Beginner Artisan Sourdough Bread Recipe
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Homemade sourdough bread is one of the most rewarding baking projects you can take on. This beginner artisan sourdough bread recipe uses a Tartine-style method to create a crusty loaf with an open crumb, deep flavor, and beautiful oven spring—without kneading.
If you are new to sourdough, this artisan sourdough bread recipe walks you step by step through the long cold fermentation process that helps build structure, flavor, and rise. It is a true no-knead sourdough bread method designed to help beginners make bakery-style sourdough bread at home.
Over the years, this recipe has brought in hundreds of questions from bakers working through the same common sourdough issues: shaping sticky dough, scoring confidently, getting better oven spring, understanding crumb, and fixing dense loaves. To make this recipe easier to succeed with, I’ve linked my step-by-step sourdough guides throughout this post so you can get help exactly where you need it.
In this guide, you’ll learn:
- how to build dough strength through stretch and folds
- how long cold fermentation improves flavor and structure
- how to bake for a crisp crust and open crumb
- how to avoid common beginner sourdough mistakes
Let’s walk through the process.
Start Here If You’re New to Sourdough
If you want help with specific parts of the process, these sourdough guides will walk you through each step in more detail:
- Want better dough tension and loaf shape? Read How to Shape Sourdough Bread
- Need help scoring your loaf? Read How to Score Sourdough Bread
- Want better oven spring and crust? Read How Steam Baking Sourdough Affects Oven Spring and Crust
- Not sure what your crumb is telling you? Read How to Read Sourdough Crumb Structure
- Struggling with heavy loaves? Read Why Is My Sourdough Bread Dense?
- Wondering whether you need a dramatic ear? Read Do You Need an Ear on Sourdough Bread?
This recipe is the foundation. These guides will help you understand the process and improve your results from one bake to the next.
This beginner artisan sourdough bread recipe includes a complete step-by-step video walkthrough of the Tartine-style method. If you prefer learning visually, watch the entire process from mixing to baking.
If the embedded video does not load due to ad blockers, you can watch the full artisan sourdough bread tutorial directly on our YouTube channel here.
Watch the Video Demonstration:This video compresses the 24 hours it takes to complete this recipe into about 6 minutes. You can accomplish this basic sourdough recipe. And your family will love you for it.
What is sourdough Bread? Sourdough bread is a type of bread that is made through a fermentation process that uses a natural starter culture, rather than commercial yeast. The natural starter culture, also known as a sourdough starter, is made from a mixture of flour and water that has been fermented by wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria. This mixture is then used to ferment the dough for the bread, which gives it its characteristic sour flavor.
Is sourdough a Healthy Bread? Sourdough bread is made through a fermentation process that uses a natural starter culture, rather than commercial yeast. This process can result in a bread that is easier to digest for some people and that has a lower glycemic index than other types of bread. Additionally, sourdough bread is a good source of fiber, protein, B vitamins, and minerals like iron and zinc.
Read My Post on Why Sourdough Bread Is good For you. It goes deep into why sourdough bread benefits your health and should be a regular part of your diet for good health.
This is a basic sourdough bread recipe that uses the long cold rise method. Allowing the dough to ferment in the fridge for 12 to 36 hours will develop the flavor and texture of the bread and allow the fermentation to give you the best health benefits of sourdough bread.
I have had a LARGE number of readers tag us on our various social networks and email me pics of their wonderful results. The best part of my day is seeing your successes.
Learn the techniques used in this naturally fermented bread recipe. Take every step in order and make this beautiful sourdough bread. Let us know in the comments if it helps you out.
This is a lean bread. Very crusty with a tender, creamy well developed crumb. And only THREE ingredients. Flour water and salt.
Learn this beginner sourdough artisan bread recipe. It will pay you back every time you DON’T buy an artisan loaf from the bakery.
Artisan bread making is a HUGE subject. I will go into as much detail as I can for you here and include resources for you. Feel free to ask your questions. But FIRST PLEASE READ the entire tutorial.
Sourdough artisan recipes with the stretch and fold method and long cold rise are a unique class of bread. Learn the methods to make these breads and you will be a bread baking star in your foodie circle.
Do you need a dutch oven for sourdough bread?
Baking sourdough loaves in your dutch oven provides a way to steam the dough as it bakes. This helps form a crusty loaf with a tender moist center. The dutch oven sourdough bread method keeps the outside crust from becoming too tough during the main baking process. The lid comes off the dutch oven the last 10 or 15 minutes of baking which allows for a crispy crust with a tender bread center.
To ensure proper bread baking you will need to create an environment that captures both steam and maintain heat. There are a few other methods you can try if you do not have a dutch oven.
Use a baking stone to help maintain the high heat needed for proper artisan bread baking. Use a casserole dish or deep roasting dish that can hold in the steam. A deep cast Iron pan with a lid on it can also be used for sourdough bread baking, just make sure that it is tall enough to allow the bread to properly rise. And if all else fails try a cookie sheet with a roasting pan lid over it.
Steam Baking:
The point is you need to create steam around the dough as it bakes. Most ovens do not have a great seal. So spritzing the bread in the oven as it bakes is less than ideal. For the best crust and texture you need constant steam around the loaf while it bakes at least the first 15 to 20 minutes. Read our Guide on Steam Baking Sourdough to go deeper into this.
That shattered crust and open tender crumb is the Homemade Food Junkie Artisan sourdough goal. Learn this method. There is no going back. And you can do SO many bread varieties with this recipe.
Supplies:
If you make sourdough loaves like this for a while you will get MUCH better results from a few purchases. The crusty flavorful breads are so good. All you need is flour and salt and a few supplies to bake some pretty amazing breads.
- Measure your ingredients by WEIGHT. Measuring by weight is one of the simplest ways to improve your sourdough results. Learn why it matters in Measure Sourdough Ingredients by Weight. Flours especially need weight rather than volume measures for the most consistent results. Here’s a decent 22 lb. food scale.
- Salt measured by volume is unreliable because crystal size and density vary—weight is consistent. I use sea salt or pink salt for this recipe. Salt plays an important role in fermentation and dough strength. Learn more in Salt in Sourdough Bread: Why It Matters.
- You will need a dutch oven or other HIGH HEAT (to 500 degrees) oven safe skillet with a lid. Use either a cast iron skillet combo or a dutch oven. Here’s my 6.5 quart Le Creuset oval Dutch oven (gifted to me by my Lovely In laws).
