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!
I received a copy of Emilie’s book and am happy to be able to share it in this space. 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 mystified 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.
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, 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!
With the help of Emilie Raffa’s book Artisan Sourdough Made Simple, I am a sourdough baker! 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.
After diving into sourdough again using Emilie’s thorough and approachable new book and in a short period of time, I can confidently say,
I am a sourdough baker.
Making everything from Sourdough Sandwich Bread, Sourdough Pie Crust and Homemade Sourdough French Toast to this simple Buttery Sourdough Discard Cornbread recipe.
And, you can do it too!
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.
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Looking for a delicious Multigrain Sourdough Bread recipe to challenge your bread baking prowess? Check out this reader favorite Seeded Multigrain Sourdough Bread.
My Sourdough Toolkit (affiliate links):
- 7 Quart Dutch Oven
- 10″ Cast Iron Skillet with Deep Dish Skillet for a lid
- Bench Scraper
- Parchment Paper
- Digital Food Thermometer
- Lame – for scoring the dough
- Banneton(s)
- Digital Scale
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.)
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.
Made it? Leave a comment below!
The most helpful comment may include recipe rating, feedback, any modifications or helping other commentors.
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