This Easy Sourdough Bread recipe is perfect for beginning bakers and old sourdoughs alike! (Recipe makes a long-rise dough, and requires only sourdough starter: no added yeast.)
Some years ago, when I first embarked my own sourdough baking journey, I took a deep-dive into the science of sourdough. I studied as much as I could, and got a feel for the process by testing out all the best beginner bread recipes I could find.
From that experience, plus advice from experts and lots of trial and error, I created this easy, beginner sourdough bread recipe - one that can be easily repeated over and over again with consistent, delicious results.
If you fall in love with sourdough baking, this may not always be your forever-sourdough recipe: you may find bigger, better, crustier loaves to bake. Artisan loaves. Breads with Attitude. But this recipe is a wonderful, forgiving beginner recipe with a high rate of success - Everything you want in your first loaf!
This post may contain affiliate links, but don't worry - they won't bite.
Post Updated March 30, 2020 (Originally published September 17, 2013)
Your Go-To Basic Sourdough Bread Recipe
Compared with many sourdough bakers, my skill level barely scratches the surface. That's probably one of the reasons I keep going back to this recipe over and over again.
This Basic Sourdough Bread recipe is easy and straightforward, and it consistently bears excellent results (even when I forget it for an extra hour or five). Moreover, the bite is amazing: chewy and tender, with a mild, pleasant sourdough tanginess. In a nutshell, it's one of the best all-round breads I've ever made.
What is True Sourdough, and Why Do I Care?
This bread is a true sourdough bread, which means that it does not rely on the addition of any extra yeast. It depends solely upon the natural yeast in the Starter for leavening.
True sourdough bread is significantly slower to rise than dough that relies on added traditional yeast to do the heavy lifting. For example, from the time you stir first the ingredients through the final post-baking rest time, this Easy Sourdough Bread takes a minimum of nine hours to make.
Don't stress about the time element, though. Sourdough is both easy to work with and very forgiving. Once you get the rhythm and flow of the sourdough baking process, you'll be able to throw a loaf of this bread together with only about 20 minutes of actual hands-on time. The rest of the time, you'll just be waiting around for it to do its thing.
About the Rising Times in this Recipe
When you stir up a batch of sourdough bread dough, your dough goes through a number of phases on its way to becoming bread; most notably, the bulk fermentation (first) and proofing (second) rise times.
BULK FERMENTATION: This bread recipe requires a minimum 6-hour bulk fermentation (1st rise); however, I personally recommend allowing it to rise at least 8 hours before moving on to proofing (2nd rise), when you form your loaf or boule. A longer rise will yield a chewier crust, and intensify the sourdough flavor in your bread.
PROOFING: Proofing (2nd rise) can take anywhere from 2-3 hours on the countertop to 12 hours overnight in the refrigerator.
My personal preference is to proof overnight in the fridge and bake my bread first thing in the morning. This gives me a house that smells like fresh bread all day, and I don't have to heat the kitchen up during the day.
How to Make Easy Sourdough Bread • Step-by-Step
Feed your healthy starter 12-24 hours before beginning.
Step 1: Autolyse (Mix the Dough)
In a large stand-mixer bowl, mix together water, flour, syrup or honey, starter, and salt thoroughly with wooden spoon. Allow to rest for at least 15 minutes, and up to an hour.
How to measure the Starter: The vigor of your Starter will affect its density. Stir Starter down before measuring, especially if use a measuring cup. (I highly recommend using a kitchen scale to get more consistent results.)
While dough is resting, lightly coat a medium-sized bowl with olive oil. The bowl needs to be a big enough to allow the dough to double in size.
I use about two tablespoons of oil to coat the bowl the first time.
Step 2: Knead Dough
Put the mixer bowl on the stand-mixer. Knead dough with bread hook for 10 minutes.
NOTE:This normally is a very sticky, soft dough. However, depending on the actual hydration of your starter, you may find that you need to add a little more flour to get things started.
