How to Make Sourdough Bread
Here’s How to Make Sourdough Bread at Home for a gut friendly bread that contains prebiotics, has a lower glycemic index, and no preservatives compared to traditional bread!
Ingredients you’ll need to make Sourdough Bread:
- all purpose or bread flour
- lukewarm water
- active sourdough starter
- fine baking salt
Why is sourdough healthier than traditional breads?
- Easier Digestion: The fermentation process breaks down gluten and phytic acid, making sourdough bread easier to digest.
- Improved Nutrient Absorption: Fermentation aids in the breakdown of phytic acid, which can hinder mineral absorption, making nutrients like calcium, phosphorus, and iron more easily available to the body.
- Lower Glycemic Index: Sourdough bread has a lower glycemic index than regular yeast bread, meaning it may cause a slower and more gradual rise in blood sugar levels.
- Gut Health: Sourdough contains prebiotics, which are beneficial for gut health by acting as food for probiotics, and it supports the growth of healthy bacteria in the gut.
- Antioxidants: The fermentation process can increase the levels of antioxidants in sourdough bread, which help protect cells from damage.
My typical timeline for making sourdough bread:
- 7A – 8A: Feed Sourdough Starter
- 1P – 2P: Make Sourdough Bread
- 9P – 10P: Put Sourdough Bread in the Fridge
- (The Next Morning) 8A – 9A: Bake Bread
Don’t have sourdough starter? Check out my step-by-step guide on how to make it from scratch here!
Bake with me!
How to Make Sourdough Bread
Servings: 1 loaf
Ingredients
- 450 grams All Purpose Flour or bread flour
- 330 grams Lukewarm Water
- 100 grams Active Sourdough Starter
- 10 grams Fine Baking Salt
Instructions
The First Day:
- In the morning (about 7-8am), feed your sourdough starter.
- Once the sourdough starter is bubbly and active, around 1-2pm, begin making the sourdough bread by combining the sourdough starter, lukewarm water, and salt in a large bowl. Mix just to break up the sourdough starter.
- Add the flour and mix with your hands until all the flour has been absorped, and you have a sticky dough.
- Cover with Saran Wrap or a damp kitchen towel for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, complete your first “Lift & Fold” process. To do this, imagine the bowl divided into 4 corner. Lifting from the bottom of each corner, gently stretch as high up as possible without tearing the down and fold into the center. Rotate the bowl and repeat with the next corner.
- Cover and rest 30 minutes.
- Repeat the “lift & fold” process followed by another 30 minutes of resting for a total of 4 times, so for 2 hours total.
- Afterwards, cover it to bulk ferment until you put it away in the fridge.
- (Review video for visual instruction.) Around 9-10pm, you’ll want to gently transfer the dough to a clean surface. Working form underneath the dough, gently stretch out the dough to a large rectangle without breaking it.
- Fold the dough like an envelope into thirds, then roll up into a ball. Tighten the dough by scooping it from the bottom towards you.
- Place seam-side up in a floured bread basket.
- Store in the fridge overnight.
The Next Morning:
- Preheat the oven at 475F – 500F for 30 minutes. Place the bottom of your dutch oven in the oven as it preheats.
- On a large piece of parchment paper, add the bread seam-side down.
- Using a bread scorer, create a singular deep slit in the upper side of the bread.
- Carefully remove the dutch oven from the oven. Transfer the bread on the parchment paper into the heated dutch oven. Add 1/4 cup water on the outside of the parchment paper, then cover with the lid.
- Bake covered for 20 minutes.
- Reduce heat to 450F and remove the dutch oven lid to bake 15-20 minutes, until deeply golden on top.
- Let cool at least 40 minutes to 1 hour prior to slicing.
I truly hope you all enjoy this treasured recipe that has nestled its way into our hearts here in the ABM kitchen! ’till next time… xxL
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” ~ Jeremiah 29:11 NIV
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Great sourdough recipe! Beautiful, delicious result! Easy to follow, clear instructions! ❤️
YAY!! Now, you’re unstoppable 😉
Hi Lauren! Can you tell me what dutch oven you use, and the size? In your YouTube video you mentioned you only have 1, but I see a Staub sitting on the stove top, would that style not be suitable for the bread?
Thank you!
Hi Lora! I prefer using a wider dutch oven rather than my taller/narrow one that I typically use for soups. This allows the bread more room to grow!
My first try in baking a bread without yeast 👍 still struggling a bit with the stickyness of the dough, but I am definitely improving.
Unfortunately we didn’t manage to wait the 40min until the loaf has bern cooled but it was still delicious!
Hahaha the waiting process is definitely the hardest part 😉 But I’m glad it turned out delicious! It gets easier every time you do it too!
My family loved this! I made the chocolate chip brown sugar cinnamon loaf 🙂 so good!
Eee! So happy to hear this!! Thank you, Gabriella!
How long should the bulk ferment be?
About 8-12 hours!
This worked well, and the video was simple and helpful for my first sourdough loaf!
Hello! All worked great and my loaf is so yummy. Quick question, when I take from my active sourdough starter, should I be feeding it right after or wait to feed it the next day on my usual schedule? I follow your recipe and feed it in the morning before I take from it. I am just unsure if I need to do anything else after I use some. Thanks so much!
Hi Malorie! If you’ve already fed it for the day prior to using it, you can wait to feed it again until the next day. However, if you plan on using it again the next day, then you may want to feed it afterwards so you have enough to use the next day 😉
I did experience a sticky mess, should I add more flour? I had it sticking to my hands.
Hi Maryssa! The dough will be sticky at first, but as you perform the lift and folds, it should turn into a smooth dough ball.
I tried this recipe and it worked well for me. I’m a beginner sourdough baker.
