Easy Sourdough Bread

This bread is beginner-friendly, busy life friendly, hungry belly friendly, and downright delicious! While this isn’t a family “ancestor” recipe per se, it’s become an important part of our own family’s history. Jeremiah cultivated the sourdough starter when I was pregnant with our first child, and we’ve been enjoying delicious sourdough breads and other treats ever since. I developed this recipe when my kids were little because I wanted an easy, “hands off” sourdough bread that would fit into my busy life and would still be just as tasty as the more labor-intensive sourdough bread recipes.

All it takes to make is a few minutes of mixing one day, a few minutes of shaping the next day, and about an hour in the oven. The recipe is forgiving and adaptable, so you can adjust it depending on your schedule, and add mix-ins for different flavor and texture profiles. Your house will smell amazing, your morning toast never tasted better, and if you gift a loaf to a lucky friend, they will love you forever. It looks and tastes impressive, but it’s simple enough that anyone can do it. Seriously. Anyone.

(Tip: If you’d like a guide on how to care for your sourdough starter, this is a great resource. I usually keep my starter in the fridge, so it’s very easy to maintain.)

Here’s the recipe. Instructions for variations such as baking in a loaf pan as sandwich bread or adding mix-ins can be found at the end of the recipe.

Easy Sourdough Bread

In a large bowl, combine:

• 4 cups flour
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup sourdough starter
• 1 1/2 cups water

Mix all ingredients until smooth. I use a butter knife for this, but you can use whatever you have handy. (The dough should be cohesive and just a little sticky, so if it seems dry, add another 1-2 tablespoons of water as needed to bring it together.) Cover the bowl with a greased lid or plastic wrap, and let it sit at room temperature for 12-20 hours. (Note: if your starter is not looking very vigorous but rather slumped, gray, neglected, and in need of a little “boost”, you can mix in 1/4 tsp yeast to enhance the rise. And then feed your remaining starter, give its jar a hug, and promise to take better care of it in the future.)

(If you’re a couple of days away from needing bread and you want to try a cold ferment, put the bowl in the refrigerator for 36-48 hours. This develops the flavors more slowly for larger bubbles and a more intense flavor.)

Next day, the dough should look risen and bubbly. (For mix-in variations, see the end of the recipe.) Turn the dough out onto a floured countertop, fold it in thirds like a letter, then rotate and fold in thirds again. Wet your hand and pat the surface of the dough to wet it slightly. Now gently form into a ball by pinching and tucking the edges of the dough into the center in a circular motion. (If the dough seems very sticky and runny, dust it with more flour and gently fold in thirds to incorporate until you can form the ball.) Turn over (seam side down), and use a scraper as needed to tuck/reinforce the shape around the base.

Place dough ball onto a greased or parchment-lined cutting board or bowl, then cover with a damp tea towel and let rise until puffy and nearly doubled in size, about 1-2 hours. (I like to use crumpled parchment because it makes it easy to lift the dough straight out of the bowl and transfer to the pot.)

(Note, if you’re trying the cold ferment and the dough has been in the refrigerator, it will take more like 3-4 hours to rise at room temperature, or 8 hours in the fridge if you need to slow the second rising process down further.)

Near the end of the rise time, preheat oven to 450F degrees. For crusty, artisan-style bread, place a covered, oven safe pot—such as a 4-5 quart dutch oven—into the oven to preheat with the oven. (If you don’t have a covered pot, see instructions for sandwich bread at the end of the recipe.)

When both dough and oven are ready, remove the hot pot or baking sheet from the oven, and sprinkle with a little flour. Using a very sharp knife, slash an X or other pattern on top of the loaf. Carefully transfer the dough to the hot pot, and quickly spritz with water from a spray bottle. Using oven mitts, replace the cover and transfer the pot back into the oven.

Bake, covered in the pot for 30 minutes, then remove the lid and continue baking uncovered for about 15 minutes more, or until the loaf is dark golden brown, and the internal temperature is between 190-200F. 

(If you don’t have a food thermometer, the loaf should be deep golden and crusty, and should sound hollow when you tap it on the bottom.)

Transfer loaf to a wire cooling rack to cool completely before slicing. (I can’t always wait that long, but give it at least 20 minutes.)

Note: For a “sandwich bread” style loaf, you can let the dough rise the second time in a greased loaf pan, covered with a damp tea towel or greased plastic wrap, until almost doubled. Bake in the loaf pan at 425F for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 375F and bake for about 25 minutes, or until internal temp is 190F. Brush the top with butter after baking for a tender crust, then remove from the pan and let cool on a wire rack.

Variation: After the first rise, gently fold in up to about 1 cup of mix-ins (such as oats, cheese, nuts, herbs, onions, etc.) before shaping the loaf.

Alternatively, if you want a multigrain bread from the outset, you can swap up to half of the flour for whole wheat flour (or a blend of rye or kamut flour and/or whole wheat flour, etc). You can also add a cup of rolled oats or barley, chopped nuts, and/or seeds at this point. If the dough seems dry or stiff, add a little water until it comes together. Note that adding the mix-ins before the first rise will result in them being a bit softer and chewier than waiting until after the first rise.

(Mix-ins such as onions, garlic, cheese, or fresh herbs should generally be added after the first rise, when shaping the loaf.)

If you find that your sourdough bread isn’t quite as chewy and full of bubbles as you want it, try the cold ferment method. Slow, cold rises allow the gluten and sourdough flavor extra time to expand and develop. This requires a little more advance planning, but it’s worth trying if you know you’ll want bread a few days from now.

Time for a sandwich!