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”

Laurie G. — April 10, 2025 @ 2:48 pm Reply

I just baked my very first loaf and it looks good… but it’s still cooling. Your recipe and instructions were a life saver, as I was truly intimidated to take this on! My sister brought me a sourdough starter last year so I owed it to her to keep it alive and give it try! After this attempt, I bought the dutch oven, the cambro and the bench scraper so I’ll try it again! My question is, is there a specific method to freezing it? Any specific bag/container?
- Alexandra Stafford — April 11, 2025 @ 12:39 pm Reply
  
  Great to hear, Laurie! Having the right tools helps. I freeze baked loaves in ziplock bags for as long as 3 months, though they usually don’t last that long 🙂
RubyTwoShoes — April 10, 2025 @ 7:46 pm Reply

This came out beautifully with an addition or two… I don’t know if it’s my climate (low desert) or what, but I’ve been struggling with creating an amazing loaf of bread. I added a shot of avocado 🥑 oil and a 1/4 cup of potato starch and this loaf was the bomb 💣. Sometimes you have to have a few tricks up your sleeve 😉
- Alexandra Stafford — April 11, 2025 @ 12:34 pm Reply
  
  Great to hear you’ve been able to make the recipe work with your environment. Thanks for sharing your tricks!
Marianne Jones — April 11, 2025 @ 7:54 am Reply

This recipe is easy to follow. I have been making sourdough for about 2 months and I reference this recipe every time.
- Alexandra Stafford — April 11, 2025 @ 12:26 pm Reply
  
  Great to hear, Marianne! Thank so much for writing 🙂
Kayla Porter — April 11, 2025 @ 8:58 am Reply

I love this recipe! I’ve tried a few others and they didn’t turn out. This one always turns out.. even when I think I totally messed something up in the process, I still get a great oven rise and amazing tasting bread!
- Alexandra Stafford — April 11, 2025 @ 12:25 pm Reply
  
  Great to hear, Kayla! Thanks so much for writing 🙂
Rheanne Lima — April 13, 2025 @ 8:38 am Reply

I absolutely love this recipe! I share it with anyone who’s interested in sourdough. I have a question… How many days maximum can I leave it in the fridge before I need to bake it?
- Alexandra Stafford — April 14, 2025 @ 5:21 am Reply
  
  Great to hear! I find 48 hours to be the sweet spot, but you may have luck pushing it slightly farther. You run the risk of the dough overproofing and then deflating either before or when it enters the oven.
Clara — April 16, 2025 @ 8:34 pm Reply

First time making sourdough and I’m in love. I was telling my husband that l want to sleep in the kitchen because l can’t stop staring at the loaf and the entire house smells so good.
I’ve tried sourdough for a year and it was hard but l never gave up. I finally succeeded with your recipe and I’m so grateful. Thank you 🙏
- Alexandra Stafford — April 17, 2025 @ 3:47 am Reply
  
  Great to hear, Clara! Thanks so much for writing and sharing this 🙂
Brooke — April 17, 2025 @ 5:01 am Reply

Hi! I am traveling this weekend and was just wondering if it’s possible to make the dough, and then freeze it? and then defrost in the fridge for a day or two? I’m kind of stuck where if I put it in the fridge, it’s going to be there for three days, which seems too long
- Alexandra Stafford — April 18, 2025 @ 11:37 am Reply
  
  Hi Brooke, Unfortunately, I don’t have great results when I freeze sourdough dough — it just doesn’t perform as well after it has been frozen. I would suggest freezing the baked loaf instead.
MJ — April 17, 2025 @ 6:44 pm Reply

4th time making this recipee. I use 100MG very active starter and follow everything exactly to the T. Also do 48 hr fridge fermentation for more sour taste. Turns out better than San Fran Sourdough. (According to husband :o). Awesome recipee!
- Alexandra Stafford — April 21, 2025 @ 9:37 am Reply
  
  Great to hear, MJ! Thanks so much for writing and sharing all of your notes 🙂
- Len Carne — April 22, 2025 @ 7:31 am Reply
  
