In Bread, Favorites, Recipes, Sourdough
Homemade Artisan Sourdough Boule in a Cast Iron Dutch Oven

Easy Step-By-Step Artisan Sourdough Bread Recipe

Making delicious artisan-style sourdough bread doesn’t have to be rocket-science. Let us demystify the art of making beautiful and rustic sourdough bread.

I’ve been making sourdough bread for nearly five years (and subsequently sourdough EVERYTHING else). But out of every sourdough recipe I’ve ever made, this may just be my favorite.

I actually had to eat crow the first time I tried this recipe. We typically just stick to our Quick-and-Easy Sourdough Sandwich Bread Recipe. I always used to balk about how much time others spent making artisan loaves of bread when our sandwich bread was basically the exact same thing, just way easier! (As in mix, dump, let rise and bake!)

Well, I was wrong. This artisan loaf will blow our sandwich bread out of the water any day of the week! There’s just no comparison to this artisan loaf of crusty, chewy, tangy goodness. Not even by a long shot. (But hey, the other recipe does get the job done with a whole heck-of-a-lot less time!)

This artisan loaf is the kind of bread you’d get at a nice restaurant, served piping hot, brought out in a towel wrapped basket…just waiting to be slathered with butter!

If you’ve dabbled in sourdough at all, you know the addiction is real. And I have zero guilt about getting others hooked! In fact, I want so many of you to be addicted to baking with sourdough that I wrote an eBook full of sourdough recipes!

If you’re a lover of all things sourdough, then hop on over and check out our eBook Everyday Sourdough: Easy Recipes for the Everyday Baker.

Everyday Sourdough eBook Cover

New to sourdough? Looking for easy and delicious recipes (including gluten-free options!)? Grab our eBook and click here for some samplings of what’s inside!

Sourdough Bread Beginnings

If you’re a home baker and have tried sourdough before, you know making a quality loaf of bread (that’s also beautiful) can be like trying to jump up and touch the stars. At first!

A perfect loaf of sourdough bread isn’t likely achieved your first try. You won’t just read a recipe, look at a few photos, or watch a few videos and be a pro. You’ve gotta get your hands dirty (or doughy) and learn the way sourdough works. There’s a certain feel when it’s properly proofed and stretched. It may even take you a few rounds until you get a loaf that resembles bread and not a hockey puck.

But stick with it, it’s worth it. You learn best by doing (and doing, and doing, and doing).

And once you’ve mastered your perfect loaf, TAKE A PICTURE! You’re likely to still encounter flops every now and again. The good news is, terrible looking bread still tastes incredible! And when in doubt…make French toast!

Sourdough Bread Basics

Sourdough bread is a completely different animal than bread that starts with commercial yeast. Unlike commercial yeast, which has been engineered to only contain the strains of yeast that grow the fastest, sourdough is a combination of bacteria and yeast that naturally occur in the environment. This means those with sensitivities to commercial, store-bought yeast, oftentimes can tolerate wild yeast with no problems.

Yes, wild yeast takes much longer to cause your bread (or baked good) to rise, but because of this long, slow rise, or fermentation period, you’ll be rewarded with bread that’s soft, chewy with a complex, tangy flavor.

This incredible texture and flavor are all thanks to the bacteria (or lactobacilli and acetobacillus) which grow alongside the wild yeast in the sourdough culture. As the dough ferments, these bacteria pre-digest the flour and ferment the sugars in the dough, creating natural carbon dioxide. As the carbon dioxide tries to escape from the dough, the gluten (which has been properly activated during the autolyse and by stretching and folding) expands and captures this gas, causing wonderful holes (aka crumb). If proper crumb is achieved, this is a bakers dream come true when they first slice into their cooled loaf of bread. As hard as it may be, it’s NEVER recommended to slice into a hot loaf of sourdough bread. The steam will escape and you’ll be left with a gummy, deflated loaf. Trust me, it’s worth the wait!

Before You Bake Your Bread

There are a few things you’ll want to make sure before baking your sourdough bread. The first, you must have an active sourdough starter (if you don’t have a starter yet, read this post on making or obtaining a sourdough starter). Here are a few options for obtaining a starter:

  • Ask a friend (they’ll gladly throw some at you share their bounty) 
  • Find a bakery (our local bakery sells it for $1.50 per cup)
  • Buy a starter culture (easiest and most reliable!)
  • Start your own (NOT my recommended method…someday I’ll share how I tried “catching the wild yeasts of the air”, but not today, the memory is still too fresh. Trust me when I say the other methods are quickest and easiest!)
As mentioned above, traditionally prepared sourdough has a slow-rise time. This slow-rise allows for the grains to be properly broken down, neutralizing the harmful anti-nutrients, so our bodies can digest them easily without causing gut issues. But don’t let the time scare you away, the hands on time is probably less than most yeasted quick breads, it just takes a little more planning ahead for that fresh warm loaf of bread.
Be sure to read the additional sourdough tips and tricks at the bottom of this post!
Allow bread to cool completely on a cooling rack.

Rustic Sourdough Bread Recipe

This artisan sourdough boule is the perfect balance between a subtle and pronounced sour “tang”. There are a few tricks I’ll share for getting more or less tang to your bread, depending on your preference. But this recipe is slightly sour with the perfect counterbalance of sweet and yeasty flavors.

Onto the recipe…

The Leaven

It’s important to start this recipe with an active (and established) sourdough starter. This simply means, don’t try and bake this loaf of bread with your brand new starter. Wait until it’s had a solid four weeks of consistent feedings (and doubles in size) before having a go at this sourdough boule.

