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.
Do you bake on the cookie sheet? Or only when it’s in the Dutch oven???
Only in the dutch oven, Maggie!
Holy smokes this turned out so well! I am delighted to say the least. I had a strong starter and killed it. 😢 so a few months ago, I vegan again. Out of the couple of dozen loaves that I have made using a couple of other recipes, these were flat, dense, nasty disks, I got about four decent loaves. Still not perfect. Then I found this recipe and used a few other suggestions.
First issue was temperature of the room, the second was more major. My start didn’t have enough natural yeast. No matter the flour I used, the water ratio, or anything else seemed to solve the problem. Finally I used your suggestion of putting the start in the fridge to wait for me, instead of daily feedings. Then, I also added three red grapes to the starter. A couple of blogs I read mentioned this. Red grapes have a natural yeast on their outer skin. This helps give the starter a boost of natural yeast. Especially helpful in homes that use air purifiers. By adding the grapes whole, and stirring them in with the flour and water, it helped so much. I gently stirred the starter, and let sit overnight. I was shocked how much it grew overnight. It more than doubled in size! So I used that starter in my bread today. It’s a gorgeous, Golden and airy loaf! I have hopes that this success will continue! Thank you so much for this recipe, from another Oregon Girl!
Oh my gosh, I love this Kari – yay on your success! And thank you for listing your changes. I’ve actually never heard of the red grape idea before – pretty smart. I’ve learned that you can overfeed starter, which is easier to do if you’re feeding daily, so that’s probably why putting it in the fridge helps. I’m so glad you got a beautiful loaf and now have a healthy starter – good for you!
Thank you for this recipe! I’ve had a starter going for about a year now and found your blog through your sourdough bagel recipe (which is also awesome). I’ve never had great luck with loaves because I live at a high elevation in Colorado and it’s very dry so most of my loaves end up dense little discs. My starter is very similar to yours so I figured I’d give this a shot and I think it’s the best recipe I’ve encountered for a simple loaf of bread. It rose beautifully and is so airy and tasty. Love it!
Yay! I know that feeling when the bread looks like bread when using sourdough. 🙂
What is the turn and fold technique? Are you simply folding it in half one time, and then again one time an hour later?
Yep!
When making this bread can you use bread flour?
You can, Jean, but you don’t have to. It comes out great with both.
I am making this bread my starter was 4oz water to 4oz flour I just finished kneading the bread for 5min using dough hook and my dough is wet consistency not a ball forming like other breads is this normal or do I maybe need to add more flour? I weighted my flour instead of measure since I have read that weight is better for this type of bread. So you said three cups which if I did calculations right would be 360 g.
You can add more flour, but you run the risk of it being dense. Artisan breads tend to be wetter doughs. Depending on the strength of my starter, the bread may be more flat sometimes and others taller. It may spread during the last rise, but I just gently tuck in the edges before adding it to the hot pot if needed.
Do you line or prepare your cast iron/enamel pot with anything or just plop the dough straight in? I’m thinking it might need to be lined with parchment paper. Hoping to make this today. Your recipe sounds easiest so I’m going to give it a try once I find out about the pot.
Yes, for this recipe you’ll do the last shaping of the dough on a piece of parchment paper and that’s what you lift to add the dough to the hot enamel pot. Click the arrow to go to the recipe and it’s all written out for you there!
are the shaped dough balls supposed to double or ???
No, the ball of dough won’t really double, but it will be bigger and fluffier.
Line the bowl you do the last rise in with parchment paper, put the tightened dough ball (fold it n shape it into a tight ball) into it the parchment paper lined bowl. When it’s ready lift the dough w the parchment paper and place it into a baking container, preferably a cast iron Dutch oven that’s been heating up in your 450 degree oven. Score the dough w a lame/sharp razor/knife on top before or after putting into Dutch oven depending on whether you want to risk burns. Lol
I am confused from about the amount of water to add. Could you please clarify?
Thanks, Jami!
Sure thing, Sue. Some people feed their sourdough started at different ratios – if it’s, say, 1/3 cup water to 2/3 cup flour it’s dryer and may need more water; if it’s 2/3 cup water to 1/3 cup flour, it’s wetter and may need less. This recipe was created with a 100% ratio – equal amounts of flour to water (like 1/2 cup of each). If your starter is like that, use the full 1-1/4 cup. If you use more water, start with 1 cup and see if you need more. Adjust as well if you use more flour in your starter.
Great recipe! Do you know if it freezes well?
Yep, I freeze it all the time!
I’ve made this recipe several times as is and love it, but this week I decided to get adventurous and added some toasted pecans and chopped white chocolate (baking white chocolate, not vanilla chips) to the dough. Oh…my…goodness! Love, love, love!!
Wow, I’ve never thought of that, Della – it does sound good!
