Absolutely! Let’s make a classic sourdough bread—crusty on the outside, soft and tangy on the inside. I’ll give a step-by-step recipe for beginners.
Classic Sourdough Bread Recipe
Ingredients (for 1 loaf)
- 100g (½ cup) active sourdough starter
- 375g (1½ cups + 3 tbsp) warm water
- 500g (4 cups) bread flour (or all-purpose flour)
- 10g (2 tsp) salt
Instructions
1. Feed your starter
- Make sure your starter is bubbly and active. Feed it 4–12 hours before baking so it’s at its peak.
2. Mix the dough
- In a large bowl, combine water and starter. Stir to dissolve the starter.
- Add flour and mix until there are no dry patches. Dough will be shaggy and sticky.
- Cover with a damp towel and let rest 30–60 minutes (autolyse step).
3. Add salt and knead
- Sprinkle salt over the dough and knead by hand (or stretch and fold method) for 5–10 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic.
4. Bulk fermentation
- Cover the bowl and let dough rise at room temperature 4–6 hours.
- Every 30 minutes for the first 2 hours, perform stretch and folds: pull one side of the dough up and fold it over itself. Turn 90° and repeat. This builds gluten.
5. Shape the dough
- Lightly flour your work surface.
- Gently shape the dough into a round or oval loaf.
- Place it seam-side up in a floured proofing basket (or bowl lined with a floured towel).
6. Final proof
- Cover and refrigerate for overnight (8–12 hours). This slow proof improves flavor.
7. Preheat oven
- Place a Dutch oven (or heavy oven-safe pot with lid) in the oven and preheat to 230°C (450°F) for 30 minutes.
8. Score and bake
- Carefully remove the hot Dutch oven. Turn dough seam-side down into it.
- Score the top with a sharp knife or razor to allow expansion.
- Cover and bake 30 minutes.
- Remove lid and bake 15–20 minutes more until crust is deep golden brown.
9. Cool
- Remove bread and cool on a wire rack at least 1 hour before slicing.
✅ Tips for success:
- Strong gluten develops with folding, not necessarily kneading.
- Cooler water slows fermentation; warmer water speeds it up.
- Letting the bread cool is key for the interior crumb to set.
If you want, I can also give you a super-simple 1-day sourdough recipe that skips the overnight ferment but still tastes amazing.
Do you want me to do that?