Now, assuming your starter is nice and active, you’re going to create a leaven (or levain) by mixing together 1 Tablespoon of active starter, 1/3 cup room temperature water and 1/2 cup flour.

Mix this together in a pint size jar, lightly cover with a lid and leave at room temperature overnight (or 8-12 hours). 

I like to do this the night before…the next morning the leaven is nice and bubbly with a heavenly yeasty aroma.

Sourdough leaven in a jar, ready to make sourdough bread.

Salt Water

Salt water? Yep…salt water!

Dissolve 1 Tablespoon salt into 1/4 cup room temperature water. Set aside.

If you’re anything like me, you might be confused by this step. When I first heard about omitting the salt until AFTER the autolyse stage (the next step) I was puzzled…it seemed a foolish and unnecessary step, but trust me, it’s important!

Salt has the capability of limiting activity during the autolyse stage, so waiting to add the salt can increase the gluten formation and carbon dioxide production in your loaf (both very important things…trust me!). 

The reason we mix it with water is so we get it evenly distributed into the leaven after the next step.

So just mix together your salt (I used pink Himalayan) and water and set it aside until later.

Measure out 1 Tablespoon sea salt and dissolve into 1/4 cup room temperature water.

Make sure your leaven is ready

To make sure your leaven is active and strong, measure out 2 1/4 cups filtered water into a large bowl. Take a teaspoon of your leaven and drop it in the water.

If it floats, it’s ready! If it sinks, your starter may need another feeding or two before it’s strong enough to produce a decent loaf of bread. Feed your starter every 12 hours until it doubles in size 2-4 hours after feeding. (For more tips on keeping a healthy starter, grab our eBook: Everyday Sourdough.)

Do a float test to see if your sponge (starter) is ready for baking. Drop a teaspoon of leaven into your water, if it floats, it's ready to use for baking.

Autolyse

Pretty much a fancy name for letting your flour hydrate before starting the kneading process.

Once you’ve mixed your leaven with the remaining flour and water, cover it and let it sit for 30 minutes to “do it’s thing”. Your arms will thank you for making time for this step!

You can leave your dough to autolyse for up to 4 hours. So figure out what works for your day and go with it! I’ve both let my dough rest for 30 minutes, 4 hours, and pretty much everywhere in between!

While the dough is resting, the flour absorbs the water and fully hydrates. This allows the enzymes to start breaking down the starches in the flour into simple sugars. It’s these simple sugars that feed the bacteria and yeast, which in turn create the acid that produces that classic sourdough tang. This step also “preps” the gluten for the next step where we’ll work on the formation of the gluten.

So just mix together your leaven, flour and water, cover and let it rest for 30 minutes (or up to 4 hours).

Once starter, flour and water are combined you'll have a shaggy dough. Let it sit, covered for 30 minutes (or up to 4 hours) for the autolyse stage.

Add the salt water

Salt is necessary for giving your bread flavor. Without it, you’ll be left with a bland, tasteless bread (trust me, I forgot to add it once!).

Now that your dough has gone through the autolyse stage, mix in the salt water. Give your water one last swirl (this is necessary if you use a sea salt high in minerals as they tend to settle on the bottom) and pour over the dough.

Continue mixing until all the water is absorbed and your dough is nice and sticky.

After the autolyse stage, mix in your salt water until combined.

Stretch and Fold Method (Not Kneading)

Now begins the “stretch and fold” method of developing the gluten in your dough. This is a super simple method that allows the gluten in your bread to form, yet is gentle enough that it doesn’t deflate any carbon dioxide that’s created throughout the process (otherwise known as “de-gassing”). 

De-gassing is a no-no in the sourdough world as it’s this gas that creates the beautiful crumb and airy texture with a nice network of holes.

The method is as follows:

  • Stretch and fold every 30 minutes for 2 1/2 hours (150 minutes, or a total of 5 stretch and folds).
  • Look at your bowl as an analog clock. Starting at 12 o’clock, grab your dough and stretch it up then fold it down toward 6 o’clock.
  • Next grab your dough at 3 o’clock and stretch it up and over toward 9 o’clock.
  • Then grab your dough at 6 o’clock and stretch it up and over toward 12 o’clock.
  • Last, grab your dough at 9 o’clock and stretch it up and over to 3 o’clock.
  • Cover the dough and let rest 30 minutes.
  • Repeat every 30 minutes for 2 1/2 hours.

Your dough will begin somewhat sticky and pretty stiff, but after each additional stretch and fold you’ll notice it getting smoother and more elastic.

Stretch and fold your dough by grabbing the dough and stretching up.
Then fold the dough down to the opposite side. Do this at 3, 6, 9 and 12 o'clock.
Repeat the stretch and fold every 30 minutes for 2 1/2 hours. The dough will get smooth and very elastic toward the end of your stretch and folds.
After the final stretch and fold, let it sit, covered, for an additional 30 minutes.

Prep your Baskets or Bowls

Once you’ve done the final stretch and fold, while your dough is resting for the final 30 minutes, you’ll want to prep your baskets or bowls for proofing.

Many bakers prefer to use banneton proofing baskets which impart a beautiful texture to the dough that remains after baking. These baskets aren’t mandatory to make a sourdough boule, but they can come in handy.

Whichever method you prefer, we need to prep them for the dough.

