Simple Artisan Sourdough Bread Recipe (for the beginner)

If you’ve stumbled upon this little corner of mine, you must be searching for the best artisan sourdough bread recipe. You might also feel completely overwhelmed by the amount of recipes and people telling you theirs is the best one.

Can I tell you a secret?

There isn’t just one right way to make sourdough. AND there’s a ton of grace with artisan sourdough bread.

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Ancestral Sourdough

Sourdough is much older than the previous “trending” years have made it out to be. It isn’t a new discovery. Sourdough is how our ancestors survived some of their hardest, most challenging years.

Food preservation was crucial to survival. Which meant people needed to find ways to preserve food that could survive harsh winters, weeks on the road, cruddy weather and more, without it expiring. One way they were able to preserve all kinds of food was through fermentation.

In the case of sourdough, our ancestors kept an active starter at room temperature and utilized bulk fermentation. Thankfully, with minimal ingredients, that wasn’t hard to do.

Originally the traditional artisan loaf included two ingredients: warm water and flour. However it’s more common nowadays to include salt into any recipe. In sourdough, salt acts as a flavor enhancer, yeast activity regulator, gluten strengthener and a means for slowing down fermentation.

Sourdough Starter vs. Commercial Yeast

The bulk fermentation process with sourdough is the exact reason commercial yeast isn’t necessary.

An active starter is essentially the “mother dough” of sourdough. The combination of water and flour creates a symbiotic relationship between lactic acid bacteria and wild yeast who produce carbon dioxide (all the bubbles you see) that then creates a plump, risen loaf of sourdough bread.

The now trending active sourdough starter was the original form of what we consider commercial yeast today.

Commercial yeast is now composed of a single, refined strain called Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This specific strain of yeast is cultivated for its rapid leavening ability, making it perfect for homemakers unable or unwilling to keep a natural, wild yeast such as an active sourdough starter.

An active sourdough starter naturally contains more nutrients. Commercial yeast simply gets the job done.

From ancient Egypt to modern day artisan bakeries, sourdough has played a vital role is developing gut-healthy, naturally developing and delicious loaves of artisan sourdough bread, pastries, buns, baguettes and SO, so much more!

The History of Sourdough

Understanding the history of sourdough bread may feel intimidating because it feels as old as time. There’s a part of me that believes it probably is!

The traditional artisan sourdough bread has been traced back as early as 3700 BC when a loaf was excavated in Switzerland. However it’s more commonly know that sourdough’s earliest debut was in the Fertile Crescent, a crescent-shaped region in Western Asia, where agriculture flourished. The dawn of the Neolithic Age led to an increase of agriculture and ample amounts of grains being produced.

It is said that dough (water and flour) was accidentally left out at room temperature in Egypt when someone discovered the natural formation of wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria.

This accident answered the same question our ancestors faced: how do we persevere this? Bulk fermentation.

Fast forward to 800BC the ancient Greeks and the Roman Empire adopted this idea of bread making. This is also when the use of oven technologies were explored.

The process of bread making with an active sourdough starter was all these generations knew. It wasn’t until the mid 1800’s that commercial yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) was discovered by Louis Pasteur.

Sourdough has most prevalently existed in San Fransisco since the mid to late 1800s when it became a staple during the gold rush era. Since then, local bakeries “kept it alive” and popular amongst today’s society.

When the pandemic hit in America during the 2020’s many people were frightened by the lack of food available in grocery stores and began to garden and make what they could from home — bread included.

Homemade sourdough bread became a trending topic for several years and is being maintained today by those who truly see the benefits and beauty of such an ancestral food.

Why Does Sourdough Starter Work?

When I first discovered sourdough I was entirely impressed that something so beautiful could form from such simple ingredients.

Little did I know that artisan sourdough bread had been around for centuries. Mothers have been sustainably feeding their families for hundreds of years using active sourdough starter and bulk fermentation.

Active starter is a living organism comprised of a symbiotic relationship between lactic acid bacteria and wild yeast.

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are the living organisms that consume the sugars, alcohol and starches in the starter, producing an acidic environment that keeps undesirable bacteria from developing (mold). They contribute to the gluten structure of your bread as well as the so-desired “sour” flavor of your latest artisan sourdough bread.

The yeast colony in your active starter creates all those beautiful little bubbles you see in an active starter. They metabolize sugars and carbohydrates into alcohol. They’re also the reason your loaves are even able to be preserved.

