This easy sourdough artisan bread recipe is mixed together, kneaded in a stand mixer and left to rise with minimal hands-on time. The magic happens when it’s cooked in an enamel cast-iron pan, which gives it a perfect crispy crust and delicious soft interior. More of our top bread recipes are found on the Best Bread Recipes page!
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Ever since I grew my first sourdough starter and explored how to make sourdough bread, I’ve wanted to be able to make a really good loaf of artisan sourdough bread like my favorite regular yeast easy artisan bread.
Although I thought this sourdough bread loaf I made shortly after beginning to bake with sourdough was good, I realize now that the reason I thought it was so great was just because it didn’t look like the disaster from the previous week!
What I really wanted was a sourdough bread recipe that had a crispy crust with big holes inside, but that was still easy to make. One similar to my super easy artisan bread which bakes in an enameled cast iron pot.
MY LATEST VIDEOSNOTE: What I mean by ‘easy’ is a simple, everyday kind of sourdough bread recipe that uses cups to measure, few steps, and very little science involved. If you’d like to get really into sourdough – which can quickly become complicated (and frankly, overwhelming to me), I’ve found Northwest Sourdough to be very thorough and not too hard to follow for those wanting to dig a little deeper.
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Easy Sourdough Artisan Bread Recipe
I searched for a couple years to find a technique that would produce a loaf of artisan sourdough bread that was all the things I wanted. When I found a great recipe from Gina at Homejoys I knew right away that it could be adapted to be even easier, use my favorite enameled cast iron pot, and consistently turn out good loaves.
And it did! This is truly the easiest sourdough bread recipe that anyone can make.
I want to note, too, that for me an easy bread is always made with a stand mixer, but this recipe can be made by hand – you will just have to work a bit harder.
Look at that crust! That’s bread-beauty right there, isn’t it? Blistered and cracked and bubbly. This may be the best sourdough bread recipe!
Yeah, I can get all giddy about bread crust – kind of like when I dance in the kitchen when the eggs don’t stick in a cast iron pan. I really am about the simple things around here!
The sliced loaf pictured above was made with whole wheat bread flour (verses the previous loaf, which was made with whole wheat white flour), so the crust isn’t quite the same, but still passes the test. And the interior is full of holes, chewy, and with just a touch of sourness. Perfection.
Since sourdough starter is best when it’s used weekly (or every two weeks), I now make this sourdough bread recipe more than my favorite easy artisan bread. But either is a winner recipe, in my book.
Shop this sourdough bread recipe:
- This is a great quality, decently priced enameled cast iron dutch oven, similar to the one I use.
- Here’s a rising bucket that holds a lot and is easy to see when your starter is doubling.
- This is my favorite brand of white whole wheat flour (made from hard white wheat).
- And I use this brand for hard red wheat flour (‘regular’ whole wheat). My starter is fed with this.
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Timing Tip for How to Make Sourdough Bread
The timing of sourdough bread was hard for me to figure out in the beginning, since it takes longer to rise than regular yeast breads, so I thought I’d give you a typical timeline to have a loaf for dinner.
To have this sourdough artisan bread ready for an evening dinner:
- Feed your sourdough starter the night before you want to bake.
- Start the sourdough artisan bread recipe the next morning.
- Let the dough rise until early afternoon before baking and cooling in time for dinner.
That said, I have been known to rush it when I’ve forgotten to feed the starter the night before (what- you’re shocked?). If you find yourself in that situation, you can feed the starter right when you get up in the morning and let it sit until it’s bubbly, about a couple of hours, and then proceed with the recipe.
Made this way, the bread doesn’t have quite the optimum time to cool, so you’ll have a warmer loaf with a bit more squished crumb – but we’ve sure never minded.
Click the arrow for the full printable sourdough artisan bread recipe!
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I have been making sourdough bread for about 6 months. This is undoubtedly the BEST I’ve tried. After a series of tasty but disappointing ‘pancake’ flat loaves;this one was a dream. It rose higher than I had ever hoped for and it is the tastiest bread I have ever had; chewy crust, lovely crumb and an amazing light sour taste. I found the dough required quite a lot of extra flour for kneading. I left it in the bowl and kept adding fistfuls (about 4) and gently kneading it into the dough to get a satiny feel that wasn’t overly sticky. I let it rise in two sessions, turned into a Dutch oven and let it rise up again before baking. Heaven.
I’m so glad Judy! And I will have to try your 3-rise technique, sometimes it’s good to get out of our normal routine. 🙂
★★★★★
Hi Jami, I am in middle of trying your ‘Easy sourdough bread recipe’, so far so good and given there is not much about sourdough that’s easy, I am stilling hanging in there. I managed to make a great starter though it did take me awhile.. I will be back to let you know how the recipe turned out for me.. Thanks so much for posting it, it looks really good.. Anna
★★★★★
Do you place the bread dough into the cast iron skillet for 40 minutes or is the 40 min for warming up?
40 minutes is for warming up the pot – the bread is waiting and then gets put in the hot pot. That’s how you get that good crust – the steam escapes from the dough hitting the hot pot and then bathes the loaf. Or at least that’s how I understand it, lol. It does what spritzing loaves with water while baking does.
Followed the recipe as written but my dough rose hardly at all. The taste was good and the crust was nice but the bread was too dense. Has this happened to anyone else? Should I try adding dry yeast?
Without knowing everything about your kitchen, I’d guess your starter isn’t strong enough yet. Was it doubling in 6 hours or less when you used it?
Hi Jami! I’m a Jamie too…but with an “e.” 🙂
I made this loaf for the first time last week and WOAH! It didn’t even last until evening we devoured it so quickly. This time around, I steeped a sprig of rosemary in warm water overnight and am using that water as the called for amount in the recipe. Hoping it adds some extra flavor to an already delicious recipe.
One question – the 40 min rise while the cast iron pot heats up. Is that primarily for the pot to reach adequate temperature, or is it crucial for the dough as well? I’m doing some batch cooking today and could sneak the bread in right after the 2 hour rise since the pot will be well and heated from all the other baking today. Thoughts?
Glad your family likes the bread, Jamie! As for your question- It’s for the pot to be well-heated so the dough releases the steam right away to bathe the dough with moisture and get that good crust. Any way you can get that to happen is good.
Hi Jami, I just made my second loaf. I’m a little disappointed in the flour that you use, it didn’t rise as nicely as my first loaf that I made with bread flour. It rose the same as my first loaf just didn’t bake as high. The taste is good but I guess ill either go back to the bread flour or mix the two. Still love this recipe!!!!
Oh, yeah, definitely try different flours and use what you like – that’s one of the great reasons to make our own. 🙂
Easy and extremely delicious. I love this recipe and have started making it once a week for my family if 3. Last week I added a little rosemary and that was a big hit too. Thank you so much for posting this.
★★★★★
Yes, adding an herb or two gives it a nice flavor – I’ve added garlic as well.
Hi!
I’m new to sourdough (and bread making) and have only followed a couple of recipes so far. I have made your artisan sourdough a few times now and have really liked how it has turned out.
I’m wondering if during the first rise it is *necessary* to do the turning and folding. I’d like to leave the house during that rise, but don’t want to mess anything up.
Thanks for the recipe and for whatever wisdom you can share on this one!
This is a perfect recipe for starting your sourdough journey – and is also a great staple. 🙂
It is not necessary to fold the dough – it’s just a way to get more air into it. Sometimes I forget and I’m not sure how much difference it makes, actually. I always err on the side of more air if there’s a chance for all those holes we aim for in artisan bread. Try it without and see if you see any difference.
★★★★★
Turned out awesome, waiting to cut into it!
★★★★★
I’n your recipe is the water suppose to be warm
it doesn’t specify, also it doesn’t specify type of flour( unless I missed it) should it be bread flour?
Yes, always use lukewarm to warm water with breads – I’ll update that, Lorna. In the full, printable recipe I do state the flour types to use: “white whole wheat, whole wheat, unbleached, or a combo” – I don’t usually but bread flours, but you can certainly do that if you’d like.
I’ve made this bread twice with wonderful results. I’ve learned to add a bit more flour than the recipe called for. I must have a wet starter. Everyone who has tried my bread is truly impressed. The flavor is just amazing! I’m having so much fun with my new sourdough starter pet 😆
★★★★★
I’m so glad, Carolyn – and that you’ve been able to find a balance with your starter and flour ratio! And I agree – it is so fun to grow and use sourdough!
This was my first sourdough loaf after growing my own starter. I was pretty intimidated by all the different recipes out there. This turned out so perfect!! I let it rise for a couple hours longer since it’s chilly in my house right now. Thank you for such a simple and perfectly tangy recipe!
★★★★★
I love reading this, Danielle, and knowing you got a good first loaf!!
Ahh was really hoping this would work well! My two loaves were very wet. Had to add a lot of flour and now while preheating the oven they are very flat. 🙁 What did I do wrong?
Thanks
It’s hard for me to tell with sourdough and your description, Joanne. How old is your starter? How wet is your starter? How well fed is your starter? If your starter was wet, you might have to add more flour. If it’s young or isn’t doubling in 6 hours or less after feeding, it will not be strong enough to rise bread.
Having got into bread making over the last couple of years I decided to make 2019 the year to learn sourdough. I started my starter on new years eve and have had a couple of goes without success. That’s until I found your recipe! Wow! Amazed. There was lunch box envy at work today. My sandwiches were the best!
I’ve made crumpets too with my discard.
Just need to master an overnight recipe now.
