New to homemade sourdough bread or simply improving your craft? Everyday Sourdough from Emilie Raffa’s book Artisan Sourdough Made Simple is a fabulous starting point for new sourdough bakers or simply to hone your sourdough skills. DIY a Sourdough Bread Starter to create a beautiful wild yeast sourdough loaf!
DISCLOSURE: I received a copy of Emilie’s new book and am thrilled to be able to share her fabulous book in this space (with permission). All opinions are my own.
A Sourdough Journey
Prior to going to pastry school, I’d never tried making homemade sourdough bread, although I had read books about it. Intimidated by the terminology, flours, feeding schedules, shaping techniques and knowing, I never took the time or had the courage to dive in.
During pastry school I worked with yeasted bread until I could make it in my sleep. But it was naturally leavened sourdough that continued to mystify me. Only having a few opportunities in school to work with it, I never really gained the hands on knowledge I’d anticipated. So, I continued to read about it, gleaning little nuggets that would some day make me the bread baker I wanted to be.
RELATED: Make an Easy Homemade Sourdough Starter!
A friend of a friend offered some sourdough starter, knowing my interest. I promptly killed it after attempting sourdough again. Then, I carried some of my mom’s starter back to Whidbey with me after a visit to Texas.
I persisted, yet…
I couldn’t quite get the dough to its fluffy pillowy softness, the crumb to its tender-chewy texture, or the crust to its crusty bliss as I had tasted, seen in books, on Emilie’s blog and bakeries.
I tried again, still not producing the loaf of my dreams. Why is this SO hard?
I gave up sourdough baking early last winter with the hopes of starting again this fall.
Sourdough Success!
Enter Emilie Raffa’s new book Artisan Sourdough Made Simple. When I heard she was publishing a book on her sourdough method, I knew it would be my best chance yet to finally learn how to make the perfect loaf. I’ve been following Emilie’s blog, The Clever Carrot, for a while now. You may remember I introduced a cauliflower bolognese recipe from her first cookbook on the blog last year (I know, right?).
Her recipes, writing and photography draw me in, making me feel as if I’m in the kitchen with her. Practical, and not fussy, her writing nudges and encourages me along in the process.
After diving into sourdough again using Emilie’s through and approachable new book and in a short period of time, I can confidently say,
I am a sourdough baker.
You can do it too!
Artisan Sourdough Made Simple Includes
- Photography of every recipe
- Illustrations and photography for basic tools, handling, shaping, and scoring patterns
- How to make and maintain (a sticking point for me) a sourdough starter
- FAQ section – so helpful
- Sourdough terminology – explained simply
- Good to Know tips in each section
- Sweet and savory loaves
- Crusty and soft sandwich loaves
- Recipes for leftover sourdough starter (!!)
I’ve baked three everyday sourdough loaves, and a cheddar-jalapeño chive loaf (omgeeee!), and made gruyere-chive crackers and waffles with leftover sourdough starter. I love them all and can’t wait to try her basic no-knead focaccia, mighty multigrain, and cinnamon raisin swirl among so many others. I’m just getting started!
An Essential Resource
Emilie’s book is for the beginner or more advanced sourdough baker. So if you’re just starting sourdough, intrigued or have been baking for a while, this book is for you. Her recipes are approachable, creative, completely mouthwatering and clearly written for success. Her photography and gentle nudges will inform and inspire you.
Looking for a fabulous Multigrain Sourdough Bread recipe to challenge your bread baking prowess? Check out my Seeded Multigrain Sourdough Bread or my Maple Oat Sourdough Sandwich Bread recipe.
My Sourdough Toolkit (affiliate links):
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- 7 Quart Dutch Oven
- 10″ Cast Iron Skillet with Deep Dish Skillet for a lid
- Bench Scraper
- Parchment Paper
- Food Thermometer
- Lame – for scoring the dough
- Banneton(s)
- Digital Scale
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More Sourdough Recipes to Love
- Sourdough Pita Bread
- Sourdough Discard Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Soft Sourdough Dinner Rolls
- Sourdough Pizza
- Fluffy Sourdough Banana Muffins – discard recipe
- Sourdough Oat Pancakes – discard recipe
- Easy Sourdough Biscuits Recipe – discard recipe
- Strawberry Shortcake with Sourdough Biscuits – discard recipe
Emilie’s Everyday Sourdough Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup (50g) Sourdough Starter previously fed, active and bubbly
- 1 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons (350g) Warm Water about 80f (26c)
- 4 cups (500g) Bread Flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Fine Sea Salt
Instructions
- Make the Dough: In the evening, whisk the starter and water together in a large bowl with a fork. Add the flour and salt. Combine until a still dough forms, then finish mixing by hand to fully incorporate the flour. The dough will feel dense and shaggy, and it will stick to your fingers as you go. Scrape off as much as you can. Cover with a damp towel and let rest for 30 minutes. Replenish your starter with fresh flour and water, and store according to preference. After the dough has rested, work the mass into a fairly smooth ball. To do this, grab a portion of the dough and fold it over, pressing your fingertips into the center. Repeat, working your way around the dough until it begins to tighten, about 15 seconds.
