My simple Sourdough Bread recipe is perfect for enjoying on its own or using for sandwiches! I’ll be walking you in detail through every step so you can learn how to make perfect sourdough like a pro. Recipe includes a how-to video!
The Best Sourdough Bread Recipe
This homemade sourdough bread is the only bread we eat in my household anymore. In fact, I make 2-3 loaves a week and keep a stockpile in my freezer at all times! And once you try it… well, I think you will, too.
That’s because there’s a lot to love about sourdough bread. First and foremost, it has a high nutritional value and none of the additives (no added sugar, either) you’ll find in most store-bought breads. It also tastes amazing: classic, hearty bread (that’s not overly sour) with a thick, crusty exterior and a soft, springy interior.
But what I think you’ll love most about my recipe is how wonderfully versatile it is. It’s ideal both for dipping in soup, serving as a side with a salad, or using as a sandwich; it also makes an awesome grilled cheese that pairs beautifully with my tomato soup!
Homemade Bread is Easier Than You Think!
Making sourdough bread at home is shockingly easy, especially if you use the sourdough starter I shared last week. It is time consuming and you must have patience, but the work itself is very approachable.
There’s no kneading involved; instead, we’ll use an easy process known as stretching and folding, which develops the gluten much like kneading would, but is better suited for higher hydration dough like sourdough. There’s also no mixer or fancy equipment needed with my recipe — you don’t even need a banneton or a Dutch oven, just a pair of bread pans!
I’m so excited to share this one with you (and I’ve been teasing it long enough on Instagram, haven’t I?!), so let’s get started.
What You Need
My sourdough bread recipe has perfect flavor, especially considering there are so few ingredients. You will need:
- Sourdough starter. This can be homemade or store-bought. Obviously, I recommend making your own by using my sourdough starter recipe (this does take over a week to prepare, but it’s worth it!).
- Bread flour. I really recommend bread flour over all purpose for this recipe. Bread flour has a higher protein content and produces a better-crumbed sourdough bread, in my opinion.
- Olive oil. A bit of olive oil helps make the bread perfectly chewy and soft. I also find it keeps my sourdough softer longer.
- Salt. Salt is critical for flavor (unsurprisingly) but it also plays some other important roles in sourdough bread. It helps balance the acidity from our starter, strengthens the gluten in the dough (important for shape and texture), and it even helps extend the shelf life of the bread by acting as a natural preservative.
- Water. The water called for in my recipe will yield a sourdough loaf that is about 70% hydration. I love this hydration level; it produces a crumb that’s neither too dense nor too open, that’s not too sour but is still flavorful, and that is easy to shape and extremely versatile — we use it for everything from dipping in pot pie soup to eating sandwiches. Once you’re comfortable baking a bread at this hydration level, you can experiment with increasing the water if you’d like. More water usually yields a bread with a more open crumb, a more tangy flavor, and a crumb that’s less suitable for sandwiches but good for dipping.
I wrote this sourdough bread recipe with weights because I find it’s the easiest way to make it (just like with my macaron recipe); however, I have included cup measurements as well.
SAM’S TIP: While some people like to bake their sourdough bread in a dutch oven, I like to use a pair of bread pans. It doesn’t look as rustic this way, but it’s much more practical for my family to have a loaf of bread rather than a round of it. If you’re team Dutch oven, don’t worry–I provide instructions for how to make sourdough bread in a Dutch oven below.
Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Sourdough Bread
Make the Dough
- Combine sourdough starter, water, and oil in a large bowl. Make sure your starter is active and bubbly before adding it.
- Add the bread flour and salt.
- Stir until mostly combined (your dough will still look shaggy). Do not over-mix!
- Cover and let sit at room temperature for one hour.
Stretching & Folding
- Form your dough into a ball using your hands, the run your hands under cool water.
- Stretch the top of the dough up and over the bottom, then turn the dough 90 degrees and repeat. I demonstrate this in the video below if you need a better visual.
- Repeat the stretch and fold process a total of four times, then cover and place in a warm place to rise for 30 minutes.
- Let your dough rise until increased in size by 80%, repeating the stretch and fold process every 30 minutes.
Assembling
- Deflate and form your dough into a rectangular shape on a lightly floured surface.
- Lift the right side of the dough, fold it over to the center, then repeat with the left side (like folding a paper in thirds).
- Roll into a tight log starting with the short end of the rectangle, then tuck the ends under.
- Place in a greased bread pan, cover loosely, and place in the fridge to rest overnight.
