Sourdough Bread Recipe for Beginners

Look no further for a simple sourdough bread recipe for beginners.

Now that you have an active sourdough starter it’s time to make sourdough bread! Sourdough bread is a naturally leavened bread and once you make your first few loaves, your days of buying store-bought bread will be behind you.

While it’s a fairly simple process, there are multiple steps when making sourdough bread that makes it an all-day event. However, you are still able to go about your day and come back to check on the dough as needed.

Baking sourdough is a therapeutic process. Sourdough baking is more of a technique, it will be something that you will refine with each loaf. The amount of learning that happens with each loaf, regardless of whether it’s your first, 50th, or 100^th time baking is immense. Keep in mind, that your loaf of bread will look different from anyone else based on so many factors such as your starter, temperature, and flour. Don’t let this hold you back from making it again, just try to enjoy the process.

Do I have to use my hands?

It’s important to use your hand while making sourdough bread. Yes, you can use a stand mixer, but it’s good to get used to how the dough feels with your hands at each stage. After a few loaves, you will be able to gauge where the dough is just by feeling it.

Which flour should I use?

You can use all-purpose flour to bake sourdough. Most recipes will call for unbleached white bread flour, solely because this has a higher protein percentage. Bread flour will yield a lighter and airy bread. You will still get great results with all-purpose flour; however, it may be a bit gummier on the inside.

Incorporating 100g of whole wheat flour will add to the flavor of the bread and give it more of that traditional sour taste.

Equipment:

• Dutch Oven
• Bread Baskets
• Razorblade
• Food scale
• Bowl scraper
• Parchment paper

Ingredients (Yields Two Loaves):

• 900g unbleached all-purpose flour
• 100g whole wheat flour
• 750g water, filtered and room temperature
• 200g active starter
• 20g fine sea salt
• All-purpose flour, for dusting
• White rice flour, for bread baskets

Instructions

Day One

Prepare Sourdough Starter

The first step is to feed your starter.

If you have been keeping your starter in the fridge, you will need to remove the night before baking and feed it. You do this step to ensure that your starter has enough time to grow and become very active

Wait for your starter to become active. The time for this varies depending on multiple factors (e.g., the temperature of your home, age of the starter, etc.) Ours usually becomes active after 3-6 hours.

Optional pre-ferment: this is a great best practice that will speed up the bread-making process. The night before in a large bowl, add 30-50g of sourdough starter and 100g of flour, and 100g of water. Leave on the counter overnight. This will allow you to prepare your dough first thing in the AM.

Autolyse – Make The Dough

Autolyse is the process of mixing flour and water and allowing it to sit. This will help develop the gluten bonds, which results in less kneading and a dough that is easier to shape.

In a large bowl mix:

• 900g of unbleached white bread flour
• 100g whole wheat flour
• 750g of water – 75% hydration

Why hydration is important?

Hydration level is a calculation of how much water the dough contains in relation to the flour. Sourdough bread hydration levels range from 55% to 100%. With higher hydration, the bread will have a thin and crisp crust and an open crumb texture.

Using a bowl scraper (or wooden spoon), combine the flour and water together. The goal is to get the flour hydrated, but it is not necessary to overwork the dough.

Allow this to sit covered for roughly an hour. Cover with a damp towel or lid.

Incorporate the Sourdough Starter

At this point, your starter should be at peak activity and ready to be incorporated. It should have doubled in size and been very bubbly.

Add 200g of starter to the dough mixture.

Incorporate by using a pinching method and pinch together until well combined. Cover and let it rest for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, add 20g of salt to your dough mixture (2% of salt), add a bit of water on top of the salt so it is easier to work into the dough. Continue the same pinching method.

Cover and allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes. From now on we will be working in 30-minute intervals to work the dough. All of these steps will be done in the same bowl.

Mix the Dough – Bulk Fermentation

The next stage is creating the bulk dough structure.

Because the dough is a slightly higher hydration, it will be sticky. Slightly wet your hands before this next step. Uncover your dough and begin to fold the ends of the bread toward the center. You will lift up one side of the dough and fold it back down onto itself.

Turn the bowl roughly 90 degrees and repeat this folding process 4-5 times, or until your mixture begins to form into a dough ball.  

Cover and allow the dough mixture to rest for another 30 minutes.

We always place the covered dough mixture in the oven with the light on. This is a warm enough temperature for the dough to rest. **DO NOT TURN ON YOUR OVEN**

You will visit your dough mixture three more times, every 30 minutes. It’s easiest to set a timer so you don’t forget.

