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 1806 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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5,723 Comments on “Homemade Sourdough Bread, Step by Step”

Sandra Branson — February 2, 2025 @ 8:32 am Reply

Awesome recipe!
- Alexandra Stafford — February 2, 2025 @ 11:17 am Reply
  
  Great to hear, Sandra!
Brian — February 2, 2025 @ 12:31 pm Reply

I think my dough dried during the first bulk ferment. I looked at it and it had a layer of “skin”. It was covered with a damp towel, but maybe it was too loose and air got through? Could I use plastic wrap instead?
- Alexandra Stafford — February 3, 2025 @ 11:09 am Reply
  
  Yes, definitely use plastic wrap the next time around to prevent the skin from forming. A lidded vessel is ideal, but plastic wrap will work too 🙂
Sara — February 2, 2025 @ 1:07 pm Reply

At the cost of flour the feeding and removing of the starter is really hard to accept. How much of the starter do I need to keep in the fridge? How much starter do I really need to make to keep on hand?
- Alexandra Stafford — February 3, 2025 @ 11:15 am Reply
  
  Hi Sara,
  
  I honestly keep only about a cup of starter on hand (less than 200grams). When I’m ready to use it, I feed it twice before hand, so waste is minimal, and almost always, I use the discard in another loaf of bread, like this peasant bread recipe, or in these crackers.
  
  If you are hesitant to waste any flour (understandably so), I can’t recommend Jim Lahey’s No Knead Bread Recipe enough — it calls for 1 gram of yeast and a very long slow rise, so you get a lot of the same benefits of sourdough in terms of a slow fermentation… you won’t get the sour tang, but you’ll still get delicious bread.
  - sara — February 3, 2025 @ 5:24 pm Reply
    
    Thanks so much. I will check it out. Another question is I now live at 5400′ elevation and my baking has been a disaster. The bread I have made is ok, nothing spectacular and don’t even ask about my Banana/loaf breads. They rise to quick and sink. Are you recipes good for the high altitude?
    - Alexandra Stafford — February 4, 2025 @ 3:20 pm Reply
      
      Many of my bread recipes, especially the ones that call for long slow rises do well at high altitude. I’d suggest starting with this focaccia, which many people have had success with at high altitude without making any changes: Overnight, Refrigerator Focaccia = The Best Focaccia Bread Recipe You mix the dough and stick it in the fridge immediately, where it can stay for as long as 3 days. Then it rises at room temp for about 4 hours before baking.
      
      Generally, for yeast leavened breads: high hydration doughs with long slow (or multiple) rises work great at high altitude.
      
      King Arthur has a great resource for adjusting quick breads and other similar things like muffins/cakes/etc. to work at high altitude.
Lisa — February 2, 2025 @ 3:03 pm Reply

Thank you so much for the super fast response Ali!!! I appreciate you.
I keep looking at it and I’m seeing a few bubbles on the top. So exciting🤞🤞
- Alexandra Stafford — February 3, 2025 @ 11:16 am Reply
  
  Woohoo 🎉
Ashleigh — February 2, 2025 @ 6:54 pm Reply

I’ve been trying to bake sourdough for the last 4 years and this is hands down the easiest and most beautiful loaf I’ve baked so far!!! 😭 Thank you thank you!!
- Alexandra Stafford — February 3, 2025 @ 11:26 am Reply
  
  Great to hear, Ashleigh! Thanks so much for writing 🙂
Polly — February 3, 2025 @ 12:53 pm Reply

Hi, my dough sunk in on the fridge proof and when I transferred it to my parchment paper it spread out.
- Alexandra Stafford — February 4, 2025 @ 3:23 pm Reply
  
  Hi Polly, It sounds as though the dough over-fermented. How long was the bulk fermentation? When you shaped it into a loaf before you stuck it in the fridge, did the dough have strength and elasticity? Or was it weak and fragile?
  
  What type of flour are you using? and are you using as scale to measure?
  - polly — February 5, 2025 @ 12:45 pm Reply
    
    Thanks for you reply. The bulk fermentation was about 9 hours (it doubled), shaping was fine it; it held its shape/had strength and looked good. I’m just using regular high grade flour and I used a scale.
    - Alexandra Stafford — February 9, 2025 @ 7:12 am Reply
      
      OK, great to hear. I would suggest investing in a straight-sided vessel for the bulk fermentation (if you aren’t already using one) and stopping the bulk fermentation when the dough increases in volume by 50% as opposed to 100%.
      
