If you have ever wanted to pull a crackly, golden loaf of sourdough out of your own oven, this is the recipe to start with. Four ingredients, no fancy techniques, and a method I have refined over six plus years of baking. This is the base recipe behind nearly every sourdough loaf on this blog, and once you have it down, an entire world of bread opens up to you.
My love affair with bread started long before sourdough was cool. It began with friendship bread passed between neighbors, that sweet, cinnamon scented starter that lived on everyone’s counter in a ziploc bag. Home ec was my favorite class in junior high and high school, and it was there that I made my very first loaf of bread from scratch. I still remember how proud I was of that slightly lopsided thing.
Years later, when my son developed a gluten allergy, I went down a research rabbit hole on fermentation. To be clear, sourdough is not gluten free and it is not safe for anyone with celiac disease or a true wheat allergy. But learning how the long, slow fermentation transforms flour, breaking down starches and making bread easier for many people to digest, pulled me right back into sourdough with a whole new appreciation for what those wild yeasts are doing. Six plus years and hundreds of loaves later, this is the recipe I bake week after week for my family of five.
Table of Contents
- Why You Will Love This Recipe
- What Is Sourdough Bread?
- Sourdough Terms to Know
- Ingredients
- Equipment
- Get the Recipe
- How to Make Sourdough Bread Step by Step
- Adjusting for Summer and Winter Baking
- Substitutions
- Storing and Freezing
- Troubleshooting
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Sourdough Recipes to Try
- Subscribe
Why You Will Love This Recipe
Only four ingredients. Starter, water, flour, salt. That is the whole list.
Beginner friendly. Every step includes the visual cues that tell you the dough is ready, so you are never guessing. Your dough will tell you what it needs. You just have to know what to look for, and I will show you.
Flexible schedule. Mix in the morning, shape in the evening, and bake whenever it suits you thanks to a cold proof window of 8 to 48 hours.
Works year round. Most sourdough recipes fall apart the first hot week of summer. This one includes simple seasonal adjustments so your loaves stay consistent in July and January alike.
It is the foundation for everything. This dough is the starting point for my Cinnamon Swirl Sourdough Bread, my Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Sourdough Bread, and so many more.
What Is Sourdough Bread?
Sourdough is bread leavened naturally by a sourdough starter instead of commercial yeast. A starter is simply flour and water that has captured wild yeast and friendly bacteria from the environment. Feed it regularly and it becomes a bubbling, living leavener that raises your bread and develops flavor no packet of yeast can touch.
The wild yeast handles the rise. The bacteria produce the complex, slightly sour flavor sourdough is famous for. The long fermentation also breaks down starches in the flour, which is part of why so many people find sourdough easier on their stomachs than store bought sandwich bread.
You will need an active, healthy starter for this recipe. If yours has been fed within the last 4 to 12 hours, is bubbly, and has roughly doubled since feeding, you are ready to bake.
Sourdough Terms to Know
Sourdough bakers love their jargon. Here is everything in this post translated into plain English.
Autolyse: Resting the flour and water together before adding salt. It kickstarts gluten development without any kneading.
Bulk fermentation: The first rise, from mixing until shaping. This is where most of the flavor and structure develops.
Stretch and fold: Grabbing one side of the dough, stretching it up, and folding it over itself. A gentle way to build strength without kneading.
Cold retard: Proofing the shaped dough in the refrigerator. It slows fermentation, deepens flavor, and makes scoring much easier.
Scoring: Slashing the top of the loaf with a blade before baking so it expands where you want it to instead of bursting at random.
Poke test: Poking the dough with a floured finger to judge proofing. A slow spring back with a slight remaining indent means it is ready.
Oven spring: The dramatic rise that happens in the first minutes of baking. The payoff for all your patience.
Ingredients
Just four ingredients. Exact amounts in grams and cups are in the recipe card below. Here is why each one matters.
Active sourdough starter: Fed 4 to 12 hours before mixing, bubbly and roughly doubled. A sluggish starter makes a sluggish loaf.
Room temperature filtered water: Filtered matters. Chlorinated tap water can slow down the wild yeast in your starter.
Bread flour: Bread flour has a higher protein content than all purpose, which gives the loaf its chewy, open crumb and helps it hold structure. This recipe is 70% hydration, a sweet spot that is easy to handle but still bakes up with a beautiful open crumb.
Fine sea salt: Salt is not just for flavor. It tightens the gluten and keeps fermentation from running away from you. My favorite salt is here.
