Easy Sourdough Bread Recipe

A loaf of easy sourdough bread sitting on parchment paper on a kitchen towel.

4.69 from 79 votes

Easy Sourdough Bread Recipe

Think you don't have time for sourdough? Think again! This easy sourdough bread recipe is a hands-off way to make sourdough bread with all the benefits of sourdough fermentation, a crisp crust and soft and tender middle. Your whole family will love this loaf!

Prep Time10

Cook Time45

Fermentation Time12

Total Time12 55

Course: Bread

Cuisine: American

Servings: slices

Author: Amy Coyne

Equipment

bowl with cover
kitchen scale optional, but recommended
Dutch oven
parchment paper
bench scraper optional

Ingredients

60 grams sourdough starter ripe, bubbly and active, see recipe notes, about 1/4 cup
340 grams water about 1 1/3 cup plus 2 Tablespoons
10 grams salt about 1 1/2 teaspoons
500 grams bread flour or all-purpose flour, see recipe notes, about 3 2/3 cups

Instructions

Feed Your Starter: If you already have active, bubbly sourdough starter, you can use it directly in this recipe. If your sourdough starter is not ripe, active and bubbly, it needs to be fed. I like to feed my sourdough starter overnight so it will rise while I'm sleeping and is ready to use in the morning. You can change up the ratios of flour, water and starter so your starter is ready when you want it to be.
Here's an example: Take 5-10 grams of ripe or over-ripe starter and feed it 50 grams flour and 50 grams water. Set it in a warm 76-78ºF place and let it ferment for 10-12 hours until ripe, bubbly, active, doubled in size and ready to be used in a recipe.
Mix Dough: In a large bowl, mix 60 grams of bubbly, active sourdough starter with 340 grams of water, 10 grams salt and 500 grams bread flour. Mix together with a wooden spoon, a dough whisk or your hands until a shaggy dough forms and all the flour is incorporated.
First Rise/Bulk Fermentation: Cover the dough and set in a warm 76ºF place for 10-12 hours. During this time the dough will strengthen, rise and double in size.
Note: You can change up this schedule to make your dough overnight instead of during the day if that helps your timeline.
Shape: Once the dough has doubled in size, dump it on a clean countertop. Use lightly damp hands and a bench scraper (if desired) to shape the dough into a round ball by gently dragging the dough on the counter, one hand on each side, as you shape it. The dough may be a little bit sticky - that is normal. Place the dough ball on a piece of parchment paper.
Note: It's important to shape the dough right after it doubles in size. If your dough has doubled in size and started to fall back down, it may be over-proofed and feel overly sticky and wet. At this point you can do your best to shape it and proceed with the recipe (it may bake up a little flat) OR turn it into focaccia bread - oiling a metal pan and stretching the dough, letting it rise and then dimpling and baking it.
Proof (Second Rise): Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a larger kitchen bowl upside down on top of the dough. Let rise for 1-2 hours until relaxed and puffed up.
Score and Bake: Place a Dutch oven into your oven. Preheat the oven and Dutch oven to 500ºF for 20 minutes. Score the top of your bread with a sharp knife with one or two slashes.
Take the dutch oven out of the oven. Warning: This is a VERY HOT dutch oven. Keep those oven mitts on and be very careful not to burn yourself. Take the top off the dutch oven and place the dough and parchment paper into the dutch oven. Place the top back on the dutch oven and close the oven door. Immediately decrease the baking temperature to 450ºF and bake for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes, take the top off the dutch oven and continue baking for 20 more minutes. The internal temperature of the bread should be 205ºF when finished baking.
Note: This dough is not meant for intricate scoring. A few simple slashes will suffice. If you want to make a loaf with intricate scoring, try my more advanced sourdough bread recipe.
Pull the bread out of the oven and place on a cooling rack. Wait until cool to cut into it. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

This sourdough bread requires a sourdough starter. If you don't have one, you can make a sourdough starter from scratch.

This is the perfect sourdough loaf for anyone with a busy schedule. It is not a loaf that gets a lot of light and airy bubbles. It has a closed crumb and is not meant for intricate scoring. It is tasty and delicious and a good option if you don't have time for "stretch and folds" and watching your loaf during the day.

Substitutions-

All-Purpose Flour: Substitute all-purpose flour for bread flour in this recipe. Depending on the protein content you may want to decrease the water by 10-20 grams.

Sourdough Starter: If you want to make this recipe with instant yeast instead of sourdough starter, you can substitute about 1/4 teaspoon of instant yeast for the sourdough starter in this recipe and add an extra 30 grams of flour and 30 grams of water.

Helpful Tips-

Active Starter: Use a sourdough starter that has doubled in size, peaked and is just starting to fall back down. I don't recommend using discard as the leavening agent in this loaf.

Temperature Matters: The temperature of your dough (and starter) will affect how quickly your dough will rise. Use a thermometer if you don't know what the temperature is. Use warm or cold water to bring the temperature of your dough up or down as needed.

Use a Scale: Everyone measures a cup of flour differently and when working with a higher hydration dough, it can be difficult to go by "feel" until you have made many loaves. I recommend using a scale for best results. I do include cup measurements if you don't have your scale yet.

Parchment Paper: Not all parchment is created the same. Use a good quality, higher heat parchment paper to keep it from sticking to your final loaf. You can also use a reuseable silicone sling if you prefer.

I skip the cold fermentation you find in many sourdough recipes so you can easily make this loaf within a day or overnight. If you want to refrigerate the dough, stick it in the refrigerator right before it doubles in size. Leave it in the fridge for up to 12 hours, then proceed with the recipe, shaping, proofing and baking.

If you are new to sourdough, I recommend checking out my Free Sourdough Beginner Guide and follow my Beginner Sourdough Recipe for your first loaf. Then try this recipe or my Traditional Sourdough Bread Recipe.

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