      See if those changes make a difference the next time around.
Lexi Smith — February 3, 2025 @ 1:42 pm Reply

I want to try to double this recipe to make a huge loaf. Any ideas on cooking time?
- Alexandra Stafford — February 4, 2025 @ 3:24 pm Reply
  
  I think the cooking time will actually be roughly the same, at least for the covered portion. Do you have a vessel large enough? I’m intrigued! I would bake it covered for 30 minutes; then uncovered for 15 to 30 minutes more or until browned to your liking.
Arianna Tyler — February 3, 2025 @ 10:01 pm Reply

Hello! Do we leave the sourdough in the oven as we are lowering the temp each time, or out? Thank you!
- Alexandra Stafford — February 4, 2025 @ 3:06 pm Reply
  
  Yes! Leave the sourdough in the oven.
Andrew — February 4, 2025 @ 1:12 pm Reply

If I half the recipe, what would be the recommended cook time?
- Alexandra Stafford — February 4, 2025 @ 3:03 pm Reply
  
  Reduce the cooking time by 5 minutes at each phase (covered and uncovered) but ultimately, remove the loaf from the pan based on the visual cues: nice browning and caramelization of the crust all around.
Cynthia Ramsey Nolan — February 4, 2025 @ 3:43 pm Reply

First time I was able to make a sourdough that came out perfect! Fantastic recipe that I will use many more times.
- Alexandra Stafford — February 6, 2025 @ 5:54 am Reply
  
  Great to hear, Cynthia! Thanks for writing 🙂
Margo Quilliq — February 5, 2025 @ 12:24 am Reply

I made two loaves with this recipe today. One was much more goopy in texture and the other had the texture of firm dough. For the goopy one I used warmer water and had incorporated the flour slowly. For the firm one I incorporated the flour all at once, and used lukewarm water. The firm one rose a lot and is very beautiful where as the goopy one turned out dense and flat. What part in the process do you think the change occurred? What can I make sure to do in order to keep getting that beautiful loaf?
- Alexandra Stafford — February 6, 2025 @ 6:05 am Reply
  
  Hi! Are you using a scale to measure?
  - Margo Quilliq — February 6, 2025 @ 9:28 am Reply
    
    No, I don’t currently have one.
    - Alexandra Stafford — February 9, 2025 @ 7:10 am Reply
      
      I think that is your issue — when we measure with cups, we are never measuring the same amount from batch to batch. I’d recommend investing in a scale to ensure you are weighing everything precisely and for consistency purposes. When you know you are measuring accurately, you can actually make meaningful adjustments with the water. For instance, given your environment and the flour you are using, you may need to use less (or more) water. But you have to measure accurately from the start.
Kim — February 5, 2025 @ 5:03 am Reply

Thank you so much for this recipe! I’ve made it a few times, and it’s turned out perfectly! I was wondering, is a round banneton best for this recipe, or could I use an oval one and get the same results?
- Alexandra Stafford — February 6, 2025 @ 6:06 am Reply
  
  Hi Kim! You can use either. I actually love using an oval banneton and shaping the loaf into a batard. See the video above for that shaping process.
Jen — February 6, 2025 @ 7:56 am Reply

Hi! I’m super excited to try this recipe, will be my first attempt ever but I’m hesitant to put my oven above 450 (we’ve had issues with elements frying in the past). Do you think it would still work out if I just preheated to 450F? Thanks!
- Alexandra Stafford — February 7, 2025 @ 1:39 pm Reply
  
  Yes, just be sure to preheat your Dutch oven sufficiently — for at least 30 minutes. Should be fine!
Korrie Wallin — February 6, 2025 @ 8:56 am Reply

New to bread making made this 7 times so far perfect everytime thank you so much
- Alexandra Stafford — February 7, 2025 @ 1:30 pm Reply
  
  Great to hear, Korrie! Thanks for writing 🙂
Crystal Anderson — February 6, 2025 @ 4:46 pm Reply

At what pound can I put add ins?
- Alexandra Stafford — February 7, 2025 @ 1:27 pm Reply
  
  Just before the third set of stretches and folds. Consider adding a 5th set of stretches and folds to ensure the ingredients are evenly incorporated.
Skippy — February 7, 2025 @ 6:35 am Reply

Looking at your video, in my stretch and fold my dough is far from being as stretchy as yours. What could cause that?