My best tip is to invest in a bag of rice flour. You’re going to want to flour the surface of your towel (or banneton cloth) so your dough doesn’t stick while proofing. Rice flour is wonderful because it has a very fine texture and prevents sticking better than all purpose flour, or other more coarse flours.

If using rice flour, you won’t need as much, however you’re going to want to coat the towel completely and spread it all around with your hands. If using all purpose flour, add more flour than you think you need. It’s better to have more than end up with dough stuck to your towel.

A tea towel is a good choice for lining your bowl as they’re a lighter fabric without texture. However, if you choose a towel that has texture, just know it will transfer to the surface of your dough.

I have seen some bakers get really fancy with their towels, creating some really pretty final loaves of bread. 

One of the benefits of using a proofing basket is that they’re very low maintenance. Once you’re done proofing your bread, knock out any excess flour and let them air dry. Then store them away in a cupboard or pantry. If you handle them properly, the towel shouldn’t need to be washed after each use (and allowing the flour to build up will make proofing easier each time). Just be sure to only store them once completely dry, and keep an eye out for signs of mold.

Once your bowls or baskets are prepped, set them aside until after the final shaping of your boule.

Gather your bowl, tea towel and/or banneton proofing baskets.
Coat the towel well with rice flour (or additional all purpose flour).

Dividing your dough

This recipe makes two, medium-large sized boules. So you’ll need to divide your dough into two portions.

To do this, lightly flour a work surface and carefully pour out your dough. Be gentle as you don’t want to pop those precious bubbles and deflate your dough.

Use a sharp knife or pastry scraper to divide your dough in two.

Carefully pour out your dough onto a prepared work surface dusted well with flour. Work carefully so you don't deflate the dough.
Divide the dough into two equal portions using your pastry cutter.

Loosely Shaping the Dough

Shape each half of dough into a loose round ball.

Using your pastry scraper and your hands, work around the base of the dough to create some surface tension. Continue turning and tightening your dough into a nice, even ball.

Some describe the motion of this as pressing your pastry scraper under your dough at 3 o’clock and pushing to create a somewhat log shape, then turning the pastry scraper along the table like a steering wheel counter clockwise to 11 o’clock. Don’t get too hung up on this step, but a nice tight ball will create a taller loaf in the end.

There will be a final shaping of your dough, so don’t worry about getting it too perfect at this point.

Loosely shape both loaves of dough and let them rest on your work surface for 20 minutes.

Loosely form each dough ball into a loose round, creating surface tension as you work the dough.
Let the dough rest 20 minutes before final shaping.

Final Shaping of the Dough

Sprinkle the tops of your dough with a little flour and, working with one loaf at a time, flip it over so the smooth side is down (seam side up).

Now we’re going to do four final folds to create a nice, tight ball of dough.

Carefully grab your dough at 12 o’clock and pull down toward the center of the “clock” (your dough). 

Next, grab your dough at 3 o’clock and pull toward the center of your dough.

Next, grab your dough at 9 o’clock and pull toward the center of your dough.

And last, grab your dough at 6 o’clock and pull toward the center of your dough. As you do this, grab your dough at 12 o’clock and flip your dough over so the seams are facing down and the smooth top is up.

Use your hands to smooth out any edges to create a nice round ball.

Transfer Dough to Proofing Bowls/Baskets

Flour your hands well and carefully transfer each round of dough to the prepared proofing bannatons or towel lined bowls.

Working carefully (protect those precious bubbles!), place them upside down in your bowl, seam side up.

Transfer dough to the prepared proofing baskets/bowls with seam side facing up.

Final Rise

Now it’s time to let the dough have a final rise. We’ve stretched it, worked it, folded it, shaped it and now it gets to rest and do it’s thing.

There are a couple options for this final rise. Typically, a simple 3-4 hour rise at room temperature will do. However, my preferred method is to let it do a longer, slower, cold-ferment overnight in the refrigerator.

If you like a less sour loaf of bread, then do the shorter 3-4 hour rise. If you’d like your bread to have more of that distinctive sourdough tang, go for the overnight proofing in the refrigerator.

Whichever method you’re using, grab a plastic bag (a large grocery bag or even a trash bag will do, it won’t be touching your bread). Place your baskets or bowls inside the plastic bags and twist the end to create a seal.

Leave them on the counter for 3-4 hours, or clear out some space in your refrigerator and let them proof overnight (or up to 18 hours). 

How do I get a more sour sourdough bread?

  • The longer you let your dough rise, the more sour your end result will be. This is because of the lactic and acetic acid that’s produced from the bacteria in the starter. The vinegar-like acetic acid is what gives sourdough it’s familiar tang. By creating a longer rise/proofing time, the acetic acid-producing organisms will thrive, multiply and create a tangier end result. 
Place baskets/bowls into a plastic bag for final proofing (rise time).

What’s the best way to bake your sourdough bread?

When it comes to baking a rustic, artisan sourdough boule, one of your main goals is a nice, crispy (yet chewy) crust. There is some discrepancies over what merits a beautiful crust, but my opinion is, if it’s how you like it, then it’s a win!

The way to get a nice, chewy crust is to create steam. In order to create steam, you need high heat to cause the water in your dough to steam. And in order to trap the steam, you need to bake your loaf in a Dutch oven, a covered pot, or on a stone with a pot flipped on top to trap the steam.

Don’t feel the need to run out and buy the most beautiful dutch oven you can find (although if you want to become an avid baker, they’re certainly handy!), look around your home, be creative and see what you can come up with.

