Want to make someone feel really special? Want to feel great yourself? Give a loaf of homemade sourdough bread!!
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Last month, I embarked on a new adventure – I started the of growing a sourdough starter and learning how to use it. Last week, after lots of research and careful thought, I made my very first loaf of sourdough bread.
I’m not great at following much of anything to the letter, so I didn’t use one particular recipe – instead I studied a few that were recommended for beginners and put something together that made sense to me. And it turned out wonderfully!! My little loaf of bread was gone so fast that I barely had time to take a picture!!
My First Loaf of Sourdough Bread
Sourdough bread is more than just delicious and pretty though.
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)
In fact, that was the idea that compelled me to start investigating Sourdough.
As I mentioned in an earlier post, my BFF Jenny asked me to give sourdough a go in the hopes that it will benefit her daughter, Kaylen, a beautiful young woman with some serious digestive issues. Gluten is not Kaylen’s friend. But she misses bread – real bread that does not “taste like sand” (Kaylen’s words) – a lot.
I’ve known Kaylen since she was six and love her like my own daughter – of course I will bake her bread. Last night, I dropped off the first loaf to her and here’s what I found on Facebook when I got home:
Want to feel really happy? Give someone you love a loaf of fresh bread!!
Made me cry. You just don’t get a better feeling than that, you know?
Here is my recipe for Easy Sourdough Bread, including links to those recipes I used for guidance.
Basic Sourdough Bread
Super-basic. No bells, no whistles - just bread.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup sourdough starter unfed & room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups lukewarm water you may need more or less, depending on your starter's hydration. Mine is 100% hydration starter.
- 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
Instructions
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In a stand-mixer, mix ingredients with bread hook until just combined. Let rest for 10-20 minutes. While it 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.
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Knead dough with bread hook 5-10 minutes.
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Remove from mixer, shape into ball and put into the oiled bowl, smooth-side down, and then flip it smooth-side up so that all sides of the dough are covered with oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap.
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Let rise at least 6 hours (or until double in size) folding twice during that time. (This long rise is what helps make it tolerable for folks with gluten sensitivity.)
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Form bread into a boule (a round loaf) and place on a square of parchment paper. With a wet serrated knife, cut a couple of slashes on the top. (So far, I've always forgotten to do this and it wasn't the end of the world.) Cover loosely with a damp towel and allow to rise for 1 1/2- 2 hours.
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In the last 30 or 40 minutes of the last rise, move your oven rack to the bottom third of oven. Put a cast iron Dutch oven with lid in the cold oven and preheat to 450º for 30 minutes.
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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. (I burnt myself the first time!)
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Put the lid on the Dutch oven and bake for 12-13 minutes. Uncover and bake another 12-13 minutes.
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Remove and place on a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes. DO NOT slice the bread until it has set for 30 minutes - this is part of the baking process. Really.
Recipe Notes
If you don't have a cast iron Dutch oven, you can use a baking stone. If you use a baking stone, cover the boulé with a big roast pan 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.
References for this recipe include:
- How to Make Sourdough Bread – Pinch My Salt
- Easy Sourdough Artisan Bread – Oregon Cottage
- The Art of Baking with Natural Yeast: Breads, Pancakes, Waffles, Cinnamon Rolls and Muffins
, by Caleb Warnock & Melissa Richardson
I’ve learned so much already about baking with sourdough; enough to know that what I do know barely scratches the surface, so if you are a sourdough baker and see something I’ve written that could use improvement, please leave a comment. Like most of us, I’m here to learn.
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This recipe was so fast and easy, the bread was chewy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside. My husband, 10 year old daughter and myself devoured it in one sitting
So glad you liked it!!
so where’s the recipe for the starter you use
There is no “recipe” for sourdough starter. If you don’t have one yet, do a search for “sourdough starter” and that will get you going.
Thanks for the hint on using the Dutch oven for steam.
There is no accent on “boule.”
You’re welcome – I wish I could say it was my idea, but it isn’t.
Regarding the accent: there should be, but you’re right.
Sincerely,
Renée
P.S. I’m a bit of a grammar diva myself. Thanks.
