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”

Anna-Liisa McAdams — September 20, 2025 @ 6:46 am Reply

Very good recipe for a beginner!
- Alexandra Stafford — September 21, 2025 @ 4:35 am Reply
  
  Great to hear! Thanks for writing 🙂
  - Nicola — October 3, 2025 @ 6:57 pm Reply
    
    My tired arse fell asleep last night waiting for the first rise. Letting it rise for for an excess 4 hours 😬. Cold rise for 7 hours and in oven now. Looks great so Fingers crossed it it tastes okay. Every other time I have baked it has been beautiful. Such a great recipe. Definitely my go to!
Ann S. — September 20, 2025 @ 8:05 pm Reply

I am new to sourdough and tried several commonly found recipes. I was not very successful with any. Then I found this recipe. It has NEVER failed me. I double the recipe every time I make it and every time the loaves are delicious and look beautiful. Now whenever I’m talking to someone and find out they have a sourdough starter, I tell them they need to try this recipe – it will NOT disappoint!
- Rebecca Yates — September 20, 2025 @ 10:12 pm Reply
  
  When you double the recipe, do you bake both loaves at the same time? If so, in what?
  
  Any other tips for doubling? I have made this recipe once and liked it, but it’s not that big a loaf for how much work it takes.
  - Alexandra Stafford — September 21, 2025 @ 4:46 am Reply
    
    I would bake the loaves separately — you would need a very large Dutch oven to bake them at the same time. You can bake them over multiple days: bake one one day, keep the other one in the fridge and bake it the next day. The baked loaves freeze beautifully. Or you can bake them one after another, just be sure to let the DO reheat sufficiently in between bakes.
    - Rebecca Yates — September 21, 2025 @ 3:02 pm Reply
      
      Super helpful advice, thank you! When you double, would you double the starter too, i.e. 200 grams?
      - Alexandra Stafford — September 23, 2025 @ 4:02 pm
        
        Yes!
- Alexandra Stafford — September 21, 2025 @ 4:44 am Reply
  
  Great to hear, Ann! Thanks so much for writing and sharing all of this 🙂
Cindi G — September 21, 2025 @ 5:22 am Reply

LOVE this recipe! I sometimes adjust the water down to 350g because I live in the humid midwest.
- Alexandra Stafford — September 24, 2025 @ 3:53 am Reply
  
  Great to hear, Cindi! Thanks for writing 🙂
Tony Villasenor — September 21, 2025 @ 9:41 am Reply

Dear Ali –

Thank you so much for this wonderful sourdough recipe. Your instructions, explanations, suggestions – and photos and videos – were all very clear, focused, and detailed!!

I am brand new to making homemade sourdough bread – at my wife’s request – and I started with a few other recipes, but none turned as perfect as your recipe. I’ve accomplished several loaves now, and must say that your multiple stretch-and-folds and long cold-proof produce really fantastic breads and are indeed ‘magical’.

My wife says that I will be baking sourdough Very Frequently from now on…Of Course, Dear!

Again, THANKS LOTS FOR THE GREAT TECHNIQUES.
Tony Villasenor — September 21, 2025 @ 9:46 am Reply

Dear Ali –

This is a question, not a comment: one of my daughters requested a gluten-free version of this sourdough bread, and I started testing several gluten-free starters – King Arthur’s was the most successful – but I’m wondering if your basic technique will also work with gluten-free flours, or, do I need to take a different approach?

Best regards,
- Alexandra Stafford — September 23, 2025 @ 4:09 pm Reply
  
  Hi Tony! I have to be honest, I have never attempted a gluten-free sourdough bread, so I hesitate to offer any advice on this front. Bravo on making your own gluten-free starter!! That is a feat alone. I would google “gluten-free sourdough recipe” because I’m sure there are sites dedicated to this topic that will offer better guidance than I can. Good luck!
  - Tony Villasenor — September 23, 2025 @ 4:39 pm Reply
    
    Dear Ali – Thanks so much! I’ll do more research.
    BTW, did you get my glowing review of your sourdough recipe that I submitted a few days ago (right before my question)?
    
