Easy Sourdough Bread Recipe for Beginners
A beginner-friendly homemade sourdough bread with a crisp golden crust and tender, chewy crumb, made with active starter and no traditional kneading.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 45-50 minutes
- Total Time: 17-24 hours including fermentation and cooling
- Yield: 1 loaf
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Starter Build:
25 grams mature sourdough starter
75 grams unbleached bread flour or all-purpose flour
75 grams water, 90°F
For the Dough:
100 grams ripe sourdough starter
300 grams filtered water, 90°F
500 grams white bread flour or unbleached all-purpose flour
10 grams sea salt
Instructions
1. Mix 25g starter, 75g flour, and 75g water. Cover loosely and ferment 8-12 hours until bubbly and doubled.
2. Combine 100g ripe starter with 300g warm water. Add 500g flour and 10g salt; mix into a shaggy dough.
3. Cover and rise in a warm 80-85°F environment for 5-6 hours, until puffy and approximately doubled.
4. Turn onto a lightly floured counter, fold the four sides toward the center twice, then shape into a taut ball.
5. Place seam-side up in a floured proofing basket. Cover and proof 2-3 hours until light and airy.
6. Remove dough and preheat oven to 450°F. Turn dough onto parchment and score about 1/2 inch deep.
7. Transfer to an unheated Dutch oven, cover, and place in oven. Reduce temperature to 425°F.
8. Bake covered for 40 minutes, then uncovered for 5-10 minutes until golden brown.
9. Cool on a rack for at least 2 hours before slicing.
Notes
Fermentation times can vary with starter strength and temperature.
Keep the proofing environment around 80-85°F.
Do not preheat the Dutch oven for this method.
Allow the loaf to cool completely before slicing.