A great start, just a couple of pointers. I usually slash the dough after the rise, this goes a little easier with a dusting of flour beforehand, don’t worry if the cuts are not real deep or the dough ‘pulls’ a little. I also do not use parchment paper during the baking process, I add or rather plop the shaped dough into the heated dutch oven, seam side up. My oven temp also requires a 20 minute covered baked time, 20 minute uncovered. Who needs a bakery? Lol.
the starter , where do get the starter?
For the price of a couple of stamps, you can get Starter from Oregon Trail Sourdough.
I just finished taking my first bite of this bread, and it’s perfect!! I used bread flour instead of all-purpose, but followed everything else. It’s so amazing. This is the first time I’ve ever made sourdough from scratch. Thanks for the recipe!!
Thank you so much for the feedback – I’m so glad it worked for you!
Thank you, I’m about to make my first sourdough ever (starter has been bubbling 7 days now) and I was contemplating using bread flour! Now I will.
You’re welcome! Glad my comment helped 🙂
What if you don’t have a stand mixer or bread hook?
I do it by hand every time and it works just fine. Just a bit messier that way.
Thanks for that input, Tranylle. I’ve made it be hand as well, and it turns out great. I’ve found that it’s a very forgiving process.
Thank you Tranylle! I’ve never made bread in my life, so how do I know when I have kneaded it enough?
I’m probably just lazy but I only knead it for about 5 minutes, let it rest for 30, then knead it a few more minutes before I let it rise overnight. It’s always turned out great.
If you give it a couple more baker’s turns during the first rising [bulk rising/fermentation] then you don’t have to knead the dough at all. I’ve made Tartine bread and this recipe sounds very similar. I can’t wait to try out this recipe.@gmail.co
Help?! I cannot get this bread to turn out right. I’ve made it 3 times now.
The first time, I preheated the Dutch Oven and the bottom burnt to a crisp (black), but the texture and top crust were exactly what I wanted.
Second time, I tried to increase the size of the loaf by adding 1/2 cup more starter and enough extra flour to get the dough the right texture — came out with a soft crust like regular sandwich bread. On the second attempt, in order to get the dough more solid, I had to add more flour on the round where I was supposed to turn it into a loaf. In the process, I kneaded all the bubbles out of it, and the wonderful sourdough texture I was hoping for went to sandwich-bread texture — no holes.
Today is my third attempt. I returned to the original recipe — no extra anything — and when I went to turn the dough into a loaf, it was so soft that I couldn’t handle it without adding more flour… AGAIN! Right now, as it rises for the second, shorter rising, it’s a puddle in the bottom of my Dutch oven. The dough is just pure goop! But when I was done kneading, it was so dry, I worried it might turn out like a brick!
What am I doing wrong? I want a chewy crust and holey texture, but I can’t seem to get it unless I preheat the Dutch oven and burn the bottom crust! I’m desperate… 🙁
I have no idea! Everyone who makes it (who checks in here) seems to get good results, and I’ve made it tons of times exactly like this and haven’t had any problems. Maybe your starter is a little runnier than most? If so, adding some extra flour is the right thing to do. It should definitely be doughy enough to form without “puddling.” Just to clarify, there is no kneading after the initial dough is created – it is just a matter of folding it a few times during the rising process. Is humidity possibly an issue where you live? I can’t figure out the burning on the bottom problem at all: it is imperative that you preheat the Dutch oven for this recipe: it doesn’t work well if you don’t. That’s why you do the last rise on parchment – so that you can lift it into the Dutch oven after it has preheated. Is it possible that your oven temp is off, or that you are baking the bread longer than 25 minutes total? I’d really like to help you get to the bottom of this. Please keep me posted.
Quick notes: I live at 5900 feet elevation — high desert in northeastern Arizona — with humidity levels far below 20%. My starter is 100% hydration (equal portions of flour and liquid – I use Kefir milk). Your recipe doesn’t say whether or not to oil the Dutch oven, but I did, because I don’t use parchment paper. The dough sizzled and started to burn as soon as I placed it in the Dutch oven. I have no desire to start something I won’t be able to continue, if the grid goes down, and parchment paper falls into that category. I’d rather work with a process that doesn’t require a bunch of extra equipment. Do you have an option for that?
During the forming of the loaf, I couldn’t even handle the dough, it was so gooey — it was like playing with super-melted mozzarella cheese. It stretched, drooped and stuck to everything — especially me. The first folding went fine. The second folding was a bit goopier, and by the loaf-forming stage, I couldn’t handle it at all. It seems the longer it’s left to rise, the goopier it gets. I let it rise for 6 hours, according to the recipe, folding it every two hours.