  100MG? Is that milligrams?
  - Alexandra Stafford — April 23, 2025 @ 5:28 am Reply
    
    My guess is that it was 100 grams.
Sandra — April 18, 2025 @ 9:36 pm Reply

Hi and thanks for this incredible guide. i followed your recipe 3 times. The first time was perfect. i used the US measurements. The second and third time did not work out and these times I used the metric measurements. I’m on attempt 4 and I went back to the US measurements and things seem much better and more like my first loaf. I think there might be a problem with the suggested amount of water. I used a cup to gram converter and it says that 1.5 cups of water should be about 355g not 375g. I used the higher amount of starter and that extra 20g of water definitely made things all wrong. Any chance there is something wrong in the conversion?
- Alexandra Stafford — April 21, 2025 @ 9:28 am Reply
  
  Hi! The gram measurements are accurate. Where are you located? In the States or abroad? And what type of flour are you using?
  - Sandra — April 21, 2025 @ 7:18 pm Reply
    
    Hi there, I’m in the US. I think the problem is with my starter. It’s young! I just did a quick Google search for grams of water and got a different amount than what you posted so that’s why I asked. Thanks for your reply!!’n
    - Alexandra Stafford — May 1, 2025 @ 7:30 am Reply
      
      Got it. Try feeding your starter twice a day to strengthen it. Make it work with your schedule: once in the morning, then once before bed or something like that. But each time, discard most of it — no need to weigh what’s left in the jar… just eyeball it… it should look like a couple of tablespoons — then add 75 grams each flour and water. If you don’t want to waste your discard, keep it in a separate vessel in the fridge.
CC — April 20, 2025 @ 1:23 am Reply

Hi! Mine is cold proofing now. It was very sticky and lacking structure prior to gong into the fridge, though it went through the whole process exactly as written. Looking at the comments, it seems obvious to me that it’s the very high humidity in my house, so I’ll do less water next time.
For now: can I bake this in a loaf pan to give it more structure, or should I go ahead and let it spread out in the Dutch Oven?
Thanks!
- rebecca w — April 20, 2025 @ 12:32 pm Reply
  
  I live in oregon and only use 300g water per loaf. When mixing it seems a tad dry but as it sits and you do the stretch and folds it smooths out and is the perfect amount of water. if you do not have structure, your bread will not hold its shape and will be dense. This has been my experience until I found this recipe and adjusted the amount of water down. It’s always easier to add water, but you can’t add more flour to fix it. Best of luck!
  - CC — April 20, 2025 @ 9:19 pm Reply
    
    Thank you! I ended up using the dutch oven and other than a little gummy (not too bad), it turned out great. Definitely will decrease the water next time!
- Alexandra Stafford — April 21, 2025 @ 9:07 am Reply
  
  Hi! Questions: Did you use a scale to measure? What type of flour? And did you use a straight-sided vessel for the bulk fermentation.
  
  It sounds as though your dough may have over fermented during the bulk fermentation. When you were doing the stretches and folds, did you find the dough got more strong and elastic with every set?
  
  You can use a loaf pan, but my worry is that if the dough over fermented, it will lack all strength, which means it will still bake up dense in a loaf pan.
  - CC — April 21, 2025 @ 2:42 pm Reply
    
    Hi! Thanks for answering. I followed everything exactly, it was sticky to start. I’m pretty sure it’s the high humidity here… the loaf ended up coming out great as a boule, if not a little gummy, and I’m trying again now with less water.
    Scale, check. KA unbleached bread flour. Straight sided vessel, it rose beautifully and I stopped it at 50%. The stretch and folds did help for sure, though it was still pretty wet/loose the whole time.
    It was a great start, I’m excited to see what 350g water turns out.
    - Alexandra Stafford — April 21, 2025 @ 5:42 pm Reply
      
      It sounds as though you are doing everything right! I think less water will make all the difference 🙂
rebecca w — April 20, 2025 @ 12:29 pm Reply

