This easy sourdough bread recipe is perfect for beginners, crispy crust, soft chewy crumb, and that classic tangy flavour. Made with just flour, water, salt, and sourdough starter, this step-by-step method helps you bake bakery-quality sourdough at home, even if you’re just starting out. No fancy equipment needed, just patience, time, and a love for good bread.
Easy Homemade Sourdough Bread Recipe (Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners)
Easy Homemade Sourdough Bread Recipe (Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners)
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Category
Baking
Cuisine
Australian
Author:
Ashley’s Place
Servings
6
Prep Time
24 hours
Cook Time
25 minutes
We have been on a Sourdough Journey lately making our Starter from scratch you can check out the full instructions on how to make your own homemade sourdough starter here. And this is our first loaf of sourdough bread we made at home, we don't need any fancy equipment and we don't need a Dutch Oven for this recipe.
Ingredients
-
500g of High Protein Flour *see note 1
-
200g of Starter *see note 2
-
300g Water
-
20g Salt *see note 3
Directions
To start this process you need to feed your starter to make sure it is active and at the right point to use. Now this depends on the temperature of where you are and if it has been in the fridge. I fed mine the night before just before going to bed and when I got up in the morning it was ready to use *see note 2
Once your starter is ready to use, add all your ingredients into a bowl and mix well until just combined
Pop onto your bench with just a small amount of flour on the bench (we don’t want to add a lot) and start to knead for between 10-15 minutes. Mine took the the full 15 minutes but this is also very dependent, as you may be stronger at kneading than others but usually 10-15 mins is good until it is smooth. It will be sticky but try not to add more flour as this can change the consistency of the dough. I didn’t add flour to my bench only a tiny bit on my hands 3 times within the 15 minutes *see note 4 & 5
Once you have a smooth dough form into a ball and place into a large bowl to rise, you don’t need to flour this bowl, place somewhere nice and warm to rise for between 3-8 hours this really depends on your bread and temp in summer it will likely be 3-4 hours in winter more like 6-8+ hours. You know it is ready when it has doubles and looks a lot lighter not dense. Cover with a damp tea towel tied up or a lid/cover if your bowl has one so it doesn’t dry out
While it is rising you want to do some stretch and folds, simply lift one side up in the air and push lightly into the center of the dough, turn your dough and do the next one, you do 4 folds and repeat this 2 x so 8 folds in total. Flip that over so the seem is on the bottom and leave again. Do this at least 3 x and about 30 minutes or so apart. See video for visual
Once it has risen take it out of your bowl onto the bench. We want to do this stretch and fold again about 8 times again and then we want to start shaping it into a ball. Either by pulling the folds together into the middle and joining them or rolling your dough around on the bench to create a lovely ball shape then cover well in flour
Place it seam side on top so smooth side down, either your bread basket covered with flour or place into a bowl with a tea towel dusting in lots of flour as you don’t want it to stick to either. Leave in a warm spot for a few more hours until it is doubled in size
20-30 minutes before you are ready to bake pre-heat your oven to 230°C or with either your pizza stone or tray inside and a shallow tray for water on the bottom of the oven. You want it hot to add your bread on top.
Once it is hot carefully take out your stone or tray and flip your bread onto the tray/stone. I place the stone on top of my bowl and flip it out so its easier and keeps it’s shape. You want the seam side down and the smooth side facing up, with a sharp knife score the top of the bread in a line or add a design if you like. Please be careful though things are hot here!
Add some boiling water to a tray on the bottom shelf of your oven to create a steam inside, this is so the crust forms but the inside cooks* See note 6
Place your stone/tray with bread in the oven and bake away for 25mins or until nice and golden brown and baked through you can bake it for longer if needed. Leave to cool before slicing
Shorten version of instructions:
Feed your starter and leave to rise
Mix all ingredients in a bowl, add a little flour to your bench & knead your dough for 10-15 minutes until smooth. Leave for 4-8 hours to rise, double in size & be lighter not as dense. Fold and stretch at least 3 times while it rises 8 folds each time
Turn onto your bench, fold and stretch your dough 8 times at least and shape into a ball. Add flour to the outside and add seam side up (flat side down) into your floured basket or bowl
Leave again to rise until double usually 3 or so hours. Pre-heat your oven to 230°C, add pizza stone and shallow tray to the oven. Boil your water
Flip your dough onto your pizza stone or tray seam side down, add 1-2cm or so of boiled water into the shallow tray (place this on the bottom of oven) and bake for 23 minutes or until golden brown
Leave to cool before slicing
Recipe Note
FAQ's & Notes:
- Using a strong protein flour or bread flour is best for making bread, but if you really can't find any or don't have it you can use plain or all purpose flour. A higher protein works well as it strengthens the gluten in the bread making for a better sourdough. Don't use a "soft 00 flour" it may say bread on the package but its not the best for this.
- We made our own starter from scratch and you can find the full instructions here you want to make sure it is at it's peak when you use it so once you feed it let it double in size. I fed mine the night before and left it overnight to rise when I got up about 5:30 it was ready to use. It isn't very hot here though as we are in Autumn right now. If it is quite warm where you are you can simply feed it and wait about 3-4 hours until it is risen, you could do this first thing in the morning. If you have your starter in the fridge get it out the night before and feed it so it is ready the next day to use
- 20g of salt is about 3/4 of a Tablespoon of salt, you want to add a good amount of salt as it helps bring out the flavours, some recipes use 10g other use a higher amount. I am trying the higher amount and will update if I switch
- Do not add a lot of flour when kneading your dough it is super tempting because it is so sticky but just to try to persevere with it as it will come together and not be as sticky. I add a tiny but to my hands instead of the bench but i only did this about 3 times the entire 15 minutes. If you keep adding flour the dough will soak it up and it will change your bread. So add a little at the start but then try not to add much more
- It takes a good 10-15 minutes to knead your dough but it honestly depends on your dough, the temp, your strength. I could say only knead for 10 minutes and it won't be ready. You want it to be beautifully smooth. You can 100% use a dough hook in your mixer if you don't want to do this by hand. It is a labour of love kneading dough and a good workout!
- We add boiling to the bottom of the oven so that it creates steam in the oven. This is so the outside gets a lovely crust but the inside still cooks, without steam it can create a crust too fast and not cook the inside of your bread or crack and bulge out.
- Once you get the hang of making this you will realise it is actually much easier than it seems and while it may take time it is worth it
- You can also do your first rise, shape your bread and pop into the bread basket/bowl and then pop that into the fridge overnight. Take it out the next morning let it rise and then bake. This works well if you want to make your bread but don't have time to follow the full process and bake in one day. It is a good idea to think about timings before you bake your sourdough if you started this process at 8pm you might be up pretty late waiting for the first proof (rise) to happen
If you need any help at all please send me a message I am always happy to help with any questions and if you have any issues with your bread please reach out I really am happy to chat and sometimes it is something simple we can fix