- Bulk Rise: Cover the bowl with a damp towel and let rise overnight at room temperature. This will take about 8-10 hours at 70F (21C). The dough is ready when it no longer looks dense and has doubled in size. (Traci's Note: Mine generally takes 12-13 hours to rise, but I have a chilly kitchen!).
- Shape: In the morning, coax the dough into a lightly floured work surface. To shape it into a round, start at the top and fold the dough over towards the center. Turn the dough slightly and fold over the next section of dough. Repeat until you have come full circle. Flip the dough over and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, line an 8-inch (20cm) bowl with a towel (or use a banneton) and dust with flour. With floured hands, gently cup the dough and pull it toward you in a circular motion to tighten its shape. Using a bench scraper, place the dough into the bowl, seam side up.
- Second Rise: Cover the bowl and let rest for 30 minutes to 1 hour. The dough is ready when it looks puffy and has risen slightly but has not yet doubled in size. Preheat the oven to 450F (230C). Cut a sheet of parchment paper to fit the size of your baking pot leaving enough excess around the sides to remove the bread. **UPDATE (5.20)** Place a sheet pan on an oven rack directly under the oven rack you'll be baking the bread on. This protects the baking vessel from the intense heat of the oven and helps prevent a too-dark or burnt bottom. (See notes for more information).
- Score: Place the parchment over the dough and invert the bowl to release. Sprinkle the dough with flour and gently run the surface with your hands. Using the tip of a small, serrated knife or a razor blade, score the dough with a cross-cut pattern about 1/3" (8mm) deep and about 2-3" (5-7cm) on the top or any way you like. Use the parchment to transfer the dough to the baking pot.
- Bake: Bake the dough on the center rack for 20 minutes, covered. Remove the lid and continue to bake for 30 minutes. Then, carefully remove the loaf from the pot and bake directly on the oven rack for the last 10 minutes to crisp the crust. (To check if the bread is ready, check the internal temperature of the loaf. It should read between 190F-205F when done.) When finished, transfer to a wire rack. Cool for 1 hour before slicing. Sourdough is best consumed on the same day it's baked. To maximize freshness, cool completely and store at room temperature in a plastic bag for up to one day (My sourdough is generally storing for between 3-4 days.)
Hi there! I was gifted this book about a year ago from a bread baking friend (and many failed attempts at making sourdough!). It’s the only book I use now after making many, many loaves of bread from this book. For anyone having issues with the bottom burning, I have the solution! (I researched it myself when I was having the same issue). The solution: Put aluminum foil on the rack under your pot. Works like a charm by diffusing the heat. :) Hope it helps someone out there.
Thank you for sharing your tip, Lisa!
Finally it worked and I got a beautiful loaf. I did have to cut the last 10 mins of baking to 5. After 4 weeks of trying to get my starter to double, it was bubbly, smelt good, I was testing my yeast for another recipe, I decided instead of throwing the test away I added it to my starter and voila my starter took off and is doing great.
First time making this recipe, using a new Dutch Oven (5 qt) and I couldn’t really be any more pleased! I used the baking sheet below it, and it turned out fabulous! I probably scored a bit too deep but it is still beautiful and tastes perfect.
Super happy to read your note, Barb! Thank you for coming back and sharing your thoughts and rating. I’m thrilled that you’re pleased with the sourdough!
Hi Traci, I love your recipes, even though I am struggling with the everyday sourdough being too dark and too fast. Maybe the reason is that I am trying to make a honey wheat sourdough boule from it. Can you please post a recipe for a honey wheat sourdough boule? There is not one recipe on the internet. Thank you Denise
PS I use 100g WW flour 400 Bread flour and mix 1/8-1/4 c honey in the water and starter
Hi again! I see now why you’re having issues. Your review is for a different, adapted whole wheat and honey recipe. Honey will make sourdough brown more easily, and whole wheat bakes darker due to the nature of whole grain. This could be the culprit, but above all, an oven thermometer (even on a new oven) goes a long way to confirm accurate oven temperature. I’m actually working on a honey wheat sourdough, although It’s sandwich bread, I’ll give a boule a go next. Until then, try reducing your oven temperature by 25F.
The baking times do not work. I am good at making Sourdough and Love Vanilla Bean’s recipes but this recipe came out burned in 40 min. Covered 20 min, uncovered 15 min of the 25 and it’s burned. So I tried 20 covered, uncover 10, and then 8 min with no pan to crisp the crust and in 8 min it burned.
Hi Denise… oh no! I’m sorry to hear your bread isn’t turning out. I’m curious about your oven… Are you able to employ an external oven thermometer to check for accurate oven temperature? Is it possible the thermostat is faulty? Also, I’m curious about the interior of the bread… is it reaching 190F – 200F?. If so, you can try placing a piece of foil over the loaf after removing the lid (and also place a sheet pan on the oven rack below your baking vessel). With a little more information, maybe we can figure out what’s happening together. Let me know, okay?
It is a newer gas oven so temp is good.
