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

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 1806 reviews

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

Print Recipe

Save Recipe

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.

Bread Recipes Fall Winter Spring Favorites Summer Sourdough Bread Recipes

5,723 Comments on “Homemade Sourdough Bread, Step by Step”

Jordan — October 6, 2024 @ 4:19 am Reply

If you were preparing two loaves, would you bulk prep and then split? If so what step would you split the dough?
- Alexandra Stafford — October 8, 2024 @ 6:52 am Reply
  
  Yes, split the dough in half after the bulk fermentation.
  - AK — October 9, 2024 @ 7:24 pm Reply
    
    How do you adapt the cooking time if making two smaller loaves ?
    - Alexandra Stafford — October 12, 2024 @ 11:00 am Reply
      
      Reduce the cooking time by 5 minutes at each phase (covered and uncovered).
- Kelsey — October 19, 2024 @ 11:43 am Reply
  
  How can I make this into rolls? Cook time?
Rachel G — October 6, 2024 @ 9:56 am Reply

I had to leave a second review here. I just tried this recipe for the second time and it was absolutely perfect. I think I accidentally didn’t add enough water the first time. Best recipe ever – thank you!
- Alexandra Stafford — October 8, 2024 @ 6:48 am Reply
  
  Great to hear, Rachel! Thanks for writing 🙂
Ruth Ward — October 6, 2024 @ 10:20 am Reply

So, after the cold rise, does it need to come to room temperature or rest for a while before putting into the heated Dutch oven? Or does it go in while still chilly?
- Alexandra Stafford — October 8, 2024 @ 6:43 am Reply
  
  Score the chilled dough and transfer immediately to the hot Dutch oven. In other words: there’s no need to bring it to room temperature for a while first.
Laine Loftis — October 7, 2024 @ 3:49 pm Reply

Hello! I love your recipe! Quick question: when do you do your add ins with this method? On this loaf I’m putting in garlic, cheese and rosemary/italian seasoning.
- Alexandra Stafford — October 8, 2024 @ 5:07 am Reply
  
  You could add the garlic, rosemary and Italian seasoning with the flour. I’d add the cheese before the third set of stretches and folds. Consider adding a fifth set of stretches and folds to ensure the ingredients are incorporated.
CJ — October 7, 2024 @ 4:40 pm Reply

This recipe is my go-to guide! Love the step by step. Still messing with hydration and rising. Certainly not an exact science.
- Alexandra Stafford — October 8, 2024 @ 5:05 am Reply
  
  Great to hear 🙂 Thanks for writing!
Dayna Litowski — October 8, 2024 @ 10:31 am Reply

I have made this recipe a few times, with a scale, and I find the dough super wet and sticky. I left it once as is, and the bread turned out, but i had to use a bake pan as i couldnt shape it.
I find the 500g adds up to a bit under 3 cups of flour, rather than the 4 cups and a bit if using cups.
Should i add more flour? Or is this dough supposed to be sticky and wet?
Thx
- Alexandra Stafford — October 12, 2024 @ 11:10 am Reply
  
  I would try holding back some of the water from the start. Do you live in a humid environment? What type of flour are you using? Is the dough wet and sticky during the stretches and folds or after the bulk fermentation? It’s possible the dough is over fermenting during the bulk fermentation.
Paula Kraus — October 9, 2024 @ 9:34 am Reply

My oven does not go up to 550 degrees. So I heat up the Dutch oven to 500 degrees. What do you recommend for the temp changes once I put the Dutch oven in oven with dough?
- Alexandra Stafford — October 12, 2024 @ 11:02 am Reply
  
  500 will be fine! Lower to 450 as directed. Apologies for the delay here … how did it turn out?
Cory ENGLISH — October 10, 2024 @ 1:45 am Reply

I am enjoying making sourdough and find your instructions very helpful. Every loaf I have made so far has turned out great.

Question: I have trouble getting the dough out of the straight sided container. I am wondering if I could use flour sacking and rice flour around the dough on this step as well? I could easily open the top to assess how it is rising, and it would be so much easier to get out.

Or does it matter if I mangle it getting it out?

Thanks.
- Alexandra Stafford — October 12, 2024 @ 10:57 am Reply
  
  Hi Cory! I don’t think it matters that you mangle the dough a little bit upon removing it from the straight-sided vessel. The shaping process should correct all that. That said, if the user experience would be better for you using a flour sack towel + rice flour, then go for it 🙂
Jenna Connolly — October 10, 2024 @ 6:57 am Reply

Hi Ali!

