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!
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Easy Sourdough Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 258 grams all purpose flour* (2 cups)
- 150 grams sourdough starter (fed) (1/2 cup + 2 ½ tablespoons)
- 5 grams salt (1 teaspoon)
- 120 grams lukewarm water (90F / 32C) (½ cup)
*If yo wish you can substitute with some whole wheat flour, half and half.
Instructions
- In the bowl of the standup mixer add the flour, starter, water and salt, mix with a spatula, then with the dough hook knead for 10-12 minutes or 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 4-6 times, then shape into a ball or loaf, place seam side up on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet or proofing basket, sprinkle the chosen container with flour. Place the dough on the sheet or in the basket and sprinkle the top of the dough with a little flour, cover with plastic and let dough rest for 8-10 hours room temperature or refrigerate** for at least 12 hours (overnight).
- Place a cake pan in the bottom of the oven and a pizza stone or baking sheet upside down on the middle rack, pre-heat oven to 425F (220C) before putting the bread in the oven pour 1 cup boiling water in the cake pan. Score the dough and place the dough on parchment paper in the oven quickly and bake it for approximately 30 minutes. Once it is baked move it immediately to a wire rack to cool. Let it cool before slicing. Enjoy!
- **If the dough has been refrigerated, then remove the dough from the fridge and let it come to room temperature about 2-3 hours, then score and bake it.
Hello! I trued your recipe and it was perfect! I used half whole wheat and half all purpose flour. It’s my first time to be successful in a sourdough bread. If I wish to double the recipe how long should I bake it?
Thanks!
Hi Kathleen, thanks so much, glad you liked the recipe. I would try for about 40 minutes. Check the internal temperature, 190F/88C and it’s done. I hope that helps. Take care and have a great week!
When feeding the starter, should I cover it?
Hi Ashley, yes cover it lightly. 🙂
Just to confirm – I feed my starter, don’t let it rest for 24 hours, and use it right away on this recipe? I’ve been working on you starter recipe 2 all week, and am excited to try this, but wanted to check. Thanks.
Hi Amanda, you feed your starter and you should let it double in volume, this usually takes about 4 hours, sometimes you have to feed it 2 or 3 times if it’s been kept in the fridge for a while. As long as it doubles or triples in volume it’s ready. Make sure to use it at it’s peak (when you see it’s doubled, don’t let it fall or you will have to feed it again and wait until it doubles). Hope that helps let me know.
will you please convert the grams to cups and teaspoons?
Hi Joy, I have converted the recipe.
Help. I started this dough. It looks great and will be resting overnight. I don’t understand the baking instructions. The way I read them there are three 30-minute baking times???
Hi S if you refrigerated the dough then let it come to room temperature if not then score the dough and bake for 30 minutes (just once). Let me know how it goes.
Is it going to be sour???
Hi Monika, no it doesn’t have to be and I found mine was not sour at all. To make a starter more sour you should stir in any liquid that is sitting on top of your starter, use rye or whole wheat flour to feed it and use more flour to water when feeding or making the starter. Hope that helps.