- I am SO happy I bought this dough scraper set . They are VERY helpful working with high hydration doughs. The bowl scraper is genius. This is a sticky dough and the bowl scraper (when wet) slides that dough around like a dream.
- 8.5 inch Bannetons are for the final long rise often done in the fridge. They come with handy cloth liners that fit to help keep the dough well formed. The finished bread has lovely ridges in if you remove the cloth liners and just flour the baskets.
- A lame knife for scoring your loaves. Also really helpful in releasing the dough to rise properly.
- A VERY good starter. You can make and strengthen your own with our tips in this post. OR buy it from our friend Sasha on etsy!
Interested in baking 100 percent whole wheat sourdough bread? Hop over to our post on Beginners Whole Wheat Artisan Sourdough Bread .
I put helps, tips and information into the sourdough whole wheat bread post specific to working with whole wheat flour.
How to Bake Sourdough No Knead, Tartine Style Bread:
This is a basic artisan bread. The 4 stretch and folds 30 minutes apart replace the traditional kneading yeast bakers are used to. This bread does all the work for you. It just takes time.
Sourdough dutch oven bread recipe from a wild yeast starter. It uses the long cold rise and the stretch and fold technique we have discussed.
Once you learn how to make Sourdough bread a whole new baking world will open for you.
Use a very active wild yeast starter. Learn How to make Wild Yeast Starter in this post.
- Wild yeast starters provide a much Better, Fuller, more Complex….AMAZING flavor and texture than commercial yeasts can. You can easily build your own wild yeast starter. But plan ahead.
- Give yourself about a week to get it ripe and bubbly.
Sourdough recipes with starter require a VERY active Starter. You can use any starter recipe you prefer IF it can pass the float test. MOST important for a good rise in your loaf.
Where can I buy a Sourdough Starter?
You can purchase a sourdough starter on the online if you do not have one on hand. The other option is to make your own. However, established sourdough starters are a great option to make delicious bread quicker. We have purchased this sourdough starter on Etsy and have used it with great results.
This starter is very tangy. It is local to the San Francisco area and definitely is more of a San Francisco sourdough bread flavor. Click here to purchase the BEAST sourdough starter on Etsy.
How much Sourdough Starter is needed for a loaf of bread?
You will need 100 grams of active sourdough starter to bake one loaf of bread. This recipe calls for 200 grams of sourdough starter and yields 2 loaves of artisan bread. That’s because we feed the starter before baking. Every time.
Balancing Your Starter:
Feed your starter 1:1:1 and bring it back to the float test. I feed my starter the night before I want to bake.
- 100 grams starter-unfed or recently fed-room temperature
- 100 grams flour
- 100 grams warm water
Now let it ferment several hours to overnight to return the starter to the float test. This process is a simple way to ensure your active sourdough starter is properly balanced for bread baking.
The float test:
The float test is NOT 100% accurate. But it most often works well as a tell for starter readiness. If Your starter is weak from going hungry too long, don’t use the float test. Rather feed the starter 1:2:2 and if it doubles in 4 to 8 hours it’s probably strong enough.
Most time the float test is a good indicator of starter readiness. If you take a teaspoon or so of starter and drop it in a cup of room temperature water it will float when it’s ready to make bread.
If your starter does NOT float. Feed and balance it as I describe above and try again after several hours to overnight.
But, even more important, make sure your starter is active enough to double in 4 to 8 hours or overnight. If it doesn’t, I recommend you feed it again before baking.
After the starter is active like this one, (and floats firmly in a cup of water) it’s time to bake bread.
Use high protein bread flour:
When I started making sourdough I used my all regular all purpose flour. The bread was delicious BUT it did not give me the form or the rise I prefer.
I was schooled on this by our contributor Sasha Hunter our bread baker extraordinaire friend.
Sasha recommends King Arthur bread flour or high protein All purpose Montana White flour. What a difference in my loaf rise! Look for flour the is over 12% protein or 5 grams protein on the label. Flour choice has a big impact on dough strength and rise. For a deeper look at how different flours behave, see Sourdough Flour Types Guide.
More Helpful Tips:
- Expect the dough to be sticky:
- WET HANDS really help when handling this dough. The stretch and fold process transforms the dough from a sticky shaggy mess to a workable dough. But it will always be slightly sticky with 100 percent white flour and High hydration.
- MEASURE YOUR INGREDIENTS BY WEIGHT FOR BEST RESULTS:
- Your climate, flour type, season of the year…all sorts of stuff changes the way a bread baking recipe works. This is especially true of this type of bread.
- High hydration loaves can be tricky. Help yourself out and weigh the ingredients. WEIGHING is best for consistent results. Read more about measuring by weight.
- Begin with a healthy leaven (your wild starter) that bubbles and floats in a cup of water. (More on that below.)
What Is Autolyse vs Fermentolyse?
In traditional bread baking, an autolyse is a resting stage where only flour and water are mixed and allowed to hydrate before adding starter and salt. This helps develop gluten and improves dough structure.
In this recipe, the starter is added at the beginning, which makes this step a fermentolyse rather than a true autolyse. That means fermentation begins during the resting period, not just hydration.
Both methods help improve dough strength and handling, but fermentolyse combines hydration and early fermentation into one step, simplifying the process for home bakers.
This is done immediately after you mix your starter, flour and water. The purpose of this passive process is to fully hydrate your dough.
Fermentolyse 60 minutes. it’s Important for complete dough hydration and good fermentation- you can rest the dough up to four hours. Do NOT skip this step.
Hydration and flour type both affect how your dough develops during this stage. Learn more in Understanding Sourdough Hydration.
REMEMBER Temperature affects ferment rate.
- Keep the dough at around 70 to 75 degrees F. for the bulk rise.
- Some flours are easy to over ferment and other flours need a warmer temp (Not too warm though) to get properly fermented.
- Learn your dough as you handle it. Watch it go through the stages. If it gets slack and won’t rise the dough might be over fermented. (pizza!)
f you’re unsure whether your dough is ready to move to the next step, see How to Proof Sourdough Bread for clear visual cues.
The stretch and folds replace kneading in this recipe. Making sourdough bread no knead makes it simpler and less likely you will overwork the dough. In my opinion, the bread texture is significantly improved with the no knead method of sourdough bread making.
