Sourdough Artisan Bread Made Simple: Beginner’s Recipe

Take the science, mystery, and complication out of baking beautiful sourdough artisan loaves with this simple recipe and beginner’s guide with written instructions and a video tutorial made by an avid home baker with 6+ years of experience in sourdough.

Artisan Sourdough Made Simple…

One of the biggest problems in the sourdough world right now is that sourdough has been over-complicated – big time!  Sourdough bread is simply bread that is made with a sourdough starter (wild yeast) rather than commercial, store-bought yeast.  Yep, that’s all a sourdough starter is – wild yeast.

I have an entire blog post – The Ultimate Guide to Sourdough Starters – breaking down the history of wild yeast and how to make and use it.  But to sum it up, for all of history before the past 150 years or so, it wasn’t possible to buy yeast.  You had to make your own.  And odds are, this skill of making your own yeast was known by almost every baker or common lady in the village.  

Making your own yeast (aka sourdough starter) is as simple as combining a little flour and water in a jar or bowl and letting it sit on the counter at room temperature for several hours until it bubbles up.  Then, you use the bubbly yeast, leave just enough in the jar to cover the sides, and “activate” the next round of flour and water you add to the jar.  It’s that easy. 

But for the new baker, the art of sourdough seems easier said than done, right?  That’s why I’m here – to make this process super simple for you so you can not only have a thriving jar of homemade yeast (sourdough starter) but also make beautiful, tasty loaves of artisan bread. Trust me, you don’t have to be a professionally trained chef to pull a loaf like this out of your oven every morning.

I may receive a small commission for items purchased through affiliate links in this post at no additional cost to you.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• This recipe only has 3 ingredients – flour, water, and salt.  Now, some of that flour and water will be in the form of your sourdough starter, so you need one of those!  But considering the continuing popularity of the whole foods movement, you can’t get much simpler and more sustainable than this.
• This recipe has as few steps as possible without compromising the quality of the loaf.  Once again, too many people have made this way too complicated and added unnecessary steps!
• This recipe will teach you to bake sourdough artisan bread like an old pro, without any fancy equipment…just the way home bakers with their own starters have been doing it for ages.

Adding sourdough into your baking routine really does make for a magical life, as do all the small skills and joys of working with one’s hands.  Check out my step-by-step master recipe guides on YouTube for video tutorials.

What You’ll Need to Make Artisan Sourdough Bread

I am including grams for those who prefer using a scale, but it’s not necessary – I never weigh my ingredients!

INGREDIENTS

yield: 1 loaf

• 1.5 cups (355 grams) warm water
• 1 cup (225 grams) active sourdough starter
• 3 cups (360 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon (17 grams) salt

TOOLS

mixing bowl

wooden spoon

tea towel

large dutch oven or crock with a lid

razor blade

parchment paper

bench scraper (optional)

Banneton proofing basket (optional)

Best Practice for Best Results

There are some secrets to mastering the ancient practice of bread making when making simple sourdough bread.  Let’s Review before we get to the instructions.

You need an active and healthy sourdough starter

If your starter isn’t bubbling up and doubling in size after feeding, that’s a sign it isn’t active and healthy.  If the yeast in your starter isn’t strong enough to make a little flour and water rise and double in size after you feed it, then it’s not strong enough to make a whole lump of bread dough rise and double!

See my blog post on sourdough starters to troubleshoot if yours isn’t active.

Trust your eyes and hands more than the scale

Home cooks and bakers have been baking beautiful, delicious loaves of sourdough bread with NO kitchen scales or fancy equipment for ages.  How did they do it?  They looked for the right consistency of the dough rather than relying on exact measurements.  

They knew when to add a little more flour, or a little more water, to get it just right.  That’s how I do it and how I recommend beginners should do it too!  

When mixing your dough, you want it to be shaggy and somewhat dry when you very first mix the water, sourdough starter, and flour.  Then, as you let it rest and begin stretching and folding it, you will notice it gets smoother and stretchier.

When letting the dough rise, watch the dough rather than the clock.  When it has doubled in size, your rise time is over!  This may take longer or shorter than the recipe says, depending on your environment and starter.  Just watch the dough.

Work with wet hands.