This recipe is absolute GOLD! I’m a newbie to SD and finally got my starter strong and this recipes has really been an amazing resource to get going on my SD journey! Quick question, my rise and everything comes out great, however, the dough is slightly undercooked and isn’t quite hollow when I knock on if. Do you have a recommendation for how much longer I should bake it? (It may also be my oven not getting very hot, it only goes up to 525 F)
- Alexandra Stafford — October 12, 2024 @ 10:56 am Reply
  
  Hi Jenna! Great to hear 🙂 Question for you: what are you using to bake the bread in? You could try preheating whatever vessel you are using slightly longer than you have been. You could also try baking longer once you uncover the vessel.
Sara Stevens — October 11, 2024 @ 8:25 am Reply

FABULOUS!!!! THE BEST IVE EVER MADE 😋😄
- Alexandra Stafford — October 12, 2024 @ 10:26 am Reply
  
  Great to hear, Sara! Thanks for writing 🙂
Megan Wage — October 11, 2024 @ 12:39 pm Reply

I will be baking after only an hour proof. If I’m just letting it rest for an hour after the second shape what is the benefit if any of putting in the fridge? I know if I want to wait a while to bake the fridge slows down the fermenting.
- Alexandra Stafford — October 12, 2024 @ 10:20 am Reply
  
  Hi! I’m likely too late here. If you’re baking after a 1-hour rest, I would not put it in the fridge — it won’t be a long enough time for anything beneficial to happen.
  - Megan Wage — October 12, 2024 @ 10:26 am Reply
    
    That’s what I assumed. Just wanted to see if there was some benefit in that shorter time I might be missing. I do like how it makes it easier to score though.
Pamela J Ochsner — October 12, 2024 @ 5:09 am Reply

Turned out beautifully, started 5 yesterday morning, just finished.
- Alexandra Stafford — October 12, 2024 @ 10:10 am Reply
  
  Great to hear Pam! Thanks for writing 🙂
Kristen Maleski — October 12, 2024 @ 11:10 am Reply

Is pre heating the Dutch oven crucial for the recipe?
- Alexandra Stafford — October 12, 2024 @ 12:14 pm Reply
  
  I find it to be. I have tried the cold Dutch oven method and did not like my results.
e — October 12, 2024 @ 10:37 pm Reply

I wrote a huge comment and then accidentally closed my browser.
Essentially, if you make bread, do this starter tehnique and recipe. The starter is 5 minutes a day for a week, and 5 minutes less often after that. Easy.

And the bread is so worthwhile. If you’re like me, the starter will provide taste/smell and fortify with bacteria, so if it doesn’t rise enough, use yeast as well. However, I’ve always had trouble rising bread, and I know other people who have used this technique and recipe to a T and had exactly the same results as the picture.

Brilliant work at setting this recipe up.
Morgan Hankey-Burns — October 13, 2024 @ 11:40 am Reply

What would be a good cooking time for making this into 2 loaves? And what about cooking without a lid time and temp? I love this recipe just tweaking and playing with baking times a little
- Alexandra Stafford — October 14, 2024 @ 4:31 am Reply
  
  Hi Morgan! For two smaller loaves, reduce the cooking time by five minutes at each phase (covered and uncovered).
  
  Can you clarify this question: “And what about cooking without a lid time and temp?”
  - Morgan Hankey-Burns — October 14, 2024 @ 5:25 am Reply
    
    If I’m cooking without a lid for the 2 small loaves…i only have 2 bread pans and usually stack one on top as a lid. If i split the loaves and put half the dough in each pan with no lid, what would you recommend for the temperature and time
    - Alexandra Stafford — October 14, 2024 @ 5:48 am Reply
      
      Not sure… could you fashion a make-shift lid with either a sheet pan or a turned over disposable aluminum baking pan (like a disposable lasagna pan)? I’m having a hard time visualizing your set up: what do the bread pans look like? And are you preheating the bread pans?
      
      The reason I’m asking about the lid is because cooking with steam (which a lidded vessel creates) in the first phase of the cooking process is so important in terms of developing the crust (and crumb).
      
      Do you have a Baking Steel or pizza stone?
Mel — October 13, 2024 @ 5:11 pm Reply

Great recipe, works every time!
- Alexandra Stafford — October 14, 2024 @ 4:31 am Reply
  
  Great to hear, Mel! Thanks for writing 🙂
Shelby Stofle — October 14, 2024 @ 12:05 pm Reply

Love this recipe! I’ve had success every time, whereas with other methods I never had success!