Your active sourdough starter is full of living creatures that need to be fed on a daily basis at room temperature or they become “hangry”.

The presence of living organisms in your starter is exactly why it is effective in cooking, as well as why it’s important to regularly feed your starter. You are literally feeding microscopic living microorganisms.

One of the most common mistakes I’ve seen across the sourdough community is underfeeding your sourdough starter.

How To Feed My Sourdough Starter

An active sourdough starter is regularly fed with flour (of your choice; all purpose flour, bread flour, whole wheat flour, any mixture of flour that isn’t bleached) and warm water. There are many variables to consider when feeding and maintaining a healthy starter.

#1 Will you be keeping your starter on the counter at room temperature?

If so, feeding your starter every 1-3 days is crucial or the already present bad bacteria will begin to outweigh the good bacteria. You’ll also run the risk of developing a potent-smelling or molding starter.

Room temperature is anything between 68-72°F give or take a few degrees. You can determinate the temperature of your kitchen by using a digital meat thermometer (I know it sounds crazy, but it works!).

It’s also important to consider different rooms in your house may run more warm or cooler. For example, keeping your starter next to your gas stove while cooking dinner will likely raise the temperature above room temperature. Thus, expediting the feeding process.

You might also keep your starter near a window that could be significantly cooler during the winter months. Thus, slowing down the feeding process. Which leads me to our next variable to consider.

#2 Will you be keeping your starter in the refrigerator?

This may surprise many newbie sourdough starter enthusiasts, but you can 100% keep your starter in the fridge. Yes, even when you’re using it!

Just like keeping any other food in the fridge, the cold temperature (average of 37-40°F) slows bacteria from developing. It’s why you can store leftovers for up to a week before considering them unsafe.

Instead of keeping your sourdough starter at room temperature and keeping it in the fridge allows less feedings, BUT it does slow the bulk fermentation process down a tad.

Just like we are usually slow, stiff and tense when cold, all that magnificent bacteria and yeast in your starter will need time to “warm up” before being completely useful. Keeping your active starter in the fridge will not harm it. It simply slows down the feeding process of the microorganisms.

You will only need to feed your starter every 4-7 days depending on how often you’re using it and if it’s regularly changing from cool temperatures to room temperature (in the case of pulling it out often to use it).

The Main Thing To Remember

Regardless of if you keep your active starter on the counter at room temperature or in the refrigerator, you never want to let it get to the point that it smells like nail polish remover or develops mold (check out my blog post here to decipher good mold from bad mold: My Sourdough Starter Went Bad! How To Keep It Alive).

These two “symptoms” are a sure sign that your starter is struggling. Depending on the severity and type of potential mold growth, you may or may not need to throw out your starter and begin again.

For this exact reason I tell everyone to diversify their preservation portfolio. Not just for general food preservation (canning, freezing, fermenting, etc.) but also with items like an active sourdough starter. Accidents happen! You may forget about your starter or a child may bump it off the counter onto a hard floor and the jar may shatter.

There are three other ways of preserving your starter.

Three Ways To Preserve Your Sourdough Starter

Freezing Sourdough Starter: One of the quickest and easiest ways to preserve your starter – freeze it! Again, just like other foods, freezing your starter freezes the activity within your starter. It doesn’t kill it or harm it, it simply stops time from doing its job.

I freeze portions in a silicone mold (like this one) and pop 1-2 portions into a jar to thaw for 12 hours when I’m ready to use it again. After it thaws I feed the starter with equal parts all purpose flour and water. I will repeat this process 1-2 more times to be sure the bacteria and yeast are fat and happy before using!

Dehydrating Sourdough Starter: This method is probably the most common because it takes very little effort, work and space. This method can be done with or without heat!

Using active sourdough starter and spreading thinly on a flat surface is no where near taxing or exhausting. The longest part of this process is waiting for it to dry.

If you’re using an oven, dry the starter on a sheet of parchment paper lined on a cookie sheet in a preheated oven set at 105°F (40°C) for quite a few hours. This is completely determined by your sourdough starter thickness, humidity in the house and air circulation in the oven. Once dry, it will easily crumble and can be stored in an air-tight container with an air reducer.

The sourdough starter will simply need to be added into a glass jar with water to rehydrate. Then, it requires daily attention for the first week to get it “back” to its effective, most active state.

