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
Maurizio, thank you for sharing many of your sourdough baking experiences. I apologize if this question has been asked before. I would like to add rosemary (and possibly other herbs in the future) to the beginners recipe. What is the timing, would I need to do the entire recipe or just one loaf? The amount? And, can I add a salt dusting on top without affecting the chemistry?Thank you!
I add rosemary at the end of mixing and gently massage it in with a splash of water. I typically use rosemary in a low percentages, perhaps 1-2%, but this is personal preference. You can always divide all the ingredients in half and just make one loaf! Sprinkling salt on top will cause no issues at all. Happy baking, Kate!
Maurizio, did you update the recipe? The amounts on the first formula are not the same as I used to bake and the levain is only 3.75%, it used to be 20%. Also, the amounts in this first formula/table are not the same as in the text…
I slightly updated the formula, but nothing big. But I DID rearrange the tables. Now each step shows what’s called for in the step itself (instead of a large table up top) to help when you’re in the kitchen. The levain is still around 20%, that’s the 3.75% of starter needed to make the levain build, shown a bit below that. Sorry for the confusion, it’s just a rearranging!
Thank you kindly for such an informative site Maurizio. I have one comment and one question. First comment is that I found this beginners recipe quite forgiving. It was very hot here, for some reason I didn’t make enough levin following this recipe, therefore I added 2 gr dry yeast also. Then I over bulk fermented and so before shaping I put it all in the fridge overnight. Next morning I shaped and let it proof in the baskets, then baked. It was the most superb bread I’ve made! Who could have guessed this from a novice?? So my question is why am I consistently not getting the 184gr of leaven when I am following the recipe to a T? Today I got 174 but previously I have got less. I have been supplementing with some dry commercial yeast and it is fine.
Ingrid I’ve had the same problem twice! I call it the case of the disappearing levin! First time I followed the recipe and when it came time to add to the dough it came out to 141g. The second time I increased all the ingredients to build the levin by 5g and still only came to 160g. It sat on the counter for 5 hours, rose and fell nicely and passed the float test. It’s probably something simple but so perplexing, hopefully someone here can help 🙂
See my reply above, Hafeeza 🙂
This is pretty common, and sometimes you’ll get a bit of loss on the spatula, jar, etc. I’d say it’s generally not an issue, I just try to get as much out of the jar and off any tools as possible. If you find you’re really short, add a few grams of water and flour to the levain when you mix it up to add a little more mass.
The funny thing is, I use to build in a little “buffer” like this in the recipes, then people would wonder why there’s excess 🙂 It’s ok to be a little under or a little over as long as it’s not excessive (15g might be pushing it).
Thank you!!! Is it ok to add the ‘missing’ mass from leftover starter? I’ll definitely build in more buffer the next time.
Yes, that’ll work!
Hi everybody! I’ve been checking others comments but don’t find the question I’ve, which is about the pre-shape method, I really don’t get what is need to be done there. I normally try to make a taut ball or the pushing with your little finger holding, can somebody tell how is the process here exactly?
Other than that, I’m surprised to find that the official hydration of a dough counts the amount of water in the levain! Other bakers count only the water added to the dough, and so in that case I guess this is a 60% hydratation right?
As the issues I had, I used whole spelt instead of whole wheat and rye, and a drizzle olive oil (does that change much?), and so when mixing the halved amount of flour (for 1 loaf) with the 300 gr water it was basically imposible to get all dough incorporated, so I had to add 15 ml which was not enough neither and left a very crumbly and rough dough through the whole process (weird isn’t it?). Then more water adding the SD (whole wheat) and salt. Then after 5 (!) s&f and 4 h total bulk, When pre shaping and shaping I was surprised to see, specially after placing in the proofing bowl, that when sealing/pinching/folding to create more surface tension, it would break! My dough has been sticky and kinda over fermented all this time, which really frustrates me 🙁 What could have gone wrong? My kitchen is around 25 degrees (outside it’s 32), my starter was ready and despite its roughness there was quite strength and tightness. Put in the fridge for 7 h, then outside for 4h where finally start rising but as I saw bubbles and this “over proofing” look, springing back started to fail to the end, so I didn’t wait longer. Should I’ve? It’s also tricky to incorporate levain to a dry dough which might have been the reason, maybe it’s more important to mix properly and develop some gluten already? (Even did some slap&fold when adding more water)
My loaf rose a tiny bit more than other times, but it still doesn’t get big wholes at all and still very humid in the inside, to the point that I want to give up haha
Thanks again for such an intensive guide tho!! May I encourage you to make a whole beginners video? 😀 It’d help us to understand the gluten development and targeted textures of every step 🙂
Hey, Paula! Use whatever preshape method you like to get the divided dough into a reasonably taut round, ready for shaping after a “bench rest.” I like to use both hands to sort of drag the dough toward me while my pinky fingers pinch it against the work surface — sounds similar to what you’re doing.
