Homemade Sourdough Bread, Step by Step

By Alexandra Stafford — Last Updated: 07/30/2025

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

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

What is the Best Dutch Oven for Sourdough Bread?

I love my Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Double Dutch Oven, which I’ve had for years! The Lodge is a great value at around $49, but if you like the idea of making batards, baguettes and other oblong-shaped loaves, I can’t recommend the Challenger Bread Pan enough, which costs $299. The placement of the handles makes for easy removal and closure of the lid, and it creates beautiful, crusty loaves every time.

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:

A bowl on a scale holding 375 grams water.

Add 50 to 100 grams of sourdough starter.

A bowl on a scale holding water and sourdough starter.

Stir to combine; then add 11 grams of salt:

A bowl on a scale holding, water, salt, and sourdough starter all mixed together.

Finally, add 500 grams of bread flour:

A bowl holding water, salt, flour, and sourdough starter.

Stir to combine:

A bowl holding just-mixed sourdough bread dough.

Let it Rise. (Bulk Fermentation)

Transfer the dough to a straight-sided vessel. Cover it, and let it rest for 30 minutes.

A straight sided vessel holding sourdough bread dough.

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, 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.

A container of sourdough that has risen by 50% in volume. — This is dough that has increased in volume by 50%. This is the increase I have the most success with.

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.

A baked loaf of sourdough bread on a cutting board.

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

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5 from 1808 reviews

Author: Alexandra Stafford
Total Time: 18 hours 45 minutes
Yield: 1 loaf 1x

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Description

Inspired by The Clever Carrot

If you are new to sourdough, watch the step-by-step video here: Simple Sourdo ugh 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:
- King Arthur Flour
- Breadtopia
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.
Adding Other Ingredients: If you’d like to add cheese, herbs, jalapeños, or other seasonings, do so before the third set of stretches and folds. Consider adding a fifth set of stretches and folds to ensure the ingredients are evenly incorporated into the dough.

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.

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5,725 Comments on “Homemade Sourdough Bread, Step by Step”

Vanessa Hobby — November 29, 2023 @ 2:47 pm Reply

Hey there! For some reason my dough ends up being sticky and just flattens, no way can I shape it as it just ends up as a big blob anyway! Any ideas please? 🙂
- Alexandra Stafford — December 4, 2023 @ 9:11 am Reply
  
  Hi! It sounds as though it’s overfermenting.
  
  Are you using a scale to measure? What type of flour are you using? Are you new to sourdough bread baking?
Kristi — December 5, 2023 @ 8:59 pm Reply

I have struggled with sourdough bread until I used this recipe. I now can make sourdough boules that have a crisp crust, and open, creamy, tangy crumb. I am using 9g salt. I only had one failure, and it was either because I didn’t shape it well, or because I let it prove in the fridge too long (48 hrs).
- Alexandra Stafford — December 6, 2023 @ 4:26 am Reply
  
  Great to hear, Kristi! Thanks for writing and sharing all of this 🙂
mady — December 6, 2023 @ 11:45 am Reply

I have made this recipe a couple of time, the best results I had was when I used the starter before feeding, I feed my starter at 12 h intervals, every time I used the starter at its peek my bread did not came out as the one made with hungry starter.
Kristy Chamberlain — December 6, 2023 @ 3:29 pm Reply

I have a question! I’m currently doing press and folds and k feel like I have a lot of dough! Can this be halved before shaping and fridge over night? Would bake time and temp be be the same for smaller?
- Alexandra Stafford — December 9, 2023 @ 7:45 am Reply
  
  Yes! I’d reduce the baking time by 5 minutes at each phase (covered and uncovered).
Jessica — December 7, 2023 @ 12:38 pm Reply

I’m new to making sourdough. I successfully made a yummy bread using your instructions. Thank you!!
- Alexandra Stafford — December 9, 2023 @ 7:39 am Reply
  
  Great to hear, Jessica!
Danielle Polage — December 10, 2023 @ 10:12 am Reply

This dough turns out beautifully, the instructions from beginning to end are clear and make sure you have success. I love the videos that accompany it.

I do have a few questions though….when you are shaping it and letting it rest for 30 minutes, do you cover it? Also, when you shape it again for the 2nd time (I know you don’t always do it), do you keep the same seam side up both times?
- Alexandra Stafford — December 11, 2023 @ 4:18 am Reply
  
  Hi! Great to read all of this 🙂
  
  No need to cover it for the 30 minute rest. And yes, seam side up both times, and most important: seam side up when you place it in your proofing basket or bowl.
Samantha — December 10, 2023 @ 10:18 am Reply

I’ve made this recipe twice in the last two weeks and it’s the best sourdough bread I’ve made so far.

