This easy Sourdough Bread Recipe will turn you into an instant kitchen superstar! With just 3 ingredients and 20 minutes of hands-on time you can create a gorgeous, handcrafted loaf of fresh sourdough bread! Perfect for beginners to pros, THIS is the recipe that will make you famous!
Sourdough Bread Recipe
There’s nothing quite as glorious as a fresh-baked, golden crusty loaf of artisan sourdough bread, right?
And with this simple sourdough bread recipe, I will show you step-by-step just what you need to do to become an AMAZING sourdough bread baker!
Molly writes: "Love how easy this recipe is."
I like to think of baking sourdough bread as an art. Sure it might take a bit of practice, but it’s SO worth it!
To make the sourdough bread making process as simple as possible, I’ve tried to included all the best hints, shortcuts and tricks to save you time and work! For instance, I will show you how to easily create own Sourdough Starter from scratch!
Now the entire process of baking a loaf of sourdough bread does take a bit of time, but don’t worry… most of the time is just allowing the dough to rise.
In fact, the actual hands-on time for working with the dough is actually quite minimal.
So my suggestion to you is… if you’re an early riser, start the process early in the morning.
Or if you’re a night owl (like I am), start the process with feeding your starter in the late afternoon, starting the dough in the late evening, and letting the dough do its extended rise overnight.
Plus, as if you needed any more reason to learn how to make your own sourdough bread at home, let me just say… your home will smell glorious as your sourdough masterpiece bakes!
Just like when you bake up a loaf of this fabulous Artisan Bread Recipe, wonderful Honey Wheat Bread, and lovely Cranberry Walnut Bread, too.
Seriously ~ the amazing smell will make you feel like you’re visiting the most amazing bakery, even though you’re just standing in the kitchen with a huge grin on your face!
Of course once your heavenly loaf finally makes its grand entrance… there’s still one last thing you need to do!
You need to slice it up into the most scrumptious sourdough sandwich bread imaginable. But of course you don’t stop there… oh no! Because you then proceed to make the World’s BEST Sourdough French Toast or Sourdough Grilled Cheese Sandwich EVER! Trust me, sourdough is the ultimate upgrade for French toast and grilled cheese sandwiches!
So do yourself a massive flavor favor today… get your sourdough baking ASAP!
You can get it started with these simple ingredients…
Ingredients
You’ll just need these 4 simple ingredients to bake up the BEST sourdough bread recipe…
- Bread Flour
- Active Sourdough Starter (I recommend using my quick and easy homemade Sourdough Starter Recipe)
- Sea Salt
- Warm Water
Like with all of my Dutch Oven Bread Recipes, you’ll also need a 5 – 6 qt Round Enameled Dutch Oven to bake up this dutch oven sourdough bread recipe.
What Kind of Flour is Best for Sourdough Bread?
When it comes to baking this sourdough bread recipe, I highly recommend using Bread Flour.
It will give you a much better rise on your loaf. And if you don’t have any bread flour, I’ll show you below how to make it yourself!
How do you Make a Loaf of Bread Taller?
With this sourdough bread recipe, making your loaf of sourdough bread taller is simple! Here’s what you need to remember…
1. Start with a happy, bubbly Starter Dough for Sourdough.
2. Always Use Bread Flour.
3. Be Patient, and let that dough rise.
4. Stretch and fold your dough to add more volume.
It’s a long process to create a gorgeous tall loaf of genuine sour sourdough bread, but most of it is just waiting for the rise.
Then my two other tricks are to always use bread flour, and to give the dough several stretch and fold motions to add height and more glorious air pockets.
Can you Make a Bread Flour Substitute?
You sure can, and it’s SO easy!
Bread flour can be expensive, so here is a simple substitute for bread flour…
How to Make Bread Flour with All Purpose Flour
To make your own bread flour for this sourdough bread recipe, you’ll just need the following two ingredients…
- 3 Cups All Purpose Flour
- 1.5 tbsp. Vital Wheat Gluten
Then, in a large mixing bowl, just whisk together the all purpose flour and vital wheat gluten, and you’ve got the bread flour you’ll need for this sourdough bread recipe!
Talk about EASY!!!
So are you ready to make your perfect loaf of sourdough bread?
Here’s what you need to do…
How to Make Sourdough Bread
Nothing beats a perfect loaf of sourdough bread with a golden, crispy crust… and it’s actually SO simple!
