Our best sourdough bread recipe is the ultimate guide! Easy to follow instructions, a printable checklist, and a step-by-step video help you master that tangy flavor, chewy crust, and perfect texture.
Ready to get your hands dirty? Making homemade sourdough bread is one of the most satisfying, transformative things you can do. It’s tastier, healthier, and cheaper than any bread you’ll buy at the supermarket. As two professional home cooks with previous careers in business writing, Alex and I leveraged our skills for making complex processes simple and created our best recipe: the Simplified Guide for Sourdough Bread. It has easy to understand steps, a video, and a printable checklist to make sure you’re able to master the process. Keep reading for our sourdough bread recipe!
Related: How to Make Your Own Sourdough Starter | How to Feed Your Sourdough Starter
Our master video: Sourdough Bread Recipe
In this video, Alex shows you everything you need to know about this sourdough bread recipe! Since so much of bread making is learning by watching, this video is crucial to understanding how to make sourdough bread.
Keep reading for more about sourdough starters, the necessary tools, and our sourdough bread recipe!
If you’re having issues getting your sourdough to work, check out our Sourdough Bread FAQ for all of our troubleshooting tips!
Our “pretty simple” sourdough bread recipe
This sourdough bread recipe is years in the making. For the past 2 years, Alex and I have been making sourdough bread every week. In that time, we’ve learned that making sourdough bread is an involved process. But we’re also passionate making cooking pretty simple. We wanted to simplify the process so that everyone on the planet could learn how to make sourdough bread. We set out to make the best sourdough bread recipe — that is, the most repeatable, easiest to follow recipe in the world. Our instructions are easy to follow, and complete with a printable checklist and a step by step video.
So here it is: our simplified sourdough bread recipe! It’s our original take on sourdough, though it was influenced by the Tartine cookbook and The Perfect Loaf. Our perfect sourdough bread? It’s got a chewy crust, tangy flavor, and just enough holes in the bread to be interesting but still hold up to a slather of peanut butter. Our sourdough bread recipe is the perfect everyday bread for snacking, sandwiches, and serving with soup. Ready to dive in? Before you start, read this post in detail so you understand the necessary tools and concepts! And if you have any questions, let us know in the comments below.
We’d love to see your loaf! Use #PrettySimpleSourdough to share on social media.
Making sourdough bread: an overview
Making sourdough bread is a process that spans across 3 days. Here’s an outline of the tasks and approximate active time for how to make sourdough bread:
| Day 1 Evening | Feed the starter (5 minutes active time) |
| Day 2 | Make bread and proof overnight (5 hours active time) |
| Day 3 | Bake (1 hour active time) |
What makes it simplified? Though it spans across three days, we’ve tried to simplify while keeping the integrity of the sourdough bread process. Our instructions are thoughtfully crafted to be easy to follow—and even memorize! The traditional method of cooking the bread using steam can be hard to create at home, so our recipe uses a Dutch oven. Best of all, we’ve created a custom video series and printable checklist so that you don’t miss a step. The hardest part is waiting for the bread to cool! Let’s get started with the tools you’ll need for making this sourdough bread recipe.
Intimidated? Start with our simple and easy artisan Dutch oven bread first.
Sourdough bread: what you need
Making sourdough requires some special equipment to get the job done. Here’s a list of the required tools. We’ve linked to the exact tools that we use, but you can use whatever suits you!
Required tools for this sourdough bread recipe
- Large dutch oven for baking the bread
- An active sourdough starter: here’s how to make it or buy one here
- Plastic bag for proofing (reuse it every time you make bread)
- 500 gram oval banneton proofing basket where the dough has its final rest
- Kitchen scale for measuring
- Our printable Sourdough Bread Checklist
- Parchment paper
- Bench scraper for shaping the dough
- Dough whisk for quickly and easily stirring the dough mixture (optional)
- Lame or sharp knife for scoring the bread
- Oven gloves for easily removing the bread from the oven (optional)
Related: 12 Easy Dutch Oven Recipes
What flours are used for sourdough bread?
You can make sourdough bread with many different types of flour. For our sourdough bread recipe, we use a mixture of all-purpose flour (for texture), bread flour (for strength), and whole wheat flour (for flavor). We find that this mix makes a moderately open crumb—those beautiful holes in sourdough, a chewy crust, and tangy flavor. Personally, we use King Arthur brand organic flour for all three of the flours. In testing many different flours, we find it has the best and most consistent results for our sourdough bread recipe. (Some other flour brands made for a denser bread.)
Proofing sourdough bread
So, what’s proofing? Proofing is when you let bread dough rest after you’ve added yeast so that it rises. In this recipe, there are multiple steps that involve proofing, some at room temperature and some in a warm area. What’s the optimal warm sourdough bread proofing temperature? For best results, your sourdough bread proofing temperature should be between 80°F and 90°F.
The recipe below calls for setting up a warm proofing area where the bread can sit at this temperature. If you have it, use the proofing setting on your oven for this step. Other options: you can turn on the oven to preheat for about 1 minute and then turn it off before you place the dough in the oven. Or, you can pour a few cups of boiling water into the oven beneath your bowl to raise the temperature. Whatever the case, while the bread is proofing, be careful not to accidentally turn on the oven for any other reason! (We’ve had this happen before, and it’s not pretty!)
What’s a banneton?
For the final proofing stage in our sourdough bread recipe, the bread proofs in a basket called a banneton. The banneton helps to shape the bread and also makes for those lovely decorative lines on the top of the bread. To ensure the bread doesn’t stick to the banneton, the inside is coated with a mix of 1/2 cup all purpose flour and 1/2 cup rice flour, a tip we learned from the Tartine cookbook. We keep a container full of this mix on hand for baking days.
When it’s not in use, you can store the banneton at room temperature. There’s no need to clean the banneton; simply let it dry out after baking. After every few bakes, we scrape out any excess flour with a spoon so that you can still get those nice decorative lines in the top of the dough.
Feeding and maintaining a sourdough starter
Sourdough bread is a naturally leavened bread, meaning that instead of using active dry yeast to rise, it uses a sourdough starter! The first step in our sourdough bread recipe is to feed the sourdough starter. The night before you decide to make bread, feed the sourdough starter following the instructions in the recipe below. Learning how to care for your starter is an important part of this sourdough bread recipe. To learn about how to feed your sourdough starter, see our post and video about How to Feed Sourdough Starter.
If you don’t have a sourdough starter yet, you can learn how to make sourdough starter at home. And it’s really simple. See our post about How to Make Sourdough Starter—Out of Thin Air! Or even easier, just buy a sourdough starter online: Buy a Sourdough Starter.
What is baker’s percentage?
If you’ve read up on sourdough bread, you may have heard of the terms “baker’s percentage” or “hydration level”. These terms refer to the amount of water in the recipe, as compared to the amount of flour. This sourdough bread recipe is a high hydration bread. The baker’s percentage for this bread is 78% hydration (350 grams of water / 450 grams of flour).
How to store homemade bread
Once you’ve baked your homemade bread, it is best eaten within 48 hours. We store ours wrapped in cloth at room temperature. You can use a clean dish towel; or, made a special bread bag for storage out of a large napkin. If you don’t think you’ll eat the entire loaf in 48 hours, you can freeze whatever you don’t think you’ll eat! Let the sourdough bread cool fully to room temperature, then cut it into slices and place it into a sealed bag or container.
Printable checklist for sourdough bread
Last thing: as we’ve honed this recipe through the years, we found that the hardest part of making sourdough bread was keeping track of which step we were on! To solve that problem, we created this easy to follow printable checklist so that you don’t miss a beat. Filling in the circles also adds satisfaction to each step! You can reuse the checklist five times—after that, print a new checklist and you’re good to go.
Are you ready? If you’ve made it this far, you’re ready to learn how to make homemade sourdough bread. See the master recipe below—and don’t forget that printable! Let us know any questions in the comments. Happy baking!
Related posts
This post is one of three in our series on how to make sourdough at home:
- How to Make Sourdough Starter
- How to Feed Sourdough Starter
- Related: All our Bread Recipes!
- Related: If you’re into home baking, try our best pizza dough recipe!
Sourdough Bread Recipe (with Video!)
(220 votes, average: 4.07 out of 5)
- Prep Time: 6 hours
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 6 hours 40 minutes
- Yield: 10 slices 1x
Description
This sourdough bread recipe is the ultimate guide to making your own sourdough bread! You’ll be amazed by the tangy flavor, beautiful chewy crust, and perfect texture. And don’t forget the printable checklist! Also, see our FAQ if you are having any problems.
Ingredients
- 200 grams all purpose flour
- 200 grams bread flour
- 50 grams whole wheat flour
- 350 grams purified water, room temperature
- 80 grams active sourdough starter (make your own or buy one here)
- 10 grams kosher salt
- 50/50 blend of rice flour and all purpose flour, for dusting the banneton
Instructions
Day 1: Preparing the Starter
On Day 1, you’ll feed your sourdough starter the night before you prepare the dough.
Feed the starter: Remove the active starter from the refrigerator around 9:00 pm. Discard all but 1 tablespoon of the starter. Add 50 grams of purified water and 50 grams of all purpose flour. Stir, cover, and leave at room temperature overnight. The starter should be bubbly and about doubled in size between 9:00 am and 11:00 am the following day. (More about feeding your starter is at How to Feed Sourdough Starter.)
Print the printable checklist: Print off our Sourdough Bread Checklist to use when preparing the dough tomorrow!
Day 2: Preparing the Dough
On Day 2, you’ll make and proof the dough. This is the most labor intensive day; the entire process will take around 5 hours. The step numbers correspond to the printable checklist; make sure you have it printed and ready to go!
1 Mix flour and water; rest for 1 hour at room temp (“autolyse”): In a small mixing bowl, combine the all purpose flour, bread flour and whole wheat flour with the purified water. Use a spoon or dough whisk to stir until all dry flour has been incorporated into a raggy dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or place the bowl in a large Ziploc bag and place leave room temperature. Set a timer for 1 hour.
2a Prepare the proofing area: Prepare a warm area for proofing before starting next step. For best results, the proofing should be in a warm location, between 80° and 90° degrees. (For more on creating a proofing area, see the section above, “Proofing sourdough bread.”)
2b Stir in the starter and proof for 30 minutes: Add the starter to the dough and stir until loosely incorporated; it does not need to be perfectly stirred in. Cover the bowl and place it in the warm area for proofing. Set a timer for 30 minutes. Watch the video instructions for about folding for the next few steps.
3 Add salt, mix with your hands, and proof for 30 minutes: Add the kosher salt evenly across the dough and mix the dough with your hands until the salt is incorporated. See the video above to watch how to mix the dough. Return the covered dough to the proofing area and set timer for 30 minutes.
4 Fold and proof for 30 minutes: Fold the dough: with wet hands, lift one side of the dough straight up so that it stretches and fold it across the center; turn the bowl a quarter turn and repeat 4 times. Lift up the dough and wrap it onto itself until you have a smooth surface, then flip it over and place it in the bowl seam side down. See the video above to watch how to fold the dough. Return the covered dough to the proofing area and set timer for 30 minutes.
5 Fold and proof for 45 minutes: Fold the dough again in the same way as Step 4, wrapping it as much as possible without tearing the dough. Return the covered dough to a warm area and set a timer for 45 minutes.
6 Gently fold and proof for 1 hour 30 minutes: Gently fold the dough in the same way as Step 4, being careful not to deflate built up air in the dough. Return the covered dough to a warm area and set timer for 1 hour 30 minutes. Before you start Step 7, watch the video for instructions on pre-shaping and shaping the dough.
