My go-to sourdough bread recipe made using a combination of bread flour and whole wheat flour adding so much flavor! This easy to follow, foolproof recipe is beginner friendly, but also loved by experienced bread bakers. It's perfectly soft and chewy on the inside with a crispy, golden brown crust, and only requires 35 minutes of hands-on prep time with overnight proofing.
I'm beyond excited to share my favorite everyday sourdough bread with you! While I've been making sourdough bread for awhile now, I finally feel like I've perfected my recipe and technique.
There's a lot to learn when it comes to sourdough, and that's why I packed this recipe post with tons of information to help you! If you're new to sourdough, just know that you'll get better and more comfortable with each and every loaf you bake! It's so worth the effort!
You will always find freshly baked sourdough bread and my absolute favorite sourdough tortillas in my home! They are both staples. And if you're looking to use up sourdough discard, you absolutely have to try my fluffy sourdough pancakes (which have many rave reviews), brown butter sourdough brownies, chocolate chip sourdough banana muffins, and my bricohe discard hamburger buns - just to name a few favorites!
Jump to:
- What is Sourdough Bread?
- What is a sourdough starter?
- How do I make a sourdough starter?
- What is a leaven?
- Sourdough terms
- What equipment do I need?
- How to make sourdough bread (step by step overview with photos)
- Commonly asked questions
- Sourdough tips & tricks
- Troubleshooting
- Storage
- Bakers schedule
- More recipes you'll love!
- Easy Everyday Sourdough Bread
What is Sourdough Bread?
Sourdough is bread that is naturally leavened using a sourdough starter, which is a fermented flour and water mixture that contains living wild yeast and healthy, gut-friendly lactic acid bacteria.
This fermentation process makes sourdough bread easier to digest and less likely to spike blood sugar levels because of its lower glycemic index compared to standard white bread which uses commercial yeast to leaven the bread.
What is a sourdough starter?
Sourdough starter is a combination of fermented flour and water and is used to leaven sourdough bread, as opposed to using commercial yeast.
Sourdough starter naturally develops good bacteria and wild yeast that feed on the carbohydrates in flour when hydrated with water and allowed to ferment.
Creating a sourdough starter at home usually takes about 2 weeks. The process involves mixing together water and flour everyday until the starter is active, which means it's ready to bake with.
Once your starter is active, you can continue to feed it everyday if you plan to bake bread everyday, otherwise you can store your starter in the fridge and feed it once a week when you're ready to bake - this is what I do!
How do I make a sourdough starter?
If you do a quick Google search, you'll find lots of great articles online that will walk you through how to make your own sourdough starter. Ideally, I recommend making a sourdough starter when the weather is warm because starters like a warm environment.
But, you do not have to make your own starter. If you know someone who has a starter, ask them for a cup! They will always have extra. Alternatively, you can buy fresh sourdough starter online. Here are a couple links:
What is a leaven?
Sourdough leaven is an offshoot of your sourdough starter, and is a mixture of sourdough starter, water and flour. You make the leaven the same way that you feed your starter. You will use the entire jar of leaven to make your bread.
Leaven doesn't really differ much from the starter unless you choose to do something different with it like use whole wheat flour or change up the water to flour ratio, things you typically wouldn't do with your starter. But, as stated in the recipe card below, you can use 100 grams of active starter instead. I just prefer to keep my leaven and starter separate.
Sourdough terms
- Hydration: The ratio of water to flour. Hydration is often referred to as a percentage. Typically, sourdough loaves are between 70-80% hydration. Anything under 70% is considered low hydration and above 80% is considered high hydration. This recipe is 72% hydration. Hydration is a term also used when it comes to your sourdough starter. Most people, including myself, like to keep their starter at 100% hydration, which is equal parts water to flour.
- Bulk fermentation: This is the first rise. During the first 2 hours of bulk fermentation, you will perform a series of stretch and folds to help to activate the gluten, giving the dough strength and structure. During the remainder of the bulk fermentation, the dough will sit at room temperature until nearly doubled in size.
- Proofing: Period of rest after the dough has been shaped, but before baking. Proofing improves the flavor, texture and structure of the bread. During proofing, the dough will continue to rise, which is why it's best to proof the dough in the fridge to slow this process and prevent the dough from over proofing.
- Scoring: Cutting a slash into the dough using a bread lame, culinary razor or sharp knife to allow the dough to expand during baking. Bread dough rapidly expands in the oven (also known as "oven spring"), and scoring allows you to control where the bread expands. You don't have to score the dough, but it will bust open as it bakes. The bread will still taste the same, but won't look as nice.
