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”

Naomi — June 21, 2025 @ 8:41 am Reply

Love this recipe! Have adjusted amounts used that work better for my environment/starter. I don’t preheat my Dutch oven because I don’t like a super hard crust. It’s a very forgiving recipe. I have dumped it in the fridge after the pinch and fold. I have thrown it in the fridge half way thru rising and take it out the next day and continued. I have proofed on counter and in fridge. It turns out great no matter how I abuse it.
- Alexandra Stafford — June 22, 2025 @ 5:40 am Reply
  
  Great to hear, Naomi! Thanks so much for writing and sharing your notes… so encouraging for others 🙂
Laura — June 21, 2025 @ 10:52 am Reply

Hi! Thank you for this recipe! Can you double it and follow the same instructions?
- Alexandra Stafford — June 22, 2025 @ 5:36 am Reply
  
  Yes!
- Sian — June 28, 2025 @ 3:51 am Reply
  
  Hi, after I did the fridge proof the dough had loads of hard lumps in it, what did I do wrong? The dough felt great before it went in the fridge! I’m very new to sourdough!
  - Alexandra Stafford — June 28, 2025 @ 8:44 am Reply
    
    Hi! Did you stick the dough in a bag in the fridge? Or was it just wrapped in a towel?
    - Sian — June 28, 2025 @ 10:05 am Reply
      
      Hi, it was just wrapped in a towel
      - Alexandra Stafford — June 29, 2025 @ 6:47 pm
        
        I think that’s the issue… tuck it in a bag next time so that it doesn’t dry out.
Tasha — June 21, 2025 @ 6:23 pm Reply

super excited to try this!!
I have a question: In your video, after you’ve done your 4 stretch and folds and you leave it til increased by roughly 50%, your video says it took 10hrs. Is that 10hrs to just double, or 10hrs total from the time you first started mixing up the dough?
- Alexandra Stafford — June 22, 2025 @ 5:31 am Reply
  
  10 hours from when I started. But pay less attention to the timing and rely on the visual cues: depending on the strength of your starter and your environment, this may take much less time or it may take more time. Use a straight-sided vessel — I can’t emphasize this enough — for the bulk fermentation, which will let you see how much your dough has truly grown in volume during the bulk fermentation.
  - Tasha — June 22, 2025 @ 8:57 am Reply
    
    Great, thanks so much 🙂
Joss — June 22, 2025 @ 9:00 am Reply

The best sourdough bread I ever made! It used to be so stressful as all recipes I tried were a hit and miss. Yours is worthy of “sourdough bread for dummies” 😃
Thank you, Alexandra!
- Alexandra Stafford — June 23, 2025 @ 8:31 am Reply
  
  Awww, so great to hear this, Joss 🙂 Thanks so much for writing. So glad this was a success!
Anna - junior baker — June 23, 2025 @ 8:27 am Reply

Well, I have just made my very first Sourdough Bread 🍞 using your recipe.🥳

I made it yesterday and it’s already gone so I guess we call this a “success” . Thank you for sharing your methods ❤️
Ashley Cary — June 23, 2025 @ 11:41 am Reply

I forgot to add the salt. Can I add it once its formed the shaggy dough or doing one of the stretch and folds?
- Alexandra Stafford — June 23, 2025 @ 12:42 pm Reply
  
  I would definitely try! Sprinkle it over the dough and try to knead it in either in the bowl or on a lightly floured work surface. If you get to a place where it’s hard to knead it in anymore, give the dough a rest for 20 minutes, then go back to it, either kneading or simply stretching and folding.
Debbie — June 25, 2025 @ 3:39 pm Reply

Hi Ali. Why is my dough always sloppy and sticky ? I have tried several recipies that turn out just ok. I have tried using less water with no luck. The bread I make is eatable but too dense not fluffy. What could I be doing wrong 🤔 thank you
- Alexandra Stafford — June 26, 2025 @ 6:53 am Reply
  
  Hi! It sounds as though your dough is overfermenting during the bulk fermentation. I actually wrote a post about this: Why is my sourdough so sticky? 4 Common Sourdough Mistakes + Answers to FAQ’s
  
  I would check that out.
  
