Simple Everyday Sourdough Bread Recipe (Beginner Friendly)

My Favorite Low-Maintenance Sourdough Trick

One thing I quickly realized when I started baking sourdough is that it can create an absurd amount of laundry. Towels for covering the bowl, towels for the banneton, towels for the counter, towels for your hands. Before you know it, the laundry basket looks like you ran a small bakery.

To keep things simple, I use the same flat weave kitchen towel throughout the entire process. One towel, multiple jobs. Here is how I use it:

• Cover the dough during bulk fermentation
• Cover the bowl between stretch and folds
• Line my banneton basket for the cold proof

Before adding the dough to the banneton, I dust the towel generously with rice flour to help prevent sticking. Rice flour really is the secret here. It does not absorb moisture the way regular flour does, so the dough releases cleanly when you turn it out for baking.

Once I am done baking, I take the towel outside, shake all the excess flour into the yard, and then toss it in the wash. Simple, less wasteful, and it keeps me from going through a mountain of kitchen towels every bake day.

Simple Everyday Sourdough Bread Ingredients

I use organic ingredients whenever possible and try to keep everything minimally processed. The flour quality especially makes a difference in flavor and structure, so it is worth using a good one if you can.

• 100g active sourdough starter (bubbly and doubled within the last 4-6 hours)
• 365g room temperature water
• 500g bread flour (or a mix of bread flour and whole wheat for more flavor)
• 11g fine sea salt
• Rice flour for dusting (regular flour works too, but rice flour prevents sticking better)

This recipe makes one medium-sized boule, perfect for a family of four to enjoy with dinner, sandwiches, or that next-morning slice of toast with butter and jam.

Step 1: Mix the Dough

In a large bowl, start by mixing your active starter and water together. I use a fork or my hands to break up the starter into the water until it looks slightly milky and bubbly. This step matters because it disperses the starter evenly so your dough ferments consistently.

Add the flour next, then sprinkle the salt on top. Mix everything together with your hands or a sturdy spoon until you have a shaggy, slightly tacky dough with no dry flour remaining. It does not need to be smooth or pretty at this stage. In fact, if it looks like a wet, lumpy mess, you are doing it exactly right.

Resist the urge to overthink this part. Sourdough rewards patience over perfection, and the gluten will develop later through stretches and folds. Just get everything incorporated and move on.

Step 2: Let the Dough Rest (Autolyse)

Cover the bowl with a damp towel or plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 30 minutes at room temperature. This rest period is called an autolyse, and it is one of those small steps that makes a noticeable difference in your final loaf.

During this 30 minutes, the flour fully hydrates and gluten starts forming on its own without any kneading from you. By the time you come back, the dough will already feel smoother and more cohesive. This is a great time to clean up the counter, refill your coffee, or sit down for a minute. Sourdough is the rare recipe that actively rewards you for taking breaks.

Step 3: Stretch and Folds

Now we build strength into the dough. You will perform 4 sets of stretch and folds, spaced 30 minutes apart. Yes, that means about 2 hours of light work, but each set only takes about 30 seconds and the dough rests on its own in between.

To do a stretch and fold:

1. Wet your hand so the dough does not stick
2. Grab one side of the dough from the bottom
3. Stretch it upward gently, as far as it will go without tearing
4. Fold it over the top of the dough mass
5. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat
6. Continue until all four sides have been stretched and folded

The dough will gradually transform with each set. By the fourth fold, it should feel smoother, stronger, and noticeably more elastic. You may even see some early signs of fermentation like small bubbles forming around the edges.

If you miss a fold by a few minutes here or there, do not worry about it. This recipe is forgiving. Just get back to it when you can and continue from where you left off.

Step 4: Bulk Fermentation

After your final stretch and fold, cover the bowl and let the dough bulk ferment until it has risen about 60 to 80 percent in volume. This is the step that trips up most beginners, and I cannot give you an exact time because it depends on so many factors.

Bulk fermentation length depends heavily on:

• Kitchen temperature (warmer kitchens speed everything up)
• Starter strength (a vigorous starter ferments faster)
• Dough temperature (cold water means slower fermentation)
• Flour type (whole grain flours ferment faster)

On warm summer days in my kitchen, this can take as little as 3 hours. On cool winter mornings, it might stretch to 6 or even 8 hours. Some days the dough moves quickly. Some days it takes forever. That is sourdough.

The best advice I can give you is to watch the dough, not the clock. Look for these signs that bulk fermentation is done:

• The dough has visibly increased in size (60-80% larger)
• You see bubbles on the top and sides
• The dough has a domed, jiggly look when you move the bowl
• It feels light and airy rather than dense

Step 5: Shape the Dough

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Use your bench scraper or wet hands to gently shape it into a tight round loaf. The goal is to create surface tension so the dough holds its shape during the proof and bake.

To shape a boule:

1. Gently pat the dough into a rough rectangle
2. Fold the top down to the middle, then the bottom up over that
3. Fold the left and right sides into the center
4. Flip the dough seam-side down
5. Use your bench scraper and free hand to drag and rotate the dough across the counter, building tension across the surface

You do not need perfect shaping for delicious bread. Good enough really is good enough. Some of my best-tasting loaves looked more like rustic blobs than artisan boules.

Step 6: Cold Proof

Dust your banneton or towel-lined bowl generously with rice flour, then place the shaped dough seam-side up into the basket. Cover and transfer to the refrigerator.