Oven temp tests perfect. At 350, it’s 10 degrees higher than it should be, but anything over 400 tested right on.
Baking time: 13 minutes with lid on, 13 minutes with lid off.
By the way, the FLAVOR of this recipe is exactly what I’m after. The crumb was terrific on both texture and taste, and the top crust came out wonderful, although the loaf wasn’t as big as I hoped it would be. But the bottom crust burnt. That can be accounted for by using oil instead of parchment paper, but I’m hoping there’s another alternative. Please help me there, if you can.
I’m stumped. I don’t have any experience working at that elevation, so I don’t know what typically need to be done there. I use the parchment because it is definitely too soft a dough to lift into the Dutch oven without disturbing the bubbles, and I do think it protects the dough on that initial set in the pan, but I’ve never had a problem with it “sizzling.” I just don’t know. If you figure it out, let me know. I’m sorry that I’m not more help.
Well, I just got my new loaf out of the oven — without preheating the Dutch oven — and it looks great, so we’ll see how the crust turns out. It looks like the first loaf on top, but it’s too soon to turn it out of the pan — I let it cool for at least 30 minutes before dumping it out. We’ll see how we did, and I will definitely let you know how it worked this time. Thanks for trying!
Try moving your oven rack up a slot in your oven.
I PUT SMALL WIRE RACK IN BOTTOM OF POT,LINE RACK AND POT WITH PARCHMENT PAPER PERFECT CRUST EVERY TIME
You might need to check if your starter isn’t fermented properly…I made a loaf when I was learning to make sourdough where the dough was limp with the constency of thick goo.. it didn’t rise at all and baked out an inch high… but discovered my starter wasn’t right and had to fix it.
Your story is identical to mIne. Second time around it happen again so I decided to add a half a cup of flour to it and it turned out perfectly it may just have to do with your environment .
Thank you for the great recipe! Could you tell me what you mean by unfed starter? Starter taken right out of the fridge and brought to room temperature without being fed at all? I’m an absolute beginner so I’m still unfamiliar with all these terms.
You are exactly right – “unfed” starter means started that has sat at room temperature for at least 12 hours without being fed.
By the time I start this, the starter will have been fed within the past 6 hrs. What difference will that make on the bread?
You will probably not get as good of a rise.
Hi
I am trying your recipe as we speak. I actually made my own sour dough starter but I made it gluten free. I also used gluten free all purpose flour. I am hoping it comes out good. Quick question. When letting the dough rise should it be in a warm area or just left out?? It’s 4 degrees right now with wind chills at -12. Just worried that my kitchen isn’t warm enough.
Please forgive me for getting back to you so late: I was on a Valentine’s weekend getaway with my sweetheart. Anyway, for future reference, a warm place is definitely better. I either put my dough near the fireplace if it’s going, or in the oven. (I have a “Bread Proofing” setting.) Another method is to set the oven to its lowest setting, warm it up and then turn it off before putting the dough in to rise. (When I do this, I leave the oven door ajar.)
If you have a fireplace or woodstove place your dough in a covered bowl on the warm hearth- amazing results
Not as good but on top of your fridge works too
Great tip, JoAnna!
Hello, I have made this recipe twice now. The first time I made it exactly as the recipe calls and my dough was basically pudding. Completely loose and thin, had to laugh when it says to fold the dough. There was no folding, only stirring happening there. Absolutely no rising in action either. My starter is 100% hydration and I added the full 1 1/4 cup of water the first time around. I was going to just throw it out but after reading ‘B. Hayes’ comment I figured I would just tough it out. I don’t have a Dutch oven so I used my Pampered Chef Deep Covered baker and poured, yes poured, the dough into it after putting in some parchment paper and preheating the dish. The bread actually came out amazing! I had very little hope but it was light and airy and my husband (the whole reason I ever started this sourdough attempt) loved it! Plus it was beautiful! I made it again a couple days later but added only a little less than a cup of water to the dough and though it was definitely thicker it still could never form a boule nor could it really be “folded”. Anyhow, I made it exactly the same except for the water difference and my husband said it tasted nothing like sourdough but just normal bread. I am going to try again tomorrow. Do you have any suggestions or recommendations for me?
