How to Make Simple Sourdough Bread at Home
I’ve always liked baking my own bread. There’s just something about knowing exactly what’s going into your loaf—no weird preservatives, no additives, just good ingredients. Plus, there’s no store-bought bread that can beat the taste of fresh, homemade sourdough. If you’ve never made sourdough before, don’t worry—it’s easier than it sounds, and I’m here to walk you through it.
1. Making Your Own Starter
Day 1: Mix 20g (0.7oz) of whole wheat flour with 20g (0.7oz) of water in a glass jar. Stir it together until it’s thick like pancake batter. Cover it loosely with a cloth and leave it at room temperature for 24 hours.
Day 2–3: Every day, feed the starter by adding 20g (0.7oz) of flour and 20g (0.7oz) of water. Stir it well and leave it covered at room temperature.
Day 4: At this point, you’ll want to discard more than half of the starter (you can throw it out or use it for pancakes!). Then, add 20g (0.7oz) of flour and 20g (0.7oz) of water to the remaining starter. Stir it and leave it to rest for another 24 hours.
Day 5–6: Continue the process adding 20g (0.7oz) of flour and 20g (0.7oz) of water each day. By day 6, you should see bubbles and notice that the starter has risen about 50%. This means it’s ready for baking!
If your starter hasn’t doubled up after 6 days, discard again 50% and continue adding water and flour for 3 more days. If still no Activity teh flour might not be food for starter and You should start teh procesa again with another flour ( different flour or water (filtered or dechlorinated water is best—avoid tap water). Don’t stress, just start over with fresh flour, and keep feeding it until you get that rise. The key is patience, and soon you’ll have a healthy, bubbly starter ready to make bread!
2. Gathering What You Need
Now that your starter is ready, it’s time to gather everything you’ll need for your dough. You don’t need a ton of fancy tools—just some basic kitchen items:
- 500g (17.6oz) white flour – trust me, start with white for the best rise. Once you bake a perfect loaf, try your next one with 50% wholewheat, spelt, or other flours.
- 350g (12.3oz) lukewarm water
- 15g (0.5oz) salt (I’ve found this to be just the right amount)
- aprox. 100g (3.5oz) of your sourdough starter
- A large bowl, a dough scraper, and a kitchen scale
Don’t forget: your scale will be your best friend here. It’s way easier to measure everything out with it rather than dealing with cups.
3. Mixing the Dough
Grab your big bowl and start by weighing your flour (500g / 17.6oz). Add in the water (350g / 12.3oz) and mix it all up with your hands or a spoon until it becomes a shaggy dough.
Now, add the 100g (3.5oz) of starter and the 15g (0.5oz) of salt. Mix it all together until everything is well combined. The dough should be a little sticky but still come together.
4. Kneading the Dough
Once your ingredients are all combined, it’s time to mix. Instead of kneading, use wet hands to mix the dough inside the bowl. The dough will be quite sticky, but that’s perfectly fine—don’t add any flour! Just keep mixing it until everything is well combined and smooth. The stickiness is a good sign, as it means the dough is properly hydrated.
5. Resting the Dough (Bulk Fermentation)
Now cover the bowl with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes. This gives the dough time to hydrate and start developing some structure.
6. Folding the Dough
After that first rest, it’s time to fold the dough. This helps build the structure and get a good rise. So, grab the dough with one hand, stretch it up, and fold it over. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat the process until you’ve done all four sides. You’ll probably feel the dough tighten up as you do this, and that’s exactly what you want.
Some people oil the bowl with a bit of olive oil to make it easier to handle the dough later, but I prefer to just skip the extra mess.
7. Letting It Rise
Now that you’ve folded the dough, cover it up again and let it rise for 2-4 hours. It should rise by about 30%, but the time can vary depending on how warm your kitchen is. If your dough has risen enough, you can put it in the fridge overnight to let it slow-rise. The dough will continue to rise a little in the fridge, so don’t worry if it grows by another 20%.
8. Shaping the Dough
The next morning, it’s shaping time! Take the dough out of the fridge and gently place it on a clean countertop. Use a plastic dough scraper to help remove it from the bowl, and then do some more folding to tighten it up. Shape the dough into a round loaf.
It’s okay if the dough shrinks a little during this process—that’s normal! Just be gentle and don’t stress about getting it perfect.
9. Final Proofing
Place the shaped dough on a piece of parchment paper, and cover it with a glass bowl or kitchen towel to prevent it from drying out. Let it proof for 3-6 hours or until it’s risen by about 50%. Keep an eye on it, because the rise time depends on your starter and how warm your kitchen is.
10. Baking the Sourdough
Once your dough has proofed and risen, it’s time to bake. Preheat your oven to 230°C (482°F) for at least 30 minutes. You’ll need a heavy pot with a lid (like a Dutch oven) to bake the bread. Just make sure it’s big enough for the dough to rise and has a cover.
Once the oven is preheated, carefully transfer the dough (with parchment paper) into the pot. Cover it with the lid and bake it for 30 minutes. Then, take the lid off and bake for another 10 minutes to get that golden, crispy crust.
11. Cooling the Bread
Once your bread is done, take it out of the oven and let it cool for about 30 minutes. To soften the crust slightly, I like to wrap it in a damp towel for a bit. This makes the crust soft but still crispy. After that, slice it up and enjoy the fruits of your labor!