Also, Traci, I make all kinds of amazing sourdough recipes. But this is the only one that is challenging. I keep making it to figure it out. And the inside thermometer of the middle is 185oF
I avoid the too dark by lowering the temp after 20 to 425… I also keep the lid on for all but the last five minutes or so… for an even crispier crust… once removed from the pot, I place back in the oven for five min with the door slightly ajar
Thank you for sharing your tips, Cyndy!
I have made this several times and it always comes out great. I would like to experiment with making this gluten free. I have your gluten free sourdough starter ready but looking for what substitutions to make.
Hi Leslie! So happy to hear you’re enjoying the sourdough and you’ve a gf starter ready. If looking to make a gf loaf, you’d need a different recipe entirely. Have you checked out my Gf sourdough bread recipe? https://vanillaandbean.com/seeded-multigrain-gluten-free-sourdough-bread/
I have made sourdough bread using this recipe nearly every week for a few years now and I find it the most versatile and most simple recipe to easily make bread weekly. But I too have had the burnt bottom issue. I live in South Los Angeles and I found that for my particular oven and kitchen, 450° is too high of a temp to bake this recipe at. The bottom burns, and the inside stays a little gummy. So I reduced the temp To 425°, reduced the amount of water in the starter, and allowed a longer bulk rise (18 -20 hrs) and then the bread performed much better. I think that adjustments just have to be made based on where you live altitude/humidity and how your particular oven performs. For me reducing the baking temp solved the burnt bottom issue and also cooked of the inside of the loaf more thoroughly. The other adjustments helped with the spongey-ness of the bread.
Hi Stacy! Thank you for your note and sharing your tips. No doubt adjusting for oven, altitude/humidy is super important. SO happy to hear you’ve tweaked the recipe to fit your needs. Hooray for a fabulous loaf!
I just want to let you know that I have been making this bread recipe during the pandemic and I love it. It took me a couple of times to make it before it came out looking normal . Thanks for this. I’ve tried other recipes on Pinterest and for me this is the best.
SO happy to hear Viki! Isn’t Emilie’s method the best? Simple, straight forward and with consistent results! SO happy to hear you enjoying fabulous homemade sourdough. Thank you for your note.
Really dumb question re: transferring the unbaked loaf to the pot with parchment. Do you slide the dough off the parchment and into the pot, or do you lower the dough into the pot still on the parchment and bake it with parchment still underneath?
Hi Stephanie! No question is a dumb question. I’m happy to help! Use the parchment as handles to lower the dough into the pot and bake the sourdough with parchment still underneath. I hope this helps and you enjoy the sourdough. Keep us posted!
Thank you Traci! Just set the dough aside for the bulk rise…can’t wait to bake tomorrow!
Keep us posted Stephanie!
Thank you for your comment re the baking sheet on the rack under the Dutch oven.
I am so proud to say, I am now a sourdough baker too! I spent years baking bread every week with a seeded no-knead recipe but always thought sourdough would be too advanced for me. No longer! I used Traci’s guide to making a sourdough starter and then tried this recipe, and while it turned out okay but rather flat the first two tries, on my third try I added a little extra water after reading Tracie’s note on a comment that a higher hydration dough results in more air holes. Although the dough was very wet and a little messy to work with, I got a beautiful and very airy loaf with a wonderful sourdough flavor! (I also invested in a scale and I think the more accurate measurements helped too!) I have a chilly kitchen too and my dough seems to enjoy spending the night on top of the radiator. A damp towel dries out too quickly with this approach, so I got a mixing bowl with a tight fitting plastic lid and that has worked fine. I can tell that my starter is developing a stronger flavor with each week so I’m excited to see how the taste of my bread continues to evolve! Thanks, Traci for this approachable recipe!
Hi Mary! What a fantastic feeling! Hooray! So happy to learn of your success. It’s such a rewarding journey! A kitchen scale is your best sourdough friend (and all baking!). Higher hydration is more difficult to work with but oh my those lofty holes are worth the effort.
Not really reliable recipe. Converting 1 1/3 cups and 2 tbsp of warm water to grams gives 310gr. Not 350 as mentioned. 40gr of extra water may give the wrong result.
So which one is it the better? The cup measurement or the good ol` reliable Eu Gram?
Hi Chris! Did you try the recipe? Not really reliable? The Eu Gram is always more reliable in baking. Reason why professional bakers always weigh their ingredients. I offer volume measurements for those that do not use or have a scale – I always weigh and measure all my recipes offered here on the blog. Because there’s no standard for volume measurements, you’ll notice measuring cups vary from brand to brand, whereas a gram is a gram – always more accurate. Last, in bread making, the recipes are pretty flexible. Dough too dry, add a splash of water. Too wet, add a bit of flour. It’s a little like cooking with spices. I hope this helps!
I got much closer to perfect sourdough than with any other recipe. Practice, practice, practice
Hooray, hooray, Brushjl! That is SO good to hear. Yes, practice practice…. (!!).
I’ve baked sourdough bread using this recipe at least 15-20 times. The first time, with a young starter it came out very good, and as I have gotten better at baking and as my sourdough starter has matured, it keeps getting better and better. Thanks for posting this and getting me started on baking again! This is a very approachable recipe for a beginning baker and the result is a loaf that would make people think it was made by a pro!