    Regards,
    Tony
    - Alexandra Stafford — September 24, 2025 @ 4:03 am Reply
      
      Sounds like a plan! I had not seen your comment… it had ended up in the pending comments section for some reason. I just made it live. Thanks so much for writing! So nice to read all of this 🙂
HJ — September 21, 2025 @ 12:59 pm Reply

I am curious what you would suggest if a person does not have a bread flour mix? Like what mixture of flours would you use to make your own “mix”? Also, I prefer to not use gums (but hope the sourdough is yeasty-enough), do you have any suggestions for that?
- Kathleen — September 23, 2025 @ 6:53 am Reply
  
  Bread flour is not a mix of flours, it is flour with a higher protein. You can use regular flour.
  - HJ — September 25, 2025 @ 9:06 pm Reply
    
    I appreciate you responding, however, do you never click through the bread that was suggested, to check out the link and/or read the ingredients? Gluten-free bread flour (whether Bobs or Kings) are both a mix of various flours AND gums, but even worse, sometimes they’re “enriched” with added (synthetic) “vitamins”! I’m trying to avoid that and literally mix my own…
- Alexandra Stafford — September 23, 2025 @ 4:04 pm Reply
  
  Hi! Just look for bread flour at the store — King Arthur or Bob’s Red Mill are bread brands. Otherwise all-purpose flour (again King Arthur or Bob’s Red Mill brands are great) will work here.
  - HJ — September 25, 2025 @ 9:15 pm Reply
    
    I appreciate you responding, however, I’m trying to mix my own, because those bread mixes you listed often contain gums and sometimes are “enriched”/“fortified” with added (synthetic) “vitamins”. I was asking what a person would do if trying to avoid those already pre-made bread mixes and/or mix their own bread mix…that being said, however, I think I found another site (listed below) that will help, with details of gluten-free flours to use, what percentage of which, AND it avoids using “gums” (like xantham/etc)… thanks for attempting to help, though
    
    https://www.bakerita.com/gluten-free-sourdough-bread/print/24782/
  - HJ — September 25, 2025 @ 9:25 pm Reply
    
    PS, sorry if I wasn’t clear in my initial question? For some reason, when googling “gluten-free sourdough recipe” yours came up and I was trying to figure out how to substitute/make my own gluten-free bread flour mixes to substitute in for none-gluten-free bread flour. I was trying exactly to avoid the pre-made mixes like Kings & Bobs…I only just now see your above comments to someone else, that you don’t know gluten-free and can’t really suggest for that. Again, sorry if I wasn’t clear confusing (I don’t think I fully realized your recipe wasn’t gluten-free? even though it came up while searching; but maybe it was the above comment that “came up”? I’m sorry, I literally no longer remember what exactly I was thinking, aside from trying to make my own gluten-free bread flour mix)
    - Alexandra Stafford — September 26, 2025 @ 7:09 am Reply
      
      Got it! Thanks for clarifying, Hannah 🙂 So bizarre that my recipe comes up while searching gluten-free sourdough bread… gluten-free sourdough is an area I have yet to venture into and may never… there are so many other people out there that have dedicated lots of time and research, and I think this type of bread is best left to them. But to chime in, I agree: so many of the gluten-free mixes are made with terrible ingredients. Do you have a gluten allergy and a wheat allergy or just a gluten allergy?
Rebecca — September 23, 2025 @ 1:39 pm Reply

I’m new to sourdough. I wanted a soft bread, that’s mild in sourdough flavor. This recipe delivered both! Delicious and on the easier side! Stay calm and trust the process!!!
- Alexandra Stafford — September 23, 2025 @ 3:20 pm Reply
  
  Great to hear, Rebecca! Thanks for writing 🙂
Lorrie — September 24, 2025 @ 6:04 am Reply

Possibly a great recipe. Way too much narrative to make following the instructions easy. Step-by-step instructions would be greatly appreciated without so many “why” comments. Please save that for the blog. A simply written recipe is much easier to follow.
Autumn Bowser — September 24, 2025 @ 9:26 am Reply

Hi! Can you add mix ins to this recipe?? And if so, at what step would I do so? Thank you so much!!
Autumn
- Alexandra Stafford — September 25, 2025 @ 4:38 am Reply
  