If you don’t want to use heat, simply spread your active sourdough starter onto a flat surface (I still recommend using parchment paper so it’s easy to gather once dry) and allow it to sit in a well ventilated area until it is dry.

Again, both of these techniques require a unique time that is determined by starter thickness, humidity, season, air flow, etc.. It will take a few hours either way!

Cold Storage: One of the simplest ways to store your sourdough starter is by keeping a portion of it in the back of your refrigerator. This normally surprises people because many blogs will tell you to keep your starter on the counter at room temperature.

However, just like anything that is exposed to cold temperatures, the bacteria development just slows down. It doesn’t stop, it just slows.

This method entails splitting 1/8 cup (minimum) into a clean glass jar, adding flour and water just like you would to your regularly used sourdough starter, and immediately sticking into the back of your fridge. I say the back because it’s the one area of your fridge that gets the least amount of warm air (from opening the doors).

It’s important to note that you DO have to feed this starter once every week. Just like food continues to “age” and eventually spoil in the refrigerator, so will your sourdough starter. Remember, the bacteria is not dead, it’s simply just slowed down.

A 10 Step Guide for the Beginner Sourdough Bread Recipe

The reason you may be overwhelmed by baking artisan sourdough is because the internet is PACKED full of different sourdough recipes, tips and tricks and timelines. All of which frequently claim it’s the best way to do it.

I’m not going to lie to you, there isn’t just one way. What works well for one homemaker might not work as well for another.

My sourdough recipe may not work well for you.
My sourdough recipes may be the best recipe that’s worked for you.

Why?

Because sourdough is largely affected by temperature, humidity, liquid content, bacteria and yeast activity and soooo much more. All of which are unique to each home.

So the timeline you see below is what works for me. The best thing you can do to become successful with artisan sourdough is to understand why something does or does not work. That starts by reading blog posts, like this one, to get a full understanding of what sourdough is.

Step #1
Feed Your Sourdough Starter | 7:00am (winter months) 9:00am (summer months)

It’s important to use a sourdough starter that is active, bubbly and well-established. This will ensure success with your artisan sourdough loaf – and more! If you use starter that is flat, smelly, inactive, molding or brand new, you will likely struggle with getting your dough to ferment and proof correctly.

I feed my starter a 1:1 ratio of current starter and flour. Then I add just enough water to create a pasty pancake-like batter. I use a glass jar and cover with cheese cloth and a rubber band.

You can use a marker to mark the beginning height of your fed starter. Once it has doubled from that line, it is said that your starter is ready to be used. However, I use mine whenever I see bubbles all throughout the starter. Sometimes it has doubled, sometimes it’s less or more than doubled. The bubbles are your indicator that it is ready to use as your “yeast” replacement

Step #2
Gather Supplies | 6:00pm (winter months) 8:00pm (summer months)

After dinner I gather all of the supplies and ingredients I need to begin my artisan sourdough bread. This includes a scale (I use this one: Kitchen Scale), a large bowl, my dutch whisk or wooden spoon, flour, room temperature water, salt and active sourdough starter.

Note: I prefer to use spring or reverse osmosis water since we live in the city and don’t have a filter on our tap water yet. Tap water is processed to kill off all bacteria, including the good. Which could also effect the good bacteria in your active sourdough starter. Some people don’t have trouble with it while others do. I’d encourage you to experiment with both options.

Step #3
Combine Water and Active Sourdough Starter

Once I’ve gathered everything I need (I don’t like running around the kitchen gathering supplies as I’m cooking something. I often make mistakes when I do!) I begin to mix ingredients.

First, I place the bowl on the kitchen scale and balance it (being it to zero). I measure everything in grams! Once the scale is zeroed out, I add 350g of room temperature, spring water and add 150g of active sourdough starter to the water. Mix thoroughly.

Note: One trick to knowing if your starter is ready to use: pour some into a small bowl of water. If it floats, it’s good to use! It passed the float test. Now, I say this loosely because I have also had some success with starter that sinks. Play it by ear and be willing to learn from mistakes and choices you make in your kitchen!

Step #4
Add Salt

Once mixed well, I add 10g of salt. I’d recommend Remond Real Salt but I am in a season of buying in bulk from Costco. It works fine as well!

Mix well as it will try to settle near the bottom of the bowl.

Step #5
Add Flour and Rest One Hour (Autolyse)

Once the salt is well incorporated into the water and active sourdough starter, it’s time to add the flour. I add 500g of flour.