Yes, the water in the levain is counted toward the hydration calculation. The total hydration for this recipe is 72%.
It sounds like maybe you over hydrated the dough a bit, but it’s hard to say for sure. I’d try to follow my recipe exactly if you cant. Using whole spelt in place of the whole wheat and rye is fine, but try to stick to the dough temperatures and all else and see how it goes!
Maurizio, Thanks for guidance here and this fantastic beginners recipe. I have followed it 3 times and I am getting the hang of baking great bread. I also discovered having burnt the bottom a few times, that another simple solution to not burning the bottom of a loaf while using the dutch oven is to place a cookie or baking sheet under the dutch oven.
Hey, Dave! Thanks for the feedback — yes, that works really well! I need to add it to my baking in a Dutch oven guide (I just checked, i do have it there!). Happy baking!
Great site– thanks! A quick question about timing: how do you get a starter at its peak first thing in the morning? Even if I feed mine late at night, it peaks in about 5-6 hours, and it’s past its prime by the time I want to bake in the morning. Is there a way to slow it down? Is it OK to use it for the levain build when it’s past its peak (since it will rise back up in the levain)?
You can slow the rate of ripening by leaving less starter in the jar the night before. It’s ok to use it when it’s a little past it’s peak ripeness, but getting it as close there is preferred for this recipe!
SaraM
Thanks for this great site! I have a question about timing: since you start the levain build with mature starter, when do you feed it? If I feed the very last thing before going to bed in the evening, mine is still past its prime by first thing in the morning (peaks around 5-6 hours, while I sleep more like 8-9!). is there any way to slow down the starter (but not as slow as putting it in the fridge)? Does the starter need to pass a float test before going in to the levain build, or will it build back up in the levain?
Hey, Sandy. You can slow the ripening of your starter by leaving less ripe starter in the jar when you feed it at night. Keep reducing that amount until you find it still needing time in the morning.
Hey Maurizio! Thank you, I have also made this recipe 4 times and it has come out well each time, getting better and better. Really appreciate it as a new baker. Question: I follow your recipe to a tee (halving it each time to only make one loaf) and I never get the correct weight of levain to materialize.
IE according to the recipe, I’m supposed to end up with and use 92g levain, but I was only able to scrape out 82g/83g consistently from it. The bread has been good regardless…any idea whether that means I’m supposed to let the levain rise longer, or whether that’s fine, or whether I am doing something wrong? Not sure how much difference 10g of levain could make haha! Thanks.
I think he uses 20% of the total flour for levain. So, if you are making a bread that has 1000g of flour, your levain would be 200g. You have to do the math with your total grams of flour. I’ve seen recipes that were used 15%, 20% , or even 25% of levain. So, I assume that 10g off wouldn’t make too big of a difference in your bread.
If you’re unable to get more levain, I would suggest just adding more equal parts of water and flour. Idk what ratio you are doing, but I do 1:5:5 and I get plenty for my bread.
That’s pretty typical, sometimes it’ll come up short as some is inevitably lost on the utensils, jar, etc. You could add a bit extra flour and water the night before when you do your levain build if you want to get it right on, but usually it’s not an issue 🙂
I’ve made this recipe 4 times now and each time it has come out amazing! I was completely new to bread baking and your site has helped me so much. Thanks for all the hard work you put into it!!!
