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.
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!