This Sourdough Bread Recipe makes the most incredible loaf of bread with a crunchy crust, airy crumb, an impressive oven rise and ‘ear’ using the right scoring technique. Discovering the art of baking sourdough bread has been such a gift for our family and I hope this video tutorial inspires you to dive in as well.
After making hundreds of loaves, I am confident this staple recipe has all the tips and techniques you’ll need to succeed whether it’s your first time or if you’re looking to refine your bread baking skills.
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Easy Sourdough Bread Recipe
Crusty sourdough bread is so beautiful, versatile, and crowd-pleasing. We love toasting a slice for breakfast with Honey Butter or Peach Preserves. It’s excellent for a BLT Sandwich for lunch, and paired with Soup Recipes. You can even cut it up for Homemade Croutons. With all these delicious possibilities, you can see why sourdough bread recipes have become so popular recently.
If you don’t already have a sourdough starter, you’ll be happy to know it only requires 2 ingredients to make one from scratch. See our tutorial on How to Make a Sourdough Starter.
Sourdough Bread Video
Watch Natasha make this easy sourdough bread recipe in just a few steps. Be sure to note the shaping and scoring techniques so your bread will look just as beautiful each time!
Why This Sourdough Bread Recipe Works
I love baking sourdough bread because it’s as fun as it is tasty. Here’s why we know you’ll love it as much as we do!
- Beginner-friendly – If you’re new to sourdough baking, or just looking for a great, basic sourdough bread recipe, this is it!
- Easy to double – this recipe makes 1 loaf of bread, but it’s easy to double which is what I do weekly (the bread freezes so well!)
- Flexible timing – The final fermentation step before baking includes a long rest in the fridge (also called cold proofing). This final step gives you a 8 to 48 hour window to bake, making it easy to bake on your schedule.
Ingredients
It’s amazing how simple the ingredient list is for this sourdough bread recipe since it has so much flavor and a nice chewy crumb.
- Flour – we prefer organic flour, but regular will work as well. Bread flour has a higher percentage of protein than all-purpose flour, giving the bread a chewy texture, but either flour will work. Lately, my favorite is to order King Arthur Organic Bread Flour, but have also had great results with Central Milling Company Artisan Bakers Craft flour and Bob’s Red Mill Artisan Bread Flour with great results.
- Rye, whole wheat, or whole grain flour (optional)– these give the bread more flavor. You can substitute this portion with bread flour.
- Fine Sea Salt – this ingredient is so important! It aids in fermentation, gives flavor and color, and gives a good oven spring (rise in the oven).
- Water – filtered, bottled or dechlorinated water is best and should be room temperature or lukewarm (85˚F). You may need to experiment with water quantities. This recipe was made in an Idaho kitchen which is in a dry climate. If you live in a high-humidity area, use less water.
- Active Sourdough Starter – this is a starter that has been fed within the last 6-12 hours, has more than doubled in size, and is bubbly. See my post on How to Make Sourdough Starter if you don’t already have a starter and How to Feed Sourdough Starter once it’s established.
- Rice Flour (optional) – for dusting the bread basket, or use bread flour.
How to Make Sourdough Bread
Timing Tip: The process of making sourdough is mostly hands-off rising time. To help you gauge – if you start with step 1 in the morning, say 10am, you should be ready to mix the dough by 2pm and in the fridge by 6-7pm for overnight cold fermentation.
Step 1: Feed your starter
For a single loaf, mix 50g of starter with 50g of bread flour and 50g of lukewarm water (up to 85 degrees) in a 3/4 qt jar or larger. Scrape the sides of the jar, loosely cover, and mark the height on the outside of the jar with a rubber band or dry-erase marker. Let sit at room temperature for 4-6 hours or until it has more than doubled in volume.
Step 2: Make the dough
In a large bowl, whisk the flours and salt until mixed. Add the water and active starter and stir using a wooden spoon then use your hands until thoroughly mixed. It will be a wet and sticky dough. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel.