7 Pre-shape the dough and rest for 30 minutes at room temp: At this point the dough should appear bubbly on top and wiggle when shaken. (If it is not ready, proof for a few more minutes; the timing can vary depending on the temperature of your proofing and variations in the starter.) Turn the dough onto an unfloured countertop. Lightly flour the top of the dough and then use a bench scraper to gently scrape the dough into a ball, creating tension on top. Do not go so far that you tear the dough. Place an inverted bowl over the top of the dough. Set a timer and rest the dough for 30 minutes.
8 Shape the dough, place it in the banneton, and rest for 30 minutes at room temp: Prepare the banneton by rubbing the 50/50 rice flour mixture into all of the grooves of the banneton. Remove the bowl from over the dough; the dough should be formed into a gently rounded shape. Rub just enough flour onto the top of the dough so that it isn’t tacky. Use the bench scraper to flip the dough so that the floured side is down. Gently stretch the dough into a rectangle. Moving quickly, fold the top third of the dough down, and the bottom third up to create a packet. Rotate the dough 90 degrees and gently roll it into a log shape. Be careful to not press the dough or deflate it. Use your hands to gently pull the dough tight and pinch off the seams at the end of the dough. Rub a little more flour onto the top of the dough so that it isn’t tacky. Gently flip the dough into the banneton and pinch off the bottom seam. Place the banneton into the proofing bag and set timer for 30 minutes.
9 Refrigerate overnight: Place the banneton in a bag and refrigerate until the following morning.
Day 3: Baking the Dough
10 Preheat the Dutch oven at 515°F for 30 minutes: The following morning, place a covered Dutch oven on the center rack in your oven. Preheat to 515°F for at least 30 minutes. If your oven only reaches to 500°F, the recipe will still work, but you won’t get quite as much rise out of the bread.
11 Place on parchment, score, and bake for 17 minutes in Dutch oven:
- After preheating, cut a piece of parchment paper the width of your banneton. Remove the banneton from the refrigerator and pull back slightly around the edge of the dough to release it from the banneton. Gently invert the banneton onto the parchment paper and reach your hand into the basket to release it from the banneton. Try not to deflate the dough.
- Using a lame or sharp knife, cut a shallow slit at angle across the top of the dough. You can also add additional small shallow cuts for decoration.
- As quickly as possible, remove the lid from the Dutch oven and carefully place the parchment paper with dough into the Dutch oven. Cover it and set the timer for 17 minutes.
12 Place the bread on the oven rack, reduce to 400°F and bake for 23 minutes: After 17 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 400°F. Remove the Dutch oven, carefully take out the bread, and set the bread directly onto the oven rack. Bake for an additional 23 minutes. Remove the bread from the oven and allow it to cool on a cooling rack for at least 45 minutes. After cooling, the bread is ready to eat. Store the bread wrapped in cloth or in a bread bag on the counter for up to 2 days, or freeze wrapped in foil in a plastic bag for several months.
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: French
Keywords: Homemade Sourdough Bread, Homemade Bread, How to Make Sourdough Bread, Best Sourdough Bread, Easy Sourdough Bread, Homemade Artisan Bread
Last updated: July 1, 2019
About the Authors
Sonja Overhiser
Cookbook Author and writer
Sonja Overhiser is author of Pretty Simple Cooking, named one of the best healthy cookbooks of 2018. She’s host of the food podcast Small Bites and founder of the food blog A Couple Cooks. Featured from the TODAY Show to Bon Appetit, Sonja seeks to inspire adventurous eating to make the world a better place one bite at a time.
Alex Overhiser
Cookbook Author and photographer
Alex Overhiser is an acclaimed food photographer and author based in Indianapolis. He’s host of the food podcast Small Bites and founder of the recipe website A Couple Cooks. Featured from the TODAY Show to Bon Appetit, Alex is author of Pretty Simple Cooking, named one of the best vegetarian cookbooks by Epicurious.
340 Comments
Emily
October 22, 2018 at 3:10 pmI am so excited to try this! I recently decided I wanted to learn to bake sourdough this fall/winter and checked out several books from the library which seem rather overwhelming. This seems straightforward and easy to try!
Sonja
October 23, 2018 at 8:08 amWe love hearing this! Let us know what you think when you try it, and if you have any questions! Good luck!
Captain Lawrence
March 2, 2020 at 8:14 amThis is awesome. You answered all of my questions, and made the whole process less intimidating. I was sort of resisting getting started, it felt like I was taking on another pet.
Yvonne Warzynski
March 13, 2020 at 9:44 pmCan you proof or leave the sourdough in the refrigerator for two days instead of one?
Alex Overhiser
March 14, 2020 at 9:17 amUnfortunately not, it will continue to rise and eventually over-proof.
Kristina
March 19, 2020 at 5:19 pmIs there a maximum number of hours in the fridge? For instance, if it goes in a 2 pm, will it be okay to bake at 8 am the next morning?
Alex Overhiser
March 19, 2020 at 6:10 pmThat should be fine! Just definitely try to keep it less than 24 hours.
Mabel
October 11, 2019 at 9:02 amHi Alex,
Thanks for the awesome recipe. The video was amazingly easy to follow and I am so happy with my first sourdough loaf. The only thing is the open crumbs seems to have the shiny gummy gelatinized look. Are you able to advice how do I avoid that ?
Alex Overhiser
October 11, 2019 at 10:35 amHi! The shine comes from the protein in the bread flour; you could try adjusting the ratio a bit!
Jade
November 1, 2019 at 2:29 pmHi Alex! Couldn’t figure out how to leave an original comment so I’m just replying to your reply:) Loving trying out your recipe—I’ve made a couple loaves in the last few days. They look pretty good and taste pretty good but this last one was a bit salty. Any idea why? I followed the directions exactly. Thanks!
Alex Overhiser
November 1, 2019 at 5:11 pmHi! I’ve never had this issue. I’m wondering if you scale has a hard time picking up the low (10 g) amount of kosher salt and isn’t very accurate. If this is the case, you could just do 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt.
Olga
May 3, 2020 at 4:54 pmHi, I made my last loaves with table salt because I ran out of kosher and mine turned out saltier, what salt did you use?
Marion Alioto
February 9, 2020 at 2:49 pmThis is my first time too my question is can I use my oven to proof and how would I cover it
Daniela Liska
April 6, 2020 at 5:01 pmhi
i tried using less water and my dough is still crazy sticky!!
I used 250g of AP flour and 250 of BF as I had no Whole wheat. i used 300g of h2o, and still sticky!!!
help!
Alex Overhiser
April 6, 2020 at 5:48 pmSticky is good! When doing the folds, just make sure your hands are wet and move quickly.
Ruth A Maurer
May 23, 2020 at 9:59 amThank you! I have had success multiple times since watching your video and using the checklist. That has helped so much. I’ve also made sourdough crackers with left-over starter.
Vickie
October 25, 2018 at 1:24 pmThis is a great article and I am trying the bread today! One question I have – Is it okay to go a bit longer on some of the rise times – the ones after dough folds and before the final overnight rise?
Alex
October 25, 2018 at 1:48 pmHi! Yes, 15 minutes here or there doesn’t effect things too much ? if you need more time for one step, you can do a room temperature rise so that it moves slower as well.
Vickie
October 25, 2018 at 4:56 pmAt step 6 my dough seems much wetter than in the video, and I couldn’t even lift it out of the bowl to turn and shape. I am afraid that when I put it in the banneton it is going to stick too much. Not sure what to do.
Alex
October 25, 2018 at 8:52 pmHi! You can always add a bit of extra flour during the final shaping if the dough turns on wet. I hope it worked out!
Terri
March 16, 2020 at 7:52 amI had that problem with my first loaf, so just tossed it and decreased the h2o a tiny bit (339g) in the next one. That worked perfect. Maybe the elevation is a factor? Any way, I have done it successfully several times since. I’m new to sourdough & really love this method. You make it so easy & you are nice to look at ;)
Ray
April 2, 2020 at 4:53 amYes, I think the hydration level, at almost 80%, is rather high, even for accomplished bakers. I would suggest cutting it back to 70%-72%, which would give good results and be much easier to handle. (310g water + 40g water from starter) / 490 total flour = 71% hydration.
Vickie
October 26, 2018 at 3:14 pmMy bread came out really good. I have had a starter for a while, and have been making sourdough bread for a while, but my recipe didn’t have as many steps as yours and I think your process improved the texture of the bread. I was thinking it may not have risen enough – there are holes, but not as much as in your photo. I did have the issue with it being too loose and sticky, so I think next time I will add more flour as you suggested above. Thank you for this, and for the very helpful video!
Alex
October 26, 2018 at 4:16 pmI’m glad it worked out! The size of the holes can be greatly influenced by how gentle you are with the folds. I get a little more comfortable each time I make it!
Vickie
October 27, 2018 at 8:25 amThanks Alex I will keep working on this bread recipe. I appreciate all your detailed instructions, the video, and your answering my questions!
Vickie
October 29, 2018 at 8:46 amHow do you store this bread, if you want to keep it for a few days?
Alex
October 29, 2018 at 9:15 amWe keep the bread wrapped in a clean dish towel on the counter for up to 2 days. Otherwise, you can freeze until using it!
Michael
February 12, 2019 at 10:53 amI think the hydration of this recipe is more like 79.6%, since you are adding 80g of starter at 100% hydration. That makes your water to flour ratio 390g/490g (79.59%).
Looking forward to trying this recipe next weekend! I really appreciate the level of detail provided here.
Meldy
March 2, 2019 at 2:33 pmIf I do not have whole wheat flour on hand, can I just increase amount of bread flour or all-purpose flour? Also why is rice flour and not all-purpose flour needed for dusting the banneton ?
I’m new to baking sourdough.
Alex
March 3, 2019 at 2:36 pmHi! You can just use more AP flour for the whole wheat if you want. For dusting the banneton, the rice flour almost acts like a “non-stick” surface. Standard flour would get kind of gummy and be more likely to cause the bread to stick to the basket.
Meldy
March 3, 2019 at 3:05 pmThank you for your quick response. I can’t seem to find rice flour. Will brown rice flour work?
Alex
March 3, 2019 at 6:15 pmYes, that should work!
Anonymous
January 11, 2020 at 1:37 pmI make rice flour in the vitamix….perfect
Maya
May 11, 2020 at 1:19 pmI don’t have a banneton so I did my final prove in a glass bowl with a floured tea towel. Worked great and my bread came out perfect. Thanks for the clear steps in the video, it really helped!
Meldy
March 5, 2019 at 12:49 pmI made the bread yesterday/ Your instructions were so easy to follow and the checklist was great! Can I double the recipe?
Alex
March 5, 2019 at 12:52 pmThat’s awesome! I usually just make two loaves the same day (separate) vs doubling. Let me know if you try otherwise!
Jessie
March 8, 2019 at 7:03 amThank you for sharing. Can I Just bake on day 2 without refrigerate?
Alex
March 8, 2019 at 9:11 amHi! You could bake on day 2, but the resulting bread would be a lot less tasty!
Chris S.
March 8, 2019 at 4:52 pmWe love this recipe! The step-by-step instructions and checklist truly facilitate the whole process. It’s very easy to follow and the bread is fantastic. Do you know if it is possible to freeze this bread, perhaps after the first 17 minutes of baking at 515°, and then to thaw when ready to use, completing the baking process at that time, for the last 23 minutes at 400°? I haven’t tried it, but I’m wondering if this might work. Please let me know if you tried this or some similar process. I’m thinking this might be a way to quickly have a fresh loaf of fabulous bread ready to eat.
