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Sourdough Bread Recipe for Beginners

Course Bread

Ingredients
  

  • 50 g active sourdough starter
  • 325 g tepid water
  • 500 g all-purpose flour (plus extra for dusting)
  • 10 g salt

Instructions
 

  • Feed your starter 8-10 hours before you plan to start making the dough.
  • Mix 50g starter and 325g water together in a large mixing bowl. Place the mixing bowl on the kitchen scale and zero it out. Pour in 50g starter. Zero out the scale again then add 325g tepid water. Using your hands or a dough whisk, mix until the starter is fully dissolved in the water.
  • Add 500g flour and 10g salt to the starter mixture. Zero out the scale once more then carefully pour 500g flour and 10g salt into the starter mixture. Mix thoroughly with the dough whisk until all the ingredients are fully incorporated. Note: The dough will be a shaggy consistency.
  • Cover and rest. Cover the bowl with a towel or plastic wrap and set it aside for one hour to let the dough rest.
  • Stretch and fold. (Fill a small bowl of water to dip your fingers in.) With wet fingers, pull up one side of the dough from the bottom, and fold it over onto itself. Turn the bowl a quarter turn and repeat the stretch and fold. Continue until all four sides are folded. Note: The dough should form a tight ball when you are done.
  • Rest and repeat. Cover the dough again and let it rest for 30 more minutes, then repeat the stretch and fold once more.
  • Rise. Cover the dough and let it rise for 8-12 hours or until it has risen by about 50%. Note: that the rise time will be less in a warmer kitchen and will take longer in a cooler kitchen.
  • Shape the dough. Using your dough scraper, or wet fingers, turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Take each "corner" of the dough and fold it into the center, then turn the dough over. Use your hands to shape and pull the dough towards you continuously in a circular motion until it forms a tight ball. Place it upside down in a well-floured banneton, cover it and let it rest for 30 minutes.
  • Preheat the dutch oven. With the dutch oven inside, preheat the oven to 450°F.
  • Score. Turn dough out onto a piece of parchment paper. Use the lame to score the top of the dough.
  • Bake. Remove the dutch oven from the oven. Pick up the dough using the parchment paper and lower it into the dutch oven. Cover with the lid completely and then place back into the oven to cook for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove the cover from the dutch oven and allow the loaf to cook uncovered in the oven for another 25-30 minutes. (Until the crust is golden brown or the internal temperature reads 190°F.)
  • Cool and enjoy! Let the loaf cool on a wire rack for at least two hours. Then slice and enjoy!