I was intimidated to make my first loaf of sourdough bread. I’d heard others talk about flat and dense loaves—dough that never rose. It wasn’t until I read a sourdough book cover to cover and painted it with post-it notes, highlights, and dog-eared pages that I felt ready to put my newborn sourdough starter to work. I bought flour. I filtered water. I measured. I mixed and kneaded. I folded ever-so-gently while I held my bread until, hours later, I pulled my first sourdough from the oven.
I had my wife taste it. “Pretty good,” she said. “Yeah, pretty good bread.” Only later did she fess up that it was “actually just okay, to be honest.” But all-in-all the bread had a nice rise, a crunchy and well-colored crust, and it did taste great considering it was my first loaf of any kind of bread. And you know what? We ate the entire thing.
This Beginner’s Sourdough Bread post has several videos where I walk you through each step of the sourdough bread-making process. Be sure to see the end for a complete video walkthrough of me making this recipe!
As the new obsession set in, I started making fresh sourdough bread for every meal. There was something about the whole bread-making process that I found captivating. It was–and still is–exciting to mix such elemental ingredients and to see them produce beautiful, life-giving sustenance: it is modern-day alchemy. It’s such a simple thing, and yet it brought me so much joy to see my family and friends tear into a freshly baked loaf that I wanted to bake every day of every week.
This recipe will give you confidence as you take your first steps in baking sourdough bread from your home kitchen.
Starting to make your first loaf of sourdough bread can be daunting. That’s why I’ve put together this beginner’s sourdough bread tutorial and recipe—it will give you confidence as you take your first steps in baking sourdough bread from your home kitchen. This how-to guide starts with explaining baking terms and definitions so that we will have a common vocabulary once we get to the recipe.
And then, each step of the process has lots of information to ensure you understand what is happening and what to do. But, before we go on this beginner’s sourdough bread recipe, let’s first take a look at what sourdough bread is.
What is Sourdough Bread?
Sourdough is a specific type of bread created through a natural fermentation process involving suitable bacteria and wild yeasts in the environment (i.e., the air and even a baker’s hands) and, most importantly, on the grain itself. A sourdough starter culture is used to seed fermentation in new dough when making sourdough bread.
Generally speaking, bacteria are primarily responsible for producing organic acids (lactic acid and acetic acid) that contribute to sourdough bread’s flavor, texture, and storage qualities. The wild yeasts produce carbon dioxide gas and ethanol during fermentation. When this gas becomes trapped in the dough’s airtight gluten matrix, the dough begins to rise, resulting in a final loaf of bread with a light and airy texture.
All recipes on The Perfect Loaf are naturally leavened; in other words, you won’t find any commercial yeast or instant yeast here. There’s nothing inherently wrong with commercial yeast, but I prefer to make bread this way because of the wonderful flavor and texture, the health benefits like increased bioavailability of minerals and nutrients, increased keeping quality thanks to the acids generated during natural fermentation, and the fact that it requires so few ingredients (just three!) to make something so delicious.
For a high-level look at each step of the sourdough process, read through the Beginner’s Guide to Sourdough Bread →
Creating a Sourdough Starter
It all begins with a sourdough starter. Before we look at how to make sourdough bread, you need to create a healthy sourdough starter that shows consistent signs of fermentation each day. Creating a sourdough starter is easy: mix flour and water for a few days in succession, and eventually, thanks to the bacteria and wild yeasts on the grain, natural fermentation will begin.
If you’d like to look at how I feed my starter daily, look at my sourdough starter maintenance routine. In this guide, you will see the visual and aromatic cues to look for when your starter is ready for refreshment (feeding).
While waiting for your sourdough starter, let’s look at some terms bakers often use to discuss the various parts of the bread-making process.
Baker’s Terminology
Sourdough starter
A starter is a mixture of flour and water you allow to ferment naturally. You’ll refresh (feed) the starter indefinitely to keep the fermentation active and healthy, and you will wait for it to become fully ripe before you use any of it to make bread.
When you want to make bread, you take a small amount of your starter to create an off-shoot called a levain (see below). See my post on starter creation to read more about the starter and learn how to make one.
Levain (or leaven)
A levain is made by mixing a small off-shoot of your ripe starter with water and flour and allowing it to ferment before mixing it into a dough. You can always use your starter directly to make sourdough bread, but a levain is a small off-shoot that allows you to adjust the flour, hydration, and ripening schedule (which have implications on the bacteria and wild yeast balance).
Also, unlike your sourdough starter, which lives on as its own entity, the entirety of the levain goes into the dough and has the same fate as the bread itself: to be baked in the oven. See my post on what a levain is and how it’s different from a sourdough starter for more information.
Autolyse
Some recipes utilize a step called autolyse (“auto-lease”). It occurs at the beginning of bread baking and is a step in which only flour and water are mixed together and left to rest. The goal of autolyse is to initiate enzymatic activity in the dough to help draw out sugars from the flour. Additionally, it helps increase dough extensibility (the ability for the dough to stretch out without tearing).
In most cases, increased extensibility is good as it helps the dough expand and fill with gasses, resulting in a light and airy loaf. See my in-depth post on the autolyse technique for more information.
Bulk fermentation
The dough’s first rise is called bulk fermentation. After mixing the flour, salt, and levain into a dough, you put it all into a bowl or container, cover it, and let it rest. The dough will undergo a fermentation process during this critical step. Bacteria and yeast begin to generate organic acids and alcohols and leaven the dough, which will translate to flavor and rise in your final bread.
For more on this critical step in the bread-making process, see my in-depth guide to bulk fermentation.
Proofing
The proof is the dough’s final, or second, rise after the dough has been divided and shaped and lasts until the dough is finally baked in the oven. During this time, the dough continues to ferment, further strengthening and leavening it. I typically proof at a cold temperature in the refrigerator (also called “retarding”).
In my ultimate guide to proofing, I talk about how to spot when the dough is finished rising and ready to bake, plus a whole lot more.