The next time you go to fold the dough, you may begin to see some bubbles. Repeat the same folding process, this will build up more strength in the dough.

For the remaining folds, you will need to be a bit gentler and ensure that you don’t overwork the dough. This will cause the dough to deflate.

Bulk Rise

Now the dough will need to rise.

Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel and allow it to rest in a warm place for 2.5-4 hours. We place ours in the oven with the light on.

This range is dependent on the temperature of your home. It may take longer than 4 hours if your home is at a colder temperature, that is why we recommend keeping it in the oven with the light on.

Don’t watch the clock, watch your dough. It is better to slightly underproof than overproof your dough. You can take a small piece of the dough and place it in a small container and track how far it has grown.

Signs your dough is ready for shaping:

• The dough is slightly domed
• The dough will start to come off the sides of the bowl
• Bubbles will begin to appear on the outer edge of the dough and some in the center
• The dough has doubled in size, you are looking for 50% to 75% growth.

Pre-Shape the Bread Loaves

At this point, your dough has doubled in size and the bread is aerated. This is how you know that we are done with bulk fermentation and ready to shape the dough and place it into two baskets.

I do this next step directly on the counter. I slowly pour the dough onto the counter, attempting to not pop any of the air bubbles. Using your bench scraper, divide the dough into two loaves.

During this step, we will pre-shape the dough and create the dough ball structure.

Using your bowl scraper to help lift the dough, flip it over. Next, take the bowl scraper and begin to create a round shape. Take your bowl scraper and slide it underneath the dough and rotate against the surface pushing it towards you. Continue this process until your dough is smooth and round, this will help create tension in the dough to help the dough rise. Avoid using additional flour during this process.

Repeat this process for the other side of the dough.

Once both are pre-shaped, cover with a damp towel and allow to rest for 25-30 minutes.

Final Dough Shaping

While your dough is resting. Prepare your proofing baskets. You can do this step in a regular bowl, lined with a clean kitchen towel. The proofing baskets are recommended because they will help your dough maintain a consistent shape.

With the proofing basket cover remaining on top, dust the inside with white rice flour or (generously) with enough flour to ensure your dough does not stick. White rice flour is preferred, as it is best for nonstick.

After your dough has rested, it’s ready to shape. You will see that it has flatted out a bit, so we will want to put some air back into it.

Using your bowl scraper, flip one of the loaves over. Tug the dough outward and spread gently it into a rectangle. Cross each side of the dough inward. From the end closest to you, roll the dough upward.

Sliding the bowl scraper underneath the dough, and move the dough ball toward you. Repeat this until the dough is shaped into a round ball. It is important not to overwork the dough at this stage.

Take your bowl scraper and gently lift your dough and flip over with the seam side facing up into the proofing basket. If using a bread basket, place the dough on top of the liner and not directly in the basket.

Cover with a kitchen towel, shower cap, or in a zip lock bag.

Repeat the same steps for the other loaf.

Proofing the Dough

With the loaves covered, place them in the fridge overnight, should proof for a minimum of 8-12 hours. This will allow you to have an even more flavorful bread. You can proof the bread for 24-48 hours.

Same-day baking: If you prefer to bake the same day, allow the bread to proof in the fridge for 2-3 hours.

Day Two

Bake Sourdough Bread

Place your Dutch oven inside and preheat the oven to 500°F.  

Take your proofed dough directly out of the fridge and flip it upside down onto a piece of parchment paper. It should slowly fall out of the proofing baskets.

Moving quickly and using a swift motion, score your dough using a razor blade. Score at least 1/2 to 1 inch deep and on a 30 to 40-degree angle. You can score down the center or off-centered. Transfer this to your Dutch oven, cover, and place in the oven to bake for 20 minutes.

Place a deep baking dish filled with warm water inside the oven, this will block the direct heat from the bottom and keep the oven steamy. This will also leave the bottom of your bread softer.

After 20 minutes, uncover your Dutch oven and reduce the temperature to 460°F and bake for another 20 minutes. You can bake this for longer if you want it to have a crispier crust.

Allow your bread to cool on a wire rack for at least an hour before slicing. If you slice early, you risk your bread deflating and it may be a gummy texture.

After your bread is completely cool, slice and enjoy.

Make sure to take a moment to admire all the hard work you put into making these sourdough bread loaves!

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