Sourdough Bread Recipe (VIDEO)

This Sourdough Bread Recipe makes the most incredible loaf of bread with a crunchy crust, airy crumb, an impressive oven rise and ‘ear’ using the right scoring technique. Discovering the art of baking sourdough bread has been such a gift for our family and I hope this video tutorial inspires you to dive in as well.

After making hundreds of loaves, I am confident this staple recipe has all the tips and techniques you’ll need to succeed whether it’s your first time or if you’re looking to refine your bread baking skills.

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Easy Sourdough Bread Recipe

Crusty sourdough bread is so beautiful, versatile, and crowd-pleasing. We love toasting a slice for breakfast with Honey Butter or Peach Preserves. It’s excellent for a BLT Sandwich for lunch, and paired with Soup Recipes. You can even cut it up for Homemade Croutons. With all these delicious possibilities, you can see why sourdough bread recipes have become so popular recently.

Sourdough Bread Video

Watch Natasha make this easy sourdough bread recipe in just a few steps. Be sure to note the shaping and scoring techniques so your bread will look just as beautiful each time!

Ingredients

It’s amazing how simple the ingredient list is for this sourdough bread recipe since it has so much flavor and a nice chewy crumb.

• Flour – we prefer organic flour, but regular will work as well. Bread flour has a higher percentage of protein than all-purpose flour, giving the bread a chewy texture. My favorite is to order Central Milling Company Artisan Bakers Craft flour but I have also used Bob’s Red Mill Artisan Bread Flour with great results.
• Rye, whole wheat, or whole grain flour (optional)– these give the bread more flavor. You can substitute this portion with bread flour.
• Salt – this ingredient is so important! It aids in fermentation, gives flavor and color, and gives a good oven spring (rise in the oven).
• Water – filtered, bottled or dechlorinated water is best and should be room temperature or lukewarm (85˚F).
• Active Sourdough Starter – this is a starter that has been fed within the last 6-12 hours, has more than doubled in size, and is bubbly and dome-topped. See my post on How to Make Sourdough Starter if you don’t already have a starter.
• Rice Flour (optional) – for dusting the bread basket, or use bread flour.

How to Make Sourdough Bread

Timing Tip: If you start with step 1 in the morning, say 10am, you should be ready to mix the dough by 2pm and fermenting in the fridge by 6-7pm overnight.

Step 1: Feed your starter

For a single loaf, mix 50g of starter with 50g of bread flour and 50g of lukewarm water (up to 85 degrees). Scrape the sides of the jar, loosely cover, and mark the height on the outside of the jar with a rubber band or dry-erase marker. Let sit at room temperature for 4-6 hours or until it has more than doubled in volume.

Step 2: Make the dough

In a large bowl, whisk the flours and salt until mixed. Add the water and starter and stir using a wooden spoon then use your hands until thoroughly mixed. It will be a wet and sticky dough. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel.

Step 3: Bulk Fermentation Stage

Rest the dough for a total of 4 hours, performing a stretch and fold routine after every hour. *Stretch and fold: Wet your hands so the dough doesn’t stick. Stretch or pull up gently on one side of the dough without tearing it. Then fold it over itself into the middle. Repeat the stretch on the other 3 sides until all 4 sides are stretched and the dough feels tighter. Cover and repeat each hour for 4 total stretches.

Step 4: Shape the Loaf

After the 4th stretch and fold, lightly flour your work surface to shape the dough. Flour your hands, turn the dough out onto the surface, and gently stretch and shape the sourdough bread for your cooking pot. Shape a Round Loaf: stretch the dough from the top down onto the center. Turn a quarter turn and repeat until all the sides are folded in. Shape an Oval Loaf: Fold the sides of the dough alternating left and right from top to bottom. Then tightly roll the dough from the top to the bottom.

Step 5: Bench Rest

Let the dough rest for 20 minutes. First, turn the dough seam-side down. Then cover with a towel. After 20 minutes, if it seems to have loosened up too much, gently re-shape it using the same process as above.

Step 6: Tighten the Loaf

Flour your hands and cup the outsides of the dough. Then tuck the sides of the dough underneath. Slide the dough down the counter in a circular motion about 6 inches, using its slight stickiness to tighten the ball/oval. Try not to tear the dough.