  A few things off the top of my head:
  
  1. make sure you are using a scale to measure
  
  2. take notes: you may need to use much less water than a recipe says given the flour you are using and your environment. If your dough is wet and sticky from the start, you may need to use less. If it’s wet and sticky after the bulk fermentation, it’s probably over fermenting.
Linda — June 26, 2025 @ 1:38 am Reply

Hi,

Your sourdough looks great , I am following your recipe, my problem is that in twenty four hours my starter is spilling over really foamy if that’s the correct term. Is the starter ready at this point? as I transfer half to a bigger container, feed, but nothing happens then no movement at all. Where am I going wrong, I AM FOLLOWING YOUR INSTRUTIONS TO THE TEE.!!!!
- Alexandra Stafford — June 26, 2025 @ 6:50 am Reply
  
  Hi! Are you doing the Sourdough Starter from Scratch Challenge? If so what day are you on? And what size vessel are you using?
  
  And can you clarify: it sounds as though your starter is very active (“spilling over”) but you also say there’s no movement.
  - Linda — June 27, 2025 @ 1:47 am Reply
    
    HI, Thanks for getting back to me.
    
    I started last Sunday 5pm with 1lb jam jar.100grms good quality strong white flour, 100grms water. Giving stir about to hours later.
    Monday morning no movement gave stir 10.am and 2pm. a little rise . 5pm it was at the top of the jar, went and bought a kilner jar when I returned the jar was spilling over, after cleaning kilner jar tipped half the foaming mix into and fed again with 100grms floor and 100grms water, the over half in the jam jar I put in fridge.
    Tuesday Stirring occasionally no movement repeated Wednesday. Still no movement it was a little runny so added 100grms floor and stirred throughout day.
    Today Friday morning still no movement seems to be separating,
    
    Thursday Had another spare jam jar so made anew starter same again this morning no movement. I don’t know what is going on.
    
    Thx Again Linda
    - Alexandra Stafford — June 28, 2025 @ 9:11 am Reply
      
      Hi! OK, at this point, you should be following this proces every time you feed your starter: discard most of it, leaving just a tablespoon or two behing (no need to measure the amount you leave behind in the jar). Add 100 grams each flour and water. Stir. Let it rise in a cozy place. Repeat 12 hours later.
      
      Question: Do you think your kitchen is warm enough?
      
      It is OK that your starter had been doing “well” and somehow now appears to not be doing so well… some people call it a starter “fake out”. It is common for a starter to go gangbusters in the beginning due to the rush of activity as the wild yeasts and bacteria feed like crazy on all of the “food” (the flour/water). As your starter matures/ripens, it becomes more acidic, and some of these microbes can’t survive… as they die off, the starter looks inactive, but it just needs time: more consistent feedings with fresh food and water and a warm place to rise.
      
      Does that make sense? I would continue on with the feedings… it may take as long as 2 weeks to start doubling consistently. The pineapple juice I call for in my recipe is meant to shorten that timeline, but other elements (cool temps) can counter that effort.
      - Linda — June 28, 2025 @ 1:16 pm
        
        Hi, Thanks for the reply, I now have three on the go hopefully I will get one!
        I am discarding some and feeding and watering and will see what I have in a couple of weeks. I should get one out of the three!
        
        Last Monday when it quadrupled in 24 hours, would that have be ready to bake bread??? Thanks again.
      - Alexandra Stafford — June 29, 2025 @ 6:49 pm
        
        YES! Quadrupling is a great sign. So glad to hear you are keeping at it. It does take time to build a really strong starter.
Jess — June 26, 2025 @ 6:25 am Reply

This is my second time make sourdough using this recipe and it turned out so good both times! Light, crispy, and delicious!
Jess — June 26, 2025 @ 6:26 am Reply

*making
Jeanetta Crous — June 26, 2025 @ 10:41 pm Reply

Hi the dough did it’s first proof overnight but I can only bake it tonight- can I leave it in the fridge for 8 hours and then bake it? Do I have to take it out of fridge an hour before or direct from fridge to oven?
- Alexandra Stafford — June 28, 2025 @ 8:57 am Reply
  
  Yes, you can — the texture of the crumb might not be as light and airy, but it will still be tasty. It should go directly from the fridge to the oven, after scoring it, of course.
- Jill — July 1, 2025 @ 12:24 pm Reply
  
  Is there supposed to be no oil added to the dough?
  - Alexandra Stafford — July 3, 2025 @ 5:57 am Reply
    
    Correct!
    - Adriana — August 8, 2025 @ 11:53 am Reply
      
      Hi there,
      What would happen if I did add oil on the top with it is bulk fermenting? Thank you!
      - Alexandra Stafford — August 9, 2025 @ 1:21 pm
        
