{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Recipe","url":"https://trevorfarias.com/recipes/sourdough-bread","markdownUrl":"https://trevorfarias.com/recipes/sourdough-bread/recipe.md","name":"The Best Sourdough Bread Recipe for Beginners","description":"The best sourdough bread recipe for beginners: 4 ingredients, no kneading, and a crisp crust with a soft, open crumb. Clear timeline, tested measurements, printable card.","summary":"The best sourdough bread for a home kitchen uses 500 grams of bread flour, 350 grams of water, 100 grams of active starter and 10 grams of salt. Mix, do four gentle stretch-and-folds during a 4 to 6 hour rise, shape, refrigerate overnight, and bake in a covered Dutch oven at 450°F for 20 minutes, then uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes. That is the whole recipe; the rest is timing and patience.","author":"Trevor","publisher":"Sunny Side Kitchen","datePublished":"2026-09-05","dateModified":"2026-09-05","category":"Bread","cuisine":"American","keywords":["sourdough bread recipe","best sourdough bread","easy sourdough bread","beginner sourdough","no knead sourdough","dutch oven sourdough","sourdough bread for beginners","how to make sourdough bread"],"prepTime":"PT30M","cookTime":"PT45M","totalTime":"PT24H","yield":"1 round loaf (12 slices)","servings":12,"ingredientGroups":[{"name":null,"ingredients":[{"amount":"500","unit":"g","name":"bread flour","note":"about 4 cups; all-purpose works in a pinch","text":"500 g bread flour, about 4 cups; all-purpose works in a pinch"},{"amount":"350","unit":"g","name":"water","note":"about 1 1/2 cups, lukewarm (80 to 85°F)","text":"350 g water, about 1 1/2 cups, lukewarm (80 to 85°F)"},{"amount":"100","unit":"g","name":"active sourdough starter","note":"about 1/2 cup, bubbly and recently fed","text":"100 g active sourdough starter, about 1/2 cup, bubbly and recently fed"},{"amount":"10","unit":"g","name":"fine sea salt","note":"about 1 3/4 teaspoons","text":"10 g fine sea salt, about 1 3/4 teaspoons"},{"name":"rice flour or extra bread flour","note":"for dusting the proofing bowl","text":"rice flour or extra bread flour, for dusting the proofing bowl"}]}],"steps":[{"step":1,"name":"Mix the dough","text":"In a large bowl, stir together the water and starter until the starter is mostly dissolved. Add the flour and salt and mix with a spatula or your hand until no dry flour remains. The dough will be shaggy and sticky; that is correct. Cover the bowl with a damp towel or plate and let it rest for 30 minutes.","tip":null},{"step":2,"name":"Stretch and fold, four times","text":"Wet one hand, grab the far edge of the dough, stretch it up and fold it over the center. Turn the bowl a quarter turn and repeat until you have folded all four sides. Cover and rest for 30 minutes. Repeat this stretch-and-fold three more times, 30 minutes apart, for a total of four sets. The dough will become smoother and stronger with each set.","tip":"Wet hands keep the dough from sticking. No extra flour is needed at this stage."},{"step":3,"name":"Finish the bulk rise","text":"After the last fold, cover the bowl and leave it alone for another 2 to 4 hours, until the dough has grown by about half to three-quarters, looks domed and airy, and jiggles when you shake the bowl. In a cool kitchen this can take longer.","tip":null},{"step":4,"name":"Shape the loaf","text":"Lightly flour the counter and turn the dough out. With floured hands, fold the edges into the center to form a rough ball, then flip it seam-side down. Cup your hands around the dough and drag it toward you a few times, rotating as you go, to tighten the surface into a taut ball. Let it rest for 15 minutes.","tip":null},{"step":5,"name":"Cold proof overnight","text":"Generously dust a banneton or a medium bowl lined with a clean tea towel with rice flour. Place the dough in it seam-side up. Cover with a plastic bag or plate and refrigerate for 12 to 16 hours.","tip":"Rice flour does not absorb moisture the way wheat flour does, so the loaf releases cleanly."