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.
I’m addicted to have this bread on hand always. Can I freeze the dough or should I freeze after cooking?
With sourdough it’s best to freeze after baking!
Hi – Quick Question. Do you mean ml or g in your measurements?
ml for liquid, g for dry measurements.
I wish I could say how great this recipe is in words! I have been baking bread and, specifically, sourdough bread for years and I have tried a lot of recipes. For some odd reason, the recipes I’ve tried, mostly labeled and entitled such things as, “The easiest best sourdough recipe on Earth”. And I would try them. And the result was abysmal. And I’d try it again because surely it must have been something I did wrong and the recipe couldn’t be at fault because it was labeled or entitled the Best on Earth! Again, abysmal. So frustrating! And then I found your recipe. One major advantage to your recipe is it only takes about half a day, start to finish. This was quite refreshing. I decided to try it. I mean, what did I have to lose, right? I followed the instructions to the letter and voila! I had delicious sourdough bread! My wife loved it. My kids loved it. And my kids’ kids loved it! But, not so fast. Surely this must be a fluke, right? I must have gotten lucky. I must try it again to make sure I could do it again. The result? BAM! A second wonderful loaf of delicious sourdough bread! Whoa! 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.
What an awesome review, David – I’m so happy you tried it and found that ‘real’ best sourdough recipe. 🙂
Thank you so much!
So easy and turns out great!! Made this a few times in 2020 and plan to start using this recipe again now 🙂
Wonderful, Alison – thanks so much for the review!
Newly retired. Just thought I’d try something out of the ordinary. This stuff was not only easy to do but it tasted great. I ended up making three loaves in 2 days (one for me, one for my mother-law, and one for my sister-in-law). Mine was the first to be tasted and gone before I knew it. Thank you.
Lovely – glad you tried it! Thanks so much for the review.
I meant to add this: I don’t have a Dutch Oven, so I used a large oval roasting pan with a lid (used for turkey). I placed a cup of water in the pan to compensate for the loose fitting lid. Worked like a charm. Made another loaf today.
Thanks for adding that, Bud for others who don’t have a Dutch oven!
Jami, great recipe! I first printed this in 2017 and have been using it ever since, although I don’t look at it any more. I make at least 1-2 loaves of bread a week. Glad to see you updated it with weight measures. I converted it to the weights soon after using it. Sometimes I make it plain but I also love adding stuff. My favorite is rosemary and asiago. Carnalized onion and garlic is one of my wife and my other favorites. I just fold the items in while shaping for the last rise before it goes into the oven. Black-garlic sea salt sprinkled on top just before baking is another of my regular variants.
Thank you so much, Warren! I’m so glad you popped in to leave your suggestion and review. I’ve added things over the years, too, but I haven’t tried the caramelized onion and garlic – I’m going to try that!!
An absolute sloppy mess. Made a nice hockey puck
I just had this happen also! I’ve been making sourdough successfully for a year and thought I’d try a new recipe. I’m so disappointed that I just wasted my day and all the ingredients.
This is the easiest recipe for artisan sourdough I have found. It is absolutely delicious. It is airy and moist. I love the ease of baking the loaf in an enameled crock. Thank you so much for this recipe!! I will use it forever!
So glad!
I made this today and the bread tasted like straight flour. The loaf looked really nice and delicious so I was surprised. Any idea what I might have done wrong?
None, unless you forgot the salt?
I think this is a very good recipe! Because of timing, I had to do my second rise overnight in the refrigerator. I have done that with other recipes too But after watching your video, I can tell that my bread was not rising as much. So for me, I think I will not do the overnight rise. Are use a combination of whole wheat flour and bread flour. I also added slivered almonds and dried fruit. My husband loves it and I think it taste good too. However, I think I would like to try a whiter flour next time. Do you or anyone else have any recommendations on what flour to use for that? I would love to try this recipe again as it was so easy!
Glad you like this, Colleen! Bobs Red Mill makes a good Artisan Bread Flour that I have used for some loaves – it’s a nice flour.
Thank you for letting me know! I will look for that flour!
Colleen, I mostly use King Arthur all purpose flour and it works great every time. It’s 11.7% protein so a little higher than most AP flours. I had used another brand for a bit when King Arthur was not available and I did notice a difference. The bread is better and my sourdough started started exploding again once the KA was back.
Thank you for letting me know this!! I appreciate it and can’t wait to try it and the recipe!
The bread came out fantastic but surprisingly it’s soft inside. I’m used to it being more crunchy and firm. I used all whole wheat. Happy with it overall!
Thank you so much for this incredibly simple and delicious recipe! I am using a sourdough starter that has been in my family since I was 7 years old, I am 67 now! Over those 60 years, the starter was mostly used for pancakes and waffles, with an occasional attempt at a hybrid form of bread using yeast and many other ingredients. After doing some research and buying a Dutch oven, I found your recipe. My first loaf yesterday was a joyful success! The texture, crust and taste were so authentically sourdough. I am so inspired, I made another loaf today using fresh rosemary and kalamata olives! Thank you so much for sharing the recipe and the joy! The world certainly needs more love, joy and peace, especially now!
What a wonderful comment, Kathy – thank you! I’m so glad you were inspired by this and are enjoying your delicious bread.
I was very nervous when my friend gave me a starter. Your video was very helpful, by far the simplest recipe I have found. I don’t have a Dutch oven but my large oval Rachel Ray lidded casserole works perfectly. Bread always comes out great.
I’m so glad you found success with your starter using my recipe, Kerri! And that’s a good tip for the casserole – almost any heavy lidded pot will work.
Is there any point when you can refrigerate the dough and then finish later?
Yes – in the FAQs on the recipe page I share how to let it rise overnight in the fridge.
I used bread flour and omitted the honey. It turned out great!
Great – thanks for the review!
This made a really nice loaf of bread without the hours of work I’d put in on other “artisan” style techniques. I do a fold every half hour or so and use a little fancier technique to shape it as well as do an overnight proof, but I’ve now made two really nice loaves of bread with this technique and I’ll be sure to make more.
Glad to hear it, John – thanks so much for reviewing!
Does the dough have to rise in a warm place? My kitchen is on the colder side.
It will rise best in a warmer place – in the winter I use our stove with the oven light on (some newer stoves have a proofing setting).
I have been making this bread for several months now. It is super easy to make, and delicious. I have played around with rise times (anywhere from 6 to 18 hours total) and they amount and types of flour. I have baked it in enamel pot, loaf pans and bread stone. With all the variations the bread has ranged from good to fantastic. I was nervous about beginning bread baking because I thought it would be hard. This recepie is if easy and delicious!!
I’m so glad to hear this, Andrea – that it’s been easy for you and stood up well to your experiments!
I just made this two days ago. It was my first sourdough bread and it was fantastic! I love that I can make it in a day. My family finished it off easily in one day. Is it possible to double this recipe?
Glad to hear that, Sarah!
Yes, you can double it – you’ll just have to figure out how to cook the second loaf if you have just one cast iron pot.
Hi Jami,
Thanks for the recipe and instructions. I created a starter a few months ago and came across this, and the timing works great for me. I wake up, feed the starter, and can can have a fresh loaf by dinner. Your video comments about the texture (the dough should be tacky, but not stick to your fingers) were particularly helpful. I was making the dough much too dry, so the bread was very dense. Wetter dough is trickier, but the end result is much better. I’m sure the loafs aren’t perfect, but no one is complaining : ). This is my go-to, and I look forward to improving and maybe even experimenting.
So glad this and the video were helpful for you, Todd – thanks so much for the review! I agree, homemade bread is so good, there are often no complaints. 🙂