Alex
March 8, 2019 at 5:33 pmSo glad you’re enjoying the recipe! We have had good luck with freezing the dough (tightly wrapped in foil and in a freezer bag) right after cooling the bread. Let us know if you try freezing it midway!
Vanessa Tan
May 21, 2019 at 10:23 amMy oven settings are only up to 230C but I’m not sure if it really hits 230C when I turn it all up. What to do if I can’t get your minimum of 250C?
Alex
May 21, 2019 at 8:02 pmHi! You can follow the same instructions but leave it in the oven an extra minute or two on the first bake before removing the lid. When you remove the lid, it should be fully risen and formed with just a light brown color!
Lisa Jenks
March 9, 2019 at 1:54 pmIf my starter is sitting out and not coming out of the refrigerator, how do I adjust making the Levain?
Alex
March 9, 2019 at 2:02 pmHi! No adjustment necessary. Just you the starter in the bread when it’s a peak activity!
Lisa Jenks
March 10, 2019 at 1:56 pmMy eternal thanks for this recipe, video and worksheet. I have been working on this Labor of Love since December…so many failures. I finally achieved success with your help. I am over the moon!
Alex
March 10, 2019 at 1:58 pmI love this and it makes us so happy to hear! Happy baking :)
Victoria Connors
March 10, 2019 at 6:46 pmThank you for the step-by-step tutorial! I’ve been thinking about making sour dough bread for some time now – your guided video certainly takes some of the apprehension away! Much appreciated.
Kristen
March 12, 2019 at 12:21 pmIf I want to shape this into a round to make a bread bowl, how would I adjust the cook times?
Alex
March 12, 2019 at 1:17 pmHi!
If it’s a lot smaller, I’d the same cook time in the dutch oven and then shorten the 400F baking time abit. You can use a thermometer to check for when the bread hits about 200F inside to make sure it’s fully cooked.
Meldy
March 23, 2019 at 1:09 pmI’ve made the bread a few times and it’s turned out delicious every time. I just have problem with the pre-shaping the dough into a ball shape. I didn’t have a problem the first time I made the bread, but with the subsequent 2 times, i could not get the dough into a ball shape. It just keep spreading out. What am I doing wrong? The bread still tastes delicious in the end, but I’m just frustrated.
Alex
March 23, 2019 at 1:25 pmHi! Two things could be happening — it you changed brands of flour, you may want to decrease the water just a tiny bit because a higher hydration dough will spread out more. Also, it could just be that the dough didn’t build quite as much strength from the shaping process: you could be just a little more agrressive on step 5 and 6 to make sure the dough gets stretched out and folded across.
I hope this helps!
Chris
March 24, 2019 at 7:45 pmThank you for this video and checklist. This is my 2nd attempt at sour dough and this recipe addressed the flavor (or lack of) and bake issues I had with my first attempt. Thanks again.
H
March 27, 2019 at 9:39 pmThe answers on the comments are just as helpful as the instructions themselves. Thanks so much.
Mindy
March 28, 2019 at 4:08 pmI’m on day 5 for my starter and fed it this morning. (It’s still sitting out) Can I start my bread now? Or do I need to feed it tonight and shape tomorrow…?
Alex
March 28, 2019 at 4:34 pmIf it’s really bubbly and active you should be able to use it now! It will continue to grow stronger over the next few days too.
Mindy
March 28, 2019 at 5:25 pmThank you! Also what’s the best way to get 80 degrees for proofing? My oven doesn’t go that low….
Alex
March 28, 2019 at 5:33 pmYou can turn on the oven to preheat for about 1 minute and then turn it off before you place the dough in the oven. Or, you can pour a few cups of boiling water into the oven beneath your bowl to raise the temperature. Whatever the case, while the bread is proofing, be careful not to accidentally turn on the oven for any other reason! (We’ve had this happen before, and it’s not pretty!)
JR
January 4, 2020 at 11:15 amI use my satellite receiver box and place a try on top with the dough,
close glass door and voila !
Alex Overhiser
January 4, 2020 at 11:49 amBrilliant!
Anonymous
May 13, 2020 at 3:14 pmI turn the light on in my over the stove microwave. It creates just enough heat inside for perfect proofing.
Mindy
March 28, 2019 at 5:18 pmThank you! One more question. What’s the best way to get a 80 degree temperature for proofing ? My oven doesn’t go that low…
Joan
March 29, 2019 at 8:58 amWhat size dutch oven is appropriate, and does it matter if it is cast iron, or ceramic coated cast iron? I’m anxious to try this recipe : )
Alex
March 29, 2019 at 9:39 amHi! 5 qt or larger is ideal. Any type will work!
Brigid Sealy
March 29, 2019 at 12:11 pmHi. I noticed an inconsistency here it says set timer for 1 hour but, I think it was meant to be 1 hour 30 minutes. :
6 Gently fold and proof for 1 hour 30 minutes: Gently fold the dough in the same way as Step 4, being careful not to deflate built up air in the dough. Return the covered dough to a warm area and set timer for >>>>> 1 hour<<<<<<<. Before you start Step 7, watch the video for instructions on pre-shaping and shaping the dough.
Alex
March 29, 2019 at 4:12 pmThank you for catching that!
Brigid Sealy
March 31, 2019 at 6:20 amI made this bread and am delighted with the results! The lightest, airiest sourdough that I have ever made! I was wondering what adjustments I would need to make it with 100% white flour. Thanks
Kristen
March 29, 2019 at 1:57 pmHello! I don’t own a dutch oven, and typically bake sourdough in a cast iron skillet, adding cups of boiling water to a hot tray in the bottom of my oven to achieve the steam affect. Have you attempted this with this recipe? what might change about the bake temp/time?
Alex
March 29, 2019 at 4:13 pmHi!
Yes, this method should work as well. I haven’t checked it with the timing in this exact recipe, but I’d expect it to be similar. Just check it a little early on the 400F bake to make sure it doesn’t get too browned.
Joan
April 4, 2019 at 11:55 amI can stop searching for the perfect recipe…I have found it!!❤️Thank you!!
Alex
April 4, 2019 at 11:58 amHaha! You’re welcome!
Brie
April 5, 2019 at 8:13 pmWhat if I don’t have bread flour?? :0
Alex
April 5, 2019 at 9:37 pmWithout bread flour you’d have a very hard time shaping the loaf! It will end up flat and very sticky :/
Tiffany
April 7, 2019 at 12:18 pmSourdough first timer here!!! Wow I’m so impressed with myself! I followed your video and instructions to the letter and it’s beautiful! I haven’t cut into it yet, but it looks really nice.
Questions: If I just fed my starter, how long do I have to wait to use it? And if I don’t want to do an overnight proof, can I leave it at room temp for a couple hours instead?
Alex
April 7, 2019 at 8:55 pmHi, I’m so glad it worked! You can use the starter once it’s reached it’s reached peak growth and is bubbly. For us, that’s about 12 hours at room temperature, but it would certainly be faster in a warmer environment.
Debbie
April 16, 2019 at 10:45 pmNot sure what a Dutch Oven is … (sorry!), but should I bake using convection heat or normal (top bottom sides) heat? I guess if convection, the temperatures should be slightly lower. Excited to try this recipe …. starter already blooming ;-)
Alex
April 17, 2019 at 10:05 amHi!
The baking timing is specifically for a dutch oven — if you are not planning on using one make sure to read some other sources for how to add steam to your oven. I would also just use the standard heat setting.
Good luck!
Cynthia Brosnan
April 19, 2019 at 11:09 amCan I leave the bread to proof in the refrigerator longer than overnight, up to 2 days?
Alex
April 19, 2019 at 12:02 pmHi! You can do this, but it will probably be a little over proofed and slightly flat.
Amanda Mills
April 20, 2019 at 11:48 amHi, is there anything I can substitute if I don’t have a banneton?
Alex
April 20, 2019 at 3:43 pmHi! You can use a bowl lined with a floured towel.
Donna
April 27, 2019 at 9:00 pmIf I wanted to add herbs or cheese, at what point would I do this? The last set of folds before refrigerating?
Alex
April 29, 2019 at 9:04 amI’m not sure about cheese, but you can add the herbs during the first fold!
Jon
May 6, 2019 at 5:32 pmOn Day 3 before baking, do you remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it warm up (1 hour?) before putting it into the preheated Dutch oven. OR does the dough go DIRECTLY from the refrigerator to the preheated Dutch oven?
Alex
May 6, 2019 at 7:39 pmHi! The dough goes straight into the dutch oven! This helps it keep it’s shape.
Brie
May 7, 2019 at 3:59 pmThank you so much for the quick replies! And the awesome recipe! So I tried it, turned out great! Except for one little thing..it seems to not have cooked all the way through in the middle. It’s a little doughy, what are you suggestions for getting it to cook all the way through? Should I try lower heat for a longer time? I feel like if I left it in any longer it would have burned. Also, is it suppose to grow at all while it’s proofing overnight in the fridge?
Alex
May 8, 2019 at 1:11 pmHi! Yes, I’d try a little longer time on the lower temp. You can always stick a thermometer into the bread — it should be fully cooked at 190 degrees.
alps
January 8, 2020 at 6:30 pmHad the same issue, bread was undercooked and doughy. My dutch oven can only be heated to 500F.
Should the time in the dutch oven be adjusted/increased because of the lower temp? OR If I leave it longer at the lower temp… How much longer should I leave it in?
Alex Overhiser
January 8, 2020 at 10:03 pmI’d give a few more minutes at the lower temperature. When fully baked, it should sound hollow when tapped or if you have a stick thermometer, the bread should be fully cooked on inside at 208F.
Alex
May 8, 2019 at 1:12 pmAnd yes, it will grow a bit in the fridge!
LB
May 3, 2020 at 3:05 pmIf you think it’s going to burn, loosely place a piece of aluminum foil over the top
Jenny Silhan
May 12, 2019 at 11:46 amI’ve made this sourdough bread 5 times.. each time the dough was a bit different, looser, heavier…but after baking turned out delish each time. A couple of recommendations for us newbies: use a metal bowl. Dough sticks too much to plastic. Use a little less water next time if your dough is too runny. Adjust the proofing temperature so the dough doesn’t get too bubbly to manage. Cover with a towel overnight in the fridge (not plastic). Helps to set and come out of banneton easier.
Vanessa
May 22, 2019 at 2:12 amI just started making my first batch of sourdough starter, currently on my second day and I don’t know if it’s working or not, do you have any tips on it? And also, I do not have a Dutch oven for baking, is it fine to just bake it on a hot baking pan?
Alex
May 22, 2019 at 2:14 pmHi! Just keep on waiting on that starter — no special tips. The sourdough recipe will not work with same timing without the dutch oven. You can use our recipe but try googling around for other baking methods!
Jack
June 4, 2019 at 9:55 amHi cooks! I have now tried your recipe 3 times and each time have ended up with a brick albeit with a little larger rise each time. Now need to trouble shoot – starter is fine (nice and bubbly when used), using proofing setting in fridge so temp should be fine, getting much better at folding dough so losing less internal air. However when dough comes out of banneton it seems to not hold shape very long. Do I need to fold more or less? Could it be something with the oven? Do I need to preheat the Dutch oven for longer than 30 min? Your video is great but try as I can to follow exactly just can’t get the same results. Thnx for your help!
Alex
June 4, 2019 at 10:05 amIt should be ok if it doesn’t hold it’s shape in out of the banneton. Just make sure to get it into the dutch oven as quickly as possible. Do you have any idea what the temperature is on your proofing setting? If it’s warmer than 90F you might want to reduce the proof times a bit.