},{"step":6,"name":"Preheat the oven and Dutch oven","text":"Place a Dutch oven with its lid on the middle rack and preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C) for 45 minutes. The pot must be fully heated to get a good rise.","tip":null},{"step":7,"name":"Score and bake covered","text":"Cut a piece of parchment paper slightly larger than the loaf. Turn the cold dough out onto the parchment, seam-side down. Using a razor or very sharp knife, make one confident slash about 1/2 inch deep across the top at a shallow angle. Carefully lower the loaf on its parchment into the hot pot, cover, and bake for 20 minutes.","tip":null},{"step":8,"name":"Uncover and finish baking","text":"Remove the lid and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes, until the crust is a deep golden brown and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. An instant-read thermometer should read 205 to 210°F in the center.","tip":null},{"step":9,"name":"Cool completely","text":"Transfer the loaf to a wire rack and let it cool for at least 1 hour before slicing. The inside is still cooking as it cools; cutting early gives a gummy crumb.","tip":null}],"equipment":["Kitchen scale","Large mixing bowl","Dutch oven with lid (5 to 7 quart)","Banneton or medium bowl and tea towel","Parchment paper","Razor blade or sharp knife for scoring","Wire cooling rack"],"notes":["Times are for a kitchen around 72 to 75°F. Cooler kitchens need more time at every stage.","Your starter must be active and float in water before you mix. This matters more than any other step.","For a milder flavor, shorten the cold proof to 8 hours. For more tang, go up to 24 hours."],"storage":["Store cut-side down on a cutting board, uncovered, for up to 2 days. The crust stays crisp.","For longer storage, keep in a paper bag or bread box for up to 4 days. Avoid plastic, which softens the crust.","Freeze whole or sliced, wrapped tightly, for up to 3 months. Toast slices straight from the freezer."],"variations":["Seeded loaf: press a mix of sesame, sunflower and flax seeds onto the shaped loaf before the cold proof.","Rosemary and olive oil: fold 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary and 1 tablespoon olive oil in during the second stretch-and-fold.","Half whole wheat: replace 250 g of bread flour with whole wheat flour and add 25 g more water."],"faqs":[{"question":"Do I need a Dutch oven to make sourdough bread?","answer":"A Dutch oven gives the best crust because it traps steam, but you can bake on a preheated baking stone or heavy sheet pan instead. Place a metal pan on the bottom rack, and pour a cup of hot water into it when you put the bread in to create steam. Remove the pan after 20 minutes."},{"question":"How do I know my starter is ready to bake with?","answer":"Feed it and wait until it has at least doubled, looks bubbly and domed, and a spoonful floats in a glass of water. This usually takes 4 to 8 hours after feeding at room temperature."},{"question":"Can I skip the overnight cold proof?","answer":"Yes. After shaping, let the loaf rise at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours until it is puffy and springs back slowly when poked, then bake. The flavor will be milder and scoring is a little harder because the dough is softer."},{"question":"Why is my sourdough so dense?","answer":"Nearly always it is an underactive starter or a bulk rise that ended too early. Make sure the starter passes the float test, and let the dough grow by at least half before shaping. Weighing the flour instead of measuring by cups also prevents accidentally dry, dense dough."},{"question":"Can I make this recipe with all-purpose flour?","answer":"Yes. The loaf will be slightly softer and a bit less tall, but still delicious. Reduce the water by about 15 grams (1 tablespoon) since all-purpose flour absorbs a little less."},{"question":"How many calories are in a slice of homemade sourdough?","answer":"One slice (1/12 of this loaf) has roughly 155 calories, mostly from the flour, with about 5 grams of protein and under 1 gram of fat."}],"nutritionPerServing":{"calories":155,"fatGrams":0.6,"saturatedFatGrams":0.1,"carbohydrateGrams":31,"fiberGrams":1.2,"sugarGrams":0.2,"proteinGrams":5.4,"sodiumMilligrams":325,"cholesterolMilligrams":0}}