Great website. I’m inspired to try more…..bagels this weekend I think.
I’ve even started a note book “Diary of a sourdough starter”. I keep track of feeding and what I’ve done with the discard, successes and failures etc so I can work out what works best.
Thank you for making things clear.
Julie
★★★★★
Yeah! Good for you Julie – I’m so glad I could be helpful in meeting your goal!
Could I use spelt flour for this recipe?
You can always try! I haven’t with this, but I’ve used it in my whole wheat sandwich bread and it’s a perfect substitute. I would give it a go – the worst that will happen is it’s a little flat, but then you can just call it flat bread. 🙂
What adjustments do you suggest I make if using part whole wheat flour?
I always use whole wheat flour, Yolanda – sometimes part and sometimes 100%. My starter is whole wheat, too. It’s a trade-off, though – it won’t be as light with WW and not as many holes. Using part white flour helps. I think using white whole wheat would help, too, with the lightness and holes, but I haven’t tried it yet. Hope this helps!
This recipe has a delicious crust and flavor! However, I’ve made it two times and both times the bottom part of the bread burned and I had to cut it off. I baked it for 15 mins with the lid on and 13 with the lid off. I tried to put plenty of flour on the bottom the second time to no avail. Any ideas or suggestions?
I’m glad you like the flavor!
As for the burning, I’d put the rack up as high as you can and still fit the pot – and maybe go with 25 degrees less oven temp. It may have to cook a bit longer after taking the lid off. It could be that your oven is hotter? Not sure.
Hopefully these will work!
★★★★★
This is the recipe for me & mine. Delicious, fast, easy. Terrific rise, perfect tang. This crust is ideal for me as some of the more rustic recipes made my mouth a bit sore from being just too “crusty.” Thank you for this wonderful recipe. It’s our House Sourdough now and is the best!
★★★★★
Wonderful, Linda! I’m so glad you like this, too.
For the final rest before transferring the dough to the oven, you might try putting the dough in an oiled glass bowl. I tried wax paper (Grrrrr–No!), parchment paper (Nope!), and a cutting board (No again), and then I tried using the oiled bowl. I didn’t even need to touch the dough to transfer it. I just tipped the bowl over and plopped the dough into the hot pan. The METHOD worked great–now we’ll see how my bread actually tastes!
Thanks for the tip, Lia!
great recipe, thanks for sharing. The only change I made was that it was put on parchment paper on a cookie sheet to bake.
This is a keeper 🙂
★★★★★
Glad to hear it, Judy!
I prepared this recipe this morning. The dough did not rise during the 1st 3 hours, and is pretty wet. Should I add more flour to the dough before the 2nd rise?
Thanks Jami, I have just been gifted a 20 year old starter and was all kinds of confused on the timing to get a loaf on the table for dinner. This helps greatly!
I’m glad that part was helpful to you, Sara. And what a nice gift. 🙂
Thanks you for the recipe. I am going to make my first loaf tomorrow and have read and read the questions/comments but their are so many. I hope I am not repeating one already asked. Do you put the loaf AND the parchment paper into the Dutch oven?
★★★★★
Yes – you pick up the edges of the parchment and put it all into the hot pot. It’s always okay to ask questions here. 🙂
Great. Thank you!
This is my first sourdough experience. I used Whole Spelt for starter and loaf. My starter seems to be doing everything it should. It’s pretty wet so I used inly 1 C water. Recipe came along beautifully, resulting in a nice ball of dough. After the second rising, my dough was a sticky blob. I dumped it onto the parchment and I needed to add almost a cup of flour to get it off of the parchment and into a proper shape. Clearly that was a mistake as my loaf, although picture perfect and delicious, is quite heavy and dense. Please help me figure out what to do differently. (Would another few hours rising time after shaping have helped? Or Should i have just “poured” it into the hot pot?) This seems to be a great recipe and I am eager to try for round 2. Thanks_
Yes, too much flour is the enemy of most bread recipes, Esther. This could be a number of things. Was your starter fully doubling in volume after feeding before you used it in the bread? That’s an indication of how strong it is. When I bake, I try all kinds of things – so the things you mention may work for you. Adding just enough flour on your hands to gently shape the loaf before adding it to the pot is also a good idea. Just keep trying – it will come together for you!
Do you bake on the cookie sheet? Or only when it’s in the Dutch oven???
Only in the dutch oven, Maggie!
Holy smokes this turned out so well! I am delighted to say the least. I had a strong starter and killed it. 😢 so a few months ago, I vegan again. Out of the couple of dozen loaves that I have made using a couple of other recipes, these were flat, dense, nasty disks, I got about four decent loaves. Still not perfect. Then I found this recipe and used a few other suggestions.
First issue was temperature of the room, the second was more major. My start didn’t have enough natural yeast. No matter the flour I used, the water ratio, or anything else seemed to solve the problem. Finally I used your suggestion of putting the start in the fridge to wait for me, instead of daily feedings. Then, I also added three red grapes to the starter. A couple of blogs I read mentioned this. Red grapes have a natural yeast on their outer skin. This helps give the starter a boost of natural yeast. Especially helpful in homes that use air purifiers. By adding the grapes whole, and stirring them in with the flour and water, it helped so much. I gently stirred the starter, and let sit overnight. I was shocked how much it grew overnight. It more than doubled in size! So I used that starter in my bread today. It’s a gorgeous, Golden and airy loaf! I have hopes that this success will continue! Thank you so much for this recipe, from another Oregon Girl!
Oh my gosh, I love this Kari – yay on your success! And thank you for listing your changes. I’ve actually never heard of the red grape idea before – pretty smart. I’ve learned that you can overfeed starter, which is easier to do if you’re feeding daily, so that’s probably why putting it in the fridge helps. I’m so glad you got a beautiful loaf and now have a healthy starter – good for you!
★★★★★
Thank you for this recipe! I’ve had a starter going for about a year now and found your blog through your sourdough bagel recipe (which is also awesome). I’ve never had great luck with loaves because I live at a high elevation in Colorado and it’s very dry so most of my loaves end up dense little discs. My starter is very similar to yours so I figured I’d give this a shot and I think it’s the best recipe I’ve encountered for a simple loaf of bread. It rose beautifully and is so airy and tasty. Love it!
Yay! I know that feeling when the bread looks like bread when using sourdough. 🙂
★★★★★
What is the turn and fold technique? Are you simply folding it in half one time, and then again one time an hour later?
★★★★★
Yep!
When making this bread can you use bread flour?
You can, Jean, but you don’t have to. It comes out great with both.
I am making this bread my starter was 4oz water to 4oz flour I just finished kneading the bread for 5min using dough hook and my dough is wet consistency not a ball forming like other breads is this normal or do I maybe need to add more flour? I weighted my flour instead of measure since I have read that weight is better for this type of bread. So you said three cups which if I did calculations right would be 360 g.
You can add more flour, but you run the risk of it being dense. Artisan breads tend to be wetter doughs. Depending on the strength of my starter, the bread may be more flat sometimes and others taller. It may spread during the last rise, but I just gently tuck in the edges before adding it to the hot pot if needed.
Do you line or prepare your cast iron/enamel pot with anything or just plop the dough straight in? I’m thinking it might need to be lined with parchment paper. Hoping to make this today. Your recipe sounds easiest so I’m going to give it a try once I find out about the pot.
Yes, for this recipe you’ll do the last shaping of the dough on a piece of parchment paper and that’s what you lift to add the dough to the hot enamel pot. Click the arrow to go to the recipe and it’s all written out for you there!
★★★★★
are the shaped dough balls supposed to double or ???
No, the ball of dough won’t really double, but it will be bigger and fluffier.
Line the bowl you do the last rise in with parchment paper, put the tightened dough ball (fold it n shape it into a tight ball) into it the parchment paper lined bowl. When it’s ready lift the dough w the parchment paper and place it into a baking container, preferably a cast iron Dutch oven that’s been heating up in your 450 degree oven. Score the dough w a lame/sharp razor/knife on top before or after putting into Dutch oven depending on whether you want to risk burns. Lol
I am confused from about the amount of water to add. Could you please clarify?
Thanks, Jami!
Sure thing, Sue. Some people feed their sourdough started at different ratios – if it’s, say, 1/3 cup water to 2/3 cup flour it’s dryer and may need more water; if it’s 2/3 cup water to 1/3 cup flour, it’s wetter and may need less. This recipe was created with a 100% ratio – equal amounts of flour to water (like 1/2 cup of each). If your starter is like that, use the full 1-1/4 cup. If you use more water, start with 1 cup and see if you need more. Adjust as well if you use more flour in your starter.
★★★★★
Great recipe! Do you know if it freezes well?
Yep, I freeze it all the time!
I’ve made this recipe several times as is and love it, but this week I decided to get adventurous and added some toasted pecans and chopped white chocolate (baking white chocolate, not vanilla chips) to the dough. Oh…my…goodness! Love, love, love!!
★★★★★
Wow, I’ve never thought of that, Della – it does sound good!
I have made this three times. The first attempt the starter was too dry and dense. The next attempt was made with a different starter that was made too wet. This last attempt was made with a ratio of a fed starter 25% starter, 25% water, and 50% AP flour. I took the starter out of the fridge a couple days before baking. I fed the starter 1/2 cup flour and 1/4 cup water every 12 hours. This made a very bubbly, happy starter. I baked on a hot 90 degree day using 1/2 AP and 1/2 wheat. The results were amazing!