Final Dough Temperature
The final dough temperature (FDT) is the dough’s temperature after mixing all ingredients. The dough’s temperature is important because it’s the main factor that affects fermentation strength: a warmer dough will ferment faster than a cooler dough.
Naturally, each component (levain, the flour, the water, and the ambient environment) has a temperature. While most of these are out of our control, we can easily adjust the water temperature, which enables us to change the FDT of the entire dough to meet whatever the recipe calls for.
I have a handy water temperature calculator you can use to quickly figure out what you need to warm or cool your mixing water to get the dough to the right temperature.
Or, so you don’t have to do any calculations, here’s a quick cheat sheet for this Beginner’s Sourdough bread recipe:
| If your kitchen temperature is | Warm or cool the mixing water to |
|---|---|
| 68°F (20°C) | 98°F (37°C) |
| 70°F (21°C) | 94°F (34°C) |
| 72°F (22°C) | 90°F (32°C) |
| 74°F (23°C) | 86°F (30°C) |
| 76°F (24°C) | 82°F (28°C) |
| 78°F (25°C) | 78°F (25°C) |
| 80°F (26°C) | 74°F (23°C) |
If your kitchen is outside of these temperatures, my guide on the importance of dough temperature in baking will walk you through calculating exactly what to warm (or cool) your mixing water to so your dough meets the FDT for any recipe.
Baker’s Percentages (Baker’s Math)
Baker’s math, or baker’s percentages, helps bakers adjust the actual quantity of the ingredients up or down, depending on how much bread they want to make. I write all the formulas on The Perfect Loaf in baker’s percentages, where all ingredient weights are a percentage of the total flour weight, which always adds up to 100%. Read through my introduction to baker’s percentages for a more in-depth explanation (including how to scale up and down a bread recipe).
TPL Members (the baking community here) have access to all the recipes here at The Perfect Loaf in spreadsheet form, making scaling up and down recipes as simple as changing a few numbers.
Baking Tools
There are a few necessary tools for baking your first loaf of this beginner’s sourdough bread. The following might look like a long list, but you probably already have many of these in your kitchen—There are a few tools necessary for baking this beginner’s sourdough bread. Note that one item is absolutely necessary: a kitchen scale. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, please consider buying one. Measuring flour with cups and scoops is entirely inaccurate!
- combo cooker like a Lodge 3qt. cast iron combo cooker or a Le Creuset Dutch oven that can withstand 500°F (260°C) in the oven and has a well-sealing lid
- large mixing bowl to mix your dough by hand
- two medium kitchen bowls to proof your dough
- two kitchen towels or a tea towel to line the proofing bowls
- bench knife to cut and shape the dough
- plastic or silicone bowl scraper
- kitchen scale that measures in grams
- instant-read thermometer
- white rice flour for dusting proofing bowl
- blade for scoring your dough (a “lame”), or a razor blade, sharp knife, or scissors
- fine-grain sea salt
- parchment paper
- pizza peel (or cutting board)
- heavy duty oven mitt
- the best bread knife for cutting your sourdough bread
You can find a full list of all the tools I use when baking on my baking tools page.
The Importance of Dough Temperature
When I first started baking, I didn’t quite grasp how important temperature is in the bread-making process. I always like to say: Treat temperature as an ingredient, just as flour, water, and salt are ingredients. What I mean by that, practically, is that if one day you mix with water that is 70°F (21°C) and then a week later mix with water that is 80°F (26°C), you will get drastically different outcomes.
Temperature determines the amount of fermentation activity you’ll see. Lower temperatures generally mean less activity; therefore, things will take longer. Higher temperatures generally mean more activity; therefore, things will take less time. Working with consistent temperatures will ensure consistency in your bread baking, and you’ll get the desired results in terms of flavor, rise, texture–well, everything.
Treat temperature as an ingredient, just as flour, water, and salt are ingredients.
If it’s cold where you’re baking, see my tips on how to bake sourdough bread in the winter. And conversely, if it’s warm where you are, see my post on how to bake in the summer. These guides will help ensure your loaves have the best flavor and volume.
Flour For Baking Bread
I used commonly available supermarket flour for this recipe: Bob’s Red Mill Artisan Bread Flour, Bob’s Red Mill Whole Wheat Flour, and Bob’s Red Mill or Arrowhead Dark Rye Flour. These are great flour choices, but any of King Arthur’s offerings are equally suitable. I chose “bread flour” as it has a higher protein percentage than all-purpose flour, which helps bring significant strength to the dough so that less mixing and kneading is required–it also makes things a bit easier for your first loaf of bread.
As you’ll hear me mention throughout this site, I do like to use as little high-protein flour in my recipes as possible as I find it leads to a slightly chewier, gummy interior—or be sure to use it in the correct way.
Baking Schedule
This beginner’s sourdough bread is a two-day-long process where the bread is mixed and prepared on day one, cold-proofed (retarded) in the fridge overnight, then baked on day two.
I love the convenience of this type of schedule: most of the work is done on the first day, then the dough can be left in the fridge until the next day, when it can be baked in the morning, afternoon, or even the evening.
The baking schedule to the right shows you a high-level view of what step takes place and when.
Beginner’s Sourdough Bread Formula
Now we get to the formula for the beginner’s sourdough bread formula. I start every recipe with two tables: Vitals and Total Formula. The Vitals table gives you a high-level view of the contents of the dough, as well as how much the recipe makes (in this case, two loaves). The Total Formula table lists the ingredients needed for the entire recipe and their respective amounts.