I wish that I did. My starter is also a 100% hydration, and has the consistency of very thick pancake batter that has been left on the counter too long. As with any bread dough (at least any that I want to make), you kind of have to eyeball how much floor to put in. I usually use the flour amount listed in bread recipes as a guideline and not the final word, and this recipe is no exception. It sounds like maybe the second loaf might have been made with a starter that was too freshly fed. Is that possible?
No, I always prepare the amount of starter I need the day before and let it sit on the counter overnight, so at least 18 hours total before being used. My starter, when ready, is also like pancake batter consistency. I am going to make this loaf again as I did the first time with the runny dough. It did come out great which is really all that matters. I have made lots of breads in the past so I was hoping I could get this dough to somewhat resemble what I am used to. I would have to add quite a bit of extra flour to get it to form a boule and I’m afraid that will make it more dense and less sour tasting.
So I ended up with a soupy dough also when I put it onto parchment. Didn’t want 1″ high bread do I plopped the parchment into a bread pan. Put a pot of hot water in oven 15 minutes before baking and left it for the first 13 then removed it.
Loaf looks good out of oven, baked loaf pan on stone and its a little dark on the bottom. Smells great, nice rise. Gonna experiment with this recipe and make good use of my beautiful homemade starter.
Just finished my third slice. I can’t believe I baked this delicious bread without packet yeast! Grilled cheese for lunch tomorrow! Thank you.
I am so glad it worked out for you, MaryLynn!
Are you meant to bake the dough WITH the parchment paper?
Yep. You just lift the dough in and and bread out by the corners.
As a sourdough bread beginner, i want to thank you for this awesome recipe and instructions! Made twice in two days, the family loves it!
Thanks for the feedback, Sue – I’m so glad it’s working for you!
I know some were having problems with getting the dough to rise or it being too gooey so I thought I’d comment and give some pointers for those in high altitude areas. I live at about 6200 ft in elevation and I found that adding 3.5 cups of flour instead of the recipe of 3 cups, helps with the gooey-ness. I have 100% hydration starter (equal parts in weight of flour and water) and I’ve worked with both white flour and wheat flour, both work great! I also let the dough sit longer than normal. After the mixing of ingredients, I let it sit for a minimum of 20 minutes (step 1) then I knead it in my kitchen aid for at least 20min (step 2). Then I let it sit overnight in the oiled bowl and I do not punch it down, ever. I guess it ‘gets punched’ when I transfer it from the bowl to parchment. If I don’t let it sit overnight or for at least 12 hrs, it does not rise as well and there are very few bubble holes in the bread. Being in a more dry environment with less oxygen and no salt in the air from the ocean breeze can make it a little more time consuming, but not impossible 🙂 I hope this helps, it’s a great recipe and my family LOVES it. It also makes an amazing gift. And don’t skip on the parchment- it’ll burn the bread if you skip it.
Natalie, thank you SO much for your comments. As I’m sure you well know, the amount of flour is always a bit of an estimate, baed on season, humidity, etc. Altitude adds a whole new level to baking too; one I have absolutely experience with outside of camping/ baking in a Dutch oven. This is one of my most popular posts, and your comments will be of great help to many, I assure you. Thank you again.
I’m making this recipe for the first time and didn’t know I was supposed to set the starter out 12 hours before until I read comments. What does it mean in the directions to turn it twice? I’ve only just started making sourdough and trying different recipes. I hope mine turns out like the others!
Turning means exactly that – just put both hands under the dough (like picking up a baby) and turn it over. That’s it. Fingers crossed for you – Good luck!!
First attempt at sourdough, everything went well until the final rise on the parchment paper. It just spread out. I baked it anyway, but was disappointed with the texture. It’s so dense, and missing the signature airy bubbles. Very bummed. Any idea what went wrong? Have you baked this recipe in a loaf pan? I may try that next- I like the neatness of a loaf and it may hold air better if it has the limit of a pan instead of the whole counter top.
It should be very bubbly, and I don’t think the vessel that you bake it in will make any difference. If it was runny and bubbly, I would tell you to add some extra flour, but with no bubbles, I’d have to guess that your starter needs some help. Anyone else have an idea?
I need help my sourdough starter is out of control!
I started the starter 4 days ago, and following the recipe step-by-step exactly.