SAM’S TIP: I recommend proofing your dough in the refrigerator overnight rather than baking right away (I also provide instructions for baking right away, though). Proofing overnight will help develop the flavor, help the bread rise better, and encourage more fermentation. That being said, I don’t like to let my dough sit in the fridge for longer than 48 hours (absolute max) before baking. Letting it sit too long can cause over-proofing and can compromise the final texture of your sourdough bread. I also don’t freeze my dough before baking, so I can’t advise on that.
Baking
- Let the dough rest at room temperature while your oven preheats.
- Score the bread about ¼″ deep down the center.
- Cover with another bread pan or an aluminum foil tent.
- Bake at 450F for 30 minutes, then remove the cover and bake for 20-23 minutes or until the bread reaches 206-208F.
- Let the bread cool in its pan for 15 minutes.
- Remove the bread from the pan (carefully, it’s still hot!) and place on a cooling rack. Let the bread cool completely before slicing.
SAM’S TIP: Don’t cut into the bread while it’s still warm (I know, so hard, so tempting!). Doing this can make your loaf gummy and dense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sourdough is definitely one of the more nutritious types of bread. It’s a prebiotic-rich food made by fermenting dough with wild yeast and bacteria (sounds gross but in reality is delicious) and is more digestible than your standard white bread. It also has a lower glycemic index and less gluten than normal bread.
While a traditional sourdough bread recipe is obviously not gluten free, sourdough bread is sometimes tolerated by people who are gluten sensitive (but not people with Celiac Disease). This is because some of the gluten is consumed during the fermentation process, which makes the bread more easily digestible.
Follow my recipe through the rolling and tucking step, then place in a lightly floured banneton (I use my Kitchenaid mixer bowl lined with a lightly floured kitchen towel, because I don’t actually have a banneton). Cover and let rise overnight in the fridge.
The next day, carefully turn out your dough onto a large piece of parchment paper and carefully lower this into a 4.5qt Dutch oven (a larger one would work, but your bread will be flatter and will likely cook faster). Allow the dough to sit uncovered while the oven preheats, then score, cover with a lid, and follow recipe instructions for baking.
I know that there are many sourdough bread recipes out there and so many different ways to make it, but this is my personal favorite version that I’ve carefully developed over the past year. I can’t wait to hear how you like it, I hope you’ll always want to keep a loaf in your house, too! ❤️
Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
Sourdough Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup (150 g) active starter bubbly, active, fed
- 1 ⅓ cups (315 g) warm 90F water
- 1 ½ (18 g) Tablesoons olive oil
- 3 ⅔ cups (450 g) bread flour
- 2 teaspoons (13 g) table salt
- Oil for greasing pan
- Additional flour for dusting work-surface
Recommended Equipment
- Bread lame (optional, or use sharp knife)
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine sourdough starter, water, and olive oil. Stir until combined.⅔ cup (150 g) active starter, 1 ⅓ cups (315 g) warm, 1 ½ (18 g) Tablesoons olive oil
- Add bread flour and sprinkle salt overtop. Use your (clean) hands or a wooden spoon to stir together until dough is mostly combined. It will still be a bit shaggy and should not be cohesive (don’t over-mix) but no dry patches of flour should remain.3 ⅔ cups (450 g) bread flour, 2 teaspoons (13 g) table salt
- Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit undisturbed for one hour (this is the “autolyse” period).
Stretch & Fold
- Form dough into a ball with your hands.
- Run your hands under cool water (prevents sticking!) and grasp the top of the dough and stretch it over the bottom. Turn the dough 90 degrees and repeat. Turn 90 degrees and repeat again, then once more (four total stretch & folds).
- Allow dough to rest, covered, in a warm place for 30 minutes.
- Repeat step 2 above every 30 minutes as dough rises.
- Allow dough to rise (stretching and folding every 30 minutes as indicated) until dough has increased in size about 80% (how long this takes depends on the temperature of your kitchen, typically mine is ready within 4-6 hours).
Forming the Dough
- Lightly grease a 9×5 loaf pan (with olive oil or butter) .Oil for greasing pan
- When dough has risen sufficiently, turn it out onto a clean, lightly floured surface.Additional flour for dusting work-surface
- Use your hands to gently deflate the dough and pat it into a rectangular shape. Lift the right side of the dough and fold it into the center (almost as if you were closing a book). Then, lift the left side of the dough and fold it over the first fold (use a bench scraper if the dough is sticking to your counter).