Hi Nathan! Thank you for your note and sharing your experience. I love reading that your sourdough just gets better and better. It’s the true nature of sourdough! And to see all this unfold before your eyes is so exciting and encouraging. After-all, you ARE a pro now!
Hi! I’m not a beginner sourdough baker but no expert either. I’ve used The Perfect Loaf recipe that is similar to Tartine’s and just found it too fussy. This recipe was easy, absolutely delicious and looked like it was from a pro bakery. I baked it in a Lodge pot. Next time, going to add a little wheat flour to it…. Thanks!
Hi Mimi! Isn’t Emilie’s method SO approachable? Easy, straight forward and with such beautiful results. SO happy to hear you’re enjoying the recipe!
Do you preheat with the dutch oven in there as well?
Hi Mith! I do not, but feel free to if you like.
Thank you so much for posting this. I baked a loaf this morning, and it is by far my best loaf yet. I did pretty much everything the same as I have been doing, except I let if ferment I. The fridge overnight, then brought it up to room temp before baking today. The other difference was using a damp towel to cover it. I think the dampness was the key to finally having a great loaf. Thanks again!
Hi Kathleen! Thank you for coming back and leaving a note. So happy to hear this is your best loaf yet! Hooray! Indeed, a damp towel does wonders to keep the dough nice and moist!
I love this recipe! It is easy and has given me a good result nearly every time. Thank you!
SO happy to hear Paula! Thank you for your note and giving the sourdough a go!
Hello, I had a strange problem the second time I used this recipe. The first time I used it, it worked perfectly and produced the best loaf I have ever made – it was amazing! But the second time, immediately upon mixing the dough (I followed the recipe exactly again) it was VERY wet and did not form a shaggy dense dough at all. It was like pancake batter! So I added a bit more flour, but it was still super gloppy and wet. I continued on with the recipe as written as I thought it might work out, but the dough stays really sticky and wet the entire time and was a flat mess when I pit it in the oven. Needless to say it did not rise and was a sad loaf. I have dealt with gloopy dough before with different recipes but they all seemed to work out when they baked. This did not. Any suggestions? It has been hotter than normal, but not ridiculously hot in my kitchen. Maybe around high 70s. My starter has also been peaking really quickly, like within 5 hours, but I usually don’t feed in until about 10-12 hours. Maybe that caused the wet dough? Really weird. Please help! Thanks.
Hi Michelle! I’m sorry you’re having difficulty. There are several factors that come to mind: Flours vary in their moisture content from brand to brand. Additionally, local humidity conditions will impact how your dough feels from one batch to another. Feel free to adjust the water or flour as needed. If the dough feels a bit too dry, try adding a teaspoon of water (more if needed). Too wet? Add more flour, a little at a time. You can also hold out a bit of water as your mixing. Even if you weigh your ingredients, this is not uncommon. As you gain experience in making sourdough, you’ll gain a better understanding of how your dough should look and feel. I hope this helps!
This evening I am going to make my second batch of sourdough bread utilizing your recipe. The first time turned out perfect. I have a fairly new starter so the “ sourdough “ taste was not as pronounced, but I know that will come with time. Easy and straightforward recipe. Definitely a 5 star recipe. Thank you for a great recipe.
Hi Connie! Thank you for your note. I’m so happy to hear of your success! Isn’t Emilie’s method so simple (yet effective!)? To get more sourdough flavor, you can try prolonging the bulk fermentation by putting the dough in the fridge (with a double moist tea towel on top) for 8-10 hours, then pull it to room temp to double in size. Please keep in touch!
Hi, I’m new to sourdough making. All the other sourdough recipes call for the dough to be kneaded for about 10 mins or until you create the ‘window pane effect’ You’re recipe doesn’t Say to knead for that long only 15 seconds and then shaping after the rise. Is this the case or have I read it wrong? Thank you and I’m trying this recipe this weekend.
Hi Christeen! Thank you for your note. There are as many methods to sourdough as there are recipes for hummus. This method is from Emilie’s book “Artisan Sourdough Made Simple.” You read step one correct: after mixing, rest the dough for 30 minutes, the perform one “fold” as described (you can do up to 3 more folds, 30 minutes apart each if you like). This is a no knead method so you don’t need to do the “window pane” test. What so many makers love about Emilie’s method is that it is truly simple and creates fabulous sourdough bread (take a look at the comments below if you’ve not had a chance)! I hope this helps. Keep in touch!
Wow!! This has made my year!! Watch this space and I’ll see how I get one. Thank you for such a speedy reply. X
My results were delicious! Thanks for sharing the step by step. I have had a sourdough starter for years and it was fun to try a new recipe. I followed recipe exactly so i could have a foundational understanding. To your excellent point somewhere in the thread above there are always nuances for flour type, moisture content and even the temperature and humidity and make a difference in the end game. Going to repeat this one next week and maybe go for somewhere between 3-3.5 cups of flour going more with the feel in order to achieve a less dense product. Mine did not have the amount of porosity as yours. Looking forward to ordering this book based on your beautiful coverage.Thanks!!
