• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
NINNESCAH  HOMESTEAD
  • FOOD FROM SCRATCH
    • BREAKFAST
    • HOME BREW
    • CAST IRON
    • DESSERTS
    • KOMBUCHA
    • HAPPY HOUR
    • MAIN DISH
    • PRESERVING FOOD
    • SOUPS
    • SOURDOUGH
    • VENISON
  • GARDENING
    • FALL GARDEN
    • SPRING GARDEN
    • SUMMER GARDEN
    • CHICKENS
  • HOMESTEADING
    • DIY
    • ACTIVITIES WITH KIDS
    • Decor
    • fall
    • essential oils
    • health and wellness
    • NATURAL LIVING & ESSENTIAL OILS
      • diy lotion bars
      • how to use essential oils (it’s easy!)
      • let’s unbox your oil kit!
      • most common questions about oils
      • save money with essential rewards
      • self care & busy moms
    • our home
    • Christmas
    • Gift guide
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Yelp
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Email
×

Home

How to Bake a Perfect Loaf of Sourdough

December 28, 2021 by Meg Leave a Comment

The aroma of a fresh loaf of sourdough bread baking in the oven is probably one of the most comforting smells in the world. I'm going to break the process down into simple and scrumptious bite-sized pieces. Any baker, experienced or brand new, can easily follow this delicious artisan recipe!

A freshly baked boulle loaf of artisan sourdough sliced on a cutting board.

What is sourdough bread?

Sourdough bread is leavened naturally, meaning it rises by a sourdough starter. This is opposed to dough that rises by commercial yeast or a chemical leavening agent such as baking powder or baking soda.

What is a sourdough starter?

A sourdough starter is a fermented mix of flour and water containing wild yeasts and bacteria. When it is healthy and active, a sourdough starter makes your sourdough bread rise.

A sourdough starter is a fermented mix of flour and water containing wild yeast and bacteria (lactobacilli). Provided it is healthy and active, a sourdough starter is what make will make your bread rise.

How to make a sourdough starter: Days 1-3

Most home bakers make their own starter by combining flour and water and allowing the natural fermentation process to occur. The process is both art as well as science, but to quote Michael Crichton, "life will find a way.'

Day 1: Combine 113 (1 cup) grams of whole wheat flour with 113 (½ cup) grams of cool water. Store this mixture in a one quart glass container. Cover the container loosely and let it sit at room temperature for 24 hours.

Day 2: Most likely, no activity will be occurring at this point. It is possible to see a bit of bubbling or growth. Regardless of the level of activity, we are now ready to do our first discard and feeding. Remove half of the starter, 113 grams or ½ cup. Feed the starter with 113 grams each of flour and lukewarm water. Stir it up, cover loosely and let it sit for another 24 hours.

Day 3: Likely the starter will be showing a little life at this point: bubbling, growing and smelling a little funky. Now it is time to begin feeding the starter twice a day, ideally every 12 hours. Just like the previous days, half of the sourdough starter must be discarded and then 113 grams of flour and lukewarm water added back in. Stir and cover the starter. If the starter has not been growing or bubbling, repeat step 2 until activity occurs.

How to make sourdough starer: Days 4-7

Day 4: Weigh out 113 grams of starter, discard any remaining starter. This is a good time to wash the glass vessel. Place a rubber band around the vessel at the level of the starter. This will measure the growth activity of the starter and act as a gauge for the level of activity.

Day 5 & 6: Repeat the feeding and discarding for two more days. The starter will become very bubbly and have a fruity, acidic aroma. It will rise in the vessel after feeding, then gradually shrink down a bit when the activity slows and it needs to be fed again. Only use it for baking when it is at peak activity, nice and bubbly.

Day 7 (give for take a few days): Sourdough starter must be fed daily or twice daily when kept at room temperature. I typically store my starter in the refrigerator when I am not planning on baking in the upcoming days. A starter kept in the refrigerator can be stored for up to two weeks (or even longer) between feedings.