★★★★★
Love the details you provide here Layla – very helpful for those wanting to make this bread. Thank you! I’m glad you found a ratio that worked for you and your starter. 🙂
Love the flavor! This is an awesome recipe. However, it seems to turn out really dense for me, and I don’t know why. The flavor and crust is perfect, but the texture is way too close. I thought a longer proofing time would help, but I left it overnight and it barely rose more than it would in the shorter proofing time you mention in the recipe. I’m just trying to figure out how to make it airier. Any help would be appreciated!
★★★★
I’ve found that the stronger my starter is, the more air I have in the batter. How long do you let your starter grow – is it doubling before you use it? Just an idea!
It could be something with my starter; mine isn’t as bubbly or active as some of the pictures I’ve seen of other people’s. I just sort of maintain it by feeding it equal parts water and flour every day and letting it sit loosely covered on the counter. Any tips for a better way?
Also, I just made this recipe for a second time, and it went fantastically! I let it proof overnight and well into the morning (w/ a short secondary proof), and while it didn’t *look* like it had doubled, when I was turning it I could see that a lot more air had made it into the dough. This time I was careful not to knead it out while I was turning/shaping. I also think that part of why it was so dense the first time was because my oven wasn’t humid enough and the crust baked too early, imprisoning the unbaked dough inside with nowhere to go. The fact that the back of my first loaf “exploded” seems to corroborate that, haha! I have a cast iron Dutch oven, but I haven’t had time to season it, so I baked in a 9-inch cake pan for 40-45 mins at 400 degrees. I took it out once it reached an internal temp. of 190 degrees.
To humidify the oven, I put in 3 cake pans full of water while the oven was heating and while the bread was baking, and I opened the oven every fifteen minutes during the bake to mist the inside with water (this might have been overkill, but this loaf turned out great, so it’s worth it to me). The humidity slowed the bake down a little bit – it took maybe 5-10 minutes longer than it did the first time, when I baked with only one cake pan of water. Sorry for all the detail, but I thought it might help someone who wandered into the comments with the same issues I had/without a Dutch oven or good casserole dish.
Awesome recipe, thank you!
Thank you for all the details, Olivia – you’re right I’ve had people ask about making it without a dutch oven.
As for your starter, I think you may be overfeeding it. If you’ve read my sourdough tips for growing and using starter you know I keep mine in the refrigerator and start feeding it only when I need to bake bread. I feed for a day or two until it’s fully doubling – that’s when I know it will make a nice light loaf. I was curious about feeding everyday since you mention it’s not as bubbly or active, so I looked it up and found this info on theKitchn website:
“Each time you feed a starter, you thin out the population of microorganisms by adding flour and water. The remaining yeasts and bacteria eat the new flour and multiply, rebuilding the population. But this takes time. It manifests as your starter bubbling and rising.
Unless you are reviving a dormant starter, you should only feed your starter when it is at maximum height, full of bubbles. If you bang the container on the counter, the starter should collapse as the gas escapes it. If you feed it too often, you’ll continue to decimate the population until it doesn’t exist, and you’re back at the beginning: a mixture of only flour and water.”
I would try holding off feeding until it’s grown more – or even pour most off and start again with a higher flour to water ratio, grow until it doubles, and then keep in the fridge until you want to bake bread.
That’s so frustrating! I knew something wasn’t quite right, but I couldn’t figure it out – I’ve read a couple things that told me to feed TWICE a day. So much sourdough misinformation out there! Agh! I probably had to have my oven *so* humid because the starter was weak.
I think the better option for me would be to pour most of it off and see if I can revive it. If not, I’m happy to restart – this is a learning process! So if I pour most of it off, how do I grow it without feeding it? Because it won’t really grow on it’s own, but I don’t want to thin out the population of microorganisms further.
Also, just reading your starter guide, when you’re growing your starter until it “reliably doubles”, are you feeding it and then waiting 12-24 hours to see if it doubles? And if it doesn’t, you feed again, wait and see again?
Yes, it is a learning process for sure. You can’t grow it without feeding, I’m suggesting that you don’t grow it until you need to bake with it. Keep it in storage in the fridge between bakings. For reviving, I would follow the steps like it’s a new starter, pouring off some and feeding until it’s doubling. Then store.
I don’t really go by the clock when I’m feeding my starter to bake with, I just look at it every few hours to see where it’s at. If it’s overnight, I can tell by the line on the glass if it rose and fell – if the line is at the double mark, I know it’s strong.
Also, I’ve found the first few months of a starter’s life it’s just not as strong as it will be later. I make things that don’t need as much rising with it before trying a bread. The recipes on my site like crackers, waffles, and even bagels since they’re denser naturally, or the batter bread are good.
Sure hope this helps!!
I’m just starting to experiment with sourdough bread and this recipe looks a lot easier than many sourdough recipes I’ve seen and I’m anxious to give it a try. I have 1 question, though. Are the measurements by volume or by weight? Thanks!
★★★★
They’re by volume – have fun experimenting, John!
Hi Jami… Thank you for sharing this recipe. I would like to make it but only have all-purpose flour (along with a little bread flour). Can I use the all-purpose flour since that is what I have been feeding my starter with? Thanks for your help!
Sure, Layla!
I love how simple this recipe is — it is now my go-to for sourdough bread and I have made it half a dozen times. Just curious, though–after the 2nd rise, when you put the bread onto the parchment to shape it, do you just leave it there, uncovered on the parchment for 40 minutes while the dutch oven is heating up? Also–can you double this recipe? Thank you so much!
★★★★
Wonderful! I do just leave it uncovered while the pot is heating. And I haven’t doubled it, so I can’t say – you can try it and see (as long as you have an extra large bowl!).
Thank you for your reply. I have made the bread a few more times since writing to you! I find it gets taller if I let it sit in a bowl on the parchment while waiting for the oven to heat. Also, I tried adding the cheddar and jalapeño as Deanna West suggested (Nov 2017), and it is to die for. I also tried it with 1/2 whole wheat flour, but it’s much denser and not as delicious as it is with all purpose flour.
So good to know, Lara – thanks for taking the time to write your tips!
This is my third try making sourdough (every time I try a different recipe) and this has been the most successful to date 🙂 I don’t know how to post photos or I would, but despite the fact that I don’t have a dutch oven, it turned out quite nicely. Very nice and tall and brown and crispy. It’s a little on the heavy side but it has nice air holes.
I used a stone but I think I should have heated the stone first as the underside of my bread was kind of raw. To remedy this I took the bread off the stone and set it on the rack, and it mostly worked.
I’m wondering if I can double this recipe to make a larger loaf, as that would be nice for sandwiches?
Also does anyone have any insight on how to make a truly fluffy inside loaf of sourdough? I grew up in France and that light fluffiness inside is what I miss.
★★★★★
I’m so happy you’ve had success, Steph. I’m not sure doubling it would work – the center might not get done before the outside.
I think that when your sourdough starter is older, it may be stronger and should make a lighter loaf.
Thanks Jami! I just had another piece right out of the fridge and I have to say the flavor is amazing! Definitely making this again 🙂
Hi Jami! I made it last night with this recipe and it turned out to be perfect. Thank you so much!!! I have another question regarding heating the oven for 40 minuets. Why can’t we start baking the bread when it oven is at 450, why does it need to heat for that long? I tried 30 minutes today again it seems fine and can’t tell the difference. Thanks a lot!
★★★★★
I’m so glad you liked it, Liya! If your enameled cast iron pan was ready in 30 minutes, that’s great. The idea is to get the pan as hot as possible so that when you put the bread in and seal it, it will release the steam and create that wonderful crust. Feel free to adjust as you’d like.
Thank you for the simple recipe! I notice a lot sourdough bread recipes add salt later. Your recipe adds salt with all other ingredients. Does this change anything? Also, does the sourdough bread made of this simple and quick recipe have the same nutritional benefits like others made with 50 steps? Thank you in advance!
You’re welcome,Liya! Nutrition-wise, all the ingredient are similar, so this bread is just like the others. I know that salt can inhibit packaged yeast, but with sourdough we’ve already grown the yeast, so I haven’t notice a difference. I have, however, forgotten to add yeast when it’s done later an then we sure notice a difference, ha!
That said, I haven’t tried this recipe adding the salt later – you could try and see if there’s any difference.
★★★★★
Thank you again Jami! I am trying to understand why. I knew there must be a reason! =) Now I can explain to my husband and friends!
This is the best sourdough bread recipe I have tried! In fact all the others failed. I do use a little extra salt and also fold and turn around 4-5 times. The bread turns out perfectly.
The only problem I find is that it completely sticks to the parchment paper. I have tried using oil, no oil and flour but every time it sticks. Could I oil the pan when its been heated or would the oil just burn at that temperature?
Wow, sticking to the parchment? I haven’t had that problem – it might stick a bit, but it comes off after cooling. Hmm, try a different parchment? 🙂 I’m so glad you like the recipe, though!
Does it need to be an enamel cast iron pot, or would just a plain cast iron pot work well too?
Yes, cast iron will work – it’s anything with a heavy lid that will trap the initial moisture to create the crisp crust.
Hey Jami! Ive been followings your blog for around a month and I made sourdough starter with your guide. It sounds my first ever attempt so I appreciate the easy to follow posts. Quick question regarding this bread, what size enameled cast iron dutch oven do you recommend? I’m purchasing one for when my starter is mature/strong enough.
Thanks,
Shelby
I’m so glad you’ve found that easy to follow, Shelby! Here’s an article I wrote sharing my favorite cooking items, including the enamel pot I recommend: https://anoregoncottage.com/essential-cooking-tools-for-healthy-eating-cookware-small-appliances/ (it’s a 6-qt, by the way). Hope that helps!