I only have one cast iron Dutch oven (which I love), but I use a medium sized stainless steel pot with lid for my second loaf which produces a nice tall loaf, perfect for hollowing out and filling with hot crab dip!

Create heat…lots of heat!

Once your bread has risen and you’re ready to bake, preheat your oven to 500 degrees F. Place your pots (and lids) into the oven to heat up as well.

Once your oven is preheated, get your dough ready to transfer by removing them from the bag. Carefully remove your pots (one at a time) and, working very carefully to avoid burns, dump your dough, seam side down, into the hot pot. If your dough sticks at all, carefully pull it away from the towel, pinching to seal any tears that may occur. 

Using a sharp knife or dough lame, score the top of your loaf with your preferred design (and keep experimenting with scoring until you find your favorite look!). A sharp knife gets the job done, but having a scoring lame comes in very handy (plus they’re inexpensive!). 

If you’re able, try scoring your dough at a 45 degree angle. This will give you more chances of creating an “ear”. There’s no real benefit to creating an ear, other than it kinda looks cool once your loaf is done baking! Some bakers work a long time to get their perfect ear!

Once your dough is scored, place the lid on the pot and put the pot into the oven to bake for 20 minutes at 500 degrees F.

Transfer dough to a preheated Dutch oven.
sourdough-boule-scoring-loaf

Continue Baking for a Golden Brown Crust

After 20 minutes, reduce oven heat to 450 degrees F and continue baking an additional 10 minutes. (Don’t be tempted to look at your bread at this point, the steam is too precious and if you lift the lid, you’ll lose the steam! Just wait…I promise, it’s worth it!)

After a total of 30 minutes bake time, remove the lid and continue baking at 450 degrees F for 15-25 minutes, or until desired color is obtained.

Your loaf may look lightly golden-brown when you remove the lid after the initial 30 minutes, but don’t be fooled, your loaf isn’t done baking. If you take it out now, you’ll be disappointed with the final texture of the bread.

Once your bread has baked an additional 15-25 minutes (and your desired color is obtained), remove it from the oven and flip it out of the pot onto a cooling rack. There’s no hard-fast rule that says your bread HAS to come out of the oven! If your crust isn’t as dark as you like it, leave it in an extra 5-10 minutes!

If after the additional time your bread still isn’t getting as dark as you like, you may want to calibrate your oven. There’s a chance it’s not heating as high as you think! (This is actually a common issue among ovens, if you don’t have an oven thermometer, it might be worth investing in one! They’re also inexpensive!)

Let your bread cool completely before slicing!

This is perhaps the most difficult part! Who doesn’t love a nice warm piece of sourdough bread slathered in butter? But if you cut into your bread now, the steam will be released, your bread will not finish baking (it actually finished its cooking process on your counter!) and you’ll be left with a gummy texture and a bread that won’t hold it’s shape while slicing.

But if you don’t care about such things, then by all means, DIG IN!

Remove the lid and continue baking to get a nice deep, golden-brown crust.
Once desired color is reached, remove bread from oven and transfer to cooling rack.
Allow bread to cool completely on a cooling rack.
Once cooled, slice into that bread and see the rewards from all your effort! Look at that crumb!
Once desired color is reached, remove bread from oven and transfer to cooling rack.

Artisan Sourdough Bread Recipe

Making delicious artisan-style sourdough bread doesn't have to be rocket-science. Let us demystify the art of making beautiful and rustic sourdough bread with this recipe for a simple artisan sourdough boule.
4.20 from 10 votes
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Course: Sourdough
Prep Time: 5 hours 43 minutes
Cook Time: 5 hours 43 minutes
Total Time: 5 hours 43 minutes
Servings: 2 medium-large loaves of bread
Calories: 85kcal
Author: Full of Days

Ingredients

For the leaven:

  • 1 Tablespoon active sourdough starter (about 15g)
  • 1/3 cup filtered water room temperature (78g)
  • 1/2 cup organic all-purpose flour (74g)

Salt Water:

  • 1 Tablespoon sea salt (25g)
  • 1/4 cup filtered water room temperature (59g)

For the Dough:

  • 2 1/4 cups filtered water room temperature (575g)
  • 5 1/2 cups organic all-purpose flour (825g)

For the Bannetons/Baskets:

