Here’s a classic homemade sourdough bread recipe 🍞
Crispy crust, chewy crumb, and simple ingredients.
Sourdough Bread (Beginner-Friendly)
Ingredients
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100 g active sourdough starter (bubbly & fed)
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375 g warm water
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500 g bread flour (or all-purpose)
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10 g salt (about 1¾ tsp)
Instructions
1. Mix the dough
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In a large bowl, mix starter and water.
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Add flour and salt.
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Stir until a shaggy dough forms.
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Cover and rest 30 minutes (autolyse).
2. Stretch & fold
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Over the next 2 hours, do 4 sets of stretch-and-folds
(every 30 minutes). -
Cover between each set.
3. Bulk ferment
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Cover and let dough rise 4–6 hours at room temperature
until puffy and about 50% bigger.
4. Shape
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Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface.
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Shape into a round loaf.
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Place seam-side up in a floured bowl or basket.
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Cover and refrigerate 8–12 hours (overnight).
5. Bake
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Preheat oven to 230°C / 450°F with a Dutch oven inside.
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Place dough on parchment, score the top.
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Bake covered 20 minutes, then uncovered 20–25 minutes.
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Cool completely before slicing.
Tips for Success
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Starter should double within 4–6 hours after feeding.
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Longer cold ferment = more sour flavor.
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Let bread cool at least 1 hour before cutting.
Variations
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Whole wheat: replace 20–30% of flour
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No Dutch oven: bake on a stone with steam
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Seeded loaf: add seeds during final fold
If you’d like, I can share:
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Same-day sourdough
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Sourdough sandwich bread
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How to make a starter from scratch