I often end up adding an extra ½ cup during the kneading step. Try not to add more than ½ cup of flour, though. You can work in a little more flour during the folding process if you need to.
Step 3: Bulk Fermentation (1st Rise)
Remove dough from mixer, place on a well floured board, knead by hand a couple of times, and shape into ball.
After you form the ball, it should kind of slowly settle onto the board, like an old man into a lounge chair. It won’t hold its shape for a long time, but it also shouldn’t just melt into a puddle. You need to find a happy medium.
Put dough ball into the oiled bowl, smooth-side down first. Then flip it smooth-side up so that all sides of the dough are covered with oil.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set in a warm place.
Allow dough rise at least 6 hours, folding every 30 minutes for the first 2 to 2½ hours.
To fold, turn dough out onto a floured surface and pat down to remove most of the air bubbles. Fold as illustrated and return to bowl, smooth side up.
Cover and proceed with the rising process.
Re-oil the bowl with a tablespoon of oil the first two times you fold the dough.
The folding at the beginning of this step helps to align those long gluten strands, and create those lovely sourdough bubbles.
You should notice a discernible change in the texture of your dough after folding the first couple of hours. By the end of this step, your dough should feel more "stretchy" and less "sticky" than when you started.
TIP: Sometimes, because this dough is so sticky, it works easier to "fold-and-stretch" your dough right in the bowl, instead of folding it on the countertop. If that works better for you, go for it.
Why Fold Sourdough Bread Dough (Instead of Punching It)
This Sourdough Bread recipe calls for you to "fold the dough" a couple of times during the bulk fermentation (first rise), and I thought it might be helpful to some people if I explained what that means. (If you are a seasoned dough-folder, you can skip this section.) The folding helps to encourage those long gluten strands, and create those lovely sourdough bubbles.
Many, if not most, bread recipes call for you to punch down the dough after rising. Punching down the dough does a number of things. Most importantly, it removes some of the gas bubbles from the dough and redistributes the yeast cells, sugars, and moisture so that they can ferment and rise again during the proofing stage.
Folding yields similar results: it too expels the carbon dioxide produced during fermentation, strengthens the dough by stretching the gluten strands, and redistributes cells, sugars, moisture and heat spots in the dough to even out the rising.
Punching dough down will result in a fine crumb, which is desirable when making sandwich breads or pastries. Folding, on the other hand, will give you a loftier rise and a looser crumb - resulting in all those lovely little air pockets in our sourdough and artisan breads that we love so much.
Step 4: Proof (2nd Rise)
After the dough has risen for at least 6 hours (folding every 30 minutes for the first 2-2½ hours), form bread dough into a boule* and place it on a square of parchment paper.
Place the dough, parchment and all, back into the bowl.
*A boule is a round bread loaf.
Cover loosely with a damp towel and allow to rise for 1½- 3 hours, or until it has approximately doubled.
TIP: If it is late in the day and your bread needs more time to rise, you can slow the process by allowing it to rise in the refrigerator overnight, and then baking it first thing in the morning.
In the last 30 or 40 minutes of the last rise, move your oven rack to the bottom third of oven.
Put an empty cast iron Dutch oven with lid in the cold oven. Preheat to 500°F [260°C] for 40 minutes.
Step 5: Slash & Bake
Remove the hot Dutch oven from the oven. Remove the lid from the Dutch oven and put the boule in by picking up the corners of the parchment and gently setting it in.
Be very careful - the Dutch oven and lid are very hot!
With a wet, serrated knife, cut a couple of slashes on the top of the boule. (I often forget to do this step, and everything still turns out just fine.)
Put the lid back on the Dutch oven. Put the Dutch oven back into the oven and immediately reduce oven temperature to 450° [232°C]. Bake for 13-14 minutes with the lid ON.
