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.
Hi, I got your book for Christmas and I’m so excited to make this recipe. My question is, “what size Dutch oven do I use? I was also gifted a 2 qt. Dutch oven. Will it be big enough? Thanks.
Hi Tonya! Traci here… you’ll love Emilie’s book! I just shared a recipe from it here, on my website. I wouldn’t use a Dutch oven smaller than 5 quart for this boule. I use a 5 or 7 quart. You can ferment your dough at 66 degrees, it will just take a little longer to double in size, about 12-14 hours (similar to my kitchen). Some bakers put their dough in a turned off oven with a light on, and this can speed up fermentation. How much will depend on temperature and starter/dough activity. But it’s a balance between speed, dough characteristics and flavor. Keep us posted, okay?
Can you use a type of gluten free flour if you are gluten free?
Hi Laura! Most likely you’ll need a different recipe. I have a Gluten Free Sourdough Recipe and GF Sourdough Starter that may be helpful!
Love this recipe! I’ve made it several times and each time my bread has had the best flavor and crumb. It’s not as demanding as some recipes
Love the recipe! My go to sourdough recipe, yummy, moist and crusty! Thank you
Hooray! Thank you for your note, Abir!
Traci, I just wanted to update you as others were also asking about bulk mixing/baking. I made 8 times the recipe and had a great result. I used it for baking sourdough bread and some for sourdough pizza. All came out beautiful and delicious! thanks
I love this recipe!! Wondering if I make large bulk batches if I would just double, triple, quadruple, etc all ingredients equally so I could use a bin as opposed to individual mixing bowls
Hi Levi! SO happy to read your note. Thank you for sharing your five star rating with us! I’ve doubled this recipe before, but haven’t taken it further. I can’t imagine making larger batches would need too much adjusting. If you do it, just watch the hydration holding out some of the water, then mixing it in as you go, depending on how the dough feels.
Great easy recipe. To combat the dark bottom, I put a silicone Matt in the bottom of the Dutch oven before putting the parchment paper in. Works perfect.
Hii Anastasia! Thank you for your note, rating and tip about a silicone matt! So glad you’re enjoying the recipe.
Used this as my “lazy man’s” first recipe, with some modifications. First, I used half bread flour and half white whole wheat flour, and reduced the salt to around half a tsp (because I’m watching my sodium). I followed the directions as written for the first rise–which was substantial from the initial assembly (around 10 pm) to the next morning (around 8 am or so) in a fairly warm kitchen.
Here’s the “lazy man” part: After the “pull and fold” the next morning, I had a well-floured ball of dough. I then cut the dough into two pieces and formed them into two somewhat elongated loaves. I placed the loaves on parchment paper on a baking sheet, slashed the tops, and let them rise for an hour or so until nice and puffy. I then baked them at 410 F, starting in a cold oven (yes, I know this is heresy, but it worked fine, and it saves energy), for about 35 minutes, until the loaves were well-browned and sounded “hollow” when you knocked on them.
Note: These loaves did not have big sourdough “holes” in them. To get them, you probably need to do more of the “pull, stretch, and fold” process in the first hours of proofing, and you might also need to have a somewhat more hydrated dough. Also, not using a dutch oven resulted in a crust that was not super-crispy-crunchy (I actually prefer the crust that way). If you wanted a more crispy crust you could try spraying the loaves with water before baking, or putting a pan of hot water on the bottom rack of the oven.
In any event, you might give this a try if you want a super-no-muss-no-fuss first attempt at a sourdough bread.
Hi Richard! Thank you for sharing your “lazy man” notes with us and review! Going to try that cold oven start!
After rise there is skin on top of dough. Should I use olive oil in bowl?
Hi Bill… that means it dried out a bit. Be sure your tea towel is moist for the duration or use plastic wrap to cover the bowl. There’s no need for olive oil.
Can you tell me if the skin is after bulk fermentation or proofing? If after bulk, it will be folded into the dough when you pre shape. If after proofing, just score and bake. Please keep us posted.
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.