Learn how to make a simple homemade sourdough bread recipe in your very own kitchen. This is a homestead-version of sourdough bread, which is a non-fussy technique that will not require complicated measurements or instructions. This recipe is perfect for people (like me) who like a simple, hearty loaf that doesn’t require tons of effort and time.
Sourdough bread feels like the ultimate in homestead baking.
But it gave me FITS for years… In fact, there was a time when I just quit trying because I was so frustrated with my flat loaves, dry loaves, hard loaves, and the list goes on…. (And if you know me at all, it takes a LOT to make me quit…)
Then one day? It just clicked. Hallelujah.
However, just because homemade sourdough bread has a learning curve doesn’t mean you have to make as many mistakes as I did– and by the time you finish reading this post, you’ll be able to finally do this sourdough thing with confidence!
The One Thing I Don’t Like About my Cookbook
I’m 99.9% happy with the Prairie Homestead Cookbook that published last year (and I’d better be… considering how many edits it underwent!). That being said, there is ONE thing that I really wish I could change in my cookbook.
I wish I had included this simple beginner sourdough bread recipe in it.
And I know you do too, judging by alllll the emails I’ve received. 😉
But we’re doing the next best thing– you’re getting it today instead. (And if you have my Heritage Cooking Crash Course, it will likely look familiar, as it’s the same recipe that is included in there.)
Watch Me Make This Simple Sourdough Bread
In case you’re a visual learner like I am, here is the entire step-by-step process caught on video.
(Keep scrolling for the printable recipe version. —>)
What Makes Sourdough Different than Regular Bread?
There are many things that set sourdough bread apart from traditional yeast breads (by the way, here’s my super easy versatile yeast bread dough recipe). First off, sourdough bread dough is much wetter and stickier. Wetter is better.
You also don’t really knead sourdough– instead you’ll bring it together with a spoon until it’s mostly combined and then ignore it.
However, the biggest thing that sets sourdough apart from traditional breads is that sourdough doesn’t need yeast. Instead, you generate your OWN wild yeast, aka a sourdough starter with flour and water. This starter is a fermented food that can be used to make tasty sourdough bread, sourdough cinnamon rolls, sourdough brownies, and more. (And contrary to popular belief, sourdough doesn’t have to be extremely sour tasting– you can absolutely adjust the tang in your DIY loaves.)
The Key to Success: The Starter
Before you can successfully make sourdough bread, you will need an active and healthy sourdough starter. (You can learn how to make a sourdough starter in this post through a printable recipe or a video)
Here is how I define an active/healthy sourdough starter:
- It should double in size within 4-6 hours of each feeding
- It should be full of bubbles and “grow” up the sides of your jar
- If you place a teaspoon of the starter in a cup of cool water, it should float on top of the water
Keep in mind: It takes about two weeks for a sourdough starter to be mature enough to leaven (rise) a loaf of bread. But the wait is worth it– promise.
Sourdough Bread: The Equipment
You do NOT need a bakery full of fancy equipment to make sourdough bread, however, there are a few tools that will make the process easier:
A large bowl. You need a large bowl for the dough. Since it rises overnight (and has the potentially to rise considerably depending on how active your starter is), you’ll want to use a bowl that’s tall enough to avoid overflowing and the subsequent mess. I LOVE this handcrafted stoneware mixing bowl for mixing up bread dough.
Dough scraper. This is a super handy little tool that can help you get scrape the dough out of the original large bowl without deflating it and ruining those precious air bubbles in the dough. If you don’t want to get a dough scraper, you can use a stiff spatula instead.
Bench Knife. While you don’t need a bench knife for making sourdough, it makes the process easier, especially for higher-hydration doughs. Plus this one is handcrafted and makes you feel like a sourdough rockstar.
Proofing basket. A proofing basket helps support the shape of the sourdough loaf during the final rise before baking. This awesome bread bakery set includes both a dough scraper and a proofing basket. If you don’t want to get proofing baskets, simply line a 9-inch bowl or colander with a tea towel that you’ve generously dusted with flour. That’ll work in a pinch.
A Dutch oven. In my opinion, a dutch oven is an important kitchen tool for any home. I also think that a Dutch oven does the very best job of baking sourdough loaves and producing and mimics the environment of a brick oven by steaming the dough as it bakes. This helps your homemade sourdough bread end up with a crusty outside and a soft center.
If you really don’t want to use a Dutch oven for this recipe, you can bake your loaf on a cookie sheet or baking stone instead. However, the crust of your finished sourdough will be different.
Go here for the full list of tools I recommend for sourdough bread baking.
The Best Beginner Sourdough Bread Recipe
This is a homestead-version of sourdough bread, which is a non-fussy technique that will not require complicated measurements or instructions. This recipe is perfect for people (like me) who like a simple, hearty loaf that doesn’t require tons of effort and time.
- Yield: 1 loaf of bread 1x
Ingredients
- ½ cup active sourdough starter (learn how to make sourdough starter)
- 1 ¼ cup lukewarm water
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt (I use Redmond Salt*)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the starter and water.
- Stir in the flour, and then add the salt.
- Use a fork to mix everything together until it becomes stiff– then switch to your hands to bring the dough together in a rough ball (Remember: don’t overmix! This is supposed to be a no-knead-style wet dough.)
- Keep the rough dough in the bowl, cover it, and let sit for 30 minutes.
- After this resting time is complete, stretch and fold the dough a few times to form it into a ball. (See the video for a walk-through on how to do this.)
- Cover the dough with a clean dish towel and let it rise in a warm place overnight or until doubled in size (or about 8 hours). I like to make the dough before bed and leave it in my turned-off oven (I leave the oven light on) to rise overnight.
- The next morning (or after 8 hours), turn the dough out on your counter. Fold it over a couple of times to tighten it into a ball, then let sit for 15 minutes.
- After this resting period is complete, gently shape the dough into a ball once more place into a well-floured proofing basket or a bowl lined with a well-floured dish towel. Remember: don’t add too much flour and do not knead the dough!
- Cover and rise for 2-3 hours, or until doubled.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F.
- Sprinkle a thin layer of cornmeal in the bottom of a Dutch oven (optional, but this helps the bottom not to scorch).
- Tip the loaf out of the proofing basket onto a sheet of parchment. Lower the parchment into the Dutch oven.
- Place the lid on the pot and bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove the lid and bake for an additional 30 minutes, or until the loaf is deeply browned and crispy on top. (For a less crusty finish, bake for the entire time with the lid on.)
- Move to a cooling rack and allow the loaf to cool completely before slicing it.
Notes
*If you want to try out my favorite salt, for a limited time use my code HOMESTEAD to receive 15% off your entire order!