Equipment
Digital kitchen scale: Non negotiable for sourdough. Cup measurements vary wildly with flour and will sabotage your loaf.
Large mixing bowl: Anything big enough for the dough to double.
Flexible dough scraper: Makes mixing and cleanup dramatically easier. Get the scraper I use here.
Banneton or a bowl lined with a floured towel: Holds the shape during the final proof.
Lame or razor blade: For scoring. Check out the lame I use here.
Two loaf pans or a Dutch oven: My preferred method uses two metal loaf pans, one flipped upside down on top of the other to trap steam like a mini Dutch oven. A standard Dutch oven works beautifully too.
Recipe
Easy Sourdough Bread
Equipment
- Digital Kitchen Scale
- Large mixing bowl
- Flexible dough scraper
- Banneton or bowl lined with a floured towel
- Lame or razor blade
- Two metal loaf pans or a Dutch oven
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
- 75 g active sourdough starter about 1/3 cup
- 350 g room temperature filtered water about 1 1/2 cups
- 500 g bread flour about 4 cups
- 10 g fine sea salt about 1 3/4 teaspoons
Instructions
Inital Mix
- Combine the bread flour, starter, and water in a large bowl and mix until a rough, shaggy dough forms with no dry pockets of flour. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, cover, and rest for 1 hour.
Add the Salt
- Wet your hands, sprinkle the salt over the dough, and rub it across the surface. Pour about a TBS (15g) of water across the top. Starting at one corner, slowly turn the dough under itself while kneading gently until the salt is fully incorporated.
Stretch and Folds
- Perform a set of stretch and folds: with wet hands, grab one side of the dough, stretch it up until you feel resistance, and fold it over to the opposite side. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat until all four sides are folded. Flip the dough smooth side up and cover.
- Repeat the stretch and folds every hour for 3 hours total, then leave the dough covered at room temperature to finish bulk fermentation.
Bulk Fermentation
- Bulk fermentation is complete when the dough has grown by 50 to 70 percent, the surface is smooth and domed, the dough jiggles when you shake the bowl, and a gentle poke springs back slowly leaving a slight indent. Depending on kitchen temperature this can take 4 to 10 or more hours from mixing. Trust the visual cues, not the clock.
Shaping
- Pre shape: turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, gather the edges toward the center, flip seam side down, and cup your hands around the dough, rotating it into a rough round. Rest seam side down for 15 minutes.
- Final shape for a boule: flip the dough floured side down. Fold the bottom third up to the center, then the top third down and over. Fold each side into the center.
- Then roll the dough toward you into a tight cylinder. Cup the loaf and rotate it on the counter to tighten the surface. Place seam side up in a floured banneton.Pinch the final seam closed, taper the ends gently, and place seam side up in a floured banneton.
- Cover the banneton and proof. Room temperature: 2 to 4 hours. Cold retard in the refrigerator: 8 to 48 hours (preferred for flavor and easier scoring).
- For Room Temp Proof: The loaf is fully proofed when it looks puffed and about 50 percent larger, and a floured finger poked 1/2 inch deep springs back slowly, leaving a slight indent that partially fills in.
Scoring
- Lay parchment over the banneton and flip both together in one quick motion. Lift off the banneton.
- Score the loaf with a sharp lame or razor blade, cutting quickly and confidently about 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep. A single slash down the center works beautifully.
Baking
- Dutch oven method: preheat the oven to 450 degrees F with the Dutch oven inside. Carefully lower the scored loaf into the hot Dutch oven on its parchment. Cover and bake 40 to 45 minutes with the lid on, then remove the lid and bake an additional 10 minutes or so until deeply golden.
- Loaf pan method: preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Place the proofed batard in a parchment lined loaf pan and flip a second loaf pan upside down on top. Bake 8 minutes with the lid on, remove from the oven and score the bread, replace the lid, and bake another 20 minutes. Remove the lid and bake a final 15 minutes until deeply golden brown.
- Cool the loaf for 3 to 4 hours before slicing. The crumb finishes setting as it cools, and slicing early gives you a gummy interior.
Notes
How to Make Sourdough Bread Step by Step
You will find the printable recipe with exact measurements and instructions in the recipe card below. This section is where I walk you through what each stage should look and feel like, because knowing the visual cues is what separates a good loaf from a great one.
Step 1: Mix the Dough
Combine the flour, starter, and water in a large bowl and mix until a rough, shaggy dough forms with no dry pockets of flour. It will look messy and uneven. That is exactly right. Cover and rest for 1 hour.
Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl for easier cleanup later.
Step 2: Add the Salt
After the rest, it is time to work in the salt. Wet your hands, sprinkle the salt over the dough, and rub it across the surface. Then, starting at one corner, slowly turn the dough under itself while kneading gently until the salt is fully incorporated.
A few alternative techniques if you prefer:
Pinch and fold: Pinch the salt into the dough with wet fingers, then perform several letter folds.
Dimple method: Dimple the surface, sprinkle salt into the dimples, and fold the dough over itself several times.
Coil fold: Lift the dough from the center, let it coil under itself, rotate the bowl, and repeat 4 to 6 times.
Step 3: Bulk Fermentation
Perform a set of stretch and folds every hour for 3 hours, then leave the dough covered at room temperature to finish its bulk ferment.
Here is how to do a set:
- Wet your hands and grab one side of the dough, stretching it up until you feel resistance. Fold the stretched portion over to the opposite side of the bowl.
- Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat the stretch and fold motion.
- Rotate and repeat again. Complete four stretches total, turning the bowl each time until you have worked all sides.
- Flip the dough so the smooth side faces up, cover, and rest until the next set.
Signs your bulk ferment is complete:
The dough has grown by 50 to 70% (it does not need to double). The surface is smooth, domed, and no longer sticky, pulling away from the sides of the bowl easily. Give the bowl a gentle shake and the dough should jiggle like jello. Poke it gently and it should spring back slowly, leaving a slight indent. You will also notice a sweet, yeasty aroma.
Visual cues beat the clock every single time. Trust your dough, not your timer.
Step 4: Shape and Final Proof
Pre shape: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, gather the edges toward the center, flip it seam side down, and use cupped hands to rotate it into a rough round with some surface tension. Then let it rest 20 to 30 minutes. This rest relaxes the gluten so the final shape does not fight you.
Final shape: Whether you are going for a boule (round) or a batard (oval for the loaf pan method), the goal is the same: fold the dough into a tight package and roll it so the outer surface stretches taut. That surface tension is what makes the loaf rise up instead of out. The dough should feel like a firm, smooth pillow when you are done, and it goes into your floured banneton seam side up. Full shaping instructions for both shapes are in the recipe card.
Final proof: You have two options here.
Room temperature: 2 to 4 hours until properly proofed.
Cold retard in the refrigerator for 8 to 48 hours. This is my preferred method. The flavor gets noticeably better, the schedule gets flexible, and cold dough is far easier to score cleanly.
Cover your banneton with a clean plastic bag or lid to keep the surface from drying out.
Signs the final proof is complete: The dough looks puffed and about 50% larger than when you shaped it. Poke it with a floured finger about 1/2 inch deep and it should spring back slowly, leaving a slight indent that partially fills in. A gentle shake should produce a slight jiggle.
Step 5: Score and Bake
Turn out the dough: Lay parchment over the banneton and flip both together in one quick, confident motion. Hesitation is the enemy here. Commit to the flip and the dough holds its shape.
Scoring tips: Use a sharp lame or razor blade and cut quickly and confidently, since hesitant cuts drag and deflate the dough. Hold the blade at a 30 to 45 degree angle to create an ear, that gorgeous raised edge, and cut about 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep. Simple patterns work best. A single slash down the center never fails.
Baking: You can bake this loaf two ways, and exact temperatures and timings for both are in the recipe card.
My loaf pan method uses two metal loaf pans, one flipped upside down over the other, to trap steam like a mini Dutch oven.
The Dutch oven method bakes the scored loaf in a preheated Dutch oven, most of the time with the lid on.
A note on crust: the longer you bake with the lid on, the thinner your crust will be. I like a thinner crust, so I keep the lid on longer. If you prefer a thicker, heartier crust, shorten the lid on time and extend the lid off time. Both are correct. It is purely personal preference.
Allow the loaf to cool 3 to 4 hours before slicing. I know. It smells incredible and waiting feels like punishment. But the crumb is still setting as it cools, and cutting early gives you a gummy interior. Patience gets rewarded here.
Adjusting for Summer and Winter Baking
Here is something most recipes never tell you: your kitchen’s temperature changes how fast your dough ferments, and what works in January can overproof into a puddle by July. The fix is simple. Adjust your starter amount and water temperature with the seasons.