If you don't have a cast iron Dutch oven, you can use a baking stone. If you use a baking stone, cover the boule with a big roaster lid or something like that. The idea is to create some steam for the first part of the baking process- this is what gives it that awesome chewy crust.
Remove the lid and bake for another 13-14 minutes with the lid OFF.
Using the parchment corners, carefully remove bread from the Dutch oven and place on a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes.
DO NOT slice the bread until it has set for 30 minutes - this resting time is part of the baking process.
More Sourdough Recipes & Tips from GHW:
- Cranberry Crumb Sourdough Coffee Cake
- Mom's Sourdough Hotcakes
- Pumpkin Spice Sourdough Scones
- Sourdough Starter: Care & Feeding (Lazy Caretaker's Edition)
Basic Sourdough Bread
Equipment
- Wooden Spoon
Ingredients
Sourdough Bread Dough
- ¾ cup Sourdough Starter [100% Hydration] [6 ounces] Unfed & Room Temperature (See Notes)
- 1⅛ cup lukewarm water [9 ounces] 105-110°F / 40-44°C**
- 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour [about 400 grams]
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
Additional Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons extra-light olive oil or other neutral cooking oil, for oiling bowl
Instructions
- Feed your starter 12-24 hours before beginning.
AUTOLYSE (Mix Dough)
- In a large stand-mixer bowl, mix together water, flour, syrup or honey, starter, and salt thoroughly with wooden spoon. Allow to rest for at least 15 minutes, and up to an hour. Measuring the Starter: The vigor of your Starter will affect its density. Stir Starter down before measuring, especially if use a measuring cup. (I highly recommend using a kitchen scale to get more consistent results.)
- While dough is resting, lightly coat a medium-sized bowl with olive oil. The bowl needs to be a big enough to allow the dough to double in size. I use about two tablespoons of oil to coat the bowl the first time.
KNEAD
- Put the mixer bowl on the stand-mixer. Knead dough with bread hook for 10 minutes.
- NOTE: This normally is a very sticky, soft dough. However, depending on the actual hydration of your starter, you may find that you need to add a little more flour to get things started. I often end up adding an extra ½ cup during the kneading step. Try not to add more than ½ cup of flour, though. You can work in a little more flour during the folding process if you need to.
BULK FERMENTATION (1st Rise)
- Remove dough from mixer, place on a well floured board, knead by hand a couple of times, and shape into ball.After you form the ball, it should kind of slowly settle onto the board, like an old man into a lounge chair. It won’t hold its shape for a long time, but it also shouldn’t just melt into a puddle. You need to find a happy medium.
- Put dough ball into the oiled bowl, smooth-side down first. Then flip it smooth-side up so that all sides of the dough are covered with oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set in a warm place.
- Allow dough rise at least 6 hours, folding every 30 minutes for the first 2 to 2½ hours. To fold, turn dough out onto a floured surface and pat down to remove most of the air bubbles. Fold as illustrated and return to bowl, smooth side up.Cover and proceed with the rising process. Re-oil the bowl with a tablespoon or two of oil the first two times you fold the dough.
The folding at the beginning of this step helps to align those long gluten strands, and create those lovely sourdough bubbles. You should notice a discernible change in the texture of your dough after folding the first couple of hours. By the end of this step, your dough should feel more "stretchy" and less "sticky" than when you started.Sometimes, because this dough is so sticky, it works easier to "fold-and-stretch" your dough right in the bowl, instead of folding it on the countertop. If that works better for you, go for it.
PROOF (2nd Rise)
- After the dough has risen for at least 6 hours (folding every 30 minutes for the first 2-2½ hours), form bread dough into a boule* and place it on a square of parchment paper. Place the dough, parchment and all, back into the bowl. *A boule is a round bread loaf.
- Cover loosely with a damp towel and allow to rise for 1½- 3 hours, or until it has approximately doubled. If it is late in the day and your bread needs more time to rise, you can slow the process by allowing it to rise in the refrigerator overnight, and then baking it first thing in the morning.