Also, I was wondering if it would be easier for a beginner to lower the hydration % a bit?
- Alexandra Stafford — February 7, 2025 @ 12:40 pm Reply
  
  Hi! What kind of flour are you using? Also, if time permits, leave more time in between each set of stretches and folds.
  
  Next time you could lower the hydration a bit. Are you using a scale to measure?
  - Skippy — February 7, 2025 @ 12:54 pm Reply
    
    Hi 🙂
    
    My bread turns out way better than expected 🙂
    
    I use white bread flour from a local mill. I’ll give a try to let a longer rest time between each stretch and/or lower a bit the hydratation. Thank you 🙂
    
    Oh and yes, always scale !
    - Alexandra Stafford — February 9, 2025 @ 7:05 am Reply
      
      Great to hear, Skippy! Thanks for circling back with your results 🙂
Marissa — February 7, 2025 @ 8:17 am Reply

Hello!
I was wondering if for the first bulk ferment after my stretch and folds, if I can put it in the fridge overnight? If so do I just pick up where I left off or let it come to room temp?
Thank you!
- Alexandra Stafford — February 7, 2025 @ 12:46 pm Reply
  
  Yes! And yes: pick up where you left off in the morning: you’ll want to leave the dough at room temperature until it rises at least 50% in volume. Are you using a straight-sided vessel for the bulk fermentation?
Cristy M. — February 7, 2025 @ 8:40 am Reply

Hi Ali –

Question – how do you store your loaves during the cold proof? I’ve been making lots of sourdough lately and have just started to try open baking. One of the things I keep seeing is people putting their loaves in a banneton uncovered into the refrigerator. I live in South Florida, so we’ve got plenty of humidity outside but I’ve been consistently putting my bannetons inside of a plastic shopping back loosely tied into the fridge. The bread is coming out fine, but I’m not getting that spring or crumb I am hoping for. Any suggestions?

Thanks!
- Alexandra Stafford — February 7, 2025 @ 12:49 pm Reply
  
  Hi Cristy! I have not tried placing my loaves in the fridge without a cover. They are either completely wrapped in a flour sack towel or they are wrapped in a flour sack towel and then additionally tucked inside a bag (like a produce bag) for additional protection. My worry about putting the loaves in uncovered is that a skin will form on the dough, which will be problematic when baking.
  
  Are you using as straight-sided vessel for the bulk fermentation? And how much are you letting the dough increase in volume before baking?
  - Cristy M — February 7, 2025 @ 1:15 pm Reply
    
    Yes to the straight sided vessel. My bulk fermentation takes about 10-11 hours. I’m letting dough increase about 75-100% in volume. It depends on when I catch it in the morning.
    - Alexandra Stafford — February 9, 2025 @ 7:14 am Reply
      
      OK, it sounds as though you are doing everything right.
      
      I would try bread flour if you aren’t using that already. And I would try letting the dough increase in volume by 50%. Then cold proof for 48 hours. See if that makes a difference.
Don Ashburn — February 7, 2025 @ 1:01 pm Reply

Can other flours be substituted for a portion of the bread flour? Say 30%? A combination of Hard winter wheat, spelt, and rye?
- Alexandra Stafford — February 9, 2025 @ 7:05 am Reply
  
  Yes! Spelt is easy to incorporate. Rye is a little trickier as it will make the gluten structure slightly weaker and your dough will be stickier. I would say no more than 25% rye, but if you are wanting to incorporate a mix of rye and spelt for a total of 30%, then go for it 🙂
bella — February 7, 2025 @ 2:48 pm Reply

easy to follow recipe, and it turned out perfect. I used 80 g starter, let it rise for 8 hours (kitchen is 72 degrees) , proofed for 8 hours. It looks beauitful and tastes great. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge!
- Alexandra Stafford — February 9, 2025 @ 7:01 am Reply
  
  Great to hear, Bella! Thanks for writing 🙂
Joselin — February 7, 2025 @ 3:40 pm Reply

I did everything the recipe says and my bread didn’t rise much. Also, I baked it after around 18hrs in the fridge. It doesn’t taste bad but it is chewie and dense. I don’t know what could be wrong. I weighted all ingredients. I did stretch and fold 4x. Then, It rest for hrs. Then, I did the bench rest after and put it in the refrigerator for 18hrs. Still no successful. Still I love your recipe and techniques
- Alexandra Stafford — February 9, 2025 @ 7:01 am Reply
  
  Hi Joselin! Is this your first sourdough loaf? Are you confident in the strength of your starter? What type of flour are you using?
  