Vitals
| Total Dough Weight | 1,800 grams |
| Pre-fermented Flour | 7.5% |
| Levain in final dough | 20.3% |
| Hydration | 72.0% |
| Yield | Two loaves |
Total Formula
| Weight | Ingredient | Baker’s Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 811g | Bob’s Red Mill Artisan Bread Flour | 80.0% |
| 152g | Bob’s Red Mill Stoneground Whole Wheat Flour | 15.0% |
| 51g | Bob’s Red Mill Dark Rye Flour | 5.0% |
| 730g | Water | 72.0% |
| 18g | Fine sea salt | 1.8% |
| 38g | Ripe sourdough starter, 100% hydration | 3.8% |
Beginner’s Sourdough Bread Method
1. Levain – 8:00 a.m.
| Weight | Ingredient | Baker’s Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 38g | Ripe sourdough starter (100% hydration) | 50.0% |
| 38g | Bob’s Red Mill Stoneground Whole Wheat | 50.0% |
| 38g | Bob’s Red Mill Artisan Bread Flour | 50.0% |
| 76g | Water | 100.0% |
Remember: the levain is an off-shoot of your continually maintained sourdough starter and is likewise composed of bacteria and yeasts. You make this levain well before you mix the dough, so it has time to ferment, and eventually, it’s added to the dough to seed fermentation.
Mix the ingredients in the table above in a clean jar (I use the same sourdough starter jars) and leave it at warm room temperature, 74-76°F (23-24°C), for 5 to 6 hours. When it’s ready, it will be expanded, bubbly on top, inside, and at the sides, and have a slightly sour aroma. The photo below shows my levain before it goes into my dough mix.
2. Autolyse – 12:00 p.m.
| Weight | Ingredient |
|---|---|
| 773g | Bob’s Red Mill Artisan Bread Flour |
| 114g | Bob’s Red Mill Stoneground Whole Wheat Flour |
| 51g | Bob’s Red Mill Dark Rye Flour |
| 603g | Water (this has 50g less than the overall formula, reserved for Mix step below) |
The desired dough temperature (DDT) for this dough is 78°F (25°C). As described in the temperature section above, we will try to get the dough to this temperature right at the end of mixing (which is also at the beginning of bulk fermentation).
Warm or cool the autolyse water so the mixed dough reaches the FDT for this recipe. Place the flour and the water called for in the table above in a large bowl. Use wet hands to mix until no dry bits remain; the dough will be shaggy and loose. Use a bowl scraper to scrape down the sides of the bowl, keeping all the dough in one area at the bottom. Cover the bowl and place it near your levain for 1 hour.
Note that the autolyse stage does not incorporate salt or the levain in any way since the autolyse is a long one hour. Adding the levain to the autolyse would mean fermentation would begin, which could end up overproofing the dough. Salt is rarely added to an autolyse because the salt would diminish enzymatic activity during this time, which is precisely why we are doing an autolyse. The autolyse and levain are two separate entities that will be mixed together later in the process.
3. Mix – 1:00 p.m.
| Weight | Ingredient |
|---|---|
| 50g | Reserved water (this water was held back in the Autolyse step) |
| 18g | Fine sea salt |
| 190g | Ripe, 100% hydration levain (from Levain, above) |
Use your instant-read thermometer to take the dough’s temperature and compare it to the FDT for this recipe. If it is higher, use cold water for the reserved water; if it is lower, use warm water.
At this point, your autolyse is complete and your levain is ready—it’s time to mix and strengthen the dough. If the dough feels very wet and shaggy, do not use all of the reserved 50g of water; use only a splash to help incorporate the salt and levain. If the dough feels good to you, use all the reserved water.
To the autolyse, add the ingredients in the table above (salt, reserved water to help adjust dough hydration and consistency, and levain). I like to spread everything on top of the dough and use wet hands to pinch all the ingredients together. Transfer the dough to a container or thick-walled bowl for bulk fermentation.
Take the temperature of the dough to get your final dough temperature. If your FDT is below 78°F (25°C), next time use warmer water, and conversely, if it’s above 78°F (25°C), use cooler water. Cover the dough.
4. Bulk Fermentation – 1:10 p.m. to 5:10 p.m.
At 74-76°F (23-24°C) ambient temperature, bulk fermentation should go for about 4 hours. Perform 3 sets of stretches and folds during bulk fermentation, spaced out by 30 minutes.
Each set of stretches and folds consists of 4 folds: one each at the North, South, East, and West sides. Wet your hands with a little water to prevent sticking, and then lift one side (North) of the dough with two hands. Stretch the dough high enough so you can fold it completely over to the other side. Rotate the bowl 180° and do the other side (South). Finish the other two sides (East and West) to complete the set. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes, covered, between sets.
In the video below, you can see how I stretch and fold this dough during bulk fermentation.
After the third set of stretch and folds, let the dough rest for the remainder of bulk fermentation. During this time, fermentation aerates the dough (making it rise), continues to strengthen it, and further develops its flavor.
At the end of bulk fermentation, your dough should have risen by 20% to 50%. It should show some bubbles on the top and sides, and the edge of the dough where it meets the bowl should be slightly domed, which indicates strength. In the photo above, you can see all these signs. If you don’t see these signs, leave it for another 15 minutes in bulk fermentation and check again.
5. Divide and preshape – 5:15 p.m.
Lightly flour a work surface. Using a bowl scraper, gently scrape the dough onto the work surface and use your bench knife to divide the dough directly in half. Using your bench knife in your dominant hand, and the other hand wet (or floured, if you prefer) to reduce sticking, turn each half of the dough on the counter while lightly pulling the dough towards you. This gentle turning and pulling motion will develop tension on the dough’s top, forming a circle.
Preshaping bread dough is an often overlooked step, but it sets the stage for successful shaping later. See my guide to preshaping bread dough for more information.
Let the dough rest for 25 minutes, uncovered.
In the video below, you can see how I preshape this beginner’s sourdough bread dough:
6. Shape – 5:35 p.m.
If you’re new to shaping bread dough, check out my guide to shaping a boule (a round) in addition to the steps below.
Lightly flour the top of your dough rounds and the work surface. Working with one round at a time, flip the round so the floured top is now down on the floured work surface.
