simple sourdough bread

A truly simple sourdough recipe that is kneaded in your bread machine.  A great everyday bread for the sourdough lover.

Bread Machine Sourdough

bread flour (15.85 ounces

450 grams)

water (7.75 ounces

fed sourdough starter (5.65 ounces

sugar

salt

Mix the bread flour, starter, sugar, and water in a large mixing bowl.  It will seem dryer than most sourdoughs, but don&#039;t add more water.  Use your hands to make sure everything is incorporated into a ball.  Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and let it rest on the counter.  (It helps to measure out the salt into a separate container on place it on top of the towel so you don&#039;t forget to add it later.)

Place the dough and salt into the bread machine bucket and select the dough cycle.  The machine will beep when the cycle ends, but let it rise another 2-3 hours in the machine, for a total rise time of 3-4 hours.  The dough should look noticeably puffier, but may not have quite doubled in size.

Prepare a baking sheet by lining with parchment paper and sprinkling with cornmeal.  Take the dough out of the bread machine, and gently shape it into a round or oval loaf.  The dough will be slightly sticky, but dry not to use any flour when shaping it.  Place on the prepared baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap sprayed with cooking spray.

Place the covered loaf in the refrigerator to proof overnight.  Anywhere from 8-16 hours will be fine.

In the morning, preheat the oven to 450 degrees with two racks: one in the center, one in the lower middle.  Place an empty rimmed baking sheet on the lower rack while the oven is preheating.  Remove the loaf from the fridge and gently rub with flour.  Slash the loaf with a lame or sharp serrated knife.

When the oven has preheated, pour 1 cup of water onto the empty baking sheet to create steam.  Immediately place the loaf inside, close the door, and bake for 45 minutes.  Let cool on a wire rack for at least 4 hours before slicing. 7.  Store at room temperature, well wrapped, for up to three days,

You love sourdough but it's all sort of confusing and complicated?  Or your loaves just aren't turning out how you hoped?  This is the EASIEST way to make sourdough at home, without yeast, and without a big production.  And it's just as delicious as those crazy recipes.

Print out the recipe here: https://heartscontentfarmhouse.com/bread-machine-sourdough/

Recipe:

ingredients

3 cups bread flour (15.85 ounces/ 450 grams)
1 cup lukewarm water (7.75 ounces/ 220 grams)
3/4 cup fed sourdough starter (5.65 ounces/ 165 grams)
1/2 tablespoon sugar
1 3/4 teaspoon salt
instructions

1.  Mix the bread flour, starter, sugar, and water in a large mixing bowl.  It will seem dryer than most sourdoughs, but don’t add more water.  Use your hands to make sure everything is incorporated into a ball.  Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and let it rest on the counter.  (It helps to measure out the salt into a separate container on place it on top of the towel so you don’t forget to add it later.)

2.  Place the dough and salt into the bread machine bucket and select the dough cycle.  The machine will beep when the cycle ends, but let it rise another 2-3 hours in the machine, for a total rise time of 3-4 hours.  The dough should look noticeably puffier, but may not have quite doubled in size.

3.  Prepare a baking sheet by lining with parchment paper and sprinkling with cornmeal.  Take the dough out of the bread machine, and gently shape it into a round or oval loaf.  The dough will be slightly sticky, but dry not to use any flour when shaping it.  Place on the prepared baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap sprayed with cooking spray.

4.  Place the covered loaf in the refrigerator to proof overnight.  Anywhere from 8-16 hours will be fine.

5.  In the morning, preheat the oven to 450 degrees with two racks: one in the center, one in the lower middle.  Place an empty rimmed baking sheet on the lower rack while the oven is preheating.  Remove the loaf from the fridge and gently rub with flour.  Slash the loaf with a lame or sharp serrated knife.

6.  When the oven has preheated, pour 1 cup of water onto the empty baking sheet to create steam.  Immediately place the loaf inside, close the door, and bake for 45 minutes.  Let cool on a wire rack for at least 4 hours before slicing.

7.  Store at room temperature, well wrapped, for up to three days,
notes

I use a 100% hydration sourdough starter (equal parts flour and water), if yours is dryer or wetter, you will need to slightly tweak the amount of water in the dough.

I have done this recipe both by weight and volume and the results were similar.

To make ahead, fully bake the loaf, allow it to cool completely, and freeze, well wrapped, for up to a month.


My bread machine: https://amzn.to/34doADh

Baking with sourdough, aka wild yeast, is fun and strangely addicting.  But it can be a lot trickier than working with regular yeast!  It is slow to rise, you need to rely on oven spring, and you need a healthy sourdough starter.  