I have had some issues with some underbaked pockets of dough once fully baked, any ideas for how to get rid of this? It still comes out light and airy even with a couple doughy spots.
- Alexandra Stafford — December 11, 2023 @ 4:11 am Reply
  
  Hi! Great to read all of this. What vessel are you using to bake the loaves?
  - Samantha — December 11, 2023 @ 5:19 am Reply
    
    I’ve used both a cast iron pan and a round metal pan, using foil as a cover since I don’t have a Dutch oven
    - Alexandra Stafford — December 12, 2023 @ 4:23 am Reply
      
      I think that’s probably why you’re experiencing the baking troubles. Do you have a metal bowl you could turn over and place over the cast iron pan or metal pan?
      - Samantha — December 12, 2023 @ 4:47 am
        
        I’ll give that a try- thanks so much!
Priscilla Rochin — December 11, 2023 @ 5:58 pm Reply

Hi Ali,

You were referred to me by someone in a bread machine club I belong to and finding your website I see you are on FB..My question is do I need to use the kind of dutch oven you show? Is this the only way I can bake the bread? I have a LeCreuset with a lid but not sure I can lift it anymore. I have problems with my shoulders Thank you, PriscillaPriscilla
- Alexandra Stafford — December 12, 2023 @ 4:10 am Reply
  
  The Dutch oven baking method is used to create that especially crusty crust. If you are not into lifting heavy pots, which I totally understand — it’s not easy even without shoulder issues! — there are so many other delicious sourdough breads you could make, namely focaccia and sandwich bread.
Regina — December 12, 2023 @ 10:44 am Reply

What am I doing wrong wrong? Followed instructions to the letter 3 times. Bread still heavy and crumb gummy. Did both 50, 75 and 100% increase in volume. Baked as directed. Cooled 2 hrs. but nothing seems to matter ;(. We fud eat it of course and it makes delicious toast but I want the light and airy crumb that many seem to have no problem achieving. Please help!
- Alexandra Stafford — December 14, 2023 @ 6:01 am Reply
  
  Regina, are you new to sourdough baking? Or have you had success with other recipes?
  
  Tell me about your starter: did you make it from scratch? get it from a friend? order it? Is it doubling in volume within 6 to 8 hours of feeding it?
  
  Questions:
  
  Are you using a scale to measure?
  What type of flour are you using?
  What baking vessel are you using?
  
  You might want to read this troubleshooting post too.
  - Regina — December 14, 2023 @ 7:05 am Reply
    
    Hi Alexandra,
    Yes, I am new to sourdough baking. I made the starter several months ago. It doubled in 4-5 hrs, I typically feed it 1:1:1 ratio. I use a scale and measure in grams. I have used bread flour and all purpose in various ratios to test. Using cast iron Dutch oven. Tried baking between 500 and 450.
    - Alexandra Stafford — December 17, 2023 @ 5:25 am Reply
      
      It sounds as though you are doing everything right. My only thought is that it might be your starter. If you can get another starter from another baker or order one online, I’d be curious to hear how that might make a difference in your loaves.
      - Regina — December 17, 2023 @ 6:11 am
        
        I was thinking same or maybe the bulk fermentation timing. I will try new experiments in 2024.
        Happy holidays and all the best for the new year!
      - Alexandra Stafford — December 19, 2023 @ 8:58 am
        
        Same to you, Regina!
Kristine Hacker — December 13, 2023 @ 8:54 pm Reply

I am new to sourdough bread making. I’ve made this recipe two times. I followed it to a T and watched the instructional videos and used the links to feeding the starter and troubleshooting. Both times my loaves turned out great! The first time, I did one loaf, the second time I divided the dough in half and made two smaller loafs, using the recommended time reduction of 5 minutes less for each step. Both times it worked out perfectly! Thank you so much for this easy to follow recipe and all of your instructional videos tips and tricks! I feel like a real bread baker now!
- Alexandra Stafford — December 14, 2023 @ 5:03 am Reply
  
  So nice to read all of this, Kristine 🙂 🙂 🙂 Thank so much for writing and sharing all of this. Happy baking!
Lynette Ellis — December 14, 2023 @ 11:22 am Reply

Going to try this recipe again. First loaf was raw in the middle. I’m confused, in the recipe you talk about covering the Dutch oven but in video you place your loaf on the lid and cover it with the oven. Does it matter?
- Alexandra Stafford — December 17, 2023 @ 5:23 am Reply
  
