Homemade Sourdough Bread, Step By Step Recipe

I show that Easy Rustic Sourdough Bread is totally achievable for anyone who can bake yeasted loaves, and I provide video guidance for every step.

I used to think sourdough was some secret only expert bakers knew but it’s not. This Easy Rustic Sourdough Bread guide proves you can do it, with video guidance for every step so you’re never guessing.

I’ll walk you through working with bread flour and an active sourdough starter, show you the simple folds, proof timing and shaping that actually change the crumb. It’s messy sometimes, and yes you’ll make mistakes, but thats how you learn.

If you’ve made yeasted loaves before, this jumps right in and you’ll be surprised how quickly it starts to click.

Ingredients

• Bread flour: high protein gives strong gluten chewy crumb and good oven spring.
• Water: hydrates dough sets hydration no flavor but shapes crust and crumb.
• Active sourdough starter: adds tangy flavor supplies wild yeast and lactic bacteria for rise.
• Fine sea salt: boosts flavor tightens gluten balances sourness and improves crust color.

Ingredient Quantities

• 500 g bread flour
• 350 g water, room temperature
• 100 g active sourdough starter (100% hydration)
• 10 g fine sea salt

How to Make this

1. Mix 500 g bread flour and 350 g room temperature water in a large bowl until no dry flour remains, you want a shaggy, slightly sticky mass; cover and let rest 30 to 60 minutes for an autolyse, this helps gluten and flavor.

2. Sprinkle 10 g fine sea salt over the dough, add 100 g active sourdough starter, then squeeze and fold the dough until starter and salt are fully incorporated, about 3 to 5 minutes, use wet hands if it sticks.

3. Begin bulk fermentation at room temperature, about 3 to 5 hours depending on how warm your kitchen is, during the first 2 hours do 4 sets of stretch and folds every 30 minutes: grab from one side, lift and fold over, rotate the bowl, repeat 4 to 6 times per set, this builds strength without over kneading.

4. Let the dough rest undisturbed after the last fold until it has risen roughly 30 to 50 percent and shows bubbles on the surface and sides, poke test should slowly bounce back, not spring right back.

5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, pre shape gently into a loose round, cover and bench rest 20 to 30 minutes to relax the gluten.

6. Final shape into a tight boule or batard by creating surface tension with quick, confident folds and tucks; place seam up in a well floured banneton or bowl lined with a floured towel, cover.

7. Final proof either room temperature 2 to 4 hours until puffy, or refrigerate 12 to 18 hours for an overnight cold proof which gives better flavor and is more forgiving; if cold, bake straight from the fridge.

8. Preheat your oven with a Dutch oven inside to 250 C 475 F for 30 to 45 minutes so it’s scorching hot; when ready, invert the proofed loaf onto parchment, score the top quickly with a lame or sharp blade to control the oven spring.

9. Bake covered for 20 minutes to trap steam and get oven spring, then reduce oven to 230 C 450 F and bake uncovered 20 to 25 minutes until deep brown and the crust is crisp, or internal temp reads about 99 C 210 F; remove to a rack and cool at least 1 hour before slicing so the crumb finishes setting.

Equipment Needed

1. Digital kitchen scale, for weighing flour water starter and salt (dont guesstimate)
2. Large mixing bowl, big enough for the autolyse and bulk fermentation
3. Bench scraper or dough scraper, to turn the dough and help shape it
4. Clean hands and a small bowl of water, to keep the dough from sticking while you fold
5. Banneton or a bowl lined with a well floured towel, for the final proof
6. Dutch oven with lid, preheated in the oven to trap steam and get good oven spring
7. Parchment paper, to lift the loaf into the hot Dutch oven
8. Sharp lame or razor blade, for quick confident scoring
9. Oven mitts or heavy towels, for safely handling the hot Dutch oven
10. Cooling rack, so the loaf can cool and finish setting before you slice

FAQ

Homemade Sourdough Bread, Step By Step Recipe Substitutions and Variations

Homemade Sourdough Bread — Step by step

Ingredients
– 500 g bread flour
– 350 g water, room temperature
– 100 g active sourdough starter (100% hydration)
– 10 g fine sea salt