  • Rice flour for dusting

Instructions

  • On the evening of day one, mix together 1 Tablespoon active sourdough starter with 1/3 cup room temperature water. Stir to combine, then mix in 1/2 cup flour.
  • Cover and let sit at room temperature overnight.
  • On the morning of day two, dissolve 1 Tablespoon sea salt into 1/4 cup filtered water. Set aside.
  • Test your leaven by dropping a teaspoonful into a medium sized bowl filled with 2 1/4 cups filtered water. If your leaven floats, you're ready to proceed to the next step. (If your leaven sinks, feed your starter 2-3 times at 12 hours intervals until your starter doubles in size 2-4 hours after feeding.)
  • Add leaven to bowl of water and stir to combine.
  • Add flour, stirring in one cup at a time, until all flour is incorporated and no dry flour remains.
  • Cover bowl and allow to rest (autolyse) for 30 minutes (or up to 4 hours). 
  • Give salt water a final stir to be sure all salt is dissolved. Using your hands, mix salt water into your dough. Stretching and folding until all water is incorporated.
  • Set a timer for 30 minutes. When timer goes off, stretch and fold the dough four times. Stretching from 12 o'clock down to 6 o'clock. 3 o'clock over to 9 o'clock, 6 o'clock up to 12 o'clock and finally 9 o'clock over to 3 o'clock.
  • Cover the dough and let rest another 30 minutes.
  • Continue steps 9 & 10 for 2 1/2 hours, or a total of 5 stretch and fold sessions.
  • Let your dough rest, covered, while you prepare your bannetons or towel-lined bowls.
  • Dust your banneton liners or towels generously with rice flour and set aside.
  • Carefully pour out your dough onto a well floured work surface.
  • Divide your dough into two equal portions.
  • Working with one dough at a time, take a pastry cutter, scoop up under your dough and shape into a loose ball with your hands (see photos).
  • Let dough rest for 15-20 minutes.
  • Again, working with one dough at a time, dust the top with a little flour and turn over so the top is now facing down.
  • Grab the dough at 12 o'clock and stretch and fold into the center of the dough. Work your way around the dough, stretching and folding at 3 o'clock, then 9 o'clock and finally 6 o'clock. Once you grab the dough at 6 o'clock, pull toward the center and grab 12 o'clock to flip the dough back over so the seam side is now down.
  • Lightly re-shape your dough to get a circle, if needed.
  • Transfer each ball of dough to a proofing basket, placing the top down and the seam-side up.
  • Wrap your baskets in plastic and let rise for 3-4 hours, or place in the refrigerator for 12-18 hours.
  • Once your dough has risen (whether on the counter or in the fridge) and you're ready to bake, place your Dutch ovens (or other baking options) in the oven and preheat to 500 degrees F.
  • Once preheated, carefully remove your pots, one at a time, from the oven and carefully dump your dough into the Dutch oven, seam side down. (Place dough straight from the refrigerator into the hot Dutch oven, no need to bring it up to room temperature first.)
  • Take your dough lame, or a sharp knife, and quickly score your dough, keeping at 45 degree angle, if possible (don't burn yourself in order to achieve this angle!).
  • Put the lid on the pot and place into the oven, repeat with other loaf and bake at 500 degrees for 20 minutes.
  • Reduce the oven temp to 450 degrees F and bake for another 10 minutes.
  • Remove the lids off your Dutch ovens (or pots) and continue baking for an additional 15-25 minutes until crust is golden brown, or to your preference.
  • Lift bread out of pots using a spatula and allow to cool completely on a cooling rack.
  • Once bread is completely cooled off, slice that baby open and enjoy your reward!

Nutrition

Serving: 1/16th of one loaf (1/32 of full recipe) | Calories: 85kcal | Carbohydrates: 17.9g | Protein: 2.4g | Fat: 0.2g | Sodium: 218mg | Fiber: 0.6g | Sugar: 0.1g
Everyday Sourdough eBook Cover

New to sourdough? Looking for easy and delicious recipes (including gluten-free options!)? Grab our eBook and click here for some samplings of what’s inside!

  • Click or tap on image to open gallery.

Sourdough Bread Tips & Tricks

There are a few pointers that’ll come in real handy when working with sourdough, and if you team up with other sourdough lovers, there’s so much you can learn from each other (especially each other’s mistakes!). One of the best tips I can give is to watch and learn. Watch someone make a loaf of bread, join them in their kitchen, get them to let you feel the dough and see the magic as flour, water and salt turn into something magical!

I picked up the following list of incredible pointers from Mark Gunderman, a fellow sourdough devotee kind enough to share his wisdom. He says, “Some things I know now that I wish I had better understood when I first started making SD (sourdough) as a home baker – and maybe a few random thoughts:

  1. A starter is 1000 times more resilient than you realize and can be managed and changed in a myriad of ways to meet your needs.
  2. A starter’s performance is the best predictor of your dough’s performance. If it doesn’t double (and it’s not too wet), neither will your dough.
  3. The rules for a new starter are very different than those for an established starter.
  4. Not all starters are the same – while beginning one from scratch has value – try one with some history behind it just to know the difference.
  5. What’s best in a bakery is not always best in a home – be willing to vary from the rules – in the world of bread – there aren’t a lot of real rules.
  6. Time is your friend – time is your friend – time is your friend – be patient – Bread will literally make itself if you let it. It just needs some gentle guidance. No need to knead.
  7. Temperature is a primary ingredient in every loaf you make – it can be used to your advantage.
  8. A fridge and a proofer can be great aids.
  9. Shaping actually is a really important step.
  10. Gas is precious – be GENTLE!!! Your worked hard to get it – work hard to keep it.
  11. STEAM – make it / trap it – but have it.
  12. A parchment sling and oven mitts make a hot DO (Dutch Oven) a harmless utensil (no burns).
  13. Hydration is just a number – numbers in the 70s (80s for whole grains) make great bread, don’t get too worried about it.
  14. Wet hands make a BIG difference – a BIG difference.
  15. In between stiff and nicely hydrated lies sticky.
  16. Whole grain flours can add incredible flavor profiles.
  17. Finer flours always make bigger loaves.
  18. There is no hidden secret to big holes – it is, however, a combination of multiple factors all aligned – it can be elusive because of that.
  19. The only real failure is one that cannot be eaten.
  20. Practice practice practice.
  21. Bread is a mixture of art and science.
  22. Bannetons are a worthwhile investment.
  23. Rice flour is magic in your bannetons.
  24. There is no right way – there are a hundred ways – there are a few wrong ways.
  25. Bread bakers are some of the kindest sharing people I’ve met – ask questions.
  26. Be prepared for answers illustrating the hundred different ways to do something.
  27. Hang out with a fellow baker – it’s good to simply talk bread in a world full of mayhem.
  28. It can be addictive – but no one seems interested in having you stop.
  29. Share bread – it’s a gift worth sharing – whether for profit or in Kindness.
  30. ALWAYS enjoy the journey – and the bread!
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Showing 49 comments
  • Avatar
    Kris T.
    Reply

    5 stars
    My first sourdough starter true success! Thank you very much for sharing your recipe and your tips.