Summer (warm kitchen, above about 75°F): Use 60g starter and cool filtered water. Less starter plus cooler water slows fermentation down so your dough does not race past its peak while you are not looking. Watch the dough closely, because warm kitchens can shave hours off the bulk ferment.
Winter (cool kitchen, below about 70°F): Use 75g starter and room temperature water, exactly as written in the main recipe. If your kitchen runs truly cold, find your dough a warmer spot, like the inside of your oven with just the light on.
Same flour, same salt, same method either way. The only things that change are the starter amount and water temperature. Once you internalize this one idea, you can bake consistent sourdough every month of the year.
Substitutions
All purpose flour: You can swap all purpose flour for the bread flour in a pinch. Expect a slightly softer, less chewy crumb and a little less rise, since all purpose has less protein to build structure. The dough may also feel a touch stickier, so wet your hands generously during folds. Everything else stays the same.
I do not recommend swapping in significant amounts of whole wheat or alternative flours in this particular recipe without other adjustments, since they absorb water differently and change the hydration.
Storing and Freezing
Counter: Once fully cooled, store cut side down on a cutting board or in a bread bag for 2 to 3 days. Avoid plastic bags at room temperature, which soften that crust you worked so hard for.
Freezer: Sourdough freezes beautifully. Slice the cooled loaf, freeze the slices in a freezer bag with parchment between layers, and toast straight from frozen. Whole loaves can be wrapped tightly and frozen up to 3 months.
Refresh a stale loaf: Run the crust quickly under water and bake at 375°F for about 10 minutes. It revives like magic.
Troubleshooting
Dense, gummy crumb: Usually underproofed dough or slicing before the loaf fully cooled. Give the bulk ferment more time and check the jiggle and poke tests before shaping.
Flat loaf that spread instead of rising: Usually overproofed, especially in warm weather. Try the summer adjustment above, and shape with more surface tension.
Dough too sticky to handle: Wet your hands before every touch. Resist adding extra flour, which changes the hydration.
No oven spring: Check three things: starter strength, proofing level, and steam. A weak starter, an overproofed loaf, or a lid that is not trapping steam are the usual suspects.
Score did not open: The cut was likely too shallow or the blade too dull. Cold dough from the refrigerator scores much more cleanly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a Dutch oven?
No. My preferred setup is two metal loaf pans, one flipped on top of the other. Any oven safe pot with a lid works. You just need something to trap steam during the first part of the bake.
Can I use starter straight from the fridge?
Not for this recipe. Your starter should be fed 4 to 12 hours before mixing, bubbly, and roughly doubled. Cold, unfed starter will give you a slow, sad rise.
How do I know my starter is ready?
It should be visibly bubbly, roughly doubled since its last feeding, and smell pleasantly yeasty and slightly sour. If it passes the float test, a small spoonful floats in water, you are good to go.
Is sourdough gluten free?
No. Sourdough is made with wheat flour and contains gluten. The long fermentation breaks down some starches and may make it easier to digest for some people, but it is not safe for anyone with celiac disease or a wheat allergy.
How do I get a thinner or thicker crust?
It all comes down to lid time. Baking longer with the lid on gives you a thinner crust, while baking longer with the lid off gives you a thicker, heartier one. Adjust the ratio to your preference.
Can I do the whole process in one day?
Yes. Skip the cold retard and do the final proof at room temperature for 2 to 4 hours. You will trade away some flavor depth, but you will have bread by dinner.
Why 3 to 4 hours of cooling? Can I skip it?
The interior is still finishing its structure as it cools. Slice early and you get a gummy crumb. If you absolutely cannot wait, give it a minimum of 2 hours and accept the consequences.
How long does bulk fermentation take?
It depends entirely on your kitchen temperature, which is why I teach visual cues instead of a set time. In a warm summer kitchen it might take 4 to 6 hours total. In a cold winter kitchen it can stretch to 8 to 10 or more. Watch the dough, not the clock.
More Sourdough Recipes to Try
Once you have mastered this loaf, the fun really begins.
Cinnamon Swirl Sourdough Bread uses this exact dough with a swirl of cinnamon filling added after the cold proof.
Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Sourdough Bread for when your loaf deserves dessert status.
Transform This Dough into Pumpkin Loaf Pan Bread come fall.
Sweet and Savory Sourdough: The Ultimate Decision Maker if you can never pick just one flavor.
Mini Sourdough French Toast Bowls for putting your bake to breakfast work.
And when you are ready to level up your lamination game, my Sourdough Croissant Masterclass walks you through the technique I perfected over 30 plus test batches.
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