Just follow these simple step-by-step instructions to make this simple sourdough bread beginner recipe…
1. Make the Dough per the instructions in the recipe card below.
2. Then simply wait while your dough rests.
3. After the dough has rested for 1 hour, form your dough into a round ball.
4. Then cover the dough and let it rise.
5. Transfer the dough to a banneton basket to finish rising, then place in dutch oven and score the top.
6. Finally, use my sourdough bread recipe instructions below for how to bake it in the oven.
7. Once done… cool, slice, serve & ENJOY!
That’s it. So simple. Homemade bread recipes don’t get much EASIER than this!
Scroll down for the printable sourdough bread recipe card with detailed, step-by-step instructions.
What To Serve With Your Loaf of Sourdough Bread
Trust me, you can actually make this sourdough bread recipe even better when you give your fresh baked sourdough the perfect finishing touch. So consider slicing it up and dunking it in this Dipping Bread Oil as a lovely dinner side.
You also owe it to yourself to slather it with some Honey Cinnamon Butter, Cinnamon Brown Sugar Butter or lovely Maple Butter. These flavored butters will make your sourdough EXTRA amazing!
But that’s not all… oh no! Because then you need to take your sliced sourdough sandwich bread… and pile it high with some Strawberry Freezer Jam and Homemade Peanut Butter to create the most incredible peanut butter and jelly sandwiches ever!
Sourdough Bread Recipe Reviews
Here’s what your frugal friends are saying about baking up the easiest sourdough bread recipe for beginners…
One reader writes: “Perfect crust, I definitely love this recipe, and you have made it so easy!”
Christie writes: “Incredible texture”
Jenna writes: “The perfect, most delicious beginner sourdough recipe! Thank you!”
Diane writes: “My husband’s favorite!”
Sherri writes: “Perfect for lunch sandwiches for school and so much better than store-bought.”
Kim writes: “So delish!”
Rebecca writes: “I love that I can make my own. I had no idea it was this easy. This is so much cheaper than buying it, and so much better than store bought! Thanks for the great recipe.”
Easy Bread Recipes for Beginners
Did You Enjoy This Recipe? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Leave a comment & review below!
Sourdough Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup Active Sourdough Starter*
- 2 tsp. Sea Salt
- 1 ¼ cup Warm Water
- 3 cups Bread Flour**
- 1/2 tsp. Cornmeal
Instructions
- Gather your sourdough bread recipe ingredients.
- When you're ready to bake your bread, the first step is to feed your sourdough starter. If starter has been stored in the refrigerator, remove from fridge and let it come to room temperature on the counter after feeding for 4 – 6 hours.
- Once starter has come to room temperature, and ‘woken up’ a bit, it’s time to start!
- Add Active Starter and Water to large mixing bowl, and stir with wooden spoon.
- Then add Bread Flour and Sea Salt to bowl, and stir into a shaggy dough. After stirring well with a wooden spoon, get your hands in there to finish combining the dough.
- After mixing all ingredients, cover bowl with plastic wrap, and let dough rest for 1 hour.
- After 1 hour of resting, remove plastic wrap. To add height and gorgeous air pockets to your finished loaf, it’s time to stretch and fold your dough four times. To “stretch & fold” grab one corner of the dough, pull it up, then fold it over. Rotate the bowl ¼ turn and repeat for a total of 4 times (once on each corner of the dough ball).
- Then cover bowl with a light tea towel or flour sack cloth and let it rise for 8 – 10 hours in a warm area of your home, or until it doubles in size. Keep out of direct sunlight. (If it’s chilly inside, I like to place it in the oven with just the oven light on to add a little warmth, just like we did with our Sourdough Starter.)
- After 8 – 10 hours, lightly flour cutting board or counter and transfer dough to the floured surface by carefully using dough scraper around edges to preserve as many air pockets as possible while removing it from the bowl.
- Brush or spray inside of proofing basket (banneton bowl) with cool water, then sprinkle hefty amount of flour on top, shake it around, and let it dry. Then sprinkle a little more flour in proofing basket and shake again, to make sure it’s well floured.
- Sprinkle top of dough with a little flour, then with well-floured hands carefully shape dough into ball, adding a bit more flour where it’s too sticky to handle. To shape dough, I like to do 4 more stretch & fold motions (1 on each side), then 4 more stretch & fold motions (1 from each corner), then flip dough over (seam side down), and shape into a ball using my hands and stainless bench scraper (dough cutter) to tuck any extra dough on the sides underneath.
- Then, using your bench scraper, carefully place dough ball in proofing basket, seam side UP for the final rise.
- Gently drape towel over proofing basket, and let it rest for 1 – 2 more hours in a warm spot of your home. When dough is puffy and growing, it’s ready to bake!