As seen in the image below, with lightly floured hands, grab the bottom of the round and stretch it lightly downward towards your body, and then up and over about 2/3 of the way to the top.
Then, grab the left and right sides of the dough and stretch them away from each other. Fold one side over toward the other and repeat with the other side.
Then, grab the top of the circle, stretch it away from your body, and then fold it down to the bottom of the dough. You’ll now have a tight package that resembles a letter.
Finally, flip or roll down the dough so the seams are all on the bottom. Using both hands, cup the top part of the round and drag the dough gently towards your body to create surface tension on the dough. The angle of your hands will gently press the dough’s bottom on the counter. This dragging helps create surface tension on the dough, which helps keep it in shape during proofing.
Let the dough rest on the bench for a few minutes to help the bottom seam seal.
In the video below, you can see how I shape bread dough into a boule shape.
Meanwhile, prepare your proofing baskets. Line two proofing baskets, kitchen bowls, or bannetons with clean kitchen towels. Dust lightly and evenly with plain white flour or white rice flour. Gently transfer each piece of shaped dough to a proofing basket, seam-side-up.
You can also top this dough with sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pepitas, and much more—see my guide to topping bread dough for more ideas and instructions.
7. Rest and proof – 5:40 p.m. to 9:30 a.m. (next day)
To prevent your dough from drying out overnight, place your bowls containing your shaped dough into reusable plastic bags and seal. I usually puff up the plastic bag around the bowl by opening it wide and then quickly closing it.
Let the dough rest on the counter for 20 minutes. Then, retard (a baker’s term meaning place into a cold area to proof) in the refrigerator at 38°F (3°C) for 16 hours (overnight).
During this time, overall fermentation will slow (especially yeast activity), but bacterial activity will continue at a reduced rate, resulting in a more complex flavor and, ultimately, deeper crust coloring.
8. Bake – Next morning: preheat oven at 8:30 a.m., bake at 9:30 a.m.
Now, it’s time to bake your sourdough bread. It’s not a difficult step, but there are some things to know. The oven needs steam for the best crust and tallest rise. I like to use a Dutch oven or combo cooker, which is very easy. These pots trap the steam released from the dough and provide the right environment for it to rise optimally.
See my full guide to baking sourdough bread for tips on scoring your dough, pots, and steaming.
Place an oven rack in the bottom third of the oven with no rack above it. Put your combo cooker or Dutch oven on the oven rack, and preheat the oven to 450°F (232°C) for at least 30 minutes. If you’re using a combo cooker, place the shallow side face up on one side and the heavier, deep side face down on the other.
When your oven is preheated, remove one of the proofing baskets from the fridge, uncover it, and place a piece of parchment paper over it. Place a pizza peel, cutting board, or inverted baking sheet on top of the parchment and, using both hands, flip everything over. Gently remove the basket; your dough should rest on the parchment.
Using a razor blade, sharp knife, or baker’s lame, score the dough at a 90° angle between the blade and the dough. I chose to make a “box” pattern. If using scissors, snip the dough a few times at a very shallow angle between the scissors and the dough, forming a set of ridges down the dough’s center.
While wearing your heavy-duty oven mitt, and with caution, pull out your shallow side of the combo cooker and place it on a heat-safe rack or stovetop. Slide the dough into the combo cooker or Dutch oven. Place it back into the oven and cover the shallow side with the deep side, or put the lid on the Dutch oven. This sealed environment helps trap the moisture (escaping steam) from your dough to steam the loaf exterior as it bakes, which encourages maximal rise and a crunchy, shiny crust.
Bake for 20 minutes. Vent the oven of steam: use your oven mitt to very carefully remove the top of the combo cooker or Dutch oven. Leave the large side of the combo cooker in the oven to the side. Close the oven door and bake for 30 minutes more. When done, the loaf should have an internal temperature of around 208°F (97°C), and the crust should be a deep mahogany color and crackle/crunch when squeezed.
Use your oven mitt to transfer the bread to a wire rack carefully. Cool for 1 to 2 hours before slicing into your beginner’s sourdough bread. For the second loaf, preheat the combo cooker or Dutch oven for 15 minutes and repeat.
Follow my guide to storing bread to keep your loaves fresh for as long as possible.
Once you get the hang of this beginner’s sourdough bread process and formula, you can endlessly modify it with add-ins like walnuts, cranberries, seeds, and a host of other ingredients bound only by your imagination. But the most important thing is to bake and have fun. Remember that sometimes bread doesn’t come out as you intended–but stick with it, and you’ll be rewarded time and time again.
And of course, buon appetito!
Watch me make this Beginner’s Sourdough Bread from start to finish
In my YouTube video below, you can see how I make my Beginner’s Sourdough Bread, from creating the levain to slicing the final loaves.
Beginner’s Sourdough Bread Recipe
- Prep Time: 23 hours
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 24 hours
- Yield: 2 loaves
- Category: Main course
- Cuisine: American
Description
The perfect bread to get started baking sourdough bread at home. This crusty, crunchy, and absolutely delicious loaf of bread is perfect for any lunch or dinner table.
Ingredients
Levain
- 38 grams stoneground whole wheat flour
- 38 grams bread flour
- 76 grams water
- 38 grams ripe sourdough starter
Main dough
- 773 grams bread flour
- 114 grams whole wheat flour
- 51 grams whole grain rye flour
- 653 grams water
- 18 grams fine sea salt
Instructions
- Levain (8:00 a.m.)
In a small container, mix the levain ingredients and keep at 74-76°F (23-24°C) for 5 to 6 hours. - Autolyse (12:00 p.m)
In a medium mixing bowl, mix the flour and 603 grams of water (reserve 50 grams until the next step). Cover and let rest for 1 hour. - Mix (1:00 p.m.)
To the mixing bowl holding your dough, add the salt, ripe levain (from step 1), and reserved 50 grams water. Mix by hand or with a dough whisk until incorporated. Transfer your dough to a bulk fermentation container and cover. - Bulk Fermentation (1:10 p.m. to 5:10 p.m.)