You also just might need a bit more practice on the final pre-shaping and shaping of the dough. After the final shaping and once it’s in the banneton, you could give it an extra 15 minutes in the fridge to allow it to get a bit more lift too. Let us know if any tweaks help!
Jacqueline Michelucci
April 11, 2020 at 11:00 pmHi! I’m trying to find whole wheat flour & rice flour but they’re sold out everywhere!!!! I have plenty of AP & bread flour. What are the substitution amounts for the bread recipe as well as the starter? Also, does the water need to be a certain temperature? Thank you very much! :)
Alex Overhiser
April 13, 2020 at 10:06 amHi! You can just sub the AP flour for the whole wheat flour. For the rice flour, it’s not completely necessary, it just assists with releasing the bread from the proofing basket!
Diana
April 19, 2020 at 3:46 amHi,
I have the opposite problem… I have plenty of whole wheat pastry flour, but no regular AP flour. I have some alternatives like cassava and a small amount of gluten free AP flour and regular bread flour. Will any of those combinations work in place of AP flour?
Thank you!
Alex Overhiser
April 19, 2020 at 10:02 pmYou can just replace the AP flour with bread flour.
Diana
April 20, 2020 at 5:22 pmCould I replace the AP flour with white wheat flour? And if it’s whole wheat bread flour, is that the same thing as the bread flour called for in the recipe? Sorry for the dumb questions, this is my first time doing this and I really want to get it right. Thank you!
Jack
June 4, 2019 at 9:56 amMeant using proofing setting in oven…
Alex
June 4, 2019 at 10:01 amI was wondering! :)
Dave
June 4, 2019 at 11:37 amExcellent recipe, and very helpful video! So I’ve made two loaves following your recipe so far. Both came out great, but… the bottom of the loaf is pretty burned. Any ideas why this is happening or how to prevent? I followed your recipe to the letter, not sure why my results would be different. I am using a La Creuset dutch oven (looks to be the same as yours). I checked my oven temp with a thermoworx thermometer, and it’s accurate.
Alex
June 4, 2019 at 1:34 pmHi! That’s so weird. I’d try shortening the first bake 1 to 2 minutes and extending the second bake at lower temperature.
Pinky
July 18, 2019 at 11:57 amHi Dave, Are you placing the loaf directly on the rack or using parchment during the final cooking time? I found that leaving it on parchment burns the bottom.
Jack
June 4, 2019 at 2:10 pmHi Alex, I’m assuming you mean let the dough sit out at room temp for an extra 15 min rather than an extra 15 min in the fridge. I’ll let you know how it all turns out. By the way your videos are great – terrific quality and easy to follow. Any problems are in my execution not the instructions! Turns out sourdough is a much trickier beast than one would think given that temp, time, flour, hydration, strength of starter, handling and more all have major impacts on success or failure.
Alex
June 5, 2019 at 7:15 amYes room temp! And thank you. When we started on this recipe we thought it would be easy to simplify the process… but sourdough is such a wonderful and complicated beast :)
Linda
June 5, 2019 at 10:28 pmI’m curious on your time schedule. If you make the levain at night and leave it on the counter overnight, that’s Day one. Then in the morning you ‘make ‘ the bread and go through all the proofing stages for – according to your schedule – 5 hours, then into the fridge overnight until the NEXT morning. So for the overnight stage, it could be in the fridge from noon or shortly after (Day 2) until the NEXT morning (Day 3)…isn’t that a LONG time to final proof?? Can you tell me (approximately) YOUR time table? That would be very helpful!!
Alex
June 6, 2019 at 9:19 amHi!
Here’s my time table.
Day 1: ~ 9pm build levain
Day 2: ~ 11am-4pm build the dough
Day 3: ~ 9am bake
As long as your refrigerator is set to standard temp (37-38F) this long proof in the refrigerator is perfect.
Good luck baking!
Lisa Ray
March 23, 2020 at 4:59 pmDue to my schedule, I built the dough through the morning and into the early afternoon. I put it in the fridge at 1:00 pm and won’t take it out until around 7 am tomorrow. Is that too long in the fridge proof?
Alex Overhiser
March 23, 2020 at 8:00 pmThat should be fine!
Thu Hong Peck
June 9, 2019 at 4:31 pmThank you, this is wonderful! Your instructions and videos are so helpful. But, I am having a bit of a problem. My starter is much more liquidy than yours so when I add it to the flour mixture, it makes the dough too liquidy. I use the exact measurements for feeding the starter as you so and it looks like yours when I mix it. I have been feeding it every 12 hours. It bubbles and is healthy, I do not allow hooch to form. But after 12 hours, it is very thin. Thank you in advance. I am determined to get it right :)
Alex
June 9, 2019 at 8:27 pmHi! That’s weird about your starter! Maybe try using just a few more grams of flour than water in your next batch.
Jack
June 10, 2019 at 12:43 pmHi Alex, thanks for your help. I proofed the dough at a higher temp (thank you warmer weather) – around 80 degrees and created more structure in the bread by stretching the dough a few inches further when folding. Made all the difference. For the first time have a wonderful looking (and tasting) loaf of sourdough bread after many loafs with the density of bricks and the appearance of large cow tongues. I’m hopeful I’ll be able to repeat my success. Thanks again!
Jared
June 26, 2019 at 8:34 pmHi Alex, I made my first time sourdough. It turned out so flat but the Structure inside looks ok but dense. I don’t use all your recipe ( I used 350g flour/260g water and 105g starter) but I follow your steps. It seems too wet and hard to shape. It grew but not so much and after I baked it, it only raised a bit. I don’t have Dutch oven. Instead, I use hot water to create the steam for my bread. I just don’t what happened to my bread. Too wet or not enough time to proof since its winter here. I did send the email to you with photos which would let you know my problem clearly. Thanks.
Dave
June 30, 2019 at 6:56 amThis was my first attempt, this is the best tasting bread I had the pleasure baking. I followed your expert, very detailed guidance and the results are outstanding! The crust is crisp, the the inside is airy, chewy and not dense.
The sourdough taste is spot on, the only problem I can see is not eating the whole loaf myself……..
Question:
– Can I double this recipe? I would like to get a loaf twice the size for obvious reasons. ‘Please advise”
Thank you for recipe and instructions. (I am hooked)
Dave
Alex
June 30, 2019 at 5:44 pmWonderful! So glad you enjoyed it. You could double the recipe, but I would do two loaves and bake separately.
Maggie Stapleton
January 27, 2020 at 9:11 amHi!
To clarify with the doubling, Alex, do you mean: 1) double the ingredients, mix everything everything together, and divide the dough into two loaves at the end? or 2) make two separate doughs using the ingredients as called for in the recipe and follow the steps for each of the two batches of dough.
thanks!
Maggie
Alex Overhiser
January 27, 2020 at 10:06 amSorry for the confusion! I would try option 2 here (but I haven’t tried it).
Maggie Stapleton
January 27, 2020 at 10:17 amok – thanks!
Thu Hong Peck
July 2, 2019 at 9:37 pmI have a friend who has a medical condition where she cannot have salt. Can this recipe be made without salt, or even less and if less,how much would the minimum be? Thank you!
Diane
July 4, 2019 at 12:35 pmI have the starter made and hope to begin the bread making process tonight. Can rolls be made using the same ingredient amounts and just shaping the dough differently? I want to make sourdough hamburger buns. Thanks for great recipes and website!
Alex
July 6, 2019 at 9:11 amHi! I haven’t tried smaller rolls but I would think it would work!
Pinky
July 18, 2019 at 12:00 pmThis recipe is the best. I made several loaves with it — my first bread baking ever— tried a couple new ones and they just didn’t compare! I have been adding raisins, dried cranberry and nuts along with the salt. *French chef kiss*. Thanks to both the cooks for such a great recipe and so much help. I am a breadbakin’ fool.
Alex
July 18, 2019 at 4:04 pmThat’s awesome! I love that you are adding nuts and fruit! We’ll have to try it.
Liz Sharpley
July 19, 2019 at 7:20 amHi Alex
Loving your recipe and the video – best results yet. I do have a few problems with the dough never being as manageable as yours – way too sticky and this time i’ve left half of it in the bottom of the banneton despite using a rice four mix. I’ll reduce the liquid content next time but also wondering if i’m using the right flour. I’m in the UK so hoping that AP flour is the same as our Plain flour – and then using strong white and strong wholemeal bread flours for the other ones. If i’m doing anything wrong please tell me!
Cheers and thanks again
Liz
Alex
July 19, 2019 at 9:11 amThat sounds like the right flours to me. I’d try going with a litte more percentage of the strong white and a little less of the plain flour. Hopefully that gets you a bit more dough strength!
Good luck!
Anonymous
July 19, 2019 at 9:37 amThanks for the very quick reply Alex – i’ll give that a go with my next one :-)
Jessica Gonzales
July 24, 2019 at 1:58 amI have finally found the perfect recipe! I must’ve watched 20-30 different videos on making this bread and decided yours was the best one and I’m so happy! If we were doing this on a different schedule and didn’t want to refrigerate overnight, about how long do you think it needs to proof at room temp. before baking? (I started in the evening and just popped the dough into the fridge to proof until tomorrow evening to bake and would rather work in the morning and bake in the evening. Thanks!
Alex
July 24, 2019 at 10:28 amSo glad you enjoyed the recipe! You’d probably want to bake the bread right after shaping it if you aren’t putting it in the refrigerator. Otherwise it will overproof! This should work, but the flavor wouldn’t be quite as developed as with the overnight.
Good luck!
Hana
August 3, 2019 at 12:14 amHello,
Was hoping you would be able to convert the grams into cups. Thank you!
Alex Overhiser
August 3, 2019 at 12:20 pmHi! This recipe needs to be very exact in order to work. You’ll need to use the weights provided. If you’re looking for a great bread with cup measures, try this one! https://www.acouplecooks.com/artisan-dutch-oven-bread/
Josephine
August 3, 2019 at 3:05 pmHi,
I would like to make the sourdough bread in a loaf pan. How would you do this?
Thanks.
Alex Overhiser
August 3, 2019 at 4:30 pmHi! You’d want to bake it at a lower temperature… probably 400 degrees but I’m not sure for how long!
Josephine
August 3, 2019 at 5:14 pmThank you Alex. Would you just use regular aluminum loaf pan? Is it okay to use a nonstick loafpan? Do I need to cover it some how?
Alex Overhiser
August 4, 2019 at 9:48 pmI’m not sure, I’m sorry!
Josephine
August 4, 2019 at 9:58 pmThanks for your response Alex.
Prue
August 17, 2019 at 10:54 pmThanks for helping me tick an item off my bucket list! I’ve been meaning to learn the art of sourdough bread making for years but was turned off by complex looking recipes. This one really is simple and it works. Hooray for yummy bread.
Alex Overhiser
August 19, 2019 at 9:23 amSo glad you enjoyed it!
Kelly
August 23, 2019 at 6:52 amThank you so much for this post! I bought a grain mill a few months ago and didn’t have much success with my first few whole wheat or half whole wheat sourdough loaves. I decided to try your recipe and then slowly increase the amount of whole wheat flour to see what happens, and it has been working great! The 50% whole wheat loaf didn’t rise quite as high as your original recipe, but I am still very happy with the results. I did increase the hydration to 83%. Thanks again!!
Alex Overhiser
August 24, 2019 at 1:32 pmThat’s awesome! I need to experiment more with whole wheat.