Your Dough should pass the windowpane test. Which means when you stretch the dough it’s pliable and stretches thin enough you can see light through it.
This is a test of gluten strength. Read more about dough structure.
The Final Rise.
Cold fermentation and proofing time both affect structure and flavor. This recipe uses both the cold bulk (referred to in this recipe as the Long Cold Rise) and the cold proof (dough in banneton, in fridge for final rise.) Learn more in Cold Proof vs Cold Bulk Sourdough. It explains both processes and why we use them as we do.
- Cold temperature (below 55 degrees F- I use my fridge temperatures) and long rise (12 to 24 hours) give the dough a chance to develop better texture and flavor in the final rise.
- I have made this bread with a four hour final rise and also a 36 hour long cold rise. It all impacts the results. I do notice an improvement in the dough structure with the overnight rise.
NOTE: I sometimes cheat on this recipe by fudging the rise times or reducing the other steps. Life happens 🙂
However, The results DO vary. For best results FOLLOW the directions and keep to the timetable for every step. As you gain experience with this recipe your hands will learn the dough. Then you can play around with it and still get good results.
Shaping your dough:
Learning how to shape sourdough properly is key to oven spring and crumb structure. For a full step-by-step breakdown, see How to Shape Sourdough Bread.
Learning how to properly form your dough into loaves is one KEY to building the rise in your loaves.
- To have a open crumb you have to be very gentle when handling your dough in these final stages. The dough is full of air.
- You want to retain those bubbles in your dough as you work.
- It’s all about keeping the dough arated while you work it and building tension in the surface of the dough.
TIP: Please watch the video and look at how I pull the loaves around to keep the surface tension of the loaf while shaping the boules. This is key to building a good rise.
Making Sourdough Bread in bread pans
You might prefer an even crumb baked in a loaf pan for sandwich bread. Here are the steps.
Shaping dough for bread pans:
- I use two 9 x 4 oiled bread pans.
- After the final rise roll the dough into a rectangle so all the gasses are deflated.
- Fold the wide sides of your rectangle to the middle.
- On ONE end fold the corner to the middle seam making a point.
- Roll your loaf up from the point to the other end.
- Pinch the seams and ends.
- Place in oiled bread pans.
- Rise at room temperature until the dough is at the top of the pans.
IF your dutch oven is large enough put the loaf pan right in the dutch oven and cover it. Bake as directed. Works great!
Baking sourdough hearth breads in bread pans:
- If you have a large dutch oven bake one loaf at a time in it. Follow the directions in the recipe card.
- If you cannot fit the bread pans into your dutch oven place them on a cookie sheet.
- You will also need a lower heat. Preheat to 400 degrees F. for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 and bake another 30 to 40 minutes.
- On the shelf below the pans fill a pan with water (like a roasting pan) for steam.
- Spray your unbaked loaves liberally with water before setting them in your hot oven.
- follow the recipe instructions. Do the thump test to make sure they are done.
Sourdough Bread Recipe with Starter is very different from other yeast bread recipes.
Cooling Your Loaves:
You MUST resist cutting your divine smelling sourdough bread until it’s room temperature all the way through. Why?
- Your loaves are still baking and developing the crumb and crust even as they cool.
- Do you hear the ‘bread music’? Bread music is the crackling sound your crust makes as it cools. This creates a shattery artisan crusty loaf. Let it happen!
- Inside your bread the crumb is also going through its finishing touches. The crumb is setting.
- If you cut your bread when it’s still piping hot you will squish that gorgeous loaf. The crumb will be crushed and your experience with your sourdough artisan bread will disappoint.
- Cut your cooled loaves with a GOOD sharp serrated knife. The crust will be crusty. A good knife will penetrate the crust and NOT squish the tender crumb.
If you print the recipe the pictures will not print. This is to save you paper and ink.
Beginners Artisan Sourdough Bread Recipe
Make your own delicious bakery quality artisan sourdough breads at home. This recipe is a good start for new sourdough bakers. It's a long process but an easy one. These breads are so worth it!
Ingredients
For the Dough:
- 525 grams water-80 degree F. -NO chlorine, 2.22 Cups
- 20 grams salt OR 1 Tablespoon MAX. (different salts might weigh out differently. They will also have different volumes so don't go overboard.)
- 200 grams Very active starter - make sure it floats , 1 + Cup
- 700 grams All purpose Flour (or bread flour), 5 1/2 Cups
Instructions
MAKE THE STARTER:
- Make the STARTER AHEAD
(This can take up to a week or more) AND DO NOT USE UNTIL IT IS ACTIVE ENOUGH TO FLOAT A TEASPOON ON A CUP OF WATER. 
Prep the Starter For Baking:
- This process balances your starter for best rise. Feed 100 grams starter with 100 grams flour and 100 grams warm water.
- Let sit overnight.
- It should pass the float test in 8 to 12 hours.
- If it does not repeat feeding.
MIX THE DOUGH:
- Pour the water into a large bowl.
- Add the ripe balanced starter to the water and mix thoroughly with a whisk or by hand until the floating cloud of starter is mixed completely into the water.
- Add the flour to the leavened water and mix with the dough bowl scraper or other spatula. At the end use wet hands to form a shaggy dough ball.
fermentolyse
- Let it rest (fermentolyse stage) about an hour. This stage can be extended without worry up to four hours.
- After fermentolyse, add the salt to the bread dough. Use your hands to pinch and stretch the dough gently until the salt is mixed into the dough.
Stretch and Fold:
This process builds the structure of your dough without kneading.
- Using your wet hands pull the dough from under the dough ball up and stretch it gently as you pull it over the dough ball top. Release. Repeat this process as you give the bowl quarter turns until the dough is stretched and pulled from each quarter of the bowl.
- Over the next 2 1/2 hours repeat the stretch and fold every 30 minutes for a total of FOUR times. The dough will change from a slimy ropy mass to a billowy dough with many air pockets and definite body as you stretch and fold it. DO NOT PUNCH DOWN THE DOUGH AT ANY TIME. Those air bubbles create the excellent crumb and flavor.
- The dough should become an elastic resilient dough that passes the window pane test. IF your dough is still breaking before it goes transparent when pulled. Do ANOTHER stretch and fold.