Thank you for sharing this! It’s become my standard go-to recipe for all my sourdough bread. Since we live in Oregon I have had to decrease the amount of water by 75g but it’s been perfect. All our mix in’s have been so good and the bread has turned out successfully.
michelle — April 20, 2025 @ 3:35 pm Reply

Hi Ali, Do you feed our strater before making your bread? There’s a recipe I follow from Grant Bakes and he uses 25g of starter, 50 g of water and bread flour–it sits overnight and then he begins the process. I was wondering if you do this or if your starter is always fed and ready. Thank you 🙂
- Alexandra Stafford — April 21, 2025 @ 8:24 am Reply
  
  I like to feed my starter at least twice before using it: once immediately upon fulling it from the fridge; then I let it rise till it doubles, and then I feed it again. And my feeding it each time I mean, I discard most of it, leaving just a tablespoon or so behind, then adding equal parts by weight flour and water.
Amanda — April 21, 2025 @ 7:50 am Reply

Love this recipe! I wonder if I can autolyse it even though I don’t have to?
- Alexandra Stafford — April 21, 2025 @ 8:08 am Reply
  
  Go for it! I don’t find an autolyse makes a difference but I’d love to hear your experience.
Kay — April 21, 2025 @ 10:24 am Reply

My most favorite sourdough recipe. If I wanted to split this dough into two loaves, would I only need to bake for half the time for each? Or is there something more nuanced to it?
- Alexandra Stafford — April 21, 2025 @ 5:38 pm Reply
  
  I suggest baking for 5 minutes less at each phase (covered and uncovered) but ultimately at the end, keep the loaf in the oven until it has browned to your liking 🙂
Peggy M Gaitan — April 22, 2025 @ 9:02 am Reply

I tried to make and I failed miserably. Question: Could I warm my oven a little and put the starter in there because I think the starter didn’t have the right temperature to rise. Could you give me some suggestions. I am not giving up. I will try again!!!
- Len — April 22, 2025 @ 10:58 am Reply
  
  Use a thermometer. Air temp must be 20-25C Put it in a warm airing cupboard for instance if your kitchen temp is below
- Alexandra Stafford — April 23, 2025 @ 5:30 am Reply
  
  You could preheat your oven for 1 minute; then shut it off. I caution against using an oven with the light on because that can be too warm and will cause your starter to over-ferment/die. A slightly warm area is definitely good for starter health.
Rebecca stanker — April 22, 2025 @ 2:34 pm Reply

Hi am I able to cut the dough in half after stretch and folds to make smaller loaves ? What would the baking time be ?
- Alexandra Stafford — May 1, 2025 @ 7:31 am Reply
  
  Yes! Reduce the baking time by 5 minutes at each phase (covered and uncovered); but ultimately, keep the loaf in the oven until it is browned to your liking.
Alanna — April 22, 2025 @ 7:39 pm Reply

Hello! My oven only goes up to 475. How should I adjust cooking time since I can’t preheat to 550? Thank you!
- Alexandra Stafford — April 23, 2025 @ 11:14 am Reply
  
  Just preheat to 475ºF and try to give it at least 30 minutes at that temperature.
  - Alanna — April 23, 2025 @ 11:19 am Reply
    
    It turned out SO GOOD!! 10/10. It’s so light and airy! My loaf was a smidge on the flatter side (beautiful crumb though) wondering if I overproofed a bit or if it was my shaping. How do you know if you created enough tension while shaping with a dough that’s this high in hydration?
    - Alexandra Stafford — April 23, 2025 @ 11:28 am Reply
      
      Great to hear! Shaping definitely takes some practice. I would watch the video first if you haven’t done that yet which will show how I create tension. Second, it’s possible you need to lower the hydration of your dough slightly. Are you using a scale to measure? What type of flour are you using?
      - Alanna — April 23, 2025 @ 1:00 pm
        
        Yep. I used a scale and 375 grams of warm water. I also used king arthur unbleached bread flour. It was 75 degrees in my house while I was bulk fermenting, and I let it go 8 hours and stopped it at a 50% rise, then I did a cold proof for 12 hours. The crumb was perfect, I was just missing that oven spring I feel like!
      - Alex — May 5, 2025 @ 7:55 am
        
