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”

Rebekah — January 7, 2026 @ 1:01 pm Reply

Brand new. Have never made a loaf and want to be at least somewhat successful the first time. I have had my starter for 1.5 years now, stored in the fridge and fed intermittently. At what point during the process would I need to remove the 50g of starter from the fridge to get it ready? 4-8 hours prior to mixing with water, overnight?
- Alexandra Stafford — January 8, 2026 @ 6:48 am Reply
  
  You’ll want to remove your starter from the fridge at least a few days before baking. I would remove it, discard most of it down to a tablespoon or two, then feed it with equal parts by weight flour and water (75 grams each or so). Let it rise until it doubles, then repeat this discard process: discard most of it down to a tablespoon or two, then feed it with equal parts by weight flour and water (75 grams each or so). Do this for a few days to strengthen it, then you’ll use the starter when it’s at its peak as in when it has doubled in volume. Scoop out 50-100 grams to use in the recipe. You can save all of your discard during these few days and use in various recipes: Discard Recipes.
  - Aliza kennedy — January 12, 2026 @ 5:57 pm Reply
    
    Is this recipe supposed to be super sticky after the initial mix in of the ingredients?
    - Alexandra Stafford — January 13, 2026 @ 9:18 am Reply
      
      Yes! It becomes smooth and elastic with every set of stretches and folds.
Kristina Vineyard — January 7, 2026 @ 5:31 pm Reply

My go to recipe now! Love your brioche and challah recipes too
- Alexandra Stafford — January 8, 2026 @ 6:49 am Reply
  
  Great to hear, Kristina! Thanks so much for writing and sharing this 🙂
Nancy — January 10, 2026 @ 8:39 am Reply

I’ve made this recipe twice and the bread is delicious and looks beautiful! Your instructions and videos are fantastic, and I look forward to baking this bread again soon.

However, I’d like the crust to be crustier. The top is nicely browned, the finish loaf’s temperature is around 207 degrees, but the sides are somewhat soft, pale and hard to slice, even after waiting for one hour.

For the first loaf I used 50 grams of starter and the second rise was in the refrigerator for 18 hours. For the second loaf I used 60 grams of starter and the second rise was in the refrigerator for 40 hours. I only preheated the oven to 500 degrees and then reduced baking oven temperature as the recipe directed. The crust issue on both loaves was the same.

I would welcome your suggestion on making this loaf crustier. Thank you so much!
- Alexandra Stafford — January 10, 2026 @ 10:12 am Reply
  
  Hi Nancy! Great to hear 🙂 What are you using to bake your loaf?
  - Nancy — January 10, 2026 @ 10:55 am Reply
    
    Thanks! I’m using King Arthur Bread Flour, sourdough starter, salt and water. I bake the bread in a 5 quart enamel Dutch oven. The Dutch oven isn’t by Lodge or Le Cruset. I have a Lodge Dutch oven the next size larger but I’m concerned that it might be too large.
    - Alexandra Stafford — January 13, 2026 @ 8:15 am Reply
      
      Hi Nancy, apologies for the delay here. I would try your Le Creuset and see if that makes a difference. With your other DO, how long roughly have you been preheating it?
      - Nancy — January 13, 2026 @ 6:40 pm
        
        Thanks. Yes, I’ll try the recipe using my larger Lodge DO. Even though my gas wall oven is new, preheating at 550 scares me. I’ve been preheating at 500. How long a preheat do you recommend? I’ve been doing a preheat for about 20 minutes.
      - Alexandra Stafford — January 15, 2026 @ 6:51 am
        
        500ºF is fine! Even 450ºF is fine. I think what’s more important is the length of the preheat — it takes longer than you might think to thoroughly heat these vessels through. I would consider preheating at 450 or 500 degrees for at least 30 minutes. See if that helps as well as the larger DO.
      - Nancy — January 16, 2026 @ 7:14 pm
        
        Thanks so much! Will try using Lodge DO & a 30 minute preheat.
- Eric — January 10, 2026 @ 12:23 pm Reply
  