  • Avatar
    Kathy Stairs
    Reply

    Anyway I can get a hard copy of the recipes. Have made you bread recipe(sourdough) and we love love it.

  • Avatar
    Deanna
    Reply

    5 stars
    Fantastic recipe, worked great the first time and I got two huge loaves! Thank you!

    • Kelsey Steffen
      Kelsey Steffen
      Reply

      That’s great! We love how fool-proof this method is!

      • Avatar
        Deanna
        Reply

        5 stars
        I have made six of these now and they are great every time. If I want to put some seasonings such as rosemary or cheddar/jalapeño in one of the boules would I half the dough prior to the initial stretch and fold series and then continue separately? (I do know to add the seasonings during the third stretch and fold sequence) just wasn’t sure when to break apart the dough because I would like one seasoned and one without.

  • Avatar
    Pam McFeron Jardine
    Reply

    I have tried making sourdough several times. This is the BEST instructions and recipe I have ever tried. It is the best sourdough bread I have ever made

    • Kelsey Steffen
      Kelsey Steffen
      Reply

      Wow, thanks Pam! We’re so glad it works so well for you! If you’d like to leave a star-rating we’d really appreciate it!

  • Avatar
    Janet
    Reply

    5 stars
    My second time making this great loaf! Easy to follow such complete and understandable directions, and just AP flour! Great crust, fluffy slightly chewy crumb, it is always hard to wait until it cools to dig in! Thanks shoe sharing this one! Next time, I may try proofing and baking in the baguette molds I have ,covered with a roasting pan for texture. Plus, I’ll still get one boule as well!

    • Kelsey Steffen
      Kelsey Steffen
      Reply

      We’re so glad you like it Janet! Yes, definitely experiment with other shapes! I usually take half a batch and make hamburger buns! So delicious!

      • Avatar
        CB
        Reply

        What do you to do to make the buns?? I tried a different recipe for buns and it was a flop! I’d love to know how to transform the loaves into buns!

        • Kelsey Steffen
          Kelsey Steffen
          Reply

          Hi CB, what I do for hamburger buns is I divide the dough in two, just as the recipe above calls for. Then with one of the halves, I divide that into 8 equal portions and form them each into a tiny little boule. I let them rest for about 10 minutes then shape them again to create more surface tension and set them on a baking tray lined with a Silpat mat (or you could butter your tray or line with parchment paper, but if they may stick after brushing with egg wash). Gently flatten each roll gently with your hand to create more of a “bun” shape. The end result looks more like a roll because they do pop back up when baking. Once they’ve risen and just about doubled in size, I brush them with an egg wash (1 egg whisked with 1 Tbs of water) and bake at 425 for about 20-30 minutes. You could also sprinkle the tops with sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or even dehydrated onion flakes before baking. They make the most delicious, light, and fluffy hamburger buns! I’m working on getting this recipe turned into a blog post, once I do I’ll link it in this post so it’s easier to find than sifting through comments! LOL!

  • Avatar
    CB
    Reply

    I am so happy with the outcome of this recipe! The loaf that sat in the fridge was far prettier, but both were delicious! Thank you so much for such clear steps and pictures– so helpful!

    • Kelsey Steffen
      Kelsey Steffen
      Reply

      Thanks for sharing CB! Yes, I’ve found the more patient I can be, the better the end result. The refrigerator is a thing of genius and really does produce the best outcome. But what I love about this recipe is that all loaves taste amazing, whether you bake them the same day or let them proof overnight (or even two days if you just get busy and forget!).

  • Avatar
    Janet
    Reply

    5 stars
    Just used your recipe for my first “real” sourdough loaves. I’ve been doing a lot of discard recipes; pasta, banana bread, waffles, etc, while my starter matured. It’s now over 2 months old, and it did me proud! Got beautiful rise in the first 20 minutes of 500″, and for my first try, good crumb and crust. Thanks for having given so much detail in the directions, and the tips helped too, just to read over before starting. My tip: for the trip to the baking vessels from the towels, I used a sheet of parchment on a small cutting board, set that on top of the colanders, and gently inverted to have my loaf flour side up. Then transferred the loaves to the dutch oven with the parchment. No loss of rise or bubbles! And I used 00 Extra Fine flour for the towels, since I didn’t have rice flour. It worked just fine!

    • Kelsey Steffen
      Kelsey Steffen
      Reply

      Great tips, thanks Janet! Yes, I’ve found using parchment paper helps so much. I also invested in some bannetons and have far fewer issues with sticking now.

  • Avatar
    Julia Ross
    Reply

    Hi! So excited to try this recipe. I have a couple questions about creating the leaven and making the bread. At what stage should my starter be when I take the tablespoon to create the leaven? At full peak after a feeding, just after full peak or anytime? I’m using a hard red bread flour, so it doubles or triples within 4 hours of feeding and I’m just not sure when the time is right to use it.

    Second question – Can I use regular all purpose flour in the bread, but my bread flour for the leaven? Will I get greater rise in the bread if I continue to use the bread flour all the way through the recipe?