- In the last 30 or 40 minutes of the last rise, move your oven rack to the bottom third of oven. Put an empty cast iron Dutch oven with lid in the cold oven.Preheat to 500°F [260°C] for 40 minutes.
SLASH
- Remove the hot Dutch oven from the oven. Remove the lid from the Dutch oven and put the boule in by picking up the corners of the parchment and gently setting it in. Be very careful - the Dutch oven and lid are very hot!With a wet, serrated knife, cut a couple of slashes on the top of the boule. (I often forget to do this step, and everything still turns out just fine.)
BAKE
- Put the lid back on the Dutch oven. Put the Dutch oven back into the oven.Immediately reduce oven temperature to 450° [232°C], and bake for 13-14 minutes with the lid ON. [Image: After first 13-minute baking time]If you don't have a cast iron Dutch oven, you can use a baking stone. If you use a baking stone, cover the boule with a big roaster lid or something like that. The idea is to create some steam for the first part of the baking process- this is what gives it that awesome chewy crust.
- Remove the lid and bake for another 13-14 minutes with the lid OFF.
- Using the parchment corners, carefully remove bread from the Dutch oven and place on a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes. DO NOT slice the bread until it has set for 30 minutes - this resting time is part of the baking process.
Notes
UNFED Starter [as called for in this recipe] is Starter that is due to be fed right before you begin making the bread. It should have been fed in the last 12-24 hours. Unfed Starter is mature, active, and hungry for food. For comparison, FED Starter is Sourdough Starter that has been fed very recently compared to when you begin making the bread recipe. It isn't as hungry. For more information, see Stages of Sourdough in post.
Nutrition
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
You Always Remember Your First Loaf
Since this post was first published in 2013, I've received hundreds of pictures and messages from excited new sourdough bakers who have made my bread recipe. I am so proud of and honored by everyone who has shared pictures of their "first loaf" with me over the years!
Happy baking, and I hope you love this bread as much as we do!
P.S. If you make a loaf of Kaylen's Bread, be sure to tag it with #thegoodheartedwoman #GHWfirstloaf #KaylensBread
Like each baker, every loaf has a personality all its own. The loaf of bread pictured here below was made using the exact same techniques and recipe as the one above the recipe, with just one small variation. Instead of proofing on parchment and going directly from there to the Dutch oven, it was proofed in a bowl lined with a floured tea towel, and the turned out onto parchment just before baking.
Who is Kaylen, and Why is this Her Bread?
The original spark that set off my interest in sourdough baking was ignited by my BFF, Jenny. Jenny has an amazing daughter, Kaylen, who has some medically serious digestive issues. Gluten is not at all Kaylen's friend, but she missed real bread "that does not taste like sand" [Kaylen's words]. Jenny asked me about sourdough bread after reading that it might be able to help those who are gluten-intolerant.
One study using sourdough bread made with specific strains of bacteria found that it could reduce gluten intolerance in people sensitive to wheat gluten. While that doesn’t mean that people diagnosed with gluten intolerance can eat sourdough bread with impunity, it does suggest that the bread is more easily digested than other breads made with wheat flour. (Reader's Digest)
Remember that long rise I mentioned earlier, when I explained what true sourdough is? Well, it is during that long rise that the wild yeast and bacteria in a sourdough starter break down some of the carbohydrates and proteins in the flour, which (in theory) makes true sourdough bread more tolerable for folks with gluten sensitivity than bread leavened with traditional yeast.
When Jenny asked me to bake some sourdough bread for Kaylen, I was all in. (I've known Kaylen since she was six and love her like my own daughter: of course I'm going to bake her bread.) After developing a new Sourdough Starter and working out the kinks in my recipe, I carefully made Kaylen a loaf, using a minimum 14-hour rise and not adding any additional flour (during folding) after Hour 4.