Give the dough 3 sets of stretch and folds at 30-minute intervals, where the first set starts 30 minutes after the start of bulk fermentation. - Divide and Preshape (5:10 p.m.)
Lightly flour your work surface and scrape out your dough. Using your bench knife, divide the dough in half. Lightly shape each half into a round shape. Let the dough rest for 25 minutes, uncovered. - Shape (5:35 p.m.)
Shape the dough into a round (boule) or oval (batard)—place in proofing baskets. - Rest and Proof (5:40 p.m. to 9:30 a.m. the next day)
Cover proofing baskets with reusable plastic and seal shut. Let the dough sit out on the counter for 20 minutes. Then, place both baskets into the refrigerator and proof overnight. - Bake (Preheat oven at 8:30 a.m., bake at 9:30 a.m.)
Preheat your oven with a combo cooker or Dutch oven inside to 450°F (230°C). When the oven is preheated, remove your dough from the fridge, score it, and transfer to the preheated combo cooker. Place the cooker in the oven, cover with the lid, and bake for 20 minutes. After this time, remove the lid (you can keep it in the oven or remove it) and continue to bake for 30 minutes longer. When done, the internal temperature should be around 208°F (97°C). Let the loaves cool for 1 to 2 hours on a wire rack before slicing.
Notes
While the recipe calls for 16 hours of total proof time, you could extend this time and bake the loaves in the morning, afternoon, or even the evening on day two. Leave the proofing dough in the fridge until ready to bake.
Beginner’s Sourdough Bread Frequently Asked Questions
Why is sourdough bread good for you?
Sourdough, and its lengthy natural fermentation process, can help break down the gluten in grain, which helps aid in the body’s digestion. Additionally, fermentation helps “unlock” the nutrition inherent in the grain, allowing for better absorption.
Is sourdough bread sour?
Sourdough isn’t super sour in the traditional sense—it’s not sour like taking a bit of a lemon. But it does have tanginess which is the byproduct of lactic acid fermentation. Sourdough bread will have more sourness than one made with 100% commercial yeast due to the acids created by natural fermentation.
How can I make sourdough bread more sour?
To increase the sour flavor of this sourdough bread, add more whole grains (both to your sourdough starter and the dough itself), keep the dough warm (78°F/25°C or warmer), and lengthen the total fermentation time by keeping the dough in the fridge to proof even longer than the 16 hours specified in the recipe—24 hours is a good starting point.
How can I get a more open crumb with my bread?
First, focus on your sourdough starter to get a more open crumb for this sourdough bread: it should be refreshed (fed) often, kept warm, and used when ripe. Next, strengthen the dough sufficiently during mixing and bulk fermentation by using stretches and folds. Finally, your dough must be fully proofed so that when you press a finger into the dough, it slowly springs back about halfway (if it springs back quickly, let it proof longer; if the finger indentation stays, bake immediately).
What’s Next?
After baking this beginner’s sourdough bread, check out my Baking Guides for more in-depth discussions on all parts of the sourdough bread-making process. If you’re looking to add mix-ins to your bread, have a look at my walnut cranberry sourdough bread—it’s one of the most popular recipes here at The Perfect Loaf—and for good reason! Or, have a look at my Simple Weekday Sourdough Bread for a way to squeeze sourdough bread baking into a busy workday.
Finally, now that you have your sourdough starter bubbling away on your counter check out my sourdough starter discard recipes for ideas on how to use leftovers!
3,324 Comments
Hi Maurizio,
Just wanted to say a big thank you for your blog.
I have been using this recipe to start my sourdough bread baking, and after a few tweaks on my 4th attempt I have to say the bread came out absolutely amazing.
If I didn’t know better I wouldn’t believe I made this myself 🙂
I grew up in Italy and now live in the UK and one of the things I miss the most is Italian bread. This just hit the right spot!
That’s awesome to hear, Tom! Glad things are workin well for you and thanks for the kind words. There’s really nothing like baking amazing bread in your own kitchen, right? Enjoy!
Absolutely!
Hi Maurizio,
First, thanks a lot for your amazing contributions. I wander if you can help. I have been making lovely sourdough bread now for years, but lately I’m having some trouble with the leaven. I prepare the leaven at night and in the morning is full of bubbles, but if I put some in water to text if its ready, goes down like a rocket. I decide to leave it longer and the looses all the bubbles and I’m not sure if I have to wait any longer or not. Not fun:-(. Do you have any advice? Thanks so much in advance! Bea
You bet, Beatriz! Thanks for the kind words. The “float test” is not a definitive test. If your starter/levain is made with a high percentage of rye flour, for example, chances are it will never float (rye doesn’t have the same gas-trapping capability as wheat). I’d say as long as your starter shows the signs for strong fermentation, you’re good to go.
That makes total sense Maurizio! I just started to add some rye flour to my starter/levain (my monster as its known in my house) and has completely confused me with an odd behaviour. I will judge its strength by its activity which at the pick point can be very obvious by the amount of bubbles etc. Thanks again! :-):-) Bea
Hello Maurizio,
thank you for this amazing and detailed recipe. I have one question about the 16 hour retard time. I have a very very small fridge and it would be hard to put there even one bowl of dough. Can I achieve similar results by leaving the bowls in room temperature for shorter amount of time?
Sincerely,
David
You’re very welcome, David! Yes, if you leave them to proof at room temp, covered, they should be ready to go in 2-4 hours, depending on the temperature of your kitchen. Happy baking!
Hi Maurizio, thank you for such a detailed explanation in this recipe! It really helps us beginners to understand the process and to troubleshoot. One thing I have read about is that the longer you let it ferment, the stronger the flavour it will develop. Is that true? My family did not enjoy the bread, it’s a bit too sour from their taste, so will it help by getting it out of the fridge maybe at 8hr fermenting and leave it in room temperature for, I donno, 30 min before baking? Will I be able to achieve the same crumb but have a little less intense flavour? Thanks!