Can this bread be made with whole wheat flour?
Yes! Sometimes whole wheat flour can be a little more dense in the outcome, but still delicious!!
My loaf came out looking exactly like yours did in the picture! It was my first loaf too! SO excited about it.
OH MY GOODNESS YAY!!!
This worked exactly as written, thanks!
So easy!!! This was my first time making sourdough, with little experience in breadmaking, but for the first time, I was so happy with how it turned out!
My first time making sourdough and it came out great! Easy to follow- i appreciated the video and written steps!
I found your blog not too long ago, and girl, I’m loving all your recipes (and reels/clips/videos).
A friend gave me some starter and this sourdough bread recipe has been so easy and clear to follow. Thank you so much!—bread turned out amazing. 🥰
Thank you, Avalon!! That really means the world!!
Love your recipes. However it can be dangerous to add any cold liquid to your hot dutch oven causing it to crack or break. I recommend a separate aluminum loaf pan underneath that heats with the dutch oven. Add the water or ice to that when bread goes in. Much safer. Thanks for all the recipes!
So good to know! Thank you!!!
What ratio do you feed your starter in the morning to make bread according to your schedule?
Hi Libby! I would suggest feeding at least 80 grams of sourdough starter in the morning!
Hi, hope I didn’t miss this question already so apologies. When is it best to freeze this if needed? Before baking or after?
Hi friend! It should not mess with it, but I’m so sorry for the confusion!! The olive oil is for traditional focaccia, but I replaced it with the butter and forgot to take it out of the ingredients list. Will fix this right now!
This will be my first time. I see this recipe call for 100 grams Active Sourdough Starter but if we wind up feeding it every day for 7-8 days and wind up with way more then that, what do we do with the remaining sourdough starter so it doesn’t go to waste? Is there a way to store it if not going to use it right away?
Also, when is it best to freeze sourdough bread if needed? Before baking or after?
hi!! You could use the sourdough discard (remixing unfed sourdough) in other recipes such as pancakes, pretzel dough, etc. Unless it’s fed though or used in a recipe that also uses some form of yeast to help with rising (since the sourdough isn’t fed), you can’t store it. So finicky! Lol
I would also recommend storing the sourdough after baking and once 100% cool. Once cool, immediately wrap and store in proper freezer bags to freeze to preserve crumb!
Got it thanks. A couple more for you since this seems a little confusing, sorry. Thanks in advance!
1) I followed your starter recipe with 50g of flour and water. Day 2 it looked good, kept 50g then fed it 50g water and 50g flour, threw out the rest. I’m on day 3 and it seems to have doubled. If I keep 50g and feed 50g water/flour, I’m wasting a whole lot. Just want to make sure this is normal? (I have also read elsewhere that discard shouldn’t be used until it’s mature enough so isn’t recommended to use within first 7-10 days)
2) say for example, “you have 120g of starter in your jar. You use 100g in your sourdough bread and return 20g of starter to the fridge until you want to feed it again to make more bread”, would the subsequent feeding for the next bake be 50 grams flour 50 grams water to return to 120 grams total? Or 20 grams flour 20 grams water to maintain a 1:1:1 ratio?
3) is there a better portion of starter to keep (e.g. the top)? Or should we stir the starter then keep a certain amount to feed and discard the rest?
4) what’s the process/feeding and storage when you aren’t baking daily and need to refrigerate starter? Assuming it must remain in fridge going forward since it was placed in there
I’ve tried a few recipes now, and this by far has been my favorite! Very straightforward, and I get a perfect loaf every time!
Last year, I tried getting a sourdough starter to go for mooonths. None ever made it, until I randomly came across your youtube video. I gave it a try and it worked! I’ve now been baking sourdough for around six months now and I always come back to your recipe. Thank you for sharing your art with us 🙂 Much love to you.
Do I always have to feed it the morning of making my dough? And if I start in the morning can it stay on my counter until the evening then put it in the fridge to bake the next day. Newbie here 😊
Hi Ashlee! How exciting that you’re beginning your sourdough journey!! Yes, I recommend feeding in the morning before making dough so it has time to activate and get bubbly. And yes to everything else you mentioned – you’re spot on!
My favorite sourdough recipe so far! I’ve used it three times!
This is my go to recipe for sourdough bread. I have tried many recipes – this one works perfectly for me. Thanks!
I loved this recipe and your other ones:)
If you refrigerate your starter, when should you take it out of the fridge prior to the 7-8am feeding for the day of baking bread? How long does it need to “warm up” prior to the feeding? Thanks so much!!
hi kelly!! I usually let it sit out for an hour before feeding!
Thank you!!
Also- how long is your starter good for after you use it to make sourdough? What do you do with it/ where/ how do you store it when not baking? How long can it live in the fridge?
Thanks again in advance!
Hello 🙂 What is the diameter of the dutch oven you used in this recipe?
hi Aylin!! it’s about 10-11″, or a 7.5 to 8 qt!
Hello again Lauren 🙂 I just put my first sourdough bread in the oven. And I followed exactly your recipe. But one question about the baking process. Do you bake with fan, or without?
This worked exactly as written, thanks!
This recipe worked amazing for my first time ever making sourdough!
Two questions:
– do you ever try to feed the sourdough the night before and start process in AM?
– how should I go about this process if I’m wanting to make two loaves at once?
AMAZING RECIPE!! I’ve used this recipe twice now. It’s my first time making sourdough bread and I was so nervous but it worked amazing both times. I doubled the recipe for both times and worked amazing.
Hi! After I take the bread out of the fridge in the morning, is it okay to go straight in the oven or do I need to let it come to room temperature?
hi Lauren! great name btw 😉 you can do directly from the fridge which will help it rise into a better shape in the oven!