  Incidentally, 1mL of water weighs exactly 1g so you can interchange those measurements for water only. Flour and salt should be measured only by weight.
  Thanks for the recipe Alexandra! I’m working on a loaf right now…
josh — January 10, 2026 @ 9:40 am Reply

Are you sure it is 375g of water and not 375ml? a cup and a half plus a TB is 375ml, and weighs 330g per my scale.
- Alexandra Stafford — January 10, 2026 @ 10:09 am Reply
  
  Yes, positive. Use the gram measurements — weight measurements are the only way to measure accurately. Volume measurements like cups and ml are not accurate.
- Eriy — January 10, 2026 @ 12:27 pm Reply
  
  Sorry this went to Nancy’s thread by mistake!
  
  Incidentally, 1mL of water weighs exactly 1g so you can interchange those measurements for water only. Flour and salt should be measured only by weight.
  Thanks for the recipe Alexandra! I’m working on a loaf right now…
  - Eric — January 10, 2026 @ 1:02 pm Reply
    
    To clarify, g and mL are only interchangeable when measuring water if you have a very accurate volumetric measuring vessel like a good graduated cylinder. Also the popular notion that 1c = 16T isn’t quite right – 1T = 14.786mL so 1c = 236.58mL. The moral: Ali is right – mass is the best way to measure water! (as long as you’re sure your scale is accurate). I’ll shut up now
    - Eric — January 10, 2026 @ 1:30 pm Reply
      
      Correction – 1 English cup does equal 16T but since 1T isn’t exactly 15mL 1c isn’t quite 240mL (236.58mL). NOW I’ll shut up
      - Alexandra Stafford — January 13, 2026 @ 8:22 am
        
        Thanks for chiming in Eric!
  - Alexandra Stafford — January 13, 2026 @ 8:20 am Reply
    
    Thanks, Eric! Apologies for the delay here. Hope your loaf turns out well 🙂
Stephanie Lewis — January 11, 2026 @ 8:50 am Reply

What would the hydration percentage be on this recipe?
- Alexandra Stafford — January 13, 2026 @ 8:37 am Reply
  
  If you use 100 grams of starter (and if your starter is 100% hydration), the hydration of this loaf is 77%.
  - Stephanie Lewis — January 13, 2026 @ 10:40 am Reply
    
    Thank you
Laura Rendon — January 12, 2026 @ 12:41 pm Reply

I make sure my starter is active, I do the floating in water test. For some reason, I do not het the appropriate rising. I have tried different temperatures and times. Any suggestions?
- Alexandra Stafford — January 13, 2026 @ 9:17 am Reply
  
  Hi Laura,
  Is your starter homemade? If not, where did you get it? And does it double in volume within 6-8 hours of a feeding?
  
  Are you using a scale to measure?
  What type of flour are you using?
Lisa J Curry — January 12, 2026 @ 4:02 pm Reply

After baking a year’s worth of bread that never rose correctly, (I had shamefacedly started going back to yeast sandwich bread…), I followed this recipe strictly and produced a gorgeous, huge loaf.
Thank you! And to other persistent but frustrated bakers, keep at it! The best advice I got was not to pick and choose one good hint from many recipes. This one is a keeper for me!
- Alexandra Stafford — January 13, 2026 @ 9:19 am Reply
  
  Great to hear, Lisa! So glad you’ve had success with this recipe. Thanks for encouraging others to stick with it, too 🙂
T.L. — January 12, 2026 @ 9:25 pm Reply

This is my first true sourdough bread!! Clear, concise directions, helpful short videos, VOILA! Will definitely use this recipe again and again.
- Alexandra Stafford — January 13, 2026 @ 9:27 am Reply
  
  Great to hear! Thanks so much for writing and sharing this 🙂
Dave — January 13, 2026 @ 3:07 pm Reply

What is your ratio for your starter for the recipe? (active starter, flour, water)
- Alexandra Stafford — January 15, 2026 @ 6:54 am Reply
  