BULK RISE:
- Allow the dough to bulk rise IN THE BOWL at room temperature an hour or SO until it rises by 30 percent or so. If you're unsure how much rise to look for, see How to Proof Sourdough Bread.
- Cover the bowl of dough with a plastic bag and set it in the fridge for 12 to 15 hours (Or overnight). It should continue to rise slowly so give it room in the bowl.
- Remove the dough from the fridge and let it sit on the counter in the bowl for two hours or until the dough reaches room temperature (or pretty close). The dough will soften and gently rise (a tiny bit) as it warms.
DIVIDE AND BENCH REST THE DOUGH:
- On a clean unfloured counter pour out the dough into a large mass. Flour the top of the dough lightly but evenly.
- BEING CAREFUL NOT TO OVERWORK THE DOUGH-Form each half into a dough ball. The most efficient way to do this is to use the counter as your pivot point. Scrape in a circle around the dough (leave it unturned, flour side up). The unfloured counter will hold the dough center and create tension as you circle the dough with the scraper forming a ball. Repeat to form two dough balls. The DOUGH edge should be round and the dough ball should have some form and resilience to it.
- Let the dough balls rest for 20 to 30 minutes. They will spread out but should not fall off at the edge of the pancake. If they do, reform the loaves and bench rest them again to build the structure of the dough better.
FINAL SHAPE AND RISE:
Gentle handling at this stage helps preserve gas for a lighter crumb. Learn more in How to Shape Sourdough Bread.
- Gently slide the dough scraper under one of your dough balls and flip it over so it rests on the floured side. Gently form into a flat square like this.
Now gently stretch and pull the dough over from the bottom to 1/3 up the loaf. Stretch and pull the dough from the sides to the dough middle. Bring one end up to middle like this.
- For the final stretch take the dough from the top of the ball and pull it all the way down to the bottom. Clinch the dough into a ball and set into your floured banneton. Form a seam on the dough to create more tension as the dough allows. Pinching the seam as necessary. (view the video for help here)
- Place the dough seam side up in your rice floured, cloth lined banneton or bowl.
- Rise in the fridge 2 to four hours.
Baking Instructions:
- Set a baking stone (if you have one) on your oven bottom rack. Set your dutch oven with it's lid on next rack up (lower third of oven). PREHEAT oven to 500 degrees F. for at least 30 minutes.
- Keep the formed loaf in your banneton in the fridge until you actually need to place it in your preheated dutch oven. Cold dough will aide the oven spring.
- Remove one banneton from the fridge. Place the dough in your preheated dutch oven. I do this by flipping it into the dutch oven as gently as possible seam side down.
- Alternate method: Place high heat safe parchment paper over the banneton. Turn the banneton upside down so the dough falls gently onto the parchment paper.
- Score the loaf (For better oven spring and cleaner expansion, see How to Score Sourdough Bread. ) with your lame knife or a razor blade or sharp scissors. Scoring helps the dough rise better.
- Now pick up the scored loaf with the edges of the parchment paper, if using, and gently and carefully place it into your VERY hot dutch oven.
- Put the lid on the dutch oven and return it covered to your preheated oven.
- Bake 30 minutes at 500 degrees with lid on..
- Now REMOVE the lid (and parchment paper if using). Steam should come out. Hopefully the bread is a light golden color with a nice rise and set crust. Reduce heat to 450 degrees F. Bake an additional 20 minutes UNCOVERED or until the loaf thumps hollowly and the surface gets dark (Caramelized darker than you are used to maybe) and the scored areas look shiny. (To prevent over browning turn the parchment paper (or foil) upside down over the loaf as it finishes in the oven.) Loaf internl temp is around 208 to 211 degrees F. when completely baked through.
- Remove the dutch oven. Place the finished loaf on a cooling rack. Do NOT cut it for at least an hour to set the crumb.
- Return the dutch oven (with lid on) to the oven at 450 degrees F and preheat for 15 minutes. Repeat the process with the remaining loaf.
- TELLS: Look at the crust and LISTEN to it cool. The crust should be 'shattery' which means as it cools it will crack. You can see it and hear it. This is bread music 🙂 also a dull sounding bread is probably not completely baked. When you cut the loaf is should have a creamy but springy crumb with lots of aration.
Not sure if your loaf turned out correctly? Learn how to evaluate it in How to Read Sourdough Crumb Structure.
Notes
TIPS:
- WATCH your dough as it goes through the stages of fermentation. This dough can easily over ferment at high room (Or oven proofing) temperatures. If your dough gets slack, unworkable and won't form or rise it is probably over fermented. At this point I suggest you Make pizza with it instead of loaf bread 🙂
- To avoid over fermentation keep the room temperature (or oven) at 80 degrees or less. Whatever flour you are using will influence this process. Learn to work with the dough you are creating.
Freezing:
- This bread freezes VERY well. After it is completely cooled double wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and set in the freezer. I have done this several times. Defrost at room temperature wrapped or unwrapped. Slice and eat.
Storing the loaves:
- For best results store your sourdough bread loaves in a bread box (I use my dutch oven with the lid slightly cocked). That beautiful crunchy Sourdough crust gets soft in an airtight container or plastic sack. Once cut just set the bread cut side down to protect the crumb. These loaves hold very well for at least three days. Freeze the other finished loaf if you can't eat it right away.
Banneton Tips:
I am using my ceramic round bowls lined with linen dish cloths for my bannetons. The high hydration doughs like these tend TO STICK to those cloths. To help with I scrub rice flour into the cloth. And leave an extra bit of it in the banneton bottom. Once the dough is in the banneton I add a bit more rice around the side of the loaf to keep it from sticking during the rise.
IF your dough sticks a bit to the banneton cloth, use a sharp knife to pull it away and add some rice flour to the sticking spot. Now it should invert without too much trouble. For really tough sticks, cut the dough away and repair it carefully by pressing it to reshape it before baking. Careful of burns if you are doing this in a hot pot.
Baking sourdough hearth breads in bread pans:
- If you have a large dutch oven bake one loaf at a time in it. Follow the directions in the recipe card.
- If you cannot fit the bread pans into your dutch oven place them on a cookie sheet.
- You will also need a lower heat. Preheat to 400 degrees F. for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 and bake another 30 to 40 minutes.
- On the shelf below the pans fill a pan with water (like a roasting pan) for steam.