This is an easy tip that keeps the dough from sticking to your hands while you stretch and fold it!  Just run your hands under some water, then handle the dough.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Prepare the Dough

Pour 1.5 cups of warm water (no warmer than 110F or you may kill the yeast in your starter) into a large bowl, then add 1 cup of active sourdough starter and 3 cups of flour.  Stir it all together just enough to get the flour mixed in, but don’t knead, and don’t worry about little lumps and inconsistencies.  

The dough should look shaggy and somewhat dry after this step.  Cover the bowl with a tea towel and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.  This initial 30-minute rest period allows the flour to absorb the water before adding the salt.

After the 30 minutes is up, add 1T salt to the dough, get your hands wet (water helps handle sticky dough), and use your hands to work the salt into the dough for a minute or so.  Then cover the dough with a towel.  

Bulk Fermentation with Stretch and Folds

“Bulk fermentation” or “bulk rise” or “bulk proof” starts now.  These are just fancy terms for letting the dough rise and double in size.  During this bulk fermentation phase, you will stretch and fold the dough a few times in between 30-minute rest periods, and all the while, it will be slowly rising even as you stretch and fold it.

Now that you’ve added and mixed in the salt and let the dough rest for 30 minutes, it’s time for the first stretch and fold.  Uncover the dough, grab one side of it with both hands and stretch it up at least a foot from the bowl, then fold it toward the opposite side of the dough. Repeat this 4 times on each “side” of the bowl. 

Cover the bowl with a towel, and let it rest for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, uncover the dough and repeat the stretch and fold process just like the first time.  Cover and let the dough rest for another 30 minutes.  Repeat this stretch and fold process followed by a 30-minute rest 3 times, for a total of 3 stretch and folds.

After the third stretch and fold, cover the dough and let it rest until it is doubled in size.  Depending on the strength of your starter, the hydration of the dough, and the temperature + elevation of your home, this could take anywhere from 2 to 12 hours.  That’s a wide range!  See why it’s better to watch the dough rather than the clock?

The dough should be a lot stretchier and smoother throughout the fermentation process with each stretch and fold than when you first mixed it!  

Shape the Dough

Once the dough has doubled in size, turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface and stretch it into a big rectangle, kind of like if you were going to make cinnamon rolls.

If the dough is really sticky, just dust it with a bit of flour or get your hands wet to make it easier to handle.

Fold one of the long sides of the dough over to bring the edge to the middle of the rectangle, then fold the other long side over the top of the first side.  Now that the dough is folded into 3 layers it looks like a very long, skinny rectangle.  Start at the end closest to you and roll the dough up into a ball.

Then roll it toward you in a circular motion so the seam side is facing down.  Use both hands to spin the dough on the work surface a few times to tighten the seal underneath and create surface tension (a tightly sealed ball of dough).

Final Proof

For the next step, you can use a banneton basket if you have one.  If not, just use a mixing bowl lined with a tea towel that’s been dusted with flour.

Turn the shaped ball of dough over into a banneton basket so the seam side is now facing up, cover the basket with plastic wrap or place it in a big plastic bag, and place it in the fridge to cold-proof before baking.

During this cold-proofing step, the cold temperature with prevent the natural yeast from causing the dough to rise anymore, but the fermentation process will continue to an extent, breaking down the gluten further.  The dough will also firm up while in the fridge which makes it easier to score before baking.

If your starter is very strong and active, this step can be as short as 2 hours – just long enough for the dough to chill before scoring and baking so it doesn’t lose its shape and gives a nice oven spring.

I like to let my dough cold-proof for at least 12 hours to continue developing that sourdough flavor, so letting it cold-proof overnight before morning baking is perfect.

Score and Bake the Bread

When you’re ready to bake, start by preheating a dutch oven, bread oven, or crock with a lid in the oven at 425F for 30 minutes.  

Leave the hot dutch oven (DO) in the preheated oven while you score the dough to prepare it for baking.  You want the DO as hot as possible when the dough goes in.

Remove the dough from the fridge, and turn it out onto a piece of parchment paper.  Lightly dust the tip of the dough with flour (optional) and then use a razor blade to score the dough.  You can get very artistic with scoring.  But for starters, just stick with 1 to 3 big expansion scores.  

Expansion scores allow the loaf to expand while baking and give the loaf a nice shape, hence the name.