So glad to find a sourdough recipe that doesn’t take an entire weekend! Following your recipe resulted in a beautiful looking loaf of bread. It looked very similar to the picture you posted, but my crust, while golden, was more soft than crunchy. Is that normal for this recipe in your experience, or would you recommend trying a higher temperature or longer cook time?
★★★★
I’m so glad you found this recipe, too, Laura! Did you use the enamel pot? If so, you could always let it cook for a few minutes longer after removing the lid to crisp up the crust more.
Thank you for the great easy artisan sourdough recipe! Since I have only a little familiarity with sourdough recipes, I followed it as closely and possible and in return had an outstanding result. Your suggestion to use parchment paper as a transport to the dutch oven is simply golden. I found that 3 cups of flour (2.5 Cups AP + .5 Cup whole wheat flour) was not enough so I added another 3 tablespoons (75g) of AP flour to get a better dough consistency while kneading in the stand mixer. My starter is 100% hydration (1:1:1). Using that I made a levain that was 80g AP flour and 20g whole wheat flour. I built the levain at 7 am and mixed the dough at 11am at which time the levain was very bubbly and probably tripled in height in a weck jar.
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I’m so glad this was a hit with you, John. And thanks for the details of what you did – that could help others, too.
This was my second attempt at Sourdough and it was the best loaf of bread I’ve baked so far! Perfect crust and such an easy recipe in comparison to how complex some sourdough recipes are.
Have you experimented with any other flours using this recipe?
I really enjoy rye bread and am still looking for a good rye sourdough recipe. Hoping it’s possible I can keep using this one but just adapt it for rye. 🙂
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I’m so glad you found success with this, Ashleigh! I’ve used hard white whole wheat flour and also made a loaf that was 1/2 spelt flour. I’ve never seen a rye bread that was all rye flour, though, so I’d suggest subbing some of the flour for rye and see what the outcome is.
Hi Jami! First, thanks so much for such lovely recipes – I’ve been making your whole wheat sandwich loaves for a while now and love how easy and tasty they are. I just started venturing into sourdough and found this recipe to be just as yummy and simple! (I also appreciate the shorter rise and the timing tips – figuring out how to schedule multiple long rises has been a logistical puzzle for me with most sourdough recipes). Quick question: could I let this rise in the fridge overnight if I want to mix it up in the evening to bake the next morning? I wasn’t sure how to adjust the time for the rises if the dough is going in the fridge. Any advice would be appreciated!
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Thank you, Jessie! I haven’t tried an overnight rise with this, so I’m just guessing, but I think sourdough is pretty forgiving that way. I think you’d have to let it come completely to room temp after refrigerating, though, because sourdough stops growing in the fridge. Then you may have to do a rise after that. You’ll have to experiment with it a bit, I think.
I’ve left it out overnight to bake in the morning and it has worked just fine 🙂
★★★★★
I made my own starter and I’m not convinced it’s actually ready but I really wanted bread so decided to make it anyway. Had lots of challenges like a really slow first rise. Didn’t have enough patience for the second rise so it got cut short today after spending last night in the fridge. Then I don’t know what I did when I set the timer for the covered bake but after a while I walked in the kitchen to check it and although I had set it (I thought) for 14 minutes it still had more than 15 minutes to go! So I took the lid off and baked for the remainder of the time on the timer. It registered 200 degrees internally when I removed it from the oven. I thought I was supposed to let it sit for 15 minutes before slicing. I’m working on another project simultaneously so didn’t want to walk to the other room to check. Oops, it’s 30 mins. Despite all my trials and tribulations it’s actually pretty good. Has a nice sour taste, the crust is great. It’s just a little moist in the middle of the loaf. Almost like it needed longer at a lower temperature or perhaps because I cut it too soon. I will definitely be making it again and will keep trying to get my starter in better shape. Wanted to post a photo but don’t see an opportunity to do that.
Well, I’m glad it sort of turned out for you Monique – I guess that’s the warning against doing 2 things at once? 🙂
Great recipe, I have tried other recipies and always come back to this one. It never fails! I just adjusted the salt amount to almost two teaspoons.
Nice to know this, Marcia – I think so, too. 😉
Just a question: It gives the option to bake the bread either on a baking stone, or in the dutch oven. I would be using the baking stone, and was wondering if the time is the same? So, the two times listed (12-15 min with the lid, then 13-15 min
without) added together in the 450° oven for the baking stone?
Will you be using a roasting lid or something over your stone? If so, they’d be approximately the same. If not, it may take a bit longer. I’d suggest using an instant read thermometer the first time you adapt it (it should read 190 degrees in the center when done), just to see what the timing is like.
I won’t be using a lid. My problem is that my Le Creuset dutch oven (which is from the 60s or 70s – was my grandmom’s) has a plastic handle, not metal, so I can’t bake the lid at temps above 350°. Dumb choice on the part of Le Creuset. Do you know if it has to be an enameled cast iron dutch oven? I do have a nice hammered Aluminum one…
I think you’d still get some steam going in another type of pot. The cast iron just gets hotter. I’d try it, though!
PS- do you think it would work to cover the Le Creuset handle with foil? I’ve done that with fry pans to finish cooking frittatas before, but don’t know about the 30 min at the high temp.
Thanks for your replies, Jami! I may actually try that. First, I have to make my sourdough healthy after it spent a YEAR in the fridge without being fed. It still smells good, and it’s starting to bubble just a bit after 3 feedings, and some warm counter time. 🙂
I followed the link in your kitchen essentials list which took me to the Lodge Enamel Cast Iron Dutch Oven. Your Artisan bread recipe says to preheat the Dutch oven empty in a 450 degree oven for 40 minutes. Put on my wish list and got this pot for Christmas and was surprised it said not to cook in it empty. What should I do.
Hmmm, I didn’t know that and haven’t read anything about that with other pots, Bobbi Jo! This recipe has been tested numerous times, though, using all kinds of enamel pots (I’ve used 3 different brands and readers have, too), so I stand by the recipe as written – plus that particular direction was from America’s Test Kitchen, like I wrote.
That said, you could go down to 30 minutes if you’d like, but it’s integral to have the pot heated well before putting the bread in. That’s what I would do if I were you, because if I got the pot mainly for making this bread, that’s what I’d want. 🙂
I’ll check into other pots and see if they direct this, too.
I have read suggestions of filling it half full with water to heat and then dumping it out to bake the bread.
Hmm, I haven’t heard that before.
Hi Jami! Do you cook on the parchment or slide the dough into the pan?
Hi! I cook it on the parchment.
I decided not to use your recipe when I noticed there is no salt in it- I have not heard of making sourdough without salt- was it an omission? Thank you
Oops- please forgive me- I just looked again after reading all the reviews and now I see the salt listed- lol.
I’ll give it a try! Karen
Tried recipe for the first time and my dough is VERY wet with using the amount of ingredients called for. I feed my starter with equal weights of starter, water and flour. Added about 1/2 c. more flour just to make it it have somewhat of a form but not much at that. I know you say it will be very moist just not sure what that looks like. I have been making regular loaves of sourdough bread and know what the dough should be like for those.
Since everyone’s starter is a bit different, go with what you’re used to, Bobbi Jo.
I wanted to explain that I added the extra flour to the bread and not my starter. I keep my starter at 100%hydration. How wet/sticky should the dough be? How easy should it be to handle?
I did figure that – it’s just that it’s not an exact science, so everyone will have differences. The thing with artisan breads is the wetter the dough, the more holes and airy texture you’ll have. So I always try for a balance of as wet as I can handle, if you know what I mean. Just enough flour that I can handle it without it sticking to all my fingers, but not so much that it is stiff. It definitely is something that gets easier as you practice making bread. 🙂
Most fabulous recipe ever! I have done this twice, using a 3.5 quart enamel dutch oven. Perfect both times. Amazing taste. The second time I added about a teaspoon of powdered garlic and a teaspoon if italian herbs. I may never use another recipe for artisan sourdough, since this one works so well. Thank you for making things so simple!!!
I want to add a suggestion about the “sloppy” wet doughs. My first dough was like this. Using olive oil on my hands helped a lot. Bread turned out wonderful. My second loaf had a much drier dough, not sticky at all.
I read and thought about this difference some, as I am new to sourdough. I have a lovely wild starter that is about a month old and sometimes kept in the fridge. The first dough I made that was sloppy/sticky, I believe I used starter that had started to fall, meaning the food was consumed. I think that is why it was sloppy. The second dough, I learned to use the starter at it’s peak, meaning it had risen pretty high in the jar and not started to fall yet. The dough was much more like ordinary bread dough and NOT sticky. This was the only difference in the recipe besides the herbs.
What do you think?
I am so glad you like the recipe and I love adding garlic and herbs sometimes, too. I also think your theory about a drier dough makes a ton of sense. Thanks for sharing that!
Good morning Jami, I am so thankful for this yummy recipe! I have a new starter that just a week old so it didn’t rise as high as I thought but knew my reading your reply’s that it’s normal and to keep it out for at least two weeks. It turned out yummy and was fun to make.
I was wondering if this bread is good to freeze? I want to make several loafs and freeze for a family gathering. Also should I store it in the refrigerator or is the counter fine? It’s just my hubby and I so it will last a week in our home. Also I would love to make a variety of bread like rosemary olive oil, or rosemary garlic, basil and parmesan cheese and jalapeño cheddar. Do you have recipes for these?
