Speedy Same Day Sourdough Bread Recipe (Easy To Make)

I’m sharing my Easy Sourdough Bread Recipe that hinges on one little-known timing trick and everyday ingredients.

Bread smell pulls me every time, so I wanted a loaf that saves the waiting and still tastes alive. Using bread flour and an active sourdough starter I found a way to shorten the clock without things getting plastic or flat.

It’s kind of an Easy Sourdough Bread Recipe Same Day thing, and yes it is a Recipe Using Sourdough Starter but with a couple tricks that speed proofing. I write this because sometimes you want real sourdough now not tomorrow, and I love showing how a simple method can surprise you, crusty outside, open crumb inside.

Ingredients

• Bread flour: High protein, builds structure and chew, mostly carbs, small fibre, not very sweet.
• Active sourdough starter: Wild yeast and bacteria gives tangy sour flavor, adds depth, some probiotic benefit.
• Warm water: Hydrates dough, controls fermentation speed, no calories but affects crumb and crust.
• Fine sea salt: Enhances flavor, tightens gluten, tiny mineral boost, balances sourness, not sweet.
• Olive oil: Adds softness and richness, slightly fruity, some healthy fats, makes crumb tender.
• Instant yeast: Speeds proofing when needed, neutral taste, turns carbs to CO2 faster.
• Extra flour for dusting: Helps shaping, prevents sticking, dont change nutrition, just a practical aid.
• Cornmeal or semolina: Gives crunchy bottom, subtle nutty texture, adds carbs but tiny nutrients.

Ingredient Quantities

• Bread flour, 500 g (about 4 cups)
• Warm water, 350 g (about 1 1/2 cups, roughly 70 percent hydration)
• Active sourdough starter, 100 percent hydration, 200 g (fed and bubbly)
• Fine sea salt, 10 g (about 1 3/4 tsp)
• Olive oil, 1 tbsp (optional for a softer crumb)
• Extra flour for dusting and shaping, 2 to 3 tbsp
• Cornmeal or semolina for dusting (optional)
• Instant yeast, 1/4 tsp (optional to speed proofing on cool days)

How to Make this

1. In a big bowl mix 500 g bread flour with 350 g warm water (about 95-105°F / 35-40°C) until shaggy, then cover and let rest 20 to 30 minutes for an autolyse.

2. Sprinkle 10 g fine sea salt around the dough edge (not straight on the starter), add 200 g active bubbly 100% starter, 1 tbsp olive oil and the optional 1/4 tsp instant yeast if your kitchen is cool. Mix until everything is incorporated and you have a cohesive, slightly sticky dough.

3. Do a set of stretch-and-folds right away: grab one side, stretch up and fold over, rotate bowl and repeat 4 sides counts as one set. Do 3 to 4 sets spaced 20 to 30 minutes apart during bulk ferment. Dont overwork it on the counter, the folds build strength.

4. Bulk ferment in a warm spot (about 75-80°F / 24-27°C) for
1.5 to
2.5 hours total until the dough is puffier and springs back slowly. If your house is cold, use the instant yeast or place the bowl in a turned-off oven with a cup of hot water to make a proof box.

5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, use 2 to 3 tbsp extra flour for dusting, pre-shape into a loose round, rest 15 to 20 minutes covered so the gluten relaxes.

6. Final shape tightly into a boule or batard, dust a banneton or bowl with flour or use cornmeal/semolina for dusting to prevent sticking, place seam side up in the basket or on parchment if you dont have a banneton.

7. Final proof at room temp about 45 to 60 minutes until slightly puffy but not doubled. For faster same day results keep it warm; if you want more flavor you could chill it overnight but thats not same-day.

8. Meanwhile preheat your oven to 475°F (245°C) with a Dutch oven inside for at least 30 minutes. If you dont have a Dutch oven use a baking stone and a metal tray for steam. Parchment helps with transfer.

9. Turn the loaf onto parchment, score the top with a sharp knife or lame, place into the hot Dutch oven, cover and reduce oven to 450°F (230°C). Bake covered 20 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 25 minutes until deep golden and the crust is crisp. If not using a Dutch oven add steam by throwing a few ice cubes or a hot pan of water into the oven at the start.

10. Cool the bread on a rack at least 1 hour before slicing so the crumb sets. Tap the bottom for a hollow sound to check doneness. Leftovers keep well wrapped at room temp 2 to 3 days, or slice and freeze for longer.

Equipment Needed

1. Digital kitchen scale (accurate to grams)
2. Large mixing bowl, roomy for the autolyse and bulk ferment
3. Dough whisk or a sturdy wooden spoon for the initial mix
4. Bench scraper for turning, dividing and shaping the dough
5. Proofing basket (banneton) or a bowl lined with a well floured towel
6. Dutch oven (6 to 8 qt) or a baking stone plus a metal tray for steam, and parchment for easy transfer
7. Sharp blade or lame for scoring the loaf
8. Instant read thermometer for water and oven temps
9. Cooling rack to let the bread rest before slicing

FAQ

Speedy Same Day Sourdough Bread Recipe (Easy To Make) Substitutions and Variations

• Bread flour: swap with all-purpose + vital wheat gluten — use 500 g AP flour + about 15–20 g (1 to 1 1/2 tbsp) vital wheat gluten to match protein. If you dont have gluten just use 100% AP, loaf will be softer and less chewy.
• Active sourdough starter (200 g): no fed starter? Replace the 200 g starter with 100 g flour + 100 g water and add 1 to 1.5 tsp instant yeast (or about 2 tsp active dry, proofed). Keeps hydration the same, rise is faster and flavor is milder.
• Olive oil (1 tbsp): swap with melted butter (same amount) for richer flavor, or use a neutral oil like canola/vegetable. Or leave it out entirely for a crisper crust.
• Cornmeal or semolina for dusting: use rice flour, extra AP flour, or fine polenta. Rice flour in the banneton helps the loaf release easy and wont brown as much.

Pro Tips

1) Treat the hydration like a suggestion not a rule. 70 percent is a great starting point with bread flour, but flours vary. if the dough feels too loose, dust in a tablespoon of flour at a time; if it feels dry add a teaspoon or two of water. always weigh ingredients.

2) Watch temperature not time. Bulk ferment at about 75 to 80°F for best enzyme activity and oven spring. if your kitchen is cold use the 1/4 teaspoon instant yeast or make a proof box with a warm cup of water in the oven. look for the dough to be puffier and a slow spring back, not necessarily doubled.

3) Build tension when you shape. pre-shape, rest, then tighten the final shape by pulling the surface toward you on the bench to create skin tension. dust with semolina or cornmeal in the basket so the bottom slides out clean. if it sticks to your banneton, chill the dough 10 minutes and try again.

4) Score and steam for that dramatic oven spring. score confidently about a quarter to a half inch deep with a sharp lame or blade, and make clean decisive cuts. preheat your Dutch oven at least 30 minutes, bake covered first then uncover to crisp and color. use an instant read thermometer to check doneness 205 to 210°F inside, and cool at least one hour before slicing so the crumb sets.