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How to Bake Sourdough Bread from Scratch

Name: How to Bake Sourdough Bread from Scratch
Yield: 1
Ingredients: 375g bread flour; 275g water; 75g active starter; 8g salt

Sourdough bread starts with a living starter that takes 5-7 days to create, then requires a simple mix of flour, water, salt, and patience. The process spans two days: first day for mixing and bulk fermentation, second day for shaping and final proof before baking in a hot Dutch oven. The key is reading your dough, not the clock.

Total time: 5 hr 30 min
Hands-on: 30 min
Serves: 1
Difficulty: Hard

Ingredients

375g bread flour
275g water
75g active starter
8g salt

Step by step

Create your sourdough starter. Mix equal parts flour and water in a jar. Feed daily for 5-7 days, discarding half and adding fresh flour and water each time. Your starter is ready when it doubles in size within 4-8 hours of feeding and smells tangy but pleasant.
Mix the autolyse. Combine 375g bread flour with 275g room temperature water in a large bowl. Mix until no dry flour remains. Cover and let sit for 30 minutes to 2 hours. This develops gluten without kneading.
Add starter and salt. Add 75g active starter and 8g salt to your autolyse. Mix by hand, squeezing and folding until everything incorporates. The dough will feel shaggy and rough.
Perform bulk fermentation. Over the next 4-6 hours, do 4 sets of stretch and folds, spaced 30 minutes apart. Grab one side of the dough, stretch up, and fold over. Rotate bowl and repeat 3 more times. After the final fold, let dough rise until increased by 50-70%.
Pre-shape and bench rest. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface. Shape into a loose round by pulling edges toward center. Let rest 20-30 minutes until relaxed.
Final shaping. Shape into a tight boule or batard. Place seam-side up in a banneton or bowl lined with a floured kitchen towel. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or up to 3 days.
Prepare for baking. Place Dutch oven with lid in oven and preheat to 475°F for at least 45 minutes. Turn dough onto parchment paper, score with a sharp blade or lame making one deep slash.
Bake the bread. Carefully lower dough into hot Dutch oven using parchment. Cover and bake 20 minutes. Remove lid, reduce heat to 450°F, bake 20-25 minutes more until deep golden brown. Internal temperature should reach 205-210°F.

Tips & troubleshooting

Keep your starter at consistent temperature - a warm spot like on top of the fridge works well
Use a kitchen scale for accuracy - bread baking is about ratios, not cups
If your dough feels too sticky during shaping, wet your hands instead of adding flour
The poke test tells you when bulk fermentation is done - gently poke the dough and it should spring back slowly
Steam is crucial for crust development - the Dutch oven method creates perfect steam naturally
Let bread cool completely before cutting, at least 2 hours, or the crumb will be gummy

Variations

Whole Wheat Sourdough. Replace up to 25% of bread flour with whole wheat flour. Add 10-15g extra water as whole wheat absorbs more liquid.
Seeded Sourdough. Add 50g mixed seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, sesame) during the first stretch and fold. Soak seeds in warm water for 30 minutes first.
Country Sourdough. Use 20% whole wheat and 10% rye flour with 70% bread flour. Increase hydration slightly and expect a more complex flavor.

Questions

How do I know if my starter is ready to use?: An active starter doubles in size within 4-8 hours of feeding and passes the float test - a spoonful should float in water when dropped gently.
Why is my bread dense and not rising?: Usually because your starter wasn't active enough or your bulk fermentation was too short. Make sure your starter is doubling consistently before baking.
Can I speed up the process?: You can do same-day sourdough by keeping everything warmer, but overnight cold fermentation develops much better flavor and is easier to handle.
What if I don't have a Dutch oven?: Bake on a baking stone or sheet pan, but create steam by placing a metal pan on the oven bottom and adding hot water when you load the bread.
How long does homemade sourdough stay fresh?: Store cut-side down on a cutting board for day one, then wrap in a kitchen towel. It stays good for 3-4 days and makes excellent toast after day two.