How to Make a Simple Sourdough Loaf for Beginners: A Step-by-Step Guide

Crunchy on the outside, soft and complex on the inside. Who doesn't love sourdough bread?

It can be intimidating when you realize that baking sourdough bread is a multi day process. This recipe is simple to follow and with just some starter, water, flour, salt and time, you will master the art of sourdough, even if you've never baked before!

Bready or not, jump on in!

As a novice baker, sourdough seemed like the epitome of hard work. I mean, who was I to think that I could even keep a starter alive, let alone use it to create such beautiful loaves like the ones floating around social media? And after all, why not just bake with standard store bought yeast? So, that's where I started and very quickly realized that the cost of yeast along with the amount I was using just kept going up while the sourdough starter I inherited from a friend sat in my fridge, dormant with a thick layer of hooch, just begging to be fed! And to be honest, I wasn't satisfied with the standard bread loaves, they just don't have the complex flavor profile and crunch I was craving. So, down the rabbit hole I went. I scoured the internet for simple sourdough loaves and compiled my research to make this recipe!

Simple Sourdough Loaf For Beginners

Ingredients

• 50 grams active starter, (1/4 cup)

• 350 grams warm water, (1 1/3 cups + 2 tablespoons)

• 500 grams all-purpose or bread flour, (4 cups and 2 tablespoons)

• 10 grams salt, (1 1/2 teaspoons)

note* sourdough is best made by measuring in grams. Pre measure your ingredients ahead of time by zeroing out your scale with the empty container and then adding your ingredient to separate containers.

Directions

1. To make your bread dough, measure out your active sourdough starter into a medium mixing bowl.

2. Add the water, and stir well with a fork or dough whisk to combine well.

3. Add the flour and salt and whisk to combine well. It will look pretty shaggy at this point.

4. Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel, and let it rest for 1 hour at room temperature.

5. After an hour, use your dough whisk or floured hands to gently pull the edge of the dough near the side of the bowl and push it down into the middle of the bowl. Do this, rotating around the bowl, until the dough starts to look like bread dough and comes together in more of a ball. This should take about 2-3 minutes of going around the bowl pulling and tucking into the center.
   

6. Cover the bread dough with a damp kitchen towel and let it rise for 8 to 10 hours at room temperature. This is known as the bulk rise.

7. After the bulk rise, gently remove the dough from the bowl onto a lightly floured surface. Tuck the edges of the dough into the center and work around the edges until you’ve tucked them all in. Flip the dough ball over. Let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes.

8. Using your hands, gently pull the dough in each direction (North, South, East, West), these are called stretch and folds, where you stretch the dough and then fold it over on its self, then stretch in a different direction and fold it over on itself. I would repeat this process 2-3 times letting the dough rest for 30 minutes in between. But even just one rep can be enough depending on the dough.

9. After letting the bread rest for about 2 hours (with the intervals of stetch and folds) place the dough back onto a floured surface and roll it into a ball using the surface for resistance. You can also use your hands to create this resistance buy curving them under the dough ball. The goal is to have a nice, round, dense ball.
   

10. Prepare a bread proofing basket by dusting it well with flour (if it’s new, you’ll need to season it by spraying it with a little water and then adding the flour so it sticks), or you can use a medium greased mixing bowl.
    

11. Place your dough ball, smooth top down, into your prepared basket or bowl, and cover with a damp towel.
    

12. Let the dough rest for 1 to 2 hours, at room temperature, or until it’s spread out a bit and looks puffy.

13. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
    

14. Gently turn your bread dough out onto a piece of parchment paper. Score the top with a bread lame, or sharp knife.
    

15. Use the corners of the parchment paper to lift the dough into your dutch oven. Place the lid on the dutch oven.
    

16. Place the dutch oven in the hot oven and cook for 40 minutes.

17. Remove the lid and put the dutch oven back in the oven, uncovered for another 20 to 30 minutes
    

18. Remove the pan from the oven, and then remove the bread from the pan and let it cool on a wire rack for 1 hour before slicing and serving.
    

Enjoy with a thick layer of butter!

If you give this recipe a try, let us know what you think!