Sourdough Bread: Your Questions Answered
I get plenty of questions about making homemade sourdough bread, so I’ve put together the most common sourdough questions and my answers. Feel free to ask me more questions in the comments section below!
What kind of flour can I use for my sourdough bread?
You can make sourdough bread with many different types of flour, however, if you’re brand new to sourdough, I recommend using all-purpose flour. It far less finicky to use than Einkorn or whole wheat, and it will rise more consistently for your first attempts. You can venture into the fancier flours once you get the hang of a simple loaf.
If and when you want to go more fancy, you’ll want to use hard white wheat berries if you’re grinding your own flour with a mill like mine. Check out this post to learn all about grinding your own flour.
How can I better handle my super sticky dough?
If you’re struggling with your dough sticking to everything, try dipping your hands in a bowl of cool water before you work it. It’s tempting to keep adding more flour to the dough, but fight the urge. A wetter, stickier dough, while more difficult to handle, produces less dry or crumbly loaves.
However, I’ve been receiving comments and messages saying that their dough is turning out just too sticky to even handle, in which case you may need to add more flour to your dough.
How can I make my sourdough loaves MORE sour?
I get it, I love the tangy taste of a super sour sourdough. There are a few ways to get a more sour sourdough loaf:
- When you feed your sourdough starter, use a higher ratio of flour to water.
- Use whole-grain flours to feed your starter, since the sour-producing bacterias seems to love them.
- If your sourdough starter produces a brown liquid layer (aka the hooch) on the top, mix it back into the starter instead of pouring it off.
- Use cool water and allow your dough to rise in a cooler location. This will extend the souring/rise time and produce a more sour loaf.
Do I REALLY have to cool the bread before eating it?
I know, I know. It’s cruel, isn’t it?
Even though your kitchen now smells divine, try to resist cutting into your new homemade sourdough bread until it completely cools to room temperature.
The reason your bread must cool completely is because it is still baking and developing the texture as it cools. This is when the crumb is setting. If you cut open your bread when it is still hot, you will squish it and the crumb will be crushed, not to mention it’ll dry out faster in storage.
How can I store my homemade sourdough bread?
This homestead sourdough loaf is best eaten within 48 hours (which is NOT a problem for my ravenous kids). I store it at room temperature in a basic Ziploc bag, but you can get special bread bags or bread boxes, too. I love these vintage bread boxes, and this one’s pretty cool because it has a cutting board on top! You can also store your bread in a beeswax bread wrap.
If you don’t think you can eat the sourdough loaf within 48 hours, you can freeze the leftovers. Simply wrap it in plastic wrap and it will keep in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Why didn’t my sourdough bread rise?
Don’t worry– it happens to the best of us. When sourdough bread dough doesn’t rise, it’s usually because the starter you used wasn’t active enough. To remedy this problem, make sure you’re using recently fed, active starter with lots of bubbles. Also, next time try using warm (not hot) water when you mix up the dough and rising it in a warmer location. If your bread doesn’t rise properly, you can always use the loaf to make breadcrumbs.
Why did my loaf spread out?
Doughs that contain a lot of moisture tend to spread more than dryer doughs, so that could be the culprit. You also might try a few more rounds of stretching and folding next time to help develop the tension in the dough a bit more.
Can I make gluten-free sourdough bread?
You can, however, it’s not a skill that is in my wheelhouse. I would recommend checking out this recipe from King Arthur flour.
I don’t see the recipe for the bread in this post. I am sure I am just looking right at it, but I need to be able to print it. Help?
Laura if you go to the top of the page, there is a button that you can click that says “jump to recipe “. Hope that helps!
I’ve just made my second sourdough loaf following this recipe and instructions and whoopee!!! I have round ,risen golden brown bread loaf that smells divine. I’m so happy, thank you for making this recipe easy to use for novices.
Just mixed it up , tested for 30 minutes, pulled it a little bit and put it in my oven to rest overnight. I had a sourdough for two months now, and love trying different recipes.
I am having trouble with the dough being so sticky and hard to handle. I tried the cold water which only lasts a second and I don’t want to add too much unneeded water to the already super stuck dough. This is my fourth loaf and i am having so much trouble. My first loaf spread and was flat, second and third loaf looked good but was dense with hardly any air holes…. I am trying not to get discouraged. Can you help? Thank you in advance!
I would just try adding more flour to the dough next time! The dough should be a manageable texture, and it it’s not you need more flour!
Question — can you cook this in a loaf-shape pan, rather than as a round?
For those asking about baking in a traditional loaf pan – I tried it and it turned out great. I baked it at 400 for about 40 mins. I made a tin foil tent and took that off about 30 mins in so the crust would get more golden. Just keep an eye on the loaf and gauge it based on your oven. Next time I will try it without the foil tent.
** correction. I baked my loaf pan version at 420 degrees for approx. 40 mins.
Hi! I grind my own flour and make homemade bread. If I want to use fresh ground hard white wheat for my sourdough, would you advise increasing the amount of flour at all in the recipe since it’s fresh-ground? You also mentioned other flours can be finicky… what troubles should I be aware of when using whole wheat flour vs all-purpose? Thank you!
Whole wheat flour usually results in a more dense bread. Freshly ground flour usually absorbs more moisture, so you’ll probably need less fresh flour, but experiment and add your flour slowly so you can figure out how much you actually need of each kind of flour so you’ll know for next time.
Either scroll down to the bottom of the post, or at the top of the post click the “jump to recipe” button, and there will be an option to print the recipe. 🙂
After my dough rises, it’s dry on top. How do i prevent that? Or is it a problem?
I do both of my risers for this bread in the cold oven with the light on. I place a damp towel over the bowl and this keeps the top from drying out.
Do you have this recipe with the weights rather than cups and spoons?
After following your other recipe on how to make a sourdough starter I have finally made my first sourdough loaf using your recipe and it turned out perfect! I admit it was hard finding the time being a working mom with a one year old, but it was worth the wait! Thank you for your easy recipe. I’ll be sharing with everyone I know!
Can you put the dough in the fridge over night instead of on the counter for 7-8 hours? Or will it not turn out. Planning on not being able to bake it for over 15 hours.
The dough needs to be warm in order for the yeasts to work. Putting the dough in the fridge will stop that process from happening and your dough will not rise.
I’m confused. What is the process when you store your starter in the refrigerator? I always remove my starter from the refrigerator In preparation to using it. But what do I do next? Do I need to feed it, wait 12 hours and then use it or just allow it to come to room temperature?
Hi..
I have 1 question. Do I need to preheat the dutch oven first?
Thanks
Hi Pam, I think the experts recommend removing the starter from the fridge, discarding all but 1/2 c., feeding it, and then waiting until it’s nice and bubbly before baking. But I’ve found that my starter (fed within the past week) is active enough straight from the fridge (usually I just scoop it out and let it come a bit closer to room temperature in my large mixing bowl before adding in the flour & salt). Hope this helps!