Hi Debra! Thank you for your note and sharing your experience! Indeed, sourdough is a process, but it sounds like you have a grasp of how loafs can vary from one to another even using the same recipe! You’re going to love Emilie’s book – it’s truly one that I refer to again and again. I highly recommend the crackers with discard and the Cheddar Jalapeno loaf (it’s all I want! lol!).
Yes, yes and YES to the Cheddar Jalapeño loaf! I’m looking forward to use this new tasty starter for my sourdough waffles. I look forward to finding out more about you and your recipes.
This recipe is great. I live in a dry, high altitude climate so I found that doubling the starter plus adding 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil and honey yielded a yummy result. I’ve doubled and quadrupled the recipe too with great success too.
Thank you for your note Cathy and sharing your tips!! Ooh the honey and olive oil sounds perfect to soften the loaf – delicious!
Hi there!
I have been loving this recipe! Question though.. if you make 2 loafs at the same time, what does the baking time increase to?
I haven’t made the bread yet but plan to this week. I have a question – do you preheat your Dutch oven? I’ve seen a couple of recipes / videos that say to preheat the Dutch oven (including on The Perfect Loaf site). Suggestion is up to an hour. Appreciate your thoughts on this
Hi Sue… Indeed, a lot of recipes say to do this, and I used to preheat. But following Emilie’s lead, and through her book, I no longer preheat. I find it’s unnecessary. I encourage you to give it a go both ways and see which way you prefer! I’d love to hear what you discover :D
Hi Traci, I followed the recipe and didn’t preheat the dutch oven and the recipe worked perfectly so that’s the way I’ll go in future. After reading & watching lots online, your recipe seemed like one that is good for newbies as many seem more time consuming. I’ve now got some wholemeal flour so will have a go at making wholemeal loaf this weekend.
A question re using the ‘discards’ in other recipes – I don’t always have time to use the excess immediately so I’ve been adding to a separate jar of discards which is in the fridge. Is this okay? In order to use it for other recipes, does it need to be fed again before using? I assume at the very least I should bring it to room temp before using? Would like to use the discards instead of wasting them but still trying to understand the how & when of using them
Hi Sue! Thank you for your note and follow up. Hooray for a perfect loaf! Good for you on lots of reading, and cross referencing… there are SO many ways to a fabulous loaf, but indeed, Emilie’s method is the most straight forward I’ve found too. RE: discards – Storing the discard in the fridge is fine. That’s where I store mine. I try to use mine within at least two weeks. It does not need to be fed again before using, just stir down and use. Room temperature is preferred as it incorporates into the recipe’s liquid and flour better. When using discard, use a recipe that indicates discard use until you start creating your own recipes with it. It makes a difference! Please keep in touch!
Hi Traci, thanks for the quick response re using the discards.
My partner is keen to have a brad with wholemeal flour instead of white. If I used half and half do you think I’ll need to increase the amount of water? I know from baking cakes etc using wholemeal flour, they tend to need more liquid to prevent them being heavy and dry
Thanks, Sue
Hey Sue – I often go up to half whole wheat with this recipe and find I don’t need to change the water content at all. I have tried WW bread, regular and pastry flour, rye and teff (better kept to 10%) all with good results. There is quite a lot of water between the regular amount in this recipe and the seed soaker (I leave out the 10 grain because its just too much seed to work with). My bread turns out lovely and porous with good rise, but not the giant bubbles. I do do the additional bulk ferment in the fridge most times. Hope that helps!
Hi Jenny! Thank you for your note, giving the recipe a go and sharing your tips! I think you’re comparing this recipe to my Seeded Multigrain? If so, yes there is more water, mainly due to the seeds soaking up water and the whole wheat flour used in the recipe. There’s no giant bubbles due to all the inclusions and whole wheat (whole wheat is “heavier”). If you’re looking for giant air pockets, go with all bread flour and increase the hydration. A higher hydration in an all bread flour dough yields bigger air pockets!
This is a great recipe for a beginner like me. Directions are easy to follow, and the bread is delicious! The crust is darker than I probably would have wanted, but the entire family said it was great. I made it in a 3.75 qt. cast iron Dutch oven, and it baked very nicely.
HI Cindy! Thank you for your note and giving the recipe a go! So happy to hear you’re enjoying the sourdough!
The baking sheet, do you put it in the oven before you preheat or after at the same time you load the loaf in the oven?
Hi Edward! I put it in there while the oven is preheating, but either way should work.
Thank you for your helpful post.
I’m new to sourdough baking and was having a little trouble with my rise. Your instruction got me there. My bread was delicious and beautiful.
SO happy to hear Rebecca! Thank you so much for your note!
Hello! I’m wondering if you usually measure your ingredients by volume or weight? I made two loaves by volume and although it was very difficult to incorporate the flour, the loaves turned out really nice with some big air bubbles. I recently got a scale and using the weight measurements you have, my dough ended up very wet and impossible to shape. Ended up tossing two batches of dough because it became such a sticky mess when I was trying to shape. Wondering if you have any guidance on this.