Mix the ingredients together well, but note that the dough will be shaggy. Meaning chunky and clumpy. That’s okay!

Let the shaggy dough rest with a damp tea towel, beeswax cloth or plastic wrap over the bowl. This is an important step because it contains the moisture that needs to be soaked into the flour and eliminates chances of the dough become dry on the exposed areas.

Let your dough rest for 60 minutes. This is considered the “autolyse hour”. The primary purpose of autolyse in your dough is to allow it to absorb the moisture into the flour, enhance structure development and make the dough more flexible when being worked.

Step #6
Series of Stretch and Folds | 7:00pm-8:30pm (winter months) 9:00pm-10:30pm (summer months)

After 60 minutes, it’s time to begin a 3-part series of stretch and folds.

Every 30 minutes (beginning at the end of the autolyse period) you will perform a stretch and fold. There are a couple ways to do this. What I do is wet my hand with water (note: do not use more flour) and grab one side of the dough, stretching it outward and folding it back inward over itself. Then rotating the bowl and doing this 4-5 times, or until each side of the dough has been stretched.

I repeat this process again for the second and third stretch and fold. On the last one, the dough is much more smooth and flexible. I end the process by scooping my hands underneath the dough from both side and lifting it until the exposed sides begin to fold under. I roughly shape the dough into a smooth ball.

After each stretch and fold, be sure to cover the bowl again with your damp tea towel and beeswax towel.

If you miss a stretch and fold, or forget about the 30 minute window, DO NOT FRET. I’ve made many successful artisan sourdough loaves without and stretch and folding, uneven stretch and folds and sometimes more than three.

Sourdough is forgiving!

The most important thing to learn here is your stretch and folds are developing the gluten structure of your bread. You’re assisting it in that process, not just completely making it happen all on your own. It’s why it still bakes well when we mess up.

Step #7
Long Ferment | 8:30pm (winter months) 10:30pm (summer months)

After your last stretch and fold, it’s time to store your dough in a warm place or room temperature place for anywhere between 6-12 hours depending on the environment (68°F-75°F).

During the winter months everything takes me much longer because it’s colder and there’s less humidity/moisture in the air. It’s completely opposite in the summer!

Cover the dough with your damp towel or beeswax towel (I recommend using beeswax towels because they don’t dry like a damp towel often does during this process) and place the bowl on the counter in a place that is well ventilated and maintains room temperature.

If it’s cold in your house, you could place the dough in the microwave or oven where it’s naturally warmer, or just expect a longer bulk fermentation time. Do not use the oven or microwave if you do! Remove the dough first.

Step #8
Shape Dough and Refrigerate | 8:00am (the next day; both summer and winter months)

Let the dough rise and double in size. If it bounces back when you poke it, it’s ready to shape for baking. If it is watery and flat, it’s under proofed. Likely because your starter wasn’t healthy and active.

If you perform a “finger test” and it’s a little soupy and not bouncing back, it’s likely over proofed. This means you let the dough rest at room temperature for too long, or had it in too warm of a place for too long.

The warmer the temperature, the quicker the ferment.
The cooler the temperature, the slower the ferment.

Before dumping out the dough, find a bowl, or banneton proofing basket, and lay a cloth on the inside. Dust it graciously with flour.

Prepare a flat surface with a very light dusting of flour. Dump the dough out onto the prepared surface, scraping out what might be sticking in the bowl.

Flatting it by stretching it out gently (be careful not to tear the dough) into an almost-rectangular shape.

I like to trifold the dough back together, then begin tucking the edges by applying pressure on one side and pushing the dough to the other side. Perform this process of pushing the dough from one side to the other, rotating it 90 degrees each time.

The goal here is to develop good surface tension and tighten the “loose ends” on the underside.

When the surface tension of your dough is smooth and elastic, it’s time to transfer it into a flour-prepared bowl or banneton basket. (Note: I just use all purpose flour!) Scoop both sides of the dough and drop it into the prepared bowl upside-down.

Sprinkle all purpose flour (honestly, whatever flour of your choice – just avoid bleached flours) across the top of your artisan loaf gently. Then place a towel or beeswax wrap over it. No need to wet the tea towel here.

Place dough into the fridge for 60 minutes for a cold proof.

Step #9
Prepare Oven and Dutch Oven | 8:15am (both summer and winter months)

I prefer to use my large cast iron dutch oven, but any size will do as long as it isn’t smaller than your prepared dough. Some prefer to open bake (that’s a whole different method when it comes to baking the dough), but it’s important to note that using a lid retains moisture as it bakes which creates that beautiful, flaky and crispy crust!

