The Easiest Sourdough Recipe (2024)

*Note: this recipe has been updated on July 20, 2023. Instructions may vary from the embedded YouTube video, but either method will get you a lovely loaf!

I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, once you go sourdough, you don’t go back. And if you’re looking for a fool-proof sourdough recipe for beginners that still delivers a fantastic result, this is definitely the blog post for you.

I baked dozens and dozens of loaves in my sourdough journey, each using different techniques, all the way from the the most basic to the most complex. I wanted to find a system that was both easy, but still took into account all the most valuable baking techniques, and left very little margin for error.

When you search the internet, you’ll see that there are (surprisingly) a lot of ways to make sourdough. But in all those recipes, there are definitely some that incorporate excessive effort, and there are others that are just a bit too simple and leave room for varied results. In this recipe I wanted to bridge the gap, and bring you a doable sourdough recipe that makes you feel like a confident baker, but still gives you room and time to live your life! 🙂

Because let’s be real, sourdough is a commitment. But ok, let’s get into it!

What is sourdough bread?

At its most basic definition, sourdough bread is naturally leavened by a fermented base called a sourdough starter. It’s a bread that consists of only flour, salt and water, so it really is nature’s miracle bread. It has a slightly sour taste (but in a good way!) and the most amazing chew and texture on the planet. The sour taste comes from lactic acid in the starter’s fermentation. It not only improves the taste but also improves the bread’s keeping.

So like I said, once you go sourdough, you really don’t go back. 😉

It all starts with sourdough starter

A good sourdough bread starts with a good sourdough starter. To put it simply, sourdough starter is what leavens the bread. It’s a mix of flour and water that we let sit out at room temperature to ferment so that the wild yeast within the flour creates natural gas bubbles, which when mixed with fresh flour in a dough, creates a natural rise.

Sourdough starter is complicated, so I recommend mastering that first. You can find my guide to sourdough starter here.

How to activate your starter

Once you have a mature and healthy starter, you want to activate it about 4-5 hours before you begin baking this recipe. I like to activate my starter with the following ratios:

• 40 grams of mature starter
• 30 grams of all-purpose flour
• 10 grams of whole wheat flour
• 40 grams of cool water

This will give you 120 grams of total activated starter, which means 60 grams to use in the recipe, and 60 grams of starter to keep for later. You want to have some leftover starter so that you can keep using it. If we use it all at once, then we’d have to make a whole starter again, and that can take up to 7 days (which um…no thank you).

The basic steps and ingredients for making a sourdough

Yes, sourdough seems complicated, BUT it really is very simple when you break it down into steps and ingredients. What matters most in a sourdough recipe is mastering the timing and technique. After that, everything falls into place. I’ll break down the starter recipe into seven major steps, which I’ll discuss in-depth later on in the blog post.

The seven steps of sourdough

Here are the seven steps, or “phases” as I like to call them:

1. Activate your starter
2. Mix the dough
3. Slap and fold the dough
4. Bulk fermentation
5. Shape the dough
6. Proof the dough
7. Bake the bread!

The ingredients for this sourdough recipe

This recipe is scaled to fit one small dutch oven. It’s perfectly portioned for the home baker to have one loaf of bread for the week. I’ll give you measurements by weight, but I’ll also give you what we call “Baker’s Percentages” where every percent value is measured by seeing the amount of flour as 100%. So for example, if the recipe calls for 100 grams of flour, and 80 grams of water, that means the Baker’s Percentage of water is 80%. You can read more about Baker’s Percentages here.

In this recipe you will need:

• 300 grams of flour – 210 grams of bread flour (70%), and 90 grams of whole wheat flour (30%)
• 234 grams of water at 90F (78%) plus more water later for wetting your hands and shaping the dough
• 60 grams of starter (20%)
• 6 grams of kosher salt (2%)
• Rice flour, for shaping the dough and dusting your proofing basket

Step #1 – Activating the starter

Plan to activate your starter at least 4 hours before you want to bake. You want to use your starter when it is the most “powerful” – AKA when it has filled with bubbles, is twice its height and you can see the gas and fermentation is at their peak.

You’ll know your starter is ready when it is twice its size, almost crested at the top and super bubbly. To be extra sure you can also do the “float test” where you take a dollop of starter and drop it in some water. If it floats, it’s ready to bake.

To activate your starter, combine:

• 40 grams of mature starter
• 30 grams of all-purpose flour
• 10 grams of whole wheat flour
• 40 grams of cool water

Mix and cover loosely and let sit until it’s ready!