This has been my go-to method and recipe since getting into baking sourdough almost 6 months ago. It’s so easy! I’m wanting to start experimenting with mix-ins, at what point in this process is the best time to add them?
Hi
What can be used in place of a Dutch oven?
After removing the starter from the refrigerator how much flour and water to feed the starter before baking?
It depends how much starter you have! On average you need to feed about as much flour as you have starter. So if you have 1/4 c starter, feed about 1/4 c flour. Then add as much water you need to get the texture you want.
She doesn’t measure in the “correct” way though, it’s a loosely packed cup which would weigh much less. When I scoop my flour in the correct way, and use 3 cups, it makes a thick soup, definitely not dough. I need to add almost a full 4th cup of flour to make it work. Other than that, great recipe though!
Beginner here!! I think your video teaching and recipe is really going to work for me!! I’m giving it a try but I learned I will have to get used to working with my dough much better!! I love working with it but didn’t get a good ball. We shall see how it turns out. It is resting now for 2 hours. I am sure you have answered this but You don’t put in the frig??
I mix my dough just before 8 go to bed and set it to rise about 11:00 PM. Overnight it rises and looks and smells wonderful. Then I go to take it out of my bowl to shape and rise for 2 to 3 hours to double again before baking. So far so good, until I touch it. It forms a crust like top. It isn’t thick, but I need to cut it off before I shape the dough. I would say that I lose about a cup. What can I do to stop that. Otherwise this is delicious and simple.
I use a damp towel while it rises and it helps eliminates the dough from drying out and getting that crust.
I don’t remove it, just stretch and fold as usual. It bakes just fine.
Do you need to heat up dutch oven?
Do we score the loaf before baking?
Yes, it’s a good idea to score your bread before baking.
I’ve made this bread probably 15x now and it’s really good.
It makes a great bread and I love that it is no knead!! ?
My family doesn’t like hard crusts and I achieve a uniform golden brown bread with a less dark brown bottom by keeping the lid on the the whole time and decreasing the temperature to 420. Which does make the cook time longer but it’s worth it!!
Thank you for sharing this awesome recipe!!! I’ve shared it and my sour dough with many friends and will continue to do so because this recipe rocks!!!
We don’t buy bread from the store anymore cuz this bread’s that good! And ONLY has 4 ingredients.
I love the story of the calf. Thanks for sharing that! I’m going to try this recipe tonight. It will be my third attempt since I began this process around Christmas. I’ve used other recipes but each loaf has had a different problem, usually too dense a loaf. Wish me luck!
I’m a major newbie and this seems the most approachable so far. My question is, if I’ve been feeding my starter once a day (at night) and it’s at its highest point around 7 or 8 in the morning, is that when I should be starting this recipe? But that doesn’t allow for the overnight rise scenario. Will I be okay starting at night even though my starter isn’t at its highest and hasnt been fed in almost 24 hours? If not, how can I adjust my feedings to get to the point and how long will that take? I had been feeding every 12 hrs but my starter seemed a bit persnickety when I was doing so. Should I try doing a couple days of 12 hrs feedings again and see how it goes? Can I just do 12 hour feeding for a day or two and then transition back to just 1 a day and change to morning feeding so it’s at its highest at night. And then if it loses volume at say 7, does that mean trying to start my bread at 8 I would have missed my window? Sorry so many questions but I would love your insight before I mess something up.
I made the sourdough bread and my crust turn out hard. What did I do wrong
You may have removed the lid from the baking pan too early in the baking process. Leaving it on longer allows the steam to stay in contact with the bread dough for an optimal length of time.
Have you ever tried doubling for a larger loaf or would it be better to just make two separate loaves?
You can try doubling it, however, it can be tricky with flour when you double a recipe, so you might have better success just making two separate loaves. Try it both ways and see what works best for you! 🙂
How can I subscribe to your blog?
Jill, it would be helpful if you could speak to the timing of feeding the sourdough starter to be active when you want to start making the dough. For example, you said you usually start your dough at 7 pm. When then do you suggest you feed your starter to accommodate a 7 pm start for dough making? I’ve been feeding my sourdough starter in the morning and so it won’t be active at 7 pm. What should I do? Thank you!
In general, you want your starter to have been fed 8-12 hours before using it in a bread recipe. So any time in that time stamp should work.
I struggled to get my bread out of the basket and it deflated the first time. This time, I skipped the basket and let it rise in the baking dish and it came out great! Less laundry, too 😉
Oh dear, I’m not sure if you’re still interested, but you can use part rice flour—that usually helps, and do NOT wash the lining in between bakes. It develops a coating almost like the seasoning on cast iron, and you need less flour each time. You can also remove the lining and just flour the bamboo rings of your banneton. This is what I do and I think it works better than the cloth lining.
Does this also apply if you plan to use discard in the morning, say for pancakes? (Currently feeding earlier in the morning) I tried the pancakes the other day aND they were super thin…
Try the King Arthur sourdough waffle/pancake using your discard. It’s amazing. And you feed at night, get the overnight part of your waffle mix together, add a few things when you wake and it’s a bit at our house.
I made Jill’s sourdough flapjacks this weekend and I had to add about a quarter cup of all purpose flower to the batter to get the correct consistency. The starter and eggs alone was much too thin. Otherwise, they were the best pancakes ever!
I have made this 3 times and struggle with “stickage”… I wonder if I cut back on the water rather than increase the flour? I’m so frustrated.
My texture doesn’t look like yours when u let it settle for the night.
Try dipping your fingers in water when you are kneading it. If you increase the flour too much, you risk making a heavy “brick” type loaf of bread. If you keep a bowl of water nearby and keep dipping your fingers in the water, it can help keep your fingers clean during the kneading process. The stickier the loaf, (usually) you’ll get a better loaf of bread. It does take practice to get it all right, though, so keep playing around with it until you find the perfect balance of flour and water. We hope you have some good luck soon!
Is it normal that when I let my dough rise overnight it formed a crust on the top that was hard?
Was your dough covered well? It shouldn’t really form too much of a crust. Did you oil the dough? Maybe those things will help.
Mine got a crust from being covered well with a tea towel. For the second rise I used Saran Wrap and that was much better – no crust
Hi – love your attitude, it gives me confidence. My question is that most online bakers seem to be heating their Dutch oven when preheating the oven for baking .. I noticed you put yours in cold. I thought the dough got more oven spring from using a hot Dutch oven. Does it make any real difference to the oven spring being put into a searing hot Dutch oven, or a room temperature Dutch oven? Thanks so much!