After I dropped off her first loaf of bread, here's what I found on Facebook when I got home:
Made me cry. You just don't get a better feeling than that, you know?
Stages of a Healthy Sourdough Starter
Use Unfed Starter for this recipe.
- Fed Starter – Fed Starter is active, healthy starter that has been fed within about 2 hours. By hour 2, it will be producing little bubbles on the surface.
- Active Starter – Starter is Active about 5 hours after feeding. By hour 5, you should be able to watch large bubbles actively rising through the Starter and making their way to surface.
- Ripe Starter – Starter is considered Ripe about 8 hours after feeding. The volume has doubled, and the top is just beginning to show signs of sagging under its own weight.
- Unfed Starter – Unfed Starter is healthy, vigorous Starter that has not been fed for 12 hours or more. By hour 12, it collapsed after Ripening, and is ready to be fed again or put in the fridge until next time. (Note that this is NOT neglected Starter that hasn’t been fed in days.)
- Discard – Sourdough discard is the portion of your sourdough starter that you get rid of when you do a feeding. It should be healthy and vigorous, with some small bubbling activity.
If you are curious about why this recipe uses UNFED Starter instead of FED Starter, you might find this conversation on The Fresh Loaf helpful.
References for this recipe include:
- How to Make Sourdough Bread
- Easy Sourdough Artisan Bread
- How to Make Rye Sourdough Starter
- The Art of Baking with Natural Yeast: Breads, Pancakes, Waffles, Cinnamon Rolls and Muffins, by Caleb Warnock & Melissa Richardson
If you have additional questions about the recipe, just leave a comment and I'll reply asap. Be sure to check out the comments below, too. We've had so many people share their sourdough knowledge here, and there is a lot to be learned from their experience. Like most of us, I'm here to learn, too.
THANK YOU so much for being a faithful reader and supporter
of The Good Hearted Woman. • Be sure to PIN this post!
Susan Crum says
Your recipe made a flavorful, beautiful-looking round loaf of bread. I've made it three times already. It's my favorite sourdough recipe!
Renée says
A good loaf of bread is such a gift, isn't it?
Clyde Drex says
Your recipe made an almost perfect round of sourdough bread. I had it in the fridge overnight and it came out with a nice amount of “tang.” My only issue was it was a little dense. Do you recommend an early am rise and letting it get to room temperature before baking? Maybe I was a little too rough with the folding and kneading? Can’t wait to try again!! Thanks so much!!
Renée says
I'm so glad the recipe is working for you. The dough definitely needs to be at room temp before baking. It makes sense that putting it in under room temp would make it dense, because the air pockets wouldn't heat up as fast when the loaf goes into the oven.
Farmgal87 says
Hi there! I am a fairly novice sourdough baker but do have some experience, including many flops lol. Thought your fool proof recipe would put my starter to good use. I am doing my first proof now and wanted to do a long fermentation overnight. Can I put it in fridge after doing my stretches or should I wait until the final proof? So far my dough looks and behaves as it should so I would hate to mess it up now. Thanks!
Renée says
In my experience, once you start the long rise, you can put it into the fridge to slow the process at any point.
Natalie says
Is it 3 cups of flour or 400 grams? Both are listed but 2 cups of flour measured out to 400 grams...
Renée says
According to various sources, including King Arthur Flour, one cup of all-purpose flour weighs 120 grams.
So, 3 cups of all-purpose flour weighs 360 grams, which is where the ~400 grams came from. (There is always wiggle room when it comes to how much flour to use when making bread: so many environmental factors influence it.)
Is it possible you are dipping your measuring cup directly into the flour instead of scooping the flour in? The way you dip or scoop your flour can result in an up to 20 gram measurement difference, even if you are using the same measuring cup, because dipping compacts the flour.
If you’re not already doing it, try using a flour scoop (or big spoon) to transfer the flour into your measuring cup, allowing it to settle naturally. If you scoop it in and still find it is measuring 200 grams per cup, you may need a new measuring cup... or a new scale.
