How to Make Sourdough Bread

Once you bake your first real sourdough loaf — crackling crust, open crumb, deep tang — you will never look at store-bought bread the same way. This guide breaks down the entire process simply and clearly: how to build a starter from scratch, how to shape and ferment the dough, and how to bake a loaf that rivals what you would find in a serious bakery. Our family makes sourdough at least once a week, and this is the exact recipe we use.

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Why Sourdough?

Sourdough bread is not just about flavor — it offers real health and nutritional advantages over conventional yeasted bread.

1. Gut Health and Microbiome Support: The lactic acid bacteria in sourdough — particularly Lactobacillus strains — promote a balanced gut microbiome and support digestive well-being.
2. Better Digestibility: Fermentation breaks down gluten and phytic acid, making sourdough easier to digest for many people, including those with mild gluten sensitivity.
3. Improved Nutrient Availability: Fermentation unlocks minerals like magnesium, zinc, and iron, making them more bioavailable.
4. Lower Glycemic Index: Sourdough has a milder impact on blood sugar than commercial breads, useful for sustained energy and blood sugar management.

Step 1: Build Your Sourdough Starter

Your starter is the heart of this recipe. If you want a deeper guide, see the full post: How to Make Sourdough Starter. Here is the quick version.

How to Make Sourdough Starter

Ingredients: Whole wheat or all-purpose flour, filtered or dechlorinated water

Day 1: Mix 1/2 cup flour with 1/2 cup water. Cover loosely and leave at room temperature for 24 hours.

Day 2: Discard half. Add 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup water. Mix. Cover and rest 24 hours.

Days 3–7: Repeat daily — discard half, add 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup water. Watch for bubbles and rising.

Day 7 (or when active): The starter should be bubbly, smell tangy, and have roughly doubled in size. It is ready to bake with.

A lively starter is what makes sourdough rise without commercial yeast. It is also endlessly useful — cinnamon rolls, pizza dough, croissants, and much more all benefit from a well-maintained starter.

Ingredients

Key Ingredients

Flour

All-purpose or bread flour both work. For better flavor and easier digestion, we recommend organic flour. Use a digital kitchen scale to weigh your flour — precision is one of the biggest contributors to consistent results in sourdough baking.

• Why it matters: Exact flour weight ensures correct hydration, which directly affects the crumb structure and crust.

Active Sourdough Starter

Your starter must be fed and active before you begin. Feed it 8–12 hours before mixing the dough. It should be bubbly and at or near its peak rise.

• Why it matters: An under-active starter results in a dense, gummy loaf that will not rise properly. Timing the starter correctly is the single most important variable in this recipe.

Sea Salt

Salt is added after the autolyse rest, not at the start. It controls fermentation rate, strengthens gluten, and adds essential mineral complexity to the crumb.

• Why it matters: Adding salt too early inhibits the starter. Timing it after the initial rest gives the dough structure without slowing the initial hydration phase.

6 Steps to Make Sourdough Bread

1. Mix the Dough

Combine active sourdough starter and lukewarm water in a large bowl. Gradually add flour, stirring to form a shaggy dough. Rest 30 minutes. This autolyse step improves gluten development before any kneading.

2. Add Salt and Knead

Sprinkle salt over the rested dough and knead for about 5 minutes until smoother. No need to overwork it — just incorporate the salt fully.

3. Bulk Fermentation

Cover with a damp cloth and rest at room temperature for 4–6 hours. Perform a series of gentle stretch-and-fold sets every 30 minutes during the first 2 hours. This builds strength and structure without aggressive kneading.

4. Shape and Refrigerate Overnight

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Stretch all sides outward and fold them to the center to build tension, then shape into a smooth round ball. Place in a bowl lined with a floured cloth, seam-side up. A banneton proofing basket is ideal here for maintaining shape and developing the classic spiral pattern. Refrigerate for 12–24 hours — the cold slow fermentation deepens flavor significantly.

5. Bake in a Dutch Oven

Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C) with a Lodge 5-quart Dutch oven inside. Once preheated, carefully transfer the cold dough to the hot Dutch oven. Score the top with a bread lame. Cover and bake 20 minutes. Remove the lid and bake another 20 minutes until the crust is deep golden brown.

6. Cool Before Slicing

This step is non-negotiable. Let the bread cool on a wire rack for at least 1 hour before slicing. Cutting too early releases steam and collapses the crumb structure — patience here protects all the work you put in.

Other Sourdough Variations to Try

• Honey Cranberry sourdough bread
• Chocolate Coffee sourdough bread
• 4 Seeds — sunflower, flaxseed, sesame, and pumpkin seed
• Rye flour sourdough bread
• Purple yam sourdough bread

Once you have sourdough mastered, try branching out to homemade focaccia bread or sourdough English muffins — both use the same starter and build naturally from these same skills.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does sourdough take so long to make?

The long fermentation time — 4–6 hours bulk fermentation plus 12–24 hours of cold proofing — is what creates the flavor and digestibility that makes sourdough worth the effort. The wild yeast and bacteria need time to do their work. You can compress the timeline, but the flavor and texture will be less developed.

What flour is best for sourdough bread?

Bread flour or high-quality unbleached all-purpose flour produce excellent results. Bread flour has a higher protein content which supports stronger gluten development. For extra nutrition and complexity, you can replace up to 20% of the flour with whole wheat or rye flour.

Why is my sourdough not rising?

The most common causes are: starter that is not active enough (feed it and wait for peak activity), dough that is too cold (ferment in a warmer spot — 75–78°F is ideal), or insufficient gluten development (perform more stretch-and-fold sets during bulk fermentation).

Do I need a Dutch oven to bake sourdough?

A Dutch oven is strongly recommended. It traps steam in the first phase of baking, which allows the loaf to expand fully before the crust sets. Without it you can use a baking stone with a steam pan underneath, but results will be less consistent.

How do I know when sourdough bread is done baking?

A well-baked sourdough loaf has a deep golden-brown crust, sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom, and reads 200–210°F (93–99°C) internally. Visual cues and the tap test are usually sufficient once you have made it a few times.

Can I freeze sourdough bread?

Yes. Let it cool completely, slice it, and freeze in a tightly sealed bag for up to 3 months. Toast directly from frozen or thaw at room temperature. Pre-slicing before freezing makes it much more convenient to use.