How to Make Sourdough Bread (Including Sourdough Starter Instructions)

Step 1

Fill a larger plastic or glass container with 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup water. Stir until thoroughly combined into a smooth batter. Cover with a loosely screwed on lid or plastic wrap.

Step 2

“Feed” your starter 4 ounces of water and flour, stirring until combined, every 24 hours. It should start to smell sour after a few days, but room temperature can affect how quickly it activates. The texture will change from a pancake dough batter to an airy, lighter batter over the first 5 days.

Step 3

By day 5, or once it smells sour and is airy and doubling in volume, it is ready to use in your preferred sourdough bread recipe.

Step 4

Continue to feed the starter daily with 1/3 cup each of both flour and water. Always leave at least 2 tablespoons of starter behind as you use it for baking.

Step 5

In a large mixing bowl, use a wooden spoon to stir together 5 cups flour (675 grams) and 2 cups water (506 grams). Use your hands once it becomes too difficult to stir.

Step 6

Cover and let the dough rest for 45 minutes.

Step 7

After 45 minutes, stir in 1 tablespoon salt (13 grams) and 1/2 cup of your starter (100 grams). Mix in by hand until combined, but do not do any extra kneading.

Step 8

First Rise: Cover and let rise 12-24 hours, until double in size. Colder temperatures require the longer end of this range, while summertime warm temperatures require around 12 hours. This is done overnight.

Step 9

Second Rise: turn the dough out onto a clean, lightly floured surface. Fold it over a few times into the center. Transfer dough to an oiled bowl or to a floured proofing basket. Let it rise for 3-5 hours. You’ll know it’s ready when you poke it lightly with your finger and the indent remains, or only very slowly springs back while still leaving an indent. If the dough springs right back, it needs more time to rise.

Step 10

Put a dutch oven into the oven and preheat to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 11

Flip your dough from your basket/bowl onto a large piece of parchment paper. Use that excess parchment paper to help lift the dough into the dutch oven. Put lid on and bake for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the lid and continue to bake until bread is a deep brown, approximately 30 more minutes.

Step 12

Once the bread is a deep brown, turn off oven and crack the door. Let your bread cool in the cracked oven for 20 minutes before removing from oven and dutch oven, and putting on a cooling rack. Let the bread cool completely to allow texture and flavor to develop completely before slicing.