PS. Fair play for responding to all of these comments!
Hi Lauren! Thank you for your note. On my recipes, I provide volume and weight as a convenience (I physically weigh and measure each ingredient). However, this recipe is a recipe from a cookbook I received from fellow blogger and sourdough expert, so I offered the recipe as written (with permission). The images in this post are from bread I made and with weighed ingredients. Weight measurements are always more accurate and reason why professional bakers exclusively weigh ingredients. With regards to volume measurements, none of my three sets of measuring cups are equivalent, so I DO recommend weighing ingredients. To complicate matters, brands of flour and their moisture content (or ability to absorb water) vary AND local humidity (seasonal) conditions will/can impact dough hydration. As you become more familiar with sourdough baking and varying hydration, you’ll notice the difference. Even a little bit, more or less, of water can go a long way – even a few Tablespoons – when it comes to bread making.
The more you work with sourdough, the more familiar you’ll become with hydration levels. I still experience plenty of learning opportunities! You’ll know to hold back a bit of water or if it needs more water while mixing. Let the dough be your guide as you gain more experience. I hope this helps, Lauren.
Hello! I tried baking this loaf, it tasted great and had a good texture and crunchy crust. But I didn’t get a much of an oven spring and it was fairly dense in the middle/bottom but with bigger holes at the top. Any suggestions for improvements and why this might have happened? Thanks Martha
HI Martha… Thank you for your note… so happy to hear it tasted great! Regarding oven spring and density, I’m curious about a few things: was your starter doubled in size, active and bubbly? How about bulk fermentation, for how many hours and at what temperature – did it double in size? Do you use an external oven thermometer to verify oven temperature?
Yes my starter was active, bubbly and doubled in size. I use a rye starter though would that make a difference? For bulk fermentation, I bulk fermented for around 12/13 hours. It definitely seemed to grow, but I didn’t see bubbles. I let it proof in the fridge overnight, left it out at room temp in the morning before shaping (about 1.5/2hours)
I didn’t use an external thermometer but I ordered one this week and it arrived today! Should I use that to check temperature of the dough (and if so what should that be) and also temp of the oven how should I measure that with the thermometer? I have a fan oven, so I’m unsure on how much to deduct as it is more powerful. Thank you in advance Traci, your recipes are great and I appreciate you responding to my comment. It’s very kind of you to be so attentive to your followers!
Hi Martha… Thank you for your note and kind words. A rye starter wouldn’t make any difference. I’ve little experience with proofing in the fridge, but with a bulk ferment for 12/13 hours at room temp, then an overnight proof in the fridge and another 1-2 hours at room temp, it sounds like the dough could have over proofed.
An external thermometer is super helpful to know the temperature of your oven, but to check the internal temperature of the bread, you’ll need a food thermometer (this is an affiliate link). To see if the bread is ready, check the internal temperature of the loaf. It should read between 190F-205F when done.
With regards to your oven, you’ll need to reference your manufactures owners manual for convection adjustment if any. I bake on convection exclusively, but my oven automatically adjusts for the temperature difference (using an external thermometer helps with any confusion too). I hope this helps, Martha! Please keep in touch!
Hi Traci,
Thanks for this info. I’ll try just proofing at room temp for a short period and see how that goes!
And sorry I wasn’t clear I bought a food thermometer to check the bread, but I measure on centigrade as I’m in the Uk! Thanks Traci
After a few sourdough recipe trials this one is the best one I’ve found and least hands on. The key that I’ve found is that timing isn’t a hard science. My sourdough is very slow to grow (even though it passes the float test) so my bulk rise takes almost 15-18 hours to double in size. When I first started I didn’t wait long enough and always had a dense flat loaf. Be patient and wait for it to look and act the way it should. I’m not sure why mine is so slow but it sure makes a tasty airpocket-filled loaf. I do have a question though, up to how much bread/all-purpose flour can you substitute with whole wheat flour before it starts changing the loaf in a bad way (if thats a thing)
Hi Meghan! So happy to hear you’re enjoying the recipe… isn’t the hands off time SO nice? Thank you for your note. Agreed, timing isn’t a hard science… watching the dough is important and knowing what it should look/feel like takes practice. Yes to 15-18 hours (!!)… this past winter, I was easily at 16 hours bulk at room temp. Patience is SO key. My best answer to your question is to start plying with the percent of whole wheat flour.. start with 25% and work your way up to see what you prefer. I have a multigrain recipe, if you’d like to use that as a jumping off point! I hope this helps!
So it has the acetone smell, hooch on top (most days) but it does not seem to be getting fluffy or filled with bubbles like most of the pics I’ve seen of starter.
I’ve been placing a plate over top and putting them in our oven (not on) which is a touch warmer than our home.
We have a water softener so could that be affecting the starter?
At this point I’m just continuing to feed it 1x per day and see what happens even though I think I’m on day 9.
Hi first timer here. I took my starter out of fridge this morning and fed it I had 200g of starter and fed it 200g flour and 200g water it is now sitting on the bench to activate. Is this correct. Do I make the dough when it has double in size and nice and bubbly. How long should activation take. Thankyou I do have other questions but they can wait till later.
