So you want to make sourdough bread? You’ve tried but it’s just too intimidating? It’s not turning out the right way? I’ve got you, girl! Today I will walk you through the whole process of making a simple sourdough loaf from start to finish. (Buckle up, because this is going to be a long post.) Sourdough does not have to be intimidating and I will walk you through the process until you have it down pat! You will be enjoying a daily loaf of this delicious bread in no time. My favorite way to eat sourdough is with a smear of goat cheese topped with fig preserves. It is simply divine!

Don’t You Need a Starter to Make a Simple Sourdough?

Yes! The first thing you need to make sourdough bread is a sourdough starter. You can purchase a dehydrated starter in my shop using this link. When you receive your starter the first thing you need to do is rehydrate it. To do this, you simply cover the dehydrated starter with warm water and let it sit for a few minutes.

Once the starter somewhat dissolves, it’s time to feed it! For the first feeding, you are just going to add enough flour into your water and starter to get a lumpy pancake texture. (I know this is super precise, but it really is the best way to describe what you are looking for. Remember sourdough is an art, not necessarily a science.) After you get the “lumpy pancake batter” look, let your starter sit for about an hour to allow the flour to hydrate. The yeast will begin to wake up and feed on the flour.

After the hour passes, it’s time for a second feed! To begin, stir down your starter then measure it. Add equal parts flour and water. For example, if your rehydrated starter measures out to 1/4 c., you will add 1/4 c. flour and 1/4 c. water to your starter. Mix all these together and allow the starter to sit on the counter for at least another hour.

See it in Action

Is My Starter Ready Yet?

Not quite. You are waiting for your starter to show signs of activity, such as bubbles and/or growth in volume. Since this is the first round of feedings, this might take a little longer than it will once your starter is nice and active. Depending on the temperature of your house, the weather, humidity, and the activity of your starter, this process can take several hours. After your starter shows signs of activity, stir it down and repeat the feeding process using a 1:1:1 ratio. Allow it to double again, and THEN you will be ready to make your first loaf!

Make it a rule to not go past 12 hours without feeding your starter again. Think of your starter as a pet. It needs to be fed once or twice a day depending on how often you use it, but if you need to, you can put it to rest in your fridge and “wake it up” again when you are ready to use it. I do this when we go on a trip, or my schedule doesn’t allow time for making sourdough that particular week.

Next Steps with Your Starter

At this point, you can decide whether you want to keep a small starter or a larger one. If you only want to keep just enough starter for a bread recipe, this is when you will want to pour off some of your starter to throw away. I recommend spreading some on a piece of parchment paper and letting it air dry. Then break it up and put it in your freezer. It’s always a great idea to have a backup in case you forget to feed your starter and it goes bad.

Keeping a large starter is easy, but it requires a large jar. As you can see, Doughlores is in a half-gallon size jar. If you choose to keep a larger starter, there are loads of other sourdough recipes available beyond just a basic bread. I would like to learn how to make sourdough bagels. I have also made a sourdough coffee cake that is delicious!

Whether you choose to make a large starter or a small starter, use the 1:1:1 ratio.

Quick Recap Before You Make Your Simple Sourdough Loaf

Just to recap, you will need to feed your dehydrated starter a few times before it will be active enough to make a loaf.

You also want to make sure you aren’t using all of your starter in a single recipe or you will have nothing left to feed for the next loaf.

Now, let’s get to that bread recipe.

Following the recipe card is a video explaining the lift and fold process as well as a step-by-step walk through the recipe.

Like I said before, I’ve got you! You CAN bake a wonderful loaf of fresh bread to nourish your family!

One more note before we get to that recipe. This is something that I like to start first thing in the morning and work on throughout the day so that I can bake it for dinner that night. another approach is to start the process in the late afternoon which would allow you to do a long ferment in the fridge and bake for the following day. This is entirely up to you!

Simple Sourdough Loaf

Recipe by TheHomemadeMama

Prep time

2

hours 

30

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Ingredients

• 100 grams fed sourdough starter

• 325 grams warm water

• 10 grams salt

• 475 grams All Purpose Flour

Directions

• Preheat your oven and dutch oven to 450℉ for at least an hour.
• Combine starter and water.
• Add salt and flour.
• Stir to combine and hydrate flour. Then allow to rest for 30 minutes.
• After resting, begin the first round of lifts and folds and allow to rest for 30 minutes.
  A “round of lifts and folds” is simply lifting the dough from the middle and tucking the two ends under and into the middle. You go around the bowl 4 times for one set. (This is demonstrated in the video below.)
• Do a second round of folds allow to rest for 30 minutes.
• Do the last round of folds and allow to rest for 30 minutes.
• Shape and allow to rest in a bowl or batten until you are ready to bake. *See NOTES for more information.
• Bake in a dutch oven for 15 minutes at 450 ℉ with the lid on. After 15 minutes, remove the lid and bake for another 25-30 minutes.

Recipe Video

Notes

• You can allow your dough to rest for 4-6 hours and then bake OR long ferment in the fridge for up to 12 hours.