Pro Tip:
A kitchen scale makes the process so much faster, more precise (measuring in grams), and less messy – no need to clean any measuring cups. You’ll love sourdough baking more if you have a digital kitchen scale.
Step 3: Bulk Fermentation Stage
Rest the dough for a total of 4 hours, performing a stretch and fold routine after every hour. Stretch and fold: Wet your hands so the dough doesn’t stick. Stretch or pull up gently on one side of the dough without tearing it. Then fold it over itself, turn the bowl a quarter turn and repeat the stretch on the other 3 sides until all 4 sides are stretched. Cover and repeat each hour for 4 total stretches. It will be tougher to stretch towards the end as the dough develops.
Step 4: Shape the Loaf
After the 4th stretch and fold, lightly flour your work surface to shape the dough. Flour your hands, turn the dough out onto the surface, and gently stretch and shape the sourdough bread for your cooking pot.
- Shape a Round Loaf: stretch the dough from the top down onto the center. Turn a quarter turn and repeat until all the sides are folded in.
- Shape an Oval Loaf: Fold the sides of the dough alternating left and right from top to bottom. Then tightly roll the dough from the top to the bottom.
Step 5: Bench Rest
Let the dough rest for 20 minutes. First, turn the dough seam-side down. Then cover with a towel. After 20 minutes, if it seems to have loosened up too much, gently re-shape it using the same process as above.
Step 6: Tighten the Loaf
Flour your hands and cup the outsides of the dough. Then tuck the sides of the dough underneath. Slide the dough down the counter in a circular motion about 6 inches, using its slight stickiness to tighten the ball/oval. Don’t over-flour your surface and try not to tear the dough.
Pro Tip:
A banneton is a bread basket made to hold dough as it ferments. It should be shaped to match your pot (oval for oval baking dish, round for round baking dish). Before your first use, season the basket or liner by lightly spraying it with water, dust generously with flour (preferaby rice flour for a nicer crust and less sticking), let it fully dry then scrape out any excess with a spatula. Always let it fully dry after use and scrape out excess flour before storage.
Step 7: Cold Fermentation/Proofing
Flour the banneton proofing basket, or tea-towel-lined bowl generously. Place the dough inside seam-side up and cover with a towel. Refrigerate overnight or for at least 8 hours. It can stay refrigerated for up to 48 hours until you’re ready to bake the sourdough bread. It will rise slightly but won’t double.
Step 8: Preheat Oven & Pot
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees and set the pot inside to preheat at the same time. This may take 30 minutes or up to 60 minutes for some ovens. If using a combo cooker with low sides, cut a piece of parchment to cover the bottom. I recently discovered that using a bread sling prevents too much browning on the bottom and it’s easier to transfer in and out of the pot. If using a Dutch Oven with higher sides, lay a piece of parchment (or bread sling) on the counter. Put the Dutch oven/combo cooker into your oven to heat (without the parchment) at least 30 minutes before baking. Optional: Set a pizza stone on the bottom rack, if using (a pizza stone helps to keep the bottom of the bread from getting too dark).
Step 9: Score the Sourdough Bread
Remove the dough from the fridge. If using a combo cooker, place the parchment circle into the hot pan, and turn out the dough into the hot pot seam-side-down. If using a Dutch oven, turn the dough out on the parchment paper. Using the bread lame (A curved lame works best to get the distinctive ear) or a serrated knife, make a crescent shape cut from the base of one side of the dough to the base of the dough. Keep the blade at a 45-degree angle to the dough and cut 1/3 to 1/2″ deep (it’s ok to go over it a second time, just be confident).
Step 10: Bake the Bread
If using a Dutch oven, lift the parchment paper to place the dough (on the parchment) into the Dutch oven. Using hot mitts, cover the Dutch oven/combo cooker with the hot lid and place it into the oven. Reduce the heat to 450 degrees and bake for 20 minutes to allow the trapped steam to cook the crust of the bread. Then, remove the lid and bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer the finished sourdough bread to a cooling rack and cool completely before cutting.