  Hi! It’s a 100% hydration starter, so equal parts by weight flour and water. When I feed my starter, I use a rough ratio of 1:2:2 so something like: 50 grams starter, 100 grams flour, 100 grams water.
Yvette — January 14, 2026 @ 6:30 pm Reply

My bread is currently proofing in the fridge! Excited to bake my first sourdough. However, I had a question on the size of Dutch oven ahead of tomorrow. I have a vintage heart 2L le cruset that I’d like to use. Is that too small? I couldn’t gauge how big yours was.
- Alexandra Stafford — January 15, 2026 @ 6:44 am Reply
  
  Great to hear! I think that will be too small unfortunately. My DO is 5 QT, which is roughly 5 L.
  - Amy J Maxwell — January 18, 2026 @ 5:46 am Reply
    
    If I don’t have a Dutch oven, can I do this recipe in loaf pans? Does that change the temperature and time ?
    - Alexandra Stafford — January 20, 2026 @ 8:29 am Reply
      
      Hi! I would use this recipe, which is designed for a loaf pan, instead: Easy Sourdough Sandwich Bread
Carly Z — January 15, 2026 @ 11:20 am Reply

I was 100% new to sourdough and used this guide. My bread came out great right from the start, so thank you for all the instructions!
The only issue I’m having is that the crust is browning beautifully but the inside does seem to be just a little doughy for my taste. I’m wondering which part to tweak in the baking process to fix this. Thanks for your help!
- Alexandra Stafford — January 15, 2026 @ 7:17 pm Reply
  
  Great to hear! Thanks for writing 🙂
  
  Questions for you: are you using a scale to measure? What type of flour are you using? Do you live in a humid environment?
  - Carly Z — January 31, 2026 @ 9:38 am Reply
    
    I do live in a humid climate (North Carolina) I used King Arthur bread flour. And I used the scale method with 100g of starter.
    - Alexandra Stafford — January 31, 2026 @ 10:55 am Reply
      
      OK, great re scale and bread flour. Why don’t you try holding back 50 grams of water next time around. Are you using a Dutch oven to bake it?
      - Carly — January 31, 2026 @ 12:59 pm
        
        Yes, using a Dutch oven. I’ll try that the next time and report back, Thanks!
Darlene Baxter — January 15, 2026 @ 2:44 pm Reply

I am going to try this recipe for the 1st time as I feel I’ve watched the videos and read everything thoroughly but I just have one question. You say you activate your starter two times. When you remove it from the fridge after dinner and feed it for first time do you put it back in the fridge before you do your second feeding the next day? I purchased some starter from a local bakery that makes delish sourdough bread. I have your recipe all printed.
- Alexandra Stafford — January 15, 2026 @ 7:20 pm Reply
  
  I keep it at room temperature! I feed it at night, let it rise at room temp, then in the morning, I discard most of it, feed it again, and let it rise again at room temperature until it doubles or triples in volume. Then I use it in a bread recipe.
Lindsey S — January 15, 2026 @ 4:55 pm Reply

This recipe is full proof and I have many successful loaves after a not so successful first loaf. My kitchen is very cold and after purchasing straight sided vessel my loaves were much more successful. That being said I wanted to try this recipe with fresh milled hard red wheat. Have you used fresh milled flour or do you have any suggestions for changes that would be required? Thanks for such a great recipe!
- Alexandra Stafford — January 15, 2026 @ 7:21 pm Reply
  
  Great to hear! I would start with no more than 20% freshly milled flour. Try that ratio: 20% freshly milled, 80% bread flour and see how it works out. If you are happy, you can up the ratio of freshly milled flour the next time around.
Nikki — January 15, 2026 @ 7:29 pm Reply

Thank you for this recipe and all the details you included. The dough looked amazing, very bubbly after 5 hours of the bulk rise. After shaping and placing in ceramic bowls lined with parchment, I put the loaves into our refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap. After 24 hours, I baked one loaf in a cast iron Dutch oven. Unfortunately, it didn’t rise more than about 1/2 and inch. What do you suggest I do to get the loaves to rise during baking after the cold phase?
- Alexandra Stafford — January 20, 2026 @ 7:27 am Reply
  