Brit
September 1, 2019 at 1:59 pmJust made this and it turned out PERFECT! I used only white flour and it still was amazing! The checklist makes it 100% easier than any other recipe I’ve used. This will be my new weekend tradition ? and I’m pretty sure my husband loves me a bit more now haha
Alex Overhiser
September 1, 2019 at 10:12 pmAwesome! So glad you loved it ?
YT
September 28, 2019 at 4:23 pmLove this recipe! Makes such a great loaf every time. I’ve noticed my dough seems a lot wetter than yours so I’ve adjusted the water content down a bit (330 g). Could be I put too much water on my hands when folding. Also had to cut the salt in half due to my wife’s sodium restrictions, but it still comes out perfect every time. Even shared some starter and this website with friends at work. Thanks so much!
Alex Overhiser
September 30, 2019 at 10:04 amAwesome! I’m so glad the recipe is working for you!
vanesha octania
October 10, 2019 at 1:10 pmHi! so glad to have finally followed your guided recipe!
Thankyou for sharing all the details.
One question though :
Is it necessary to bake it in cast iron dutch oven?
Can I substitute to any other container or maybe no container at all while baking in the oven ?
Thanks a lot!!
Alex Overhiser
October 11, 2019 at 10:36 amHi! You need the container in order to get the steam required for the bread to rise. Something like a cast iron pan with a lid would work as well.
Otherwise, you can search around the Internet for other ways to add steam to your bread baking!
Vanesha
October 11, 2019 at 10:40 amI’m baking the sourdough in a rational combi oven. I’m sure it has steam bake program. Can i just use a regular two handled pan and flip it over while baking in the oven ?
Alex Overhiser
October 11, 2019 at 10:48 amWell that’s cool! I’d just bake it on a pizza stone or on cast iron skillet. No need to flip :)
Suzy
October 28, 2019 at 9:14 pmThis recipe is amazing! I’m so glad to have found it! My sourdough loaf came out looking so professional and tasting amazing. I wonder if you might have any tips on how to make it taste more sour or tangy?
Alex Overhiser
October 29, 2019 at 9:10 amSo glad the recipe worked for you! For a stronger sour flavor, try adding some rye flour instead of all AP flour when building your starter.
Henry
November 4, 2019 at 7:27 pmHi Alex, I followed your recipe and everything was looking great. Got a really nice rise in the oven, and the crust was good. I let it cool and cut it open to find a massive cavity in the *bottom* of the loaf. Any idea what could have happened?
It’s very cold here and the warmest place I could get for proofing was around 25ºC (77ºf) at ~30% humidity.
I also used 100% bread flour instead of the wholemeal/rye/white mix. I followed everything else exactly.
The bread has a really nice flavour and the crust is excellent, but the bread is very doughy and undercooked.
Here is a photo if that helps: images.graniteoctopus.com/images/IMG_3441.original.jpg
Thanks!
Alex Overhiser
November 5, 2019 at 10:59 amHi!
Usually when this happens, the dough is a bit underproofed. This is probably due to the slightly lower temperature for proofing. Maybe try an extra 15 minutes for each rest. Also, I’m not sure why the dough would be slightly undercooked, but maybe try an extra 5 minutes in the oven as well. If you have a stick thermometer, the bread should be fully cooked on inside at 208F.
Good luck!
Henry
January 7, 2020 at 4:27 amI tried again this week, using a temperature controlled area for proofing where it stayed between 30 and 32 Celsius. It came out perfectly, and is probably some of the best bread I have ever eaten. Thanks so much for your help!
Alex Overhiser
January 7, 2020 at 12:16 pmSo glad it worked out! Enjoy that bread! :)
Mouse
November 11, 2019 at 11:05 pmAt the end of day 1 you said “Print off our Sourdough Bread Checklist to use when baking the dough tomorrow!” But day 2 isn’t baking, it’s preparing.
Alex Overhiser
November 12, 2019 at 9:30 amExcellent point! It’s updated :)
Jordan L’Amoreaux
December 22, 2019 at 7:52 pmHi! I just made this recipe and it had an amazing flavor and inside texture. The top crust however was not crispy and really flimsy. I cooked it exactly as recommended and even left it in a little longer at the end to see if I could get it a little darker. Is there something I did wrong or is the crust on this supposed to be a little softer? Thanks!!
Alex Overhiser
December 22, 2019 at 10:49 pmHi! The crispiness comes from the time in the Dutch oven. You could try a little longer for that portion.
Bill DeWitt
November 28, 2019 at 9:43 amHow should I adjust bake time/temp for a 2x size loaf?
Alex Overhiser
November 28, 2019 at 1:56 pmI’m not sure! If you have a thermometer look for 208F interior temp.
Bill DeWitt
November 28, 2019 at 9:48 amHow long before baking should the dough be removed from the fridge? Should the dough reach room temp?
Alex Overhiser
November 28, 2019 at 1:57 pmHi! Straight from the fridge to the oven.
Justin
December 18, 2019 at 3:57 pmFirst time trying an artisan bread, let alone a sour dough and it came out perfect. Looks fantastic. It’s cooling down now and I can’t wait to cut it open. This recipe and video was fantastic. I followed it to a T and it came out great. So proud and happy. So much could of went wrong and thankfully it didn’t. Thank you so much for the instructions and advice.
Alex Overhiser
December 18, 2019 at 9:43 pmI love this! So glad it worked out for you :)
Coco
December 20, 2019 at 12:15 pmHello! First time sourdough baker here : ) I have all of the necessary items required, except for a kitchen scale. Is it imperative that I measure the amount of each ingredient in grams? Would it be okay if I just converted it to cups/tbs measurements? I realize that weight is different than volume, just didn’t know how serious it is that I use a scale. Your guys recipe is by far the best and most informative that I have found and I can’t wait to make it!!! Thanks for your help : )
Alex Overhiser
December 20, 2019 at 12:48 pmHi! You can definitely make the recipe without a scale, however, since the hydration level is so specific, you may have a very loose or very tough dough if you don’t get it quite right. There’s no harm in attempting it though, if it looks really loose compared to the video you can always add a little bit of flour in the folding stages.
paulette
December 22, 2019 at 12:11 pmI am searching for a glass container tp store my starter, and like the one in your photo. may I ask if that one is available anywhere to purchase. I have just received my starter. thank you
Alex Overhiser
December 22, 2019 at 12:56 pmHi! I use this one for our starter. https://rstyle.me/n/c8hbzycfipp
Stephanie K Cross
December 23, 2019 at 2:24 pmMy first attempt at sourdough or any bread, there were a few times I thought it wasn’t going to turn out it was so wet. But in the end it turned out beautifully! So delicious
Alex Overhiser
December 23, 2019 at 3:03 pmSo glad it worked for you!
Carl
December 27, 2019 at 9:51 amMy third loaf and perfect each time because your instructions and video are so detailed. Love the checklist too! I substitute dark rye flour for whole wheat becaue my starter was raised on rye and AP flour and my thinking is not to switch the yeasts’ diet. Thank you!
Alex Overhiser
December 27, 2019 at 11:18 amSo glad to hear this! Happy baking.
Carly
December 30, 2019 at 8:40 pmI haven’t made this yet but I LOVE your blog and the checklist is ADORABLE “the checklist adds satisfaction”- hahahahaha! I’m very excited to try this. I almost never bake with my starter but its almost two years old and impossible to murder at this point. It’s definitely become more resilient to me ignoring it and also when I do finally try to bake I’m getting much better results!
Alex Overhiser
December 30, 2019 at 8:42 pmHaha! Good luck with the bread!
Mary Patout
January 14, 2020 at 10:09 amThank you for all the good stuff you’re sharing! I’ve come across your site and look forward to trying your recipe today! With the high hydration level of my usual dough–for me that’s 75%–I have trouble scoring it and have pretty much given up on that step because the dough is way too sticky to release the blade. Any advice? I’ve tried dipping the blade in a bit of olive oil….
Alex Overhiser
January 14, 2020 at 10:17 amHave you tried just using a straight razor? I generally don’t have issue as long as the blad is super sharp.
Carl
January 15, 2020 at 9:02 amAfter many successful loaves I learned yestereday the importance of always using the checklist. Everythiing was going great until I smelled something burning and realized I didnt turn the oven down to 400 degrees for the rack bake. Easy to forget any one step and every step is crucial for the final result. Thanks again!
Vince Poulin
January 21, 2020 at 7:31 pmThis is just a thank you note for stumbling across your site Alex. I started this process only recently baking some artisan breads – all came out perfect. Then wanted to try sourdough and came across your site. Following your steps that first loaf came out amazing, simply amazing – best bread ever. A key question I had (not covered in the video) was whether we let the dough warm after coming out of the fridge – I didn’t know so let it warm up, but that first loaf came out with the best oven spring I have had yet. Next time it will go in cold. For people who don’t have Dutch Ovens – you have lots of questions on them. I have been using an 1800’s original cast iron pot (Hudson Bay Company era) with a tin-metal lid that works perfectly. Basically it is a “Dutch Oven”. However, I travel and can’t take cast iron with me. As an alternative – just for testing – I took a cast iron skillet, placed the bread on parchment and then slipped over the boule a stainless steel bowl. The bowl cost $13.00. I had the skillet. The result has been excellent – loaves come out just as perfectly baked as if in the full-on cast iron environment. So for those who don’t want to spring the for the Dutch Oven there are alternatives. Again, thanks.
Alex Overhiser
January 21, 2020 at 7:46 pmGreat tip on the skillet and bowl!
We do put the into the dutch oven cold, straight from the refrigerator.
Happy baking!
Beth Bilous
January 24, 2020 at 4:30 pmWhere the heck is the video for this???
Alex Overhiser
January 24, 2020 at 4:43 pmHi! The video is right at the top of the page, or you can find it on youtube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRebuvd72Ck
Sherry Blizzard
February 2, 2020 at 3:23 pmOMG! Over-the-top FANTASTIC recipe. I just finished making my second loaf. Both came out spectacular! I’ve had my sourdough starter for about 15 years and have never achieved the level of satisfaction that I have with this recipe. I wish I could attach a picture of both loaves. I’ll be using this no-fail recipe again and again.
Alex Overhiser
February 3, 2020 at 10:05 amI’m so glad the recipe is working for you! We’ve made it hundreds of times and love it each time :)
Marion Alioto
February 7, 2020 at 1:10 pmGood afternoon, this is the first time I’m trying to make your sourdough recipe.
I’m on my 4th day of my starter.
My question is do you have a print out of how to make the sourdough bread. I watch the clip, but thought I’d like to see it in print also.
Marion
Alex Overhiser
February 7, 2020 at 3:39 pmThe full recipe is here: https://www.acouplecooks.com/sourdough-bread-recipe-simplified-guide/#tasty-recipes-23323
Marion Alioto
February 7, 2020 at 7:23 pmThanks for sending me the sourdough recipe it makes it easier for me while I listen to your video.
One more question I use King Arthur flour and I started there sourdough starter. It’s much more complicated then yours.
They a 2 feeding daily, does this make a difference.
I’m using your bread recipe though, and next time your starter.
Alex Overhiser
February 7, 2020 at 7:49 pmSourdough starters are a bit of luck and a bit of science. Many different methods will work! Once you have one going, you just need to keep it maintained. You can find our method here: https://www.acouplecooks.com/how-to-feed-sourdough-starter/
Stephen
February 14, 2020 at 4:39 amI baked a loaf according to your recipe and it was a great success. In fact it was my best ever bake of a sourdough loaf. My friends who tried it have begged me for the recipe and I gave them your website address.
Alexander Brou
March 7, 2020 at 5:22 pmit looks like my dough is a lot more wet than yours is during the folding phases.
it’s sticking a lot to my hands and bowl. am I doing something wrong?
about to take it out of the oven after the 45 min. proofing.