- Crumb: Refers to the texture of the inside of the loaf, and is often referred to as "open" or "closed" crumb. Open crumb means the bread has large, open holes through the inside of the loaf. Closed or tight crumb loaves won't have big holes, instead the inside of the loaf will more closely resemble sandwich bread. If followed correctly, this recipe will give you a nice open crumb with evenly sized holes throughout.
What equipment do I need?
There are a few kitchen tools that I feel are essential when making sourdough bread. I'll share those below along with some fun optional equipment that you can collect along the way to enhance your bread making skills!
Essential equipment
- Kitchen scale
- 5-7 quart dutch oven
- Mixing bowl
- Sturdy spoon or dough whisk
- Sharp knife, razor blade or bread lame
- parchment paper
Optional equipment
- Proofing basket, round or oval
- Bread lame
- Bench scraper/dough cutter
- Dough whisk
- Silicone bread sling
- Bread knife
How to make sourdough bread (step by step overview with photos)
Step 1: Make the leaven.
Baking sourdough bread is really a 3 day process, but don't be intimated! It doesn't require a lot of hands-on time. For example, if you want to bake your bread on Sunday, then you will mix up your leaven Friday night, mix up the dough on Saturday and bake on Sunday.
With the 1.5.5 ratio of starter, water and flour (1 part starter, 5 parts water, 5 parts flour), your leaven will need about 10-12 hours to rise before you mix up your bread dough. That said, I like to make my leaven around 8-9pm and let it sit overnight. The leaven is ready the next morning when it's doubled in size and full of bubbles.
Step 2: Mix the dough.
Mix together the water and leaven until combined and cloudy, then add in the flour and mix again. The dough will look a little dry and shaggy, but keep mixing until no dry flour remains. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes (this is called autolyse), allowing the water to hydrate the flour. Next, you will add the salt and mix it into the dough using wet hands - at this point the dough should be less sticky and more manageable.
Step 3: Stretch and folds.
Perform a series of stretch and folds every 30 minutes for 2 hours (total of 4 times) to straighten the dough. To do so, grab under the top side of dough and stretch it up then fold it over the center. Quarter turn the bowl and repeat until you've performed the stretch and fold series on all 4 sides. Repeat this process 3 more times every 30 minutes. The dough will tighten up as you go along. Alternatively, if you're familiar with coil folds, that's another option.
Step 4: Bulk ferment.
Cover the dough and let is rise at room temperature until it's nearly doubled in size. I like to shoot for about a 75% rise to prevent the dough from over fermenting. Using a measuring bowl is super helpful here!
Step 5: Pre-shape the dough.
This is optional, but helps with the structure of the loaf. Scrape the dough from the bowl onto a clean, dry counter. Use your hands to push and pull the dough into a ball. Let the dough rest uncovered for 20-30 minutes, then do the final shape.
Step 6: Shape the dough.
There are many ways to do the final shape, but here is my preferred method for an oval loaf. It is a more complex shaping process, so I hope these images help! I also shared a more beginner friendly shaping method in the recipe card.
Once the dough has rested after the pre-shape, flip the dough ball over. Grab the bottom section, then stretch and fold it up and over the bottom half of the dough. Grab the bottom left side of dough and stretch and fold over the bottom center. Repeat with the right side of the dough. Grab the top and fold over, then stitch the dough all the way down starting with the two top corners. Roll the dough up so the stitching is now inside. Lastly, pinch the ends together.
Step 7: Transfer to proofing basket & fridge ferment.
Scoop underneath the dough ball using a bench scraper or your hands, then flip the dough over into a floured oval-shaped banneton, or proofing basket, so the seam side is up.
If the seam of your dough doesn't seem to be holding together, you can let it rest for 30 minutes then do one final stitching.
Before placing the dough in the fridge for its final fermentation, you need to tightly cover the loaf. Dust the dough with flour, then cover using a bowl cover, plastic wrap secured with rubber bands, or even a tied grocery bag.
Transfer the covered loaf to the fridge to cold ferment for 12-24 hours.
Step 8: Preheat the oven & score.
Place your dutch oven with the lid on into the oven, then preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Once the oven is preheated, remove the loaf from the fridge and turn out onto parchment paper. Score the bread using a bread lame, culinary razor and very sharp knife. I typically do one long cut off to the side. If you're feeling fancy you can score a fun design.
Step 9: Bake.
Carefully transfer the loaf with the parchment paper to the hot dutch oven. Cover and place in the oven. Drop the oven temperature to 450 degrees and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the lid and bake an additional 15-20 minutes until it's a deep golden brown.
Remove from the dutch oven using the parchment paper and let cool completely for at least 1 hour before slicing. While cutting into warm bread is delicious, this will leave you with a gummy loaf.