Cold proofing options:

• Minimum 2 hours if you need to bake the same day
• Ideally 8 to 16 hours overnight for the best flavor and texture

I almost always go with an overnight cold proof because it offers significantly better flavor development, much easier scoring (cold dough holds its shape), and a more flexible baking schedule. You can mix the dough in the morning, fold in the afternoon, bulk ferment in the evening, shape and refrigerate before bed, then bake fresh bread for breakfast. Life is chaotic enough already. Let your bread work around your schedule, not the other way around.

Step 7: Score and Bake

Place your empty Dutch oven (with the lid on) into the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F for at least 45 minutes. This step matters. A scorching hot Dutch oven creates the steam environment that gives sourdough its signature open crumb and crackly crust.

When the oven is fully preheated, take the dough straight from the fridge (do not let it warm up first) and turn it out onto a sheet of parchment paper. Score the top with a sharp knife, razor blade, or lame. A simple slash across the top works perfectly, but you can get creative with patterns if you want.

Using the parchment as a sling, carefully lower the dough into the hot Dutch oven, replace the lid, and bake:

• Covered for 25 minutes at 450 degrees F
• Uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes at 450 degrees F until deep golden brown

When the bread is done, the crust should be a rich golden-brown (not pale, not burnt) and it should sound hollow when you tap the bottom. If you have an instant-read thermometer, the internal temperature should be around 205-210 degrees F.

Transfer the loaf to a wire rack and try to resist cutting into it immediately. The bread is still cooking on the inside as it cools, and slicing too early can give you a gummy crumb. Try to wait at least an hour before cutting in.

Or do not. I rarely do.

Beginner Tips That Will Save Your Bread

Watch the Dough, Not the Clock

I cannot say this enough. Fermentation timing changes constantly depending on temperature, starter activity, and even humidity. Trust what you see and feel, not what the recipe timer says. With practice, you will learn to read your dough like a second language.

Sticky Dough Is Normal

Especially for beginners. A wet hand or a lightly oiled bench scraper will be your best friends. Resist the urge to add more flour to a sticky dough, since this changes the hydration and makes for a dense loaf.

Imperfect Bread Still Tastes Amazing

Some of my ugliest loaves have been the most delicious. A dense crumb, a flat crust, a weirdly shaped boule. Bake it anyway. Eat it anyway. Learn from it, then try again next week.

Your Starter Has to Be Active

This is the single most important factor in beginner success. Your starter should have doubled in size within 4 to 6 hours of its last feeding and be visibly bubbly. If your starter is sluggish, your bread will be too.

Troubleshooting Common Sourdough Problems

Dense Loaf With No Open Crumb

This usually means the dough was under-fermented or the starter was not active enough. Next time, let the bulk ferment go longer or feed your starter more aggressively before baking day.

Gummy or Doughy Center

Either the bread was under-baked or you cut into it too soon. Try baking 5 minutes longer next time and let the loaf cool fully on a wire rack before slicing.

Flat Bread That Did Not Rise

Often a sign of over-fermentation. The dough exhausted itself before baking. Watch for a domed shape, not a flat puddle, at the end of bulk ferment.

No Ear or Oven Spring

Score the dough deeper and at a sharper angle. Make sure your Dutch oven is fully preheated. And make sure the dough goes in cold straight from the fridge.

How to Store Your Sourdough Bread

Homemade sourdough does not have any preservatives, so it stores a little differently than store-bought bread. Here is how I keep mine fresh.

• Counter (2-3 days): Cut-side down on the cutting board, or in a paper bag
• Bread box (3-4 days): If you have one, this is the gold standard
• Freezer (up to 3 months): Slice first, then freeze in a sealed bag. Pop slices directly into the toaster from frozen.

Do not store sourdough in the refrigerator. It dries out the bread and accelerates staling. Counter or freezer is the way to go.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use all-purpose flour instead of bread flour?

Yes, but expect a slightly softer loaf with less chewy structure. Bread flour has more protein, which means more gluten development and a better rise. If all-purpose is what you have, use it. Your bread will still taste great.

What if I do not have a Dutch oven?

You can bake the loaf on a sheet pan with a pan of boiling water on the rack below it for steam. The crust will not be quite as dramatic, but the bread will still bake beautifully.

How do I know if my starter is ready to bake with?

Drop a small spoonful into a glass of water. If it floats, your starter is active and ready. If it sinks, give it more time and another feeding before baking.

Can I bake the same day without cold proofing?

Yes, but you will lose some flavor complexity and the dough will be harder to score. If you must bake same-day, do a minimum 2 hour cold proof before baking. The overnight version is genuinely worth the wait.

How long does sourdough bread stay fresh?

2-3 days on the counter, 3-4 days in a bread box, or up to 3 months sliced and frozen. The natural acidity of sourdough actually helps it stay fresher longer than commercial bread.

Can I add ingredients like seeds, cheese, or herbs?

Absolutely. Add inclusions during your last stretch and fold so they get evenly distributed. Start with about 100g of mix-ins and adjust from there.

Your First Loaf Will Not Be Your Last

If this is your first sourdough loaf, congratulations. You just made bread the same way humans have been making it for thousands of years. There is something special about that.

Your first loaf might be ugly. It might be dense. It might be the most beautiful thing you have ever pulled out of an oven. Whatever it is, bake it again next week. Sourdough rewards repetition. You will learn something new every time, and after a few rounds, this recipe will start to feel as natural as making coffee.

If you make this recipe, I would love to hear how it goes. Drop a comment below or tag me on social. And if your kitchen looks like a flour explosion by the end? You are officially part of the club.

Happy baking, friends.