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
Quick question on the type of salt used in your recipes…I have Red Diamond in my kitchen. I think it is lighter than fone sea salt. Should I do a conversion or will it be fine to substitute? Lastly- I heard a rumor that you can increase the ‘sourness ‘ of a start by storing it in the fridge..any truth to that?
Hi Maurizio, So far so good. Two loaves in the fridge to bake tomorrow. Definitely experienced a lot of what other people are commenting about, my biggest concern is lack of bubble or air in dough. My starter and levain is spelt flour and all purpose and had definite activity. This time I used All purpose, whole wheat and a little rye flour. Feel of dough felt great during stretching phase. I may have over handled during the divide and pre-shape stage, more flour on hands and board would have helped- I tend to not want to over flour.
My biggest question is- Can I bake the loaves on my stone in the oven with a steam water/ice baking sheet under it? and if I can- does the temperature still change and the time still the same?
My first attempt (different recipe) the loaf was good- taste, texture. My scoring needs improvement:) and it was dense, no air holes in the loaf?
Thank you so much- I hope to have some nice bread?
posted on wrong post;/
Baked the loaves- both turned out great, I have nice bubbles, good height, crust is fantastic- still need to work on my scoring, and tastes amazing. Thank you for your blog, I am now a loyal follower:)
Al turned out on stone with steam underneath.
looking forward to next batch:)
Hi! Did you remove the steam tray at any point or leave it in for the duration?
Hello! I tried out this recipe and it came out pretty good. My bread came out. A little gummy though. Would it come out less gummy if I add more whole wheat and less bread flour?
If the hydration is too high for your dough it can lead to an overly wet or gummy interior. If the dough feels “soupy” or very “slack” then try pulling back the water percentage by 5% and see if that helps.
Make sure to bake your loaves completely. The interior should register around 208°F or higher.
If your loaf is under proofed then this will typically lead to a gummy or “wet” textured interior. Make sure your starter and levain are very vigorous and strong when you use them. This is very important! From there, make sure to bulk ferment your dough fully (use the images you see in my posts to guide you on what the dough should look/feel like). You want the dough to be alive and aerated before you divide and shape. From there, a full and complete proof is also very important.
Hello! Getting ready to bake and there was no change to the dough overnight?! It is super dense and not light airy or springy. I am guessing this is from the bulk fermentation phase? Can I leave the second loaf out a little before baking? Would that help?
I had no faith but it turned out amazing!!! I didn’t leave it out/trusted the process… thank you so much!!
Excellent, glad to hear that! You can always leave it out a bit in the morning if you feel it needs more room temp fermentation time as well.
Hi Maurizio, the loaves are turning out great thanks to your detailed explanation. I have one quick question: What is the minimum time any of the loaves should rest in the fridge prior to baking? And what would you say the max time is? Do you only use the “slap and fold” technique on breads that contain more rye or spelt?
Thank you for this beautiful site.
There’s no set max/min time in the fridge as it really depends on the dough and how far along it is when you place it inside. Generally, I find I can do overnight for sure, but also 24 more hours without significant issue. The longer you go in the fridge, the more sour the flavor and, eventually, less rise.
I use the slap/fold on almost all of my doughs!
Thank you for your guides! I used your site to create a starter from rye flour in the beginning of easter, and today I made my first loaf. It was delicious, airy and a hard crust! It was so amazing. I expected it to be a bit more sour, so I will try to achieve that for my next loaf.
Any advice on increasing the acidity of the loaf? Longer proofing? Starve my levain a little? Or starve my starter before making a levain? More rye? I’m still not sure what triggers the production of acidity…
Anyways, thank you so much!
That’s great to hear, Kristian! 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 use it 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. Just know that the more rye you include the more dense your loaf will be as rye does have the same gas-trapping capabilities as traditional wheat. 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.
Thank you for the reply, I will try these tips the next time!
Hi,
Thanks so much for the recipes. I’m currently baking my fourth loaf of this! They have got progressively better and now I’m happy with the crumb, taste, crust etc. However, despite shaping the loaf when I put into cold fermentation it seems to spread out. When I then put it in my cast iron pot it fills it completely like it’s very slack. The dough still has a skin on it. Any ideas?
