Sourdough Bread: A Beginner’s Guide

Think you can’t bake artisan sourdough bread at home? Think again! Sourdough Bread: a Beginner’s guide is your go-to recipe resource for simple, easy sourdough bread without kneading. Make the dough in the morning or at night- it will come together in under 10 minutes.

In 2013, my resolution was to bake more bread.

I researched, tested and baked countless loaves with both good and mixed results. My journey began with this no-knead artisan bread recipe and eventually, I worked my way up to the holy grail: Sourdough. My passion for creating easy sourdough bread recipes and preserving traditional culinary arts inspired my bestselling book Artisan Sourdough Made Simple which has connected me to like-minded bakers all over the world! If you’re curious about sourdough bread, and don’t know where to begin, you’re in the right spot. Welcome to the journey.

What You’ll Learn

In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to make simple sourdough bread with step-by-step instructions and videos for guidance. There’s no kneading involved, and a bread machine or a stand mixer is not required. My sourdough bread recipe is perfect for beginners. I’ll explain a complex topic in simple terms without the stress!

But before you dive in, here’s a secret: sourdough bread is more than just a recipe… it’s an understanding.

There are similar sourdough bread recipes out there and yet no two loaves look alike. The process is all about method, timing and personal touch. Use this tutorial as a guide and make your own adjustments as you go. Once you have a few loaves under your belt, the process will become an imminent rhythm, and in the end, you will have created your very own masterpiece that is the ultimate reward. Just don’t forget to eat your mistakes (might I suggest homemade sourdough breadcrumbs)?

Jump To

• Sourdough Bread Recipe
• Step by Step Instructions
• Sourdough Starter 101
• Sample Baking Schedule
• Sourdough FAQ

So, What is Sourdough?

In a nutshell, sourdough is slow-fermented bread.

It’s unique because it does not require commercial yeast in order to rise. Instead, sourdough bread is made with a live fermented culture a sourdough starter, which acts as a natural leavening agent.

Sourdough is known for its characteristic tangy flavor, chewy texture and crisp, crackly crust. From a health standpoint, it dominates when compared to supermarket loaves. The naturally occurring acids and long fermentation help to break down the gluten, making it more digestible and easy for the body to absorb. And it tastes darn good!

Sourdough Starter 101

Before you begin, you’ll need a sourdough starter.

Simply put: a sourdough starter is a live culture made from flour and water.

Once combined the mixture will begin to ferment, cultivating the naturally occurring wild yeasts and bacteria present within the mixture. A small portion of this culture is used make your bread dough rise.

But it doesn’t stop there.

Your starter must be kept alive with regular feedings of flour and water to maintain its strength for maximum rising power.

How to Feed your Sourdough Starter

Every baker has their own method, and with practice you’ll eventually develop your own routine.

Here’s my method: I pour off some of the culture (about half) and then feed what’s left in the jar with equal weights of flour and water. I whisk well with a fork until it’s lump-free. Then, I let it rest at room temperature or in a warm spot (75-80º F/ 24-26º C is ideal) until it becomes bubbly and active.

PS: I use this the jar for my sourdough starter and I LOVE it.

When is my Starter Ready To use?

Your stater is ready to use when it becomes bubbly and doubles in size.

This can take anywhere from 2-12 hours or more depending on temperature (the warmer the better) and the condition of your starter. Be patient!

Float Test: If you’re still unsure whether it’s ready to use drop a small amount, about 1 tsp, into a glass of water. Do this when the starter is a peak height before it collapses. If it floats to the top it’s ready to use. If it sinks, your starter should be fed again.

Where to Obtain a Sourdough Starter

All sourdough starters are different.

They can be made from scratch, purchased online, or if you’re lucky, someone will share a portion of their starter with you.

Starters range from thick to thin in texture and can be made with a variety of flours. I use two different starters; one is homemade and the other was a gift from my friend Celia. She dried a portion of her starter and mailed it all the way from Sydney, Australia.

How To Use A Starter

After you’ve fed your starter and it’s bubbly and active, pour the amount you need out of the jar to weigh or measure for your recipe. That’s it.

Then, don’t forget to feed what’s left in the jar with more flour and water to keep the process going.

Any leftover sourdough starter can be used to make sourdough discard recipes, even my homemade sourdough pasta.

Storage Options

If you only bake a few times a month, keep your starter in the fridge and feed it once a week. If you’re an avid baker, store your starter at room temperature and feed it at least once a day.

Looking for more info on sourdough starters? Check out Feeding Sourdough Starter: My Best Tips & Tricks & Sourdough Discard 101: Recipes & Faqs Answered.

How to Make Sourdough Bread: Step-By-Step Guide

Step #1: Mix The Dough

Combine the following ingredients in a large bowl (I use a fork):

• 250 g water
• 150 g bubbly, sourdough starter
• 25 g olive oil

Add:

• 500 g bread flour (such as King Arthur)
• 10 g fine sea salt

Squish the mixture together with your hands until the flour is fully absorbed. The dough will feel dry, rough and shaggy.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, reusable wax wrap, or a very damp kitchen towel and let rest or ‘autolyse’ for about 30 minutes. After the dough has rested, work it into a ball directly in the bowl (it doesn’t have look perfect).