What is the Best Cooking Pot for Sourdough?
You can use a variety of pots. Either a 5 1/2 qt cast iron Dutch Oven or cast iron combo cooker with lid are great options. My combo cooker is my favorite because the lower sides make it easier to score in the pot, but you can score the bread on the counter and transfer the dough ball into a dutch oven using parchment paper
Pro Tip:
Dust the banneton with rice flour for a prettier, crispier crust. My cousin Enna introduced me to this idea, and while it’s not necessary, it makes for a beautiful loaf. The extra flour just brushes away after it’s baked. See the bread flour on the left and the rice flour on the right in the photos, below.
How to Get the Best Oven Spring
Oven spring is the rise the dough gets when it’s in the oven, mostly occurring in the first 10 minutes. Here’s how this sourdough bread recipe creates the best rise:
- Covering the pot – A Dutch oven or combo cooker helps trap the steam to create a good rise.
- Bulk Fermentation and cold fermentation help to prevent over-proofing (exhausting the yeast), so the yeast has plenty of life left for a burst of activity as the oven heats the dough.
- Tightening the dough is a critical step in getting the best oven spring. You want the outside of your dough to be taught to trap the air bubbles but not to tear it.
- Scoring the bread is also important to help it open up and rise properly
- Salt helps the yeast slowly ferment, creating a better crumb with more big and small bubbles and better oven-rise
Do I need to “Slap and Fold?”
Some sourdough bread-makers will slap the dough against the counter and then fold it onto itself right after the dough comes together. This is called the ‘slap and fold’ and is supposed to tighten up the dough. I used to do it but found it to be unnecessary. It just makes you counter messy and the ‘stretch and fold’ during the bulk fermentation tightens up the dough without this extra step.
Can I Bake Right Away?
You can skip the slow fermentation in the refrigerator but your bread won’t have as much sourdough flavor. If you prefer to bake right away, you can cover and let it proof at room temperature for 1 to 2 1/2, depending on the room temperature, or until it is puffed but not doubled in size then score and bake as directed.
How to Serve Sourdough Bread
Sourdough bread is so versatile! Use it in place of sliced bread for sandwiches, or as a crusty bread with soups. Here are some of our favorite dishes to serve with sourdough bread.
- Grilled Cheese Sandwich
- Beef Stew
- Tomato Soup
- Salami Cream Cheese Sandwich
- Chicken Melts
- Reuben Sandwich
Make-Ahead
Sourdough bread keeps well on the counter for up to a week wrapped in a bread bag, beeswax wrap, zip-top bag, or plastic wrap.
- To Refrigerate: This is not necessary, but if you do, be sure to wrap it in an airtight container so it won’t dry out
- Freezing: Wrap the boule (sourdough bread round) in foil. Then place in a freezer zip-top bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
- To Reheat: Thaw on the counter
- Leftover Sourdough? You can use dry or stale sourdough bread to make the best Sourdough Croutons!
Our sourdough bread recipe is as easy as it is fun! You’ll love how this crusty, chewy bread looks like a work of art and tastes like one too. Share your creations with us in the comments and on social media. We’d love to hear how your baking went and see photos of your finished loaves.
If you need another sourdough project to get excited about, try our Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls or Sourdough Pizza Dough next!
More Homemade Bread Baking Recipes
Once you try baking this sourdough bread, you’ll be hooked on homemade bread! Try these delicious recipes.
- Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
- Crusty French Bread Recipe
- Wreath Bread Recipe
- Brioche Bread
- Irish Soda Bread
- Zucchini Bread
Sourdough Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 400 g bread flour, or all-purpose flour, plus more to dust
- 55 g rye flour*, or whole wheat or bread flour
- 10 g fine sea salt
- 345 g filtered water, or dechlorinated water or spring water, luke-warm up to 85˚F.*
- 100 g active sourdough starter
- Rice flour, optional for dusting the bread basket
Instructions
- Feed your sourdough starter 1 or 2 times before making your sourdough bread, depending on how healthy it is. For a single loaf, (using a kitchen scale to measure) mix 50g of starter with 50g of bread flour and 50g of lukewarm water. Cover with a loose fitting lid and let it rise at room temperature until more than doubled in size, about 4-6 hours.*
- Make the Dough: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together bread flour, rye, and salt. Add water and sourdough starter and stir together with a wooden spoon then use your hand to thoroughly mix together, pinch the dough as you mix to make sure it's very well combined. It will be a very sticky dough. Scrape down the bowl, cover with a clean kitchen towel, and let the dough rest at room temperature for 4 hours in a warm spot (bulk fermentation).
- Bulk Fermentation Stage: After every hour, do a round of “stretch and fold” – with wet hands to prevent sticking, gently lift up on one side of the dough and stretch it upwards (avoid tearing the dough), and then fold it over onto itself. Rotate the bowl a quarter turn and continue to stretch and fold about 3 more times or until the dough resists pulling. Keep the bowl covered with a towel between your stretch and fold rounds. After 4 hours, you’ll stretch and fold the dough for the fourth and final time to tighten it up.
- Shape the Loaf: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface (cut it in half if you’ve doubled the dough for 2 loaves). With floured hands, gently stretch out the dough then shape the dough to match the shape of your banneton (bread basket) and pot.(*see notes below)
- Bench Rest: Turn the dough seam-side down, cover it with a towel, and let it ‘bench rest’ for 20 minutes.
- Tighten the Dough: If it loosens up too much during the bench rest and loses shape, gently re-shape it again to tighten the loaf. With floured hands, cup your hands around the sides of the dough and tuck the sides underneath. Pull the dough down the counter towards you in a circular motion to tighten up the shape.
- Cold Fermentation: Transfer the dough seam-side up into your floured banneton.* Cover with a tea towel and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or up to 48 hours.
- Preheat the Oven: At least 30 minutes before baking, set the Dutch oven or combo cooker into your oven (set your pizza stone on the bottom rack if using*) and preheat the oven to 500 ̊F.
- Score your Bread: Turn the bread out into a parchment lined combo cooker or onto a sheet of parchment paper or bread sling if using a Dutch Oven. Using the bread lame, score the bread starting at the base on one side, (keeping at a 45-degree angle and making a 1/3 to 1/2" deep crescent shape) cut around the top of the bread, from one side to the other. If using a Dutch Oven use the parchment to transfer your dough into the pot.
- Bake: Using oven mitts, cover with the hot lid and put it into the oven. Immediately reduce heat to 450 ̊F, and bake for 20 minutes covered. Remove the lid and bake another 20-25 minutes uncovered or until it reaches your desired color.
Notes
Filed Under
Hi Natasha! I have always been very afraid of trying to make sourdough bread, but after watching your video, I am excited to get started. I just have two questions. On day seven, when you are ready to make your bread, you still have to feed what is left in your jar after the discard and let it sit for 4 to 6 hours, correct? Also, I would rather bake an oval loaf than a round loaf so what could I bake an oval loaf in? Thank you so much!
HI Susan, you can feed what is left in your jar and then store it in the refrigerator or feed and let it sit overnight if you want to bake more frequently. It’s a good idea to feed what’s left in your jar if you aren’t going to be using it for about a week. Sometimes I don’t feed it again and just pop it in the fridge and it’s still ok. In that case, I usually have to take an extra day to wake it up by feeding it the day before I’m ready to use it.
My favorite recipe and my go too unless I am making a whole wheat SD loaf. I do let mine bulk ferment a bit longer than 4 hours (about 6-7hrs) even though I have a very active starter. I also played with the cold ferment time from 12-48 hours and I like 24-30 hours best.