Also, do you think its the proofing temp? I’m using boiling water to get to what I think is 80 degrees.
Alex Overhiser
March 7, 2020 at 8:55 pmAre you using King Arthur flour? If not, you may just need a little more flour. It also might just need a little more time proofing in the oven.
Mike
March 13, 2020 at 12:02 pmI used your recipe for the first time and my dough was also too wet. But I went through with the baking anyway and it still came out very good. However, it was not very sour despite the fact that the starter looked nice and bubbly. What else can I do?
Alex Overhiser
March 14, 2020 at 9:19 amFor a bit more of a tangy flavor, use rye flour in the starter. Regarding the wet dough, you may just need to adjust water slightly depending on your brand of flour and environment.
Anonymous
March 16, 2020 at 3:50 pmI use all King Arthur. How much rye flower should I add to my starter?
Alex Overhiser
March 16, 2020 at 7:52 pmI’d start with 50/50 rye and AP and go up from there!
Mike Maddi
March 25, 2020 at 10:54 amI also use only King Arthur. I am going to use Rye flour to make my starter next time. BTW, I decided to make my started all over again because I am out of flour and I can’t get any anywhere. Because of the current pandemic situation I’m sure. What a shame. I even went right to the King Arthur website. I want my sourdough!!!!
Becky
March 14, 2020 at 9:04 amMy dough was too wet. I noticed this almost immediately, but wanted to stay true to the recipe to see how it went. I think I need to adjust the water amount. When I turned my dough out of the basket in the morning it just spread out flat ? I feed my starter with equal parts. I’m not sure what happened. Can you give me any insight on this?
Alex Overhiser
March 14, 2020 at 9:15 amHi! What brand of flour did you use?
Carl
March 16, 2020 at 4:14 pmMy bread sometimes comes out with large bulges around the bottom. Have you seen this before and what may be causing it?
L Why
March 19, 2020 at 5:20 pmIs a dough whisk essential for this recipe? Is there any other tool that I can use instead of a dough whisk?
Alex Overhiser
March 19, 2020 at 6:09 pmNot necessary! A simple wooden spoon will suffice.
Gal
March 19, 2020 at 6:38 pmHi Alex!
This recipe and all of the instructions are great, thank you so much for it and for helping everyone out here in the comments.
I followed it completely except two things: I used only AP flour and accidentally used cold water. I am right now waiting until tomorrow (day 3) to bake it but the dough seems very wet so far. Do you think any of the things I mentioned above might affected it? Or should I reduce water/add more flour for the next time?
Thanks!
Alex Overhiser
March 19, 2020 at 6:53 pmThe dough is supposed to be very wet, but without the extra protein in bread flour it will have trouble holding its shape. Try using the bread flour or a bit less water next time!
Gal
March 19, 2020 at 11:12 pmThanks! I appreciate it
Sherri
March 20, 2020 at 12:04 amFirst attempt at SD. Thank you very much for the video. Fantastic job! My dough came out pretty wet and sort of spread out, however the flavor was wonderful!! So I will be doing this again and either become better at it, or accept the slightly flatter looking loaf that still tastes great and has a wonderful crumb!
Carl
March 20, 2020 at 9:00 amHi Alex,
My bread sometimes comes out with large bulges around the bottom. Have you seen this before and what may be causing it?
Alex Overhiser
March 20, 2020 at 9:16 amThis is from any large air bubbles that form while doing the final shaping. If you see a particularly large one, you can try to flatten it (just don’t squeeze out air from the whole loaf.
Jaci
March 21, 2020 at 11:54 amWhats the chance of attempting this recipe with Gluten Free flour? I have bag of King Arthur gluten free flour and was going to give it a go but I worry it won’t be strong enough.
thanks
Jaci
Alex Overhiser
March 21, 2020 at 12:19 pmI don’t have any experience with this, but you are welcome to try! My guess is it would be very sticky and hard to work with.
Ross
March 21, 2020 at 1:11 pmI have never made bread from scratch. I was given a sour dough starter as a gift, I initially thought, “”Thanks, you’ve just given me a chore”. Well, I made one loaf it came out good. Made a second loaf, it came out great. I’m on my fifth now and so happy you’ve put together this step by step. I couldn’t have done it without the video. At least not on the first try and probably would have given up
Question, Covid-19, I would like to make some loaves for the neighbors and friends. Can I split this recipe into 2 after I add the starter? How would the timing on cooking change. The timing is perfect now and flour is in short supply so I don’t have much to test with.
Thanks so much for this gift you have given me.
Alex Overhiser
March 21, 2020 at 5:34 pmI’m so glad you’re loving the recipe!
I haven’t tried splitting the dough, but I’d do the full size until pre-shaping (step 7) and then split it. The timing should be the same the shaping.
For baking, I’d guess 16 minutes in the dutch oven and 20 or so on the rack. You just need to bake until it’s 205F in the middle (if you have a thermometer) or until it feels light and hollow.
Ross
March 25, 2020 at 4:09 pmThanks, once I can get flour again I will give it a try. I watched an episode of The Chef show on netflix last night and he was making sourdough, it looked like he put a real deep cut in his dough. What is a proper depth for the cut in your opinion.
Molly
March 22, 2020 at 4:37 pmI made this and it came out amazing! I had to use only half the amount of bread flour (replaced the other half with AP) because bread flour is a little hard to find right now. I will definitely be using this recipe in the future. Thank you!
Alex Overhiser
March 23, 2020 at 8:08 pmGlad you enjoyed! :)
Alexa
March 22, 2020 at 11:55 pmIs there a brand of Dutch Oven you recommend? I purchased an inexpensive one from Target – Threshold brand, only now realizing it is not safe above 450 degrees. After doing some research I also saw that Dutch Ovens made out of the UK and USA may not be safe to cook in either. What brand do you trust?
Alex Overhiser
March 23, 2020 at 8:04 pmWe use an enameled Lodge dutch oven. I think it recommends max temp of 450F but we haven’t had any problems. You could go all cast-iron if you desired: https://rstyle.me/+fBrm2yOQH-Q2XgiWyflpFQ
Miha
March 25, 2020 at 5:25 amHi there! I love this video so much!
I have one issue, my dough is very sticky, and it is really hard for me to mix it with the hands in between proofing.
I even used a bit less water than you did…
And I have 2 types of flour: one with 13 grams of protein and one with 10 grams of proteins. And put half/half into the bread…
I’ve just placed the salt now, waiting for the next step… But any advice would be more than welcomed :)
Thanks!
Alex Overhiser
March 26, 2020 at 9:15 amThe dough should be very sticky. Just make sure your hands are wet and you move quickly.
Loretta
March 25, 2020 at 11:50 amwhat is the minimum amount of time needed for the final refrigerated proof?
Alex Overhiser
March 26, 2020 at 9:14 amI would do at least 10 hours.
Shelley Dickie
March 25, 2020 at 12:30 pmAlex, THANK YOU! Your video, checklist and recipe make this so easy! My bread is in the oven right now and it looks and smells amazing! I really appreciate how everything is so clearly laid out.
Debbie
March 25, 2020 at 1:09 pmHi Alex and Sonja,
During this current lockdown a friend gave me a sourdough starter. Needless to say I am excited and it’s in the fridge right now in a baggie. The only flour I have at home is Jovial AP Einkhorn flour. IMG_7860.jpg. Any advice? Thanks
Alex Overhiser
March 26, 2020 at 9:14 amI don’t have any experience with einkorn, but I know that people love it! Maurizio has great recipes and has a recipe for einkorn sourdough here: https://www.theperfectloaf.com/einkorn-sourdough-bread/
Patricia Schneider
March 26, 2020 at 9:26 amI love this recipe! Thank you so much. If I wanted to make it more of a whole wheat sourdough how could I do that?
Alex Overhiser
March 26, 2020 at 9:31 amI would try 50/50 bread flour and whole wheat flour. It will be slightly more dense, but should work!
Ana Duarte
March 26, 2020 at 4:03 pmHi! I am sooo excited for this recipe, I literally went to 6 different stores and I couldn’t find whole wheat flour!!! Can I substitute with a different flour! Please help!
Alex Overhiser
March 26, 2020 at 7:02 pmOh no! You can just use extra all purpose flour. The whole wheat just adds a bit more complexity of flavor. It will still be delicious!
Amy
March 27, 2020 at 8:31 amHi Alex, I normally use my Dutch oven for sourdough, but I like the ease of getting my bread onto the base of my clay bread cloche over trying to get it neatly into the Dutch oven. My only concern is taking the dough directly from the refrigerator cold and putting it onto a hot base. Any experience? Manufacturer instructions only say to avoid extreme temperature differences, but I feel like the bread would heat so quickly it might not matter? Have you ever used one? Thank you for your time. Stay well.
Alex Overhiser
March 27, 2020 at 1:05 pmI don’t have experience with this, but I don’t think that the bread would cause any breakage issues because it heats so quickly. Good luck!
Kathleen Verderber
April 14, 2020 at 1:58 pmI use an Emile Henri cloche and have not had any problems.
Kimberly
March 27, 2020 at 12:40 pmHi – Like many others, in this time of shelter-in-place I decided to try out sourdough…super thankful for your recipe. Q: Last night I was about to start the checklist and then realized it would be a 5-hour endeavor and WAY past my bedtime. Worried about what would happen if I left the starter as is over night, I chucked half and added 50 grams of water and 50 grams of flour and set aside for today. I’ll find out what happens when I get to the baking step tomorrow (I’ll post the result so any readers can know in case they find themselves in the same pickle…). Wondering what your wise counsel would have been…
Alex Overhiser
March 27, 2020 at 1:05 pmThat should work perfectly, please report back!
Amy
March 27, 2020 at 9:47 pmThank you so much for the quick reply. I ended up using my Dutch oven because I know it works. However, I think I’m going to give it a go and see what happens. I’ll let you know how I make out. I found your site a while ago when I first started making bread, but I’ve never commented here. You are the soul reason I let go of my fears and intimidation of baking sourdough. Thank you for sharing the step by step directions and the checklist. I love that I don’t need it anymore, but it was my saving grace when I started making sourdough. I’ve even passed it on to my nieces. Thank you so much!
Kimberly
March 29, 2020 at 10:31 amSooo…my bread came out the height and density of a bagel (but tasty!). I made other mistakes (didn’t fold properly the last time…over-folded earlier…dough was super wet). Good news is that I have more starter and am trying again. Seems like my starter might also need extra time as it failed the float test this AM.
Thanks for your super speedy reply. And your helpful comments to all. You’re my new favorite cooking site!
R Sean Baldwin
April 8, 2020 at 5:17 pmI had the same issue. Waiting for post approval and response.
Dawn Eastwood
April 19, 2020 at 12:39 pmI had the same issue
Shelby
March 27, 2020 at 3:49 pmHi Alex,
I’m excited to try this recipe (I’m on step 4 now)! I forgot about a family dinner tonight and it’ll be around the time of step 6 – 7. I was wondering if proofing at room temp for step 6 or resting in the fridge for step 7 would be sufficient in giving me some extra time to sneak away?
Thank you!
Alex Overhiser
March 27, 2020 at 4:21 pmI would proof at room temperature for step 6 — that would probably give you an extra 45 minutes to an hour.
Amy Higgins
March 28, 2020 at 6:22 amHey there! Question about flour. We only have AP and whole wheat flour. Do you have a suggested ratio?
Alex Overhiser
March 28, 2020 at 8:47 amI’d do 400 grams all purpose flour and also reduce the water quantity by 10 grams or so.
