What is sourdough bread?

Sourdough bread uses wild yeast as its rising agent, instead of the “traditional” commercial yeast. The wild yeast is created naturally from fermenting flour and water. Sourdough products are known to be easier digested than traditional yeast products. This is because of during the fermentation process, gluten and phytic acid are broken down. This means that people who may be sensitive to gluten may be able to tolerate sourdough bread without any side effects that they may experience with yeast breads. During the fermentation process, the breakdown of phytic acid allows the nutrients in the wheat from the flour to become more bio-available as well, meaning you are getting the most health benefits from fermented bread. Along with the health benefits, sourdough is much more flavorful than commercially made yeast breads. 

This recipe will teach you how to make your first (or 100th) loaf of traditional sourdough with an easy, foolproof method. You will be making bakery quality bread right in your home oven in no time. 

When I started making sourdough bread, my family fell in love. Sourdough has a great tangy flavor and a nice crispy outer layer with a soft and chewy inner layer. The flavor and texture is unmatched. Once you switch to sourdough, you will never go back to yeast breads.

Why you’ll love this recipe

Bold Flavor- As stated above, the flavor of sourdough is unmatched to any commercially processed yeast breads.

Easily Digested- The fermentation process of sourdough makes digestion a breeze, even for those that may have a gluten sensitivity. And you get the most bang for your buck with the nutrient absorption because the phytic acid is broken down. 

Fun and Delicious- Baking sourdough is SO. MUCH. FUN. You can get creative with the shapes and designs of your sourdough and you can make it as intricate or as simple as you’d like.

Tools you will need to make this recipe:

Large mixing bowl- my favorite glass Pyrex mixing bowls

Kitchen Scale- you can find an inexpensive one at Walmart or on Amazon

Dutch oven or other casserole dish with a lid that can withstand a 500 degree oven- you can find an inexpensive one at Walmart or on Amazon

Banneton basket or a high sided bowl lined with a tea towel

Bread lame or super sharp knife- usually you can find these at your local grocery store or on Amazon

Ingredients

All purpose flour OR bread flour- all purpose flour will give you a softer bread altogether because the protein content is not as high. Bread flour will give you a crispier bread because the protein content is higher.

Water- this should be non-chlorinated water. I use well water right from my tap and it works well. However, if you live where there is city water, I recommend using filtered water.

Salt- I use non-iodized salt for all of my baking. Usually pink Himalayan salt from Costco.

Sourdough Starter- Your starter should be active and bubbly and pass the float test. You will want to feed your starter 6-12 hours prior to making this recipe, depending on the maturity of your starter and the temperature of your home. 

How to make traditional sourdough bread

I like to start my process in the morning and finish the next day, making it an overnight recipe.

Feed your starter

Make sure you feed your starter 6-12 hours prior to making this recipe. Your starter should almost have doubled in size and should pass the float test. Take a small amount of water and drop a small spoonful of your starter on top. It should float, signaling that it is ready to use.

Mix your ingredients

The best way I’ve found to do this, by hand, is to measure out your luke warm water first. Add your starter and stir until it becomes a milky consistency. Once you have that cloudy water, add in your salt and mix. Lastly, add in your flour. I like to use a dough whisk so it keeps my hands from getting sticky because you DO NOT want to wash flour and water mixture down your drains. Once your bread is combined, let it rest for 30 minutes. 

Stretch and Fold

This is essentially helping build the gluten for a good rise and oven spring once you bake. (Think pretty bread) There’s many different ways to perform stretch and folds. My favorite way to stretch and fold a single loaf is to grab one side and pull it up and fold it back into itself. You will quarter turn your bowl 2-3 more times repeating the stretch and fold. Cover with a towel and let rest for another 30 minutes. Repeat this step 1-2 more times for 2-3 total stretch and folds over the course of 1-1 1/2 hours. 

Bulk Ferment

You will want to cover with a damp tea towel or plastic wrap to keep your dough from drying out. This is the part of the process that takes the longest. But just how long it takes will depend on many factors, including the temperature in your house, humidity, and the maturity of your starter. Ideally, you want your dough to almost double in size. You can monitor this by marking the outside of your bowl with a dry erase marker. You don’t want to let it go much past doubling in size because this could cause overproofing and your dough may just be a wet, sloppy mess. 

Shape

Move your dough to a floured work surface. Shape your dough into a ball by spinning it and pushing and pulling it back and forth to create tension. Once it’s got a good shape to it, place it bottom side up in your banneton basket or bowl lined with a tea towel. 

Cold Ferment

Place your dough into the refrigerator for minimum of 1 hour, or up to 3 days. The longer you cold ferment for, the more sour taste you will get. I like to leave my dough in the refrigerator for at least 1 day, as it makes it easier to score before baking. 

Bake

Preheat your Dutch oven or oven safe casserole dish with a lid in the oven and preheat to 500 degrees for at least 45 minutes. This is important to create steam for your bread. Preheating will give you a better final result. Once the time is up and your Dutch oven is preheated, remove your dough from the refrigerator. Flip your bread out of your banneton or bowl onto a piece of parchment paper. Score your bread with a bread lame or a sharp knife. You want to score it about 3/4” deep to ensure it can rise in the oven while baking. Bake your bread with the lid on at 500 degrees for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes, lower the temperature to 475 degrees, remove the lid, and continue baking for another 10-15 minutes or until you’ve reached your desired golden color.