  It sounds as though you are doing everything right, but if you don’t have a strong vigorous starter (as in one that doubles in volume 6 to 8 hours after a feeding), your dough won’t rise.
  
  Are you using a straight-sided vessel for the bulk fermentation? Did the dough increase in volume during the bulk fermentation?
  - Joselin — February 9, 2025 @ 3:01 pm Reply
    
    It was not my first, but my closest to be the first good one. My starter is good. I made it from scratch around 2.5 months. The strength of my starter is good. It rise within 4-6 hrs. It doubles, bubbling and everything. I used King Arthur bread flour. I don’t have that type of vessel. But the dough did increase but not much.
    Thank you for replying and I am already making another one. Let see how it goes
    - Alexandra Stafford — February 11, 2025 @ 5:36 am Reply
      
      OK, it sounds as though you need to let the bulk fermentation go longer. You can get straight-sided vessels at the grocery store — the food storage section. You need a 2-quart volume size. I think it will help tremendously. Let the dough rise between 50-75% in volume; then proceed.
      - Joselin — February 11, 2025 @ 8:08 am
        
        Thanks a lot for your help. I made a second one. I left it rise in my counter for almost 24 hrs. And it is beautiful and the taste is amazing. Thank you so much. Great recipe 👌
      - Alexandra Stafford — February 13, 2025 @ 6:23 am
        
        Amazing! Great to hear. Thanks for circling back 🙂
Matilda — February 7, 2025 @ 8:51 pm Reply

I have already made this bread a few times. I cannot thank you enough for this wonderful recipe and detailed instruction. I will be baking many more of this bread. It sure seems like I do not ever need to try another sourdough recipe.
- Alexandra Stafford — February 9, 2025 @ 6:58 am Reply
  
  Awww, so nice to hear this, Matilda. Thanks for writing!
Brenda Anne Stephens — February 8, 2025 @ 1:31 am Reply

My first successful sourdough bread happened with this recipe! It turned out beautifully with an awesome sourdough taste. The recipe was so easy to follow as well. Thank you for sharing your talent!
- Alexandra Stafford — February 9, 2025 @ 6:55 am Reply
  
  Great to hear, Brenda! Thanks so much for writing 🙂
Lisa — February 8, 2025 @ 4:22 pm Reply

Made this recipe for my 3rd loaf and the bread was much softer! I loved the notes around the hydration. I did wait for 1 hour periods between my stretches and it still worked wonderfully. Thanks, Ali!
- Alexandra Stafford — February 9, 2025 @ 6:43 am Reply
  
  Great to hear, Lisa! Thanks so much for writing 🙂
Camryn — February 8, 2025 @ 8:43 pm Reply

Have you ever tried baking in loaf pans instead of a Dutch oven? I love this recipe but want a rectangle loaf for easier sandwiches and slicing. Would i need to split the dough in half? I’m worried it might be too large to fit the entire loaf in one rectangle loaf pan.
- Alexandra Stafford — February 9, 2025 @ 6:35 am Reply
  
  Hi! I would try this recipe, which is slightly higher hydration and better for sandwiches/toast: Easy Sourdough Sandwich Bread
  
  If you want to make this recipe in a loaf pan, you’d need a 10×5-inch pan. And you’ll want to let the dough proof at room temp in the pan until it begins to crown the rim of the pan.
Danielle — February 9, 2025 @ 7:00 am Reply

Question, how long should the dough be out of the refrigerator before cooking?
- Alexandra Stafford — February 9, 2025 @ 7:13 am Reply
  
  Just enough time to turn it out, score it, and bake it — it doesn’t need to rest at room temp before baking.
Byron Tate — February 9, 2025 @ 7:47 am Reply