Hi Linda… Welcome! You are creating a 100% hydrated starter. This is what I do too, although I usually only use 60g each. You can keep as much starter as you like, however! You’ll make the dough when it has doubled in size, has a pleasant sweet/sour smell and it’s bubbly. The speed at which a ripe starter doubles depends on several factors: ambient temperature, how active your starter is and the temperature of the water used to feed the starter. My starter doubles in size anywhere between 5 hours and 8 hours. If I want to speed it up, I pop it in a turned off oven with the light on. To slow it down (say it’s late and I want to go to bed), I pop it in the fridge where it will rise slowly. I hope this helps! Keep in touch!
Hi there! I can’t figure out how to leave a new comment (maybe it’s just my phone), but I can reply to old ones, so here goes – I’ve used your recipe a few times and absolutely love it! The only thing is that I don’t know how much my dough should actually be rising in the last 30 minutes – 1 hour rise before baking. It seems that in that time it’s not really doing much of all, and I’ve tried letting the dough rise in room temperature and warm places. Should the towel over top be damp or dry? Do you have any recommendations for this step?
Thanks so much
Hi Chelsea! Thank you for your note… and finding a way to comment! So happy to hear you’re enjoying the bread. For the second rise, I cover my dough with a damp tea towel, and allow it to rise for about 30 minutes. I know it looks like nothing is happening, but it does become “puffy” . I only notice this because I’ve photographed the process and have seen before and after pictures. I set the timer as a ritual for 30 minutes, then once the timer goes off, I score and bake. I hope this helps!
Thankyou Tracie. So I cooked a loaf today and it looks great on the outside and inside it has some good holes in the bread and a nice crust but it is still doughy looking. Wish I could send you pics. I followed the instructions correctly and each stage looked just like your pics then cooked it for the time specified and it sounded quite hollow. What or where could I have gone wrong. I’ve just emailed you some pics 😁
Hi Linda! Thank you for sending pics over… your bread looks great, but it’s difficult to get a feel for the ‘doughy’ nature of the bread. I’m wondering, are you allowing the bread to cool to room temperature before cutting into it? Are you temping the inside of the bread before pulling it from the oven?
Thankyou for replying yes allowing to cool before cutting. When you say temping do you mean checking the temperature? I did check the temperature and it was over the 190.
Hi Linda… Yes on temperature.. how about your oven? Do you have an external oven thermometer? I’m thinking you could give the bread another 10 -15 minutes in the oven, turned off, with the oven door ajar. This may help dry the bread out further. Keep us posted!
My favourite sourdough recipe for beginners! Love to bake a couple loaves, slice them up and freeze them, it tastes great fresh out of the toaster. I also love to sub in whole wheat flour. Delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Becca! So happy to hear! YES to freezer to toaster… I do the same and it’s SO convenient. Thank you for your note.
Hi There
Would love to know what your flour ratio is when you use whole wheat flour?
Thanks a million
Hi Tiffany! I use whole wheat flour in my Multigrain Bread recipe, a lower percentage. And this would be typical to use in this recipe as well (I’ve not done the math :D). If using WWF, you’ll need to play with the hydration because WWF is thirstier. I hope this helps, and you enjoy fabulous sourdough!
I made this today… well, I baked it today! and it turned out beautifully! Please don’t be offended but I don’t have a banneton so I just shaped and placed in parchment in the dutch oven, and let it proof there. I got decent oven spring. Next time I will proof in a bowl then transfer, and see if I get more spring. It is delicious, though! Thank you! It’s nice to see the recipe simplified.
Big smiles from me to you!
Hii Therese! Hooray for a fabulous loaf of bread! No need for a banneton… that’s just what I use. Simply place the loaf in a tea towel lined bowl. So happy to hear your enjoying homemade sourdough! Thank you for your note!
I have a question. I’m on day 5 or 6 of making the sourdough starter but it doesn’t seem to be bubbling or changing a whole lot. The first couple days it was taking on the smells described in your starter receipe but not I’m wondering if I did something or didn’t do something. I’ve had it in a medium sized glass bowl partially covered or covered with a damp towel each night but in the morning it seems to have a somewhat hardened surface which I stir up before taking out the requisite 2TBS ea day to add to the 1/4 C of flour and 2TBS + 2TSP of water. one day I did have hooch show up on top of mixture which I mixed in and then one day I fed it twice.
Maybe my climate, here in San Antonio TX. where it’s been fairly humid lately is causing it to take longer??
Any ideas??
Hi Scott! I need a bit more information… how does your starter smell – how has it changed over the course of five days? Be sure to cover it fully with a damp tea towel, or a lid (I sometimes use a small plate). The surface shouldn’t be hard rather, it can form a skin and that can be stirred in, but it shouldn’t be hard. Remember too, that patience is key. It could take longer than 6 days. That is not unusual. Keep us posted!
Ok. the plastic cover I’ve been using has been on “loosely” (ie. there are a couple inches of gap allowing air to get in. and I guess what I meant to say was not “hard” but a “skin” (your term was better). It was still able to be stirred in.
what I read is that some folks feed it more than once a day. Is that good or bad?