Hey, Yudi! Generally this is true. If you want to reduce the sourness I’d say pull from the fridge earlier as you suggested, that’ll go a long way. Additionally, be sure your starter is fed regularly to ensure it’s not overly acidic. Similarly, use your levain when it’s just at its peak in the jar.
I actually used my starter as the levain after 1hr I get it out of the fridge! That might explain the intense sourness! Next time I’ll refresh it before use. Thank you!
Maurizio, Great website. Some questions: If I were to build the Levain overnight on Day 1 (to get the bread started early next day on Day 2), what temperature would you suggest I do this step? Also, I would like to do the final Rest/Proof on Day 2 and bake the bread approximately 3 h later. Should this be done simply at RT or in a dough proofer at a specific temp? Lastly, is there any advantage in doing the autolyse before adding the levain? In the Tartine book, the autolyse step is done after the levain addition.
Thanks, Esteban! I would do the overnight levain just at normal room temp (74-78F or so), but reduce the percentage of mature starter in there to around 5% and see how it goes. Check on it first thing in the morning to see where it’s at.
It’s hard to say the temp on that final proof, I do prefer just room temp at that point — if it’s too warm the dough can get overly gassy and expansive.
Once the levain is added to the dough, fermentation begins. I don’t add the levain to the autolyse for this recipe.
Hope that helps!
Hello!
I’ve tried this recipe twice and came with a wonderful crust but gummy interior but I understand now it may have to do with overproofing/underbaking. I let it proof the exact time you have mentioned which I think is too much for me. The temp in my kitchen is around 28-30 C. How many hours of proofing do you recommend?
You mentioned that 26 C bulk ferment time would be around 3.5 hours. Do you think that 28-30 C could go with 3 hours only? Thank you!!
Hey there! Yes, 3 hours sounds like it might be about right. I wouldn’t go much shorter than this, though!
Hi, I just wanted to know for this recipe, if I wanted to add mix ins such as olives, when would I incorporate them into the dough? Thank you!
Hey, Ed. With this dough I’d add them after the first set of stretch and folds during bulk fermentation. Spread them out on top of your dough in the bulk container, and gently work them into the dough. They don’t have to be fully and evenly distributed because they’ll work their way through the dough as you’re doing more sets during bulk fermentation.
Awesome! Im excited to try adding some olives in for tomorrow’s bake! Thanks again!
They loaf turned out really good! Comparing how this loaf turned out to my other ones, I found that the crust was perfect on this, it was not too thick and it was crispy, but my other loaves I did before, my crust was a lot thicker and hard to get through. Do you know what affects the thickness of the crust when baking, I did the same thing as I would of with this loaf as the previous ones, but I did leave it in the fridge for longer (18 instead of 16 hours) today. Would this be the reason?
It’s hard to say, there could be many reasons. Usually it’s a result of steaming, baking time, and baking temp, but it’s also possible flour changes could affect this. I’m not too sure if proof time would, to be honest, I’d have to do some testing myself. The longer the proof, the more gluten breakdown you’ll experience, which is a good thing overall but if pushed too far means less rise in the oven. Perhaps this has an effect on crust thickness I’ve not previously thought about!
I have the same Weck jars that you mention in your baking tools section. In the levain pic above, is this the same size Weck you house your starter in? Your levain looks giant!
Hey! These are the larger 1 liter jars. I use both .5 L and 1 L depending on the quantity going into them. If it’s around 200g in total, you can usually get away with .5 L, but anything more than that and I upgrade to the 1 L.
Hi Maurizio. Since this is the beginners recipe I appreciate how you have walked through making a starter, laid out all the tools, defined all the terminology, and explained about temperatures. You have really covered everything. My only note would be how long to wait before cutting into the bread. If this recipe is truly for people’s first time people might not know they need to wait 1.5 hours before cutting into it or however long you would suggest. I know that would have been helpful for my first time.
Thanks so much for the kind words and feedback, Andres. I agree, I’ll update the post to include that information (I usually do in other posts so I somehow overlooked this for this one!). Happy baking!
Hi Maurizio, first of all, thanks for the amazing website!
Second, where I now live (India) I cannot find reasonably priced bread flour. Some people suggested adding “gluten” (like this product) to regular all purpose flour to obtain a stronger mix similar to bread flour. How does that sound to you? Have you ever tried anything like that?
Grazie Mille!
You’re very welcome, Fabrizio! I don’t have any experience using VWG and generally try to stay away from additives like this. I know some bakers use it to augment their flour that might have protein (percentage and quality) deficiencies, and thankfully I haven’t had these issues, but I’d still likely not use it. That’s my preference, though!
Thanks! It makes a lot of sense and I feel the same way. I’ll just stick to the local organic all purpose flour and adapt the recipe through a bit of trial and error, if needed. By the way, any general suggestion on how to adapt the recipe for weaker flours? Thanks again.
Hi, if one were looking to modify this recipe to bake in a single day, how long would you suggest leaving the shaped dough to proof at room temperature? (approx 24 degrees C). I understand this would lead to a less sour, more mellow flavour to the bread.
I usually do about 1.5-3 hours, checking the dough with the “poke test” after that 1.5 hours periodically. For me it’s almost always around 2 hours for a recipe such as this at those temps. Be sure to keep the dough covered!
Maurizio, how does that change the flavor and the structure of the bread? Would the bread just be less sour? Will it not hold it’s shape as well? What functions does the long cold proof serve in sourdough?
Yes, generally I find dough proofed at room temp to be less sour/complex. It’s a great option for many reasons (it can highlight the flavor of the grain more acutely), but for me I mostly prefer an overnight, cool proof for doughs like this.