- Starting with a skinny end, tightly roll the dough, as if you were rolling up a cinnamon roll. Tuck the ends under and carefully transfer to prepared bread pan. Don’t worry if the bread doesn’t fill the pan right now.
- Cover pan tightly with plastic wrap and transfer to the refrigerator to rest overnight/for 12-24 hours.
Baking
- Remove sourdough from the refrigerator and preheat oven to 450F. Let oven preheat and dough rest (covered or uncovered) for at least 30-35 minutes before proceeding.
- Once oven has preheated, uncover bread, make a clean slice (about ¼” deep) down the center with a sharp knife or bread lame (to score it) then cover with another 9×5 pan (if you don’t have a second pan, you may instead make a makeshift oven using aluminum foil; tent it as high as the bread pan is deep).
- Transfer to center rack of preheated oven. Bake, covered, for 30 minutes then remove the lid and continue to bake another 20-23 minutes/until golden brown and the center of bread reaches 206-208F (97C).
- Allow bread to cool in pan for 15 minutes before gently turning it out onto a cooling rack (careful, the pan will still be hot!) to cool for at least 1-2 hours (until it no longer feels warm) before cutting into it.
Notes
To bake the same day:
Follow recipe through step 4 under the “Forming the Dough” section. Immediately after transferring dough to pan, preheat oven to 450F (230C). Allow dough to rest uncovered while oven preheats, at least 30 minutes. Once oven is preheated, follow directions in recipe starting with step 2 under the “Baking” section. Note that bread will not be as flavorful or nutritious & texture will not be as great if it is not allowed to sit in the fridge overnight.Storing & Freezing
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. You may also freeze this bread. Freeze the whole loaf by wrapping tightly in plastic wrap and then wrapping in foil. When ready to thaw, keep covered completely and defrost at room temperature before unwrapping. We prefer to freeze pre-sliced: Cut bread into slices and storing in a plastic Ziploc bag (remove as much air as you can before freezing). If you struggle with freezer burn or plan to freeze the bread longer than a few weeks, you can individually wrap each slice in plastic wrap before closing in the plastic bag.Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Barbra
Hey Sam, I know the recipe says to use a 4.5 qt Dutch oven if you wanted to go that route. How much of a pickle would I be in if I used a 4 qt Dutch oven instead? I have 6 loaves waiting to be baked in the loaf pans this evening but I wanted to finally take a stab at the Dutch oven approach so I have one waiting in a banneton also.
Sam
I think I would try it! It’ll probably need to bake a bit longer since it’s a smaller pot and it’ll be a taller loaf but I think I’d do it!
Barbra
Awesome! Thank you so much for the quick reply and I’ll let you know how it goes! Ahhh, so much yay!!
Lynne Cover
Hi there! My question concerns that amount of time you do the stretch and fold ever 30 minutes. You wrote that it takes 4-6 hours before it is risen appropriately. That would mean you have to do 10 stretch and folds (5 hours) every 39 minutes. Am I understanding that correctly. Most recipes call for only 3-4 stretch and folds. Can’t wait to make it but want to make sure I don’t ruin it!
Sam
Hi Lynne! It really depends on your kitchen. I typically do the stretch and fold process around 7-10 times. I do stretch and fold it every half hour. You really need to make sure it has enough time to double in size and that you are stretching and folding it every half an hour. I hope that helps. 🙂
Cassidy
I am obsessed with the fact that you put the measurements in the instructions as well! No more scrolling up and down to check measurements. Going to try this recipe tomorrow!
Sam
I hope you love it, Cassidy! 🙂
Kim
How could I make this gluten free? And could your starter recipe also be done gluten free?
Sam
Hi Kim! Unfortunately, I am not sure how it would work. 🙁
Cheryl
I was so excited to find your recipe! I don’t have, nor want, a Dutch oven, so I loved your loaf pan idea! This was my first attempt at sourdough bread, and after the messy starter experience, I thought it would be my first and last attempt, but it turned out so amazing, I will definitely be making it again!!
Thank you so much for your instructions, I used the volume not weight measurements, perfect!!!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Cheryl! The starter can get a bit messy, but you’ll get better with it in time. It’s so worth it for this incredible bread. 🙂
Maya
Great recipe!
Can I use a combination of whole wheat and all purpose flour (25% and 75%)? Would it make a difference in an overall ratio of starter-water-flour?
Thank you!
Sam
Thanks Maya! I think that would be fine, you may need to use just a bit more water.
Kari
Hi Sam! This was my first try with sourdough and it turned out great! I’ve used a ton of your recipes that are now on regular rotation for my family and I don’t think I’ve had one fail yet so thank you!