I have made this three times. The first attempt the starter was too dry and dense. The next attempt was made with a different starter that was made too wet. This last attempt was made with a ratio of a fed starter 25% starter, 25% water, and 50% AP flour. I took the starter out of the fridge a couple days before baking. I fed the starter 1/2 cup flour and 1/4 cup water every 12 hours. This made a very bubbly, happy starter. I baked on a hot 90 degree day using 1/2 AP and 1/2 wheat. The results were amazing!
Love the details you provide here Layla – very helpful for those wanting to make this bread. Thank you! I’m glad you found a ratio that worked for you and your starter. 🙂
Love the flavor! This is an awesome recipe. However, it seems to turn out really dense for me, and I don’t know why. The flavor and crust is perfect, but the texture is way too close. I thought a longer proofing time would help, but I left it overnight and it barely rose more than it would in the shorter proofing time you mention in the recipe. I’m just trying to figure out how to make it airier. Any help would be appreciated!
I’ve found that the stronger my starter is, the more air I have in the batter. How long do you let your starter grow – is it doubling before you use it? Just an idea!
It could be something with my starter; mine isn’t as bubbly or active as some of the pictures I’ve seen of other people’s. I just sort of maintain it by feeding it equal parts water and flour every day and letting it sit loosely covered on the counter. Any tips for a better way?
Also, I just made this recipe for a second time, and it went fantastically! I let it proof overnight and well into the morning (w/ a short secondary proof), and while it didn’t *look* like it had doubled, when I was turning it I could see that a lot more air had made it into the dough. This time I was careful not to knead it out while I was turning/shaping. I also think that part of why it was so dense the first time was because my oven wasn’t humid enough and the crust baked too early, imprisoning the unbaked dough inside with nowhere to go. The fact that the back of my first loaf “exploded” seems to corroborate that, haha! I have a cast iron Dutch oven, but I haven’t had time to season it, so I baked in a 9-inch cake pan for 40-45 mins at 400 degrees. I took it out once it reached an internal temp. of 190 degrees.
To humidify the oven, I put in 3 cake pans full of water while the oven was heating and while the bread was baking, and I opened the oven every fifteen minutes during the bake to mist the inside with water (this might have been overkill, but this loaf turned out great, so it’s worth it to me). The humidity slowed the bake down a little bit – it took maybe 5-10 minutes longer than it did the first time, when I baked with only one cake pan of water. Sorry for all the detail, but I thought it might help someone who wandered into the comments with the same issues I had/without a Dutch oven or good casserole dish.
Awesome recipe, thank you!
Thank you for all the details, Olivia – you’re right I’ve had people ask about making it without a dutch oven.
As for your starter, I think you may be overfeeding it. If you’ve read my sourdough tips for growing and using starter you know I keep mine in the refrigerator and start feeding it only when I need to bake bread. I feed for a day or two until it’s fully doubling – that’s when I know it will make a nice light loaf. I was curious about feeding everyday since you mention it’s not as bubbly or active, so I looked it up and found this info on theKitchn website:
“Each time you feed a starter, you thin out the population of microorganisms by adding flour and water. The remaining yeasts and bacteria eat the new flour and multiply, rebuilding the population. But this takes time. It manifests as your starter bubbling and rising.
Unless you are reviving a dormant starter, you should only feed your starter when it is at maximum height, full of bubbles. If you bang the container on the counter, the starter should collapse as the gas escapes it. If you feed it too often, you’ll continue to decimate the population until it doesn’t exist, and you’re back at the beginning: a mixture of only flour and water.”
I would try holding off feeding until it’s grown more – or even pour most off and start again with a higher flour to water ratio, grow until it doubles, and then keep in the fridge until you want to bake bread.
That’s so frustrating! I knew something wasn’t quite right, but I couldn’t figure it out – I’ve read a couple things that told me to feed TWICE a day. So much sourdough misinformation out there! Agh! I probably had to have my oven *so* humid because the starter was weak.
I think the better option for me would be to pour most of it off and see if I can revive it. If not, I’m happy to restart – this is a learning process! So if I pour most of it off, how do I grow it without feeding it? Because it won’t really grow on it’s own, but I don’t want to thin out the population of microorganisms further.
Also, just reading your starter guide, when you’re growing your starter until it “reliably doubles”, are you feeding it and then waiting 12-24 hours to see if it doubles? And if it doesn’t, you feed again, wait and see again?
Yes, it is a learning process for sure. You can’t grow it without feeding, I’m suggesting that you don’t grow it until you need to bake with it. Keep it in storage in the fridge between bakings. For reviving, I would follow the steps like it’s a new starter, pouring off some and feeding until it’s doubling. Then store.