  Hi! And yes. Check out this post for how I like to add mix ins to this dough: Rosemary-Olive Sourdough Bread (+ A Better Way to Add Inclusions to Your Sourdough Bread)
Stephanie — September 26, 2025 @ 7:03 am Reply

I have made this MULTIPLE times and it never disappoints! Absolutely amazing! Thank yo for an amazing recipe!!!
- Alexandra Stafford — September 26, 2025 @ 7:31 am Reply
  
  Great to hear, Stephanie 🙂 Thanks so much for writing.
Andrea — September 26, 2025 @ 9:30 am Reply

Hi! Could I use this recipe with healthy cold sourdough starter that I haven’t fed in a week? Do I have to wait to feed the starter first and then use it?
- Alexandra Stafford — September 28, 2025 @ 5:24 am Reply
  
  For this recipe, you need to feed your starter before using it, and use it once it has doubled (or more) in volume and is very bubbly/active looking.
Claire — September 26, 2025 @ 12:35 pm Reply

If I can only proof (second rise) for 1 hour, should it still be in the fridge?
- Alexandra Stafford — September 28, 2025 @ 12:59 pm Reply
  
  I would proof at room temperature if it’s just going to be 1 hour.
MacKenzie — September 26, 2025 @ 4:56 pm Reply

Hi! First time sourdough maker here, so I just finished bulk fermentation and I’m working to shape my dough. At this point, it’s quite a bit more “wet” than yours seems to be, as in it’s sticking to and coming off on my fingers as I’m folding over to center. For my next loaf would you suggest lessening the water? Adding more flour?
- Alexandra Stafford — September 28, 2025 @ 1:04 pm Reply
  
  Yes, probably. Questions: did you use a scale to measure? What type of flour did you use? Straight-sided vessel for the bulk fermentation?
  - MacKenzie — September 28, 2025 @ 3:21 pm Reply
    
    I did use a scale to measure, I live in Florida if that helps with the temps/humidity I’m dealing with. I used King Arthur bread flour and I did not use a straight sided vessel for bulk fermentation
    - Alexandra Stafford — September 29, 2025 @ 5:11 am Reply
      
      Great re scale and bread flour. Given you are in Florida, you could try using 350 grams of water next time around. A straight-sided vessel will help you really gauge how much your dough has risen during the bulk fermentation and will prevent over fermentation at this step, a sign of which is a very wet/sticky dough.
Cora Hart — September 27, 2025 @ 4:31 pm Reply

Such excellent results! More than doubled at the first fermentation. I left it in the fridge for several hours and it rose nicely. When I baked the loaf it once again rose beautifully and I can’t wait to taste this bread. Thank you for simplifying things for us newbies!
- Alexandra Stafford — September 28, 2025 @ 1:32 pm Reply
  
  Great to hear, Cora! Thanks so much for writing and sharing all of this 🙂
Becky — September 28, 2025 @ 7:25 am Reply

I love this recipe. Very easy to follow. My 1st attempt at sourdough, I failed miserably. I gave up on it. Then, I stumbled upon this recipe. The instructions are easy to follow and the videos with in the steps ensures you that you are doing it right. I have had to step away when tired and put the mixture in the fridge. The bread still comes out amazing. This is a great recipe for us beginner bread makers.
- Alexandra Stafford — September 28, 2025 @ 1:46 pm Reply
  
  So nice to read this, Becky! Thanks so much for writing and sharing your experience… so encouraging for others 🙂
Andrianna Kostakakis — September 28, 2025 @ 10:40 pm Reply

Hi there Alexandra.

I’m a first time sourdough starter maker. Used your recipe.
My dough went flat when I took it out of the fridge, I think my starter may have been weak.

It’s baking as I type this and I haven’t opened the lid. Nevermind, I’ll keep at it and try again some other time. My starter is starting to look and smell a lot better.

Love your page!

Andrianna
- Alexandra Stafford — September 29, 2025 @ 5:14 am Reply
  
  Hi Andrianna! Thank you 🙂
  
  Is your starter a homemade starter that you made recently? Or was it purchased or gifted to you?
Khloie Tan — September 29, 2025 @ 3:20 am Reply

Hi Alexandra, I live in Singapore and my room temperature is usually 27-30°C – should I use iced water instead? Thanks!
- Alexandra Stafford — September 29, 2025 @ 5:12 am Reply
  
  Using cold water is a good idea!
Britt — September 29, 2025 @ 5:44 pm Reply

Hi! Love this recipe – gives great flavor! I was using the kings Arthur recipe but wanted the restaurant bread that was airy with good holes.