Step 7: Cold Fermentation/Proofing

Flour the banneton proofing basket, or tea-towel-lined bowl generously. Place the dough inside seam-side up and cover with a towel. Refrigerate overnight or for at least 8 hours. It can stay refrigerated for up to 48 hours until you’re ready to bake the sourdough bread. You can see the expected rise in the before and after photos below.

Step 8: Preheat Oven

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. This may take up to an hour for some ovens. If using a combo cooker with low sides, cut a piece of parchment to cover the bottom. If using a Dutch Oven with higher sides, lay a piece of parchment on the counter. Put the Dutch oven/combo cooker into your oven to heat (without the parchment) at least 30 minutes before baking. Set your pizza stone on the bottom rack, if using (a pizza stone helps to keep the bottom of the bread from getting too dark).

Step 9: Score the Sourdough Bread

Remove the dough from the fridge. If using a combo cooker, place the parchment circle into the hot pan, and turn out the dough into the hot pot seam-side-down. If using a Dutch oven, turn the dough out on the parchment paper. Using the lame (A curved lame works best for me in order to get the distinctive ear) or a serrated knife, make a crescent shape cut from the base of one side of the dough to the base of the dough. Keep the blade at a 45-degree angle to the dough and cut 1/4 to 1/2″ deep (it’s ok to go over it a second time, just be confident).

Step 10: Bake the Bread

If using a Dutch oven, lift the parchment paper to place the dough (on the parchment) into the Dutch oven. Using hot mitts, cover the Dutch oven/combo cooker with the hot lid and place it into the oven. Reduce the heat to 450 degrees and bake for 20 minutes to allow the trapped steam to cook the crust of the bread. Then, remove the lid and bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer the finished sourdough bread to a cooling rack and cool completely before cutting.

What is the Best Cooking Pot for Sourdough?

You can use a variety of pots. Either a 5 1/2 qt cast iron Dutch Oven or cast iron combo cooker with lid are great options. My combo cooker is my favorite because the lower sides make it easier to score in the pot, but you can score the bread on the counter and transfer the dough ball into a dutch oven using parchment paper

How to Get the Best Oven Spring

Oven spring is the rise the dough gets when it’s in the oven, mostly occurring in the first 10 minutes. Here’s how this sourdough bread recipe creates the best rise:

• Covering the pot – A Dutch oven or combo cooker helps trap the steam to create a good rise.
• Bulk Fermentation and cold fermentation help to prevent over-proofing (exhausting the yeast), so the yeast has plenty of life left for a burst of activity as the oven heats the dough.
• Tightening the dough is a critical step in getting the best oven spring. You want the outside of your dough to be taught to trap the air bubbles but not to tear it.
• Scoring the bread is also important to help it open up and rise properly
• Salt helps the yeast slowly ferment, creating a better crumb with more big and small bubbles and better oven-rise

Do I need to “Slap and Fold?”

Some sourdough bread-makers will slap the dough against the counter and then fold it onto itself right after the dough comes together. This is called the ‘slap and fold’ and is supposed to tighten up the dough. I used to do it but found it to be unnecessary. It just makes you counter messy and the ‘stretch and fold’ during the bulk fermentation tightens up the dough without this extra step. 

Can I Bake Right Away?

You can skip the slow fermentation in the refrigerator but your bread won’t have as much sourdough flavor. If you prefer to bake right away, you can cover and let it proof at room temperature for 1 to 2 1/2, depending on the room temperature, or until it is puffed but not doubled in size then score and bake as directed.

How to Serve Sourdough Bread

Sourdough bread is so versatile! Use it in place of sliced bread for sandwiches, or as a crusty bread with soups. Here are some of our favorite dishes to serve with sourdough bread.

Our sourdough bread recipe is as easy as it is fun! You’ll love how this crusty, chewy bread looks like a work of art and tastes like one too. Share your creations with us in the comments and on social media. We’d love to hear how your baking went and see photos of your finished loaves.

More Homemade Bread Baking Recipes

Once you try baking this sourdough bread, you’ll be hooked on homemade bread! Try these delicious recipes.