My Best,
Deanna
Yay! I’m so happy to know you’ve had success, Deanna. 🙂
Yes, this bread freezes great! All homemade bread doesn’t last as long at room temperature, but will last a week in the fridge. Refrigeration does tend to dry it out more, though, so I like to cut the loaf in half, slice it and freeze the half we won’t be eating right away. Just a thought.
Those are great ideas for additions! I haven’t created an specific recipes for these yet, but feel free to add some to the dough to create your own.
Jami, I just made the bread with the cheddar cheese and jalapeño. I added one cup cheese and 1/4 cup of jalapeño. Then once you put it in the pan add 1/4 cup of cheddar cheese and 5 to 8 thinly sliced jalapeño to the top. I didn’t make any changes to the original recipe other than adding the cheese and jalapeño.
Goodness, that sound so good – my husband will LOVE this. Thanks for letting me know your amounts!
Thank you. So should I just keep the starter out aft room temp and feeding it ? Or is it ok to refrigerate? I have been feeding it weekly but refrigerating it. I did make the bread which didn’t rise much so it was very dense but the flavor is good.
You don’t have to leave it out, but it will probably get stronger faster if you do. See if you can dedicate a week or two to really growing it (making other things with the resulting extra starter) and try the artisan bread then and see how it does. Once it’s good and established, you can refrigerate and feed weekly and it will just continue to strengthen.
Hi…. I keep NOT having success with sour dough bread. I can make other breads just fine… Including an awesome whey artisan bread. I’m trying yours right now and after 3 hours it doesn’t really look like the dough has risen and its sticky. My starter is several weeks old and I’ve been feeding it weekly. There were bubbles this morning. Should I start over, or leave it longer or… Help please. I want so badly to successfully make sourdough without commercial yeast. Thank you
Hi Betsy! I hear your frustration but my advice would be to have patience. I know, probably not what you wanted to hear. 🙂 A starter that’s just a few weeks old isn’t very old – it will get stronger and stronger as you use and feed it, making bread easier as it ages. Promise! You can shape the dough again and let it rise a bit more, but I might just bake it and call it focaccia. 🙂 It will be yummy, I’m sure.
There are other things you can make in the meantime – English muffins and bagels come to mind, also a good cheesy batter sourdough bread – all things that don’t need to rise as much. Then try the artisan bread in another month and see if it works better. And let me know how it works for you then!
Sorry if this got posted twice…I am new to the whole posting thing:)And I have a typo…ooops
Thank you
No worries – it’s all good around here. 🙂
Thank you!
Hi Jami,
I wold like to know if during the first and second rising you add flour when you fold and turn?
Thank you
Colette
No, you don’t need to. But if it’s really sticky I sometimes flour my hands.
Hi,
I’m just want to know, will it matter if I use a metal bowl to mix this on my stand mixer? Or at I better getting a glass one?
Cheers,
Bec
I use the metal bowl with no problems!
I bought a Sassafrass dome for ‘baking’ and am disapointed that it’s so tall that bread is too done on bottom every time. I am considering a covered pullman pan. Given the costs of baking accessories, I thought I’d ask if this would work with the above recipe? I can’t justify spending more money on another ‘experiment’ when you probably know the answer already! Thanks so much. I can return the dome, which I think I will do.
I’ve never used a pullman pan, but my understanding is that it is for fine-textured loaves. That’s not what we’re going for in a good artisan bread. 🙂 This recipe works with an enameled cast-iron pot that is also good for baking stews, braises and more (so not just a one-use kitchen item). If you don’t have one, I’d suggest getting one since it’s the home-bakers secret to that crunchy artisan crust. Check out my kitchen essentials list for a good option.
Just made this bread and it turned out awesome! First sourdough loaf that has actually turned out for me! I found your blog searching for a easy sourdough recipe and we just moved to the Willamette Valley just over 6 months ago from Illinois. Small world! Anyhow, I was wondering if you have tried to ferment this dough any longer than the 5 hours to give it a stronger sour taste?
Yay! How fun that you are ‘local!’ Yes, as I continued to use my starter, I would often have it out for days, using it occasionally over that period of time (I would go off and on with my desire to use it – sometimes it sits in the fridge longer, sometimes not) and by the end it would have more of a sourdough taste. Experiment with it to see what you like (and what flavor your wild yeast are!).
Great thank you! Trying the recipe again today.
Wow! This was the third sourdough recipe I’ve attempted. It was the simplest, which had me a bit worried at first since most of them have much more complex steps. I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome! This just goes to show that sometimes simple is indeed best. Thanks for this awesome recipe!
Super happy to know this, Kaylan – thanks! (oh, and totally agree with simple = best…)
I tried to make this bread today but I did not do a good job. It came out doughy. Here are things that I did differently. Perhaps you can help me determine where I messed up.
First, I did 2 cups white and 1 cup wheat.
I did not preheat the empty pot for 40 minutes for fear I burn myself during the transfer of dough into the pot. Instead, I gave the bread another 30 minute room temp rise time in the pot and then for 10 minutes I preheated the oven to 450. For the first 15 min I kept the bread in the pot. Then (following another recipe I use) I took the partly baked bread out of the pot with the paper and placed it on a baking tray and it went back in for another 18 minutes. I took it out and let it set for 2 hours before cutting. The area near the crust is OK but the rest was quite doughy. But it did have a good tang with my 10 day old fed starter. Any guesses about my misadventure?
Thanks!
Hi Lee – your loaf didn’t cook long enough. If you follow the recipe cooking exactly next time I think you will have success – dropping the loaf in the hot pot isn’t as ‘burnable’ as trying to get it out halfway cooked, I’d think. There’s no reason for that – the loaf will cook all the way when left in the pot and using the directions given. Good luck!
I used this recipe for my second attempt at sourdough bread. You had me at “easy sourdough” in your title. It turned out perfect, even though I forgot to add the honey.
Yay! So happy to hear this, Jan.
Hi! I’ve got my sour dough starter all ready to go and came across your recipe! Can’t wait to try it….it’s got such great reviews! I have a question before I start, I have no cast iron pot or anything with a lid that’s ovenproof. Can I put the dough on a baking sheet and if so would it need covering?
Do you have roasting pan lid that would cover it? That may help create the nice crust. In the end, it’s not essential and you’ll probably enjoy the loaf. The moisture created in the first 15 minutes when tightly covered simple makes a crisper crust. Hope you enjoy it!
Jami! Thanks so much for replying. I actually used my roaster (for chicken etc) with lid and it turned out perfect. I didn’t have parchment paper so left out that part and it was fine. Also I did everything by hand. I’m so excited to have made a real sourdough bread that looks and tastes like the real deal!! The loaf is almost gone so I’m about to start making another this morning after breakfast.!!
Wonderful, Katie – I’m so glad to know this turned out for you!
Best Bread I have ever Made!!! I am obsessed. I cannot stop instagramming my bread. I love all of your tips and great wisdom. I also made your crackers (with rye flour) and they were a huge hit. Thank you so much for you easy instructions and great recipes!
I love hearing this, Tia – thank you so much for taking the time to let me know! And using rye flour sounds wonderful – I’ll have to try it.
Last week I was inspired to try making a yeast starter and making some sourdough, but I was intimidated by all of the really complex three-day recipes I saw online. This recipe was great for my first try. I used red whole wheat and omitted the honey. I added a little more water because the dough seemed a little too dry. The end result was a fairly heavy loaf with a decent ride and a delicious crust (and a little too much moisture in the middle, so maybe I’ll add less water next time). Thanks!
I meant to say “a decent rise.”
Good to know that this turned out for you on the first try, Geoff!
You say use white whole wheat unbleached or combo flour. Is that strong bread flour?
2Also why use honey, can you use sugar instead?
3 I like to put turmeric and a bit of olive oil in my bread, would that be good?
Regards Inge
This recipe works best (biggest holes for nice texture) with unbleached all-purpose flour and just some whole wheat. White whole wheat isn’t as heavy as regular red wheat, so is preferable. You can use all unbleached or a combo of the two, and of course you can try with 100% white whole wheat, but my experience is that it produces a heavier loaf.
You can use sugar instead of honey – my preference is always honey in breads.
Use whatever flavoring you’d like to make this your own – that’s the best part of doing it yourself!
Great recipe. I have some start and need a new bread recipe I am exited to try this, I am wondering why the pot needs to be in such a hot oven for 40 minutes. This seems like a long time to keep my oven on just to heat a pan. I can see myself skipping this step. You have clearly mastered this recipe feedback would appreciated.
It take awhile for cast iron to become fully heated and placing the dough in the hot interior and putting the lid on traps the moisture, which creates that artisan crust like the professional bakers get. This technique was perfected by the people at America’s test kitchen and I also use it on my regular Easy Artisan Bread to get that great crust too. Of course it’s up to you, but I’d never skip this step. 🙂
Thank you! That is all I needed to know. I’ll just have to do some planning and roast a couple heads of garlic at the same time. 🙂
After having dinner in a great seafood restaurant that served fresh sourdough right out of the cast iron pot, our friends gave us a pot. So, I decided to tackle the sourdough recipe, even though I am a very bad baker. After about 5-6 days it seemed the starter was ‘starting’ in our chilly kitchen, so it was go-time. I followed the recipe Easy Sourdough Artisan Bread as closely as possible, and the bread TURNED OUT AMAZING!!!!!!! It looks like it came from a professional kitchen and tastes like it too! Still can’t believe I was able to make this loaf since I have never had luck with baking.