    Thanks so much!

    • Kelsey Steffen
      Kelsey Steffen
      Reply

      Hi Julia, great question! I have the most success with this recipe when my starter has been fed within 6-12 hours. You don’t want to use a starter that’s just been fed, and you also don’t want to use a starter that’s really “hungry”. Although I’ve made this recipe with both and the end result is still delicious, the best results come with the 6-12 hour starter! Your loaf will have a better rise, a smoother consistency, it will be easier to shape and you’ll get a better spring in the oven!

  • Avatar
    Matt
    Reply

    Any chance you could update your recipe so the majority of non-Americans can work with our beloved Metric system?
    Every single recipe I’ve read over these virus lockdown months usually end’s up with the same advice: Don’t rely on measurements as they’re inexact, always weigh your ingredients.

    Look forward to making this loaf.

    • Kelsey Steffen
      Kelsey Steffen
      Reply

      You read my mind, Matt… I’m currently working on updating all my baking recipes with measurements for this exact reason! In fact, I’m making this recipe today so I can, hopefully, pop back in today or tomorrow to update it… stay tuned! You won’t regret it, this remains my family’s favorite bread and I’ll be updating it with many more tips that I’ve learned since publishing it over 2 years ago.

      • Avatar
        Rich
        Reply

        Any word when you’ll be putting up the metric units? I can’t wait to make this but want to wait till I can have more accurate measurements!

        • Kelsey Steffen
          Kelsey Steffen
          Reply

          Hey Rich, I just hopped over and updated the recipe for you. I haven’t had time to update the rest of the post with additional tips. But those measurements should get you off on the right foot! I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family does.

          • Avatar
            Rich

            Thank you so much!

  • Avatar
    Allison
    Reply

    This recipe was my first attempt at an actual sourdough loaf (I usually cheat and use yeast) and I am so thrilled with the results. I let one loaf rise overnight in the fridge and one just on the counter for three hours– they both came out amazing but you can really see and taste the difference in the overnight one! Thank you so much for the step by step, I can’t wait to make this again!

    • Kelsey Steffen
      Kelsey Steffen
      Reply

      That’s great news! Thanks Allison! Yes, the long cold ferment is my favorite method, too… in fact, I’m baking two loaves today that have been fermenting in the fridge for TWO days as I didn’t have time to bake them yesterday. They’ll be light and airy with a bit more sourdough twang! Thanks for your comment!

    • Avatar
      Jen
      Reply

      5 stars
      Hi! This recipe came out great! However my bread was already at inner temp above 208 after the first 30 minutes. Curious to know your thoughts. Either way, it is delicious!

      • Kelsey Steffen
        Kelsey Steffen
        Reply

        Hi Jen! So glad you’re enjoying this recipe. My bread is usually done baking after about 30 or so minutes as well… the extra time is to allow for the crust to brown. If you like a softer loaf, you’re welcome to take it out at that 30 minute mark. The longer you leave it in after removing the lid, the darker and crustier the exterior of the bread will be. Hope that’s helpful!

  • Avatar
    Valerie
    Reply

    I hav been experimenting with my sourdough starter for over 3yrs. I try a different recipe every time I bake with it. Today I used your recipe for artisan sourdough bread. I am absolutely thrilled. I believe it’s the best I have ever baked. Your step by step recipe and tutorial were so easy to follow. Thank you so much.

    • Kelsey Steffen
      Kelsey Steffen
      Reply

      WONDERFUL! I’m so glad you liked this recipe Valerie. And I couldn’t agree more, I have multiple sourdough bread recipes, but I keep coming back to this recipe time and time again… in fact, I have a double batch I’m working on right now! I’ve been making about 4 loaves a day and sharing with neighbors! 🙂 (But I don’t dare tell them just how easy it is to make, LOL!)

  • Avatar
    Donna Valletta
    Reply

    Hi Kelsey
    Yeaaaa! I did it!
    I would give you a hug thru this email if I could!
    The sourdough boules came out perfectly your instructions were spot on though tempted to remove after the 30 minutes I held on for another 15 n they r beautiful n taste wonderful crunchy soft chewy n full of that so missed in other recipes sour dough flavor
    Thankyou so very much for caring n writing such understandable instructions I’m hoping it’s ok to send a pix of of my beautiful loaves
    You have changed my sourdough life!
    Best wishes
    Donna

    • Avatar
      Donna Valletta
      Reply

      Well hello again !
      I cannot stop making this bread so delish! Easy to follow exact great instructions
      So today I got real brave and instead of 2 loafs I made 1 in my large 10 inch cast iron dutch oven results perfection! Same cook time no changes needed – I will probably go this route in the future because the end result is a gorgeous 12 inch across 8 inch height beauty cant say it enough times thankyou Kelsey for the best bread recipe ever!
      I wish you would make a cookbook in print!

      • Kelsey Steffen
        Kelsey Steffen
        Reply

        Thanks so much for your kind words Donna! And thanks for sharing your results on making one giant loaf. That sounds GREAT!

  • Avatar
    Donna Valletta
    Reply

    Hello Kelsey
    Cant wait to try this recipe!
    What size is the dutch oven please
    I have a 4.5 n a 7 n I wonder did you ever hear back on baking 1 large loaf?
    One more question is it safe to put cold dough in a screaming hot pot without the pot cracking
    Thankyou
    Best wishes
    Donna

    • Kelsey Steffen
      Kelsey Steffen
      Reply

      Hi Donna, we hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do! It really is worth the time! My dutch oven is about 10 inches, but your 7 inch should work, you’ll just get a taller loaf. I never have tried baking one loaf with this recipe yet (and haven’t heard back if the other reader tried it).