Hi Natasha,
I have made this bread several times and the first few times my dough/bread was perfect however the last few times the dough was quite gummy and the crust wasn’t “hard and crunchy” when sliced but rather soft. Any suggestions? Thanks again!
Hi Sara, its hard to say what started to cause that without being there. Was there potentially a big weather change? Is it more humid where you are? I do recommend double checking all of your steps and ingredients to ensure nothing was adjusted. I wish I could be more helpful.
I live in south Texas (Rio Grande Valley) and this recipe works wonderfulyy! i point out the fact of where I reside because down here it is extremely humid. All I have noticed is, I need to let it sit uncovered a bit longer to get that nice brown color.
Hi Natasha, I’ve made this bread several times and each time comes out delicious. I was wondering if i can add olives to this and if so, when would i add them?
Thanks!
Great to hear that! I think olives can be a great addition to the recipe. You can add them to the dough during the final stretch and fold.
I thought my starter was ready , I did the float test and the first scoop floated , then I tried another scoop but that one didn’t float . Does that mean my starter wasn’t ready ?
Hi Carole, it should float with a second scoop if you did them one after another and you didn’t wait for it to deflate and then test. It sounds like maybe it needed another day.
The most delicious bread!!! Followed the recipe and my loaf looks exactly like on the picture. Much easier to make compared to other sourdough recipes online. Thank you, Natasha!
Thank you so much! This is the best sourdough I’ve made so far. The crust is absolutely perfect instead of burnt like all my other sourdough. I made one loaf with all purpose flour and another loaf with bread flour and they’re both amazing. The one I made with bread flour is a little denser but I think I over proofed it. It’s delicious anyway. This is my go-to sourdough recipe now.
I’m so happy to hear this is the best one yet, that’s so great, Megan! I hope you love it more and more each time you make it.
I wanted to learn how to make sourdough and went straight to Natasha’s Kitchen to learn how. She made the process so easy, and my sourdough loaves have turned out amazing!!! Thank you so much, Natasha!!
That makes me happy to hear. Thank you!
What knife do you recommend for slicing?
A bread knife or serrated knife works great. You can view some of my favorite knifes in my amazon affiliate shop, just select “SHOP” from
the menu above.
I am new to sourdough bread baking, but with Natasha’s videos I have successfully made several loaves now. I love Natasha and her humorous personality!! Makes baking fun and easy!
Aw, thank you, Rita! I’m so happy to hear that.
My dough seems great until I put it in the refrigerator over night. It doesn’t seem to be gaining any volume. It just goes kinda flat. Trying to cook another loaf right now but it’s the same so far. Not gaining any height and mass like a yeast dough would. I saw your video and yours looks great in height and volume. Not sure what I’m doing wrong.
Hi Michael, its possible your dough is over-proofing and losing its strength. I recommend watching the video and reading through the recipe tips again to be sure a step wasn’t missed or the starter wasn’t falling when it was mixed in, you need to ensure it is active and bubbly at its peak. The folding process is crucial to building up the gluten strength also, but the temperature and timing are also equally important, if your kitchen is very warm it may overproof. I hope these tips are helpful to you.
Can I put the dough in the fridge right after mixing the ingredients together to resume the 4 hour process the next morning?
Hi Rosa, while I prefer to do the folding and resting before the cold fermentation, that may work. I would mix the ingredients well, cover with plastic wrap tightly and leave it in the fridge over night. The next morning take the dough out of the fridge and let it sit until it comes to room temperature this may take a few of hours depending on your home’s temperature. I hope that helps.
Just made this for the first time. The video was great and I felt confident making it. The dough did not seem to rise a ton before the fridge fermentation. The dough seemed dense. It came out looking great and then cutting into it the bottom crust had almost a 1 inch gap from the bottom crust to the next part of the bread. And then in the middle there was a huge hole in it throughout. The flavor was great. Just dense and some prep errors I assume. Any ideas? When I did the 4 hour fermentation was it not warm enough? I did the stretch and fold every hour.