Wonderful, so great to know this, Janet!!
Hi! I’m preparing to make this recipe as my first stab at sourdough–yay! My question is when/how do I need to prepare my refrigerated starter for this recipe? I’ve heard a lot of different things, from setting it out days before to setting it out and feeding it just a few hours before. Help!
It does need to be active before making any type of bread, Emily. If you want the best results, you’ll want to leave it out/feed it until it doubles in size, however long that takes you in your environment (less time in warmer climates, etc.).
Ooh I made this today and it is delicious! Finally holes and a great chew! Easy too! Wanting to make demi loaves but need
A pot that isn’t round. Any ideas. Thinking of using cookie sheet with foil pan to cover?
Thanks
Some people have used a baking stone + roasting pan cover with good results, Donna. I think your idea may work, but since it wouldn’t be able to be preheated fully, maybe spritzing the dough with water before covering to create the steam you’d get with the hotter enamel pot? I haven’t tried it – just thinking it may work for you!
It is a soft dough, Laurette, like many artisan breads (it produces the airy interior), but if it’s unworkable, you can add a bit more flour. There are many things that can affect doughs (temperature, humidity, type of measuring) so go ahead and adjust to your situation. Just err on the side of less flour than more.
What should this dough be like on the 3 hr rest?
Ah! This looks beautiful and I can’t wait to try it. I just made a starter for the first time and am excited to try my hand at bread making. Some questions.
Re: step 3: does it matter what type of oil I use? Would evoo work?
I don’t have a dutch oven or baking stone…could I use a casserole dish with a lid?
Thank you!
Great Karrie! You can use any oil you like – I usually use olive oil. If the casserole can withstand the high heat it should work!
Ahh!!! Jami thank you so much for the tips, and time you’ve taken to answer my questions! I will do just as you said…..and patiently wait 🙂 thank you thank you!
You said a baking stone would work instead of a dutch oven but what do you use to cover it if you’re using the stone? Does it need to be covered for the first half of baking?
No, the recipe from Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes just wets the dough on the stone and leaves it uncovered. You can use a turkey roaster lid if you have it, though I think that would only work if your stone is rectangle. These will work, but I think the best crust comes from the cast iron pot. 🙂
Hi, thanks for the recipe. My only concern is that I don’t have a kitchen aid only a Thermomix. What else can I do? Thanks
I’m not familiar with a Thermomix, June, but you can always do it by hand if you can’t adapt to your machine.
Oh my goodness I am so beyond thrilled with how this loaf turned out! It’s literally my first sourdough (with no added commercial yeast) loaf that has turned out looking good and tasting great! We had friends over and had this with BBQ chicken and it was perfection! This is now my go-to recipe, thank you! thank you!!!!
Yay! So happy to know this, Katie – thanks for sharing. 🙂
Thank you so much for this recipe–it’s the reason I got into sourdough starter two years ago, and it’s the outcome I’ve been searching for since! I am delighted to be able to make artisan bread that doesn’t take two days, and I love the fact that it requires starter, honey, water, salt, and flour. Period. I will be making this bread weekly!
So happy to read this, Rebecca – thanks!
Wonderful! I made this two nights ago, and the leftovers got eaten yesterday. I added a little minced garlic to the dough. I knew I didn’t have time to do the slow cool rise, so I instead let it rise twice. Today I had time and let it rise in the refrigerator, and wow. Even better! I know it will become a staple in my recipes!
Nice to know it worked both ways for you James! And yes, sourdough likes it slow, that’s for sure. 🙂
First I want to say I keep seeing your blog show up all over my Pinterest feed and I’ve been loving all your posts. A couple tips for people who aren’t getting the same successful loaf.
Gluten in the flour will develop when you knead your dough. The gluten is the elastic that holds your bread together and traps the gasses from the yeast, making your bread fluffy 🙂
Knowing this, if your bread comes out flat or less fluffy than you hoped try this. Do your dough folds before you let it rise. Folding first will give you a nice crumb without risking the gas/air from expelling out of your dough.
Also, if you over proof your dough (let it rise too long) the gluten bands over stretch and won’t hold the air when it gets baked…again leaving bread more dense
A great way to test is when your dough grew about 1.5 times in size poke it gently with your finger. If the poke fills back in slowly its ready to go in, preheat your oven.
If your poke doesn’t fill in at all work quickly to get your dough in the oven it so your dough doesn’t over proof. You can put it in the fridge to slow down your yeast activity while your oven heats up and as a bonus cold dough is easier to slash/score and the crust blisters nicely too.
Thanks for the wonderful post and dreamt bread pictures!
Wow, thanks so much for these tips, Elle! I’m going to have to try that cooling trick for crust blisters. 🙂
First Itime ever making sourdough bread and I used my own sourdough starter made from flour and water about 2 months ago. I likely needed to add more flour to allow for a better rise as my dough was fairly wet, however the bread turned out wonderfully. I substituted Molasses for honey as I forgot that I was out of honey. Thank you for providing such an easy to follow and simple recipe. I saved your recipe to my Pinterest.
Oh that’s so awesome, Margaret!! I’m so glad you had success on your first time (I didn’t – but it was with a different recipe!) – and now you’ll know what to adjust the next time. That’s basically how you become a better bread baker – do it, adjust, do it, adjust, etc. 🙂
Question: is there a trick to getting the loaf to not spread out flat as a pancake during the 40 minute rest? Mine was about 3/4 inch thick by the time it was put in the oven.
You might need more flour – each person’s starter is a unique water ratio, so you’ll have to find the amount that works best for you. Maybe increase by 1/4 c. at a time? You don’t want too much, just the right amount. Ha! Which is why bread making is so fun, right? 😉
Do you cut the starter (3/4 c), feed it, and then let that rest overnight? Or do you feed the whole starter the night before and take the 3/4 c the next morning?
The 3/4 c. starter needed for this recipe should be actively growing, which usually happens after feeding. So feed and then remove some for the recipe in the morning.
This is my 1st loaf. It seems very wet. So much that I can’t “fold” it in bowl for 1st rise? Help?? Do I need more flour. I only used the 1 1/4 cup water.
Yes, add more flour Linda. Everybody’s sourdough may be slightly different – wetter or drier, so it’s okay to adjust so you can work with it. 🙂
Amazing recipe and so much easier than I thought it was! I had never made bread before, but had been babying a sourdough starter that I made myself for over a week now and wanted to try it out. I was nervous because I didn’t know how water to use since my starter was wet, and it didn’t rise much, so I had no idea what the end result would be. But it turned out light, fluffy and beautiful 🙂
Yeah, SO happy to hear about your first time success, Hayley!!
This has become my go to sourdough bread recipe. It comes out perfect every time and have trouble keeping it for a few days. People just pick at it and can’t stop. I use a stone though as I don’t have a Dutch oven yet. Have a loaf proofing as I type this.
Love this, Maggie – especially that it turns out for you with a stone!
THIS is the easiest and BEST sourdough I have ever made. Bless you for simplifying the process!
Awesome to hear about your success, Rebecca!
I’m having a hard time with this recipe. When I feed my starter overnight it doesn’t bubble much but in the morning has a brown liquid layer on top (about 1/4 inch). Following your recipe produces a very wet dough, impossible to handle. So I’ve tried adding more flour, letting it rise longer, and still have trouble getting a rise and a dough that I can shape. Can you advise me?
It sounds like your starter isn’t strong enough to make bread rise, Nikki. The brown liquid (known as ‘hooch’ which is perfectly fine) should only be happening when your starter is being stored (I keep mine in the fridge between uses and this forms then). And active starter should almost double in size overnight and be bubbly with hardly any hooch, if at all. Sometimes it may rise and fall before you get to it, but you’ll see a line where it rose to so you can see that it’s active and ready to make bread with.
I would take a number of days to reactivate your starter, feeding and letting it bubble each day. That should do it! 🙂
I want to try this recipe, been looking for a whole wheat sourdough and this one looks awesome.
I have questions about the starter. I got mine a month or so ago, from King Arthur, and have followed the instructions for feeding it…they call for 1 cup of flour and 1/2 cup of water. Would this recipe work with that kind of starter? It isn’t ‘soupy’ wet at all, though they call it a wet starter. Would I need to add more water to the recipe? Or start feeding the starter equal amounts water/flour?
Hmm, I never feed my starter with that low of water/flour ratio – the lowest I do is 3/4 c. water to 1 c. flour – so it’s hard for me to answer that. I think you can go ahead with it and just add a bit more water if the dough seems too dry.
Thanks Jami.
Maybe I’ll try 3/4 cup water the next time I feed the starter. I want to try the bread on Friday. I am encouraged by all the good comments here…can’t wait to taste it!
If you can still see these comments I just wanted to say thank you so much for the easy to follow instructions and the most beautiful loaf of bread I’ve ever made. After finally getting my starter on track(months on and off were put into this). I went searching for a recipe and thankfully found yours among the countless confusing disasters out there. First try and I am very satisfied.
★★★★★
So happy to read this, Erica – thanks for commenting – I see all my old post’s comments. 🙂
This bread tastes amazing and I always get a nice crust but it never rises as well as your pictures.My sourdough culture is about four months old and I can usually get a pretty good rise from it but not with this recipe. The dough is so wet by the time I put it on the parchment paper that there is no way to mold it into a ball it just spills out to a few inches thick. Help! I love this recipe and want it to work so badly!