Glad to hear that, Hannah! It sounds like your dough needs to be shaped tighter and it needs more structure in general. Be sure to shape it tight enough so it holds itself on the counter after you shape it — it should be a nice taut round with a clean, smooth surface on top. Check out my guide to shaping a round loaf for an in-depth look at this!
First, let me say thank you! I’ve asked several questions on here, and you always answer quickly, patiently, and with so much knowledge! So, much thanks! Second, I made the beginner’s sourdough bread today. It didn’t rise very much during bulk fermentation, and I’m used to really kneading dough for quite some time, so I was wondering if that’s why. There doesn’t appear to be much kneading in your recipe, other than the three stretches during bulk fermentation. Did I miss something? How long do you work your flour and water together during the autolyse phase? Maybe that was it? Or is there some reason your recipe doesn’t require kneading? If that’s not why mine didn’t rise, I guess it’s back to the drawing board … Thanks for your help!
You’re very welcome. This recipe doesn’t require much strengthening because it’s moderate hydration and uses really strong flour (bread flour). It’s also pretty hard to over mix/knead this recipe, unless you’re really forcing it and pushing hard (rare). When mixing for the autolyse, it’s really just to incorporation and no dry bits of flour remaining. If you didn’t see any rise in bulk fermentation (even if you over-mixed, you’d see some rise) perhaps your starter was used before it was mature that morning, or in general, you need to focus on fermentation and ensure temperatures are nice and warm for the dough. That’d be my guess!
I’m sure this isn’t an original idea – It’s cold here in KC so I’ve been using my seed germinating mat to keep my starter at the correct temp. The mat creates an ambient temp of between 75 – 80 degrees. It’s worked well. Made my first sourdough loaf today using your methods and it turned out great!!! Thanks so much for this site – its fantastic!
Yes, that’s a super good idea — works very well! Glad the recipe worked out well for you, enjoy!
I tried this recipe today. I followed the recipe exactly. The loaves were baked in a le cruset cast iron skillet at the recommended temperature with fan on. However, my loaf ended up really hard with the base and top burnt. Do I need to reduce the temperature slightly if I’m using the oven with a fan ?
Also, how do I tweak the recipe such that I can build the Levain over night ? I realised that I’m short of about 10 gms of Levain.
Can the proof In the fridge be longer than 16 hours ?
Yes, I’d reduce the baking temperature, likely by 50F, if you’re using convection.
Check out my simple weekday bread to get an idea on how you can build a long running levain. That recipe has it scheduled for the daytime, but you could do this exact thing at night.
For this recipe, longer than 16 hours would likely work just fine, perhaps up to 24 hours.
Hi Maurizio,
I’ve tried this recipe three times, though I haven’t had much success. Here is the second:https://imgur.com/a/rk8C5lo and latest attempt: https://imgur.com/a/ZgQJPU0. The first picture in the second link is when I stopped bulk fermentation (4 hours and 20 minutes).
I created the starter according to your specs, it’s 2 weeks old, I’ve switched it to 100% type 0 flour 12.5g protein after day 11.
My whole wheat has 12g of protein, my rye has 9, my bread flour is a manitoba tipo 0 15.5%. I used bottled water.
Starter was at its peak, just barely starting to go down when used and it passed the float test. Levain was young, bubbly and more than doubled (7 hours) and it passed the float test as well. Autolyse went on for 3 hours in the last attempt, 1 hour in the second. Dough temp was 24-25 throughout, in the second attempt I did 6 sets of stretch and folds, in the third only 3 as instructed, both times dough seemed to have passed the windowpane test. Dough didn’t really feel ljiggly, maybe the bulk was too short, even though the temperature should have been correct. 16h retard in a 2.5 °C fridge. Cooked in a dutch oven as instructed.
I really want to get a good result, though I would like to understand what I’m doing wrong, if you have any advice, please let me know. Thank you!
