The Best Sourdough Bread Recipe for Beginners

If you have ever wanted to bake real sourdough bread at home but felt put off by the jargon, this is the recipe to start with. There is no kneading, no special flour, and no need to babysit the dough all day. You mix four ingredients in the morning, fold the dough a few times while you go about your business, tuck it in the refrigerator overnight, and bake it the next day.

The result is a loaf with a crackling, deep-golden crust and a soft, slightly tangy crumb that is open without being full of holes. It slices cleanly for toast and sandwiches, which is exactly what most of us want from a daily loaf.

I have made this bread more times than I can count, in a regular home oven, with a starter kept on the kitchen counter. Every measurement below is in grams because a kitchen scale is the single best tool for consistent bread, but I have included cup equivalents too.

Why this recipe works

• 70% hydration is wet enough for an open crumb but dry enough to shape easily, which is the sweet spot for beginners.
• Stretch-and-folds replace kneading entirely. Four sets, spaced 30 minutes apart, build all the strength the dough needs.
• An overnight cold proof develops flavor, makes scoring easy, and lets you bake whenever it suits you the next day.
• A preheated Dutch oven traps steam so the crust stays soft while the loaf springs up, then crisps once the lid comes off.

What you need to know before you start

Sourdough is leavened by a starter, a simple mix of flour and water that has collected wild yeast and friendly bacteria. Your starter must be active before you bake. Feed it 4 to 12 hours ahead (depending on how warm your kitchen is) and use it when it has at least doubled in size, looks bubbly and domed, and smells pleasantly sour rather than like nail polish.

A quick test: drop a teaspoon of starter into a glass of room-temperature water. If it floats, it is ready. If it sinks, give it another hour or two.

The timeline below assumes a kitchen around 72 to 75°F. If your kitchen is cooler, every rise will take longer; if it is warmer, things will move faster. Watch the dough, not the clock.

Ingredient notes and substitutions

Bread flour gives the best rise and chew because of its higher protein content. All-purpose flour works, but the loaf will be a little softer and may spread slightly more. You can swap up to 100 grams of the bread flour for whole wheat flour for a nuttier loaf; add an extra tablespoon of water if you do.

Use filtered or bottled water if your tap water is heavily chlorinated, since chlorine can slow the starter down. Any fine salt works. If you only have coarse kosher salt, use 12 grams instead of 10.

A sample baking timeline

Here is the schedule I use most weeks. Shift every time by the same amount to fit your day.

• 8:00 AM — Feed the starter.
• 1:00 PM — Mix the dough and let it rest for 30 minutes.
• 1:30 to 3:00 PM — Four sets of stretch-and-folds, 30 minutes apart.
• 3:00 to 6:00 PM — Leave the dough alone to finish rising until it has grown about 50 to 75%.
• 6:00 PM — Shape the loaf, place it in a floured bowl or banneton, cover, and refrigerate.
• Next morning — Preheat the Dutch oven for 45 minutes, score, and bake.

How to tell when the dough has risen enough

This is the step most beginners worry about, and it is easier than it sounds. At the end of the bulk rise the dough should have grown by about half to three-quarters, feel airy and jiggly when you shake the bowl, show a few bubbles on the surface and sides, and dome slightly rather than sit flat. If you poke it gently with a floured finger, the dent should spring back slowly.

Under-risen dough bakes into a dense, gummy loaf. Over-risen dough spreads flat and the crust may tear instead of opening at the score. If you are unsure, err on the side of a little longer; sourdough is forgiving in the refrigerator.

Troubleshooting common problems

• Dense, tight crumb: the starter was not active enough, or the bulk rise was cut short. Make sure the starter floats, and give the dough more time.
• Flat loaf that spreads in the oven: the dough was over-proofed, or it was shaped too loosely. Shape with more tension next time and chill it promptly.
• Pale crust: the oven was not hot enough or the loaf came out too early. Bake until it is a deep brown; color is flavor.
• Gummy interior: the loaf was sliced while warm. Let it cool for at least one hour, ideally two.
• Too sour: shorten the cold proof to 8 to 10 hours, or use a starter that was fed more recently.

How to store sourdough bread

• Store cut-side down on a cutting board, uncovered, for up to 2 days. The crust stays crisp.
• For longer storage, keep in a paper bag or bread box for up to 4 days. Avoid plastic, which softens the crust.
• Freeze whole or sliced, wrapped tightly, for up to 3 months. Toast slices straight from the freezer.

Variations to try

• Seeded loaf: press a mix of sesame, sunflower and flax seeds onto the shaped loaf before the cold proof.
• Rosemary and olive oil: fold 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary and 1 tablespoon olive oil in during the second stretch-and-fold.
• Half whole wheat: replace 250 g of bread flour with whole wheat flour and add 25 g more water.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a Dutch oven to make sourdough bread?

A Dutch oven gives the best crust because it traps steam, but you can bake on a preheated baking stone or heavy sheet pan instead. Place a metal pan on the bottom rack, and pour a cup of hot water into it when you put the bread in to create steam. Remove the pan after 20 minutes.

How do I know my starter is ready to bake with?

Feed it and wait until it has at least doubled, looks bubbly and domed, and a spoonful floats in a glass of water. This usually takes 4 to 8 hours after feeding at room temperature.

Can I skip the overnight cold proof?

Yes. After shaping, let the loaf rise at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours until it is puffy and springs back slowly when poked, then bake. The flavor will be milder and scoring is a little harder because the dough is softer.

Why is my sourdough so dense?

Nearly always it is an underactive starter or a bulk rise that ended too early. Make sure the starter passes the float test, and let the dough grow by at least half before shaping. Weighing the flour instead of measuring by cups also prevents accidentally dry, dense dough.

Can I make this recipe with all-purpose flour?

Yes. The loaf will be slightly softer and a bit less tall, but still delicious. Reduce the water by about 15 grams (1 tablespoon) since all-purpose flour absorbs a little less.

How many calories are in a slice of homemade sourdough?

One slice (1/12 of this loaf) has roughly 155 calories, mostly from the flour, with about 5 grams of protein and under 1 gram of fat.