Debbie
March 31, 2020 at 3:46 pmHi Alex
Me again. Today is day two for me. Question, I know there’s that little bit of starter left. Should I feed it or stick it in the fridge instead of discarding?
Thanks!
Kristin
April 3, 2020 at 5:43 pmHi Alex,
Love this recipe! Have now made 4 loafs that have all turned out pretty well! I’ve noticed that my dough tends to rise much more than the video, to the point where it takes up 75% of the banneton when I first put it in, and then grows to fill the banneton over night. Any suggestions? I’m using the oven proof setting, but I’m not sure what temperature it’s at.
Thanks so much for the helpful step by step!!
Alex Overhiser
April 3, 2020 at 7:49 pmHi! This shouldn’t be an issue unless the dough is collapsing when baking. If so, I’d just cut the proof time a little bit. My guess is your oven is a bit on the warm side!
Beth
April 5, 2020 at 4:03 pmHi, thank you so very much for this amazing recipe and video. I have made it several times and now I make two at a time to give one away. My dilemma is that I have two neighbors who live by themselves. I was thinking I could cut one of the loaves in half and bake them separately to give them each a smaller loaf. It looks like you recommended keeping it in the Dutch oven with lid on the higher temp but then cutting down the bake time once you lower the temp. Is that correct? Would the loaves be too small to do it this way? Would they be little rock’s? ? Thanks!
Alex Overhiser
April 6, 2020 at 11:45 amYes, this is correct. You won’t get the rise and crust without the dutch oven. I’d split them in half but bake separately and reheat the dutch oven in between. You’ll probably need to adjust the second baking time at a lower temperature (maybe 5 minutes or so) since it’s smaller.
Tawny Larsen
April 6, 2020 at 10:02 pmThanks so much for this extensive tutorial. Can’t wait to get started! Can I swap out the whole wheat flour for dark rye flour? Would I need to make any adjustments if I do?
Alex Overhiser
April 7, 2020 at 8:29 amThis should work great!
Dana
April 8, 2020 at 2:16 amJust wondering why you stir your starter in after the flour and water and not first ?
Alex Overhiser
April 8, 2020 at 8:20 amThis is called an autolyse — it allows the flour to hydrate fully before the sourdough starts working on it. This allows for beautifully textured dough.
R Sean Baldwin
April 8, 2020 at 5:20 pmSorry, my phone has autocorrect issues:
I’m on my 4th loaf and the first three were awesome (could’ve risen a little more).
My 4th loaf and it looks like maybe my 5th loaf didn’t rise at all and the loaf was dense and slightly doughy. Also, the dough seemed wetter than usually during and at the end of the proofing on day 2. I used all the same measurements.
Where did I go wrong?
Alex Overhiser
April 8, 2020 at 10:26 pmThis sounds like it was underproofed — either your starter wasn’t full strength for some reason or the proofing temperature changed?
Anonymous
April 8, 2020 at 11:42 pmThank you. I’ll let you know.
chantal
April 14, 2020 at 9:38 amDefinitely going to try this recipe. I have not had much success yet. How come there is no kneading involved?
Alex Overhiser
April 14, 2020 at 1:15 pmThis uses a no-knead folding method because of the high amount of water in the dough. It would be way too sticky to knead.
Anonymous
April 16, 2020 at 6:12 amThank you so much!!!!!
Nora
April 14, 2020 at 3:03 pmI followed everything carefully, but the bread comes out too dense. There are a few large holes, but not very many small ones. It did not seem like the dough had risen enough while in the refrigerator. What am I doing wrong?
Alex Overhiser
April 14, 2020 at 3:27 pmThat definitely sounds underproofed! Are you performing each proof in steps 2-6 in a warm location? If not, they’ll need a little longer for each proof.
Kriston
April 15, 2020 at 1:39 pmI have a 3.3lb oval loaf banneton. I’ve done my research on how to create steam in the oven, since I won’t be cooking in a dutch oven. So, assuming I proof it overnight, would the loaf hold its shape when popped right into the oven?
Also, I’ve made your recipe and degased it to make a sandwhich bread in a loaf pan (so my kids wouldn’t think its “weird”). It’s not the prettiest that way, but it really is good! Thank you!
Alex Overhiser
April 15, 2020 at 1:43 pmHi! Yes, you should be able to place it on parchment and go straight into the oven. If you have a pizza stone, bake it on that!
Carla
April 16, 2020 at 9:58 amIm not sure if i am overthinking the recipe. but when it says 200g APF, does this weight include the flour used to feed the starter?
Alex Overhiser
April 16, 2020 at 5:54 pmNo! This is just for the additional flour. The 80 grams of starter in the recipe is separate.
Sam M.
April 16, 2020 at 11:44 amIs it possible to over-autolyse? If I let it sit for longer than an hour, will it be a major problem?
Alex Overhiser
April 16, 2020 at 5:51 pmNot really! A few hours should improve the dough even more.
Tim
April 16, 2020 at 12:15 pmMade my second sourdough yesterday. First was a brick. Second using this method much better. I do not have a banneton, do used a ceramic loaf pan lines with tea towel that I generously floured. This resulted in a lot of flour stuck to the loaf on the outside. Tried to brush off as much as possible, but still way too much. Resulting loaf tastes great, but chalky white covering on the outside. Will using a banneton resolve this or am I still missing something?
Alex Overhiser
April 16, 2020 at 5:51 pmA banneton will help, but we use a 50/50 mixture of rice flour and AP flour to flour the basket. This allows it to release more easily!
Lisa
April 16, 2020 at 3:35 pmMy dough tends to be much stickier than what yours seems to be – what should I adjust?
Alex Overhiser
April 16, 2020 at 5:50 pmTry reducing the water by 20 grams!
Evonne
April 16, 2020 at 11:47 pmHi Alex, this is my maiden experience baking SD. I followed your recipe but it super sticky, super gluey making such a challenge to do shaping and moulding – must be quantity of water. Ah, I see your April 16 message to reduce sugar by 20 grams. Had it come 2 days earlier, it would have been timely. Also, I wanted to find out what I could use if I do not have a banneton? Dutch oven – as I do not have one, I used an old enamel pot. It worked well. Thanks for the detailed step by step recipe, notes and video.
Alex Overhiser
April 17, 2020 at 12:43 pmIf you don’t have a banneton, you can place a well-floured towel inside of a bowl or bread pan. Regarding it being super sticky, you can try reducing the water or changing up your brand of bread flour (assuming you can find any!).
Lia
April 17, 2020 at 12:01 pmHi! I’ve done this recipe twice now, and the most recent one was better than the first. However, my bread still looks kinda flat and was less stable (?) than yours. It wouldn’t really hold its shape before it went into the oven. Is there a way to fix this? Could it be my sourdough starter? I’m still new to all of this, and my starter is also relatively fresh, so I’m assuming that could be a part of the problem. Either way, this recipe was super fun to make and try and hopefully I’ll get it right next time!
Alex Overhiser
April 17, 2020 at 12:41 pmHi! What brand of bread flour are you using? They tend to vary in protein level / strength.
Anonymous
April 17, 2020 at 12:02 pmAlso, I forgot to mention that when I created the slits in the bread they didn’t really hold/bake like yours did, they kind of just molded back into the shape of the bread.
Alex Overhiser
April 17, 2020 at 12:41 pmYou probably just need to go a little bit deeper!
Stancy Anderson
April 18, 2020 at 6:40 pmThank you so much – very happy with my result. First ever attempt. Bread feels a bit moist but seems cooked, not sure if it just needed a bit longer. Have tagged you in my Instagram post :)
Alex Overhiser
April 18, 2020 at 8:12 pmSo glad you enjoyed! Maybe could’ve use just a few minutes longer. If you have a stick thermometer, you can test it for 205F-209F interior temperature.
Teresita
April 20, 2020 at 9:18 amHi!! I just have a new starter and I want to start making bread, thanks for your video! It was really useful! I have a question, can I use regular sourdough starter for making whole wheat bread?
Alex Overhiser
April 20, 2020 at 9:30 amYes, this would work if you find a good whole wheat bread recipe!
DMain
April 20, 2020 at 7:18 pmI made this recipe. Everything was going good, until I got to the end of the 1.5 hour proof. The dough was super wet. I didn’t use a banneton, but proceeded as directed and ended up with a very soggy, sticky loaf. I think I’ve ruined my Dutch oven as well. Arg!
Alex Overhiser
April 20, 2020 at 10:33 pmI’m so sorry it didn’t work! Were you using the bread flour as specified?
DMain
April 21, 2020 at 2:48 pmI had to use All-purpose flour due to the shortage.
John Williamson
April 22, 2020 at 10:42 amFor some reason I cannot get my starter to float. I have varied the amount of flour/water, used rye flour, elevated temperature (100 proof oven), everything I can think of. Are there trick of the trade?
Alex Overhiser
April 22, 2020 at 2:36 pmWhen did you start your starter? Maybe it just needs to age a bit?
SH
April 24, 2020 at 12:55 amI find a putting the lid on my jar helps. If your jar does not have a lid you can make one with foil. Also are you testing the float 10-12 hours after your last feeding? I like testing the float in a bowl filled with room temp water (not a tall glass) and with about a teaspoon of stater. If you test with too little and its runny it might not float, for whatever reason… although if its mature it will usually float up to the top even if its just a small amount.
Megan Dexter
April 22, 2020 at 12:42 pmI made this sourdough bread today for the first time ever and I cannot believe how good it is! As it was my first time ever, it wasn’t the most attractive looking bread but it was delicious. I made a couple of mistakes during the process, so I was absolutely amazed when I cut into it and saw all of the lovely air bubbles! I also used your recipe and instructions for the starter, which I am also very pleased with! Thank you!
Alex Overhiser
April 22, 2020 at 2:35 pmSo glad to hear this! Keep working on that shaping and it will be perfect! :)
Ruchi
April 22, 2020 at 6:11 pmI can’t find bread flour anywhere! Is it possible to only use AP flour and whole wheat?
Alex Overhiser
April 22, 2020 at 9:22 pmIt’s possible but a lot more difficult to maintain the shape! If you try, reduce the water by about 30 grams.
Val Smith
April 23, 2020 at 2:28 amHi,
I love your recipe, and the check list is right up my alley. I have a question. In your instructions where you describe how to prepare your starter for baking, you advise to take only 1 tablespoon, feed this with 50 gm water and 50 gems flour and discard the rest. My question: if one plans to use this in making the loaf of bread on Day 2 then there will be no more starter to make future breads or baked goods. Did I miss something? Shouldn’t one keep some and store in fridge feeding twice a day?
Alex Overhiser
April 23, 2020 at 9:17 amThe recipe only uses 80 grams of starter, so you have plenty to start the next day’s feeding. We don’t do extra to reduce waste.
emma
April 25, 2020 at 10:33 pmmy sourdough bread wouldnt rise in the oven. what should i do?
Alex Overhiser
April 27, 2020 at 1:24 pmHi! Was it baked in a dutch oven?
Ana
April 26, 2020 at 5:15 amHi there! As a new sourdough baker I must say this recipe is pure gold. I’ve decided to try my hand at baking with the confinement here in Portugal. My starter took around 3 weeks to become gorgeous and bubbly, and since then I’ve been trying different recipes. This one tops them all! Thank you so much!
Alex Overhiser
April 27, 2020 at 1:24 pmAwesome! Glad you enjoyed! :)
Nance
April 26, 2020 at 8:20 pmHi Alex. I love your site and all of your advice. I just made my second loaf. The first one following your recipe exactly came out perfect. I tried the second one with half wheat and half white flour (organic). There is no bread flour in New Zealand where I live. It tastes delicious, very flavourful but is a little flat in shape — it didn’t rise as high as the first loaf. I suspect because of the heavier wheat flour? Any advice about resolving that? Thanks again!