Alessandro – Based on your images it could be that they are slightly under proofed. 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. I’d say this might be the spot where things went awry with your dough — give it longer in bulk if it needs, it should rise well, be jiggly in the bowl, bubbly. You want it to look alive!
Next time give it another 30 minutes or so in bulk and I think you’ll get a better result. Keep me posted!
Thank you very much, Maurizio. From what I could tell, I did use my starter at peak and it did pass the float test, could it be that my starter, being young (2 weeks old) is not yet up to top efficiency and needs more time in bulk? Is there a way to strengthen the starter (without using whole wheat, I do have rye) or just regular feedings plus time will take care of it? Since it’s gotten colder these days, I’m doing a 1:4:4.
Depending on how the starter is feeling in the following days, I’ll definitely try again, thanks for describing how bulk fermentation should look, you’ve been extremely helpful thus far!
Hi Maurizio, following your advice, here’s the result: https://imgur.com/a/dSgMdtq
Temperature was 78 °F on average +-2 °F, bulk went on for 4.5 hours, it’s my best loaf so far but I still think the crumb needs work. Was the bulk too long/short? Did I tighten the boule too much while shaping?
Hi Maurizio, this is the result after following your advice: https://imgur.com/a/dSgMdtq. Temperature was 78°F +-2°F for 4.5 hours of bulk. Is it under/overproofed? Did I shape too tightly? Forgot to add, as well, that I did the Rubaud method of scooping the dough for around 10 mins after mixing in the levain, don’t know if this was a mistake.
Hi Maurizio!
Thanks so much for taking the time to post this step by step guide!
Question im hoping you have time to answer – im in the middle of preparing my sourdough to bake tomorrow. At bulk fermentation step after mixing everything together the dough is very sticky doesn’t hold a strong form after mixing everything especially after adding the remaining water. In your pictures it looks like at that point the dough holds together well and folds easily (mine looks like a very wet dough). Is that normal? I followed exact gram measurements.
It might be that your flour can’t take on as much water, but that’s ok. Just give it as many sets of stretch and folds during bulk as needed. Those sets will strengthen and smooth the dough over the course of bulk fermentation — that’ll help offset the stickier dough. Hope this helps!
It stayed sticky throughout – when i compare it to your images/video for example of the shaping yours was much more sturdy/not sticky while mine ended up being extremely sticky and wet throughout – made it extremely difficult to fold it at the end and shape it. Does that mean i should change the ratio of ingredients?
You could try reducing the hydration a bit to bring about a stronger dough. I’d say leave out that 50g reserved water altogether. Also, give it another set or two of stretch and folds during bulk fermentation.
Hi Maurizio,
Thank you so much for all of your help! I successfully baked my first loaf last weekend using this recipe. I was wondering, though, if there is a way to make the crust a little bit less tough and thick? I really like how my loaf turned out otherwise, but the crust was pretty hard both on the top and bottom and I would love a slightly softer one. I was thinking maybe I could keep my combo cooker lid on for longer, but I wanted to see if you had any recommendations. Again, thank you so much!
Glad it helped! Check out my guide to baking in a Dutch oven, lots of tips and techniques there to help alleviate that thick crust issue 🙂
Hello — I am preparing to make bread this Saturday and I’m a little confused on the bakers percentages of the starter and water. In the total formula, you say that the hydration is 78 percent which make sense, but then the starter percentage is so minimal. Shouldn’t the starter be closer to 20-25 percent? When do the bakers percentages come into play? Before or after the Levain is made? I am just a little confused on the percentages. I want to be able to try and play with the formula a little to see how I can make the bread better.
Hey, Alex. I’m working on a post right now that explains baker’s percentages and how I use them — keep an eye out for that, should hopefully be out sometime soon. In the meantime, that “starter” line in the Total Formula chart is the amount of sourdough starter needed overall, which is just a small bit because we’re making a dedicated levain for this recipe, which will be a much larger preferment (and is closer to 20%).
Baker’s percentages come into play everywhere! If you look at the Total Formula table, that’s it, everything. I split it out into two other tables to hopefully make things more clear, but perhaps it’s not so. The Levain Build AND Dough Mix, added together, will give you the Total Formula.
