Sourdough bread is a tangy, crusty loaf made from just flour, water, salt, and a living sourdough starter. The starter ferments slowly over days, building flavor and strength without commercial yeast. The result is a bread with an open crumb, chewy interior, and a dark, crackling crust.
Ingredients for Sourdough Bread
Sourdough starter is the living culture that leavens the dough and gives sourdough its distinctive tang. Bread flour has enough protein to build a strong, elastic dough that holds gas bubbles and creates that open crumb. Water hydrates the flour and activates fermentation. Salt controls fermentation speed, strengthens gluten, and seasons the loaf.
Why This Sourdough Bread Works
Sourdough relies on wild yeast and bacteria already living in your starter. These microbes eat the flour slowly over many hours, producing gas that inflates the dough and acids that give sourdough its sour flavor and complex taste. This long, cold fermentation also develops gluten naturally, so you need less kneading and the dough becomes extensible and strong on its own.
The bulk fermentation (the first rise) happens at room temperature for 4 to 6 hours, allowing the starter to multiply and work through the dough. You then shape it and place it in the refrigerator overnight. This cold, slow proof in the fridge does two things: it makes the dough easier to score because it is cold and firm, and it lets fermentation continue quietly, deepening flavor and creating a more open crumb structure.
Baking the cold dough in a very hot oven causes rapid steam release from the surface, which keeps the crust tender enough to expand before it sets. This creates that signature crispy, caramelized crust. The interior continues to bake gently, developing a chewy, open crumb with irregular holes.
Sourdough Bread Tips & Tricks
- Use a scale to measure flour and water by weight, not volume, so your hydration stays consistent and your crumb structure is predictable.
- Feed your starter at least once a day and use it when it is bubbly and at peak rise, usually 4 to 8 hours after feeding, so it has maximum leavening power.
- After shaping, place the dough seam-side up in a floured banneton or bowl lined with a kitchen towel, then refrigerate overnight or up to 16 hours for best flavor and easier scoring.
- Bake in a Dutch oven or on a preheated baking stone with a pan of water below it to trap steam, which keeps the crust crackling and gives you time to score before it sets.
Mistakes To Avoid
Using starter that is not active or bubbly will not leaven the dough properly, and you will end up with a dense, heavy loaf that barely rises. Always feed your starter and wait until it has doubled and smells sour and yeasty before mixing it into the dough.
Skipping the cold overnight proof rushes fermentation and skips the flavor development that makes sourdough worth making. The bulk fermentation alone is not enough to build complexity. The cold proof in the fridge slows everything down and lets the dough mature, so do not skip it or cut it short.
Under-baking sourdough leaves the interior gummy and the crust soft and pale. The bread needs to bake until it is deep golden brown and sounds hollow when you tap the bottom. If you pull it out too early, it will not hold its shape as it cools and the crumb will be wet.
Slicing the bread while it is still warm will collapse the crumb and make it gummy. Sourdough continues to cook and set as it cools. Wait at least 1 hour, ideally 2 to 3 hours, before slicing so the interior firms up and you can make clean slices.
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Ingredients
- 500 g bread flour (about 4 cups)
- 350 ml water (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 100 g active sourdough starter, fed 4 to 8 hours before (about 1/2 cup)
- 10 g salt (about 2 teaspoons)
Step-by-step Instructions
- Mix 350 ml water and 100 g active starter in a large bowl until combined, then add 500 g bread flour and stir until no dry flour remains. Let it rest 30 minutes at room temperature.
- Add 10 g salt and mix it in thoroughly by hand or with wet fingers, squeezing the dough until the salt is fully incorporated, about 2 minutes.
- Bulk ferment at room temperature (68 to 72°F / 20 to 22°C) for 4 to 6 hours. Do 4 to 6 sets of stretch and fold during the first 2 hours, then let it rest undisturbed. The dough should increase by 50 to 75 percent in volume and feel airy and jiggly.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and gently pre-shape it into a round. Let it rest 20 minutes, then shape it into a tight boule or oval, folding the edges toward the center and rolling it toward you to create surface tension.
- Place the shaped dough seam-side up in a floured banneton or a bowl lined with a floured kitchen towel. Cover it loosely and refrigerate for 12 to 16 hours.
- Place a Dutch oven in your oven and preheat to 500°F (260°C) for at least 45 minutes.
- Turn the cold dough out onto parchment paper. Score the top with a sharp blade, making a 1/4-inch-deep cut at a 30-degree angle.
- Carefully transfer the dough on parchment into the hot Dutch oven. Cover with the lid and bake at 500°F (260°C) for 20 minutes.
- Remove the lid and lower the heat to 450°F (232°C). Bake for 25 to 35 minutes more, until the crust is deep golden brown and the loaf sounds hollow when you tap the bottom. The internal temperature should reach 205 to 210°F (96 to 99°C) when measured in the center with an instant-read thermometer.
- Transfer the loaf to a wire rack and cool for at least 1 to 2 hours before slicing.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if my starter is ready to use?
After feeding, wait 4 to 8 hours until your starter has roughly doubled in volume, is bubbly throughout, and smells distinctly sour and yeasty. If it is sluggish or smells only of flour, feed it again and wait longer before using it.
Can I make this with all-purpose flour instead of bread flour?
All-purpose flour will work but will produce a less open crumb and a less chewy interior because it has less protein. Bread flour gives you that signature sourdough structure, so it is worth using if you can find it.
How long does sourdough stay fresh and can it be frozen?
Sourdough keeps at room temperature in a paper bag for 2 to 3 days. Wrap cooled loaves tightly in plastic wrap or a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours before serving.
Serving Ideas for Sourdough Bread
Serve warm slices with butter for simple richness, or tear the bread and use it to dip in olive oil and salt. It is excellent alongside soups and stews because the crust holds up to liquid and the chewy crumb absorbs broth. Toast day-old slices for breakfast with jam or cheese, or make sandwiches with the bread at peak freshness.
