This beginner-friendly simple sourdough bread recipe simplifies the process, stripping away all non-essential techniques. If you’re new to sourdough baking and want a straightforward approach to creating a delicious loaf, this method is perfect for you. It focuses on the basics, ensuring that you can achieve a satisfying result without feeling overwhelmed by intricate details or specialized equipment.

Read all the way through to understand the basics of sourdough bread-making before making this simple sourdough bread loaf!

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Simple sourdough bread is a must-learn. Bread is one of the most versatile foods in the pantry and to make your own sourdough is a game-changer. This is a basic loaf, no fluff, no special ingredients, just flour, water, salt, warmth, and time.

While this isn’t the method I use to make bread for my business, this is a great place to start to get a decent loaf as a beginner. Once you understand the process, you can explore more techniques to achieve your perfect loaf. But for now, let’s learn the basics.

Sourdough Starter

If you’re here, I’m assuming you have a sourdough starter and generally know how to use it. It is beyond the scope of this post to teach you how to create and maintain a sourdough starter.

However, if you don’t already have a starter and you want to make one and learn how to maintain it, sign-up down below and get yourself a free e-book guide. There, you’ll learn how to create your own sourdough starter with just flour, water, warmth, and time.

Once you have an established sourdough starter and you know how to identify when it’s active or needs a fresh feeding, you’re pretty much good to go. It doesn’t matter much whether its thin, batter-like, or stiff, a healthy starter will make healthy bread.

Flour

A kernel of wheat consists of three parts: the bran, the germ, and the endosperm. The fermentation process in sourdough baking helps unlock the nutrients stored in the bran and germ. By using whole-wheat flour, you incorporate these beneficial parts of the grain into your bread, resulting in a loaf that is not only more nutritious but also better for your gut health.

In this recipe, I use a blend of all-purpose white flour and whole-wheat flour. I don’t see much point in learning how to make an all-white flour loaf. White flour is made of only the endosperm of a wheat kernel, mostly starch, which is void of any nutrition or fibre and can do harm to your gut, even if it’s sourdough.

Whole-wheat also adds protein to your loaf which improves its strength and ability to hold water.

Why not make 100% whole-wheat bread if white flour is so bad?

I try not to be a purest about things. The balance between the whole-wheat and white flour in this recipe allows for some nutrition without compromising the flavour or texture. 100% whole-wheat sourdough bread can be an acquired taste and may not be appreciated by everyone, especially if you’re baking for your family. It really comes down to what’s important to you and your family. I’m sure you could convert your family to whole-grain bread if you really wanted to.

Personally, I enjoy an 80-100% whole-wheat loaf if its hydrated properly. We will explore that recipe and method another time.

Where can I source freshly milled, whole-grain flour?

If you’re living in a city, you can mostly likely find a bakery or fancy grocery store that sells fresh-milled whole-grain flour. If you’re living in the country and you can source whole-grains, you may want to consider milling your own flour. You can start without making a large investment by using a powerful coffee grinder or blender that you already own. A step up would be purchasing a KitchenAid grain mill attachment.

If you’re really enjoying working with fresh-milled whole-grains and you have a reliable source of grain, you can also consider a Harvest NutriMill which is the one I use almost everyday and love both for its beauty and practicality.

Get your Harvest NutriMill when you’re ready to invest using this link and my discount code BRONSBREAD20 at checkout to get $20 off your order!

Water

The type of water used in sourdough baking is a topic of debate among bakers. In my experience, I’ve tried various kinds—city water, well water, filtered water, and even chlorinated water—and haven’t noticed a significant difference in the final loaf. Some bakers swear by their specific water choice, claiming it produces superior results, but I haven’t found that to be the case.

While water quality can influence the health of your sourdough starter, the variations in water types seem to have minimal impact on the outcome of the bread itself. Ultimately, use the water you have available and focus on other key factors like flour quality and fermentation time. I think if you can drink the water, you can make bread with the water.

Salt

Salt is another topic of debate among bakers. While I don’t think you’d notice much of a difference between salts, the salts that are less refined with a higher mineral content tend to support the fermentation process. For example, Himalayan sea salt, Celtic grey salt, unrefined pink salt, and Redmond real salt, will all support fermentation. Highly refined table salt may inhibit fermentation.

Warmth

Fermentation thrives in warmth, and maintaining the right dough temperature is key to achieving the perfect loaf. For optimal fermentation and a balanced flavour, aim for a dough temperature between 23-26°C (73-79°F).

When the dough temperature falls below this range, the bulk fermentation process can become very long, resulting in an excessively sour loaf and possibly tight crumb structure. On the other hand, temperatures above this range can lead to over-proofing, which weakens gluten strength and also produces a very sour loaf with a sticky crumb.

With practice, you’ll be able to adapt if the dough temperature goes out of range. For example, if its too warm, I’ll pop my dough in the fridge for an hour or so. If it’s too cold, I’ll keep it in the oven with the light on or with the ‘proof’ setting on until it reaches ideal temperature.

When the house is particularly hot, I’ll use cold water to mix my dough. If its particularly cold, I’ll use very warm water to mix my dough.