Method
1. Wake the starter: Make sure your starter is active and bubbly. Feed it 4 to 8 hours before using so 100 g is at its peak. If it’s sluggish don’t use it yet, it’ll ruin the rise.
2. Autolyse: In a big bowl mix the 500 g flour with 350 g water until there are no big dry bits. Cover and rest 30 to 60 minutes. This helps gluten form without kneading.
3. Add starter and salt: Add the 100 g starter and 10 g salt. Mix until everything is combined and the dough is fairly smooth. It’ll be sticky, that’s normal.
4. Bulk fermentation and folds: Do a series of stretch-and-folds right in the bowl every 30 minutes for the first 2 hours (about 3 to 4 folds). Then let the dough sit until it’s risen 20 to 50 percent and feels airy when you poke it. Total bulk time usually 3 to 5 hours at room temp, depends on how warm your kitchen is.
5. Pre-shape and bench rest: Dump dough onto a lightly floured surface, gently pre-shape into a round, rest 20 to 30 minutes uncovered.
6. Final shape: Tighten the shape by pulling the dough toward you on the counter to create surface tension. Place seam-side-up in a well-floured banneton or bowl lined with a floured towel.
7. Cold retard or room proof: For best flavor proof in the fridge 8 to 14 hours. If you need it faster proof at room temp for 2 to 4 hours until puffy.
8. Preheat oven and pot: Put a Dutch oven or heavy pot with lid in the oven and preheat to 250 C (480 F) for at least 30 minutes. The pot needs to be screaming hot.
9. Score and bake: Turn the dough onto parchment, score it with a sharp blade, transfer to the hot pot, cover and bake 20 minutes covered at 250 C (480 F). Remove lid, reduce temp to 230 C (450 F) and bake another 20 to 30 minutes until deep brown and crusty. Internal temp should be about 96 C (205 F).
10. Cool: Let the loaf cool on a rack at least 2 hours before slicing. Cutting too soon makes the crumb gummy.

Quick tips
– Use a wet or floured bench scraper to handle sticky dough, not your hands too much.
– If you don’t have a banneton use a towel-lined bowl dusted with rice or wheat flour so it won’t stick.
– If your oven runs hot lower temps, if it runs cool raise them a bit. Ovens vary, trust the color and internal temp.
– Don’t panic if your first loaf looks messy, sourdough is part art and part science. It gets better fast with practice.

Substitutions

• 500 g bread flour: swap for 500 g all-purpose flour plus 25 g vital wheat gluten to match bread flour strength
• 350 g water: replace up to 50 g of the water with whole milk for a softer, richer crumb
• 100 g active sourdough starter: if you have no starter use about 2 to 3 g instant yeast (roughly 1 tsp) and cut bulk fermentation to 1 to 2 hours
• 10 g fine sea salt: substitute by weight with 10 g table or kosher salt; if measuring by volume remember kosher is less dense so use more by volume

Pro Tips

1. Make sure your starter is actually at its peak, not just fed a few hours ago; it should be bubbly and domed. The float test can lie sometimes, so trust volume and lots of tiny bubbles more than one floating pea, and if it’s slow try a slightly warmer spot or a quicker feed schedule, you’ll get better oven spring.

2. This dough is pretty wet so learn to love stretch and folds, they give strength without killing the dough. Use wet hands when it sticks, don’t over flour the bench when shaping, but if it feels impossible add just a sprinkle of flour during preshape so you can form surface tension.

3. Final shaping needs confidence, quick folds and a tight skin, then let it relax before the last tuck so it doesn’t fight you. If you want more flavor and a safer timing window cold proof overnight, and when you bake cold dough just score and put it straight in the hot pot.

4. Heat your pot until it’s screaming hot, and score decisively with a very sharp blade or lame, shallow timid cuts close up, deep decisive cuts give stronger oven spring. If you don’t have a Dutch oven, trap steam with a tray of boiling water or tightly tent a sheet pan, and always let the loaf cool at least an hour so the crumb finishes setting, otherwise it’ll be gummy.