Easy Sourdough Bread Recipe

A loaf of sourdough, scored down the center with wheat stalks on one side.

Easy Sourdough Bread Recipe

This easy sourdough bread recipe is so approachable, it's perfect for both beginners or experienced sourdough bakers! It bakes up super fluffy with the perfect crispy crust! Be sure to check the recipe post for step-by-step pictures, as well as different ways to adjust the timeline. This recipe is sure to become your favorite everyday sourdough bread recipe! This recipe makes 2, 895g loaves, you you can easily scale it to half and make 1 loaf.

4.50 from 2 votes

Print Pin Save

Prep Time: 6

Cook Time: 35

Resting Time: 12

Servings: slices

Ingredients

Mix 1

650 grams water
200 grams ripe sourdough starter 100% hydration
85 grams whole wheat flour
815 grams unbleached bread flour *see notes for flour suggestions

Mix 2

20 grams fine sea salt
20 grams water

Additional

60 grams brown rice flour for flouring proofing baskets

Instructions

8:00am-9:00am, Mix 1 & Autolyse

In a large bowl, combine the 650 grams water and 200 grams starter. Break apart the starter with your fingers until evenly dispersed throughout the water.
Add the 85 grams whole wheat flour, 500 grams medium bread flour, and 315 grams high gluten bread flour. Combine with a Danish whisk or with fingers until no dry bits of flour remain. Cover and let rest 45 minutes.

9:00am-9:40am, Mix 2, Beginning of Bulk Fermentation

Remove the cover from the bowl. The dough should be much softer and hydrated. Sprinkle the 20 grams of salt and 20 grams of water over the top of the dough. Pinch the dough together until all of the salt and water is mixed into the dough. This is the beginning of bulk fermentation.
Cover and let rest 40 minutes.

9:40am-10:20am, Fold 1

Remove the cover from the bowl. Wet your fingers with water to prevent the dough from sticking as you handle it. Stretch one side of the dough up and fold it over to the other side. Rotate the bowl a quarter turn and stretch and fold dough again. Repeat two more times, completing this first series of stretches and folds on all four sides of the dough. Cover and let rest 40 minutes.

10:20am-11:00am, Fold 2

Complete a series of four stretches and folds.Cover and let rest for 40 minutes.

11:00am - Fold 3

Complete a series of four stretches and folds. Cover and let rest for the remainder of bulk fermentation.

11:00am-1:00pm (or beyond), finish Bulk Fermentation

Allow dough to rest for the remainder of bulk fermentation. This could take anywhere for 2 to 4 hours. Bulk fermentation is complete when the dough has increased in volume about 20-30%, has a few bubbles on top, and the edges are ridged and slightly pulling away from the bowl.

1:00pm-1:30pm, Divide and Pre Shape

Wet your fingers with water to handle the dough. Gently loosen the edges of the dough from the bowl. Turn the bowl upside down, releasing the dough from the bowl.
Wet your dough scraper with water and divide the dough into two equal pieces. Working with one piece of dough at a time, use your dough scraper to round out the dough, tightening and smoothing the surface.
Let dough rest uncovered for 30 minutes.

1:30pm, Final Shape

Working with one loaf at a time, flip the dough over and shape into either a boule or batard. See video for details. Place in floured proofing baskets top side down. Cover with a plastic bag. See notes for same day baking option.

2:00pm-anytime next day, Overnight Cold Proof

Place covered loaves in the refrigerator overnight or up to 48 hours. This is an important step that slows down the fermentation process, allowing for a deeper flavor and making the bread more digestible.

Next Day Baking

Position oven rack on position just lower from the center. Place dutch oven on top and preheat it with the oven to 475°F/245°C. Allow oven to preheat at least 30 minutes. (*see notes for baking tips)
Once oven is preheated, remove loaf from refrigerator. (*see notes) Place parchment paper over the top of the basket. Quickly flip the basket over, releasing the loaf onto the parchment. Now the loaf should be top-side-up. Dust with rice flour. Score loaf as desired.
Remove the dutch oven from the oven and take off the lid. Quickly transfer the loaf into the dutch oven by lifting it with the sides of the parchment. Place the lid back onto the dutch oven and bake for 14 minutes.
Without opening the oven, decrease oven temperature to 450°F/232°C and bake an additional 14 minutes.
Remove lid from dutch oven. Bake an additional 10-15 minutes or until loaf is desired golden brown.
Remove from oven and place on wire cooling rack. Allow loaf to cool completely before slicing (at least 2 hours).

Notes

*Bread flours can vary from type to brand. There are some bread flours that have a higher protein content. These are called high protein or high gluten flours. Using higher protein flours will yield a dough easier to work with, and a thicker, chewy crust. If you prefer a thinner crust, use a lower protein bread flour. This makes the dough a bit wetter, so you may need to hold back on some of your water if using a lower protein bread flour. See my recipe post for more flour tips and recommendations.
Wheat Flour: You can also leave out the wheat flour and do all white bread flour. Likewise, you can replace more of the white bread flour for more wheat flour. Keep in mind, the more wheat flour you add, the denser your loaf will be. It's not necessarily a bad thing (it's quite tasty), but just something to be aware of. If increasing the wheat flour, you may need to add a bit more water. See recipe post for more tips.
You can replace the whole wheat flour with another type of whole grain flour, or leave it out and replace it with more bread flour. Whole grain flour adds nutrition, flavor, and a more golden color to the loaf.
Same day baking option: After placing shaped loaves in proofing baskets, cover and let rise at room temperature until it passes the "poke test" (check blog post for details). This could take anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours, depending on your dough and ambient temperature in kitchen. Allow 30 minutes towards the end of proof time to preheat the oven. Place one loaf in the refrigerator as you bake the first loaf in a preheated dutch oven. This will prevent it from over proofing as the first loaf bakes. After baking the first loaf, place the lid back on the dutch oven and place in oven as you reheat it to 475°F/246°C. Bake second loaf as directed in recipe.
If you have a baking stone, place it on the very bottom rack before preheating oven and allow it to heat up with dutch oven. This can help prevent the bottom of the loaf from burning.
For more help or sourdough recipes, be sure to check my bread classes at thatbreadlady.com. All my classes have pre-recorded videos to walk you through your next baking success!

(recipe updated on 4/29/25 to simplify flour suggestions)

Nutrition