- Spray your unbaked loaves liberally with water before setting them in your hot oven.
- follow the recipe instructions. Do the thump test to make sure they are done.
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Nutrition Information
Yield
24Serving Size
1 sliceAmount Per Serving Calories 104Total Fat 0gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 0mgSodium 324mgCarbohydrates 22gFiber 1gSugar 0gProtein 3g
Common Beginner Sourdough Problems
This post has over 600 comments and questions asking about all things related to baking sourdough. We answered! To help our bakers, we have created, (and will continue to create) an entire sourdough guidance section on this blog to help bakers bake better. We hope these posts help.
- Bread turns out dense: Why Is My Sourdough Bread Dense?
- Dough spreads after shaping: How to Shape Sourdough Bread
- Score won’t open: How to Score Sourdough Bread
- Crust is soft or pale: How Steam Baking Sourdough Affects Oven Spring and Crust
- Not sure what your crumb means: How to Read Sourdough Crumb Structure
- No ear on your loaf: Do You Need an Ear on Sourdough Bread?
In addition to this list, if you read the post in. its entirety it has even more helpful post links answering questions about measuring, flour and salt. Find our complete Sourdough Guides Hub here and remember, we are always here to answer your questions and help you be a sourdough baking success!
More Sourdough Artisan Bread Recipes:
These breads all turn out perfectly when you follow the instructions. If you need more help with getting sourdough bread you want read our sourdough guides.
After you gain experience, feel free to go your own way with techniques and recipes. Please share with us your successes!
- Milk and Honey Sourdough Sandwich Bread
- Rosemary Garlic Sourdough
- Whole Wheat Sourdough
- Walnut Cranberry Sour-dough Bread
- Oatmeal Sour-dough Bread
- MultiGrain Sour-dough Bread
- Sourdough Banana Bread with Blueberries
These gorgeous dutch oven breads are so flavorful and crusty.
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Resources:
These books all were very helpful to me. They are probably available in your local library but make valuable resources to keep on hand. Make your best sourdough bread recipe by getting information and experience.
Books:
- Tartine By Chad Robertson
- Tartine 3 By Chad Robertson
- The Bread Baker’s Apprentice by Peter Reinhart
Hi,
I am a first time sourdough bread maker and am excited to make this bread. It took me a couple of weeks to get my starter going but now it is perfect.
I was wondering about the long cold rise in the refrigerator. May I leave the dough in the fridge for longer than 12-14 hours if I need to?
Thanks
Hi Ruth, Welcome to sourdough baking! You can certainly leave your bread dough to poof longer in the fridge if necessary. But no longer than 24 hours for this recipe. You might omit the bulk rise or cut that step down if you have to cold rise for 24 hours or so. With the warm summer weather it’s easy to over proof your loaf. Best of luck and please let us know how this recipe works for you! Happy Baking.
Diane,
As it turns out I had to leave my dough in the fridge for 48 hours during the cold bulk rise.. The bread turned out great with a creamy crumb. I did not get any bread music as it was cooling but the crust had a great texture. For a first try I was happy with the results. I am starting two new loaves today and will follow the recipe to the letter.
Hi Ruth,
I’m so happy it worked out for you. Can’t wait to hear about your next loaves. Thanks for the feedback and have a great day!
I’m a new sourdough baker. This is the 4th recipe I’ve tried, and I finally achieved those elusive holes and just the right amount of tang. I didn’t see any steam when I removed the lid of the cast iron pot. It’s not a high-end model, does that mean it doesn’t have a good seal? I even misted the dough before baking to enhance steam production. Should I be concerned about the lack of steam?
Hi Penny, I’m so happy you found this recipe a success!
Your seal may not be the best in your pot but your are getting good results so wouldn’t replace it unless you really want to.
Yes, ideally you do need to have good steam to get the crispy blistered crust. Could you try using tinfoil to cover your pot and keep more steam around the dough after you mist the dough? Also you might have better results by spraying the actual oven as well as the dough, turning up your oven heat to 500 degrees for the first 15 minutes and then reducing it to 450 still covered. After 30 minutes remove the lid. By this stage your crumb is set.
Use a thermometer to determine if your loaf is completely done. It should read 205 or so before you remove the loaf. Tinfoil over the loaf if it gets too brown in the higher heat after you remove the lid.
The open crumb suggests you are handling the dough just right. Happy to answer any more questions you may have. Great job! Happy baking.
Thanks for the advice!
Your welcome. Happy Baking!
Thank you for this recipe! I love that it yields 2 loaves, it’s easy to follow and I found the video very helpful.
Hi Lara, You are welcome. I’m so happy to have your feedback. Thank you for taking the time to rate the recipe and comment for us.It’s so helpful to other bakers 🙂 have a great day!
Your page mentions a video several times, but i can’t find it. Can you point me to it please.
Hi Donald Its at the top of the post. Scroll down to the first place i mention the the video. It’s after the first picture. Let me know if you can’t play it. You can also find it on our youtube channel here. Have a great day and please let me know if you need any further help with the recipe.
I found the spot you mentioned where you first mention the video, but there does not seem to be a link there to it. I tried a different browser, but that didn’t help. Thanks for the YouTube link. Can;t wait to try it!
I’m so sorry you can’t bring up the video on the post. I suggest you keep a tab open on the youtube video and another on the post so you can easily follow and pause as you go through the steps. Please let us know how it goes for you!
I made my first loaves and I am now a hero in my granddaughter’s eyes! Thanks for the great instructions and help.
HaHa! Yes! My Grandchildren also think Sourdough is amazing. I’m so happy it worked out well for you. Thanks so much for stopping in to let us know and rating the the recipe. Your off to a great start. Sourdough baking is endlessly fun and creative. Have a fantastic weekend!
Hi again,
I’ve made a few loaves and they look great and the texture is perfect. But, I don’t taste the sourdough tanginess that i am used to. Am i doing something wrong? Is there a modification to bring out the “tang”?
Hi Donald, I’m happy to hear this recipe is making great loaves for you 🙂 As far as the sourness goes there are some things you can do. Your starter will determine how sour your bread gets.
If you want it to go more sour (Higher acetic acid content) try these tips:
feeding it less.
Stir in the Hooch instead of pouring it out.(the grey liquid that forms on top)
Use whole grain flours to get the enzyme action going.
