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A loaf of sourdough bread on a wooden cutting board with a second loaf that has been cut in a half angled and resting on top of the other loaf. There is a bread knife to the left of the loaves on the cutting board.
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3.36 from 64 votes

How to Make Sourdough Bread

A beginner's guide to making artisan sourdough bread at home! This simple, no-knead recipe is easy to make with your sourdough starter. Just let the dough rise overnight and bake in the morning!
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time40 minutes
Proof Time1 day
Total Time1 day 1 hour 40 minutes
Course: Baking
Cuisine: American
Keyword: sourdough
Servings: 2 loaves
Author: Brittany Mullins

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

Day 1 (Start in the Morning)

  • Measure out the flours using a food scale. Using a food scale helps to ensure that your getting the proper measurements!
    A metal mixing bowl with measured out flour.
  • Add water, sourdough starter, salt and flours together in Cambro or large mixing bowl and use your hands to mix the ingredients together. Dough will be “shaggy”, just mix until all the flour is combined. Cover and leave for 15 minutes.
    An overheaCambro with shaggy sourdough bread dough inside.
  • Open Cambro and “stretch and fold” the dough, cover and wait another 15 minutes. Repeat until you have done four total "stretch and folds." Dough should then be smooth and should have lots of stretch by the last stretch.
  • Cover tightly and leave the dough a room temperature until it has doubled in size (easiest way to measure is put a rubber band around Cambro where dough starts). This can take 6-8 hours in the summer and 10-12 hours in the winter!
    A sideview of a cambro with sourdough bread dough inside. A rubber band is wrapped around the outside of the cambro to show where the dough started.
  • Remove dough from Cambro and place on onto lightly floured surface. A granite counter top work great or use a silicone mat. Divide dough in half (should be a little over 900 grams each).
    Bread dough in a mounded ball resting on a counter.
  • Take each round and pull edges to center all the way around, then flip over and cover with a tea towel for 10 minutes. Do the same thing, pulling edges out a little and tuck into center and flip over. Then take round and gently pull a few inches toward you. You can do this 3 or 4 times and feel the form “tighten” a little. Lift and flip over and place into banneton baskets.
    Two hands are seen in action folding bread dough.
  • Cover and put into fridge overnight.
    A woman is picking up a banneton basked with a ball of dough inside of it.

Day 2 (Ready to Bake!!!)

  • Put a cast-iron Dutch oven (two if you have them) in the oven and heat at 500 degrees for 30 minutes. Take one loaf out of the fridge, flip over onto parchment, sprinkle on a little rice flour, score and put into the preheated dutch oven. If you have two Dutch ovens, repeat with second loaf otherwise wait to score the second loaf until the first one is done baking.
    Sourdough bread dough inside of a dutch oven. There is a layer of parchment paper between the dough and the dutch oven, sticking out over the edge of the dutch oven.
  • Reduce heat to 450°F degrees and bake 20-23 minutes covered, then uncover and bake another 20 minutes. When done, it will have a hollow sound if you tap it and a nice crunch if you push on it gently. If you have a thermometer you can check for internal temperature of 220°F.
    Freshly baked sourdough bread in a dutch oven. Parchment paper is in between the bread loaf and the dutch oven, sticking out over the edge of the dutch oven.

Notes

  • If you have a thermometer, you'll want to make sure the water is around 80°- 82°F.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 184kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 7g | Sodium: 468mg | Potassium: 9mg | Fiber: 1g