        Nothing! It will be great 🙂
Anne Rix — June 27, 2025 @ 5:08 pm Reply

I was a bit confused on how much starter to use. You indicate between 50-100g of starter. If I use 60g should I follow the recipe and use 375g of water and 500g of bread flour?
- Alexandra Stafford — June 28, 2025 @ 8:50 am Reply
  
  Yes, regardless of how much starter you use, use the remaining ingredients as they are written. If you want a slower rise for whatever reason, use 50 grams of starter. If you want a slightly faster rise, use 100 grams. I always use 100 grams.
Sherri Rahe — June 29, 2025 @ 1:18 am Reply

I have whey from making goat cheese. Can I use this in place of water when making the dough? And would it measure out same as water?
- Alexandra Stafford — June 29, 2025 @ 6:27 pm Reply
  
  You can, but keep in mind a few things: first, if you used salt when making the goat cheese, you may want to reduce the salt called for here slightly; second, whey will make the dough brown more easily/quickly when baking, so you may want to lower the oven temperature slightly. I would try using the same amount as called for for the water the first time around…take notes… you may need more next time around if you find the bread to be too dry, but my guess is that won’t happen. Good luck! Report back if you make it 🙂
Emily — June 29, 2025 @ 5:52 am Reply

Hi! I’ve been baking sourdough bread for about a year now. I had consistent progress and beautiful boules weekly until recently, when they started coming out suuuuper flat and depressing. I needed a recipe-reset because I’m an experimenter and not much of a note taker! Thanks to your recipe, I am back on track. Turns out I was over-proofing my dough! (I think). Thanks so much!
- Alexandra Stafford — June 29, 2025 @ 6:25 pm Reply
  
  Hooray 🙂 Great to hear, Emily. Over proofing is so easy to do. Thanks so much for writing. So glad you’re back on track 🎉
Tatiana — June 29, 2025 @ 12:08 pm Reply

I almost give up on making sourdough bread, so much mixed information, ahh. And finally I came across your recipe, that made my dream come true! I made bread 3 times now, and every single loaf came out outstanding! Thank you so much for sharing and for such detailed information, simply the best!
- Alexandra Stafford — June 29, 2025 @ 3:18 pm Reply
  
  Great to hear, Tatiana! Thanks so much for writing and sharing all of this 🙂
Ruth — June 30, 2025 @ 12:05 pm Reply

thank you for this!! it was my third try and it worked! I love it. I learned more patience in the process, and it came out amazing. I don’t use white flour at all, so made it with whole wheat only, but it still came out beautifully. it has a tanginess to it but the texture is silky and rustic at the same time!! Like those Russian breads.
I am wondering if the bread itself needs to be refrigerated? I would put a picture of my bread but don’t see how to add it.
- Alexandra Stafford — July 3, 2025 @ 5:39 am Reply
  
  Great to hear, Ruth! Thanks so much for writing and sharing this. I store the bread at room temperature in an airtight bag for 3 days. If it’s going to be longer, I would freeze it (in portions) and pull out the portions as needed.
S.P — June 30, 2025 @ 2:19 pm Reply

Love your recipe! I just cut into my sourdough bread and it came out wonderfully perfect!!! I got so emotional I even teared up a bit!

I did not use a scale or any fancy tools either I just used what I had.

I was looking for a recipe that didn’t use a scale so I am very grateful that you added the other measurements. I know it’s not ideal but I wanted to try it out for those who want to start this journey to reassure them that you don’t need all the tools to make delicious bread at home.

Thank you so much!!!!
- Alexandra Stafford — July 3, 2025 @ 5:46 am Reply
  
  Great to hear, S.P! Thanks so much for writing and sharing this… so encouraging for others 🙂
Stephanie — July 1, 2025 @ 6:57 am Reply

First time EVER sourdough or bread maker and Alexandra made it SO easy. My first loaf came out nearly perfect and was delicious! Her explanations and also detailing how you can use the fridge as your friend, really helped as I definitely did not plan my timing right. 10/10 recommend. Baking my second loaf now!
- Alexandra Stafford — July 3, 2025 @ 5:48 am Reply
  
  Great to hear, Stephanie! Thanks so much for writing and sharing this 🙂
Naoko — July 3, 2025 @ 8:39 pm Reply

I really want to try your recipe for sourdough bread, but I don’t have a Dutch oven like Lodge(flat lid). Are there any alternatives?