Thank you for your quick response and the wealth of information on this site Maurizio. I found 2 hours to be just right! I’ve now made this recipe a few times, both with same day and overnight proofs and I’m starting to get really nice results! This website is a godsend for people new to sourdough
Super glad to hear that, Tom! Happy baking 🙂
I only find the time to bake on the weekends with my schedule. I’ve followed the recipe for 4 bakings now and love it! My question is after shaping and putting it in the fridge for baking the next day… Would it be possible to let it sit in the fridge for another couple days instead of baking both loaves the same day? Just trying to figure out the best way to keep bread fresher during the week.
Glad to hear that! A couple days might be pushing it — you’ll end up with a more squat loaf that’s more sour. I’d say another 12-24 would work but know that the longer it goes the less rise you’ll end up with as the gluten structure begins to break down. If you’re making two loaves, bake one and save the other, test it out after another 24 hours and see how you like it, it’ll still be delicious!
Hi! Im following this recipe right now and its turning out really good so far! I felt that my dough was lacking strengh and added in more stretch and folds im currently at 7 folds, but in regards to bulk fermenting time, if my S and F go past the 5 hour fermentation time, do go right into splitting the dough and shaping or should I let it sit and look for the signs of fermentation is done? I am not sure if I did something wrong that my dough was very loose. Could it be that when incorporating my levain, water and salt, I did not knead the dough long eough? Or should I after my last S and F let it sit for 30mins and access the dough and then move on? I don’t want to over ferment it either if that is possible. Sorry for all the questions and thank you for a great blog!
That’s totally find to give it more folds, and it sounds like that was the right thing to do given how loose your dough sounds. It might just be that your flour isn’t able to take as much water as I list in the recipe — next time, reduce the water you add to the dough. It is possible to over proof your dough at this stage, divide and preshape it when it looks like it’s well fermented, elastic, and smoother. The dough should look similar to my photos above (although if yours is very slack and “wet,” it might not look quite as strong). Give the dough a strong preshape and also a very tight shape if you feel like it’s too weak and it’s not holding shape on your counter. Let me know how it goes!
Thank you for getting back to me! This is how my loaves turned out. Any suggestions and tips or what you think of my crumb would be great!
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Ugv1QvQOTBka61Jrg-zTJl-lssSXCzD3?usp=sharing
Ed, looking good! Those large holes up top might be due to shaping errors (uneven across the loaf). Otherwise, I think you’ve got nice fermentation going on in there. I’d say stick with it, each subsequent bake will get better and better, especially as shaping becomes more even!
Thank you so much! Really appreciate all the help!
Hey there! You’d have to divide the dough in half after mixing, sometime before you add the mix-ins. Really at this point, though, you’re kind of doing two different batches. When I do this, I measure out and mix two completely separate batches of dough: each with their own salt and sourdough preferment (starter or levain).
If you want to mix a single batch and then divide it, be sure you thoroughly mix the salt and starter so the mass is completely homogenous. This is why i think it might be easier (and safer?) to just mix two separate batches in different bowls 🙂
Ok, sounds good. You’re very welcome, they’re really the best bunch of tools I’ve found over time for the home baker! Happy baking 🙂
When it come to the fridge retard, I have baton baskets with out the liner. When I have taken them out of fridge and tried to put them onto parchment or straight into the pan they have stuck. Should I get a liner or put more flour? I tried the rice flour and that didn’t work well ether, but that was a long time ago. Any way what would you suggest?
It depends on your baskets: if the wood pieces are spaced out too far it’ll be hard to dust them properly. If you have typical banneton baskets where the coils are very close together, try misting it lightly with water, and then evenly dusting on a layer of white rice flour. Let that dry. Then do another light dusting before you place your dough in the basket after it’s shaped.
I do prefer to use liners, though. They have some nice ones at Breadtopia.com!
This is probably a dumb question but should I be using the water at the same calculated temperature for both the autolyse and the additional approx 50g for final mix? Thank you so much- following your instructions, my bread is really improving all around!
I like to keep all my water the same temperature, even the autolyse water temp. This sets the stage for keeping the entire mass to reach that desired final dough temperature. If I’m doing a long autolyse, I’ll typically take the temperature of the dough at the end, before I add more water, and see if there’s any adjustment necessary. For example, the dough mass might have cooled off some during the autolyse and that withheld water is a good chance to do final adjustments.
Hi!
My dough seems to flatten after I remove it from the banneton to bake. Why is it not staying nice and plump?
It’s hard to say, it could be that your dough wasn’t sufficiently strengthened and/or it needed a tighter final shape. Make sure you shape the dough with enough tension that it’ll hold itself on the counter after you shape it — if it spreads out fast after you shape, it’s not strong enough.
It could also be that your loaves are over proofed. There are a few indicators your dough could be going over: sluggish rise in the oven, the score on top of the dough might not open with a nice “ear” and instead just kind of fuse together, the interior will have lots of small holes and perhaps one or two large ones near the top (but no dense areas of unfermented flour), and finally the loaf could be a little on the sour side. If you see these signs, pull back that final proof time several hours and see if that helps the dough keep its structure and rise up higher.
I hope that helps, Nithik!
Hi, can I successfully bake my dough on a baking tray with a bowl of water at the bottom of the oven, to create steam, instead of a dutch oven or combo cooker? I find them very heavy and cumbersome and I will need to purchase one.
Thanks
Yes, that’ll work quite well, Julie!
hey. this is a great forum. so ive been baking sourdough for quite a while now and i just cant get that lovely open consistent crumb throughout the whole loaf. They tend to be slightly gummy and i think the crust not fully opening up has something to do with it? I score as suggested. Does it suggest the bread is slightly too hydrated or slightly underbaked? I need to buy a thermometer to test the internal temperature but i don’t think thats the issue because the fan oven is excellent. Any help will be much appreciated. Not sure how to add pictures?
Based on the description of your loaves it could be that they are slightly underproofed. There are a few indicators your dough could be under: explosive rise in the oven, dense interior with potentially scattered large holes, and gummy texture to the interior. Finally, it’s possible the bottom of the loaf might be slightly bowed upward (like the letter “U” — the top will kind of dome).