Step #2 – Mixing the dough

When your starter is almost ready, begin mixing the dough. I used to mix the flour and water together first in a process called “autolyse” which means to mix just the water and flour, then let it sit for 30 minutes before adding the starter and salt. This gives the dough more stretch and makes it easier to fold, but I’ve noticed I still get that same result as long as I let the mix sit for 30 minutes before adding the salt. I’ve since switched to mixing in my starter and water first, which I’ve found gives a more even rise to my dough!

To mix your dough, add the following to a large bowl:

• 234 grams water at 90°F
• 60 grams of starter

Mix with your hand until the starter is completely dissolved into the water.

Then add:

• 210 grams bread flour
• 90 grams whole wheat flour

Mix this all together to form a shaggy dough. Cover with a damp towel and wait 20-30 minutes. Then add:

• 6 grams of kosher salt

Have a bowl of water nearby and wet your hand lightly so it doesn’t stick to the dough. Use your hand like a scoop and reach under the dough to grab a piece of it, stretch the dough up and fold it over the salt, then rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat again with another piece of the dough. Keep rotating and repeating until the salt is fully covered. Continue to wet your hand as needed.

Once the salt is covered with the dough, use your hands to pinch the dough together, further incorporating it into the dough. Continue to pinch the dough, then fold, then pinch again until the salt feels fully incorporated. For an example of this, please check out the video here.

Once everything is combined, cover it with a damp cloth and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.

Step #3 – Slap and Fold the dough

Now we just gently work the dough three times, in 30-minute intervals. This is the most work you need to do for the recipe, but it’s not heavy kneading, just gently lifting the dough and slapping it down on a damp surface.

For the first slap-and-fold – lightly wet a clean countertop surface. Wet your hands and ease the dough out from the bowl onto the surface. Lift it up and then lightly slap its hanging ends on the counter, and then fold it down into a coil.

Rotate your hands 90 degrees and repeat this. The dough will start to feel and look tighter. It should feel good.

Please reference the image below and the video at the bottom of the page for more visuals. But once the dough looks like this, cover with a damp cloth and wait 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, repeat the process again, seeing the dough noticeably tighten again. Cover with a wet cloth and wait another 30 minutes.

After that second 30-minute period, slap and fold the dough again, and when it feels like a tight coil, move it to a medium-sized glass container. Cover with a damp towel, and now it’s time for bulk fermentation!

Step #4 – Bulk Fermentation

Bulk fermentation is just a fancy word for “wait for it to rise.” After the folds, we’ll have all the gluten we need, so now we just let the starter do its job!

You want the dough to almost double in size, gain a few bubbles, and look like a “whipped” version of itself. It will take about 4-5 hours for this dough to get to that point, depending on the heat of your kitchen. Begin checking on it after 3.5 hours. Size is the best indicator for when it will be ready, but bubbles on the side and the top are also great indicators!

You can also bulk ferment in the fridge, and this takes about 12-24 hours. I like doing this to have a bit more freedom with my baking schedule. Just start checking the dough every now and then to see if it has risen to where you want it!

Step #5 – Shaping the dough

After the dough looks “whipped” it’s time to shape! Shaping is very important because it gives the sourdough height and structure.

First, do a pre-shape, and plop the dough down onto a rice-floured surface. Pull on the edge of the dough into the center, then repeat with all the surrounding edges, essentially forming an upside-down circle of the dough. Use a bench scraper to scoop under the dough, and flip it over so that the seam of the circle is on the counter. Use your hands in a cup shape to rotate and pull the dough towards you, allowing the seam to tighten against the work surface.

Let the dough rest for 30 minutes. Then liberally flour your work surface and the sourdough with rice flour.

Use a bench scraper to flip the dough ball so that the seam side is facing up again. Stretch the dough out into a rectangle. Now it’s time to shape. Fold one-third of the dough into the center of the rectangle, then fold the other side in as well, making a book fold (see images below).

Fold the bottom of the dough (the side closest to you) up the length of the book fold. Then do small “stitches” up the sides of the dough – pulling the edges across the surface, as if lacing up a shoelace. This is essentially strengthening the seam. Once all the stitches are done, it should still look like the book fold, just a bit tighter. Starting with the edge closest to you, roll the dough into a tight oblong batard (see images below).

Generously dust a proofing basket with rice flour. Pull the batard towards you to tighten the seam against the work surface. Use a bench scraper to push the seam together one more time, then flip the loaf into the proofing basket, seam-side up.

Lightly flour it with rice flour, but just enough so that it doesn’t stick to whatever is covering it.