TIP: For best results, weigh all of your ingredients with a digital kitchen scale. Measuring cups are not as accurate. Please visit Sourdough FAQ for more details.

What is Autolyse?

This is the first resting period right after you mix the dough.

It jumpstarts gluten development without kneading. Strong gluten = good bread.

For timing, autolyse can range anywhere from 15 minutes to 1 hour or more depending on the type of bread you’re making and your own personal baking schedule. A minimum of 30 minutes works best for this recipe. However, when time permits, I’ll let it go for an hour. The dough will become more soft and manageable to work with afterwards.

A Note on Salt: some bakers prefer to add salt only after autolyse because it might slow down the gluten development. I’ve followed this technique for years, but no longer do so. I prefer to mix everything all at once. It’s practical, effective and produces excellent loaves (plus, you won’t forget to add the salt later on!).  I’ll leave the choice up to you.

Step #2: Bulk Rise

Now the dough is ready to rise.

Cover the bowl and let rise at room temperature, about 68-70 F.

How Long will it take?

The dough is ready when it has doubled in size and no longer looks dense.

This can take anywhere from 3-12 hours depending on your current room temperature, the potency of your sourdough starter and the specifics of your surrounding environment.

For example, in the summer the dough can take anywhere between 2-4 hours @ 85º F/ 29º C. In the winter, it will take longer about 10-12 hours @ 68º F/ 20º C. Temperature controls time.

And remember: because sourdough bread does not contain instant yeast it will take longer to rise. Watch the dough and not the clock. Be flexible.

Optional Step: Stretch and Fold the Dough

About 30 minutes into the bulk rise, you have the option to perform a series of ‘stretch & folds’ to strengthen the bread dough {click here for a step-by-step tutorial}. Although it’s not mandatory, this technique will add height and structure to the finished loaf and it’s fun to do.

Watch the video below!

Step #3: Divide & Shape The Dough

Remove the dough onto a lightly floured surface.

Cut the dough in half to make 2 loaves, or leave it whole for a single loaf.

How to Shape a Round Sourdough Boule (Loaf)

Starting at the top, fold the dough over toward the center. Give it a slight turn, and then fold over the next section of dough. Repeat until you have come full circle. Or, use the envelope shaping technique outlined below.

Watch the video!

Step #4: Choose a Baking Pot

I bake my sourdough bread in a Dutch oven.

You can also try the Challenger Bread Pan, another vessel I use for baking, that can accommodate both round and oval shaped loaves.

The pot traps in heat and moisture which is essential to achieving artisan style bread at home.

Steam plays a key role in how the bread will open up or ‘bloom’ while baking and the Dutch oven helps to control this process.

You can use any oven safe pot that can heat up to 450º F/ 232º C (including the lid and handles).

TIP: In the past, I’ve tried baking on pizza stones and cookie trays with no luck. The crust would harden too quickly, forcing the bread to tear on the bottom and sides. I used various steaming methods to remedy this, however I found them to be extremely cumbersome and not realistic for everyday use. Nothing worked. The lack of moisture in my home oven was evident and using a pot for baking was the only practical solution.

Step #5: Second Rise

After shaping the dough, it needs to rise again.

Generously coat the bottom of your Dutch oven with cornmeal (or line the bottom with non-stick parchment paper instead) and place the dough inside.

This time, the dough will rise for a shorter period about 30 minutes- 1 hour.

The dough is ready when it’s puffy and no longer dense. It does not need to double in size.

Preheat your oven to 450º F/ 232º C during the tail end of the second rise.

TIP: Instead of doing a free form second rise in the Dutch oven, use a cloth lined proofing basket or 8-inch bowl instead. Either option will contain the dough and hold its shape properly during the second rise.

Step #6: Score the Dough

After the second rise, and right before the dough goes into the oven, make a slash about 2-3 inches long down the center of the dough.

This allows the steam to escape and for the dough to expand during baking.

You can use a small serrated knife, paring knife or bread lame.

Step #7: Bake the Sourdough Bread

Place the lid on top of the pot and reduce the oven temperature to 400º F/ 204º C.

Bake on the center rack for 20 minutes.

When 20 minutes is up, remove the lid. Your bread will be pale and shiny like the picture above.

Continue to bake (uncovered) for an additional 40 minutes or until deep, golden brown. The internal temperature should read 205-210º F/ 96-98º C.

Cool on a wire rack for at least a 1 hour before slicing. Be patient!

If you cut into it too soon, the texture will be gummy…

TIP: During the last 10 minutes of baking, crack open the oven door (optional). This allows the moisture to escape, leaving your sourdough bread with a crisp crust. Alternatively, remove the bread from the pot and let it bake directly on the rack. The latter produces a more crisp crust.