Is there a benefit to having more hydration in a recipe? In my fairly limited experience making sourdough bread, I’ve seen directions that comment on the amount of water – like – if you’re not experienced with dealing with higher hydration recipes, reduce the water by x. When I do that, the dough is much easier to work with. I just made this for the second time. It was soupier than the first. (not sure why) Before I put it in the banneton, I wasn’t building much tension because it was like trying to get a drunk person to stand at attention. It turned out fine tho. When I transferred it to the dutch oven, it was still a little wet and when it was done, the parchment stuck to the bottom a little – but the loaf was big and beautiful and delicious. So I’ve never understood — if 320 g of water works, for instance, why use 350 and have something that isn’t as easy to work or deal with? Is the end result better? Thanks again – love your site and I’m taking the course as i write!
- Alexandra Stafford — February 11, 2025 @ 5:52 am Reply
  
  Great questions, Byron 🙂
  
  I love a high-hydration dough, because I love a bread that is not dry/stiff — I love a moister (but obviously still cooked-through) crumb. That said, hydration percentages can be very misleading because all flours absorb water differently. For instance, a 70% hydration dough made with bread flour will be much stiffer than a 70% hydration dough made with Tipo 00 flour.
  
  So for you, given your environment (humidity level) and the flour you are using, it sounds as though 320 grams of water is the magic number… stick with it!
  
  Regarding parchment, not all brands work equally well. I’ve had sticking issues with boxes I’ve purchased on Amazon in bulk, and it’s such a bummer. Try Reynolds or If You Care brands.
Ashley Sherertz — February 10, 2025 @ 5:03 am Reply

I did this recipe, but it was not shapeable, what could I have done wrong? My house temp was at 72 degrees and it was so flat no shape, I went ahead and put in fridge will try and make something.
- Alexandra Stafford — February 10, 2025 @ 5:46 am Reply
  
  Did you use a scale to measure? What type of flour are you using? Are you using a straight-sided vessel for the bulk fermentation? How much did the dough increase in volume during the BF?
  
  It’s possible the dough over-fermented.
  - Ashley Sherertz — February 10, 2025 @ 6:07 am Reply
    
    I used a KitchenAid vessel that has milliliters on it. It’s a clear glass container that comes with a mixer stand. I would say it started at about 500 ML after it was all mixed and it got up to about a thousand ML that was it and that was after 16 hours of fermenting on the table. I used King Arthur bread flour unbleached. Bread flower unbleached. I just did a loaf with whole wheat flour the day before and I used my starter probably 12 hours after. It probably had peaked and it came out great. But this recipe for some reason I use my starter the same way. I mean it probably wasn’t at its peak but I would still think it would give some shape
    - Alexandra Stafford — February 10, 2025 @ 9:14 am Reply
      
      And did you use a scale to measure?
      
      My guess is that the dough over-fermented. Try letting the dough increase in volume by 50%-75% next time around.
      - Ashley Sherertz — February 10, 2025 @ 9:38 am
        
        Yes used scale. Measured in grams. I will try process again. Maybe it did ferment to long which seems crazy. 😂
Joanna — February 10, 2025 @ 5:29 pm Reply

This is amazing! You pulled me in with your focaccia and now I’m learning sourdough! You make it so easy to understand and I am very thankful! I have made 2 now with one crash and burn because it dried out in the fridge because I didn’t cover it well enough. I have a 3rd in fridge (properly covered) and plan to keep going. I bought your pizza book and can’t wait to try out recipes from there as well! Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge in a simplistic style!
- Alexandra Stafford — February 11, 2025 @ 5:12 am Reply
  
  So nice to read this, Joanna! It’s my pleasure. Thank you for buying my book, and thanks so much for writing. Hope the 3rd loaf turns out beautifully 🙂
Rebecca Haws — February 10, 2025 @ 9:18 pm Reply

Thank you so much for not overcomplicating the sourdough journey! I have used your recipe about a handful of times and without fail my bread comes out perfect! I do male loaves and they always rise to make slices for grilled cheese sandwiches that make life so joyful!
- Alexandra Stafford — February 11, 2025 @ 5:06 am Reply
  
  Great to hear, Rebecca! Thanks so much for writing and sharing this 🙂