Step-By-Step How to Feed a Sourdough Starter

When is my starter ready to be used?

If your starter doubles (or triples!) in volume within 4 to 8 hours after a feeding, it is ready to go. It is so satisfying, and incredibly messy, when I find my starer has spilled out of the container like a yeasty little volcano. In a perfect world, I want to use my starter 4 to 8 hours after it's been feed or when it has doubled. This will absolutely make the tastiest crusty bread with a soft and airy texture.

Every time I feed my starter, I place a rubber band around the vessel it is in to mark its height. This helps me watch it's growth and see when it has doubled in volume and is ready to be used.

If your starter is not doubling within 4 to 8 hours of feeding it, you should spend a few days focusing on growing the culture back to optimal health by feeding and discarding regularly. Typically I can repeat this routine for 2-3 days and my starter will become very active and happy.

Basic equipment for making sourdough bread

As an amazon associate, this post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.

  • Bread flour
  • Salt
  • Sourdough starter
  • Water
  • a kitchen scale : This is linked to the one I use. It's simple and cheap.
  • large mixing bowl
  • swedish whisk: game changer for mixing dough!
  • dough scraper
  • proofing basket with liner
  • parchment paper
  • razor blade
  • dutch oven: I use both le crueset ($$$) and lodge cast iron ($)
  • sourdough bundle: this is very cost effective and what I currently use

5 steps to a perfect loaf of sourdough bread

making the dough

  1. Make the autolyse: In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 ½ scant cups of lukewarm water and 405 grams of all-purpose flour. Use your hands or a Swedish whisk to stir the mixture together. It will be sticky and messy, this is okay! Try to form it into a ball as best as possible. Cover the dough bowl with a tea towel and set a timer for one hour.
  2. Make the dough: Using a kitchen scale, add 100 grams of active sourdough starter and 11 grams of Himalayan salt to the autolyse. It is fine to substitute table salt, but I recommend baking with high quality salt. Time to get those hands messy! Fold in the starter and salt by pulling and pushing the autolyse towards the center, covering and pulling the starter throughout the mixture. A word of caution: do not overwork the dough. I usually try to accomplish this step in less than ten kneading repetitions. Cover with a tea towel and set a timer for thirty minutes.
  3. Stretch, fold & rest: Every thirty minutes for the next two hours (for repetitions total), work the dough gently by pulling the edges towards the middle. This is basically adding shape and tension to the dough ball. I typically do six sets of stretching and pulling, taking care not to actually knead the dough and accidentally pop the air bubbles that create an airy and light loaf.

proofing, fermenting & baking

  1. Rest, proof & ferment: After the last stretch & fold, place the dough ball on the counter top and gently pull it towards you. Do this several times from each direction, adding tension and a round dome shape to the loaf. Let the loaf sit on the counter for ten minutes before transferring to a floured proofing basket to ferment in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours.
  2. Baking: Preheat the oven & dutch oven to 475 for one hour. Once the oven is thoroughly preheated, invert the proofing basket onto a piece of parchment paper. The dough can be scored with a razor blade in a decorative pattern. This allows the heat to escape in a controlled way, creating a beautiful pattern in the process. Place the loaf and parchment in the HOT dutch oven with the lid on. Bake for 35 minutes, then remove the lid and bake for ten minutes more.
sourdough loaf cut in half to show the texture of the bread

Troubleshooting disappointing sourdough

Whenever I have had trouble with the texture or quality of a sourdough loaf, it almost always can be attributed to one of these factors:

  • Using a weak starter or not using starter at its peak.
  • Improper ratio of flour to water, usually from eyeballing and not weighing.
  • Over fermentation: letting the bulk fermentation (first rise) go too long, aka forgetting about it. 
  • Using too much whole wheat flour. I've found that substituting ⅓ whole wheat flour for white is the highest I can use before the loaf texture becomes too dense.

More sourdough recipes

Feeling inspired to bake even more sourdough recipes? I've got you covered!