Additional Sourdough Recipes & Resources

Sourdough Starter:

• Beginner Sourdough Starter {Recipe}
• Feeding Sourdough Starter: My Best Tips & Tricks
• Sourdough Discard 101: Recipes & Faqs Answered

Sourdough Bread Recipes:

• Beginner’s Guide to Sourdough Focaccia Bread
• Best Sourdough Pizza Crust (No steel or stone!)
• Best Sourdough Pasta (1 hour or Overnight)
• Light Whole Wheat Sourdough
• Easy Sourdough Sandwich Bread
• Soft Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
• Best Sourdough Pancakes

Sourdough Bread Tips & Techniques:

• How to Stretch and Fold Sourdough {Video}
• How to Shape a Round Sourdough Boule {Video}
• Why Won’t My Sourdough Bread Rise?
• Bread Flour vs. All Purpose Flour: What’s the Difference?

Sourdough Tools & Supplies:

• Artisan Sourdough Made Simple {my book}
• Challenger Bread Pan
• Digital Kitchen Scale

Baking Schedule

• Friday Evening: Feed your starter, cover the jar, and leave it on the counter overnight. If you keep your starter in the fridge, it might need two feedings to perk back up (feed it in the morning & in the evening).
• Saturday Morning: Check your starter: if it’s alive and bubbling, you can make the dough to rise during the day. Or, feed it again in the afternoon to make the dough in the evening for an overnight rise. Remember to use the float test mentioned above to make sure your starter is ready to use.
• Saturday Morning/Evening (or whenever your starter is ready): Make the dough. Leave on the counter to bulk rise at room temperature. In the summer, if your dough rises quickly and you’re not ready to bake, cover the whole bowl with lightly oiled wrap and chill until ready to use.
• Sunday Morning: cut and shape the dough. Place in Dutch oven for second rise. Slash. Bake. Cool. Eat.

Sourdough Bread Recipe

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Sourdough FAQ

1.) I only have all purpose flour. Can I still make this recipe?

For best results, use bread flour for this dough. If you only have all purpose try my Artisan Sourdough with All Purpose Flour instead.

2.) Can I add whole wheat flour to this recipe?

You can, but I wouldn’t. The dough will be too dry and dense without adjusting the water quantity. Try my Light Whole Wheat Sourdough for more whole grain goodness. 

3.) Your beginner recipe here uses 150g of sourdough starter. The Everyday Sourdough in your book uses only 50g. What’s the difference? And why?

• When I first learned how to bake sourdough bread, I used 150g of starter. Overtime, it was too much to maintain (especially when doubling and tripling recipes). So, I scaled down. That’s why most recipes in my book Artisan Sourdough Made Simple include 50 g of starter instead. One amount is neither right or wrong; it’s just a matter of preference.

4.) What’s the purpose of olive oil in this recipe?

Adding olive oil to sourdough was the method I followed when I first learned how to bake. The natural fat emulsifies the dough and makes a plush crumb.

5.) Why do some of your recipes call for the second rise in a Dutch Oven? And others in a cloth- lined bowl?

The freeform Dutch oven second rise will only work with dry, low hydration doughs (like this one) because it will not spread out too much. On the flip side, when working with wet, high hydration doughs you’ll need to use a cloth-lined bowl sprinkled with flour to holds it shape. Otherwise, it will spread.

6.) Why don’t you preheat your Dutch oven before baking?

Because this recipe follows a freeform second rise directly in the baking pot, it cannot be preheated beforehand. The dough will begin to cook before going into the oven!

However, if you are doing the second rise in a cloth-lined bowl as mentioned in question #5 above, you can preheat the pot if you’d like. When bread dough is placed into a hot pot it begins to expand instantly which is great for the overall shape and structure of the bread. And in fact, I use to follow this technique when I first started baking. But overtime, I found the preheat to be too cumbersome for small kitchens with little kids running around. Plus, I kept burning my wrists. Long story short: you can achieve comparable results without the preheat. The choice is up to you.

7.) Can I halve the dough to bake 2 loaves? If so, what will that do to the baking time?

Yes, you can definitely halve this recipe. Bake for 20 minutes (lid on) and 30 minutes (lid off). Check at the 45 minute mark.

8.) If I halve the recipe, where should I store the second dough if I’m not baking at the same time?

Store the second dough in the fridge until ready to bake. Place the dough in a cloth-lined floured bowl (seam side down) and use the cloth overhang to cover it. If the dough is in the fridge for longer than 1 hour, rest at room temperature while the oven heats up.

9.) How do I get the dough out of the cloth-lined floured bowl?

Open up the cloth overhang to reveal the dough in the bowl. Place a piece of parchment paper on top of the dough. Flip the bowl over. Remove the bowl and cloth. The dough is now smooth side up and ready to be scored.

10.) Can I have the measurements for this recipe in cups, please?

• 3/4 cup bubbly, active starter
• 1 cup + 1 tbsp warm water
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 cups bread flour
• 1 1/2 tsp fine sea salt

  NOTE: Weight and volume measurements are not equivalent, only approximate. I strongly recommend weighing your ingredients instead. With that said however, I understand the convenience of measuring cups. For best results, please aerate the flour first (I fluff it with a fork directly in the bag), then lightly spoon and level it into the cup. Too much flour will make the bread dense. If your sourdough starter is very bubbly, the volume amount might be off. If necessary, add up to 1 cup as needed. Finally: the water can be increased up to approximately 1 1/3 cups, for a more soft and pliable dough.