So if you wanted to tweak things, work on the Total Formula table. Hope this helps!
Hi Maurizio
I baked my first sourdough loaf, the taste is great however it is quite chewy and did not rise that much. I’d appreciate any suggestions to help troubleshoot what I need to change next time. Here is a summary of what I did: built starter using your starter recipe, on 9th day of starter, started to make first loaf. Took levain from starter that was about 12 hours old & 78F, followed recipe above. Dough didn’t rise much at Bulk Fermentation, it was 78F. When I took proof from fridge the next morning, it didn’t look like it rose much. Baked in dutch oven at suggested temps and temps. Bread did rise when baked. Temp of bread when I removed from oven was 206F.
I live in Alberta Canada, elevation 3400ft. Any suggestions?
Same thing happen to me today.
See my reply above, Rebekkah!
Based on the description of your loaves it could be that they are slightly under proofed. There are a few indicators your dough could be under: explosive rise in the oven (although not always the case!), 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.
How large is the dutch oven/combo cooker you use for loaves of this size? is it possible to have a dutch oven that is too big for these loaves?
I used a 5qt oval dutch oven and that worked well. But there is another page where Maurizio talks about using a 5-3/4qt Staub oval (and 3.2 Quart Lodge Combo Cooker) and that looks amazing! https://www.theperfectloaf.com/how-to-bake-bread-in-a-dutch-oven/
It’s the same one listed on my baking tools page, 3.2 qt. No, I wouldn’t say it could be too large at all, the key is to just be sure steam is trapped inside during baking.
Ciao Maurizio!
I’ve made two beginner loaves and so far, so good. I know I’ve stated before but I can’t say it enough: Your website/instructions/replies are top notch – so thank you again! Curiosity Question: When mixing in the salt and additional water after autolyse, why not dissolve the salt into the water first? Logically, it seems like it would incorporate more evenly. What am I missing? ALSO – Can one add a tad more salt for additional flavor or will this affect the chemistry/bake? Thanks!
Glad to hear that and thanks, much appreciated! You can definitely dissolve the salt in some of the mixing water, many bakers I know do this. I usually put the salt on top and pour the water right on top, and as long as it’s of fine granularity, it dissolves rather quickly. But yes, it’s a concern to be sure the salt is properly distributed throughout the dough.
You can add more salt, yes, but it does affect fermentation. I typically hover around 1.8-2%, but you could go up to 2.3% (perhaps higher) if you wanted — expect a slower moving dough in terms of fermentation the higher you go. Generally it’s rare to see a recipe with salt higher than 2.4% or so (at least for me!).
Hope that helps and happy baking!
As always, GRAZIE! Your answers are so helpful. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with all of us! Much appreciated! 🙂
Density, flour questions:
– what can impact density of the final product
– what is the impact of adding vs not using rye flour in the mixture e.g what if I don’t use rye but sub for more WW or Bread flour or even AP flour
Hey, Gigi. Many things can affect the density: fermentation, shaping, flour, hydration, handling. I like adding a little rye to this recipe but it’s not strictly mandatory — I find rye, even in small percentages, adds significant flavor (it presents as more sourness/complexity) and adds color to the crust. The higher you go in rye flour, though, the more dense the final loaf will be as rye doesn’t have the same gas-trapping proteins as wheat does. Hope that helps!
Thank you for outlining in such detail such a lovely recipe/method for your fellow sourdough lovers and bakers, new and not so new! I had what I would call a successful bake the first time I followed this recipe, however, I have some questions (I have scoured the comments to see if anyone else has the same, and didn’t find any). First is when I mix the original dough for the autolyse, and I hold back 50 grams of the water, mine seems to take a lot of work to get the flour incorporated, and it doesn’t look as wet as yours does in the picture. When I add the levain, salt, and the 50g of water, and try to incorporate it, the water take quite a bit of work, and the dough goes through a sort of slimy ropey stage before it get to looking smoother. Everything there seemed to smooth out as the dough relaxed during bulk, and stretch and folds.