It was also recommended to me to heat the pan first, so that’s what I’ve been doing. I’m also spritzing a little water on top of the dough before it goes in the oven, for what it’s worth.
Just mixed it up , tested for 30 minutes, pulled it a little bit and put it in my oven to rest overnight. I had a sourdough for two months now, and love trying different recipes.
Love the video, made it easy to follow. I’m trying out my very first sourdough, in the oven as I type 🙂 I have a concern that it was too soft and didn’t hold its form. Also it was still very sticky…any suggestions?
I hope your first loaf came out well for you! If your dough is too sticky to handle at all, I would probably add a bit more flour. The dough should be on the sticky side, but not too sticky to handle or hold it’s shape at all.
Hi there,
I have a relatively new starter, and my bread came out with giant wholes in the top and not much rise on the bottom. Could it be an immature levain or me messing up the recipie? (The bread still tasted pretty good though!)
I mix my dough just before 8 go to bed and set it to rise about 11:00 PM. Overnight it rises and looks and smells wonderful. Then I go to take it out of my bowl to shape and rise for 2 to 3 hours to double again before baking. So far so good, until I touch it. It forms a crust like top. It isn’t thick, but I need to cut it off before I shape the dough. I would say that I lose about a cup. What can I do to stop that. Otherwise this is delicious and simple.
Hello. My dough rose considerably over night but is still way too sticky and loose to try to shape. Do I just keep folding every 30 minutes until it comes together better?
Sounds like you may need a bit more flour in your dough. It will come together a bit more, though with some more folds.
I am just wondering about the discard? I have a well established starter and use it every couple weeks. I don’t discard anymore. I get it out of fridge, feed it, wait 4-6 hours, use what I need. Feed again and back in fridge. Do you think it’s still necessary to discard? Thx so much! I almost cried when I saw your dog comforting that sweet calf! Beautiful! Blessings! Evelyn from Texas
Do you think I could double this to make a larger loaf? Bog bread eaters around here ? Also I tried it the regular way and it was amazing!! Thank you!!
Kathleen,
I had the same problem with the dough on my first attempt at this recipe. It was just a gooey blob that couldn’t possibly be folded into shape. On my second attempt I had an extra 3/4c of flour and it turned out great!
BTW: great recipe, easy to follow and great sourdough bread!
Well Hank…is this you HB?
After months of using discard in things ranging from crumpets to okonomiyaki, your video made me finally attempt a proper loaf of sourdough. It turned out great!
One thing… I too had no cornmeal to keep the bottom from burning and my blender was not enthused about having to chew up popcorn kernels. So, I needed something of similar size that wouldn’t burn. Kosher salt worked perfectly, and after everything cooled, I tipped it back into the tin.
I had to try this loaf twice and I think you need to clarify it’s 3 cups PACKED flour. First attempt I “sifted” the flour into my measuring cup and the dough was ridiculously wet and I knew it wouldn’t turn out but when I watched the video, you scooped the measuring cup directly in your flour so it was packed in. My first loaf ended up a brick because I didn’t want to give up. I tried the recipe again using packed flour and it turned out pretty well! It didn’t rise enough but this was only my second loaf ever and from a starter I just made within the last few weeks plus I don’t have a good proofing bowl. All in all, my second loaf turned out pretty good with the packed flour and tasted yummy!
Do you preheat your ditch oven before putting the dough in or do your knit from room temp? Many thanks
Jill didn’t preheat her dutch oven for this recipe, but you could if you want to.
I used whole wheat instead if AP this time and it did not double overnight like it usually does. Is there any adjustments that need to be made when using whole wheat?
Nope! Whole wheat does soak up more moisture over time, so keep that in mind. Also, your starter will probably need a bit to adjust to drastic changes in flour. Give it time to adjust! It should be fine in a bit.
Super easy. Love the simplicity of this recipe and the flavor was so great. First time I made it I needed to add more flour. I think WY is a lot drier of a climate then where I am from so I needed about an 1/8 th of a cup more. Thanks Jill!
Super easy. Love the simplicity of this recipe and the flavor was so great. First time I made it I needed to add more flour. I think WY is a lot drier of a climate then where I am from so I needed about an 1/8 th of a cup more. Thanks Jill! Making another loaf right now ?
SO glad you liked the recipe, and thanks for the heads up about the extra flour you needed!
I’ve made my second loaf the crumb looks great but the bottom burns. Used cornmeal and parchment paper. Making another tonight and lowering the temperature to 400.I have made sure my oven temp is correct.
When you you say “warm place overnight”, what is “warm”? My kitchen overnight will be 76F. I worry that left to it’s own devices, it will overproof. (it has, overflowing the bowl and way too hard to deal with. I would really like to prepare the dough in the evening and pick up the process again in the morning. I’ve experimented with putting it in the refrigerator overnight with mixed results. Once it was perfect, the other I got no rise at all. I know the yeasty beasties get frisky the warmer they are. I’m looking for a happy medium.
Thanks
76 might be on the warmer side. Maybe you have a cooler place in your house to leave it, like in a window sill? If not, I might just throw the dough into the fridge and pull it out in the morning and continue with the next step.
This was so easy!! Thank you! If I wanted to make 2 small loaves out of the one recipe, how long would I bake it for?
Hi there!
Love the recipe! The video really helped as well. I followed the recipe just so, and was able to turn out a lovely loaf. Our ranch is in the South San Juan Mountains at 8600 feet. I did not adjust the recipe for elevation, and it seemed OK.
I used your sourdough starter recipe as well, and we are off and running!!
Your Prairie Homestead Cookbook is wonderful.
Thank you!
Can I bake in a glass regular loaf pan? What temp?
I love this recipe! The bread turned out perfect! It had a good crust and was so nice and sour!
We all love this recipe! Could we double it to make a larger loaf? We cook it in a pot in the oven. Would you suggest a longer cooking time?
You could double this to either make a larger loaf, or to make two of this sized loaves. If you’re making a double loaf, you’ll definitely have to cook it longer, but not sure how much longer. If you’re in doubt if it’s cooked enough and you have a kitchen thermometer, the internal temperature of the bread when it’s done cooking should be anywhere between 185-200 degrees F.
Wonderful. Thank you for your thoughts on that. I’ll persist with my double loaf attempt. So far have done lid on for 30mins and planning on 30mins lid off. Will keep you posted and will purchase a kitchen thermometer! Thanks again.
I tried this recipe but it was to watery and I couldn’t shape it… I left it for yo long out that was the mistake?