  Hi! I just find it easier to lower the bread into a shallow vessel than dropping it into a scalding hot deep well.
Wendi Eggleton — December 15, 2023 @ 6:07 am Reply

All the instructions and video was perfect for learning and trying to make sourdough for the first time. Thank you
- Alexandra Stafford — December 17, 2023 @ 5:16 am Reply
  
  Great to hear, Wendi!
Spillt User — December 16, 2023 @ 1:39 pm Reply
Alma Scully — December 19, 2023 @ 1:41 pm Reply

I make this bread weekly. It never fails. Feed my starter the day before and leave it out of the fridge to make this beautiful bread the next day. I get excellent results every time. So easy and so delicious.
- Alexandra Stafford — December 19, 2023 @ 7:49 pm Reply
  
  Great to hear, Alma! Thanks for writing and sharing these notes 🙂 🙂 🙂
Alex — December 19, 2023 @ 6:56 pm Reply

hi there! can this be divided in 2 to make 2 smaller loaves? and would the baking time be reduced?
- Alexandra Stafford — December 19, 2023 @ 7:44 pm Reply
  
  Yes! Reduce the baking time at each phase by 5 minutes 🙂
Sydney — December 20, 2023 @ 7:15 am Reply

Hi! I made your recipe and it turned out great! Am I able to double this recipe?
- Alexandra Stafford — December 20, 2023 @ 7:58 pm Reply
  
  Yes!
Woody — December 23, 2023 @ 9:11 am Reply

I have had great success with this recipe for a while. I started increasing the final proof in the refrigerator to 24 – 48 hours but the top dries out and gets a bit crusty. It seems to bake OK. Is this normal?
- Alexandra Stafford — December 24, 2023 @ 5:50 am Reply
  
  Hi! Do you tuck the bread into a bag when you stick it in the fridge? If not, try that! You can use produce bags from the grocery store.
STACEY — December 23, 2023 @ 11:30 am Reply

I just cant figure out why my starter won’t dissolve in water. My starter is king arthur bread flour. Last night, I let it sit in the water for 2 hours and it never did dissolve. I don’t have this issue with my starter that’s half rye flour and half bread flour.
- Alexandra Stafford — December 24, 2023 @ 5:47 am Reply
  
  Hi! Have you tried using a spatula or whisk?
  - STACEY — December 24, 2023 @ 9:40 pm Reply
    
    Yes, I use a Danish dough wisk. And i even tried breaking the clumps of starter into smaller pieces and letting them dissolve longer in the water. They never would dissolve.
Natalie Alfieri — December 24, 2023 @ 9:16 am Reply

This was the best loaf I’ve made in my sourdough journey. One thing I’m hoping you can advise on is when I take my loaf out of the Dutch oven the round sides seem to deflate in a few areas. What could be causing this?
- Alexandra Stafford — December 28, 2023 @ 6:05 am Reply
  
  Hi! Great to hear. Are your referring to when the loaf is completely baked? And when you are removing it to a cooling rack?
Mo — December 24, 2023 @ 11:42 am Reply

Great recipe! I usually do The Perfect Loaf or clever carrot recipe, but we’re loving this!

I would suggest you bake in Dutch oven. I used my Emile Henry cloche and this recipe is a HUGE fail. You do not get the rise or ear like the Dutch oven

I tried it as I’m ruining my Le Crueset Dutch ovens preheating….the interior is turning black and nothing is removing it

Follow the recipe! Don’t get creative on perfection!
- Alexandra Stafford — December 28, 2023 @ 6:00 am Reply
  
  Great to hear, Mo! Thanks so much for writing and sharing these notes. I’ve never used a cloche, but I’ve been curious about it. I think I’ll stay away now 🙂
STACEY — December 25, 2023 @ 8:24 am Reply

Yes, I use a Danish dough wisk. And i even tried breaking the clumps of starter into smaller pieces and letting them dissolve longer in the water. They never would dissolve.
Nick Cox — December 25, 2023 @ 1:38 pm Reply

A lot of this recipe helped and was easy to follow. I will say, I took the loaf out of the fridge after 24 hours and basically put it in the preheated cast iron in the preheated oven. The crust came out beautiful but it was raw inside, and I assume that was because I didn’t let it come up to room temp after the fridge part. The recipe didn’t say to do that, and it may have assumed it was common a sense you couldn’t put it in the oven cold. But I didn’t realize that! I think it could be edited to have that detail and it would be a great recipe. Thanks!
- Nick Cox — December 25, 2023 @ 1:52 pm Reply
  