Make a LOWER hydration starter.(however this may impact your bread recipes)
The method for this bread is the long slow rise. That is good for maximizing fermentation of the dough and the sourness.
I highly recommend the FB group Perfect Sourdough. There are over 58 thousand members in it from all over the world. There are many professional bakers in that group that are VERY helpful to beginners. Also this article is a good one full of tips for getting a more sour bread.
I have tried many recipes for sourdough the last few years, and for the first time I feel consistently successful using your recipe! I use it about twice a week, and it always works well. Thank you! I would love to see a similar recipe for cinnamon or cinnamon swirl bread. I love using a scale now!
Hi Jen, A great big thank you for your lovely comment and rating our recipe. We so appreciate that it’s working so well for you. And YES! I’m working on a good cinnamon swirl recipe now and hope to post it out in the next several weeks. I want it to be just as successful and stable as our other sourdough recipes. In the meantime, did you try the roasted garlic rosemary bread recipe? It’s my husbands new favorite. I hope you try it out and let us know how that one works too.
Every Dutch oven I’ve seen says NOT to put cold things into the heated Dutch oven or thermal shock can occur and crack the oven. Yet this seems to be exactly what you have advised to do. Am I misunderstanding the instructions?
Hi Lisa, You have the instructions correct. The preheated dutch oven and the cold dough work well together to get the best rise in your bread as it bakes.
However, if you are not comfortable with this go ahead and put the cold dutch oven in the preheated oven with the cold dough on parchment. The rise will be almost as good.
I have never had a problem with my cuisinart dutch oven. If your dutch oven is warning you away from putting cold dough into it when hot by all means follow the manufacturers instructions. Thanks so much for bringing this up. Have a great day and please let us know how your bread turns out.
I have made this bread a number of times. Recently, I modified it by using 250g of the liquid from Kalamata olives, and 225g of water. Reduce the salt to 10g, because the olives and brine are salty.Then, when the dough comes out of the fridge after its overnight slow rise phase, I let it come to room temperature, and then GENTLY and LIGHTLY add 1.5 cups of coarsely chopped Kalamata olives that have been dusted in flour. The flour allows the olives to “grab” the slippery dough. Without it, the olives would fall right out of the dough, and you would be forced to knead it hard in order to get them incorporated into the dough. That’s the LAST thing you want to do with sourdough.
The next time I make this bread, I am going to try adding the olives during the initial mixing of the flour, water and starter. I will need to be careful not to handle the dough too roughly. The olives squish easily.
Hi Gary, Thank you so much for dropping by and commenting and rating the recipe for us. How exciting that you are coming up with new variations on this recipe. I’m definitely going to give the olives a try. Have a great day!
I absolutely love this recipe! I have been making my own whole wheat bread for over 30 years and gluten had become difficult for me to digest. Your recipe solved my problem and my husband and I are enjoying it daily with out GI distress. I even tried the whole wheat and we loved it as well. My question is I would love to be able to freeze the dough at some point so that I could make a large batch, divide it into loaves and freeze. Do you have a technique for doing this successfully? At what point in the process would it be best to freeze the dough? Thanks for your help with this and thank you for the wonderful recipe and instructions.
Hi Sarah, Wow! That’s so great you can enjoy this sourdough recipe without Gastro distress. My mother in law also is gluten sensitive and can eat this recipe with no problem. Yay for sourdough! And thank you so much for letting us know how well this recipe is working for you.
FREEZING: FYI. I have never frozen this recipe. But I have frozen sourdough pizza dough for up to two months with NO problems. Same with my sourdough pie crust.
You can freeze this bread dough too. However, you may find it doesn’t give you the rise you might like once thawed and baked. Here’s a link to King Arthur on freezing sourdough.https://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2016/08/06/freezing-no-knead-bread-dough/ it will show you the differences as they tested freezing sourdough dough several ways.
For THIS recipe I suggest letting it go through the long cold rise and freezing it then. Divide the dough in half or quarters and roll it into balls. Put the dough into heavy duty ziplock freezer bags with all the air sucked out. Now LABEL which stage you froze the dough at.
To Thaw: Let it sit out on your counter on a lined baking sheet. Bring it to a cold but workable temperature. Now you can form it and let it sit while your oven preheats. I wouldn’t stick it back in the fridge at this point. But play around with this and see what works best. The dough will tell you how much life it has and if it’s well proofed. It should be.
So bake and LET ME KNOW how it goes please. Remember if all else fails it will make a wonderful pizza crust 🙂
I understand the reason behind placing the dough into the fridge for the slow fermentation process to develop flavors but there have been times when I needed bread in the same day. How can I make this recipe without having to place the dough into the fridge 12-14 hours?
Hi Victoria,
If you have a good starter and high protein flour you can probably shorten the fridge time. It may impact the texture and rise some though. Go ahead and play with this recipe and see how it works if you shorten the fridge time to 6 to 8 hours. It will work. The longer fridge time gives the bread a bit more tenderness and open loaf.
Is there a way to adapt this recipe to make raisin/cinnamon bread? I’ve been using this recipe for 6+ months in a weekly basis. It’s fantastic.
Hi Amanda, I’m so pleased your having great luck with this bread recipe! As far as adapting it. Yes you can. However there is no sweetener in this bread so it may taste a bit flat if you try to take it in that direction. Try using our Milk and Honey Sandwich bread recipe instead. The dough flavor will taste much better with the cinnamon and raisins.
The technique For each loaf.
For the raisins: If you want raisins throughout the bread Add them in at the final stretch and fold and any nuts you may want to use.
-Make the recipe as directed up to the final loaf forming.
-Degass the dough with a rolling pin and lay it out in a rectangle.
-Make sure your dough rectangle is the proper length to fit in a conventional bread pan.
-Butter the dough if necessary to help the filling stick to the dough.
-Now spread your cinnamon filling over the loaf. Here’s the filling from our Cinnamon rolls if you need one.
-Finally roll the dough tightly and pinch the seams and the end of the loaf. Pull the loaf toward you to tighten the dough surface. Place the loaf seam side down in your oiled bread pan.
-Bake in your dutch oven as the recipe directs. WATCH for over browning. Use a foil tent if necessary to get the correct golden brown color you prefer.