Thank you for all your delicious recipes.
- Alexandra Stafford — July 4, 2025 @ 7:11 am Reply
  
  Hi! Do you have a pizza stone or Baking Steel?
Savanna — July 4, 2025 @ 8:09 am Reply

Clicked on this recipe because it by far had the most reviews and best ratings! I started my own starter couple months ago and have made 3 focaccias, now I want to make a bread loaf! I’m in the middle of this recipe and I just wanted to say I got to 3 cups of flour and it was already shaggy, I know I got the water measurement correct, I didn’t add the 4th cup because I felt like that would’ve made it too dry and crumbly, for context I don’t have a scale just going off cups and I live in Texas hot and humid. I read the comments to see if anyone else had this question.. anyway will continue the rest of the recipe and see how it turns out thanks!
- Alexandra Stafford — July 5, 2025 @ 4:55 am Reply
  
  Hi! I highly recommend investing in a scale as it seems as though you are already invested in making good sourdough bread — it will eliminate human error… volume measuring cups simply are not accurate… and it will allow you to make meaningful adjustments. Given that you live in a humid environment, you may need to reduce the water called for in many recipes, but again, you won’t know if you are actually reducing the amount of water unless you are using a scale to measure. Nice work not adding the 4th cup of flour here as it sounds as though you had already reached the required amount by weight using 3 cups of flour. I hope the rest of the process went smoothly.
Naoko — July 4, 2025 @ 11:13 am Reply

No, I don’t but I’m thinking about purchasing a pizza stone or steel. So pizza stone will work as a base and put my regular Dutch oven to cover?
Thanks.
- Alexandra Stafford — July 5, 2025 @ 5:00 am Reply
  
  If you are going to get one or the other, I highly recommend the Baking Steel! You can cover your loaf with a turned over metal bowl or any oven safe pot that will sit flush against the surface of the Steel.
  - Naoko — July 5, 2025 @ 6:30 pm Reply
    
    Thank you so much for your reply!!!
Les — July 7, 2025 @ 8:09 am Reply

Thank you so much for this recipe. I’ve been experimenting with it for the last month or so—with very happy results. The vids and the explanations are clear and easy to follow. You’ve taken the hocus pocus out of sourdough and kept in the joy. Thanks for that.
Great process. And great bread.
- Alexandra Stafford — July 8, 2025 @ 7:57 am Reply
  
  So nice to read this, Les! Thanks so much for writing and sharing this 🙂
Michelle — July 7, 2025 @ 12:37 pm Reply

Hi Ali. To get 100g of starter ready do you use 20g of your starter and 50g flour and water? I rarely see these measurements posted. Thank you so much.
- Alexandra Stafford — July 8, 2025 @ 8:02 am Reply
  
  Hi! I actually never measure the “seed” amount: I always discard most of my starter, then feed it with equal parts flour and water. So if I need 100 grams of starter, I discard most of my starter (down to a tablespoon or two), then add 50 grams each flour and water. This will give me more than 100 grams of starter, enough to use in the recipe, and enough left over to re-feed.
Ellen Silver — July 7, 2025 @ 2:54 pm Reply

Made the starter from scratch and the first loaf was gorgeous! Delish, but not very “sour.” Could that have been because the starter was pretty new? (Baked on Day 8)
(Huge fan here, btw. Been making your recipes for years and had an early copy of Pizza.)
- Alexandra Stafford — July 8, 2025 @ 9:09 am Reply
  
  Thank you, Ellen 🙂
  
  Great to read all of this. Yes, definitely because your starter is on the new side. Question: how much starter did you use here? And how long did you cold proof for?
  - Ellen Silver — July 8, 2025 @ 10:31 am Reply
    
    Used 100g starter (Day 8) and cold proofed for about 18 hours. The loaf is GORGEOUS, the crust is crunchy and the inside is light and airy. Just didn’t taste too different from my frequent “NY Times No Knead” dutch over breads, which take so much less effort. Not giving up though! Have plenty of starter! (And discard, which I will use soon.).
    - Alexandra Stafford — July 9, 2025 @ 11:02 am Reply
      