I don’t really go by the clock when I’m feeding my starter to bake with, I just look at it every few hours to see where it’s at. If it’s overnight, I can tell by the line on the glass if it rose and fell – if the line is at the double mark, I know it’s strong.
Also, I’ve found the first few months of a starter’s life it’s just not as strong as it will be later. I make things that don’t need as much rising with it before trying a bread. The recipes on my site like crackers, waffles, and even bagels since they’re denser naturally, or the batter bread are good.
Sure hope this helps!!
I’m just starting to experiment with sourdough bread and this recipe looks a lot easier than many sourdough recipes I’ve seen and I’m anxious to give it a try. I have 1 question, though. Are the measurements by volume or by weight? Thanks!
They’re by volume – have fun experimenting, John!
Hi Jami… Thank you for sharing this recipe. I would like to make it but only have all-purpose flour (along with a little bread flour). Can I use the all-purpose flour since that is what I have been feeding my starter with? Thanks for your help!
Sure, Layla!
I love how simple this recipe is — it is now my go-to for sourdough bread and I have made it half a dozen times. Just curious, though–after the 2nd rise, when you put the bread onto the parchment to shape it, do you just leave it there, uncovered on the parchment for 40 minutes while the dutch oven is heating up? Also–can you double this recipe? Thank you so much!
Wonderful! I do just leave it uncovered while the pot is heating. Yes, you can double it – as long as you have an extra large bowl!
Thank you for your reply. I have made the bread a few more times since writing to you! I find it gets taller if I let it sit in a bowl on the parchment while waiting for the oven to heat. Also, I tried adding the cheddar and jalapeño as Deanna West suggested (Nov 2017), and it is to die for. I also tried it with 1/2 whole wheat flour, but it’s much denser and not as delicious as it is with all purpose flour.
So good to know, Lara – thanks for taking the time to write your tips!
This is my third try making sourdough (every time I try a different recipe) and this has been the most successful to date 🙂 I don’t know how to post photos or I would, but despite the fact that I don’t have a dutch oven, it turned out quite nicely. Very nice and tall and brown and crispy. It’s a little on the heavy side but it has nice air holes.
I used a stone but I think I should have heated the stone first as the underside of my bread was kind of raw. To remedy this I took the bread off the stone and set it on the rack, and it mostly worked.
I’m wondering if I can double this recipe to make a larger loaf, as that would be nice for sandwiches?
Also does anyone have any insight on how to make a truly fluffy inside loaf of sourdough? I grew up in France and that light fluffiness inside is what I miss.
I’m so happy you’ve had success, Steph. I’m not sure doubling it would work – the center might not get done before the outside.
I think that when your sourdough starter is older, it may be stronger and should make a lighter loaf.
Thanks Jami! I just had another piece right out of the fridge and I have to say the flavor is amazing! Definitely making this again 🙂
Hi Jami! I made it last night with this recipe and it turned out to be perfect. Thank you so much!!! I have another question regarding heating the oven for 40 minuets. Why can’t we start baking the bread when it oven is at 450, why does it need to heat for that long? I tried 30 minutes today again it seems fine and can’t tell the difference. Thanks a lot!
I’m so glad you liked it, Liya! If your enameled cast iron pan was ready in 30 minutes, that’s great. The idea is to get the pan as hot as possible so that when you put the bread in and seal it, it will release the steam and create that wonderful crust. Feel free to adjust as you’d like.
Thank you for the simple recipe! I notice a lot sourdough bread recipes add salt later. Your recipe adds salt with all other ingredients. Does this change anything? Also, does the sourdough bread made of this simple and quick recipe have the same nutritional benefits like others made with 50 steps? Thank you in advance!
You’re welcome,Liya! Nutrition-wise, all the ingredient are similar, so this bread is just like the others. I know that salt can inhibit packaged yeast, but with sourdough we’ve already grown the yeast, so I haven’t notice a difference. I have, however, forgotten to add yeast when it’s done later an then we sure notice a difference, ha!
That said, I haven’t tried this recipe adding the salt later – you could try and see if there’s any difference.
Thank you again Jami! I am trying to understand why. I knew there must be a reason! =) Now I can explain to my husband and friends!
This is the best sourdough bread recipe I have tried! In fact all the others failed. I do use a little extra salt and also fold and turn around 4-5 times. The bread turns out perfectly.
The only problem I find is that it completely sticks to the parchment paper. I have tried using oil, no oil and flour but every time it sticks. Could I oil the pan when its been heated or would the oil just burn at that temperature?
Wow, sticking to the parchment? I haven’t had that problem – it might stick a bit, but it comes off after cooling. Hmm, try a different parchment? 🙂 I’m so glad you like the recipe, though!
Does it need to be an enamel cast iron pot, or would just a plain cast iron pot work well too?
Yes, cast iron will work – it’s anything with a heavy lid that will trap the initial moisture to create the crisp crust.