Well, I find it’s a balance with artisan bread – you can add more flour, but you might not have as many holes in the crumb (a goal of mine with artisan breads). If it’s too wet, though, I do add a bit more flour a little at a time. Have you tried that?
I’ll try that next time. I wasn’t sure if it was supposed to be that wet. Thank you!
Just found your recipe and can’t wait to try it! I’m originally from SF Bay area and so desperately miss my sourdough fix. Military family so we get moved around a lot and now we’re in small town midwest where they don’t know what sourdough or artisan bread is at all. I don’t have a ceramic dutch oven, only a cast iron one…will this work the same? If not, then I’ll try something else. Wish me luck!
It should work, Rebecca – it’s about sealing the moisture in at the beginning for the good crust, so the cast iron should do that. I know you’ll love it!
Jami, thank you so much for this recipe and the starter recipe! It’s been wonderful to finally have good sourdough again. It took me a couple of trial and errors to get it right but that’s the fun of making bread. I think it gets better every time I make it now. Again, thank you for the very easy recipe 🙂
So happy to hear, Rebecca!! I totally agree that the sourdough bread gets better as the starter ages. 🙂
I realize I’m a latecomer to this post, but had to share my success today. I have thought my starter was too wet also, so I added another 1/2 cup between the first rise and the 2nd. Also, during the first rise, at 3 hours not much had yet happened, so I left it alone. Then I got busy and forgot about it, letting it go another 2 1/2 hours, at which point it was quite active and busting out of the bowl. Finally, because I don’t have the enameld dutch oven, and I felt it would flatten out on the stone, I put it into a glass casserole that wasn’t preheated and put it in the oven. Even with all of these alterations to the formula, this was the best bread I’ve made yet. Good rise, full of holes, chewy consistency, etc. If you’re a newby sourdough baker, I highly recommend this recipe.
★★★★★
Good to know, Dave – I’ve read about being able to use a glass casserole, but wasn’t sure how it would work. Did it stick to the casserole at all? Might me a nice way of making it rounder – force it up instead of out. 🙂
I’ve been making this bread recipe for a few years now and love it. I usually mix up the dough whenever my stater is ready, and put it in the fridge for a day or two until I get to it.
About 12 hours before baking I get the bowl of dough out, let it come to room temp and rise on the counter, and then shape and bake as you instruct.
This last time I didn’t put the honey in and we like it even better!
Oooh, I love how simple you’ve made this bread, Sarah!
Thank you so much for this recipe! I’ve made it for times now and it’s been perfect each time. It’s so hard to find a good sourdough recipe that doesn’t have commercial yeast, a million steps and actually makes an incredible loaf! I did an extra 2 hours for the last ferment and love the big holes I got. I have a feeling this is a recipe I’ll use for the rest of my life.
Yeah, I’m so glad to read this, Michelle!!
Hi Jami,
I was just reading your December menu ideas & decided to check out your Easy Sourdough Artisan Bread, among other recipes. It looks amazing. I have grown my own starter in the past, I ended up freezing my last one, so I will have to pull it back out of the freezer & bring it back to life to give this recipe a try.
I wanted to let you know that the links to your own blog posts seem to be broken. The links to outside posts are working. I know you have had some website issues recently & thought you would like to get your wonderful tech guy on this.
Thanks for sharing all your wonderful posts.
Thank you so much, Jackie! You are right – I do want to know that and since I don’t regularly re-read my posts, it would’ve been a long time before I realized that. 🙂 I think something happened with the site issues – you’re right, and I’ve emailed my web developer!
Jami;
About 4 weeks ago, I decided to make my own sourdough starter, using whole wheat flour (bulk bin purchase from Sprout’s Farmers Market) and water. Twice I have made pancakes, with good results. Today I mustered the nerve to finally make bread, using your simple and easy to follow recipe. I used equal measures of whole wheat flour (Sprout’s, as above) and unbleached “Artisan Bread Flour” from Bob’s Red Mill. Though the transfer of the dough ball to the hot dutch oven was a it messy (as in upside down), I was able to flip the dough ball in the pot, and the loaf turned out fine. I would love to share a photo, as the photo helps tell the story of how well the bread turned out. In any case, thanks so much for the recipe – it will be my go to.
Michael
Congrats, Michael- that makes me so happy to know! I’d love to see a photo – you know you can upload one to AOC’s Facebook page if you want. 🙂
Is it important to let it finish the 2nd rise, THEN turn on the oven for 40 mins, giving the dough another 40 mins to rise? Or can you go straight into the oven right after the 2nd rise?
With sourdough, Sarah, the longer it rises the better it will be, but you can rush it if you need to. 🙂
To make it easier, do the final rise in the lidded pot you are going to bake in, wrapped in a plastic bag… Then bake in a cold oven, no pre-heat….. After slashing your loaf, spray or sprinkle some water on the dough, put the lid on and slide it in the oven…. Set temp to 450, after a half hour, remove the lid and reduce temp to 425 and let it go another 20 mins….. If your loaf sticks, next time lightly grease and flour the pot….
Thanks, Skip, for the tip! I have tried that with some loaves and it does work, though the bread didn’t seem to rise as well for me doing it that way. I’ll have to try it again!
I made this yesterday as my first loaf of sourdough. My neighbor had brought me some starter because she knew I liked baking bread. I worried about it the whole time, but in the end it was beautiful and delicious. My family demolished it and asked me to bake it again today! Great recipe!
Yeah! Success on your first loaf, Heather – that’s more than I can say, ha! Good for you. 🙂
I am making this today!
When you say you use a 100% hydration starter, do you mean equal flour and water by weight or by volume? Elsewhere you mention feeding your starter with equal 1/2c flour and 1/2c water, however, when I looked up hydration it said to calculate it by weight?
I’m not an expert when it comes to sourdough, Rhg – I calculate by volume because I don’t have an accurate scale. My understanding is equal amounts of flour to water is a 100% starter. Use weight if you have that capability!
I had the same question, Jamie– about measuring by weight vs. volume. You’ve answered part of it for me… and my question now is, how do you fill your measuring cup?
A 100% starter is made of equal parts of flour and water, measured by weight– it’s figured by weight because the amount of flour in a measuring cup varies tremendously, depending on how a person fills the cup (scooping vs. pouring it into the cup or putting it in by spoonfuls, whether they level it with a knife or tap it, whether they sift the flour first… and so on. So professional bakers measure by weight, because 250 grams of flour is always 250 grams of flour… it’s reproduceable by anyone, anywhere.
Your starter is probably somewhat more than a 100% hydration, because it sounds like your dough is pretty wet, and also in my experience it pretty much always takes more than a cup of flour to equal the weight of a cup of water.
Anyway, I’m really looking forward to trying your recipe… sounds like a lot of people have had good luck with it, and that’s pretty impressive! I’ve been making sourdough bread for about a year now, using just whole wheat, but I’ve been measuring by weight, and also keeping my starters at lower hydration (i.e., more flour and less water). Right now, when I store my starter in the fridge, I keep it at 50 or 60% hydration, and it’s s quite firm… almost like Playdoh. From what I’ve been reading (and it seems to work), having less water in a refrigerated starter allows the starter to survive longer in the fridge, between feedings..
Then when I take it out to feed it before a bake, I increase the hydration to 100%, which means it can rise faster (because it’s easier for the yeast and bacteria beasties to move through a thick mud, than through a stiff dough, or at least, that’s my best guess). I think that’s why wetter doughs tend to rise better than drier, stiffer ones.
I’ve been looking at a lot of articles online, in the past year; here’s a more in-depth discussion about measuring: http://www.sourdoughhome.com/index.php?content=measureit
P.S. I’m not associated with Sourdough Home’s website; also, the website I listed with my email address is actually for my artwork, so you don’t need to go to it (unless you like to look at paintings, that is ;).
Thanks for all your efforts!
Holly
Well, Holly, you are much more detailed than I am! 🙂
To be honest, I just do not have the time or patience for weighing and measuring exact hydration for my starter. I do much more ‘by sight’ type of cooking and the recipes I post are the ones that aren’t too finicky, if you know what I mean. I do keep my starter at a lower hydration while it’s in the fridge, too, using roughly 2/3 water to 1 cup flour. My starter has survived for more than 4 years – even with months of neglect – so it’s pretty hearty stuff! You can see my tips and guide for sourdough – the easy, non-sciencey way, obviously – here: https://anoregoncottage.com/grow-keep-use-sourdough-starter/
But, to answer your question, I use a scoop-and-measure for flour, so yes – probably more by weight than the water. If I see it’s thicker than I want, I just dump in more water – and that’s basically how I roll. 😉
Thank you so much Jami you are an amazingly talented lady god blessed you with a lot of special gifts and you really need a store and bake shop combo all your post bring so much joy to my life you have helped revive a mom and that was exactly what I was asking you haha I kneaded all the bubbles out of my dough lol but the flavor is amazing so I’m on my next batch thanks again and god bless youand your family
I love your artisan easy breads I have a guestion about hand kneading after second rise my dough has a lot of bubbles in it I hand kneaded theeae out should I left them in lol thanks help
Glad you like the easy bread, Christine! Sounds like it’s working well if you have lots of bubbles. 🙂 I don’t knead these breads, just a gentle shaping into a ball. Is that what you were asking?
Made this recipe for the first time today, having messed around with limited success with other recipes after being given starter a few months ago; this came out absolutely perfect! I used all unbleached white flour this time, will try wholewheat next time.
My one issue was with the parchment; it stuck to the bottom crust of the loaf and was very hard to peel off. I expect more flour when forming the loaf would remedy this (minor) problem.