Step #6 – Proofing the dough

You have three options for proofing this dough. You can either:

1. Proof overnight in your fridge for 12 hours – this develops more flavor but takes more time.
2. Proof for 36 hours in your fridge – this is the biggest commitment, but builds the best flavor and makes the bread the healthiest version for you. It’s my favorite method!
3. Proof for two hours at room temperature and then bake – this gives less flavor, but a quicker result!

For all options, cover your proofing basket with either the towel you have been using or a perforated plastic bag.

You will know when your bread is ready by using the “proof test.” This is where you indent your finger into the dough. If the dough doesn’t spring back, it’s not ready to bake. If it springs back all the way instantly, it’s over-proofed. But if it gets an indent that springs back halfway, then it’s perfect.

Step #7 – Baking the bread!

Now it’s finally time to bake!

Preheat your oven to 500°F. Place your dutch oven in the oven while it is preheating. You want the dutch oven as hot as possible when you put your loaf in to bake.

If you proofed your loaf overnight, bring it out of the fridge while the oven is preheating and let it come to room temperature. If you chose to proof for 36 hours, you’ll want to take the loaf out of the fridge only RIGHT before you want to bake. But if you chose to proof your loaf right after shaping, no need to worry about this.

Flip the loaf seam-side down onto a piece of parchment paper. Dust off any excess flour and use a sharp razor or knife to cut a score down the center of the bread. This is so the bread has a designated place to rise!

When your oven has preheated, let the dutch oven continue to preheat for another 30-45 minutes. This will give your loaf the best oven spring.

When the dutch oven is ready, remove it from the oven, place the parchment paper and bread inside, and cover with the lid. Bake covered at 500°F for 20 minutes, then remove the lid, lower the oven to 450°F and bake uncovered for another 10 minutes.

A sample schedule for a 36 hour proofing time

PHEW that was a lot! So here’s a sample schedule of how I usually bake my bread:

• 6:30am – Feed my starter
• 10:00am – Mix my water and starter. Add the flour and mix.
• 10:30am – Add my salt and mix.
• 11:00am – Do the first slap and fold.
• 11:30am – Do the second slap and fold.
• 12:00pm – Do the third slap and fold and begin bulk fermentation.
• 4:00pm – Check on my loaf, pre-shape my loaf
• 4:30pm – Do the final shape on my loaf, cover and let proof overnight
• 36 hour proof – Not the next day, but the next-next day at 7:30am – Remove my loaf from the fridge, preheat my oven and bake!

A sample schedule for a 12-hour proofing time

Here’s a sample schedule of how I bake my bread using a 12-hour proofing time:

• 8:30am – Feed my starter
• 12:00pm – Mix my water and starter. Add the flour and mix.
• 12:30pm – Add my salt and mix.
• 1:00pm – Do the first slap and fold.
• 1:30pm – Do the second slap and fold.
• 2:00pm – Do the third slap and fold and begin bulk fermentation.
• 6:00pm – Check on my loaf, pre-shape my loaf
• 6:30pm – Do the final shape on my loaf, cover and let proof overnight
• 12 hour proof – The next day at 6:00am, begin preheating the dutch oven. At 8am it will be ready to bake!

A sample schedule for how to bake with a quick proof

This schedule is very similar to the above, but in this recipe you have bread by dinner. Here’s how I make sourdough in just one day:

6:30am – Feed my starter
10:00am – Mix my flour and water for autolyse
10:30am – Add my starter and salt and mix
11:00am – Do the first slap and fold
11:30am – Do the second slap and fold
12:00pm – Do the third slap and fold and begin bulk fermentation
4:00pm – Check on my loaf, pre-shape my loaf
4:30pm – Do the final shape on my loaf, cover and let proof in a warm space for the 2-hour proof
5:30pm – Begin preheating the oven and dutch oven

6:30pm – Bake!

A sample schedule of how to bake with a long-period bulk fermentation

6:30am – Feed my starter
10:00am – Mix my flour and water for autolyse
10:30am – Add my starter and salt and mix
11:00am – Do the first slap and fold
11:30am – Do the second slap and fold
12:00pm – Do the third slap and fold and begin bulk fermentation in the fridge.
The next day at 7:00am – Do the final shape on my loaf, cover and let proof in the fridge for 12 to 36 hours.

When the second proof is finished, preheat the oven and bake!

Watch the full sourdough recipe video here:

*****PLEASE NOTE: This method has been updated on July 20th, 2023. The blog instructions may vary from the video, but know that both will get you a wonderful little loaf.