What is Sourdough Bread?
You’ve seen it at bakeries. You love it at restaurants, but—man—does it seem tricky to make. Sourdough bread is, at its core, just a mixture of flour, water, salt, and naturally occurring wild yeast. No packets of store-bought stuff. That wild yeast comes from making a “starter”—sort of a jar of bubbling flour and water sitting on your counter, quietly doing science.
Why do people love it? It’s a flavor bomb. Sourdough gets that tangy kick and chewy bite you just don’t get with regular white bread. It’s also honestly better for your gut (yes, for real) because those bubbles and sour notes come from fermentation, which breaks the bread down in a nifty way.
It keeps well on the counter too. Like, I’ve had loaves happily sitting for three days without going stale. Makes you wonder why you ever bothered buying sandwich bread.
My own starter’s named Maude, by the way. I’ve killed plants but kept this thing alive three years. If I can do that, I promise you can make a loaf, too.
Homemade Sourdough Bread Recipe
How to Make Sourdough Bread: Step-By-Step Guide
Alright—here’s the step-by-step that actually works. Forget the intimidating jargon.
First, you’ll need your sourdough starter—active and bubbling. If you don’t have one, set aside at least five days to get it going (Google up how to start one, but most folks use just flour, water, and patience). Once you’ve got it, here’s what to do:
- Mix: Stir together 1 cup of active sourdough starter, 1½ cups warm water, and 4 cups of bread flour in a big bowl. Add 1½ teaspoons salt. Go on—use your hands, it’s sticky.
- Rest: Cover with a towel. Let it sit an hour. It’ll look messy. Don’t panic.
- Stretch (awkward but fun): Reach in, grab the edge of dough, stretch it up, fold it over. Rotate the bowl and repeat four times. Let it rest. Do this stretch-and-fold thing 2 more times with 30 minutes in between.
- Rise: Cover, leave it somewhere warm for about 8 hours (overnight’s perfect). Pie in the sky, it doubles in size.
- Shape: Turn dough out onto floured surface. Shape into a round-ish blob. Plop into a floured bowl, smooth side down, covered. Rise again for an hour.
- Bake: Oven up to 450°F. Heat a Dutch oven. Flip dough onto parchment, slash the top (for drama). Bake lid on for 25 minutes, then off for 15 more to get a deep crust.
- Cool: Try—just try—not to slice it while blazing hot. Wait 45 minutes (I never do, but I should).
This method is as close to foolproof as it gets—my friends begged me to share it after they tried the loaf at our last potluck. Don’t skip the stretch and folds, though; that’s the real game changer.
Homemade Sourdough Bread Recipe
What Equipment Do I Need?
Big secret? You don’t need anything fancy. Here’s what works best:
My favorite bowl is seriously just a mixing bowl I’ve had since college (has a chip, who cares). You want something deep, just big enough for your dough to expand. As for a Dutch oven, if you have one—amazing. If not, any heavy-lidded pot will work for that important steamy crust.
You will need a good sharp knife for scoring the top—although honest, a pair of scissors also works if you’re in a pinch.
A kitchen scale helps, but measuring cups do the job if you’re not about to buy another gadget. Oh, and parchment paper is KEY. Unless you enjoy dough cemented to your pan (me, circa 2017).
Homemade Sourdough Bread Recipe
Troubleshooting: Where Sourdough Goes Wrong?
Listen, even “easy” bread messes up sometimes. Sourdough is a diva. Don’t beat yourself up if it flops—every baker’s been there. Sometimes the loaf is flat, or the crumb’s a little gummy.
First culprit? Usually, your sourdough starter isn’t active enough. Friends have tried baking with sleepy starter and wound up with sad pancakes instead of bread. Give it a good feed a few hours before baking. Water too cold? Try lukewarm.
Dough not doubling? Maybe your kitchen’s chilly—it happens. Let it rise longer. Loaf too dense? Next time, do those stretch-and-folds religiously. I used to skip them out of impatience. Bad move.
Last thing—if you cut while it’s super hot, sometimes it turns gummy. “Patience” is not my virtue, but it pays off here.
Homemade Sourdough Bread Recipe
Sourdough Bakers Timeline
So when do you actually do all this stuff? Here’s how I fit baking into real life:
- Evening Before: Feed your starter before bed. Let it get bubbly.
- Morning, 7 AM-ish: Mix your dough. Takes, what, 7 minutes?
- All Morning: Stretch/fold every 30 minutes while you sip coffee or check your phone.
- Daytime: Let dough rise all afternoon. If you work from home, perfect.
- Evening: Shape. Second rise (Netflix time).
- Later Night: Bake. Your kitchen will smell like a five-star restaurant. Let cool while you eat dinner—or stand nearby, impatiently.
Homemade Sourdough Bread Recipe
You do NOT need to stare at the dough all day, promise. Honestly, just a few check-ins is enough.
The Easiest Bread You’ll Ever Make—Seriously
Alright, that’s the homemade sourdough bread recipe! You do NOT need to be a pro to pull it off. Even if you “mess up,” odds are it tastes miles better than grocery bread. Once you’ve got this down, maybe try new recipes like this homemade lasagna recipe easy delicious for a totally cozy meal night.
If you want a next-level bread guide with more geeky details, check out the fantastic advice at Sourdough Bread: A Beginner’s Guide – The Clever Carrot. Trust me, baking bread is way more forgiving than it looks—so roll up your sleeves, and get floury.
Homemade Sourdough Bread Recipe
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Homemade Sourdough Bread
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 480 minutes
- Yield: 1 loaf 1x
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
A simple recipe for homemade sourdough bread that yields a golden crust and chewy inside, perfect for pairing with your favorite soup.
Ingredients
- 1 cup active sourdough starter
- 1½ cups warm water
- 4 cups bread flour
- 1½ teaspoons salt
Instructions
- Mix: Stir together sourdough starter, warm water, and bread flour in a big bowl. Add salt and mix using your hands.
- Rest: Cover with a towel and let it sit for 1 hour.
- Stretch: Stretch and fold the dough four times every 30 minutes, letting it rest in between.
- Rise: Cover and leave in a warm place for about 8 hours or overnight until doubled in size.
- Shape: Turn the dough onto a floured surface, shape into a round and place it in a floured bowl for another hour of rising.
- Bake: Preheat oven to 450°F, heat a Dutch oven, flip the dough onto parchment, and bake with the lid on for 25 minutes. Remove lid and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
- Cool: Let the bread cool for 45 minutes before slicing.
Notes
Be patient and remember that every dough is different. Enjoy with your favorite spreads or soups.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 0g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 0g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 25g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
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