        My loaf turned out amazing, thank you! Do you know measurements and cooking time if I wanted to double to make two loaves instead of just the one?
      - Alexandra Stafford — May 5, 2025 @ 9:40 am
        
        Great to hear! Cooking time and process stays the same. If you are using a scale, just double all of the gram measurements given for each ingredient, and you’ll be good to go 🙂
Krystar — April 22, 2025 @ 7:44 pm Reply

Do you do the mixing and stretch and fold in the cambro?
- Alexandra Stafford — April 23, 2025 @ 11:15 am Reply
  
  I have in the past and that’s how I did it for awhile. I now prefer to stretch and fold in the bowl, which gives me a little more space. Then I transfer to the straight-sided vessel after the 4 sets of stretches and folds.
Moriah — April 22, 2025 @ 11:29 pm Reply

Absolutely love this recipe! So easy to follow and made some beautiful loafs from it! I’m now looking to try adding additional ingredients like cheddar and jalapeños. Would the measurements of the original recipe need to be altered or can I just add these extras in during shaping?
- Alexandra Stafford — April 23, 2025 @ 11:16 am Reply
  
  No need to change the original recipe! You can add the add-ins during the stretch and fold phase. I am in the process of experimenting with adding the add-ins right from the start for ease… will post my results soon 🙂
Zach C — April 23, 2025 @ 7:06 am Reply

As someone who’s had 0 luck with baking bread throughout my life, this recipe works so well! Absolutely amazing. Tastes great. My son is currently crying because he can smell the bread, but it’s not done cooling. He just loves it.
- Alexandra Stafford — April 23, 2025 @ 11:18 am Reply
  
  Awwww I get it … it’s hard to wait little guy! Too sweet. Great to read all of this 🙂
Olivia — April 24, 2025 @ 7:18 am Reply

I’m completely new to bread baking – so why not start with a sourdough loaf!? I just baked my first one yesterday and it’s nearly gone! Your instructions and videos were so easy to follow. The loaf is delicious – the only issue we’re having is slicing it. We let it rest for nearly two hours after baking. It has a great outer crust but is very difficult to slice using a really good (serrated) bread knife. There’s almost too much spring to the loaf. I used about 80g of starter, allowed the bulk fermentation to go to about 75%, and did a 24 hour final proof. Thoughts?
- Alexandra Stafford — April 26, 2025 @ 5:01 pm Reply
  
  Great to hear, Olivia! Regarding slicing, are you having a hard time cutting slices through the middle of the loaf? If that is the case, I think that’s just the reality of this bread. I like to cut the bread into quarters, and then I stand one of the quarters up on the longer flat end, and slice down from there — so the slices are shorter. Does that make sense? Elaborate on your difficulties, and I will try to troubleshoot further.
Cindy Bryant — April 24, 2025 @ 7:49 am Reply

My go to sour dough recipe. Never disappoints! If I wanted to add cheese and jalapeños how would I go about out that? Also what size cheese ?cubes would I add. Thank you so much for your clear directions and videos.
- Alexandra Stafford — April 26, 2025 @ 5:06 pm Reply
  
  Great to hear! I would add them before the third set of stretches and folds, and I’d consider adding a fifth set of stretches and folds. I would also go small on the cubes — no bigger than 1/2 inch, and ideally probably a little smaller.
Taylor Bischot — April 24, 2025 @ 11:32 am Reply

hi again – how can i incorporate whole wheat? i tried 100% whole wheat and failed.
- Alexandra Stafford — April 26, 2025 @ 5:10 pm Reply
  
  I would start with no more than 25% whole wheat. Which brand of whole wheat flour did you use? And are you using a scale to measure? Whole wheat flour tends to be thirstier, so you may need to increase the hydration.
Natalie — April 24, 2025 @ 11:59 am Reply

