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 newer to sourdough and bread making, and I’ve tried many recipes for sourdough bread and this was the first recipe that worked perfectly! I was about ready to give up and stumbled on this recipe through Pinterest because your blog name caught my interest (I live in Oregon 🙂 ). The recipe was so simple and it was quick. Thank you so much for this recipe! 👏🙌🏻🔥
Hello fellow Oregonian!! I’m so glad you found this and had success – thank you for the review!
What does it mean to “turn the dough halfway” during baking? I have never heard of that before…
That’s for baking without a Dutch oven only – it helps to get even browning when cooked the whole time uncovered.
Super simple! This was my first loaf and I’m so proud of myself. Thanks for a super simple recipe. Question, the centre of my loaf was a tad gummy. I waited two hours before cutting it. Any reason for this? I will take all the tips!
Glad you liked this! Was the loaf still warm after the two hours? To reduce gumminess, the bread should be cold. Another thing you can do is to take the internal temp of the bread before removing from the oven to make sure it reached around 200 degrees F.
My first suggestion would be that your bread was not baked fully. There could be other reasons but that would be the first thing I’d change. I’ve been baking bread at home for 12+ years. Ovens vary, so what might work for one person might not for another. Personally I find the time suggested in this recipe too short. I bake all my breads covered for around 30 minutes and then uncovered for another 10. It depends on the type of flour I use but 40 minutes has been my minimum in all the ovens I’ve used. If you want to stick with the suggested time you could also turn everything off but leave the bread in the oven for another 10 or so minutes. Play around with that and see how you go.
I have been using this recipe for a few years now, but after reading about hydration etc, and looking at other recipes, I am now wondering if I am using too much flour. Is 3 cups the same as 400g? I use AP flour. Mine doesn’t rise as much as it should and my dough is not wet. Still excellent bread, but maybe it could be better? Thanks so much!
Three cups would be between 360-400 grams, depending on your specific cup volume. But I think you’re on the right track to be looking more at your dough and not just the measurements. Sourdough is dependent on a lot of things that are variable, so it’s not an exact science (no matter what some people like to say), like the weather, the temperature, the yeast in your kitchen as well as the types of flour and hydration levels. If you think the dough looks too dry, add more water and see what happens! I always say the wetter the better, but there’s a balance as you do still have to be able to shape it, lol – otherwise it’s focaccia. 🙂
Hullo! I am curious as to how large your Kitchenaid stand mixer is? I have tried sourdough recipes where the dough is kneaded in the stand mixers—but mine is only a 5 qt, and I have been disappointed that it is too small for some recipes! At times, I have had to interrupt the process and continue by hand. With three children under the age of five, that is not convenient, haha!
Thank you, and I look forward to trying this recipe!
I do have a 6 qt. mixer now, but I used to have a 5 qt and I could make this bread. It was the recipes with 6 cups or more flour that I had a hard time with in the 5 qt. You should be able to knead it the whole time with this recipe!
Yes. THIS!! Sourdough has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember (almost always in the form of pancakes and waffles). I think it’s so cool that it is trending right now, but along with any trend comes the tendency to 1) WAY overcomplicate things and 2) “require” a ton of specialty tools to do it “best.” Our great grandmothers just made bread. And I love that this is so simple. I love that I can make a load in one day. I have had 100% success with this method. (My started is old and very active). Now I am going to experiment with add ins!
Oh, what an awesome review, Andrea! I couldn’t have said it better – agree 100%. 🙂
I am new to bread and sourdough, so this will be my first attempt! For the three hour rise time, does it need to be in a warm place? My kitchen is between 68 and 70 now. I also have a proof setting in my oven that is preset for 80 degrees. Should I use the proof setting in my oven or just leave it on the counter?
I usually just leave it at room temperature even in the winter. You can try the proof setting, but I would just start it at that and then turn it off. Experiment with what works best in your kitchen!
I used to have a favorite sourdough recipe… until I tried this one! I ended up needing to add quite a bit more flour to this recipe, so I thought I may have done something wrong. I just threw in a few spoonfuls of flour until it worked the way the recipe described. Then I ran out of time and couldn’t do the second rise, so I shaped it and stuck it in the fridge overnight and baked it the next morning. Then, when I baked it, I accidentally turned the oven off midway through and had to heat it back up again. In spite of all of this craziness, it was delicious! I will definitely come back to this one.