Question – I have made this a few times now and have issues with 1) it being too wet still when I shape it before it cold proofs and 2) when I bake it half the time it’s flat or perfectly round. I do opt to use 100g of starter bc I like a strong flavor. Is there something I’m doing wrong? Is it possible I’m letting it bulk proof too long before shaping? It’s just still so wet I have to use so much flour to shape it and plop it into my baskets. Thank you!!
- Alexandra Stafford — September 30, 2025 @ 7:13 am Reply
  
  Hi Britt,
  
  Questions: what type of flour are you using? Are you using a straight-sided vessel for the bulk fermentation? Are you confident in the strength of your starter, meaning does it double in volume within 6 to 8 hours of feeding it?
  - Brittany Torres — September 30, 2025 @ 7:43 am Reply
    
    Hi! I use King Arthur to feed my starter and I use King Arthur bread flour for your recipe. I actually have the King Arthur starter that I’ve been building since last December, it’s very strong and yes it doubles within that time in straight sided vessel. It tripled in size yesterday making the recipe I left it in a warmer area of my house for 6-8 hours.
    - Alexandra Stafford — October 2, 2025 @ 8:43 am Reply
      
      OK great! Do you live in a humid environment? It sounds as though you could reduce the water and get better results. You could try holding back 25 grams next time around.
      - Brittany Torres — October 9, 2025 @ 5:48 am
        
        Update: did exactly what you said (25g of water less) and it turned out perfect! She’s a beaut! I was worried when mixing the dough bc it was looking shaggy but it looks picture perfect. Ty!!
      - Alexandra Stafford — October 11, 2025 @ 3:14 pm
        
        Great to hear, Brittany! Thanks so much for circling back and sharing this 🙂
Cass — September 29, 2025 @ 6:31 pm Reply

LOVE this recipe, it’s my go-to!

Question: if I want to divide the batch and make bread bowls, do you have advice on how to adjust the cook time / temp?
- Alexandra Stafford — September 30, 2025 @ 7:11 am Reply
  
  Great to hear, Cass 🙂 I would reduce the baking time by five minutes at each phase (covered and uncovered), but ultimately, bake the loaves as long as necessary to achieve the browning you are looking for 🙂
Christine — September 30, 2025 @ 6:20 am Reply

Just wanted to say thank you for this wonderful detailed, easy to follow, recipe. I have finally achieved sourdough success!! My first loaf using your recipe came out absolutely perfect.
- Alexandra Stafford — September 30, 2025 @ 7:10 am Reply
  
  Great to hear, Christine! Thanks so much for writing and sharing this 🙂
Alexis — September 30, 2025 @ 8:57 am Reply

I always have great success with this recipe! My question is, I need to try one loaf at a shorter proof time so I’d like to do it on the counter instead of the fridge, what would you recommend? Would it be about four or five hours proof?
- Alexandra Stafford — October 2, 2025 @ 8:47 am Reply
  
  Yes, that sounds about right!
Mara — October 1, 2025 @ 1:21 pm Reply

Hi! Just starting with sourdough and I don’t have any flour sack towels. Is it okay to use regular kitchen towels and should they be washed differently? Thanks!
- Alexandra Stafford — October 2, 2025 @ 9:03 am Reply
  
  No need to wash differently. With regular kitchen towels, you’ll want to dust them with rice flour, ideally, or wheat flour if you don’t have rice flour. Flour sack towels are more naturally nonstick, so you don’t need to use any flour when using them.
Evelyn — October 1, 2025 @ 3:16 pm Reply

Dear Ali,
I tried this recipe and have founf my dough to be quite dry and not easily stretched for the folding over. Do you have any ideas as to why? I cant ever seem to create a tense outer layer and my dough breaks before i can stretch it properly. I live in the humid Sydney, Australia so in that respect my dough should me more moist if anything. I would greatly appreciate your help.
Evelyn.
- Alexandra Stafford — October 2, 2025 @ 9:05 am Reply
  