Make sure to build your levain from a starter that’s strong and mature (meaning it’s risen to it’s peak height before you take some to use). From there, bulk fermentation is very important! Make sure your bulk fermentation goes sufficiently far, you want the dough to look smooth, it should have risen considerably, and have bubbles here and there. If you tug on the dough a bit it should offer resistance to your tugging, it’ll feel stronger.
Try to push the bulk fermentation and/or proof a bit longer and see if that helps!
Many thanks for the information. Also I’ll keep practicing!
I’ve been experimenting with yeast based bread doing retarded bulk fermentation in the fridge over 48-36hrs after an initial room temp fermentation then shaping and proofing after being back to room temp..and have been having good success…
Now I’m ready to move on to a sour dough starter and I have just made day 1 of your starter … it’s sitting in my instant pot in the fermentation mode 🤗
My question to you is what is your advice on doing retarded bulk fermentation vs retarded proofing after shaping as I don’t feel I have the fridge room to accommodate 2 shaped loaves in baskets but can a 3 l glass jar which holds the bulk fermentation.. so let’s say when my starter is ready I do the mixing and stretching and let it rise at room temp till double or 4 hrs whichever comes first then dump it into my glass jar and let it rest in fridge for 24-36 hrs then when ready to bake bring it back to room temp shape then proof at room temp .. any advice??
Many thanks
Diane
Diane — that’s great to hear! Keep at it with the starter, it’ll reward you for many years with great bread 🙂 A cold bulk is a fantastic way to make bread and I often use that approach. Check out my ciabatta bread recipe, I use a cold bulk there and you can use it as an example. Happy baking!
I just baked 2 loaves with your recipe and they tasted fantastic and looked really good. Great detailed instructions. The only thing was that there was not a lot of sourness to them (which I didn’t mind but my wife wanted more). How could I increase the amount of acidity? I left the dough in the fridge for 15 hours and used water at 80°F and followed your instructions to a T.
Glad to hear that, Arne! Here’s is what I typically recommend: There are a few things you can do to try and increase the sourness of your bread. First, you want to use your starter, and levain, when it’s very ripe. If it rises up to a certain height, let it sit there for a bit before you use it. If it starts to fall that’s ok too, just try to catch it right before, or after, it falls. That mature, ripe starter/levain has much more acidity than if used when it’s more on the “younger” side. Just be weary that your dough fermentation rate might be a bit faster than previous, keep an eye on it during bulk fermentation and divide the dough when it looks ready.
Additionally, you could try using some rye flour in your final dough mix. Rye helps stimulate more acid production for a more sour flavor. I wouldn’t go overboard on the rye, though, as the more you include the more dense your loaf will be. It’s up to you on the percentage, but even 5% plays a big role.
Finally, if you can try to push the cold proof in the fridge. There’s a limit of course, but if you could go even a few more hours you should notice more sourness.
Hi Maurizio!
A problem I seem to have over and over is my sourdough doesn’t rise much at all out of the fridge. It looks almost the same as when I put it into the fridge, even when I let it rest for a bit before I put it into the fridge. I’ll let it sit out, I check temperature, and this problems seems to keep plaguing me. If I don’t do a fridge proof, I don’t get this problem. Is there anything I can do to solve this?
This is pretty typical for a home fridge since it’s a bit too cold. Typically what I recommend is to lengthen the time you let it sit out after you shape it to get more room temp fermentation time before cooling in the fridge. Alternatively, or in combination, you could let the dough come up to room temp the next morning when you go to bake. In the end though, as long as your loaves are fully proofed to where you want them, it doesn’t matter if you let them sit out before, or after.
Hi Maurizio,
I have been baking sour dough from your recipe for several months with great success. I have been using 500gms of Bakers flour and 297gms of Rye and all other ingredients exactly the same. However with the last two loaves I’ve made I’ve ended up with huge holes in the bread. Have you any idea what could be causing this. I have changed where I purchase the flour so maybe that or could it be something to do with the starter? It still tastes good but a bit hard to make a sandwich!
Glad to hear that, Lesley! Scattered, huge holes typically is a result of under proofed dough. It could also be a lack of evenness in shaping, but I’d first look at dough that might be underproofed. Give it a bit more time after you shape it before you stick it into the fridge to see if that helps reduce those large holes!
Hi Maurizio,
If I am baking with whole grain spelt, what are some of the modifications I can make to get a good crust and a good rise? My son reacts to regular wheat but is ok with spelt, so I cannot mix any amount of wheat into the dough.
Thanks for your help 🙂
In my experience spelt is a little more sensitive to over hydrating, so I might start at an even lower hydration than my recipe above. Perhaps 5% lower to start. Additionally, I wouldn’t do much more than a 20 minute (or so) autolyse as that might bring too much extensibility to the dough — spelt is known to produce a very extensible dough (the ability for the dough to stretch out) on its own!
This is the best bread I have ever made. Incredibly detailed I really appreciate you sharing your knowledge with everyone through this amazing website. I’ve made your other whole wheat recipe and i wasn’t experienced in the technique enough to make them to the level of you but i think this is the breaking point where the light bulb has gone off. Thank you again keep up the amazing work. BAKE ON
Thanks so much for that feedback, Robert! Keep at it, baking is a craft that’s endlessly rewarding. Happy baking!
Thank you Maurizo, theis recipe is awesome. I took some sourdough classes, but lets just saw my breads were okish. Reading through your detailed recipes gave me the perfect loaf.
However, my crumb is still not there. It looked good, but it got a bit soft after getting cold. Any advise on that.
You’re very welcome! It sounds like maybe your loaf wasn’t fully baked out or you cut it too soon after coming out of the oven. Ensure the interior of your loaf is at least 208°F and I typically wait at least 1 hour before slicing (if you cut too early the interior might turn gummy). I hope that helps!