      Great to hear! OK, a few thoughts: you could try a longer colder proof: 48 hours in the fridge. You could also try using 50 grams of starter: it’s counterintuitive by using less starter means your bulk fermentation will be longer, which means the wild yeasts and bacteria will go through their food source at a slower rate and the wild bacteria will produce more acetic acid along the way.
      - Ellen Silver — July 9, 2025 @ 11:12 am
        
        Great info! Thanks so much! You really are terrific in every way; have followed and loved your blog for a long time and you never disappoint. Those bialys — WOW! I make them regularly and they’re the best I’ve ever eaten (says this former New Yorker).
      - Alexandra Stafford — July 10, 2025 @ 7:10 am
        
        Aww, Ellen!! Thank you. This means so much. So great to hear about the bialys. Haven’t made those in ages and you are inspiring me to revisit the recipe. Good luck in your pursuit of more sourness!
Caitlin — July 8, 2025 @ 1:12 am Reply

Hi!

I am a complete beginner and I tried your recipe. It was very easy to follow – thank you!. I have a question on how to do better next time:

I put my dough in a banneton with a plastic bag over it in the fridge for 24+ hours for the second rise. When I flipped my dough out onto the parchment paper, the top had a “crust” on it, like it had dried out where it was touching the fabric of my banneton. When I scored the top, the dough actually deflated. What did I do wrong?

Also, the dough had a reasonable amount of small holes, but was still very dense (and seemingly moist?) any thoughts on what to try?

The kitchen was between 22-28 degrees all day when I was preparing the dough. It felt a little sticky when doing stretch and folds, but came up good by the 4th rep.

Thanks for your time <3
- Alexandra Stafford — July 8, 2025 @ 9:11 am Reply
  
  Hi! Questions:
  
  Are you using a scale to measure?
  
  Did you place the entire banneton in the bag, or was just the top covered?
  
  Are you confident in the strength of your starter? Does it double in volume within 6-8 hours of a feeding?
  
  Finally, what kind of flour are you using and do you live in a humid environment?
  - Caitlin — October 3, 2025 @ 1:25 pm Reply
    
    Hi! Thank you so much for your reply!
    
    -Yes, I’m using a scale.
    -The entire banneton.
    -It’s probably not very strong yet. This was the first time my starter “floated”.
    -I’m not sure, but I’ll track that next time and see the difference. Thanks for the tip 🙂
    -I’m using high quality, white, bread flour.
    -I live in a humid environment, although it was winter so probably the least humid part of the year.
    
    Thanks again!
Alicia — July 9, 2025 @ 8:15 am Reply

Wonderful, the best loaf I have ever made! I did use part whole wheat and part bread flour. It was perfect. Thank you for my new go-to recipe!
- Alexandra Stafford — July 9, 2025 @ 10:52 am Reply
  
  Great to hear, Alicia! Thanks so much for writing 🙂
Georgina — July 9, 2025 @ 4:47 pm Reply

Hi, is it possible to make it using entirely whole wheat flour or half and half? If so, do I need to adjust or take note of anything?
- Alexandra Stafford — July 10, 2025 @ 7:16 am Reply
  
  You can, just keep in mind: the more whole wheat flour you use, the heavier/denser your bread will be due to the presence of bran, which cuts through the gluten network, making it harder for the dough to form pockets to trap air and expand. I would suggest trying 50% whole wheat flour first; then depending on your results, you can adjust with more or less the next time around. Another thing to keep in mind is that whole wheat flour is thirstier than bread flour, so the dough may be stiffer. This is a relatively high hydration dough though, so you might not need to make any adjustments to the water if using 50% ww flour. If the dough seems dry, you could add some water in: 25 grams or so. Take notes!
Charla — July 9, 2025 @ 11:58 pm Reply

Literally the greatest thing I’ve ever made or eaten. Thank you so much.
- Alexandra Stafford — July 10, 2025 @ 7:19 am Reply
  
  Great to hear, Charla! Thanks so much for writing 🙂
K Sherwood — July 11, 2025 @ 1:55 pm Reply

Wow! This recipe really is fool proof. I just started making sourdough and until I found your recipe, I hadn’t been happy with any of my loaves. It will be my “go to”.
- Alexandra Stafford — July 12, 2025 @ 4:57 am Reply
  
  Great to hear! Thanks for writing 🙂
Jaci — July 13, 2025 @ 5:07 am Reply

Hi! Thank you for the post! Can I double this recipe for two loaves? Thank you.
- Alexandra Stafford — July 13, 2025 @ 5:45 am Reply
  
  Yes!