Easy Sourdough Bread Recipe

This Easy Sourdough Bread is made with your own starter, a few ingredients and some extra time can create one the most delicious breads you will ever taste!

With the difficult problem of finding yeast many people (me included) have started to make their own Sourdough Starter. I am certainly not an expert on the subject but I do enjoy learning about it, bread making has always intrigued me and even after all this is over I will continue to dive into the art of making and baking with a sourdough starter.

How to make Sourdough Bread

First start by feeding your starter and letting it double or even triple in volume.

In the mixing bowl add the flour, starter, water and salt mix with a spatula, the dough will be shaggy.

With the dough hook knead for 10-12 minutes until compact and smooth but not sticky. Cover with a tea towel and let sit 30 minutes.

Stretch the dough out and fold like an envelope about 4 times,

Shape the dough into a ball or loaf, place seam side up on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet (sprinkle the paper with flour and the top of the dough or a Banneton Basket, cover with plastic and let sit at room temperature from 8-10 hours. The dough can also be refrigerated  for at least 12 hours.

Once the time has passed and the dough has risen.

Score it, then Bake it or if refrigerated, then remove the dough from the fridge and let it come to room temperature, then score and bake it. Once it is baked move it immediately to a wire rack to cool.

How to get your starter going

Before you start baking you need to wake up your starter, this is for those that keep it in the fridge. If you keep it on the counter than I assume you are baking very often and are feeding it 1-2 times a day and you are ready to bake.

For those that keep it in the fridge, I have actually started my starter 2 ways:

1. The night before, take the starter out of the fridge and leave it on the counter to come to room temperature. I remove 50 grams, feed it with 50 grams flour and 50 grams water, mix it and let it sit for four – 6 hours, until doubled and bubbly. A good way to see whether your starter has doubled is to put an elastic band around the jar to mark the starter before it starts to rise, that way you can tell when it has doubled or even tripled by the amount above the elastic band. Be sure to use the starter at this point, do not let it fall back down or you will have to start over.

2. Remove the starter from the fridge and immediately remove 50 grams, feed it with 50 grams of flour and 50 grams of water, let it sit for 4-6 hours or until doubled.

For both of these methods if after 6 hours the starter hasn’t doubled then repeat, removing 50 grams and feeding. Sometimes if you let it sit more than a week it will need a couple of feedings to get it going.

The remaining starter I removed enough to make this Sourdough Pizza, which can be made the same day! What was left in the jar feed with the same amount of flour and water stir it up, let it sit for 2-3 hours then refrigerate until next time, lately I have also just refrigerated the leftover without feeding it. Doesn’t seem to hurt it. I’m getting lazy!

How to tell when Bread is done

Tap the bread underneath, if you hear a hollow sound it’s done or using an instant read thermometer, insert the thermometer in the  bottom of the loaf in the centre. The internal temperature should be 190F / 88C.

Why wait to cut fresh baked bread?

Once the bread has baked it should be immediately moved to a wire rack to cool, this keeps the bottom from becoming soggy. Also cooling the bread helps to give it a better flavour and texture.

How to store Baked Bread

It’s best to store it in an airtight bag or container, and keep it at room temperature in a cool dry area. Bread can turn moldy in heat and humidity. The bread will become dry and stale if stored in the fridge. Or the cooled bread can be stored in freezer, place in a freezer safe bag or container, it will keep for up to 3-6 months.

If your bread does become stale you can always use it to make Bread Pudding or even croutons.

Some informative links for making sourdough

• Bake with Jack who also has a youtube channel
• Patrick Ryan
• Joshua Weissman
• The Clever Carrot

I hope you enjoy your Sourdough Bread and let me know how it goes. Enjoy!

An Italian in my Kitchen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.