- Now cut out a large rectangular piece of parchment paper to fit inside bottom and sides of 5.5 quart – 6 quart dutch oven, place paper in dutch oven, and firmly press creases along the sides. (This will help the paper not indent into your bread while baking.) Then trim tall edges around the rim so the lid will fit on nicely. Set parchment paper aside for later.
- When dough is ready to bake, preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- Sprinkle top of dough in the proofing basket (which is the seam side up) with cornmeal.
- Then place cut piece of parchment paper over top of proofing basket, and carefully & quickly, flip dough over out onto paper.
- Use a sharp serrated knife to cut two 4″ intersecting lines in the top of the dough, like a plus sign. This will give the finished crust a beautiful and dramatic look, and allow the bread to expand when baking.
- Then transfer to dutch oven and flatten parchment paper creases again.
- Place lid on dutch oven, and bake on center rack for 25 minutes.
- After 25 minutes, remove lid and bake for 25 – 30 more minutes, or until bread is a deep golden brown color. IMPORTANT: For the last 10 minutes of baking, prop the oven door open a crack using two small balls of tinfoil. This will allow some moisture to escape, and help develop a gorgeous crispier crust on your loaf.
- Once it’s done, transfer to wire rack to cool for 1 – 2 hours. (Even though it's hard to wait, allowing it to cool will make sure it finishes the baking process and prevents you from ending up with a gummy loaf.)
- After it has cooled, slice, slather with Maple Butter, build a sandwich, or dip in Bread Dipping Oil… and ENJOY!
Notes
- *Starter: Make sure to feed your starter after you use it, to replace whatever you took out.
- **Bread Flour: If you don’t have bread flour, just whisk or sift together 3 cups All Purpose Flour with 1.5 tbsp. Vital Wheat Gluten.
- FRESHNESS TIP: With this sourdough bread recipe, your bread is best eaten fresh within 48 hours. If storing for use within the next two days, allow to cool completely, slice (or leave the loaf whole and slice as you go), wrap in a flour sack cloth, and place in an old plastic bread bag in the pantry. It’s excellent up to 2 days later and makes AMAZING toast, paninis and grilled cheese. 🙂
- FREEZING TIP: If you’d like to freeze your loaf for later, you can either leave your loaf whole or slice it up now so you can just grab a few slices here and there as you need them. Wrap your cooled loaf in 2 – 3 layers of plastic wrap, then wrap in foil and place in a gallon freezer ziploc bag for up to 2 months. When ready to use your bread, just remove the bag from the freezer and allow to come to room temperature on the counter.
- FAQ’s: For answers to Frequently Asked Questions or tips for common substitutions and variations, please refer to the detailed information above this recipe card.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
I regret giving up my sourdough starter! Your bread looks so perfect, Heidi. A delicious crispy crust and chewy inside!
Thanks so much, Katherine! It sounds like it’s time to start another Sourdough Starter! 🙂
Never met a bread I didn’t like! The crust on this looks fantastic — really nice job. Thanks!
Thanks so much, John! And I agree… I pretty much love all breads, too! 🙂
I am so hungry now looking at this sourdough bread! You are an amazing baker.
You’re so sweet… thanks, Kathrine! I wish I could some with you! 🙂
MMM your sourdough looks amazing with that incredible texture Heidi! I’m definitely into full baking mode these days!
Aww ~thanks, Christie! I’m with you… baking frenzies all Winter long are so much fun! 🙂
Love sourdough bread — it’s one of those recipes that I started making before Covid hit, and is still a favourite in our house!
That’s so fun you’ve been baking sourdough regularly, Michelle! My family just loves it too… it’s so comforting! 🙂
This looks incredible, and it is so simple to prepare!
Thanks, Alex! And you’re right… it really is surprisingly easy to make! So much of the time is just spent waiting for the delicious loaf. 🙂
Very cool idea, this sourdough looks so tasty!
Thank you… nothing beats fresh homemade bread!
Sourdough bread is my absolute favorite, it looks amazing!
Thanks so much… it’s definitely my favorite, too! I’m absolutely obsessed!! 🙂
There is nothing as intoxicating as the smell of freshly baked bread! The texture on this one looks absolutely perfect too!
Aww… thanks, Tasia! And I agree… the smell is out of this world, and the easiest way to make your home smell like a top-notch bakery!
Love artisan bread! This looks chewy and crusty…perfect.
Thanks, Angie! I love how sourdough gives you that crunchy crust and soft, tender inside. 🙂