. Bread flour has more gluten and rises better. Whole-grain flours can add depth to the flavor.
• Fermentation is temperature-sensitive. If your kitchen is cold, consider placing the dough in a slightly warmer environment, like a turned-off oven with the light on, to facilitate the fermentation process.
• Autolyse: I don’t do this in this recipe, because it always works well for me the way it’s written. But you CAN autolyse your flour with water before adding the other ingredients to improve it. To autolyse: Mix your flour and water in a large bowl first, to hydrate together for 30 minutes to an hour, then add the the starter and salt. This helps improve the dough’s extensibility & structure.
• Longer fermentation times at lower temperatures (bulk fermentation) help develop a more complex flavor. Be patient and let the dough ferment at room temperature or in the fridge for the suggested time.
• During bulk fermentation, use the stretch and fold technique (gently stretching and folding the dough over itself) every 30-60 minutes for the first 2 hours. This enhances gluten development.
• Use a well-floured banneton or a cloth-lined bowl for the final proofing. It prevents sticking and shapes the dough beautifully.
• Preheat your oven and baking vessel (Dutch oven or combo cooker) for at least 20 minutes before baking to ensure a hot baking environment.
• Allow the bread to cool completely on a wire rack before slicing. Cutting into the bread while it’s still warm can result in a gummy texture.
• Don’t be discouraged if your first attempt isn’t perfect. Sourdough bread-making is a skill that improves with practice;)

Variations

You can make several variations of this sourdough recipe with different kinds of flour like whole wheat flour, all-purpose Einkorn flour, spelt flour, rice flour in combination with gluten-free flours, organic flour, and other kinds of whole grain flour.

Adjust the amount of flour that you use if changing from all-purpose, especially if you are using fresh ground grains. It should be 360 grams of flour.

Try this recipe for Jalapeno Cheddar Sourdough bread or with chopped dates for sweet date sourdough bread.

You can also add 1/2 cup of cocoa to your dough before mixing for a chocolate sourdough loaf. This sourdough bread can also be cooked a regular bread pan for soft sourdough sandwich bread.

More Sourdough Recipes

• Enriched sourdough for Soft Sourdough Rolls. Easy pull apart dinner roll recipe.
• Sourdough cheddar biscuits. – Quick recipe for a last-minute side dish that everyone loves!
• Sourdough Pumpkin Bread – Perfectly spiced pumpkin bread with sourdough. A great snack or breakfast!
• Sourdough English Muffins – Super simple English muffin recipe for egg sandwiches for toast!

Sourdough Secrets

An active sourdough starter is crucial. Take the time to create a strong starter, and maintain it with regular feedings. This ensures a reliable source of wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria for fermentation. High-quality flour, especially bread flour or a mixture of bread flour and whole wheat flour, can make a significant difference in the texture and taste of your bread.

Use a digital kitchen scale to measure ingredients accurately. Consistency in measurements. Pay attention to temperature. Warmer temperatures can speed up fermentation, while cooler temperatures slow it down. Adjusting the temperature can help control the sourness and fermentation speed. Shaping: Instead of heavy kneading, use gentle folding techniques during bulk fermentation and shaping.

Bread Flour vs. All Purpose and Whole Grain Starters

The ideal flour for a sourdough starter is whole grain or whole wheat flour because it kickstarts the fermentation process. These flours have a higher content of natural yeast and bacteria compared to refined flours. The outer layers of the grain, provide a better environment for the growth of wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria. Using whole wheat flour initially can help establish a robust starter more quickly. Once your starter is active and stable, you can experiment with different flours based on your preferences.

Cold Sourdough Starter

When you aren’t using your sourdough starter for days, it’s great to feed it then store it in the fridge in a covered glass jar. There are recipes where you can use sourdough starter straight from the fridge, these are called discard recipes…

However, this is not a discard recipe. If you use starter straight from the fridge for this recipe it will take days to rise, and may not rise well at all. But if you take the time to wake your cold starter up, and let it come to room temperature, feed it and let it get bubbly… Your bread will rise beautifully!

Recipe Card

If you try this recipe, I’d love if you give it a review on the recipe card, and let me know how it turned out in the comments or review! Tag me on Instagram @farmhouse_harvest with your delicious creation!