Thanks for the great recipe, and I look forward to more great things from your blog! So excited that I found you!
So glad to read this, Merryn! I usually don’t have a problem with the parchment sticking – maybe try greasing it with some olive oil in addition to flour next time? Happy to have you reading!!
Wow– this made an amazing loaf of bread! My sourdough starter was pretty new– just ten days old– so I knew I was taking a risk. But following these directions, the bread rose beautifully. Thanks so much.
Wow, that’s so awesome to hear, Suzanne! Yeah 🙂
This is such a great blog!!! Really makes me hungry just reading and looking at the pictures : ) I recently baked my first loaf of bread and it was incredible!!! I used a starter my friend told me about. It’s from Sourdough’s International and now I have to spread the word! I loved it. Definitely going to order more when it comes the time.
What size enameled crock do you use? I need to buy one. Thanks.
It’s a 6-qt crock, though a 5-qt would work as well, maybe even a 4-qt, but I haven’t tried it.
What if you don’t have a wonderful stand mixer? I have to do it by hand. Any tips?
You can still do it, Rebekah – in fact I’ve read people who think the ONLY way to make bread is by hand! You just have to have strong arms for stirring. 🙂 Stir until it’s all incorporated and then a bit more and continue with the recipe.
Turned out perfect! Thanks! Love the simplicity of this recipe!! Can’t wait to make it again:-)
Am I supposed to drop the parchment in the pot too? Now that i read it i’m thinking yes, but too late I already slid the dough off into the pot for now… We’ll see it it works. It smells amazing:-)
It’s easier with the parchment – I’m guessing it turned out fine without it. 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! I followed the steps last night and we have a GORGEOUS sourdough loaf!
Jamie Oliver’s Sourdough starter recipe worked well for me, but his bread recipe? flop. King Arthur Flour Extra Tangy Sourdough recipe spread but didn’t rise for me. After these repeated flops, it is so exciting to *finally* have a presentable, edible loaf!! Thank you again for this recipe!
xxo!
This is so great to hear, April! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! I followed the steps last night and we have a GORGEOUS sourdough loaf!
Jamie Oliver’s Sourdough starter recipe worked well for me, but his bread recipe? flop. King Arthur Flour Extra Tangy Sourdough recipe spread but didn’t rise for me. After these repeated flops, it is so exciting to *finally* have a presentable, edible loaf!! Thank you again for this recipe!
xxo!
“The sliced loaf pictured above was made with whole wheat bread flour (verses the previous loaf, which was made with whole wheat white flour)”
Just wondering what you mean by these flours. Bread flour is usually the store-bought stuff made with white flour. I’m kind of thinking that by “whole wheat white flour” you might mean white whole wheat as opposed to red whole wheat, but how would one make whole wheat flour into “bread flour”? And do you mill your own wheat berries?
Yes, Naomi, sorry for the confusion – I did mean white whole wheat. As for the WW bread flour, our local bulk food store (WinCo) sells it. It’s hard red wheat, but seems to be a finer grain than the regular WW sold in the bin next to it, though the proteins are about the same. It seems to make a lighter loaf than regular hard red WW. No, I don’t own a grain mill. I’ve thought of it, but can’t justify the expense as we’ve been eating less bread over the last few years. 🙂
This recipe is great I finally have found a whole wheat sourdough recipe I wan’t to make over and over. I replaced some water with whey since I had it and it was great. Thanks
I bet that made it better – and healthier, too!
How large a cast iron pot do you use? I have a four quart and the dough spread out acros the bottom when I put it in, so it ended up being kind of a flat loaf? I think it’s too big?
I have a 6-qt actually, Katrina. And sometimes my loaves are flatter, too, than the one pictured – I find it had to do with my sourdough (how active, if it’s doubling in 6 hours or less…) and the type of flour I use. It’s always flatter when it’s more whole wheat, sigh. 🙂
Thanks, I used one cup of white whole wheat and thought that might have been it. It was delicious though, and my family is thrilled 🙂 and, as best evidence, the loaf is gone!
Thank you!!! I found your starter link afterwards and am going to start that today!! 🙂 So what do you do with the part you slice off? Discard it? Or do you just slice it but leave the sliced part on top? ugh sorry to be so difficult …
I believe she means to score the loaf – slash it across the top right before you throw it in the oven. This allowes the dough you’ve just exposed to rise up and spread out. It’s scary the first few times.
HELP!! lol …. I’m so confused.
What is the starter? Is the recipe above for the starter? Do I make that and then let it sit overnight? forgive me for sounding dumb … I’m just a little lost. I would love to understand though … I want to make this bread. Also, part two of my confusion … when you say …
“When the timer goes off, slice the top of the loaf with a serrated knife and transfer it to the hot pot by holding the edges of the parchment (or stone).”
Has it been cooking for 40 mins? when you do this? Thanks 🙂 Tammy
Sorry to confuse you, Tammy! A sourdough starter is a blend of water and flour that has been left to ferment enough to grow natural, airborne yeast. There are numerous tutorials online of ways to grow your own starter or you can buy a bit of starter. I linked to the one I used at Heavenly Homemakers above (in the first sentence I link to my original post, which goes into more detail and provides the link to the HH blog) and I’ve kept mine alive for a couple of years using the tips I wrote about in my sourdough tips post.
You will need to grow your starter and use it for things like pancakes and waffles at first until it’s really active. Then try it with a loaf. It needs to be active to make it, so yes, leave the starter out overnight after feeding before making this loaf.
As for the cooking – the pot heats up empty in the oven before slicing the top of the loaf and then adding the loaf to the hot pan (hence the need for the parchment – you don’t want to touch the hot pan), covering the pan and cooking 15 min. before uncovering. This creates an environment to capture the steam from the loaf and make that great crust and is the same cooking technique that I use for my Easy Artisan Bread recipe (yeast) – which you may want to try while you wait to grow your starter. It’s super easy and creates a wonderful loaf, too. 🙂
I have been trying to make a good sourdough bread for at least 18 months+ everytime the crust is inedible its so hard, the bread looks and tastes great, but can you help with the crust, please, please, i am desperate. thanks
When I have any bread crust that is harder than we want (sometimes even sandwich bread), I will place the whole loaf in a plastic baggie before it is completely cooled (usually after about 1/2 hour cooling on a rack). The steam from the cooling bread softens the crust. I hope this works for you, Brian!
Thanks, but today I had a success all is amazing, i. e. Crust was just right, but I appreciate your advice, cheers
Jami-
No wonder you were dancing in your kitchen! Your loaves are absolutely beautiful!!!! I know the excitement of finally finding a recipe that works for you! Thanks for sharing your technique – and for linking to my blog!
Gina
“Transfer to a medium-sized bowl, lightly coated with oil. Cover with plastic and let rise for 3 hours, turning and folding the dough once or twice.” Could you explain when you turn and fold once or twice? It seems like you are saying turn and fold during the 3 hour rise and I’ve never heard of messing with the dough during the rise. This looks like it would be delicious. Thanks for sharing.
I just gently lift and fold the dough under itself at the 1 and 2 hour marks (often I don’t remember, though, which is why I said once or twice!). You could try it without doing this- I’ve read that it gives more of the hole-pockets because you’re introducing more air into the dough. Don’t think it’s critical to anything, though.
All the no-knead breads warn against touching the dough, but I really haven’t had luck with those recipes for sourdough, this one I have, so I stick with what worked for me. 🙂
Jami, help! I’m on my THIRD attempt and my dough doesn’t seem to “double” nor hardly “rise” =(
1) my starter is made with yeasty cloudy kombucha and all purpose flour; after the first massive fail, I switched to feeding my starter with whole wheat flour.
2) I live in Louisiana, it’s July, very hot and humid…is it TOOO hot right now for bread ??
3) I knead it in my kitchaid mixer, then put into the oiled glass bowl…the second time I covered with plastic wrap, today it is covered with a damp towel. Today has been 6hrs and NOO rising is apparent =/
what can I do? what might be wrong ?
Ah, sorry, Laci – I know that must be frustrating! Was your starter bubbling and doubling in size? If not, it won’t be strong enough to rise bread. Humidity can affect your starter, though I’m not familiar with how to work around that (google might be able to help you with that). How old is your starter? Have you used it for other things like waffles and such?
Hi Jami, thanks for replying! My starter has been going for 16 days, and very nice bubbly sour. I’ve never put it into the refrigerator, I’ve been feeding it and pouring some out daily. I wonder if I should refrigerate it??! What kind of flour is best to bake with ?? I’ve been using all purpose “bleached”.. could this be problematic ?
I haven’t attempted to make anything else, do you suggest pancakes ?
Oh but my heart desires a boule loaf! 🙂
Okay, I think the issue is that the starter is just too young yet, Laci – I had that exact same problem!
Go ahead and grow it for another month, using it for low-rising things like english muffins, waffles, crackers, – even a batter bread (I have recipes for all of these…) – they are a yummy way to use your starter. Then try again with a risen loaf – I think you’ll have success then. 🙂
Refrigerating is just a way to store it longer-term and you’d just need to start feeding again, etc. I don’t think flour would make that much of a difference, but I’d definitely switch to unbleached white flour (higher in protein) and add some whole wheat flour (white or regular) for the added flavor and wholesomeness.
I have just made this for the 1st time – still learning with sourdough, however this bread looks and tastes amazing
( straight out the oven couldn’t help myself!!! Yah I have holes ) thank you from Australia
Glad to read this, Sandra! Sourdough is such a fun experience. 🙂