How To Make Sourdough Bread

This Sourdough Bread Recipe is crunchy, light, and airy. Discover the art of baking sourdough bread to perfection. This homemade sourdough bread recipe is not only easy and delicious, but it’s also versatile. Elevate every meal from breakfast, to lunch and dinner by adding fresh sourdough bread. Imagine how impressed your family and friends will be when they taste the sourdough bread you made from scratch!

This recipe has taken me a while to compose and test, but I am confident that it has all of the necessary tips and techniques to help you succeed at making sourdough bread without all of the extra guesswork. I’ve baked so many loaves that my family probably got tired of me. After every batch, I would slice it and run to them demanding it be tasted and evaluated.

As a forever student at heart, I made notes after each loaf and scaled and analyzed the bread until I finally got the nod of approval. Yes, my family can be brutally honest and that is exactly why I love them. We don’t sugarcoat anything unless it’s cakes and cookies lol. So, believe me when I say this recipe is beginner-friendly with easy-to-follow steps that will make you a pro at making fresh, crusty sourdough bread in no time!

If you’ve ever wanted to try making sourdough bread, but thought the process was too lengthy and hard to follow, worry not! This sourdough bread recipe includes easy steps to help you prepare, shape, and bake beautiful loaves from scratch with confidence. I am confident that you will develop and master your sourdough-making skills.

Crusty sourdough bread is so beautiful, versatile, and crowd-pleasing. We love toasting slices for breakfast to serve alongside scrambled eggs, to whip up a batch of French toast, soups, sandwiches, and more.

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS SOURDOUGH BREAD RECIPE

• Easy to follow recipe.
• Simple ingredients. To make sourdough bread all you need is flour, warm water, and salt. The flour and warm water are used to make the sourdough starter and the bread. Talk about simple!
• It’s oh-so versatile. Sourdough bread can be used as a base to make even more delicious recipes including crunchy croutons, crispy grilled cheese sandwiches, salads and so much more.

THE SOURDOUGH STARTER

One of the most important elements of a delicious, flavorful sourdough bread is the sourdough starter you use. A sourdough starter is a mixture of warm water and flour that has naturally fermented over time. You will “feed” the sourdough starter repeatedly to ensure the starter has active fermentation, and is ripe before using it for the bread. Think of the sourdough starter as the foundation, as it will need to be well-fed and healthy to create your most delectable loaves.

SOURDOUGH INGREDIENTS

Jump to the bottom of the recipe card below this post for full ingredient measurements and instructions.

Bread flour – I prefer bread flour with more gluten, making the bread soft and chewy. King Arthur and Bob’s Red Mill Brand Bread Flour are two of my favorite bread flours to make sourdough bread.

Water – use warm water to ensure the enzymes in the sourdough starter remain active. See additional notes in the tips section below.

Sourdough starter – ripe, active starter that has been fed within the last 6 to 12 hours.

Salt – Fine sea salt is added to flavor the sourdough.

HOW TO MAKE SOURDOUGH BREAD

Follow these steps to make Sourdough Bread:

Mix: In a large bowl, combine the warm water with the sourdough starter, whisking until combined. In another bowl, stir together the salt and flour, then add the sourdough starter mixture. Using your hands or a wooden spoon, stir the mixture until most of the flour is mixed in. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel, then let set at room temperature for 1 hour.

Bulk Fermentation: Bulk fermentation is a 4 hour process consisting of 3 sets of stretching and folding the dough, resting it in between each set. To start fill a small bowl with ice water, then uncover the bowl. Dip your hands into the water to prevent sticking, then lift one slide of the dough with two hands. Stretch and pull the dough, then fold it over to the other side of the dough. Rotate the bowl 90°, and repeat the stretch and fold process twice more to complete four folds and turns.

Rest: Cover the bowl and allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes. Repeat the stretch and fold steps again. After the third and final set, allow the dough to rest for 2 hours and 30 minutes, the remainder of bulk fermentation. At the end of bulk fermentation, the dough should be visibly risen and well puffed with some air bubbles formed over the top and sides of the dough.

Pull and Shape: Dip your hands in cold water, then lightly flour your hands and your work surface. Using a rubber spatula, turn the dough out onto the floured work surface. Pinch and pull opposing edges of the dough and then gather it into the middle to form a bundled sack. Quickly flip the dough over so that the seam side is down. Cup the dough with both hands to gently drag and tuck the dough over itself to form a uniform circle.

Bench Rest: Let the dough rest on the bench for a few minutes to help the bottom seam seal.

Rest and Proofing: This is the process of placing the dough in a cooler place. After the dough has been shaped, lightly dust a proofing basket with flour. Gently transfer the dough, seamside up, to the basket and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or with a towel. Place the dough in the refrigerator for 6 to 36 hours. I personally prefer to refrigerate it for 24 hours.

Preheat and prep: Preheat the oven to 450°F and add a large Dutch oven with the lid on it inside of the oven. Allow the Dutch oven to heat for about 30 minutes. Toward the end of the preheating time, remove the sourdough boule from the refrigerator. Gently uncover the basket and place a piece of parchment paper, or a silpat over it. Place a large sheet pan on top of the basket, then using both hands, flip everything over.

Score the Sourdough Bread: Use a sharp knife, or a bread tool to make shallow cuts down the center of the loaf. You can also make decorative patterns on the loaf. I prefer to use my scissors to form easy decorative patterns on my loaf.

Bake. Using oven mittens, remove the lid from the Dutch oven or combo cooker then transfer the bread to the Dutch oven, and bake covered for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove the lid to vent and continue baking for another 20 to 25 minutes. The bread should reach an internal temperature of 208°F to 210°F when done.

SOURDOUGH BREAD PRO TIPS

1. Measure the ingredients in grams. Properly measure the sourdough starter, water, salt, and flour in grams.
2. Use an active sourdough starter. The sourdough starter you use should present lots of activity including bubbes and doubled in size indicating it has been fed within the last 6 to 12 hours.
3. Weigh the flour. It’s important to add the correct amount of flour by weighing it with a kitchen scale, preferably. If you do not own a kitchen scale, be sure to fluff up the flour in its container, spoon it into the measuring cup, and level the top.
4. Water temperature. How warm the water is will depend on the kitchen temperature when starting. If your kitchen is cooler (between 68°F or below) you will need to adjust the temperature, using warmer water (around 98°F – 100°F). If the kitchen is warmer, then you will need to adjust the water temperature by using cooler water. If you are unsure how warm your water should be, a good medium temperature is to use water that is between 80°F to 85°F.
5. Dough Temperature. Using warmer water in the dough and fermenting in a warm environment will help speed up the fermentation process.

HOW TO STORE SOURDOUGH BREAD

Room temperature: Place any leftover bread in an air-tight container, bread bag, or bread box at room temperature to enjoy for up to 5 days. The bread can also be placed in the refrigerator for 10 days.

Freezing Instructions: To freeze sourdough bread wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, then place the bread in a resealable plastic storage bag, and freeze for up to three months. Thaw at room temperature for a few hours or place in the refrigerator to thaw overnight.

Reheating thawed bread: Preheat the oven to 350°F and place the bread on a parchment-lined sheetpan positioned on the top rack. Bake for 8 to 20 minutes, or until golden and crispy.

Did you make this recipe?

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While I have you here… may I suggest a few for you to try next:

• How To Make White Sandwich Bread
• Oat & Multi-Seed Sandwich Bread
• Honey Butter Rolls

Until next time. Keep following and commenting. Join me on Youtube next week where I will be cooking up another recipe and maybe telling a few of my terrible jokes! Yes, that’s right.

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