I was wondering, has anyone had luck using this recipe with Einkorn flour. I want to try it! Does anyone have tips?
- Alexandra Stafford — October 15, 2024 @ 5:16 am Reply
  
  Great to hear, Shelby! I have not tried einkorn, but my tip would be to just try it without making any other changes to the recipe. Einkorn absorbs water more slowly, but all “brands” of einkorn behave a little differently, so it’s not easy to say that you’ll need to add more water or use less water until you’ve made the recipe once. You may find the loaf made with einkorn flour to be slightly denser, but still delicious 🙂
Leather Berndt — October 14, 2024 @ 5:44 pm Reply

This is the only “fool proof” sourdough recipe I’ve come across. It’s really easy for beginners at sourdough. I have a routine now where I can time it right to prep one day, sit out overnight to proof, shape in the morning, refrigerate until after work and bake thst evening. It always turns out delicious.
- Alexandra Stafford — October 15, 2024 @ 5:12 am Reply
  
  Love this! It’s the best feeling when you can find a mixing/baking schedule that works with your life schedule. Thanks for writing and sharing this 🙂
Christine Nguyen — October 14, 2024 @ 11:34 pm Reply

Incredible recipe and first recipe I used to make sourdough! I’ve baked 6 loaves so far using their recipe and it has NEVER failed!! Thank you!!

I would like to yield two loaves from this recipe, is it safe to just double up all of the ingredients to do so? And i would split up the dough when shaping prior to banneton? Please let me know if there’s anything I’d need to be careful if doubling ingredients. Any advice would be appreciated! Thank you!
- Alexandra Stafford — October 15, 2024 @ 5:09 am Reply
  
  Great to hear! And yes, just double everything, and divide the dough into two portions after the bulk fermentation. Proceed with the recipe from there.
Annie Baker — October 16, 2024 @ 4:56 am Reply

Just tried this recipe and it worked great for my first time!! Will it work if I double it to make two loaves?
- Alexandra Stafford — October 21, 2024 @ 8:41 am Reply
  
  Yes! Double away 🙂
Elizabeth — October 17, 2024 @ 12:19 am Reply

I’m looking forward to trying this based on all the great reviews. I saw in another post that sometimes you add cornmeal— could I replace some of the flour here with cornmeal? If so, how much? 25% (125g)?
- Alexandra Stafford — October 19, 2024 @ 6:48 pm Reply
  
  Hi! I wouldn’t start with that much. I’d swap in no more than 50 grams to start. It will make for a wetter dough using cornmeal for part of the flour but it shouldn’t be unmanageable. Based on your result, adjust with more or less cornmeal next time around. You could also simply add 50 grams of cornmeal without taking away any flour.
  - Elizabeth — October 19, 2024 @ 6:59 pm Reply
    
    I didn’t use cornmeal on the first go-round but just made it a loaf and it’s delicious! I used a little more whole wheat bc I ran out of bread flour. Lol. But such a nice, crispy crust and soft dough! Will definitely be making this again. Thanks for the advice about the cornmeal
    - Alexandra Stafford — October 21, 2024 @ 8:54 am Reply
      
      Great to hear, Elizabeth! Thanks so much for reporting back 🙂
Anna — October 17, 2024 @ 7:19 am Reply

I’m going to give this a try today! I don’t have any bread flour. Can I just use AP flour? Do I need to use more or less AP flour to compensate, since this recipe is water heavy?
Thankyou!
- Alexandra Stafford — October 19, 2024 @ 5:31 pm Reply
  
  Hi! So sorry for the delay here, Anna. You can use AP flour. The dough will be slightly wetter but not unmanageable. If you live in a very humid environment, I’d say you could hold back some of the water from the start, otherwise I’d just make it as is.
JENNIFER C. NETT — October 18, 2024 @ 12:50 pm Reply

Best recipe ever! So easy to follow. Made my first loaf this past Monday, and it rose and turned out superb! I didn’t use a scale on that loaf. I used the measurements provided.

The second loaf I attempted didn’t rise as much, I used a scale to measure and it seemed more wet. I did however use AP flour on this batch, because I wanted to experiment.

If I were to use a loaf pan with inclusions, Do you have any good tips for using a loaf pan to bake this off? Do I do the 24 hour fridge proof in the loaf pan or in another vessel then transfer prior to baking?
- Alexandra Stafford — October 19, 2024 @ 5:23 pm Reply
  
  Great to hear! AP flour will definitely make for a wetter dough than bread flour.
  
  I would follow the instructions on this post for some guidance with the loaf pan sourdough: Easy Sourdough Sandwich Bread. You’ll definitely want to transfer the dough to the loaf pan after the bulk fermentation. And you can store it in the fridge tucked in a ziplock bag for 24 hours. I bring my sourdough loaf pan loaves to room temp before baking… I let the dough rise until it crowns the rim of the pan before baking it.
Carly — October 18, 2024 @ 3:55 pm Reply

I have tried making sourdough bread with different recipes, but always come back to this one. It works perfect for plain loaves and inclusions. It always turns out even when I make some small errors! My go to recipe for sourdough!
- Alexandra Stafford — October 19, 2024 @ 5:20 pm Reply
  