Literally THE BEST and easiest sourdough I’ve made to date. I have tried all kinds of things and I never get oven spring or a large crumb. You name it, I’ve tried it. From super complicated to no knead. This method was the jam! The only change I made was since it’s in the middle of January, I proofed in inside my microwave box next to a jar of hot water. It was not wanting to rise until the last 30 min so I had to proof the entire 3 hours. Also I preheated the cast iron Dutch oven a tad. Not overly so. I also recently switched over to a warm milk and flour additive for starter instead of water, per Fanny Farmer book. The starter finally rose enough to spill out the jar. Anyway, I love how easy this was, most of all. This morning I had to go “supervise” one of my pullet’s first egg laying. Got it on video! She’s such a baby lol. They are all have raised so this is layer #2 out of my small Flock of 4. Anyway, between that other drama on the homestead, the attention for this wonderful boule was minimal. And incredibly tasty!! THANK YOU!!
Hi I’m rather desperate. I’ve tried your recipe twice now.
1) My dough never gets to a point where I am able to handle it, and form it into a bar.
2) After the overnight rise, there’s really a crust on it that I have to pull off and it’s very wet.
3) I decided to peel off the “crust”and put it back in for another rising attempt.
4)I have been trying to avoid adding more flour so that I can handle it.
I decided that I’m going to try and bake it after all but what should I do?!
Oh no! Sorry to hear about your troubles. It does sound like your dough just needs some more flour. The dough should be tacky, but yet you should also be able to handle it without too much trouble. For the crust on top of your dough after the bulk rise, try some oil on your dough next time. That will help prevent the crust from forming. Hope that helps!
Hi. Can you help me troubleshoot my bread. I followed all of the instructions and it looked beautiful after it was done baking but the bread came out hard as a brick!
Do you have any idea what may have caused this? Or do you think the starter causes this to happen?
Hi, I don’t have a Dutch oven. Could I use something else
Diane I was wondering the same thing.
Diane I was wondering the same thing, I don’t have a Dutch oven either.
Just made this and it is delicious! Thank you for the step by step instructions to make a beautiful sourdough bread! My dough was a bit wetter than yours, but since I live in a very dry climate, I left it and it turned out perfect. I’ve been keeping my sourdough start alive (barely) for the past 25 years with the intention of using it. Thanks to your posts, I have had the courage to go for it and my family is loving the results.
That’s AWESOME!! So glad this recipe encouraged you to go for it and make your own sourdough bread.
I am trying your recipe for my first ever attempt at bread! Thank you for these instructions! My only question is the proofing of the second rise: nowhere does it mention the location for where this should happen. I’m assuming just on the counter as nothing specific was said, but the overnight proof was in a warm location. Some clarification here would be helpful for this newbie. 🙂 Thank you for this recipe!
Whatever your house temp is will be fine. Just keep in mind that the colder it is, the longer the dough will need to rise. And on the flip side, the warmer the temp is, the shorter the dough will need to rise.
Tried twice now and both times my loaf comes out flat and wide. Tastes amazing and the inside looks great as far as the crumb but it’s not getting the height/dome shape that it should.
I had the same problem with my 2 and 3 loaves. First one was perfect! They taste good though.
How soon after feeding the starter should I make the bread?
For making bread, it’s best to use starter that’s been fed in the last 24 hours or so.
Hi! I love this site and am watching your videos on YouTube. Thank you! If I would like to use weight measurements (grams) what would those measurements be for the starter, water, flour and salt? Thank you!
Curious if the final rise could be done right in the Dutch Oven? Is there value in proofing in a bowl and then transferring it before baking? I’m afraid I won’t be gentle enough and I’ll deflate the dough!
Great question! I just started my first loaf and was worried about deflating too!
Is it okay if I don’t use parchment paper? I don’t have any in my house right now!
Totally! I personally didn’t use parchment for years when I started out with sourdough baking! It can be helpful, but totally not a requirement for making great bread. 🙂
You could certainly try! Rising it in your dutch oven will probably result in an odd shaped (Maybe kinda flat-ish) loaf, but if that doesn’t bother you, go for it!
Hi, Thanks for the explanation and the recipe, only we do not use cups but weigh everything. Could you tell what the weights are? Thank you in advance.½ cup active sourdough starter1 ¼ cup lukewarm water3 cups all-purpose flour
That should be *around* 60g sourdough starter, 260-300g water, and 550-600g flour.
If my math is correct, this is about 10% – 11% starter to flour ratio. This seems very, very low compared to other recipes. Your weights also suggest a 50% hydration, which also seems low.
Are you sure? I thought 1 cup all purpose flour equals 120 grams. So 3 cups would be 360 grams.
Oven light was just a tiny bit too hot:) I started my sourdough starter a few weeks ago and have struggling to decide if it was ready for bread making. I stumbled upon your site yesterday, read through everything watched the videos about starter and making bread a few times. Decided to try it! Our house gets a little cool overnight so decided the oven light method was the way to go…or not, got up and my oven had gotten so warm that it cooked the top layer. I’ll try again, but for today I am making your regular bread since I offered chili and bread to my sister in law, just wont be sourdough.
Mine did the exact same thing. The oven light was on and the top was cooked. I tried taking the temp of the oven after I found it like that and it read about 77 degrees. My dough under the cooked layer was runnier than the starter too (but it wasn’t like that before going in the oven to proof!). Its cold here (OR) at night so I think I might have to wait until it gets warmer to try this again. Or add a ton more flour… Good thing I have a ton of starter to experiment!
My oven light was to warm also so what I did was, I covered my dough with saran wrap and a dish towel, place it on the bottom rack of my oven and then I put aluminum foil on the rack above the dough to deflect the direct heat from the oven light. It works great for me, I’ve done this several times.
In the photo of you with the bread seems to have had slits cut into it when baked. I do not see that in the recipe. Did I miss something?
She talked about that in the video.
Do you think a regular cast iron dutch oven? Or does it need to be enamel?
Does the flour to water ratio change when using fresh ground white wheat berries?
If I wanted to use whole wheat flour instead of all purpose flour, would I still use the same amount of flour and water?
If I wanted to use whole wheat flour instead of all purpose flour, would I still use the same amount of flour and water?
I tried the recipe don’t know if I did something wrong with it but I had a gooey mess everywhere counter hands sink you name it . I started the process yesterday morning and never raised so put it in the oven with light and it hardened the top layer so peeled it off and trashed that tried to take out of bowl and lost 1/4 of the dough! Any advise would be grateful! I just put what I had left that I could manage to get off my hands and bowl I just put it in the pan to raise so I don’t have that mess again… I really want this to work my husband love sourdough bread
I am a total newbie to this whole sourdough thing but am determined to make a loaf. Question with the recipe though. Do I feed the starter immediately before using it to make the bread, or do I use untouched/unfed starter from the precious day?
Thanks!
Previous* day. Lol
Long story short…I wanted to try my hand a sourdough bread. I watch a dozen or more videos and two dozen recipes and thought, my gawd I don’t want to put a monkey on the moon, I just wanna make sourdough!