Hello! I’m excited to try this! What quart size dutch oven do you recommend (sorry if I missed this information somewhere on your post)? I followed the link but there’s a few sizes and I wanted to make sure before investing in one. Thanks in advance!
- Alexandra Stafford — April 26, 2025 @ 5:13 pm Reply
  
  Hi Natalie! My Lodge Dutch oven is 5-quarts.
Edward — April 25, 2025 @ 1:15 am Reply

Hi, I have tried to make this recipe twice and followed the instructions and same hydration but my dough turns out too wet to work. Even after 4 stretch and fold and bulk fermentation it is very difficult to shape it into a ball, it is as if working with Ciabatta recipe. What could be the reason?
- Alexandra Stafford — April 26, 2025 @ 5:16 pm Reply
  
  Hi! What type of flour are you using? And it sounds as though you are using a scale to measure, but can you confirm that you are? Do you live in a humid environment? Are you in the States or abroad?
  - Edward — April 27, 2025 @ 7:11 pm Reply
    
    Thank you for the reply, Yes I do use digital scale for all ingredients and I use King Arthur bread flour. Live in Los Angeles and the weather has been about 65-70 degrees F. Had the same problem trying to make your sour dough Focaccia last month.
    - Alexandra Stafford — May 1, 2025 @ 7:27 am Reply
      
      Great re scale and bread flour.
      
      Given that you are finding the dough too sticking from the start (as in during the stretches and folds), I think you do need to reduce the water from the start. Consider holding back 50 grams of water and see if that helps.
Jeni Huffine — April 26, 2025 @ 6:40 am Reply

I love this recipe. It’s the only one I use. I do adjust the hydration based on where I’m baking (higher or lower humidity). This got me excited about sourdough. We even created a crumb reader. I hope you try it: sour.do
- Alexandra Stafford — April 26, 2025 @ 5:26 pm Reply
  
  Oh fun! Thanks for writing and sharing… I will definitely check it out 🙂
Gabriella Steinlicht — April 26, 2025 @ 10:14 am Reply

Hello,
I am trying your recipe, but didn’t read all the way through. Using your bread recipe, what are the oven temps and duration when using 2 cookie sheets (top and bottom), with a container of hot water? Note: I am a newbie. 🙂
Thank you in advance for your time.
Giving 5 star for explicit directions with visuals.
- Alexandra Stafford — April 26, 2025 @ 5:34 pm Reply
  
  Hi! And congrats on embarking on a sourdough journey 🙂 It’s fun. Can you clarify what this means: “when using 2 cookie sheets (top and bottom), with a container of hot water?” I’m not familiar with that method.
Alexa — April 26, 2025 @ 2:02 pm Reply

Ali, I am a novice baker, but I followed this recipe to the letter and my bread came out perfect! Thank you so much for the thorough guidance. I am trying today with adding jalapenos and cheddar cheese during the stretch and fold phase. I’m finding the dough to be less elastic with the add-ins, but haven’t baked it yet, so I’ll see how it turns out tomorrow.
Let me know how your add-in experiments go!
-Alexa
- Alexandra Stafford — April 26, 2025 @ 5:44 pm Reply
  
  How did it turn out? That makes sense … the add-ins definitely inhibit gluten development. Do you think you added too much? And was the cheese cubed or grated?
Ally — April 26, 2025 @ 2:10 pm Reply

I love this recipe! My go to recipe for an airy, hydrated loaf that comes out perfect every time.

Question for the author:

I do use a bread oven for baking, so wondering if I don’t want as crispy as a crust, should I not preheat my bread oven? It’s difficult to slice through the bottom for some reason!
- Alexandra Stafford — April 26, 2025 @ 5:43 pm Reply
  
  Great to hear! Just to clarify, are you not using a Dutch oven? Are you using an oven that actually has a steam function, etc.? (Jealous if so!)
Susan Whitney — April 26, 2025 @ 6:21 pm Reply

What part of the process would you add stuff, herbs,cheese etc
- Alexandra Stafford — April 27, 2025 @ 4:03 am Reply
  
  Just before the third set of stretches and folds. Consider adding a fifth set of stretches and folds to ensure everything is incorporated evenly.