Simple Sourdough Focaccia

Cheesy Sourdough Starter Discard Crackers

Easy Sourdough Crackers

Sourdough Banana Bread

20-Minute Breakfast: Sourdough Crepes

Sourdough Cinnamon Crunch Bagels

Sourdough Coffee Cake

If you make this recipe, please leave a comment below! This provides helpful feedback to both me and other readers. For more delicious recipes from scratch and homesteading tips, follow me on instagram @NinnescahHomestead

Affectionately yours, Meg
« Comforting Rotini With Broccoli And Tuna
Hearty Ricotta Cheese Stuffed Shells With Creamy Pumpkin Marinara »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Footer

STILL HUNGRY?

Broccoli and cheddar soup in a white stoneware bowl with a swirl of cream to garnish.
An italian cream cake on a white cake plate covered in toasted coconut
A freshly baked loaf of chocolate sourdough banana bread on a wood cutting board with chocolate chips, creamy butter and a glass of milk.
Cadbury mini egg easter cookies on a baking sheet with glasses of milk
Three yogurt parfaits in mason jars with maple syrup and berries.
A trio of sourdough bagels in a round aluminum pie pan served with cream cheese.
four street tacos on a vintage white platter with limes and cilantro garnishes.
Hot tomato and mozzarella crostinis fresh from the oven on an aluminum baking sheet with tomatoes and basil for garnish.
A white stoneware bowl filled with caprese salad made with strawberries, mozzarella, Avocado, basil and tomatoes.
three bowls of butternut squash curry garnished with limes and tomatoes.
A platter of apple slaw on a brightly colored napkin with apple and scallion garnishes.
3 plates of Pulled pork and garlic mashed potatoes served with barbecue sauce.
A freshly baked cheesecake tart with fresh blackberries and dusted with powdered sugar.
a juicy venison burger served with cheddar cheese and oven fries with slices of thick cut bacon. It's being served up in a mini cast iron skillet over a bed of fresh oven fries with a frosty glass of beer.
A cast iron skillet full of freshly baked easy oven fries on a striped tea towel served with ketchup.
Freshly baked cheesy sourdough starter discard crackers broken apart and cooling on a galvanized baking sheet.
a bowl of fresh Italian soup with parsley and parmesan next to an olive wood cutting board.
the best banana muffins with einkorn flour stacked haphazardly on a stoneware plate with milk in the background.
a beautiful glazed bundt cake on a cooling rack with dried flowers in a glass vase blurred in the background.
Blueberry cheesecake muffins on a rectangular platter and fresh blueberries and lemons.
Hearty Ricotta Cheese Stuffed Shells With Creamy Pumpkin Marinara
Creamy tuna and broccoli rotini served on a stoneware plate with lemon pepper and fresh parmesan garnish.
sourdough starter discard coffee cake on a cooling rack
Snickerdoodles on a cooling rack with some milk
Gingerbread men waiting to be decorated with royal icing.
A stack of warm gluten free pancakes piled high on a plate, topped with fresh whipped cream and oozing with maple syrup.
A generous slice of peanut butter cake drizzled with melted fudge and chocolate chunks.
Mini chicken pot pies served in ramekins in white pottery bowls, surrounded by fresh herbs.
Pizza pockets piled high on a cooling rack, ready to be devoured by hungry people!
Pumpkin cheesecake bars served on a cooling rack styled with jadeite plates and forks.
Kombucha and tea leaves and plums styled
Cinnamon rolls drizzled with frosting
Sourdough bagels arranged in a jadeite tray with white pumpkins.
Dehydrated apples, peppers and corn sitting on a farmhouse table in mason jars
Ninnescah Homestead How to make a gluten free apple galette recipe on a table with white linens, unsliced and fully baked.
Fresh margaritas in a mason jar made with lime, lemons, tequila, triple sec and plenty of frosty ice.
Chicken taquitos with cilantro garnish and a side of spicy mayo.
Sheet pan pancake served with maple syrup

FREE E-BOOK!

sign up!

Copyright © 2022 NINNESCAH HOMESTEAD on the Foodie Pro Theme