  Hi Evelyn! Are you using a scale to measure? What type of flour are you using?
  - Evelyn — October 4, 2025 @ 3:47 pm Reply
    
    Hey Alexandra,
    Thanks for replying! I didn’t use a scale, but followed your measurements down to the table spoon. I used plain white flour as it was all i had in my cupboard at the time. Also when activating my starter should i use breadflour or normal flour?
    Thanks,
    Evie
    - Alexandra Stafford — October 7, 2025 @ 10:21 am Reply
      
      Hi! I think you should really invest in a scale if you want to make sourdough… it is impossible to measure accurately using measuring cups and it is therefore impossible to make meaningful adjustments (in flour or water amounts) from bake to bake if you are not measuring accurately from the start. It sounds as though you need to use a lighter hand when measuring your flour if the dough was dry.
      
      You can use bread or all-purpose flour when feeding your starter.
K.C. — October 1, 2025 @ 4:58 pm Reply

Sourdough bread recipe. Great!!!!
- Alexandra Stafford — October 2, 2025 @ 9:06 am Reply
  
  Great to hear 🙂
Heidi — October 2, 2025 @ 10:43 am Reply

The recipe was the best! First time making sourdough bread that turned out. It will definitely become my go to recipe. Thank you! I did add a tablespoon of Italian seasoning to make it more like a herbed bread.
- Alexandra Stafford — October 7, 2025 @ 10:22 am Reply
  
  Great to hear, Heidi! Sounds delicious 🙂
Sarah — October 2, 2025 @ 11:58 am Reply

This recipe is IT! I have made 2 sourdough loaves so far. The first was made using the directions that came with my starter. It was dense and just tasted fine. I found this recipe to try for my 2nd attempt and it is INCREDIBLE. Even a sourdough newbie like me can make it. I felt so competent making sourdough without yeast added. I did do an autolyse and I cold-proofed for 36 hours. Thank you for this recipe! I am passing it along to all my sourdough people.
- Alexandra Stafford — October 7, 2025 @ 10:23 am Reply
  
  So nice to read this, Sarah! Thanks so much for writing and sharing all of this. So encouraging for other newbie sourdough bakers 🙂
Theresa McGrath-Wooley — October 6, 2025 @ 10:00 am Reply

I followed this recipe for the first time this past week. I’ve not really had success in the past, but continue to do well with sourdough pizza crust. Love that. Anyhow, this recipes made a lot of sense to me, and I love the instructions for the step by step process. My loaf turned out beautifully. Picture perfect, and tasted just as good. Nice crispy crust, with a great chew to the bread! Thanks so much for the recipe, I will use it many times, I’m sure!
- Alexandra Stafford — October 6, 2025 @ 12:29 pm Reply
  
  Great to hear, Theresa! Thanks so much for writing and sharing this. It’s the best feeling once you make that first good loaf!
Marcia Ahern — October 6, 2025 @ 12:12 pm Reply

Thank you for this resource. I love the step by step, the why and that you use items we already have. A flawless approch to teaching someone like me. Thanks a lot.
Alexandra Stafford — October 6, 2025 @ 12:29 pm Reply

Hi! Are you using a scale to measure? What type of flour are you using?
- Liv — October 6, 2025 @ 12:31 pm Reply
  
  Yes I’m using a digital scale and using bread flour
Gina A — October 6, 2025 @ 6:25 pm Reply

I’ve been baking sourdough bread for over a year, and yours was the first recipe I tried (after doing extensive research online) – I’m so glad I did! I’ve baked well over 1,000 loaves of bread since I started (yes, I bake 4-5 days per week) and spent the first year perfecting my technique, scoring, understanding timing and fermentation, etc. Your recipe is FAILPROOF!!! I’ve seen so many people posting on social media about how difficult and challenging it is to bake a good loaf of bread: if only they used your recipe and followed your videos, they’d be successful! Thank you for sharing your knowledge and skills – you simplified the process!
- Alexandra Stafford — October 7, 2025 @ 10:13 am Reply
  
  Gina, wow!! I am so impressed. It’s so nice to read all of this. Thanks so much for taking the time to write and share all of this — so encouraging for others!! Happy baking 🙂