Place the dutch oven with its lid into the oven. It will also preheat with the oven.

Preheat your oven to 475°F (246°C). I use convection, but it isn’t crucial if you don’t have it. Convection simply helps the air circulate more evenly. Your oven will preheat during the hour your loaf is in the fridge. You want to be sure it is equally heated and prepared for the bread.

Step #10
Score Dough and Bake | 9:15am (both summer and winter months)

FINALLY! It’s time to bake your bread.

Remove your prepared bread from the refrigerator.

I use reusable silicone slings for baking my artisan sourdough loaves. I hated how fast I was running through traditional parchment paper, so I found a solution! If you don’t have one, nor want to buy one, a piece of parchment paper will work just fine.

Flip your cold dough directly from the bowl onto parchment paper or a reusable sling. Now the dough should be right side up.

Many people love to “decorate” their loaves with flour or special scoring using a sharp knife or razor blade. There are stencils you can find online (I don’t personally use any) to which you hold against the dough and sprinkle flour across, then carefully remove them. This looks especially beautiful with chocolate loaves!

Scoring is to keep your loaf from releasing heat and moisture where it naturally occurs. Scoring just does the job for the bread, and controls the results. Plus, it can give it a better oven spring. Play around with it! It can be so fun.

My father has been baking sourdough for many years at this point, and he never scores his bread. He thinks it’s so fun to watch each loaf form naturally.

Once your bread is prepared, remove the dutch oven from the preheated oven and immediately place the dough into it. Place the lid back on and stick it into the oven for 25 minutes.

Once the 25 minutes are up, remove the lid and place back into the oven for another 15 minutes.

Note: If your loaf turns out too dark on the bottom, add a baking sheet under the dutch oven while baking. Or add a metal rack on the bottom of your dutch oven. I found that the little metal rack from my insta pot works perfectly for this.

The times for baking that I share with you are, again, what works for me. As long as the center of your bread is reaching 200°F to 210°F (93°C to 99°C) internally, it is considered fully cooked. I aim for a beautiful, golden brown crust.

Remove your dutch oven and immediately remove the artisan sourdough from the dutch oven and place it onto a cookie sheet. I prefer to allow it to cool all the way around the loaf and not just the top and sides.

For best results, it is recommended to allow your artisan sourdough to cool completely before cutting into it… but I will not lie to you. The best slice of artisan sourdough is when it’s fresh and hot. Give yourself some grace here 😉

How To Store Your Sourdough

Storing your sourdough doesn’t have to be complicated. There are many ways to do this.

Personally, we store ours in a gallon zip lock bag. It is important that the loaf is completely cooled before storing it or you will have moisture build up in the bag which will shorten your artisan sourdough’s life.

Other ways to store sourdough include in a cloth bag, a bread box or simply at room temperature on the. counter. Find what works best for you!

Do note: sourdough does not last as long as store-bought bread because it isn’t full of preservatives. I typically enjoy a loaf 1.5-2 weeks before it starts to show little signs of mold.

If you’re a brave soul, you can just cut off the mold and enjoy the bread still. It depends how desperate you are… haha!

What happens if my sourdough goes stale?

Stale sourdough is SIMPLE to resolve! It sounds crazy, but just run it under room-temperature water and place back in the oven at 400°F for 10 minutes or so. It completely depends on how stale it is and how much you’re warming up.

Another way to enjoy your artisan sourdough as it stales is by “recycling” it. Sourdough is great for bread crumbs, croutons and more! Subscribe and stay tuned for more of those recipes coming your way. I send quite a few “mini” recipes out to my subscribers months before they hit the blog (if they ever do).

Your sourdough journey is what you make it, but more than anything, it’s a journey full of highs and lows, successes and failures, experiments and hard lessons learned. But in the end, it’s rewarding and fulfilling! Don’t give up. Just keep going.

If you enjoyed this easy, beginner artisan sourdough bread recipe be sure to check out other recipes on the blog! And don’t forget to leave a review.

• Quick Sourdough Discard Pizza Recipe
• My Sourdough Starter Went Bad! How To Keep It Alive
• One-Pot Cheeseburger Pasta Recipe
• Oregano Infused Olive Oil Recipe

What should I share a recipe for next? Let me know in the comments below!

Much love,
Courtney