I’m so glad it turned out for you even with all that! Sourdough is forgiving that way, thankfully.
That’s the sign of a true baker to be able to go by look and feel of a dough – kudos!
Can you use unbleached all purpose flour for this recipe? If so, do you have to do anything different?
Yes, you can use that type of flour – no adjustments needed.
I made made my starter and 4 days later made your recipe with 1/2 whole wheat and 1/2 white flour. It turned out great! I am so pleased. Will bake again tomorrow as husband and I finished the loaf in two days!! Thank you. Ruth Perino
Wow, that’s great!! I’m so glad it worked for you so well with your young starter – it will only get better from here on. 🙂
I had to come on here and say thank you for this sourdough recipe. I’m new to sourdough and have tried so many recipes that required so much time and many tools just for all of the loaves to fail. I followed your recipe today and got the most beautiful loaf of sourdough, tears of joy were shed!! Thank you for keeping it simple and easy to follow. I’m so thankful I found your page!
What a wonderful review – thank you for taking the time to let me know, it makes me SO happy that you had success with this simple recipe!
I made this recipe twice and both times it didnt come out right. i need help/ suggestions
first attempt: I used white whole wheat flour, it did not do as much rising out on the counter as i thought it should and it was not as malleable as i thought it should be be when i was doing the folds. however, i do recall you mentioning the whw would be a little different vs white flour. once baked, it was clearly a dense loaf but very tasty! I did keep it/ ate it… it was great toasted 🙂
second attempt; i used a 00 flour that someone gave me to try, it did more rising than the whw and was more stretchy during the folds. but after baking, it still came out the same; dense/ gummy.
the only thing i can think of is that my starter isnt the right ratio?? as far as i know im feeding 1:1:1 (my starter + 1/2c h20 + 1c flour) it does seem on the thicker side, like thicker than pancake batter. it is also hard to mix thoroughly becuase its so thick. when its active it does get a lof of bubbles & doubles in size but it is thick. i keep it in the fridge mostly bcuz im not an everyday baker. for these attempts i took the starter out of the fridge 2 days prior to ensure it would be room temp/ fed appropriately the night before.
i gave the recipe rating a 5 because its the easiest 1 day recipe i found. i think with some help i can make the perfect loaf!
Okay, Mary, lets get you closer to a loaf you’d like! First, I think you’re right that using 100% whole wheat (white or not) is going to produce a denser loaf. The loaves you see with all the holes are made with white flour, most of the time a white bread flour (higher protein, but lighter).
I did a little research on the 00 flour and most in the US is made from durum wheat (why it’s good for pasta)and “the gluten from durum wheat flour tends to be strong but not very elastic, while the gluten in red wheat flour is both strong and elastic.” That may account for the dense gummy texture you mention.
As for your starter, that’s not really 1:1:1, though there are lots of ways you can feed your starter and they should all be okay (it is an ancient technique after all – way before “science”). I think you’re right that it’s too thick. When I’m feeding 1/2 cup of starter (you don’t say the amount of your starter in your equation), I use an equal amount of flour, so 1/2 cup, and then just slightly less water than flour, so 1/3 cup in this case. Then I mix and LOOK at the starter – if it’s too thick I add another teaspoon or so of water to get it to be like pancake batter, too thin and I add a bit more flour. So, do use your intuition and knowledge of how the starter should look (the batch of flour could be absorbing the water more or less, etc.). You can also try using a scale to feed the starter, and in that case all the weights should be the same (4 oz starter: 4 oz water: 4 oz flour) to create a 100% hydration starter.
All that said – if you think your starter is a bit thick and the bread dough isn’t looking like it should, add more water a tablespoon at a time to the dough at the mixing stage. This dough should be as wet as you can deal with it and still get the shape. 🙂
Great recipe. East to follow. Did it by hand the last time and it turned out even better than with mixer.
Wow, that’s great to know, Mark – thanks for the tip and the review!
I have made this bread sooo many times!! Always perfect!! Thank you for sharing your recipe and tips!!!
