This easy sourdough bread will have you ditching the store bought stuff and adding this to your weekly routine. Embark on a delicious journey of creating homemade sourdough bread with this detailed recipe. This post includes both the baker’s schedule and the sourdough starter maintenance schedule for a seamless and rewarding baking experience. This recipe is done over the course of 2 days so planning is the key for having fresh baked bread at the time you’re hoping for. Don’t let that deter you from sourdough though! Allow the slow process of sourdough bread making to become a peaceful and intentional rhythm for your family life.

Sourdough Starter

First, you will need a sourdough starter for any sourdough recipe. If you don’t yet have one and you want to get started on your sourdough journey, check out my FREE Sourdough Starter Ebook for how to create and maintain a sourdough starter. I promise, it is so simple and easy!

Below is just a very basic look into creating a sourdough starter, but my free ebook goes into much more detail!

Creating a Sourdough Starter Basic Breakdown

The first day:

Mix 50g of whole wheat flour with 50g of water in a glass container.
Cover loosely and let it sit at room temperature (70-75°F/21-24°C) for 24 hours.

Day 2-7:

For the next 6 days, “feed” your starter by discarding 50g and adding 50g of flour and 50g of water daily.
By day 3 or 4, you should notice bubbles, indicating fermentation.

Day 8 and beyond:

Your starter should be active with a pleasant sour aroma. Continue feeding it regularly if kept at room temperature or refrigerate and feed weekly if baking less frequently.

Creating Your Easy Sourdough Bread Dough

Baker’s Schedule: Now, let’s delve into the step-by-step process of baking your sourdough bread using grams for precise measurements. This schedule is designed for making the dough one day and baking as early as the next morning. The dough is made one day and then can be stored in the fridge for up to a few days before baking:

Day 1 (Saturday Morning): Refresh Starter

Feed your starter with 100g of all-purpose flour and 100g of water. Then leave it at room temperature for 4-8 hours or until bubbly and doubled in size.

The first day continued (Saturday Afternoon/Evening): Mix Dough and Bulk Fermentation

First, in a large bowl, combine :

50g of your active and bubbly sourdough starter
350g of warm water
500g of all-purpose flour or bread flour
10g of salt

close up of sourdough starter being poured into glass bowl on scale

water and sourdough starter mixed in bowl next to dough whisk

flour being poured into glass bowl from white paper flour bag

Then mix together until you have a shaggy dough and let it rest for 30 minutes.

rough shaggy dough in glass bowl next to dough whisk

Next, perform a series of stretch and folds every 30 minutes for the first 2 hours, then let it bulk ferment for an additional 8-12 hours (overnight) at room temperature.

woman's hands lifting dough to stretch it from glass bowl

woman's hands folding dough over onto itself into glass bowl

Shaping your Sourdough Bread

Day 2 (Sunday Morning): Shape and Final Proof

Shape your dough into a round or oval loaf and place it in a floured proofing basket.
Simply shape it by turning your dough onto a clean surface. Place your hands near the base and pull towards you, using the surface to create tension on the top.

Flip the dough, smooth side down into the floured banneton basket and pinch the seam to make sure it is sealed together. Cover lightly with a slightly damp tea towel and place in the fridge.
Allow the dough to proof for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator (this will make scoring easier). You can leave the dough in the fridge for up to 3 days until you are ready to bake! The fridge is your friend!

Baking this Easy Sourdough Bread

Preheat your oven to 450°F (232°C) with a Dutch oven inside.
Once the oven is preheated, remove the dough from the fridge and flip it out onto some parchment paper.
Next, lightly dust the top of your dough with flour (this will help your scoring pattern stand out!). Score the top of your dough and carefully transfer it to the preheated Dutch oven by lifting the sheet of parchment paper using it as a hammock. When scoring, be sure to do at least 1 deeper cut. Any additional cuts can be more shallow for pretty designs.

close up of woman's hands scoring sourdough on parchment paper with flour dusted around

sourdough dough being scored on parchment paper with flour dusted around

Then, bake covered for 25 minutes, then uncover and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

beautiful sourdough loaf baked a golden brown on parchment paper

Finally, allow your homemade sourdough bread to cool for at least 1 hour before slicing, and relish the artisanal flavors and textures you’ve created. Share the joy of baking with friends and family, and bask in the accomplishment of crafting your own exceptional loaf. Happy baking!

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Easy Sourdough Bread

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Prep Time 5

Cook Time 45

fermentation time 12

Total Time 12 50

Ingredients

50 g sourdough starter active and bubbly
350 g warm water
500 g bread flour or all purpose flour
10 g salt

Instructions

Feed your starter

Feed your starter with 100g of all-purpose flour and 100g of water. Then leave it at room temperature for 4-8 hours or until bubbly and doubled in size.

In a large bowl combine:

50g of your refreshed starter
350g of water
500g of all-purpose flour or bread flour
10g of salt

Mix the dough

Mix together until you have a shaggy dough and let it rest for 30 minutes.

Perform stretch and folds then bulk ferment

Perform a series of stretch and folds every 30 minutes for the first 2 hours, then let it bulk ferment for an additional 8-12 hours (overnight) at room temperature.

The next morning

Shape your dough into a round or oval loaf and place it in a floured proofing basket.
Simply shape it by turning your dough onto a clean surface. Place your hands near the base and pull towards you, using the surface to create tension on the top.
Flip the dough, smooth side down into the floured banneton basket and pinch the seam to make sure it is sealed together. Cover lightly with a slightly damp tea towel and place in the fridge.
Allow the dough to proof for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator (this will make scoring easier). You can leave the dough in the fridge for up to 3 days until you are ready to bake! The fridge is your friend!

Score and bake

Preheat your oven to 450°F (232°C) with a Dutch oven inside.
Once the oven is preheated, remove the dough from the fridge and flip it out onto some parchment paper.
Next, lightly dust the top of your dough with flour (this will help your scoring pattern stand out!). Score the top of your dough and carefully transfer it to the preheated Dutch oven by lifting the sheet of parchment paper using it as a hammock. When scoring, be sure to do at least 1 deeper cut. Any additional cuts can be more shallow for pretty designs.
Then, bake covered for 25 minutes, then uncover and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
Allow your homemade sourdough bread to cool for at least 1 hour before slicing, then enjoy!

Keyword sourdough