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.
NOTE: 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.
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 is 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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Diana says
This recipe worked so well! I used 1/3 whole wheat, 1/3 ap, and 1/3 bread flours and it came out incredibly good – not too sour, crusty on the outside, soft on the inside. Will make again!
Jami says
Yay!
Kaitlyn Martin says
Hello, newbie here! I’d like to try this simple recipe. Many others I saw are much more involved. Can I omit the honey though? I’m assuming there’s a texture purpose for it, perhaps? Should I add more salt or water if omitting honey?
Jami says
I’ve found that simple is often best, Kaitlyn. 🙂 So the honey is actually there to help feed the yeast – it’s usually added in almost all breads to some degree, whether it’s bought yeast or the natural yeast we’re growing. You don’t have to use honey – it can be granulated sugar, too. It probably does add a bit of flavor, too, but it’s such a small amount I’m not sure.
You can certainly experiment with leaving it out and see if you notice any difference – that’s one of the nice things about making things yourself!
rick says
Overall a good, simple to execute recipe. Next time I’ll put a pan between the dutch oven and the electric element in the oven to disperse the direct heat that renders the bottom crust kinda chewy. This recipe blows the 41 hour Cooks Ill….. version out of the water.
Jami says
Thanks, Rick! That’s a good idea about adding a pan between the pot and the element, too.
Kylie says
Hi there,
This is my first time trying to make sourdough and I am very excited!
Wondering about the rising time. You mention 3 hours for the first rise, then 2 hours for the second, plus 40 minutes, but then the total rise time at the top of the recipe says 3 hours and 40 minutes. Was the “rise for 2 hours” comment just the folding part explained for the “3 hour rise” bullet?
Sorry for the nitpicky question, just want to make sure I’m doing this right. : )
Cheers,
Kylie
Jami says
Hi Kylie – good for you for starting your sourdough journey!
The total time in the recipe was a mistake – I recently changed the way the printable recipes are displayed and it must’ve been shortened. Sourdough takes a long time to rise – the first rise is 3 hours, the second 2, and then the 40 minutes after shaping while the pot heats up. So 5 hours, 40 minutes. I’ve fixed the recipe time so no one else is confused. 🙂
Have fun with it!
Janice says
Hi Jami
I have some dried sourdough starter. How would I use that to make this bread?
P.S. I love your website.
Jami says
You need to follow the instructions (I’m assuming it is purchased?) to revive the starter, kind of like you are growing a new starter. When it’s strong enough you can make this bread (I would probably wait a month, making things that don’t need as much raising like crackers or english muffins or waffles in between).
Jen says
Hi Jami!
Do you happen to have the weights for the ingredients in your recipe? I made it and it turned out excellent, but I did add a bit of extra flour as it was mixing because I had used all white flour. Weights would help me keep things consistent as I play with the flours.
Thank you!
J
Jami says
I’m glad you had a good experience with this recipe, Jen – I will look into providing weights for the ingredients.
Christie says
I normally make a sourdough loaf that takes two days, but I wanted a fresh loaf for dinner tonight. This recipe was great! I fed my sourdough about 6:30 am, made the dough about 10:30am and let it autolyse for an hour before adding my starter and the salt. Did a stretch and fold every 15 min for an hour then let it rise as directed in your recipe. The bread came out beautifully! We ate it with a white bean soup. I used one cup each whole wheat, bread flour, and AP flour. Thank you for sharing this great recipe!
Jami says
Glad you enjoyed this recipe, Christie – it is a good option for a same day dough!
Katherine Putnam says
Great recipe that I’ve now made three times!
Amy Sachs says
I have made this bread several times and it has always turned out wonderful!!! My family requests this over store bought bread now. Thanks for a great recipe that will become a family treasure!
Amy
Jami says
Music to my ears that they prefer over store bought, Amy – thanks for letting me know and reviewing the recipe!
Micki says
Yes!! Thank you for this post. I have been looking for an easy sourdough artisan bread recipe that is similar to the regular artisan bread my family loves. Can’t wait to try this and have another great use for my sourdough starter!
Jami says
Hope you’re able to try it soon!
Katherine says
A couple of questions from a beginner: after kneading, what should the dough look like? Is it OK if it’s still very soft and sticky? Also, when you give nutrition info for “one slice” how big is the slice? One ounce? Three ounces? Thanks!
Jami says
Yes, the dough will still be soft and sticky. Most all artisan bread is, that’s how to get more of the airy holes in the bread. I usually get 12-15 slices from a loaf, depending on the thickness you cut it. Since you can cut any thickness you want, it’s kind of hard to be uniform, but I tried to for the nutrition. 🙂
Nita says
Does the parchment go in the pot too? Or do you dump the risen loaf out into the hot pot?
Jami says
Parchment and all! It’s a wet dough, so it would deflate the loaf too much to try and remove it.
Rachel says
I had 2.5 weeks to learn how to make a sourdough loaf. This was the only recipe that I could get to work for me, and it worked/turned out every time. I now make this recipe a couple times a week. Love it!!
Jami says
Awesome, Rachel!
Estelle says
Thank you for the great recipe! Question about heating the pot and moving the dough to the parchment. Would it be detrimental if you heated the pot in the oven during the last 40 mins of the second rising and put the loaf on parchment in the pot right away or is it best to start heating the pot after the 2 hours and leave the loaf on the parchment for 40 mins before putting in the heated pot? Just trying to see if I can cut down the time needed for the next time.
Jami says
You’re welcome! You can do that, Estelle – your loaf just may not rise as much.