I made this bread the first time and left it to proof outside the fridge overnight on accident! I still cooked it and it was still really good! It was also the first loaf of bread I have ever made! I have to admit I was quite intimidated with this site at first with all the the percentages and dough weights but found that it really came in handy! I am making it a second time today and retarding it in the fridge. I even used your starter recipe and created my own starter from scratch! It really is fun to do! Thank you for all your information and I love the video tutorials!
I was wondering what percentage of add-ins this recipe could handle?
Hey, Kelly! Depends on the mix-in. I’d go with 15% nuts (walnuts, pecans) or 10% dried fruit (apricot, cherry, cranberry). You might need to add a splash of water when adding them during bulk fermentation.
Recipe is complete shit.
Proofing in the fridge overnight will result in literally 0 yeast activity and dense, gummy loaf. Unless you want to prove it for about 2 solid weeks.
The hydration is too high, the loaf sticks to parchment paper completely coated in flour during the proving time, making it impossible to actually take the shaped loaf out of the proofing basket in any shape that remotely resembles a loaf. A cloth linen is even worse. Need to do proofing in the pan you plan to bake it in.
Ryan, I’m not understanding your problems with the recipe. Did you use the fridge for both bulk and second fermentation? Bulk fermentation is supposed to be at 25-27 Celsius. The fridge is only used for second fermentation.
As fot the parchment paper, did you use it inside the proofing basket? I believe parchment paper is meant for use between the unbaked loaf and the pan you will use… also, depending on the paper we’re using it will stick to the bottom of your loaf (I cant use any of the parchment papers that I can find here where I live), no matter what I do (olive oil, flour, etc etc). I use some kind of non stick reusable mat (similiar to Silpat).
Another question, did you use the same flours as Maurizio? According to your outcome, your flour probably can’t handle high hidration – try decreasing the water to 60-65%.
This recipe is pretty good, you probably need to adjust your techniques. Sourdough baking can be pretty tricky sometimes!
Hey, Ryan! Sounds like your loaf was likely underproofed. Yes, the fridge will slow things down considerably, but you’ll still have some fermentation activity in there as it cools and rests overnight. 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 — it should look alive. If you tug on the dough a bit it should offer resistance to your tugging, it’ll feel stronger. Give the dough the time it needs in bulk fermentation! If you have to give it another 30m or hour to see these signs, do so. It’s important for this step to go sufficiently far for the dough to have enough fermentation activity before its proof.
As far as hydration: leave water out of the mix! This is an adjustment we almost always need to make as bakers depending on the flour we’re using. Try leaving out 50g of the water next time, this should help tremendously.
Hope that helps, give it another go!
Hi! I made my first loaf yesterday. I followed everything exactly as explained, down to the type of flour you use (Bob’s red mill artisan) but my loaves came out very dense. It had the lovely “bubbles” but it wasn’t at all light and airy. Do you have any suggestions?
Hi Erin! I believe that dense bread without bubbles is due to low fermentation… was your levain active? What temperature was your kitchen during bulk fermentation? Did you see bubbles after bulk?
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, 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 — it should look alive. If you tug on the dough a bit it should offer resistance to your tugging, it’ll feel stronger. Give the dough the time it needs in bulk fermentation! If you have to give it another 30m or hour to see these signs, do so. It’s important for this step to go sufficiently far for the dough to have enough fermentation activity before its proof.
Thank you so much for all the work you put into this site, it’s fantastic! I just pulled this bread out of my oven and it looks great! Thank you for the very easy-to-follow recipe.
You’re very welcome! Enjoy 🙂
Hi! Is there a video of this step somewhere? Or could you please describe it some more? I don’t quite get it :/: “Lightly flour your other hand and using both the knife and your hand turn each half of dough on the counter while lightly pulling the dough towards you“
Watch the ‘Shaping your Boule’ video (link in on this page), it shows you perfectly how to do it (I had the same question as you!)
Found it. Thank you!!!
Hi Maurizio,
Thank you for your awesome blog and recipes! I had great success with this recipe using the Central Milling Artisanal flour. However, when I tried it the second time using the Giusto’s unbleached artisanal bread flour, it didn’t seem to rise as well compare to the central Milling flour. I also did not add all the 50g of water for the final mix as I thought the dough looked ok. My question is: is it possible that the Giusto’s bread flour does not have enough protein for sourdough? (Unfortunately I just got a 50lb bag from restaurant depot). Is it possible to add anything if protein content is the issue? Or was it the final 50g water I didn’t add to the dough?