  Hi Nikki,
  Apologies for the delay here. After the bulk fermentation, when you went to shape it, did the dough still have strength and elasticity? Also:
  
  Did you preheat the DO sufficiently?
  Did you use a scale to measure?
  What type of flour did you use?
  Are you confident in the strength of your starter?
  Did you use a straight-sided vessel for the bulk fermentation?
  - Nikki Smith — January 20, 2026 @ 12:21 pm Reply
    
    I think my starter may be weak. I had been feeding 1:1:1 (100g each) and my friend told me she uses 25g starter and then 100g each water and flour. I will now be using bread flour, whereas before I had been using all purpose flour.
    - Alexandra Stafford — January 20, 2026 @ 3:47 pm Reply
      
      OK, great to hear you got some advice. I typically feed my starter at a 1:2:2 ratio, so if I use 50 grams of starter, I’ll feed it with roughly 100 grams each flour and water. Bread flour will help, too.
Fabiola — January 16, 2026 @ 7:24 pm Reply

Can I bake more than one loaf at a time with this same recipe? Will anything need to be adjusted? I’ve been using this recipe to bake one loaf at a time and I’ve loved the outcome.
- Alexandra Stafford — January 20, 2026 @ 7:49 am Reply
  
  Hi! Apologies for the delay here. Great to hear you’ve had success. Can you clarify what you are asking? Are you hoping to double the recipe? And bake each in its own Dutch oven at the same time? Or one after another? Let me know and I will answer in a more timely manner this time around 🙂
Cassidy — January 16, 2026 @ 8:12 pm Reply

Hey! Really excited to be trying this recipe. I starrted making my loaf in the evening and now maybe regretting it. Can you let it bulk ferment overnight? Or is that too risky…I’ve heard you can just put it in the fridge?
- Alexandra Stafford — January 20, 2026 @ 7:50 am Reply
  
  Yes, use the fridge as needed: anytime during the bulk fermentation if you need to go to bed or step out of the house for many hours, simply transfer your vessel (sealed) to the fridge and pick up where you left off when you have time.
Lin K — January 17, 2026 @ 8:45 am Reply

I started using this recipe a few years ago and never looked back . Super consistent results and yeah I’m a true believer in using the same recipe over and over and troubleshoot for yourself over time . Different climates and hydration and so on …. But 100-% the best recipe , especially for new bread makers ! Because if you I have amazing breads , thank you dear and many blessings to you and yours !
- Alexandra Stafford — January 20, 2026 @ 8:11 am Reply
  
  Great to hear, Lin! Thanks so much for writing and sharing all of this… it is so true: you have to tweak given your environment and the flour you are using.
Jayne Benn — January 17, 2026 @ 9:47 am Reply

Hi, I came across your recipes after I had made a few sourdough loaves. Since following your method I have had excellent, consistently great bread! I am so pleased I found you. It makes it so easy so put the dough in the fridge for the first and second rise and to remove and bake it my convenience. I have also made your naan bread/ tortilla’s with the discard , which were easy and tasty. I make about 3 sourdough loaves a week and enjoy making them so much. I find it therapeutic and sastisfying. I’m always delighted when i see a well risen loaf come out of the oven. Thank you for making it so easy .
- Alexandra Stafford — January 20, 2026 @ 8:14 am Reply
  
  So nice to read all of this, Jayne! I find the flexibility with the fridge to be a lifesaver. Thanks so much for taking the time to write and share your notes/experience. Happy Baking 🙂 🙂 🙂
Sheri — January 17, 2026 @ 12:43 pm Reply

This worked out perfectly for me with only letting it proof that final time at room temperature for about an hour. I wanted it for lunch the next day and the timing was great. I will attempt to try the original with a longer proofing time next time to see if it is worth it for me. My only “complaint” is the waiting one hour before slicing – that takes a LOT of will power 🙂
- Alexandra Stafford — January 20, 2026 @ 8:18 am Reply
  