You can feed it more than once a day, and that’s not uncommon, but I don’t find that necessary when building a starter. I’ll do that when I’m getting ready to bake if necessary, but not when making a starter.
So it has the acetone smell, hooch on top (most days) but it does not seem to be getting fluffy or filled with bubbles like most of the pics I’ve seen of starter.
I’ve been placing a plate over top and putting them in our oven (not on) which is a touch warmer than our home.
We have a water softener so could that be affecting the starter?
At this point I’m just continuing to feed it 1x per day and see what happens even though I think I’m on day 9.
Hi Scott… I’m not sure about the water softener, thinking about this a little more… and since there’s such a strong odor, I’d increase feedings every 8-10ish hours until your starter produces a pleasant aroma. The hooch is an indicator of hunger… your micro biome isn’t getting enough to eat (or they’re gobbling up the food so fast because they’re so cozy in that oven). Setting the starter in the oven with the light on speeds their activity, so at this time, I’d leave it at room temperature. I hope this helps!
I’ve made this once and it came out so good, thank you! At what point in the recipe would I add the dough to the fridge to crank up the sour flavor? I’ve read about the acetic/lactic acid difference, but I’m dense and can’t figure out when. THanks!
Hi Charlie! Thank you for your note! So happy to hear the bread turned out well for you. If you’d like to overnight your dough in the fridge (8-14 or more) hours for part of bulk fermentation, that’s a good time to do it (just be sure to double up on damp tea towels, otherwise they tend to dry out and ruin the dough). When you remove the dough from the fridge, you’ll still want it to double in size and come to room temperature before shaping and proofing. Some people proof their shaped dough in the fridge, but I’ve very little experience with that. Good luck and please keep us posted!
Omg this was the best recipe. My bread came perfect.
Hooray! So happy to hear Rosa. Thank you for your note!
I’m a beginner of Sourdough making by an accident. I used the starter from another lady but found your recipe & method later when I searched for a Sourdough read recipe. Thank you so much for a very nice & easy methods to follow. My 1st baked was very successful & beautiful look with loads of bubbles in it. Many of my friends were so impressed & I forwarded them your link 🥰
Hi Jub! Thank you for your note and giving the method a go! Hooray for a beautiful loaf and passing the recipe on to your friends! Thank you :D
Hello! I’ve made this SD recipe twice now! It’s a keeper. I even shared some of my starter and this recipe. I had to use the stainless steel stockpot and a sheet pan over the top for 1st 20 minutes then remove sheet pan and bake for another 25 minutes. It’s come out beautifully both times. My question is can you split this dough and make 2 smaller loaves? At what point would I split the dough? Thank you again for this simply delicious recipe!!
Hi Ceriese! Thank you for your note, sharing your tips and giving the recipe a go! For two boules, here’s what I do with my Seeded Multigrain Sourdough: You’ll divide the dough after bulk fermentation, before shaping. “When baking two boules, bake as described with lid on. Then, remove the lid and continue to bake lid off for 15-20 minutes. To check if the bread is ready, check the internal temperature of the loaf. It should read between 190F-205F when done. When finished, transfer to a wire rack. Cool for 1 hour before slicing.” This method should work fine with this sourdough bread as well. I hope this helps.
It did help, thank you. :)
I didn’t see in the instructions to preheat the Dutch oven. Do I just put the dough in a non heated Dutch oven?
-thanks
Hi Megan! That is correct. No need to preheat the DO!
Turned out great but how can i get a more open crumb with this recipe? Mine had pretty small bumbles.
Hi Ryland! So happy to hear! For a more open crumb, you’ll need a higher hydration dough. I hope this helps!
Instead of leaving overnight, can I proof it in the oven at 100% to make the bread faster?
Hi Matt! I’m not sure what proof it in the oven at 100% means. You can proof overnight or during the day.. whatever fits your schedule (bakers schedule is only a suggestion). If you like, you can turn on your oven light (with the oven off). Remember that time = flavor.
I don’t know what I did wrong but my dough is sooooo tough. I’ve left it to rise longer and I’ll still attempt to bake it.
Hi Jennifer… oh goodness. Can you add about 10g of water to loosen it? Are you beyond bulk fermentation?
I’m making my 1st loaf of sourdough. What’s the best way to bake the bread if I don’t have a dutch oven or an iron skillet?
Irina commented below “ I baked my bread directly on a pizza stone without any container. I just put a roasting pan with some water on the bottom of the oven, to create steam and put the dough directly on the hot stone. Bread rose and came out with a crusty crust.” I hope this helps!
I use a stainless steel stockpot and put a sheet pan over the top for the first 20 mins, then remove for the last 25-30 mins. Works great, did a lot of research because I also do not have a dutch oven.
This is my go-to sourdough bread recipe. I’ve shared it with others and they’ve had great success. Thank you for simplifying sourdough.
Hi Teresa! Thank you for your note, sharing your success and sharing the recipe with others! Hooray! I’m SO happy to hear. :D