Now over the course of the last day ( fed it yesterday morning… it is now going up and over the jar I have it in a 1 gallon mason jar.( so it had room to do its magic ) It was approx. one cup of starter when I fed it yesterday ( I added 1/2 cup flour and 3/4 cup water combined and I had poured off half the starter then mixed the two with a wooden spoon.)
Something truly happened between days four and five ….it has exploded!
. I’m fearing for my life that I will be overtaken by this Sourdough starter in the middle of the night! any advice
Are you taking out the same amount you put in? You might not be taking enough out.
Yes, I’m have been removing equal amount. We’ve been having some humid days which is unusual for our area…can that affect the starter?
Yes humidity can affect the starter also. Its a wild starter right? Or are you using commercial yeast? Depending on your region, starters definitely have their own unique traits. If you are not using commercial yeast, then maybe you could take more of the starter out. I’ve had mine for a few months now and I use almost all of it when I bake. As long as there is a small amount, it will still grow. Also, I let mine ‘grow’ for a week and then I started keeping in the refrigerator so that I don’t have to continue feeding it every 12 hours. It develops slower, (for my region, over the course of 5 days) so I use it once a week.
I have been removing am equal parts of the starter could take humidity which is unusual for our area possibly affect it ?
Humidity absolutely affects bread making – at all stages.
Hi! I’m making this bread for the second time today…. We really enjoyed the first loaf – I am finding the dough very soft and sticky even though I’ve let it kneed until it’s satin smooth and a fully formed ball in the mixer. It’s currently sitting for the long proof – I might hand kneed some more AP in?? Thoughts?
I’d love to know how it turns out. When I’ve made it, the dough is definitely very sticky: I can form it, but cannot pick it up with my hands. All my actual transfers are done using parchment paper.
Mine went flat…. I followed recipe exactly but live in Florida so maybe weather conditions had effect? I added more and more flour to try and get it to for a boule but it just keeps spreading thin and flat….
Unfortunately, our weather in the PNW is so different from that of Florida that I can’t even speak to this. Maybe another reader has an answer for you ???
This is the best I’ve made so far in my search for the perfect sourdough. I varied only by using bread flour. Thanks for sharing!!
Thanks for much for checking in with your results. I’m so glad it’s working for you!
What is the aeration on your starter?
I’m not quite sure what you mean by “aeration,” but it’s a 100% hydration starter. (100% hydration means that, feeding by weight, you feed your starter with equal weights of starter, flour, and water.)
I don’t have a stand mixer, do I kneed or stir the bread?
Thank you for this fantastic recipe. It is delicious and never fails. My go to sourdough bread. Friends and family love it. I soak mine overnight. So easy to digest. Thanks again.
Thank you so much for checking in, Gaye! I’m so glad it’s working for you! 🥖
Most of the problems noted in this thread could be solved by using a digital scale and weighing ingredients instead of measuring volumes in cups. For example, I might make an 800g loaf using 500g flour and 300g water (a 60% hydration dough). If using 200g of 80% starter, that would be 111g of flour and 89g of water from the starter leaving 389g of flour and 211g of water to be added for the final dough. This should be a fairly stiff and easy to work with dough but the crumb (bubble size) will be small. More water (10 to 50g) will give a larger crumb but will make the dough harder to work (slack) but can give a larger crumb but the loaf will flatten out some. It all tastes magical!
Why do you not feed starter first? Most saved starters are only about 1 cup. Feeding doubles your starter. I have a 9 year old starter. I save a cup after feeding and proofing and use a cup in a recipe. Could you clarify?
I’m sure that there are a number of people here who could give you a complex, scientific answer to your question, but in the interest of keeping things simple, here’s the gist: you are essentially feeding your starter when you add it to your bread mix. If you feed it before adding, it won’t be as “hungry,” and it will take far longer for the starter to “digest” the additional flour gluten; moreover, your rise will be less effective.
Hi. What size dutch oven do you recommend? Thanks!
Hey Renee,
Awesome bread recipe to use unfed starter! I just started bread making and made the beginner’s mistake of an out of control growing sourdough starter collection! Been whittling it down with pancakes, waffles, and other concoctions. So far this one has been the most enjoyable and satisfying. Also, made my first Stencil mark on it too!
👍🍞😎🎣
Congratulations, Rob! Glad it’s working well for you!