  It’s impossible! I have to leave the house when bread is cooling bc I can’t resist. So great to read all of this. Thanks so much for writing and sharing 🙂
Sarah — January 17, 2026 @ 7:26 pm Reply

I’ve made bread a number of times but finally ventured to sourdough. I made a starter last week which has been growing nicely (his name is Snoop Dough). I was overwhelmed with your recipe but it looked good so I went for it. I’m so glad I did! The accompanying video really helped when I needed to stretch and fold as well as shape, since I didn’t know how to do that with sourdough. We anxiously waited for it to cool this evening and I’m pretty sure my son ate half the loaf already!
I think I’m going to give Snoop another week or two of regular feedings and usage and then do your fridge for the week method so I can bake weekly bread.
Thank you so much for the detailed information! It was overwhelming, as I said, but when I actually did the work it was easier since I knew more.
- Alexandra Stafford — January 20, 2026 @ 8:28 am Reply
  
  Great to read Sarah! Sourdough is definitely overwhelming in the beginning… I’m so glad you persevered and that you found success. Strengthening your starter for another week is a great idea. Snoop will be raring to go when you are ready. Good luck with your next attempts!
Kimberly Bloomfield — January 18, 2026 @ 5:48 am Reply

Well, It worked! I did it! I followed your recipe every step of the way and successfully baked my first loaf of sourdough. And she was just as beautiful inside as she was on the outside 🙂 Thank you Ali. I’m feeling so accomplished!
- Alexandra Stafford — January 20, 2026 @ 8:30 am Reply
  
  Great to hear, Kimberly! Thanks so much for writing and sharing this 🙂 I don’t think any cooking/baking project fills me with such accomplishment as bread… it’s the best feeling.
Gwen — January 18, 2026 @ 10:00 am Reply

This is a no-fail recipe and set of instructions, thank you SO MUCH! I have been making sourdough for about a year + now and my bread is amazing because of you. I have a question: What is your advice on making smaller loaves? I just bought 6″ banneton baskets and I’m not sure if this changes the oven temp or baking times, also would I just divide the recipe above into 2 loaves? Thanks in advance!
- Alexandra Stafford — January 20, 2026 @ 11:36 am Reply
  
  Great to hear, Gwen! Thanks so much for writing. You can definitely divide this dough in half (after the bulk fermentation) and shape two smaller loaves. Regarding baking, you’ll bake the loaves for 5 minutes less at each phase (covered and uncovered) but ultimately keep the loaves in the oven until they are browned to your liking.
Chandler G — January 19, 2026 @ 7:31 am Reply

My mother-in-law has used this recipe several times and it always turns out amazing! Can’t wait to try this myself! Just out of curiosity, do you know how the load would change using AP flour instead of bread flour? Just wondering because I had plans to get a loaf started today and realized I don’t have enough bread flour to actually do that at the moment. Thanks!
- Alexandra Stafford — January 20, 2026 @ 11:58 am Reply
  
  Sorry for the delay here, Chandler! Just go for it with the ap flour… it will turn out fine. It potentially might not be as lofty, but it will still be fine.
MB — January 19, 2026 @ 12:38 pm Reply

First time EVER making sourdough and I followed your recipe exactly. The only process I didn’t use was a Dutch oven. I did a free form with an ice steam. VOILA! Turned out perfect. I will continue to use your recipe! The loaf was also perfect size for my household.

Thank you 🙏🏼 for making a beginner’s experience successful
- Alexandra Stafford — January 20, 2026 @ 2:26 pm Reply
  
  Great to hear! Thanks so much for writing and sharing your notes… so helpful for others who don’t have a DO.
Michaela — January 19, 2026 @ 2:53 pm Reply

Hi Alexandra,

I’ve made sourdough before but this is my first time using your recipe.
After the stretch and folds + first rising (left overnight), the dough was still quite sticky. I had to use a lot of flour to shape as it was sticking to my fingers/scraper/bench.
I’m sure I used the correct weight measurements. I’m in humid/hot Gold Coast of Australia – wondering if that makes a difference? Or what I could do to get my loaf as elastic as yours.