Hi Craig, I’m so glad the video was helpful, but it sounds like you encountered some challenges with the rise and structure of your bread. If your dough was dense before going into the fridge that is likely due to it not fully developing. You want to ensure it is doubled in size during that stage before moving it to the fridge. Second, the stretch and fold technique is crucial to the success of the sourdough. The large holes in the bread are caused by air pockets when shaping the dough. When shaping it, be sure to be gentle but knock out any large air pockets you may see. The fermentation stage is very important, during that 4-hour period ensure its happening in a warm spot (75-80 degrees F), if your counter/ room is cooler, the dough will likely not rise as much. I also recommend checking your hydration levels, if your dough ends up being too wet it can lead to larger holes. I know this was so much information, but I hope its helpful to your outcome.
Can you divide this to make bread bowls? how many bowls would you recommend?
Hi Michelle, I haven’t tested that to advise. If you happen to experiment I’d love to know how you like it, but I’m adding this to my list of things to try.
Hi Natasha,
I have made this recipe 3 times now, the first loaf turned out wonderful! Perfect crust, light and airy in the middle. The last 2 loaves the dough is very wet so wet it won’t just flip out of the basket I have to use my fingers to peel it out. I figured the second time somehow I put tomuch water but the 3rd time I made sure I did everything correct 🤷♀️ This in turn makes to a flat loaf of bread. I’m using all bread flour as my husband is allergic to wheat. How do I fix this?
HI Lesa, if you live in a more humid environment (Idaho is very dry), you might just test reducing the water amount. It sounds like your dough is too wet. Reducing water should help. Keep good notes of what you did so you can dial it in until it’s just right for your environment.
Hi Natasha,
This recipe was my third sourdough bake and the loaves came out perfectly! My first two bakes left a lot to be desired. Thank you so much for this recipe!
I do have one question: I’m interested in incorporating a higher percentage of whole wheat flour into this recipe to boost the health benefits. Do you think if I adjust the recipe to be 50% bread flour and 50% whole wheat flour, I will need to adjust the amount of water? Do you have any tips? Thank you! 🙂
Hi Elizabeth, I’m so glad your third sourdough bake turned out successfully! It’s so great to see progress isn’t it? Whole wheat flour should work well in this recipe, it does tend to absorb more water than bread flour, so you likely will need to make an adjustment, I would start with a 5-10% adjustment and go from there. One more thing to note, whole wheat flour may make the bread more dense, so ensure to allow the full proofing time. I hope you love it.
Is there anyway to make this recipe into cups instead of grams?
Hi Yvonne! There is a button in the recipe card for US customary or metric measurements. Just click one to switch over to the next.
Hello, I’m just a little confused about steps 2@3. Step 2, after making the dough do you let it sit for 4 hours then proceed to step 3: Bulk fermentation and do the stretching and folding? Or you do it in step 2? . Thank you Paul M
Hi Paul, the four hour period is the bulk fermentation stage. During that 4 hour window, you will stretch & fold it after each hour. I hope that helps. I also recommend watching the video. Best of luck!
Sorry, I wanted to include that my starter is GREAT!! Very active.
I’ve made this before in Az. and it turned out pretty good. I have since tried it, 3 different times, but I’m now in Northern California. It’s very flat and dense. How much water should I decrease? Also, would adding sour salt and a couple ice cubes for steam cause this? I’m using the lodge Dutch oven. Hope you get this soon. I’m at a friends and I want at least one loaf to come out good. They’ve been waiting 😄
Hi Kristen, it might be the difference in humidity going from a very dry climate to a more humid one (although I don’t know how humid it is in your part of CA). You might test reducing the water in the recipe. Take notes as you’re testing so you remember what you have tried. That’s what I often do – test by reducing the liquid amount until I get it just right. I have added a couple of ice cubes to the dutch oven and it worked just as well with or without them so I stopped adding them. The dutch oven lid traps the steam adequately. I’m not familiar with sour salt.