  Great to hear, Carly! Thanks so much for writing and sharing this 🙂
Ofir — October 18, 2024 @ 3:57 pm Reply

Hey! I am new to sourdough and I want to know how can I tell how much starter to use since you said 50-100g. Does it depened on the consistency of the starter?
- Alexandra Stafford — October 19, 2024 @ 5:19 pm Reply
  
  100 grams of starter will make for a slightly wetter dough but not unmanageable… I always use 100 grams and that’s what I’d recommend using, too.
Nicole — October 18, 2024 @ 5:24 pm Reply

Followed your recipe and I’m so happy with the results. Like others my oven only goes to 500 but no problem. Thank you so much for the great instructions and video.
- Alexandra Stafford — October 19, 2024 @ 5:18 pm Reply
  
  Great to hear, Nicole! Thanks so much for writing 🙂
- Anjaly — October 22, 2024 @ 3:15 am Reply
  
  What if I don’t have a dutch oven, can i bake it in a normal bread pan?
  - Alexandra Stafford — October 23, 2024 @ 10:37 am Reply
    
    Hi! If you want to use a loaf pan, follow the instructions on this post: Easy Sourdough Sandwich Bread
Amanda Young — October 19, 2024 @ 11:44 pm Reply

HELP! This recipe and instruction is amazing. One of the best I’ve seen. Everything worked up great just the way it shows. I let it bulk ferment until it had risen 50% (I may need to let it go a little longer) however when I baked it as directed it had a beautiful crust with ears but the inside is still gummy! What am I doing wrong!?
- Alexandra Stafford — October 21, 2024 @ 8:54 am Reply
  
  Hi! Questions:
  
  are you using a scale to measure? did you use a straight-sided vessel for the bulk fermentation? what kind of vessel are you using to bake?
  - Amanda Young — October 25, 2024 @ 12:54 pm Reply
    
    Yes ma’am I used a scale. I don’t have a straight sided vessel yet, I was using a glass bowl. An I am baking in a Dutch over with parchment paper. I followed your baking directions.
Mo — October 21, 2024 @ 5:38 am Reply

This recipe is a game changer! The height of the sourdough was double what i have been able to achieve with other recipes and instruction are so simple and easy to follow. Thank you!!
- Alexandra Stafford — October 21, 2024 @ 8:49 am Reply
  
  Great to hear Mo! Thanks for writing 🙂
Erin Bozio — October 22, 2024 @ 12:08 pm Reply

I made this recipe for my first loaf of sour bread last week and it came out amazing! I tried again this week, but did not have time to do the bulk Fermentation so I put it in the fridge. Took it out this morning and it has refused to rise at all. Put it in heated room to see if that helped and still nothing. Should we not pause the process before bulk fermentation at all? Just trying to figure out what I did wrong..
- Alexandra Stafford — October 23, 2024 @ 10:33 am Reply
  
  Hi Erin! You can definitely pause the process before the bulk fermentation. The dough will take much longer to start progressing because of the cold temp of the fridge and potentially the cold temp of your kitchen. Did it ever end up making moves? Are you using a straight-sided vessel for storage? Are you confident that your starter was very active/at its peak before you used it?
Kate Liebl — October 22, 2024 @ 5:07 pm Reply

Hi Ali,

I’ve made about 4 loaves following this recipe, the 3rd one I made came out absolutely perfect. The 4th one I just made unfortunately didn’t have as good as an oven spring as my 3rd even though I followed all the steps exactly as described. The only difference is that I only preheated the oven to 450 instead of 500 which I normally do since that’s how hot my oven gets. I also had it slightly higher in my oven than I’ve baked my other loaves at. Could that have made a difference? Any tips or thoughts on why this could have happened would be greatly appreciated. Overall I have had so much success with this recipe despite how tricky sourdough can be, especially as I’m just starting out. The overall flavor and moisture I’ve gotten from all my loaves deserves a 5 ⭐️.
- Alexandra Stafford — October 23, 2024 @ 10:23 am Reply
  
  Great to read all of this, Kate!
  
  It’s definitely possible that the slightly cooler pan affected the oven spring, though I doubt that is the reason. Questions:
  
  Are you using a scale to measure?
  Are you using a straight-sided vessel for the bulk fermentation?
  Has the bulk fermentation been roughly the same for each bake?
  And what about fridge proof?
  - Kate Liebl — October 24, 2024 @ 12:41 pm Reply
    
    Hi Ali,
    
    Thanks for the response! Yes to all the above. One of my struggles with using the straight sides is vessel is where to measure the dough to see if it’s truly doubled. After my turns, I usually let it sit on the counter until doubled in volume but because the dough doesn’t sit perfectly flat in the vessel, it can be difficult to measure. So in this case, maybe I overproofed it because if that? Where do you suggest measuring the dough before starting the bulk fermentation?