Easy Sourdough Bread Recipe

Rachael Margaret's avatarByRachael Margaret
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I’m very excited to bring you this easy sourdough bread recipe, because baking sourdough is such a fulfilling labor of love. There is something truly satisfying about tending to your sourdough starter, your dough and baking a delicious loaf to share with those you love. Or just yourself if you fancy 🙂

I’ll take you through how to make this easy sourdough bread including an easy recipe to get you started. Much of the success of your sourdough baking depends on your sourdough starter.

Sourdough Baking Key Terms

Hydration: Hydration refers to the amount of water used in a loaf. When starting out with sourdough baking, you want to have a lower ratio of water to flour. Once you gain experience working with dough, you can increase the percentage of water and bake “high hydration” sourdough. But also not necessary!

Sourdough Starter: Don’t hesitate to experiment with different herbs and spices like thyme, bay leaves, or cloves to create your unique pickle flavor profile.

Proofing: I love giving Homemade pickles as gifts! Package them in decorative jars with personalized labels for a thoughtful and tasty present.

Bulk fermentation: This term comes from bakers who would bulk prepare the sourdough and put in the fridge to ferment overnight. While we are only baking 1 loaf, the term bulk fermentation is still commonly used when covering your proofed dough and putting in the fridge overnight.

Scoring: Scoring is the name for the sliced design on top of bread.

Easy Sourdough Bread Reipce

Easy Sourdough Bread Recipe

If you are learning how to make sourdough, this is your recipe! A wonderful easy sourdough bread recipe to follow for beginner's.
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Prep Time:15 minutes
Cook Time:40 minutes
Proofing Time:8 hours
Total Time:1 day
Keyword: Sourdough
Servings: 1 loaf (8-10 slices)

Ingredients

  • 480 g flour approx. 3.5 cups
  • 10 g sea salt 1.5 teaspoons
  • 310 g water 1 and 1/3 cups
  • 130 g active sourdough starter

Instructions

Day One

  1. Feed your starter: In the morning around 7 to 8 am, feed your sourdough starter. You want to feed so you have the 130g bubbly starter needed for this recipe, plus an amount remaining to feed for your next loaf.
  2. Mix your dough: Once your starter has doubled in size, is very bubbly and active it is time to mix your dough. Mix the flour and salt. Next add in the water and sourdough starter. Roughly combine with a danish whisk or your hands. Then cover with a damp tea towel, place some place warm and rest for 30 minutes.
  3. Stretch and folds: After 30 minutes of rest, perform your first round of stretch and folds. Lift a quarter of the dough up and stretch high above the mixing bowl, then fold it back down over the top of the dough ball. Spin your bowl and repeat with the next quarter of dough. Do this until you have stretched and folded all around your dough.
    Rest your dough again for 30 minutes. Perform another round of stretch and folds.
    Do this processs a total of 3 times, over 90 minutes.
  4. Proofing: Proof your dough by allowing it to rest in a warm place in your kitchen. Usually for 6 to 8 hours. Keep in mind, this is very temperature dependent. If your kitchen is hot in the middle of summer, your dough may only need 3 to 4 hours. If it is cold, it may take up to 12 hours to proof. Typically comfortable temperature, your dough should be ready by 8 or 9 pm.
  5. Shape your dough: Flour an area of your kitchen benchtop and gently empty your dough out. Gently stretch your dough out to a rectangle.
  6. Bulk ferment: This is when you cover your shaped dough in a plastic bag and rest it in your fridge overnight.

Day Two

  1. Preheat your oven: Once you are ready to bake the next morning, preheat your oven to 220 ℃. Place the bottom of your cast iron inside to oven to heat up. Give your oven at least 20 minutes to heat up.
  2. Score your dough: Break off a piece of parchment paper that fill fit inside your dutch oven. Gently flip your shaped dough out on top of the parchment paper.
    Using a bread lame or stanley knife, gently slice "Score" an incision on top of your dough. A common design is a cross.
  3. Bake: Wearing oven mitts, place your preheated dutch oven onto a chopping board. Gently transfer your shaped dough on the patchment paper and drop into dutch oven. Put the lid on and bake for 20 minutes.
    After 20 minutes, remove the lid from your dutch oven and bake for a further 15 to 20 minutes so the top of your sourdough can turn a lovely golden brown.

In Closing

Thank you for visiting my blog! Let me know in the comments if you make this sourdough bread recipe. For another baking idea, you may also like to try my blueberry and lemon scones. They are delicious!

Rachael x

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