I have made several loaves of bread in bread pans with both of these recipes and they turn out great. The enriched recipe is easier to over brown. Best of luck. PLEASE let us know what you do and how you like it. Best of luck and happy Baking!
I have been making this rerecipe since i tried my first loaf..I have question, came across seeds call Nigella sativa, can I incorporate them into your recipe? I was lucky enough to eat bread with them as child and loved it ,,now I read that they have excellent medicinal properties as well. Would appreciate your imput. Thanks.
Hi Krystyna,
How exciting to move forward in your bread baking! You can add the seeds in the final stretch fold. Just gently sprinkle them through as you do the four turns. DON”T overmix the dough unless you prefer it degassed and a bit heavier.
You may also toast or crack the seeds either in your oven or on your stovetop prior to adding them to your bread dough:
To toast them lightly on the stove add the seeds to a pan over low or medium heat and wait for them to turn slightly brown. Cool and use.
For the oven.
At 325 degrees or up to 350 degrees place the seeds on a baking sheet (I’d use a small amount of oil or a silpat mat) for 5 minutes and check them until they are toasted.Best of luck! We’d love to know how it goes for you 🙂
I made my first loafs with Kalonji ,I dud soaked them first and then dry.The bread tasted real good abd today I will also add some toasted sesame seeds .I also toasted the kalonji and I liked the taste better then soajed.Will use them also in salads ,fish and sprinkled on veggies.They are very,very healthy and a shelf life is very long.Read some place that the seeds were found in one of the Pharaoh tombs and still were good !
Oh I’m so happy you are enjoying this recipe with seeds. Kalonji seeds are out of my experience. They sound very interesting. Sesame seeds should be great in this sourdough recipe. Thanks for sharing and have a fantastic day!
I am branching into making yet different breads.Today with garlic..Too bad I can’t post some pictures. I would try to make pizza dough but can’t seams to find in your recipes. My starter always performs perfect.To make more sour I add some rye flour and while in fridge I make little dryer and not feeding too often.I am so happy I came across your basic recipe ,all the others were so complicated and I was even scared to try.My breads always rise perfect no matter what I decide to add to recipe. Thanks a milion Diane!
Oh you make me so happy! Sounds like your going gangbusters with sourdough.
Sorry about the pizza dough recipe. I have plans to make one but I’m still fooling around with it. In the meantime give King Arthur’s a try .
HOWEVER. I AM putting up a roasted garlic rosemary bread this week you are going to want to try. It’s a little different from the beginner sourdough recipe. But we LOVE it. PLEASE make it. Should be up by next Monday for sure so I can get in to the newsletter for you. Have a great weekend. And thanks so much for sharing how you are using our recipes.
Krystyna, you can share you pics with us through instagram. We would love it if you upload pics and vidoes and TAG us in them. We are very excited to see your work!
I just made this bread for the first time. I was a bit hesitant because of the huge time commitment it takes to follow the full recipe since all of my homemade breads always turn out to be bricks of dense material instead of fluffy bread. I was nervous I was going to end up with the usual paperweights. But, I persisted and tried it anyway. I followed the recipe and felt like the dough was doing what it was supposed to at each step. I cooked the loaves tonight and sure enough they came out to be the glorious wonderful fluffy loaves that they were supposed to be!! I was so excited!! And yes of course they taste wonderful. Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a detailed recipe that even a bread failure like myself can be successful with.
Hi Kristen, I’m so delighted you found this recipe worked for you. You are not a bread failure. Accomplishing this recipe is a big deal. Give yourself a pat on the back. You did it!
And THANK YOU so much for encouraging other with your story and rating this recipe. It’s very helpful 🙂
Hi,
Superb method – if only I had it 40 years ago! I’ve just made three boules and they’re perfect.
This is the third time I’ve used the method since I stumbled on it a few weeks ago, and each time it’s been a success.
I’ve made sourdough bread over the years. The taste was always very good – toasted and buttered is sublime – but the crumb was too tight and the crust never great.
If I were to guess at the biggest contributions to my sudden success, I’d say that that the autolyse and stretch / fold steps are what did it.
I’ve used long proof times before, and high steamy temperatures, but I always kneaded the dough up front – using a mixer and dough hook.
There are a few deviations from your method, but nothing too radical. I don’t use bannetons for the final proof – instead I use earthenware bowls and your recipe yields three boules. I discovered years ago that oil is better at preventing dough from sticking than dry flour, and I generously oil the inside of the bowls before putting the dough in.
When I’m ready to put the dough into the smoking dutch oven, I oil my hands and gently drop the risen dough onto my left palm. The dough is quite slack at these levels of hydration, but I find that I can quickly fold it over itself three or four times without any collapse to form a good boule that holds its shape as I place it seam side down.
With regard the sourdough – I started a new culture at the same time that I discovered your site, but I used some live yeast from a supermarket rather than the wild yeast method.
I have used both methods in the past, and over time my taste buds can’t really tell the difference – both tend towards a healthy, sour culture. Maybe the yeasts present in the dry flour play their part.
In a similar vein (sometimes blue) – I make cheese from raw (unpasteurised) milk, naturally souring some of it to make the culture. It’s another adventure in alchemy and the results are fabulously complex tasting cheeses.
Sorry for the length of the message, and thanks again!
Hi Gary,
WOW! Thank you for this comment. It’s so great that your sharing in detail your method and expertise with this recipe. And hmmm… Your homemade cheese sounds very interesting too. Have a great day fellow foodie 🙂
Thank you for this recipe! This is the 2nd season I’ve attempted sourdough, but my first successful season! Everybody loves it! It turns out great every time, even if I bench rest it a little longer or cold rise it longer.
Amber, Yay! I’m so happy to hear this recipe is working for you. And it is flexible once you learn it. Happy Holidays and Happy baking for the new year 🙂
Hi, and thank you for this wonderful recipe! My bread turned out fantastic! Going to start the WW recipe tomorrow.
Wondering if you have any tips or ideas on incorporating rye flour and seeds into this recipe?
Brad
Hi Brad, Thank you for sharing your success with us! It’s wonderful to hear this recipe worked so well for you. And best of luck on the Whole Wheat bread.
To Answer your question: You can add rye and seeds to either of these recipes. BUT, keep in mind rye does not have as much gluten as wheat flour. It also ferments faster than wheat so it may proof a bit faster. For your first try with rye flour I would replace no more than 1 cup of wheat flour and see how it goes.