Thank you so much for your help!
Antonia
Wish I can attach my photo….bread ca
me out very delicious and perfectly looking. Thank you for your detailed recipe and step by step for unprofessional bakers.
Excellent, Inna! Happy to help and enjoy your wonderful bread 🙂
Hi Maurizio. First of all, thank you for such an easy detailed recipe. I was putting off making my own bread for ages due to feeling overwhelmed every time I look at a recipe. I’m finally going to try this out.
I have a question about skipping the fridge proof as I need to bake early in the morning and going to shape the dough before proofing at about 10pm since I had to go out this morning.
Do I still proof it in the fridge although I will only have left it for about 10 hours? Or do I leave it to proof overnight not in the fridge?
Thanks again 🙂
You’re welcome, Roberta. You can do it! I find once people get started, they cant stop — and what’s the worst that’ll happen? It’ll turn out just fine.
Yes, after you shape the dough in the evening or at night, cover the proofing baskets, place in the fridge overnight, and bake any time the next day. It’s ok to bake it first thing in the morning, afternoon, or even the evening.
Happy baking!
Awesome! Thanks a lot! Going well. Dough is a bit wet but I think if I let it sit a little bit longer it will be fine. Fingers crossed.
Thanks for a terrific recipe! I love the formula to figure out the water temp. to get the target FDT. I’m unclear on water temp for the levain build, though. Can you provide any insight?
Usually for making the levain, I heat the levain mixing water to the DDT/FDT I’m after for the levain itself. It’s such a small amount the water carries more significance!
Hi @maurizioleo:disqus,
first of all thanks for the blog with such detailed guides and explanations.
I’m new to sourdough bread making and I’ve been following this recipe to the t.
However, I since discovered that the flours I use (from local producers in Portugal) are quite different from yours.
The white wheat ones have at most 4% protein and whole wheat is around 11%.
The crusts usually turn out pretty good and the flavour is pretty nice too, but the crumbs are quite dense.
Also, the bread doesn’t seem to rise very much once it goes in the oven (I tried both the dutch oven and steam generation methods you describe).
I tried reducing hydration (to as much as 60%) and also kneading a little bit (through slap and fold) after the final mixing but I haven’t noticed any meaningful difference.
While proofing I notice that the dough is quite sticky and when I dump it in the counter it sticks a lot to the container, thus ‘breaking’ the dough and making it almost impossible to get that smooth surface when shaping.
Any other tips that you can think of?
this was sort of happening for me at first too, so I tried slap and fold during the mixing step itself. pinch in the starter enough that it’s incorporated a bit, and then slap and fold for a few minutes until it’s quite strong and the starter is mostly combined. this may be ill advised, i’ve seen other comments about slap and fold causing peoples dough to collapse but it worked for me. worth a try!
Thank you, I’ll give that a try in 2/3 days when I bake again.
My dough seems to lack strength so I guess more slap and fold won’t hurt.
With protein percentages that low you will have a hard time creating a dough strong enough to have an open and airy interior. The protein percentage alone does not dictate whether the flour is good or not for baking bread, but a protein percentage below 10% is typically not used for bread in the way I show here. Reducing the hydration is a good move, and you could try kneading a little before bulk fermentation, but I fear you’re likely pushing the limit with the flour you have. You could also try increasing the levain percentage, switching to a cold bulk fermentation, or bake bread that direct process (no overnight proof) to bring more strength to the dough — this would require experimentation!
Thanks for the suggestions, I’ll try experimenting with some of them.
I feared that the flour was the main culprit but it’s a bit strange as I guess other local bakers (and bakeries) are using the same flours to bake bread. I’ll try reaching out to some of them for tips.
Do you have any other guide or any external reference that would be more suitable to bake bread with low protein flours?
Glad to hear this, Allysen! Try pushing the cold proof a bit longer, perhaps 4-6 hours, and see if that helps bring more sourness.