Thank you – Michaela
- Alexandra Stafford — January 20, 2026 @ 2:29 pm Reply
  
  Hi Michaela! It’s probably a combination of the humidity and differences in the flour. Next time, hold back 75 grams of water… you can always add some of it back if the dough seems too dry when you are mixing. I think using less water will be the solution. These environmental differences definitely require some tweaking of the recipe but once you find that magic ratio of flour to water, you’ll be golden 🙂
Stacy — January 20, 2026 @ 10:46 am Reply

Fantastic recipe! I agree the best sourdough recipe I have found. Thanks!
- Alexandra Stafford — January 20, 2026 @ 3:43 pm Reply
  
  Great to hear, Stacy! Thanks for writing 🙂
Oscar Barquero — January 20, 2026 @ 4:34 pm Reply

Hi Ali,

Thank you very much for this recipe. It’s very detailed and has helped me a lot.
- Alexandra Stafford — January 20, 2026 @ 7:10 pm Reply
  
  Great to hear, Oscar! Thanks so much for writing and sharing this 🙂
Steph — January 21, 2026 @ 2:30 am Reply

I cannot believe how perfect this came out on the first try!!!

If I wanted to add mix ins or flavours, when and how would I do that with this recipe?
- Alexandra Stafford — January 21, 2026 @ 4:40 am Reply
  
  Great to hear, Steph! Thanks for writing. I have a post on adding mix-ins: Rosemary-Olive Sourdough Bread (+ A Better Way to Add Inclusions to Your Sourdough Bread)
Kendra Kelly — January 22, 2026 @ 12:37 pm Reply

When adding inclusions to this loaf would it change the baking time or temperature?
- Alexandra Stafford — January 23, 2026 @ 10:42 am Reply
  
  Nope!
Ryan — January 23, 2026 @ 12:18 pm Reply

I’m brand new to sourdough so I don’t know much and have been feeding my starter for a couple weeks. However my starter is a stiff starter, technically more historically correct than wet, but the main motivation was being able to work the starter and feed together with my hands and on the bench without it being a huge sticky mess. I have had some great success with your focaccia recipe which is why I’m here now. How would you recommend that I work with a stiff starter or have I doomed myself?
- Alexandra Stafford — January 25, 2026 @ 12:07 pm Reply
  
  Hi Ryan! Would you be open to making an offshoot of your stiff starter for this recipe? You can keep feeding your stiff starter as you wish. To make an offshoot, just take 1-2 tablespoons of your stiff starter and place it in a new jar. I normally suggest feeding it with equal parts flour and water by weight, but I would consider feeding it with 75 grams flour and 100 grams of water and seeing how that works. Once it doubles in volume, you can use it in this recipe.
  - Ryan — January 25, 2026 @ 12:53 pm Reply
    
    I tried doing that recipe one last time and still no rise and I made sure I put in the warmest part of the house. My wife apparently used your recipe previously and we found and started to defer to your methods separately but came to the same conclusion. Your method makes way more sense, so I’m starting over unfortunately.
  - Ryan — January 25, 2026 @ 2:48 pm Reply
    
    The wife stopped me from being a fatalist and dumping the 1-10-10 levains (11g starter) and I’m going to feed the recommended 75g flour and 100g h2o. I’ve been maintaining a bread flower starter and a bread and rye flours (100/25) to see which would turn out best. Any tips for maintaining and moving forward would be appreciated.
    - Alexandra Stafford — January 26, 2026 @ 8:52 am Reply
      
      Hi! And great to hear!
      
      Regarding maintaining it, it all depends on how often you plan on baking: know that you can store your starter unattended in the fridge for months, and it will revive beautifully upon removing it and feeding it. You’ll want to store it at its peak — after a feeding and after it has doubled in volume. And when you remove it, if there is any murky gray liquid on top, pour that off, and discard most of the starter; then feed it with equal parts by weight flour and water (for a 100% hydration starter).