Jenet
April 27, 2020 at 7:26 amThis was the best tutorial/recipe I’ve ever followed. I was worried that the dough was too runny, but seeing your video showed everything so perfectly that I knew I was on the right track. My first ever sourdough bread from my first starter – such a fantastic result to start this hopefully life long journey.
Alex Overhiser
April 27, 2020 at 1:23 pmAwesome! So glad to hear this “_
Cindi
April 30, 2020 at 5:50 pmHi – I am now at the last part of the recipe and have placed my dough in the refrigerator – is a (very large) ziploc bag okay to use overnight or is another type of bag better for the dough to remain in until tomorrow when I begin baking. My dough is in a large bowl inside the bag – I just was wondering if plastic works or is it supposed to be in a cloth bag? Thanks!
Alex Overhiser
April 30, 2020 at 7:18 pmA large ziploc is perfect!
Jwilli
May 2, 2020 at 1:59 pmWell, pretty stoked by my first attempt. 95% whole wheat (5% rye) isn’t the lightest crumb, but it darn edible! The guide check-off was very helpful, I know there was some time spent putting it together, but well worth it.
Where I too had difficulty was with the stickiness. I realize now that you have to account for the water in the starter. If possible, it would be nice to see, especially for beginners, an update to modify for the starter. And as for starter, it was all about the flour. Finally found freshly milled Einkorn flour and wow, no longer issue with floaters and sinkers!
Thanks for all your help!
Alex Overhiser
May 2, 2020 at 2:06 pmHi! The stickiness is an issue with having enough high-protein bread flour in the recipe. This is what allows for the strength to use a high hydration and get the beautiful open crumb.
Thanks for making!
jwilli
May 2, 2020 at 2:10 pmAlex, what (and where) would you suggest for that high protein flour? I’m an neophyte.
Meghan
May 4, 2020 at 11:34 amHi! I made your bread over the weekend, and although the dough felt great the whole way through, not too wet, easy to handle, it came out of the banneton and immediately flattened out like a pancake on my counter. I baked it anyway and it tasted great (dense but yummy), but what do you think could have caused that? I used King Arthur bread flour and Gold Medal AP and wheat. That’s all I could get my hands on, given the circumstances.
Thank you!
Alex Overhiser
May 4, 2020 at 3:50 pmHi! That sounds like the final shaping could have been a little bit tighter, or possibly that it was underproofed. If you have a photo, send it to [email protected] and we can check it out!
Meghan
May 4, 2020 at 4:54 pmI didn’t take a picture before it was baked, but I’ll send you what I have from afterwards. Thanks!
Prentiss
May 4, 2020 at 2:15 pmThanks for pulling this all together in one page with the helpful video. Q1: Everything was identical between first and second attempts with the only difference being the salt (V1: Kosher grain, V2: Kosher coarse). Both loaves looked great but the second loaf lacks flavor. Considering adding 20% more salt for V3 but wanted to see if that was a bad idea. Q2: I can’t find rice flour for the banneton with the recent run on baking goods. Any suggestions for alternative? I use semolina for dusting my pizza peel but wasn’t sure if that was suitable. TY!
Alex Overhiser
May 4, 2020 at 3:52 pmSemolina/AP flour mixture should work for the banneton.
For the salt, if you’re doing it by weight it shouldn’t matter the coarseness of the salt. This recipe is 2.2%, which is pretty standard, but you could go up to 3% if you wanted!
Taylor
May 4, 2020 at 5:27 pmIt says it step 7 “Do not go so far that you tear the dough.” Well, I did. What now? Do I have to scrap the whole thing? Is it salvagable?
Alex Overhiser
May 4, 2020 at 8:59 pmHaha! It will be fine, you’ll just have a little scar on the top of the dough. Keep on rolling with the recipe!
Koree Choate
May 4, 2020 at 5:35 pmMy Dutch oven says it is oven safe with a lid up to 375F and up to 500F without a lid. Any recommendations?
Alex Overhiser
May 4, 2020 at 8:57 pmYou could try it with a pan over the top. The main goal is to keep the steam inside the dutch oven.
Rachel
May 6, 2020 at 3:39 amOn my fourth attempt at making the starter. Every time I I get to the stage of adding 50g AP flour and 50g water it “dies.” Help! :)
Alex Overhiser
May 6, 2020 at 9:22 amThat’s really weird! You could try a few more days with whole wheat flour to see if that helps.
janell l chaltas
May 9, 2020 at 6:15 pmIt is important to let the water gas off the chlorine as it will kill the yeast- if you are using tap water
JT
May 13, 2020 at 4:08 pmCouple Cooks – thank you for the clear video and instructions!
Sometimes I lose track of the method (i really need to use your checklist) -and i may have done an extra fold step. Are you able to tell me what happens as a result of an extra fold? Does it improve the internal air structure? or collapse it?
Thanks!
Alex Overhiser
May 13, 2020 at 6:03 pmAn extra fold shouldn’t hurt anything or change too much. There’s a chance that it could end up overproofed and a little dense but it should be fine!
SD
May 16, 2020 at 12:45 pmThis recipe, video, checklist is a great way to dabble in sourdough loaves with how much information there is out there on sourdough-Thank you!
I have tried your 2 x recipe and run short on the fed starter. I noticed that the measurements for feeding the starter are the same in the multiplied recipe as the single loaf recipe. Is this an indication of how healthy my starter is that it doesn’t produce more, or should I be feeding it more for the multiplied recipes?
Alex Overhiser
May 17, 2020 at 7:47 pmSorry the multiplier isn’t working! You should have double the starter as well.
Fly
May 17, 2020 at 2:57 amI’m making my second loaf following your recipe and it looks like this one will turn out like the first. My issue is the dough does not increase in size at all. It does have bubbles though. I did the float test with my starter which was all good. I’m proofing in a plastic bag in a warm place but it just doesn’t get any bigger, either during the proofing or in the fridge (I’ve marked the glass bowl with marking pen). It does look like your dough during the folding stages.
Any idea why it doesn’t grow?
Thanks for any help
Alex Overhiser
May 17, 2020 at 7:45 pmHi! I’d try increasing the warmth of your proofing area. It sounds like it’s just not getting quite enough to make it active.
Brian C
May 17, 2020 at 4:38 amThanks for the instructions. Really good, but can you please review the wording for step 12.
– It’s confusing when to reduce to 400F (at the start or after 17 minutes)
– The 23 then 17 then 23 minutes – are these consecutive times, or is the 17 minutes part of the first 23? The comment to reduce temperature to 400F when the heading says to do the same makes it appear that it starts at 550F, and part-way through (17minutes) reduce to 400F.
– When does the second 23 minutes start? After the 17 minutes, or after the first 23 minutes?
Maybe I’m just slow :-) but it’s a little confusing to me. :-)
Alex Overhiser
May 17, 2020 at 7:46 pmSorry to confuse you! There are 2 parts of the bake:
515°F for 17 minutes in the dutch oven.
400°F for 23 minutes on the rack.
Loretta Jones
May 17, 2020 at 11:37 amHi Alex. not even out of the chutes yet. Received my sourdough starter yesterday. Fed with 50grams AP flour, 50grams water. Let sit out overnight. Slightly bubbly but not doubled in bulk. did not pass the float test. Our house is appx 65 degrees F. Now what? Wait, add, more warmth?
Alex Overhiser
May 17, 2020 at 7:44 pmYes, it could probably use a little warmer spot!
Jen
May 18, 2020 at 2:17 pmHi! Excited to try this recipe! What size your oval banneton? Would a 10×6″ work or do I need larger? Thanks!
Alex Overhiser
May 18, 2020 at 6:41 pmOurs is 8×6. Yours will work!
Hannah
May 19, 2020 at 6:42 amI made this bread three times and it came out AMAZING! Great rise and taste. However the last three times I have made it, it’s quite flat compared to the other times. The rise just isn’t there. I think I did switch flours somewhere in this process. What else could it be? Am I over proofing?
Alex Overhiser
May 19, 2020 at 8:52 amCan you email a picture of the cut bread?
Barbara
May 19, 2020 at 4:54 pmHi Alex, I’ve made two delicious loaves using your recipe and the very helpful video. Thank you for making it so easy! I think I may have just messed up my starter though…. I used all 20 grams of the starter that was leftover from my last loaf when I fed with 50 grams of flour and 50 grams of water. Should I add more flour and water to make up for it. If so, how much should I add? Thanks for your help.
Alex Overhiser
May 19, 2020 at 6:56 pmYou should be fine, but you can add additional flour and water if you want! Maybe 20 grams each.
Miriam
May 20, 2020 at 10:45 amHi there, if my oven has a proof setting and I don’t have a banneton, can I just proof it in the oven with a metal pan?
Alex Overhiser
May 20, 2020 at 12:24 pmYes, that should work!
Mary
May 24, 2020 at 5:25 pmI’m a newbie and like my sourdough to taste as sour as possible! The first loaf I made with a starter from a friend was perfect but since then all of the loaves have been yummy but not as sour tasting…any suggestions?
I’ve tried using a mix of flours inc a mix of stone ground white + spelt and also sg white + spelt + rye but much the same results with all of them…
Thank you for your fabulously clear instructions and the checklist is amazing!
Alex Overhiser
May 25, 2020 at 11:58 amHave you used rye to feed your starter?I’ve had best luck with that.
Mary
May 25, 2020 at 6:13 pmHi Alex…yep…I did an experiment and made 2 loaves…one with the starter I’d fed with rye and one fed with spelt and used the same flours in the loaves but pretty much the same taste…
I’d left the starters out overnight so they were definitely double in size and bubbly but didn’t pass the float test…some of the sites I looked at said that didn’t matter and the loaves definitely doubles in size etc even so…
Suzanna
May 27, 2020 at 5:06 amHi Alex, thank you for the detailed recipe and video – super helpful. Worked out wonderfully first time. Have been playing around with flours, more wholemeal and using rye too – always with a good base of Plain flour and Strong White Bread Flour too. These loaves don’t rise so much… should I vary the techniques with different flours. Also it is so warm in my kitchen that I fear that the dough is over proofing and is very sticky and difficult to shape without adding quite a lot of extra flour. Would this contribute to less rise? Or is it about the hydration levels? Any advice would be great. Thank you.
Alex Overhiser
May 28, 2020 at 8:29 amThe extra flour is probably the culprit. The high hydration allows it to rise in the oven.
I’d try going to full bread flour as the base to add extra protein and leave out the plain flour.
Good luck!
Lisa Anbinder
May 28, 2020 at 1:24 pmLove your recipe and video! Have made many rounds of successful loaves. I’d like to double to recipe so I can make 2 at a time. What’s the best way to do this? Make 2 separate flour mixtures from the beginning. Or split it somewhere else along the way?
Alex Overhiser
May 28, 2020 at 1:30 pmYou can do it together and split before the pre-shaping step if you like. However, I prefer to do two separate bowls for ease.
Claire
May 31, 2020 at 12:49 amHi there! You’ve got a great receipe and easy to follow steps which I appreciate. I followed the receipe closely, but the end result after baking is that the inside of the bread is sticky. My dough was also sticky throughout all the steps. Tried to dust more flour but it still doesn’t work.
Do I need to cut down on the water level?
Alex Overhiser
June 1, 2020 at 12:36 pmLess water will help with the stickiness, but will result with less rise in the final dough. I’d try again but bake 2-3 minutes longer.