Hope this helps!
Anthea says
Thanks for a great recipe! My first attempt turned into a bit of a disaster. I think my starter had been fed too recently and it didn't bake through. I made a second attempt today though and it turned out great. I have found I need to bake it much longer than in your recipe (25 mins with lid, 20 mins without).
Jill Bull says
This is my go to sourdough recipe. I love it! I live at high altitude and it has always worked for me. I usually have to add 1/3 to 1/2 a cup of flour during the 10 minute mixer knead. I’ve started adding chunks of sharp cheddar and 2 jalapeños chopped up after the mixer knead and it is amazing! I don’t have to change the recipe after the additions.
Renée says
Cheddar-Jalapeño Sourdough sounds delicious! We will definitely have to try that!
Thanks for the high-altitude tips as well!
Heather M. Whipple says
This recipe looks delicious.
Can this be done without a Dutch oven?
I do not have one and I really do not want to go out and buy one just to make only one bread recipe. Plus my husband has COVID-19
And he is here in the emergency room getting an antibody infusion that will help him to not get more sick . I do not feel like going anywhere right now. I do not feel like buying one at all even online.
Renée says
I'm so sorry things are hard right now, Heather. I hope your husband responds quickly and well to the antibody infusion.
To answer your question; no, you don't have to use a Dutch oven. I found a good post outlining three ways to make good, crusty sourdough without a Dutch oven. I've used the baking stone and bowl method outlined on it with good results. I hope this helps.
Mary Hinkle says
I have had sourdough bread making before and failed over and over. This time I was fortunate to find good starter making instructions and then this wonderful bread recipe! I had a perfect loaf the first time, (then the next week made a loaf of whole wheat by increasing the water), And my late grandmother's 1935
Dutch Oven came in handy too.
I use the base of my yogurt maker to keep it warm for rising,, I have to watch it since it actually reduces the rising time. But I still got wonderful loaves. I am so happy! Today I will try to make rolls from it. Thanks so much for giving away this recipe!!!
Renée says
I'm so glad it worked out for you, Mary! Making a good loaf of sourdough is such a satisfying feeling!
Carol says
Made this today, how do you wait the 30 minutes of cooling time before cutting into it?? That was the longest 30 minutes of my entire life! This was my very first sourdough bread making experience and I will be using this recipe again for sure!
Renée says
Congratulations on your first sourdough loaf! I’m so happy that everything worked for you!
Emily Clementson says
This bread is amazing! Thank you very much for sharing this recipe. My family and I loved it. This will be my go to recipe!
Renée says
Thanks for the kind words, Emily. I'm so glad you like it!
Erika says
So is the water measured in fl oz or just oz on my digital scale? I just realized there is a difference and the dough is not as wet!?
Renée says
It's always best to use a digital scale with sourdough, at least until you get a good feel for it. An ounce is an ounce, no matter how much space is takes up. A pound of feathers weighs the same as a pound of flour: they just take up a different amount of space. For example, an "8-ounce measuring cup" holds the amount equal to 8 ounces of water. Some liquids are more dense, others less so. Sourdough starter, for example, has a lot of air in it, so an ounce of starter will take up more space than an ounce of water.
Judy says
I think you are genius, Good Hearted. This is such an informative recipe, and you surely have covered all the bases. I've made the best bread ever with your help, but I sure would love to make 2 boules at a time, as 1 doesn't last long in our house. I was thinking that my stand mixer can handle a double run, then I would just divide the dough in half, and put it in 2 separate bowls, and continue with the process as usual. Do you think this is doable?
Thank you so much for this recipe, and for sharing so generously.
Renée says
Thank you so much for the kinds words: I'm so glad it the recipe is working for you! Yes, I think your plan to double sounds doable: the bakers' ratios would stay the same. Please come back and let us know how it worked out!