I came across Jills video and it was exactly what I was looking for, straight forward easy to follow, perfect.
My first attempt ended up in a gooey mess and had to toss it. My second attempt I added an additional 3/4c of flour…
Perfect! My dough looked just like the video and turned out a perfect golden brown loaf of sourdough bread!
I highly recommend this recipe for beginners like me…thanks Jill!
P.S. Hope the calf is doing well!!!
I have the best luck when I feed my starter about 3 to 6 hours before use. Less time in warm weather, longer time in cooler weather. You want to use your starter near it’s peak, when it has at least doubled in height, but before it starts to deflate back down.
I successfully made this today! Delicious! I love the timeline – feed the starter in the AM of day 1, start the bread PM of day 1, finish the bread AM-noon on day 2, just in time to have with lunch! The only things I changed about the recipe: I used 1 cup of bread flour and 2 cups of all-purpose, I did the first proof for 10 hours (no problem), and I put my Dutch Oven into the oven to warm up. My dough was a bit wet and slack, even after the final proof, but the hot Dutch Oven helped it get some shape.
Also, I had tried to make this recipe last week, but when I followed the trick of putting it in the oven with the light on overnight – my oven got hot from the light, and the dough tried to cook! So, I peeled off the top “cooked” part and made pizza dough with the over-proofed rest of it. Consider making sure your oven light won’t heat your own oven too much before trying that trick!
Hi!
I was wondering what the maximum time would be for the first proof? I was hoping to serve this with dinner but I wouldn’t want to leave it out too long.
Thank you!
What if u don’t take 1/2 cup of starter out before u add another 1/2 cup of flour and water????
If you don’t half your starter, you simply will exponentially continue having larger and larger starters to take care of. Learn more about starters in these two posts: https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2020/03/make-sourdough-starter.html and https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2020/04/sourdough-troubleshooting.html
At about 4 minutes into your video, when you get ready to detach your dough from your bowl and put it out on the counter. Is the underside of your dough (the dough that is touching the bowl) still wet and sticky? I’ve attempted this recipe twice and at this point, after waiting 8 hours, my dough is too sticky to form in any kind of tight ball shape. What am I doing wrong?
Your dough shouldn’t be so sticky that you can’t for a ball with the dough! It sounds like you may just have to add some more flour to your dough.
Some thoughts on this recipe…I jumped on the quarantine sourdough starter/bread bandwagon, so I’m totally new to this. I’ve made a few loaves using another recipe with bread flour, but am out, so I decided to try this one. 1) I love the clear directions and it was so easy! 2) This made a beautiful, delicious loaf (for those of you wondering about doubling, if you do, certainly make 2 loaves. This loaf is big. I had to cut off (and eat – such a task!) a couple pieces before it would fit in a gallon bag. 3) Resist the urge to add more flour! It is a sticky dough, but is doable if you wet your fingers a bit. 4) Like other commenters, I was worried about it deflating when I transferred it for baking, so I did my last rise in my baking vessel (my dutch oven is a bit taller instead of wide, so I baked in a stone dish with the dutch oven turned over on top of it to create steam – took it off 1/2 way through). 5) The timing that worked for me was: took starter from fridge morning of day 1, in the evening mixed dough, did 1/2 hour rest and fold, then put it -tightly covered – in fridge overnight. Morning of day 2 took it out and let it sit an hour or so, folded, 15 min. rest, then shaped loaf and let it do final rise before baking. Haha that sounds like a lot when I write it, but it really wasn’t. As I said before, I’m a total newbie, but this is what I did and I got a big, beautiful delicious loaf…THANK YOU for this recipe and easy to follow directions! 🙂
Oooo quick edit on my comment…being a newbie I didn’t really get why you shouldn’t do the last rise right in the dutch oven, but now I see why haha! It did result in a much flatter (but still delicious) loaf. I’ve used this recipe 4 times and the other 3 times did the final rise in a tightly covered bowl on a floured towel – just as the recipes says. I then CAREFULLY transferred it to my baking vessel and it was a gorgeous, high loaf. Lesson: just follow the recipe. LOL! It’s a good one and it’s now my go-to.
Glad to hear the rise worked pretty well for you both ways! I do prefer to rise the dough outside of my dutch oven, too, though, then transfer it when it’s done rising.
I love this recipe and have found so much success with it! I have a huge bag of bread flour I want to use up, Could I use bread flour for this recipe or is it best to stick with all-purpose flour?
You can totally use bread flour for this recipe! The only difference in bread flour and AP is that bread flour (also called strong flour) has a higher gluten content, which will actually help your bread develop even better.
I used this recipe and make the bread for my first time. I had no real problems but did find the dough was very sticky, should it be that way or did I make a mistake? Also I noticed you don’t make mention of running a knife through the top before baking, I did do this as my friend said she always did.
After the long ride (8 hours) my dough has a “skin” on it. How do I avoid that? Shorter rise time, or air tight cover, or?
Is it ok if I leave the dough out for more than 8 hours?
I just placed my dough in the proofing basket and I feel it’s going to be the best result yet. The dough feels right. I have now made this recipe seven times. All the previous attempts were somewhat sticky or wet, resulting in a flatter finished bread. I now think it was my fault as I had converted all amounts into grams. This one today I decided to stick to the exact recipe. Thank you for the recipe, I have shared it with other pandemic bakers as an easy to follow and delicious bread.
Sorry Jack, but I have to give this recipe a thumbs down. I followed the recipe to a T. The bread is doughy, the crust is soft and impossible to bite. Tossing the rest in the bin. Sorry buddy, it was a major fail. Wish I could show you a photo.
Hi
I make my sourdough bread twice a week now since finding your recipe and method. It is lovely every time and I can barely keep it from being consumed before I can let it cool. I leave it in the dutch oven for 55 minutes and do not remove the lid because I find the crust to sharp on my mouth when it is too crispy. If I leave it covered it is much more pliable. I made my starter in march and I am surprised by its vitality now, I did have a 4-year-old starter but I like the new one better for the texture it creates. Quarantine times are difficult, so the smell of a fresh sourdough baking in the morning is such a comfort.
Thank you
May
I need help ?. I’ve made this recipe twice and both times my dough was so wet still that it stuck to my fingers and hand. My husband watched me this time while I watched your video and we ended up adding another cup of flour and it’s still really sticky. My starter is the same consistency as yours and it’s very healthy. Help?!
Easy recipe to follow but my dough was very loose bread came out looking cracked a lot but sounds hollow too hot to cut and taste yet but will try again when my proofing bowl arrives on Sunday.
I’ve made this recipe 6 times and it works great for me every time… I follow the recipe. It’s not to sticky for me and always get a great loaf. I do use bread flour though… but have also used all purpose… I think the bread flour gives it a little more moisture.