But once you get started baking with sourdough, you will never stop!  From rustic sourdough rolls to artisan style rustic loaves, you can learn how to bake professional looking breads.  You can also sue your sourdough starter in quick breads, muffins, and even pancakes.  

Check out my playlist on sourdough baking, here: 
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWnaVydmS673gzIHEe98hQ2dw2FyYLkYT

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Hi there and welcome to my channel, Heart’s Content Farmhouse.  I post one new country-style recipe every week with a step by step video.  

I am a home baker who wants to teach everyone how to bake their own bread, desserts, and other goodies.  Learning to bake changed my life and it’s a skill anyone can learn.  I want to guide you through your baking journey!

You will find the occasional non-baking recipe here as well, but everything is family friendly, from scratch, and delicious.  My recipes are tried and true, and they are tested multiple times. 

You can find a printable version of all my recipes, (as well as printables and other goodies) on my blog, heartscontentfarmhouse.com

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Heart’s Content Farmhouse is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.  As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualified purchases.

Easy Sourdough Bread with Your Bread Machine

Using a sourdough starter, you can have freshly baked sourdough bread with just a few ingredients!

Simple Sourdough Bread

(500-625 grams) all-purpose flour, (I prefer unbleached)

(355 grams) warm water

(170 grams) active sourdough starter

honey

Add all ingredients together in the bowl of a stand mixer with dough hook.

Turn the mixer on 1-2 (never higher than 2 or medium-low) and let the mixer knead the dough for about 5 minutes. The dough will be sticky and doesn't quite form a ball. (If making by hand, knead for about 10 minutes.)

Turn off the mixer and scrape the dough into a medium bowl that has been lightly coated with oil. Cover with plastic and set aside for about 3 hours while the dough rises.

After 3 hours, turn the dough and gently start folding up the sides. Grab the dough at the side of the bowl and lift up and towards the center of the bowl. Press down, turn the bowl 90 degrees and repeat this several times.

Cover again and let it rise for an additional 2-3 hours. (This will depend on the temperature of your home. A warmer kitchen will need less time.)

After the 2 hours, lightly dust your countertop with flour. Press the dough down with your fingers then start pulling up the sides and pressing into the center. You may need to add more flour as this can be a loose dough. Keep pulling up the sides and pressing into the center then flip the dough over. The top should be smooth. Dust with more flour and set the dough onto a piece of parchment paper. Score the dough with a knife.

Place a Dutch oven (make sure you have a lid) into a cold oven and heat to 450°F. Once heated, carefully remove the hot Dutch oven from the oven. Remove the lid and set it somewhere heat resistant. (I set the lid on my stove.) Pick up the parchment paper with both hands and place inside the Dutch oven. Carefully replace the lid.

Place into 450°F oven and bake for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, carefully remove the lid and bake an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the top is nicely golden brown (don't worry if it is darker brown, you just don't want it burnt) and when you tap on the top the bread sounds hollow.

Remove from oven and set Dutch oven to the side and leave the bread alone for about 15-20 minutes.

My comment is in the form of a question before I make this wonderful sounding  bread.  Reading recipes gives me incite as to whether or not I should try them.  Anyway, I bought some honey and when I got home I discovered that the honey was hot Texas honey.  The honey has been infused with chili pepper and vinegar.  I tasted it and it is quite good, only mildly hot.  I am intrigued.  Can I use it in this bread recipe?  This is will be my first Sourdough bread.

Love this recipe!  No over-night rise.  Minimal handling and.....delicious!  Nice crunchy crust.  I feel like the honey may aid a bit in the rise.  It does not add a sweet flavor but gives a little more complexity to it.  The flavor does also depend on the starter you have.  Thank you for this.

My first foray into sourdough with a gifted starter, and this recipe was one of the simplest I've seen. Thank you for that! (no special flours or overnight proofing required - I can actually do it in one day!)

This recipe was so easy and delicious!  Thank you😊

I wish I could show you! The bread came out great! At first the dough was a little dry so I added a little more water. It had great texture. I can't wait to cut it. I'm saving it for tomorrow's dinner.

I made this bread, best and easy to make Love This Recipe

Would you please do a video on this process. I love your videos but can’t find one on this recipe.

Question:
King Arthur's Bread Oven, while rated safe at 500 degrees, is not supposed to be preheated before baking bread in it.  Haven't quite figured THAT out yet.  How would you adjust baking temperature and time using the cold start oven method?  Please help?

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Top 2 simple sourdough bread recipes from across the web

The most viewed simple sourdough bread recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

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Bread Machine Sourdough

Simple Sourdough Bread

The most viewed simple sourdough bread recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine