Easy Sourdough Artisan Bread Recipe (Ready in 1 Day)
If you’ve been looking to bake a crusty, golden loaf of sourdough without the complexity of typical recipes then this easy sourdough artisan bread recipe is for you! Designed for simplicity, this method uses everyday measurements, minimal steps, and a stand mixer (or hand-kneading) to create a dough that’s ready to bake in just one day. Baked in an enameled cast iron pot (with other options), the result is a beautifully blistered crust with a soft, chewy interior — perfect for both beginners and seasoned bakers seeking a reliable, no-fuss loaf.
✩ What readers are saying…
“I wish I could say how great this recipe is in words!… Could this be true? Could I have found the perfect sourdough recipe for me and my family? After all these years and all these attempts, suddenly, in my lap, the sourdough recipe that really IS “The Easiest Best Sourdough Recipe on Earth”? Really? Well, I’m here to tell you, “YES!” Emphatically, “YES!” This is it! So good! So easy! So perfect! Please try this recipe! You will be so happy you did.” -David
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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.
I was looking for an easy sourdough bread recipe that had a crispy crust with a nice texture and holes inside, but that was simple to make. Preferably a same day sourdough bread similar to my super easy artisan bread which bakes in an enameled cast iron pot.
What I mean by ‘easy’ is a basic everyday kind of sourdough bread recipe that uses cups to measure, few steps, and very little science involved, sort of like our great-grandmothers would’ve made.
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.
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 this great recipe I knew right away that I could adapt it 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, from beginners to seasoned bread bakers. It can be made quickly (well, in sourdough terms) in one day or you can choose a bulk fermentation overnight in a refrigerator.
I want to say, 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.
Artisan Sourdough Bread Recipe Video
Ingredient Notes
You need only 3-4 ingredients for this classic bread – here are some notes and answers to questions I’ve gotten about the ingredients:
- Flour: You can make this bread with all-purpose, white whole wheat, spelt, or whole wheat flours. Spelt and whole wheat will have a denser crumb and less holes. You may get a taller rise by using bread flour, either white or whole wheat, which contains more protein (higher protein content in flour is needed for gluten development). Note: Pastry flours have less protein, which makes them great for cookies, muffins, and quick breads, but not for yeast or sourdough (wild yeast) breads.
In these photos I have used all white whole wheat flour with my regular whole wheat starter so the bread isn’t as white as loaves made with white flour. I also share a loaf made with regular whole wheat below. I always use a whole wheat starter and typically mix and match the flours I have on hand.
- Sourdough starter: I created my starter using these easy steps with whole wheat flour. Your starter should be strong for this recipe – very bubbly and doubling in volume after feeding in 6 hours or less (see the Important Note below). I like to feed the starter the night before (see timeline below).
- Salt: This is the third ingredient you must include in the recipe (in addition to water) or your bread will be very tasteless. After making this one time, feel free to adjust the salt to your preferences.
- Honey: I’ve made this ingredient optional, but I always use it. It adds a bit of immediate sugars for the yeasts to feed on as well as helping the crust to brown.
Sourdough Artisan Bread Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1. Add all the ingredients (flour, water, starter, optional honey, and salt) to a bowl and mix dough just until combined. Let sit for 15 minutes. If using a mixer and dough hook, knead for 5 minutes. If making by hand, knead for 8 to 10 minutes.
Step 2. As you’re kneading, add more flour as needed, a little at a time, to create a dough that’s still clinging to the bottom of the bowl, but clearing the upper part of the bowl. It should be tacky, but not cling to your finger other than a bit of residue as shown.
TIP: If you’d like to add dried or fresh herbs or any other mix-ins, add them during this kneading portion. Wait until you’ve got the dough to the stage you see in step 2 and then mix them in before scraping into the bowl.
Step 3: Transfer to a large bowl, lightly coated with oil. The dough should stick to the bottom and need to be scraped out.
Step 4: Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let the dough rest for 3 hours.
TIP: I use plastic “shower cap” type bowl covers which I wash and reuse over and over – I’ve had many of them for years. I’ve found plastic keeps the dough more moist over the long rise than a damp towel. Update: I’ve recently been moving away from plastic in the kitchen and have found that beeswax bowl covers do a nice job of keeping the dough moist while rising.
Step 5: During the 3 hour rise, turn and fold the dough once or twice by bringing all the edges of the dough to the center.
Step 6: Remove dough, turn and fold again, and place it back in the bowl, seam-side up. Let rise for another 2 hours.
TIP: I do this right over the bowl with my hands oiled from the dough, which is usually enough – add more oil to your hands if needed. This is described in detail in the video.
Step 7: After the second rise, place a piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet or small skillet (see tip below), sprinkle the dough with flour and gently shape the dough into a ball or oval right over the bowl (using lots of flour, as the dough is moist) and set on the parchment. Make sure there’s a good coating of flour on the top, as this will make slicing the top later easier. Replace the cover for the final rise.
Step 8: While the shaped dough is resting at room temperature, set an empty 4-6 quart enameled cast iron (or regular cast iron) dutch oven into a cold oven and turn heat to 450 degrees (alternately, you can use a baking stone), and set the timer for 40 minutes. (See FAQs below for cooking without a dutch oven.)
TIP 1: I flour my fingers after setting on the parchment and then use them to push the edges under the loaf to get the shape I want, make it more compact, and create more surface tension. See video for more details.
TIP 2: Shape the dough into a small skillet to keep the edges from spreading as much as a cookie sheet. If you have a bread proofing basket, feel free to use that.
Step 9: When the timer goes off, slash the top of the loaf with a serrated knife in 2-3 places making whatever pattern you’d like. If you have a lame, you can use that to make more intricate patterns.
Step 10: Transfer the slashed loaf to the hot pot (or stone) by holding the edges of the parchment to gently lower into the pot (the bread will bake while on the parchment).
Step 11: Replace the hot lid and bake for 12-15 minutes. Remove the lid and continue baking for another 13-15 minutes, until golden brown and internal temperature reads 190 to 200 degrees with an instant read thermometer.
Look at that crust! That’s bread-beauty right there, isn’t it? Blistered and cracked and bubbly. You can see why I think this easy sourdough bread recipe is the best!
What about using all whole wheat flour?
The sliced loaf pictured above was made with whole wheat bread flour (verses the previous loaf pictures made with whole wheat white flour), so the crust isn’t quite the same, but still passes the test.
And the interior is a bit more dense, but still full of holes, chewy, and with just a touch of sourness. Perfection. (Note: When made with all regular whole wheat flour there will be only tiny holes in the crumb, making it more dense than this – but it’s still good in my opinion.)
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.
Important Note on Using Starter to Make Bread
I have gotten many comments on this recipe along the lines of, “great flavor, but it was so flat,” or “I let it rise all day and it didn’t double.” Here’s what I’ve learned on my sourdough journey:
You cannot make bread rise well with a new starter. It needs time to grow and strengthen to be able to rise bread.
You may be able to rush it if you’re doing a lot of feedings, but it may take weeks or up to a month for the starter to be strong enough to raise bread.
How do you know if a starter is strong enough to raise bread?
Here’s the test I use and find the easiest:
If your starter doubles in less than 6 hours, it is strong enough to raise bread.
If you don’t have a way to measure, use a piece of tape on the outside of your container – anything that allows you to see if it’s doubled. When it’s doubled, you can confidently use this recipe! (
What about using the float test? I find that when working with whole grains the float test (seeing if a piece of your starter floats in water) isn’t as good a guideline as doubling.
What do I do with all the starter I’m making, feeding, and removing while waiting for it to be strong enough to double?
You can make recipes that don’t rely on the wild yeast in sourdough to completely raise it! Lovely baked goods like:
- Whole Wheat Sourdough Crackers
- Sourdough English Muffins
- Sourdough Waffles
- Sourdough Cheese Batter Bread (use this when you’re this close to making bread – the batter doesn’t need to rise as much, but still gives a nice bread).
For even more unique and delicious ways to use your sourdough discard, check out this amazing list of 35 sourdough discard recipes!
Shop This Easy Sourdough Bread Recipe
- This is a great quality, decently priced enameled cast iron dutch oven, similar to the one I use. Here’s another option for a bit less that’s very similar, too.
- I’ve used Kitchenaid mixers for years to make all my breads – this is the current version of the one I’m using now.
- Here’s a rising bucket that holds a lot and is easy to see when your starter is doubling. Personally, though, I use my glass 2-quart measuring cup with a lid instead of plastic.
- 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.
Timing For Same Day 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 share the typical timeline needed to serve a loaf of artisan bread 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.
Forgot to feed your starter? It happens to the best of us! 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, usually 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.
Sourdough Artisan Bread FAQs
Yes, the second rise can happen in the fridge. Let the dough come to room temperature for about an hour before you start to shape and heat the pot.
You will have the best results with a dutch oven or some type of pot with a heavy lid. But if you don’t have one, here’s what you can do:
-After shaping the loaf on the parchment on the counter (or in a small skillet), place either a baking stone, cast iron skillet, or cookie sheet into a cold oven and preheat to 450 degrees.
–Creating Steam: To try and get the crust we all love, you’ll need to create some steam (that’s what the dutch oven does – it traps the steam): put a pan with water on the bottom rack to heat while the stone heats OR spray the dough with water right before putting in the hot oven to bake and see which you like best. Also, if you have any deep lid that will fit over the dough and allow to rise, you can add that OR try tenting aluminum foil over the top.
–Baking: Slash and use parchment corners to transfer dough to your hot stone and bake 15 minutes, turning the dough halfway, and then bake until done, another 15 to 20-25 minutes.
These add-ins can be kneaded into the dough at step 2, after the first step of letting the dough sit for 15 minutes.
A Few of The Many Reader Raves
“Wanted to tell you your sourdough recipe was the best and easiest! It tasted great and I felt like I accomplished my dream of finally making sourdough!” -Stephanie
“Here’s another thank you for the simple recipe. I have been been struggling to find one that want so overwhelming; I don’t want to understand every minute detail of science….I just wanna bake some bread! This is the only recipe that I’ve had success with.” -Brittney
“Since I am new to sourdough, I was skeptical that this would work on my first try. It turned out fantastic.” -Helen
“Thank you for this awesome video! A friend gave me a jar of starter over a month ago and I was hesitant and unsure of how to proceed after watching other videos online. I made my first loaf ever last night and it was incredible. I really appreciate your video, it’s like you’re in my kitchen helping me along the way. All of your tips were super helpful and I now love making bread!” -Tracy
I hope you love this sourdough artisan bread as much as we do – if you make it, be sure to leave a recipe rating to let me know!
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Easy Sourdough Artisan Bread Recipe
Equipment
- stand mixer or hand kneading
- 4-6 qt cast iron pot or baking stone/cookie sheet with steam bath
Ingredients
- 3+ cups (360-400 g) flour white whole wheat, whole wheat, unbleached, or a combo
- 1 ¼ cups (300 g) warm water*
- 3/4 cup (150 g) active sourdough starter 75%-100% hydration (I prefer 80-90%)
- 1 tablespoon (21 g) honey**
- 1 ½ teaspoons (9 g) salt or to taste
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients together in the bowl of a stand mixer (or large mixing bowl) just until combined and then let sit for 15 minutes.
- Using a dough hook, knead for 5 minutes. If making by hand, knead for 8 to 10 minutes. (TIP: You may add more flour as needed, a little at a time, to create a dough that's still clinging to the bottom of the bowl, but also clearing the upper part of the bowl. It should be tacky, but not cling to your finger.)
- Transfer to a medium-sized bowl, lightly coated with oil. Cover with plastic or a damp towel and let rise for 3 hours, turning and folding the dough once or twice.
- Remove dough, turn and fold again with oiled hands, and place it back in the bowl, seam-side up. Let rise for another 2 hours. TIP: I do this right over the bowl with my hands oiled from the dough, which is usually enough – add more oil to your hands if needed.
- After the second rise, place a square of parchment paper on a cookie sheet, sprinkle the dough with flour and gently shape the dough into a ball or oval (using lots of flour, as the dough is moist) and set on the parchment. Shape it in your hands right over the parchment. I often flour my fingers after setting on the parchment and use my fingers to push the edges under the loaf to get the shape I want and make it more compact. Make sure there's a good coating of flour on the top, as this will make slicing the top later easier. TIP: I often shape the dough in a small skillet to keep the edges from spreading as much as a cookie sheet.
- To Bake with a Dutch Oven: While the shaped dough is resting, set an empty enameled cast iron (or regular cast iron) dutch oven into a cold oven and turn heat to 450 degrees (alternately, you can use a baking stone), and set the timer for 40 minutes.
- When the timer goes off, slash the top of the loaf with a serrated knife (in 2-3 places) and transfer it to the hot pot (or stone) by holding the edges of the parchment to gently lower into the pot (the bread will bake while on the parchment).
- Replace the hot lid and bake for 12-15 minutes. Remove the lid and continue baking for another 13-15 minutes, until golden brown.
- To Bake without a Dutch Oven: After shaping the loaf on the parchment on the counter (or skillet), place either a baking stone, cast iron skillet, or cookie sheet into a cold oven and preheat to 450 degrees.Creating Steam: To try and get the crust we all love, you'll need to create some steam (that's what the dutch oven does – it traps the steam): put a pan with water on the bottom rack to heat while the stone heats OR spray the dough with water right before putting in the hot oven to bake and see which you like best. Also, if you have any deep lid that will fit over the dough and allow to rise, you can add that OR try tenting aluminum foil over the top.Baking: Slash and use parchment corners to transfer dough to your hot stone and bake 15 minutes, turning the dough halfway, and then bake until done, another 15 to 20-25 minutes.
- Remove to a wire rack to cool at least 30 minutes before cutting.
Notes
Nutrition
More Sourdough Recipes to Use Your Starter
Find recipes like no-knead sourdough focaccia, sourdough lemon loaf, soft sourdough bagels and much more on the sourdough recipes page here.
This recipe was originally published in 2012 – it’s been updated as recently as 2025.
Disclosure: affiliate links in this article will earn commission based on sales, but it doesn’t change your price. Click here to read our full disclaimer and advertising disclosure.
Hi Jami, your recipe is the best bread I’ve ever made, and I get consistent results every time. Do you have any suggestions for if I wanted to add fruit or nuts to the loaf? I want to make a cranberry walnut loaf and am not sure if it would make the dough too dry if I just added.
I’m so glad you’re enjoying this recipe, Courtney!!
I don’t think adding nuts and cranberries would make any difference that way. I’d just start with a small amount, like 1/2 cup of chopped nuts and 1/3 cup chopped cranberries (I think whole ones would be too big, don’t you?). See what it’s like. If it does seem dryer, it’s easy enough to a a tablespoon or so of water the next time. 🙂
I did try it, 50 grams walnuts 50 grams cranberries. OMG IT WAS AMAZING! like never getting Whole Foods Cranberry Walnut Bread again!
But i definitely will chop them a bit more, because the cranberries did swell. It was definitely moist enough. I used 1/2 whole wheat and 1/2 all purpose.
Thanks so much, your recipes are great!
Awesome, Courtney – so glad to know this!
I’ve only been making sourdough bread since last year so it’s been trial and error with different recipes but this one really worked for me. I also liked the video which was short and sweet, just what I needed. I used a mixture of flours, Einkorn, bread flour and whole wheat and my cast iron dutch oven which I bought specifically for bread making last year. Thank you!
I’m so glad this worked for you and you found the video helpful, Holly! And your flour mix sounds good, too.
Thank you Jami. I appreciate the help. And I will try your suggestions.
I just want say that It’s wonderful. I make it success. Thank yous!
You’re so welcome!
My Bread Rose very nicely and turned out so so great. Just doesn’t have the nice brown golden top. How do I accomplish that?
Hmmm, and you removed the lid at the halfway done point in the oven?
Anyway, you can always broil the top of the loaf carefully until browned to your liking.
Thanks for replying Jami. First I use King Arthur I bleached flour and I use 1/2 cup flour to 1/3 cup water. My kitchen is usually cool however this particular day it was 75. And since I wasn’t getting the rise I wanted I put it in the oven with the light on. I left it in the oven until it rose and then it was too late to bake, so I put it in the refridge and baked it the next am. It rose again in refridge and when it was done it finally rise about 1 1/2 “ in the middle I baked a round loaf in my Dutch oven. The flavor is wonderful. I just would like to bake it without having to wait so many hours for it to decide to rise. Give me anything to try and I will. I’m on a mission now. 😁
The only thing I know for a fact that works is to have a really active starter that is doubling in 6 hours or less. The doubling part is more important that bubbles. Other than that, you seem to be doing what I do. On the positive side, your sourdough is probably better for you the longer it ferments. 🙂
Loved this one day recipe! Easy to make. I have made it three times so far and the bread came out great each time. Highly recommend for beginners or impatient bread makers – I fit both categories! Ha!
Yay – thanks for the review!
Hiya! What size Dutch Oven do you recommend?
4 to 6 quarts – I’ve linked to both sizes in the article, I think!
I need some guidance please. I have tried your recipe several times now but I’m not getting the results I want. I live at about 2500’ and a friend is sure than is the reason. Instead of rising in 3 hrs my takes 4-6 hrs and that is by putting the dough in my oven with the light on. I check my starter with the drop method. Today I fed my starter about 8 pm hoping I could get started about 9 am. My starter wasn’t ready. So I fed it again and about 11 it had grown almost double and I checked it by dropping a dab in water and it floated, so I got it going and it hadn’t risen after three hours so I let it go until it had a good rise and that was 6 hrs later. The other loaves have had a good taste but don’t rise and are practically flat maybe 1 1/2” high in the
middle. So please help. How can I get a decent rise so the loaves aren’t “dense” and what am I doing wrong?
Hmmm, I check with this article: https://www.epicurious.com/archive/howtocook/primers/altitudebaking_basics
and it doesn’t seem like altitude would be your problem as that states that it makes bread rise faster (I think yeast and sourdough would be similar).
How warm is your kitchen? What type of flour are you using? How wet is your starter?
If I were you I’d try unbleached all purpose flour or a bread flour, find a warm place for the starter as well as the dough, and reduce the ratio of water to flour in your starter (go with a cup flour to 3/4 cup water or 1/2 cup flour to 1/3 cup water and so on). I’ve found thicker starters tend to double for me faster and more consistently.
Fingers crossed some of this helps!
I’ve run into a problem with the last few loaves – so strange! When I’m shaping and adding flour on top, it seems that one of the “skins” starts to peel – Why is that?
Thanks so much
Every loaf is a challenge
I’m not sure I know what you mean by “skins?”
Hi there. I’ve been using this recipe for a few months. Rave reviews. Quick question. If I’m busy can I let it rise longer than 2 hours and 3 hours respectively? Does that affect how it will bake?
Glad you like it, Annie! I haven’t tried letting the first rise go longer, but I have put the dough in the fridge for a slower overnight rise which works. I let it sit on the counter for about an hour after the fridge before shaping and heating the pot.