Thanks so much for this recipe! Especially appreciate the video so I could see how you shape the dough. (Ultimately, I wound up adding an extra 1/2 c. flour – my starter looks somewhat more liquid-y than yours – but truly all the loaves I’ve made under your guidance here have been so good. No brick loaves, and I definitely owe that to you!)
So glad this bread came out so well for you! Homemade sourdough bread is the best, isn’t it?
I just made this recipe today and had all kinds of issues. My starter was freshly fed and at its peak when I used it, so confident that is not the problem. I did spoon the flour into my measuring cups, so there may be an issue there (Might be helpful to use weights, instead of cups as its more precise). My dough was EXTREMEMLY wet and I added more flour, enough to make it handlable. I mixed everything per the video and instructions and left it sit on my counter top covered in a bowl over night (actually 14 hours) and it had developed such a hard skin and was so wet, I used my bench scraper to coax it out of the bowl, but there was so much hard crust that I eneded up just working it into my bread that it looked awful. Then on the last 2-3 hour rise when it was shaped, it just collapsed out of the bowl, very sticky and wet still. I am going to guess it’s a loss, but it’s in the oven right now and I’m sure is going to be a flat pancake, though it does have a very pleasant, sour smell. Not sure what to do about the thick dry skin on top (I actually sprayed with baking spray and it still developed that crust, so I dont think a damp towel would make any difference, as with that amount of time, the towel will dry out really fast anyway.
Hi Jill,
In the friendliest way possible I wanted to let you know most of these links seem to be dead. I would love to use your links to support you, thank you for all the help over the years. <3 Maybe I will just have to order one of your cook books soon. <3 😉
Hi there,
I used this video to make my first ever sourdough bread and it was amazing!!
But I was wondering if I can follow your recipe and instead make it on loaf pans? If so, is there anything I need to do differently!
Thanks so much! Love your blog!
Blessings,
Alizabeth
I have the same question! Hopefully we can get an answer 🙂
You could totally bake this in loaf pans! Just let let the dough rise for the second time in a loaf pan.
Okay, I have made this recipe 4 times with great results, however…..
I just made a batch and let it rest overnight and it was way wetter than any previous batch. I know my measurements were spot on but I need some guidance on how to get this dough in shape to bake AFTER the overnight rise.
Thanks for virtually holding my hand through the Dutch oven method. I resurrected my old sourdough starter and this was my best ever sourdough country loaf.
First I want to thank you for the great instructions. I use them for every loaf. My comment is that I never had a very light loaf, or one that rose very well. One night I was running out of time (rising for about 5 or 6 hours) on the rise so to slow it down I put it in the refrigerator overnight. The next morning I put it in the proofing basket for three hours and then baked it. The loaf was light and rose really high. I’ve made 5 or 6 loafs since then and they are all perfect. I use good ingredients and measure carefully. My starter is about 8 or 9 months old. Thought you might be interested in this method.
Hi! Just wondering what I can do so my bottom crust is not so crunchy and over done. Does the cornmeal help with that? Otherwise it’s perfect and delicious!
I’ve tried this a few times, the dough seems too wet, won’t hold into a ball. I use a combination of AP and bread machine flour… What am I doing wrong? Nice dog…thank you…
I tried this recipe 3 different times with no positive results. I followed the recipe to the letter with the bread not rising at all. Why is this happening?
I read through as many comments as I could but didn’t see an answer to my question so here goes: Are there any adjustments needed/recommended for making this recipe at higher elevations? In the winter, I’m at 5700′ above sea level and during the warmer months, I’m above 8000′.
Thanks!!
Can you do this in a rectangular shape instead of round? For making sandwich bread easier. Would you just follow every step and instead of proofing in round 9in put right into rectangular baking pan for final rise then cook?
Hi there, what do I do with my starter once I it’s been fed and is fully active? Do I still feed it but keep it in the frig, and how many times with time? I have been leaving it out on my counter… (almost 2 wks the first batch because I wasn’t sure if I killed it, so I made another one which is about a wk old). Does Yeast get mold or is this super active yeast on top? Looks like fuzzy sort of bubbly stuff on top, with a strong yeasty smell! Hard to explain… I wasn’t sure if it’s mold or yeast? My husband says it’s yeast! First time here…
I’m so excited this was absolutely the easiest and best recipe I’ve found – I’ve read and watched countless recipes. My bread is beautiful. I know there are so many reasons why we make adjustments- for me a preheated Dutch oven 450• for 35 mins makes the perfect loaf – not too crispy/hard bottom- it’s perfect. I used half unbleached bread flour half organic unbleached all purpose.
Thank you Jill.
Quick question…..after completing the initial dough forming process, how long can you leave the dough unattended? You mentioned 8 hrs. or overnight. Is there a time limit that you should take into consideration before you start the next step? Thanks.
Hi Jill,
I would like to say what a super super easy recipe. I was my first sourdough loaf and it turned out fantastically well with a great flavour. I did use half light rye flour. I would definitely recomend this recipe especially if you are a lazy cook like me, the less messing about the better! I have passed your website/video onto others who want to have a try at sourdough bread.
Thank you (UK reader)
Thank you so much for this recipe.
I did This last night and when I turned The dough out it ran all over the counter. Is there a flour adjustment that is sometimes needed depending on your location?
Hello! Thanks for this recipe. I am wanting to cold ferment my dough after final shaping. To do so, will I need to alter the room temp bulk fermentation time or move it after doubling? After final shaping, do I need to leave it at room temp for a period before, at minimum, overnighting in the fridge? How long can I reasonably leave it chilling before baking? Thanks, in advance, for your reply.
I love sourdough and want to embark on the journey BUT I lIve in the desert where using the oven is out of the question for about eight months of the year. I know it wouldn’t look as good, but I’m wondering if anyone has baked their loaf in a bread machine, following all of Jill’s instructions up to baking. Has anyone tried baking it in a bread machine? What setting did you use? Bake time? Type of crust? Thanks for any useful information.
simply the best bread i ever had!! thankyou so much for sharing!! my sourdough was just perfect and made the ultimate bread!!
Unfortunately, this didn’t turn out well for me. There were pockets of not fully cooked dough in the bread. Just a few. The cooked parts were chewy and tasty.
Just wondering why you didn’t put a steaming pot in your oven; not sure what you call it? First bake @485F 18min. At the second bake you remove the steaming pot and continue to bake @465F
for 25min. I do like your idea of putting the kids to be and doing the first step of letting the dough rise then in the morning finish with the starching and folding.. You are so right it
ALL DAY!’