How has sourdough bread become so difficult and scientific? My grandma used to do this almost daily with no scale, no thermometer, no percentages, no measuring cups, no plastic wrap, and no fancy terms. She just added a scoop of sourdough starter to flour and added water as needed until it felt right. She kneaded it, let it rise covered with an old flour sack, stuck it in a pan, punched it down, let it rise, and put it in the oven until it sounded hollow when she thumped it. It was delicious every time! Granted, she perfected her technique during the Depression with an unemployed husband, 5 kids and no money, but it seems like this process has become so technical that it takes the joy out of bread-making.
Did somebody make you read it?
Hey, Kathi! Ahh, there are so many ways to make wonderful bread. In its simplest form, just mix flour, water, salt, your starter and let it rise until ready to bake. No temps, no spreadsheets. People have been making bread in this way for thousands of years, of course. My approach involves a little more rigor to help increase consistency, especially in the home kitchen where temperatures fluctuate wildly and the lack of consistent baking schedule can make things more unpredictable. For me, I’m after a certain type of bread, and sharing my methods here which involve a measurement here and there, a spreadsheet to facilitate changes, and lengthy write-ups to help others get a firm grasp on the process, help me and others get there. But this doesn’t mean it’s the only way to bake great bread at home — my grandma would look at my measurements and spreadsheets and brush them aside. And that’s just fine — we all have our own bread journey. Happy baking!
I for one certainly love this recipe. I’m still new to sourdough, actually baking in general, and I cannot recommend this recipe enough to people who are new to baking. Your grandmother without using fancy terms or utensils probably knew the flour very well and the consistency of the dough, but for people who are new, it’s a very difficult process to just guesstimate everything. This recipe and many other recipes Maurizio writes brings the joy of baking into our family 🙂
Makes me happy to hear I could help, Andrea!
Over 2300 comments so I doubt my questions will see fruitation. My autolyse didn’t get all the dry saturated, seem like not enough water. Next time I will be wetting hands before working. i am lost as too how much mixing to do both at autolyse origination, and when incorporating the levain, salt, and water. Next thing I question is the mixing at levain addition, is that one of the 3 folding stages? Is over folding a bad thing? I feel clumps in the dough and not seeing much stretch. The bowl leaves the counter when I try to stretch. any advice would be great. Thanks
Rick, try bringing over some of that held back water into the autolyse mix as needed. You might be in a climate much like mine, or your flour needs a little more water. Add the levain, salt, and reserved water after the Autolyse step, in the Mix step. If the dough doesn’t want to stretch out and fold over stop giving it these sets during bulk fermentation, it’s likely strong enough.
thanks, I have been having a much better go of things.
Hi, Love the visuals and steps. For #3, why do you add the levain, salt and water at the same time? What’s the reasoning for this? Rather than doing the levain + flour + water, then after resting, adding in salt + water.
Bruce — you can hold back the salt a bit in mixing if you’d like, I often do this as well. For this recipe I don’t find it necessary because the dough is so strong I only need one mixing/strengthening step.
Hi!
I just tried to shape the dough, but it was absolutely impossible. Everything stuck to my fingers and everywhere else. Where did I go wrong? I guess I shouldn’t have added the last 50g of water before bulk fermentation?
I just tossed the dough back into a bowl and put it into the fridge…
It sounds like your dough is most likely over hydrated. Try reducing the hydration by 10% and give it another go — the reduced water should bring a lot of strength to the dough and you’ll feel it immediately. Once you find a suitable hydration, you can try to push it back up, but as you do, take note of how the consistency of the dough changes: the dough will start to slacken out as you add more and more water, this means you’ll likely have to mix more upfront or add another set or two of stretch and folds during bulk fermentation.
Try to keep everything else as consistent as possible and let me know how the next attempt goes!
If this happens again, pivot and turn the dough into focaccia! Spread it out into a rectangular baking dish, let it fully proof, top with olive oil and bake.
Maurizio, even in your photos above it shows the dough as a very shaggy, wet, mass…..at first mine looked like this and I assumed I was “doing it” wrong. But I learned that it is SUPPOSED to look that way in its early steps. I learned to be more patient and follow your steps, then my dough was less frustrating to work with.