So glad to know this, Karen – thanks for leaving the rating and review, I really appreciate it!
Hi! I’m new to sourdough but my starter is about 2 months old, I think. Anyways, I’ve been having trouble with other recipes with my bread coming out extremely dense and not at all airy. I’ve narrowed my troubleshooting down to it probably being my rise time in the beginning. Maybe it’s not doubling? But you never mention doubling in your recipe, does it not need to double?
A starter just a couple months old is still relatively new, if you’ve been using it during this time, I would think that it’s not strong enough yet to raise the bread fully. However, it’s not always the doubling of the dough (sometimes it does, sometimes not, but then rises in the oven) – the key to knowing if your starter is strong enough to raise bread fully is to make sure IT is doubling in 6 hours or less after feeding (I think I have this in the article itself).
The three things I’ve found to get light, airy loaves are to make sure the starter is strong and doubling, keep the dough as hydrated as possible (don’t use too much flour), and to use only unbleached or artisan bread flour. I like whole wheat in my breads, so I sacrifice some of the holes for a little healthier bread, but if you want the kind of interior you see in a lot of photos, it’s all white flour. 🙂
Thank you for your reply! My starter has been doubling well but I’ve recently been using it more often meaning feeding it more often and I think that may be helping it get stronger? I just looked at my notes and I started this starter on October 21st so it really is not that old. Anyways, I actually mixed up your bread this morning and I’m waiting for the second rise. It seems to be working really well! We shall see 🙂
Great, Laura – yes, using and feeding it more does make it stronger!
Just an update to rate this recipe and let you know how it went for me! Wow! I really enjoyed making this recipe. I loved the hydration of the dough. I’ve been baking since I can remember and I have not had a recipe that I enjoyed as much as this one in awhile. And, to top it all off, my bread looked amazing, had a great texture, wonderful small and uniform air bubbles and tasted lovely. Thank you for such a good recipe! 5 stars for sure 🙂
Oh, Laura, thank you – ratings matter for the life of my site and how the recipe is found, so I really do appreciate it!
And I’m so glad you enjoyed the process as well as the outcome. 🙂
I weighed everything for this recipe a d ended up having to add a lot of extra flour to get the right consistency. The original mix with 360gr of flour was like pancake mix.
Honestly, I find sourdough varies so much (starter, kitchen temp, humidity, etc.) that I usually use cups and then add by sight and feel of the dough to know when to stop adding. I aim for the wettest dough I can deal with and still get it to hold it’s shape somewhat.
In step #6 it says to put the dutch oven in the oven for 40 minutes while the shaped dough is resting. I am curious why it needs to be in for that amount of time before actually baking the bread?
I initially discovered this from America’s Test Kitchen years ago – thoroughly heating a cast iron dutch oven for that long and then immediately putting the dough in and covering traps the immediate steam from the dough which helps to create the crust we like so much on artisan breads.
When baking on a cookie sheet do you take the pan of water out of the oven after the 40 min preheat?
No, leave it in to help the steam react with the bread to help create a crusty exterior.
I am planning on using your recipe in the next couple weeks. I am new to Sourdough baking! My starter is over two months old. I have been using equal parts flour and water to starter. In your recipe you said you prefer 75-90% hydration for the starter. How do I do that? Thank you for your help!
Are you weighing or measuring the ingredients? Equal weights is 100% hydration, but volume/measuring cups is a little less water to flour (like 1/2 cup flour to 1/3 cup water). I use volume and if it’s the same cup measurement it will be too runny, so I always use the lesser amount of water. I use my eyes at this point to get the starter to the hydration I want, sometimes using a bit more if it’s too thick (so that would be the 90%, etc.). For me it’s not an exact science (weather, kitchen temp, type of flour all affect the starter), but I find the starter has more holes and rises better on the thicker side. Feel free to play around with it!
I’m making this right now! I have 2 sizes of enameled cast iron dutch ovens…what size do you use? I’m hoping that since we are in the same time zone that you are not an early to bed type and will be able to reply before I need to make a decision. 🙂
Sorry I didn’t get it in time, but whichever you choose works! I now tend to use a smaller cast iron pot I have, since it helps the bread rise vs. spread to fill the bottom.