Hi Jill
I followed your suggestion by leaving my sourdough dough in the oven over night with the light on! Which did raise my sourdough BUT !!! My sourdough was very sticky!!!!! so I needed to add more flour
to make it more like where it should be; any suggestion what went wrong? I was still able to bring it together and bake the sourdough !
Thank You for your time!
I had such bad luck with this one, it was so sticky I couldn’t do anything with it, it’s in the oven now but not looking to good. I followed the recipe step by step and it just wouldn’t stay together.
Hi, trying this for the first time. All was well until I was turning it onto the parchment paper and it stuck to the liner of my proofing bowl and it deflated. So doi go ahead and bake it or let it rise again? Thanks, Fay in San Antonio Texas ??
I would love to know the brand or where you purchased the white tea kettle used in your beginners sourdough bread recipe video. Love it! Thank you!
Jill,
Thank you for the easy to follow recipe and video! I watched it for a week repeatedly before I attempted my very first loaf which turned out perfect! Thankfully your video showed you scoring the loaf, it is not written in the recipe! I pre-heated my dutch oven and gave it an extra stretch and fold before leaving it overnight. Thank you again!
Is there a printable of this recipe? I’d like to stick it in the cookbook.
I let it raise overnight and there was a crust on the top. I folded it in and now letting it rise for the 2-3 hours. I’m guessing it was too long. I left the light on in my oven too.
Next time try using a damp towel over your dough while it rises to help prevent that crust from forming.
Do you have the measurements in grams?
You are a lovely lady and your sourdough recipe sounds great. I especially like the way you bake the bread. All other recipes call for preheating the pot and then taking the pot out and plop the dough in. I like your version better.
Can this recipe be adjusted with some whole wheat flour?
Totally! Up to 50% whole wheat flour shouldn’t change the texture too much.
I wanted to make this recipe for awhile and I believe my starter was mature enough it doubled after a couple of hours after feeding. I ran into a problem when I doubled it and noticed I didn’t have a lot of flour left. I tried incorporating some oat flour into it but it is soupy, I won’t be able to shape it. I tried folding it almost 3 hours into letting it rest to see if it improved. I think I added too much water?. Not sure if I should just let it ferment until tomorrow and try and shape it again. Any advice?
I would just add more flour until the dough is a workable texture.
Im in the process of making this and my dough looks nothing like yours. Its sat least twice as wet as yours, even on the 2nd rise. i have added flour to my hands just to try and work with it and its sticking to everything. my nails, fingers, rings.
i used a scale to measure my 1/2c of starter (4oz) and 3c of flour (360g).
i see you dont measure with a scale and use cups instead. i find that this is often is a heavier measure. any clue how much flour in grams, you use?
It sounds like you need to add some more flour to your dough! Depending on a few different factors dough texture can vary greatly. Next time add enough flour until your dough is tacky but actually workable (not sticking to every single thing) and see if that turns out better for you.
Made this recipe. It was the first time I could eat the sourdough bread. I followed the recipe, except I had no proofing basket, so used a tall straight sided plastic bowl with a lightly floured towel. It mad a 1.46 pound loaf, with delightfully crunchy crust and soft airy texture inside.
This is NOT. A good starter recipe. It was a disaster.
We are sorry you had issues with your bread! You might want to check out this article for some troubleshooting tips: https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2020/04/sourdough-troubleshooting.html
Hi there! I love how easy this recipe is! One question are you able to use rye glue instead of all purpose? Thank you!
You can play around with different flours. However, make sure you figure out the ratios for swapping flour. A simple google search can help but you might also have to learn through experimenting with your breadmaking.
I moved to west central North Dakota in Oct of 2021. I have always lived at or just above sea level and this location seems to have challenged my baking skills. Most important yet me is the results of my Sourdough bread. I am hopeful that your recipe will be the for me. We are at about 2200ft elevation here
I love this recipe! How often can I use a sourdough discard stored in the fridge. Could I make a new loaf each day? Would that give enough time in between for the fermentation process to be effective? Right now I use it once a week.
You could increase your breadmaking to a few days a week and see how it goes and then keep increasing and observing your loaves. Each starter’s capabilities will depend on how happy they are, so it can be kinda unique. If your starter is lively/happy enough, you can use it much more frequently.
Thank you so much for sharing! I’ve been looking for a sourdough recipe that isn’t 1,000 steps! We recently redid our kitchen (new countertops, cabinet painting, new appliances, etc.) and now I’m so excited to start using it. Sourdough is first on my list to try, so I can’t wait to try your recipe out!
I know i’m late to the party on this, but FYI, the link for the proofing basket to Amazon doesn’t work anymore.
Advice please! I want to bake 2 loaves at the same time, but I only have one Dutch oven. Can I bake the other loaf in a cast iron skillet that doesn’t have a lid? Should I make a “lid” with aluminum foil for first 20 minutes?
First loaf this last Saturday was a success and the ladies at the church luncheon loved it! Thank you!!
You can try it and see if it works. If it doesn’t work, you’ll probably just have to make one loaf at a time.
Hi_my starter is really bubbly, floats when I test it, but is not doubling in size when feeding it. Do I just need to give the starter more time?
Yes, keep feeding and being patient. It can take up to 3 weeks for the starter to be ready to go.
I love this recipe! I’ve been using it for about a year. I’m wondering if you can share the measurements in grams because I’m so lazy I hate spooning my flour so I don’t have consistency from loaf to loaf. I prefer baking with a scale.
My sourdough is not rising…does the type of bowl make a difference I.e. glass vs plastic bowl.
If your sourdough is not rising, I would check the starter first. Make sure it’s ready to use. If it’s new, it might need another week or two before it’s ready to use.
When I add water to the starter do I dissolve starter entirely before I add the flour?
You mix it well together so it kinda dissolves. Check out the video in the post to see the visual of what this looks like.
I know this recipe is an older post, so I’m not sure you’ll see this, but thought I’d ask anyway. I’m making my first 2 loaves today. My question is, how can you alleviate the dried “crust” that forms on the dough during the first rise? I wound up using a sharp knife to kind of skim it off, but I’m afraid it may have deflated the dough too much, time will tell, it’s currently rising in the proofing baskets.. The dough rose overnight in a cold oven with the light on, covered with a towel. Any suggestions as to how to avoid this drying out in the future? I love to make bread, and want to get it right.
A few things to try would be: (1) A different cover: Use a non-porous, tight-fitting cover to keep the dough from becoming too cool and then developing a skin. You can try using a shower cap, bowl cover, or greased plastic wrap. (2) Try lightly misting the dough with water (3) Try lightly brushing water on the dough. Hopefully one of these options help you out!
I’m new to the sourdough biz, but I have now made this bread three times and it’s amazing! My daughter and her hubby love it too! Super easy to recipe to follow if you’re new at sourdough!