With the time it takes to make this bread, I was wondering about doubling the recipe next time and dividing it into two loaves to bake. Not sure which step to divide it in though…do I divide when I’m rolling and forming it into loaves or earlier on in the process? Or would it be better to just do two loaves simultaneously? Thank you!
Sam
Hi Kari! I’m so glad you enjoy it so much! I actually do this all the time. I just do two separate batches at the same time. I measure out the starter in 2 separate containers and just continue that way. It’s just easier for me. You could split the dough at the point of folding the dough if you’d like. 🙂
Miriam Rose Blanar
I know I’ve commented before, but no matter how many other sourdough recipes I try, I keep coming back to this one because it’s the best! I don’t know why I try others. I’m sticking with this one.
Sam
That is so great to hear, Miriam! I am so glad you are enjoying it so much! It’s on regular rotation at my house as well. 🙂
Brendalechner
I got nervous after I had been stretching and rotating every 30 minutes for the duration of five hours before I put it into the refrigerator for overnight. I was afraid that I had been stretching and rotating way longer than I should have but everything turned out really well in the end end it looks beautiful.
Sam
I’m so glad it turned out! 🙂
Hope
Smells ah-maxing!! Haven’t cut into it yet, literally just took it out of the oven but everything has gone exactly as described so far. I’ve made tons of other bread but sourdough is a new one. We love it but every starter has been disappointing and I found a new one to try. Such an easy recipe! Only change I made was the bake time, not sure if I let it warm up out of the fridge too long or what, but instead of an additional 20-23 minutes after I took the pan off, it was at the right look, sound (when you tap on it, the way I’ve always checked bread) and temp (first time I’ve ever taken temp on bread) after 15 minutes.
Sam
I hope you loved the finished product, Hope! It sounds like everything went well so I know you will. 😉
Court
SO easy to follow & my first ever loaf of bread came out really good ..even though I didn’t get to knead as many times as recommended. Trying again (with better thought to timing) this weekend!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Court! 🙂
Amy Cramblit
This bread is by far the most requested in my circle. It’s absolutely ridiculously delicious!!!!
I do have a question though. What’s the benefit of putting it in the fridge for 12-24 hours? I’ve done it but tonight I’ll be doing my first day of baking to compare.
Sam
Hi Amy! Letting the dough rest does a couple of different things and I definitely recommend doing it. I actually cover this in the post. 🙂
Christopher Donahue
Beautifully demonstrated and explained. !st time for me. Sam was wonderful as well! Thanks!!!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Christopher! 🙂
Pat
I need your advice. I make 2 loaves weekly. I measure using grams. Twice the bread dough has been very wet and only rises to below top of the pan. I am careful to weigh every ingredient and follow the rest of your instructions. I do place the dough in the oven with the light on during the rising time. I have a friend that this has happen to as well. The bread once baked is dense but delicious.
Sam
Hi Pat! There are a few things I’d check:
1) Is your starter sufficiently active and bubbly? If it’s underfed or not strong enough or not at its peak, this could yield a subpar loaf that’s not rising as much as it should.
2) Is your oven getting too warm inside? Could the dough actually be over-proofing?
However, if the dough is very wet and seems wetter than it appears in my video, I’d simply add more flour. Bread dough is a little different from many other recipes in that its better to judge by the texture of the dough than going strictly by measurements. If I were you and the dough was seeming just too wet when preparing it for autolyse, I’d just add more flour until it seems right (again, the video provides a nice visual cue for this, if that helps). Please let me know if that helps, I’m always happy to help troubleshoot further!
James
What is the difference between active starter and discard? If I feed my starter in the morning and then use what I would have discarded for this recipe am I good to go?
Sam
Hi James! The discard is just the portion that you would normally throw out. For this bread you need to use the active starter which is when the starter has doubled in size. 🙂
Lauren
Hi Sam, after the stretch and fold period (11 hours-ish) my dough was very wet and sticky so I could not really work it into a loaf. I didn’t want to waste it so I still followed through with getting it into the loaf pan and leaving it overnight in the fridge for 12 hours.
For the stretch and fold period- is it possible I overdid it? Would overproofing cause it to be wet and sticky? And if so what’s the rule of thumb to know when to end this period?
Lauren
Sam
Hi Lauren! The dough is going to be a little sticky, but it shouldn’t be so sticky that it’s not manageable. It may have been over-proofed. 🙁 I hope you still enjoyed it. It should be increased in size by about 80%. This normally takes about 4-6 hours. 🙂