  Just want to add I cooled it for almost 2 hours. And while I’m not an expert, I’m not new to sourdough. That said, the videos were super helpful, and I learned a lot about shaping, and that’s where I’ve improved most here.
  - Alexandra Stafford — December 28, 2023 @ 5:18 am Reply
    
    Great to read all of this, Nick! Thanks for writing and sharing all of your notes. I actually never let the dough come to room temperature before baking. I’m perplexed that your loaf was raw inside. You definitely can try letting it come to room temp before baking it, but it will be trickier to score, and you do want to be careful about overproofing it at room temp because it potentially could deflate. My only other thought is that perhaps you need to reduce the water slightly.
Miranda — December 27, 2023 @ 11:28 am Reply

Hello,

IfI want to do two smaller loafs from this recipe, what would you recommend for length of cook time?
- Alexandra Stafford — December 28, 2023 @ 4:56 am Reply
  
  Hi! I would reduce the baking time by 5 minutes at each phase (covered and uncovered).
Carolyn Wright — December 27, 2023 @ 11:37 am Reply

Just made this and it looked beautiful, waited 3 hours and when I cut into it there were pockets of super sunny almost uncooked dough. The crumb otherwise looked fantastic. I did all the steps, used a preheated Dutch oven and have a strong starter. Any tips?
- Alexandra Stafford — December 28, 2023 @ 4:55 am Reply
  
  Hi! Are you using a scale to measure? What type of flour are you using? You may need to reduce the water slightly.
  - Carolyn Wright — December 28, 2023 @ 8:08 am Reply
    
    I am using a scale and unbleached bread flour. I did put it in the hot Dutch oven still cold from the fridge. Would letting it come to room temp help?
    - Alexandra Stafford — December 31, 2023 @ 9:34 am Reply
      
      It’s possible that will help… I’ve never had an issue putting it in the hot Dutch oven cold from the fridge, so I’m still a little perplexed. You also could try preheating your Dutch oven longer — 45 minutes or so.
Cameron — December 29, 2023 @ 11:49 am Reply

Just got my (double) Dutch oven for Christmas and came here for my first attempt at a boule! It came out perfectly airy and crisp!!!

1 thing I did skip was the 2nd proof in the fridge and left it to proof on the counter for 1-2 hours. I think it was still perfectly on par. (I only did this because I’ve seen others do it and I was crunched on time). Just thought I’d share that for others to experiment with.

Thank you so much for a simple and successful baking experience!
- Alexandra Stafford — December 31, 2023 @ 6:20 am Reply
  
  Great to hear, Cameron! Thanks so much for writing. How fun to have a new Dutch oven in the mix?!
Samantha Kay Rosolino — December 29, 2023 @ 6:24 pm Reply

What do you use to cover it in the fridge? Cling wrap?
- Alexandra Stafford — December 31, 2023 @ 6:15 am Reply
  
  I use produce bags from the grocery store — they’re large and easy to tie.
Joanna — December 30, 2023 @ 9:24 am Reply

Hi!!
Quick question when you refrigerate after it has risen to about 50%, when you take it out do you let it rise again before baking? I’m a little confused as the notes from atop the recipe it says to pick up where you left off but the actual recipe instructions doesn’t mention anything after the refrigeration process to let rise again …
- Alexandra Stafford — December 30, 2023 @ 11:35 am Reply
  
  Hi! Are you referring to removing the shaped boule or batard from the fridge? Or are you removing the dough still in its bulk fermentations state?
Ally Villiard — December 30, 2023 @ 3:30 pm Reply

Hi there!
I love this recipe!! Can I do different flavors? If so, when do I add them?
- Alexandra Stafford — January 1, 2024 @ 12:04 pm Reply
  
  Yes! You can fold them in after the second set of stretches and folds.
Spillt User — December 30, 2023 @ 6:27 pm Reply

Only did the cold proof for 12 hours but definitely going to try the recommended 24!
Michelle — December 31, 2023 @ 11:40 am Reply

Hi! Could I swap out 100gr of bread flour for rye and keep everything else as written?
- Alexandra Stafford — January 1, 2024 @ 11:49 am Reply
  
  Possibly: keep in mind the inclusion of rye will make for a bread with a weaker gluten structure. So, you may find your loaf to be not quite as lofty or light in texture. That said, rye will lend some lovely flavor. You may also find the dough to be a little wetter and stickier, which may make it a little trickier to handle. So just keep all of these things in mind and definitely go for it!