If scoring along the side of the dough, hold the razor at a 45-degree angle.  

Place the dough on the parchment paper in the hot dutch oven and cover it with the lid.  Bake at 425F with the lid on for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, remove the lid and bake for another 8-10 minutes until the top of the loaf is golden brown.  Place the loaf on a wire rack to cool for an hour at the very least before slicing.

Professional sourdough bakers recommend allowing the loaf to rest for 12-24 hours before slicing.  This is because the dough is still very hot and lots of moisture is trapped inside when it first comes out of the oven.  If you cut into the loaf before it is cooled, it will lose moisture and be gummy, dry, and tough.  It’s worth the wait!

Baking Schedule Options

*times will vary depending on the strength of your starter, hydration of the dough, and temperature of your home.  I use a proofing box to speed things up and be more precise with my baking schedule*

FOR MORNING BAKING

Feed your sourdough starter so that it is peaked and active by 3pm the day before you plan to bake.

Day before baking

• 3pm: Prepare the Dough
• 3:30pm: Add salt and mix
• 4pm: first stretch and fold
• 4:30pm: second stretch and fold
• 5pm: third stretch and fold
• 9:30pm: (or whenever the dough has doubled) shape the dough and place it in the fridge for final proof, it will remain in the fridge until the next day

Day of Baking

• 7am: preheat the oven and dutch oven
• 7:30am: take the dough out of the fridge, score it, and bake it according to instructions.

The bread should be cooled enough to slice and eat by lunchtime!

FOR SAME-DAY PREP AND AFTERNOON BAKING

Feed your starter the night before you plan to bake.

Day of baking

• 7am: Prepare the dough
• 7:30am: Add salt and mix
• 8am: first stretch and fold
• 8:30am: second stretch and fold
• 9am: third stretch and fold
• 11:30am: (or whenever the dough has doubled) shape the dough and place it in the fridge for final proof
• 1:30pm: preheat the oven and dutch oven
• 2pm: take the dough out of the fridge, score it, and bake it according to instructions.

The bread should be cooled enough to slice and eat by dinner time!

FAQ

How long does it take to make sourdough artisan bread?

It takes anywhere between 6-24 hours to make sourdough artisan bread, depending on the strength of your sourdough starter, the hydration of your dough, and the temperature of your home.  I use a proofing box to control the temperature and humidity and speed the baking process up.

What type of flour should I use to bake sourdough bread?

You can use any mixture of flour you would like, but the consistency, density, and flavor of the loaf change depending on the type of flour you use.  This beginner’s recipe calls for all-purpose flour, but bread flour works great as well.  A mixture of bread flour and whole wheat flour yields a nice, rustic loaf.

How do I know when my dough is done fermenting during bulk fermentation?

When the dough is done fermenting, it will have doubled in size and pass the poke test.  Poke the dough, if it bounces back quickly because it is light and springy, it is ready to shape.

How can I achieve an open crumb when baking sourdough artisan bread?

For an open crumb (lots of big holes) loaf, make a higher hydration dough.  This means you will omit some of the flour in a standard recipe so the dough is stickier from the get-go.  Also, cut down to 2 stretch and folds and allow the dough to bulk ferment longer than usual.  Use bread flour for an open crumb loaf.

Tips

• Perform the float test with your sourdough starter before you prepare the dough.  Drop a spoonful of starter into a cup of water, if it floats it is ready to use.

• Use quality flour and untreated water.  At least make sure the flour is unbleached.  Organic flour is preferable.
• Watch the dough, not the clock.  When the dough is rising, be patient.  Give it as much time as it needs to double in size before shaping.  
• Use a glass bowl or clear plastic baking bucket so you can see the dough as it rises and observe air bubbles and whether or not it has doubled in size.
• Use a very sharp knife when slicing your bread, I use this bread knife which cuts sourdough like butter.
• Use steam in your oven for a nice, crisp crust that is not burnt.  Place a pan of hot water on the bottom rack of the oven while the bread bakes.

Storage

The key to storing a sourdough loaf properly is letting it cool completely before slicing or storing it.  Once cooled, the loaf can be stored in a plastic bag or airtight container at room temperature for 4-5 days, in the fridge for a week, and in the freezer for up to 3 months.

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