      I’ve never had an issue with the cold dough in my cast iron or stainless steel pans, but I’ve not tried any other pans (like enamel, stone, etc.), I might be a bit more cautious with those.

  • Avatar
    Peter
    Reply

    Have been trying different sourdough bread recipes for over a year and this one has produced the best results so far. Thank you. It is definitely a keeper.

    • Kelsey Steffen
      Kelsey Steffen
      Reply

      Peter, we’re so glad!!! I feel the same way! It seems pretty fail-proof no matter what the temperature is like!

  • Avatar
    Susan Craver
    Reply

    Could this be baked as one large loaf?

    • Kelsey Steffen
      Kelsey Steffen
      Reply

      Hi Susan, I’ve never tried making this as one large loaf. The two loaves are already quite large, so I’m not sure how well the loaf shape would hold up, and the bake time may differ. Let us know if you try it and how it works out for you!

  • Avatar
    Naomi
    Reply

    Love this recipe so much and have successfully made it once! I had one question though, if your Leaven doesn’t float, do you feed the leaven again? Or dumb that, and feed your starter, and start the leaven from scratch?

    • Kelsey Steffen
      Kelsey Steffen
      Reply

      Yay! It’s a family favorite here, too! So glad you liked it Naomi. To answer your question, if your dough rose well, then don’t worry about whether your leaven floats or not! I never even learned about “the float test” until I started making artisan-style loaves. If your dough isn’t rising when following this recipe, then I’d suggest increasing your feedings up to 2 or 3 times a day for a couple of days to get your starter nice and bubbly. Then try again!

    • Avatar
      Amanda
      Reply

      Hi! Oh my goodness this recipe is amazing! It is officially my go to artisan loaf recipe. I’ve made it so many times and it always turns out delicious and beautiful. We love it so much we want to turn it into smaller boules for bread bowls! I’m new to sourdough though and wasn’t sure how to go about cooking them? I love the flavor it gets from the long fermentation in the fridge but only have one Dutch oven so I’m kinda at a loss on how to do that and then bake them and have them remain smaller boules. I’m worried if I just put the smaller boules into the Dutch oven one at a time it’ll spread and be really flat! Please help! I’m hoping to do these this weekend 😊 thank you so much!! – I apologize if somebody else has already asked this. I tried to scroll through the comments but only saw clarification for hamburger buns.

      • Kelsey Steffen
        Kelsey Steffen
        Reply

        I’m so glad you love this recipe as much as we do! You read my mind about the bread bowls as we just talked about doing this the other day once fall rolls around. I will tell you now I haven’t tried this, but if we were going to try, I’d add additional flour to the initial recipe, creating a thicker dough. Then I’d divide the single batch into 4-6 portions and form them just the same way you would for the bread boules. Then, instead of letting them rise in bannetons overnight, I’d arrange them on a cookie sheet lined with a silpat mat (or parchment paper) and let them rise that way. I would score them simply with one long score, then bake at 450, uncovered, for about 30-35 minutes.

        Again, I haven’t tried this, so this is where my “starting point” would be. If you do give it a try this weekend, please come back and let us know how it turned out! Also, if you’d be so kind as to give us a star rating on the recipe card we’d be so appreciative! It really does actually help us out! 🙂

  • Avatar
    Laurie Garber
    Reply

    Kelsey, I’ve got to tell you! You’re recipe and instructions are far superior to the ones I’ve encountered, to date! I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your efforts! Thank you so much! Loved everything you said about being “addicted”! Too funny! Last but not least, love the picture of you stretching the dough! Looks like a silky waterfall of dough! Beautiful! Again thanks for everything!

    • Kelsey Steffen
      Kelsey Steffen
      Reply

      Thank you Laurie! That was my goal when writing this post! I struggled for so long trying to understand other recipes, I just wanted something spelled out in plain English! ???? Glad it was helpful!

  • Avatar
    Kelley
    Reply

    Hehe. I was just going to ask if you had weight measurements. I’m so OCD and like to be exact!!

    • Kelsey Steffen
      Kelsey Steffen
      Reply

      Haha! Sorry Kelley, I haven’t gotten around to the weight measurements yet! My sourdough has been taking a little break because – hashtag life! 😉

  • Avatar
    Susan Thomson
    Reply

    Thank you for this recipe, I made my first sourdough loaves this week using it. Being English I am not used to cup measures, I believe the UK cup measure is different to USA, but it seemed to work out okay. Takes a while but is well worth the effort, thank you.

    • Kelsey Steffen
      Kelsey Steffen
      Reply

      Great Susan! I’m so glad your bread turned out! This is by far our favorite sourdough bread recipe! I’m currently working on adding in metric measurements along with our US cup measurements in our sourdough recipes! 😉

    • Avatar
      Danny
      Reply

      Thank you Kelsey for you detail and amazing recipe! I made this today and it came out so well… though I must say I cheated and made one massive loaf ???????? so tasty with some good olive oil and balsamic, with love from Australia

      • Kelsey Steffen
        Kelsey Steffen
        Reply

        Yes! Oil and vinegar is amazing paired with this bread. So glad you like it, Danny. And I’ve heard many people say it works well as a giant loaf! Thanks for your comment!

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