Commonly asked questions
Yes, you can use 500 grams of all-purpose flour and omit the whole wheat flour. If you go this route, I recommend reducing the amount of water to 350 grams because all-purpose flour doesn't absorb as much liquid as whole wheat.
For this sourdough recipe using 100 grams of leaven/sourdough starter, bulk fermentation will take about 4-5 hours. During the first two hours, you will perform stretch and folds every 30 minutes. After that, you will let the dough reset until nearly doubled in size, about 2-3 hours.
This time will also vary depending on the climate of your kitchen. During the summer months when it's warmer and more humid, your dough will typically rise faster. During the colder winter months, the dough may additional rise time.
Sourdough hydration is the ratio of water to flour. This recipe calls for 360 grams of water and 500 grams of flour. You will divide 360 by 500, which comes out to 72% hydration.
Sourdough tips & tricks
- Use a kitchen scale. When making sourdough bread, using a kitchen scale is extremely important! The flour and water measurements must be precise. You will find that using a kitchen scale is actually easier (and creates less mess) than measuring with a cup. Also, do not forget to zero out the scale after adding each ingredient!!
- Bread flour. Bread flour works best for making sourdough bread. Its higher protein content gives sourdough a nice chewy texture, structure and height. You'll want to use a bread flour that's at least 12.5%. However, when feeding my starter, I use organic all-purpose flour.
- Dutch oven. Using a cast iron dutch oven with a lid is very important when baking bread. Sourdough needs steam to rise and when you bake in a dutch oven, the steam that is released from the dough gets trapped inside.
- Let cool before slicing. It's hard to resist slicing into a warm loaf of bread, but I highly recommend waiting at least 1 hour before slicing into a fresh baked sourdough! Slicing into a warm loaf will cause the bread to become dense and gummy. If you wait until the bread cools before slicing, it will be light and fluffy. Trust me, it's worth the wait!
Troubleshooting
- Not rising? Make sure you're using a good, healthy sourdough starter. Using a weak starter will prevent your bread from properly rising. If it's been more than 1 week since you last fed your starter, try feeding it twice before baking bread. Also, please keep in mind, if your kitchen is cold, the dough will take more time to rise.
- Lacking flavor? Did you forget the salt? You would be surprised how much flavor salt adds to the bread. Do not skip the salt, and if you reduce the amount of salt, don't do any less than 8 grams!
- Burnt bottom? If your sourdough loaf is burning on the bottom, place a sheet pan, pizza stone or piece of tinfoil on the rack below the dutch oven. This prevents the heat coil on the bottom of the oven from sending heat straight up to bottom of the Dutch Oven. And if you can, place the dutch oven on the middle rack.
Storage
Room temperature
Before you cut into the loaf, it can be stored on the counter at room temperature for a couple days. Once the loaf has been cut into, store in an airtight bag for up to 5 days. If storing any longer, I recommend storing in the fridge or freezer. When kept on the counter or in the fridge, make sure you monitor for mold growth since sourdough bread is free of preservatives.
While the texture of the bread is best the first few days, I recommend enjoying the bread within a week of baking. After a couple days, I think sourdough bread tastes best lightly toasted.
Freezing
You can freeze sourdough bread in an airtight bag for up to 3 months. You can freeze the loaf whole or cut into slices first.
I like to slice the loaf, then I can just grab one or two slices at a time and pop them into the toaster to thaw and toast before eating.
To thaw a whole life, pull it from the freezer and leave it in the bag at room temperature until thawed. You will see moisture inside the bag and that is good. The bread will reabsorb that moisture as it comes to room temperature.
Bakers schedule
Figuring out how to time sourdough bread is honestly the hardest part about making it. But, don't stress. I'm breaking down all the details, and sourdough is more forgiving than you may think.
Below is an example of a schedule that works well for me. Adjust the days to fit your schedule/needs, and remember that the times provided are not strict, just an example. Your times may change depending on how fast your leaven rises, how long you bulk ferment and how long you cold proof.
If time allows, for the best results, perform stretch and folds for 2 hours and cold proof overnight for 12 hours or up to 24 hours.
- Friday @ 8pm: Make your leaven. Remove your starter from the fridge, and using a separate jar, mix together a 1.5.5. ratio of starter, water and flour. This is also a great time to feed your starter. Let your leaven rise overnight until doubled in size and full of bubbles, about 10-12 hours.
- Saturday @ 8am: Mix the dough. Mix your leaven, water and flour. Let rest for 30 minutes, then mix in the salt.
- Saturday @ 8:45-10:45am: Stretch & folds. Perform a series of stretch and folds every 30 minutes for 2 hours.