Time

The time your dough takes to achieve optimal fermentation relies on dough temperature, hydration of the dough, and health of your sourdough starter. It is difficult to predict how long things will take when you’re just starting out.

If your dough is on the warmer side, wetter, or made with an active starter, it will proof faster.

If your dough is on the colder side, stiffer, or made with an immature or over-fermented starter, it will take much longer to proof.

Once you get the hang of it and understand how the dough behaves in your environment and how to manipulate it, things will become more predictable.

Materials You’ll Need

Medium-Sized Mixing Bowl: A heavy set ceramic mixing bowl would work best.

Bowl Cover: Anything that covers and seals the bowl. I use these reusable elastic bowl covers but you can use a plate or wet kitchen towel.

Dough Whisk (optional): It is cleaner to get things started with a dough whisk but it’s definitely not necessary. I like using my hands to mix, it probably makes the dough better.

Plastic Bench Scraper: I find this tool very handy for cleaning and scraping the dough out of the bowl. It can also be used for dividing dough and pre-shaping.

Metal Bench Scraper: I use this tool for dividing dough, pre-shaping, and cleaning the table. Not essential though, as the plastic bench scraper can serve similar purposes, but I like using both.

Kitchen Scale or Measuring Cups and Spoons: I prefer using a kitchen scale but if measuring cups and spoons is all you have then that’s all you need to get started.

Two 10″ Proofing Vessel: I’m using two 10″ oval banneton baskets but you can use a 10″ bowl with a dish cloth in it as well.

Razor Blade or Sharp Knife: I haven’t found a bread lame I really like so I just use razor blades as is. They’re cheap and sharp and easy to control. You can also use a sharp kitchen knife or any bread lame of your choice. A bread lame is a tool used to hold razor blades for scoring.

Dutch Oven: I’d like to say this one isn’t essential but it is very practical. Especially when you’re just learning and don’t understand steam. You can get great results as a beginner by just using a dutch oven.

I’m using a Challenger Bread Pan which is the crème de la crème when it comes to baking sourdough bread but it is very expensive and I only have it because it was generously gifted to me.

Parchment Paper: For lining your dutch oven so your loaf doesn’t stick.

Cooling Rack: For cooling down your loaf.

Ingredients

White Flour: I use Rogers all-purpose flour, nothing fancy.

Whole-Wheat Flour: I use fresh-milled organic whole-grain flour but any whole-wheat flour from the store will get the job done.

Active Sourdough Starter: An active sourdough starter is bubbly with large bubbles, a domed top, double to triple in size, sweet and sour smelling, and floats in water. A perfectly active starter is essential for the perfect loaf but it’s not essential to make sourdough bread. You can work with the starter you have even if it’s not perfectly active, just expect inferior results.

Salt: I use Himalayan sea salt but any salt is good. Avoid highly processed table salt. The more mineral content, the better.

Water: Any drinking water can be bread-making water.

How To Make Simple Sourdough Bread

In a sturdy mixing bowl, add lukewarm water and active sourdough starter. With your hands or a spatula, break up the sourdough starter until it’s in small shaggy pieces.

Add white flour, whole-wheat flour, and salt. Mix until incorporated and there are no more dry bits. Cover the bowl and let rest for 1 hour.

After 1 hour, stretch-and-fold the dough all the way around until the dough becomes tight (4-8 times). Cover the bowl and let rest for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, repeat the stretch-and-folds all the way around until the dough becomes tight.

Let the dough rest until its almost double it’s original size. This could take anywhere from 4-12 hours. Expect it to take more time if your house is cold and less time if your house is warm.

After the bulk ferment, turn your dough onto the counter. Divide the dough into two balls using a scale or eyeball it.

Shape each dough into a round ball. Let rest on the counter for 30 minutes – if it doesn’t feel very gassy or relaxed after 30 minutes, let it rest on the counter for another 30 minutes.

After resting on the counter, flip the dough over, smooth side down, and perform the gentle final shape. Once your dough has been shaped, place it seam side up in a lightly floured 10″ proofing vessel. Repeat for the second loaf.

Once shaping is done, cover and let proof a little more on the counter. Once they’ve grown slightly and feel puffy, place both loaves in the fridge for 8-24 hours for a cold proof.

After the cold proof, preheat a dutch oven in your oven for 1 hour at 500F.

Once the dutch oven is preheated, flip a loaf onto parchment paper or a silicone mat. Lightly flour the loaf and score.

Remove the dutch oven from the oven, open the lid and carefully place your loaf inside. Place the lid back on and put the dutch oven back into the oven.

Bake at 500F for 20 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for another 10-15 minutes at 425F.

Once the desired crust colour has been achieved, remove the dutch oven from the oven and remove the loaf. Place the loaf on a cooling rack.

Allow the loaves to cool down for at least 1 hour before slicing into them.

Once cooled, enjoy your simple sourdough bread with a generous amount of butter!

Notes

Keep an eye on your loaf while it’s baking with the lid off. Every oven is different and you may find it gets dark too quickly at 425F. Feel free to reduce the temperature and extend the time if you feel that gets a more even crust.

Watch Me Make Simple Sourdough!

Recipe & Method