Thank you , thank you – an easy straightforward sour dough recipe! Tried my first loaf this week and the recipe I used was like reading War and Peace, went on forever – and it was no good. My starter is now bubbling beautifully, so going to set to with this recipe. Feel more confident already.
Ha – happy to help, Mo!
Thank you for putting the time into answering questions and making the video! My first time turned out great thanks to your detailed instructions! I don’t think I would have kept with it if I kept failing haha so my family thanks you! 🙂
Oh, this is so good to hear, Shayna – I’m glad it was helpful! And I’m doubly glad your bread turned out great. 🙂
Hi Jamie – I have used your wonderful recipe but I have seeded it – wish I could send you a photo- it’s amazing!!!
Thanks so much
Sandi
Does that mean you added seeds to it, Sandra? 🙂 I bet that would be a great addition!
If you want to make this more whole wheat, what combination do you recommend? I tried 3 cups whole wheat flour but it came out too dense.
It’s totally a matter of taste. I use a whole wheat starter and then about 1 1/2 cups of whole wheat, but I know it will be denser. It’s just different. Find the ratio that works for you!
Been making this for a few years now – love it. Do you think it would work in a loaf pan? looking for a bread that is easier to slice for sandwiches
Wonderful! I’d give baking it in a loaf a try for sure, Allison.
Thank you for this awesome video! A friend gave me a jar of starter over a month ago and I was hesitant and unsure of how to proceed after watching other videos online. I made my first loaf ever last night and it was incredible. I really appreciate your video, it’s like you’re in my kitchen helping me along the way. All of your tips were super helpful and I now love making bread!
Oh my gosh, I am SO happy to know this, Tracy!! Yay – to know I helped you love making bread almost brings tears to my eyes. 🙂
Bake on, friend!
Hi Jamie – I posted a comment and it keeps going away and I was waiting for a response. After I’ve used my starter for the bread, do I feed it again and stick it back in frig to increase so that I might again make bread. How do I double and triple it?
thanks
Sandi
Hi Sandra – the comments are moderated because of spam, so I have to approve them first. 🙂
Once you’ve removed some of the starter for bread, you will want to feed it again. If you want to use it soon, leave it on the counter and feed it every 12 hours or so. If you want to wait a week to use it again, put it in the fridge (after it’s sat out for a couple hours to start feeding). The fridge slows down the yeast, so you never want to use cold starter for baking bread (it’s okay for things like crackers, though). When you want to use it again, remove it, feed it and set in on the counter. Once it’s doubling in 6 hours of feeding, it’s ready to use for bread. (Example feed: you have 1/2 cup of starter, feed 1/2 cup of flour and 1/3 cup of water. This will be about 1 cup of starter. If your starter isn’t in a glass measuring cup, then put a piece of tape on the container you’re using to be able to see when it’s doubled and keep track of the time.)
Hope that helps!
Thanks so much Jamie – now I understand and so appreciate the SPAM thing. Thanks again for this amazing easy recipe. I’m making for my friends often and they love it. I now have a starter that is a bit more runny and when I get to the 2 hour rest part, it’s still quite moist – I hate to keep adding flour so I can handle, however, I cannot even cut through it with a slice staying. Should I be adding alot more flour or not use such wet starter?
Thanks again for your wonderful responses and comments
That’s so wonderful, Sandi! Yes, if you’re using a wetter starter you’ll want to add more flour so you can shape and slice it at least. 🙂
I received some starter from a neighbour a couple weeks ago and have already made this 3 times. This is the best sourdough bread! I use half whole wheat and half all purpose white flour and it is delicious. Even on day 3 and 4 for sandwiches it was fresh and tasty!
Wonderful – so glad it’s working for you with your new starter!
First time making sourdough, was gifted some starter by a friend. I used my Le Creuset Dutch oven and as suggested, a small skillet for the final rest. FANTASTIC loaf of bread. Thank you!
Yay!!