- Saturday @ 10:45am: Bulk fermentation. Tightly cover the bowl and let rise on the counter until it's risen by about 75%. For this step, I like to transfer the dough from my bowl to a batter bowl with measuring lines so it's easier to keep an eye on how much the dough has risen. The length of time needed to bulk ferment can vary greatly depending on the temperature and humidity level of your kitchen, but, on average, it'll take 2-4 hours.
- Saturday @2pm: Shape the dough. Scrape the dough out onto the counter and ores-shape. Let rest for 30 minutes before doing the final shape, then transfer to a proofing basket. Please keep in mind that 2pm is a rough estimate of time. You will shape the dough once it has risen by 75% or doubled in size.
- Saturday @ 2:45pm: Cold proof. Proof the dough in the fridge overnight for 12-24 hours.
- Sunday @ 8am: Score + bake. Remove the dough from the fridge, score it, and bake!
More recipes you'll love!
Easy Everyday Sourdough Bread
Ingredients
Sourdough
- 100 grams leaven or active starter (see recipe notes)
- 360 grams water
- 400 grams bread flour
- 100 grams whole wheat flour
- 10 grams sea salt
Instructions
Leaven
- Make your leaven about 10-12 hours before you plan to make the dough, then cover and let sit at room temperature. I like to do this the night before. The leaven is ready to use when it’s doubled in size and bubbly.
Sourdough
- Mix up the dough. Add 100 grams of leaven and water to a large bowl. Mix until combined and cloudy looking. Add the bread flour and whole wheat flour. Use a dough whisk or a sturdy spoon to mix until combined and shaggy, but no dry flour remains. You may need to use your hands.
- Autolyse. Cover and let the dough rest (without salt) for 30 minutes.
- Add salt. After the 30 minute autolyse, sprinkle the salt over the dough. Using wet hands, squeeze and fold the dough to work in the salt.
- Stretch and fold. With damp hands, grab underneath one side of the dough and pull straight up to stretch the dough without breaking it, then fold over the center. Give the bowl a quarter turn then repeat again with the next side. Repeat this process until you've stretched and folded all 4 sides of the dough (think North, East, South, West). Alternatively, you can do coil folds. Cover the bowl, then repeat this stretch and fold process every 30 minutes over 2 hours, for a total of 4 times. The dough will tighten up as you go along. NOTE: If you don't have time to stretch and fold for 2 hours, just do as many series of stretches and folds as you have time for.
- Bulk ferment. After you’re done with your stretch and folds, cover the dough and let it continue to bulk ferment untouched for 2-4 hours. The dough will rise faster or slower depending on the temperature of your kitchen. You don’t have to be overly precise, but the dough is ready when it has increased by 75% in volume (so not quite doubled), has bubbles around the sides and a few bubbles on the surface.
- Pre-shape. Scrape the dough out on the counter and use your hands to push and pull the dough to create tension on the surface and work the dough into a ball with a smooth top. Let rest for 30 minutes.
- Shape. There are many ways to shape dough, but here is a beginner friendly version. Stretch and fold the left side of the dough over the center, then repeat with the right side. Grab the bottom of the dough and fold over, then roll the dough down to the end with the seam inside. Using your hands, push and pull the dough until the top is smooth, creating tension on the surface and helping the dough hold its shape.
- Transfer to banneton basket. Dust the basket and the top of the loaf with flour (I like to use rice flour because it doesn’t burn like all-purpose or bread flour). Using a bench scraper to help, place the dough seam side up into a floured proofing basket. Dust the seam side with flour to prevent sticking then cover tightly with a bowl cover, plastic wrap or seal in a bag.
- Fridge ferment. Transfer to the fridge and let slowly ferment overnight for 12-24 hours.
- Preheat the oven. Place a dutch oven with the lid on into the oven. Preheat your oven to 500 degrees.
- Score. Once the oven is preheated, take the dough from the fridge and remove the plastic wrap or covering. Place a piece of parchment paper over the dough in the proofing basket. With one hand on the parchment, flip the dough out onto the parchment paper and set on the counter. Using a bread lame, culinary razor or sharp knife, score the dough as you wish. You can make one long cut or a cross.
- Bake. Grab the edges of the parchment paper and transfer the dough to the hot dutch oven. Cover and place in the oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 450 degrees. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove the lid and bake an additional 15-20 minutes until the loaf is a deep golden brown color.
- Let cool. Once the loaf has finished baking, remove from the dutch oven and let cool on a wire rack for at least 1 hour before cutting. I know it’s tempting, but cutting the bread while it's still hot will result in a gummy loaf.
Notes
Leaven:
- 10 grams starter
- 50 grams water
- 50 grams bread flour (or all-purpose)
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated by a third party software and is only an estimate, not a guarantee. This information is provided as a courtesy, and you are solely responsible for all decisions related to your health.
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