Add the seeds GENTLY at the final stretch and fold so it doesn’t cut the gluten strands up too much. This will help keep your rise and best texture.
Please let us know how it goes for you. Happy Baking!
Thank you for this recipe! It seemed like the least complicated and most flexible one I could find to finally use my first successful starter (I had to use pineapple juice to get mine to work). I made this bread this weekend and it came out perfect! It’s my first try with this style of bread and I could not be happier with the way it turned out. I might even invest in some proper tools, now. If I wanted it to be a bit more sour/tangy, how would I go about that?
Hi Nakia, I’m delighted to hear your first attempt to make this artisan bread turned out so well for you. YAY! Here’s an article on tips to make your sourdough more sour. Thanks for your feedback on our recipe. Have a great day!
Hi Diane,
I researched the various recipes greatly and finally purchased a culture from Amazon about a month ago that turned into a great starter. Stumbling upon your recipe made me confident I could get it right. I made my first batch of two loaves two weeks ago and they came out perfect. Forgive me but I amended your bulk rise instructions a bit because my home temperatures are a bit fickle in Boston and I assumed it would take a bit longer. Following the 30% rise in the bowl (mine didn’t bulk quite that much), I placed the bowl in the refrigerator overnight for about 8 hours, pulled it out in the morning and let it finish rising on the kitchen counter (kitchen is unheated by the radiators in the house, so it probably came up to temp at 62 degrees or so. I got home from work approximately 9 hours later and it had more than doubled in size and, even better, had tons of large, resilient bubbles throughout. At this point, because it was already at ‘roughly ‘room’ temperature, I proceed to bench and separate the dough and place in the bannetons for the final two hour rise. As I mentioned, the loaves came out perfect using the dutch oven and parchment.
I’m reproducing the process tonight (just about to put the dough in the fridge) and can only hope for similar results.
Thanks again!
Dan
Hi Dan, How awesome that you’re having good results with this recipe and making it your in own style. It’s good your house temp is cooler. If the dough starts to warm too much it may over proof. Thank you so much for stopping by to share how this recipe went and what you did. Have a great day!
Any chance you can tell me where I’m going wrong with the final shaping? The loaf came out perfectly crusted, crumbed, and baked, but there’s a dip on both sides in the middle (think classic hourglass shape like Sir Mix-A-Lot describes: 36-24-36.)
Hi Sean, That is a brand new experience I have never heard of. I’m wondering if you need to use a different shaping method. Instead of a round boule maybe you can make it in a loaf pan and see if the shape is more normal? I have made this recipe in bread pans and and they make good sandwich bread. If that works then we’ll see if the free form shaping comes together?
1.If it’s not the shaping then the gluten may not be developed enough to rise properly. That is possibly an experience issue.
2.Active starter and high protein bread flour give you the best rise.
3.BUT the stretch and folds must pass the gluten test.
4.Don’t skimp on the bulk rise or the long cold rise.They continue the gluten development.
5.How is the shape during the bench rest? Is the loaf holding its shape before the final forming? If not you might need to bench rest it twice with some kneading in between to develop the gluten better.
I’m just throwing out some ideas here. Maybe one of our other readers can help. Best of luck!
Sean, I’m also wondering if the dough was over proofed and collapsed during baking? This would account for the shape you experienced.
If I’m making one loaf (halving the recipe) and I want to incorporate whole wheat flour into the bread for more flavor, how much water would I put if I use 3/5 Bread flour and 1/5 whole wheat and 1/5 AP? I am currently using only bread flour only, but I have too much WW flour and AP flour.
Hi Eddie, I’m not sure I quite get the proportions of your tweak on this recipe. I do have a whole wheat sourdough Recipe post using this recipe but with 100 percent whole wheat flour. That might be of some help to you. I have also used the mix of whole wheat and bread flour successfully. NOTE: Adding the all purpose might reduce the protein in the recipe and change the results.
Here is the thing. Making bread is really all about the feel of the dough. You want a sticky lively dough that is handleable with wet hands but sticks to dry hands and is forming air pockets while it develops.
If you watch the video it shows you how to do a window pane test to see if the gluten is properly developed. Also he video shows you the dough and how it builds and changes through the processes. Study this video to find the dough structure to shoot for.
I would not want to guess at exact water amounts in the mix you are making. Your flour may be dry or (if you are in a humid climate) much denser with water. So use the method of touch and get the feel of your dough.
After the stretch and folds the bread dough should pass the windowpane test and have a light but substantial feel in your hands. There should be some air pockets forming in your dough to show you the starter is sufficiently active to raise your loaf.
At the bench rest stage the dough should hold a shape and NOT flatten like a pancake. (at this point you can sprinkle a little more flour on the board to build the dough but remember it has not developed gluten in the new flour so it will not help much with structure building.
Alternately, if its very dense and hard it may not raise since too much flour is in there( at that point wet your hands and hand knead it or even slap the dough on the counter to get the gluten developing. Try this before the bench rest and after the bench rest repeat the slap and wet hands to loosen the gluten strands and get them developing.
It’s all about the gluten. Best of luck! Please let us know how this turns out for you.
Hi, I have followed this recipe to a T and being this is the first time in my life making bread I though all the steps were quite time consuming but after going through the process just realize you have to kind of plan the 24 hour period around it…and the bread turned out amazing!!!!!!! Well worth the time. Now that I have done it 3 times it is not as daunting.
Question, instead of making two small loaves can I make 1 large loaf and what would be the change in baking time with the above recipe? Thanks
Hi James, Yay I’m delighted this recipe works so well for you! We do love this bread. I just made it the other day as my first Fall baking project. So yum!
Now, about making it into one large loaf. That’s a qualified yes. IF your starter is VERY strong it may raise the loaf as you expect. Make sure the dough passes the window pane test after the stretch and folds or give it another stretch as needed before rising it.
Try baking it at 500 degrees F for 10 minutes. THEN reduce the heat to 450 but do NOT remove the lid for another 20 minutes. Then remove the lid and continue baking the loaf for another 15 minutes or until the loaf is light and sounds hollow when thumped with your fingers. You may have to put a tinfoil hat over the bread in the final stage of cooking to avoid overbrowning. PLEASE let us know if this works for you. It should. Goodluck!