The other question I have is about the resting uncovered for 25 minutes before final shaping. Mine developed a dry skin, so when I shaped, it was having a crackling effect.
I think when I first made this bread, I had forgotten to hold back the 50g of water, thus perhaps that’s why I don’t remember encountering the strange mixing problems I mentioned earlier? Also, I don’t recall the skin on the rested dough, which makes me think I covered with a damp cloth or went right into shaping. If you have time, (I know you’re busy answering lots and lots of questions), I would love some feedback. Also if anyone else reading this has feedback for me, I’d love it!
You’re very welcome, Emily! If you need a little of that 50g reserved water upfront, go for it — use some of it as needed. Just be sure you keep a little to help incorporate the salt in, later (or add a little more water if necessary). It’s common for the dough to kind of break apart a little at various phases of mixing.
If your dough is exposed to a draft, cover it with inverted bowls while it’s resting in preshape. You can use a damp cloth as well!
Hope this helps!
Hi Maurizio,
I just made my first sourdough which turned out pretty great! By making my starter and breads I blasted through my flour supply. Now I’m diving into the wild world of flour types and am searching for which flours are a good base to have at home.
One of the local millers here in the Netherlands sells far too many types but I was thinking of getting German T550 (AP basically), stone ground whole grain, German rye T1050, and Italian Manitoba type 0 flour (high protein for great gluten, so I’m told). Are these a good start or should I skip one of types? I still have some whole grain spelt at home.
Thanks for your tips and suggestions! After being away from sourdough for a while I’m totally hooked again!
Awesome, Dave! Yes, those sound like excellent flours if you can get them — that’s pretty much the same varieties I keep here on hand.
Your bake really did go well (I looked at the pictures you linked below). Nice to see a beautiful crust like that!
Have fun and happy baking, Dave.
Hello, I am on my fourth attempt of sourdough and first attempt with your reciepe and my loaf is still super thin after taking out of the fridge 😢 what do I do wrong? My levain seemed to be very strong and I did the streches …
It’s very hard to say without more detail!
Sorry, right! The dough does not rise a lot when left to proving and in the oven, it does not rise nicely, almost not at all to be frank … It has a very nice taste but is never rising like in the recipes with open crust etc…
I think my starter and levain are strong, I add it when it’s doubled etc …
The thing is after the fermentation 4-5 hours the dough is still very very sticky even on a floured surface and does not stay good together.
Thank you for replying and all the blog posts! It is amazing, I hope I manage to master my bread skills soon, I learned so much already thanks to your content!!
Also, I don’t have a cast iron dish so I just put a tray with hot water on the bottom and preheat the oven with another tray where I’d put the dough to bake in
Hi Maurizio,
I just made my first sourdough which turned out pretty great (of course I took pictures)! By making my starter and breads I blasted through my flour supply. Now I’m diving into the wild world of flour types and am searching for which flours are a good base to have at home.
One of the local millers here in the Netherlands sells far too many types but I was thinking of getting German T550 (AP basically), stone ground whole grain, German rye T1050, and Italian Manitoba type 0 flour (high protein for great gluten, so I’m told). Are these a good start or should I skip one of types? I still have some whole grain spelt at home.
Thanks for your tips and suggestions! After being away from sourdough for a while I’m totally hooked again!
Hey Maurizio,
Great website thanks so much my first sourdough went really well! Except when I finished cooking the paper was stuck to the loaf. Should I oil it to avoid this?
Glad to hear that, Hayley! I haven’t seen this happen a single time to any of my loaves, but a few bakers have said this happened to them. Oiling would work as would perhaps trying a different brand? It seems some are more susceptible to high heat than others. Hope that helps!
Hello, when I reach Steps 5&6 my dough is so sticky. It looks nothing like the photos, more like Step 2. I can’t figure out what I’m doing wrong.
Anna, I replied to your question below — hold back a bit more water!
Hi, I just have whole wheat flour and all purpose flour now. Will this recipe work with whole wheat flour too? Thanks
Yes, that will work just fine — sub out the bread flour and use all-purpose. Use whole wheat for the whole wheat and rye flour in the recipe.