How to make Sourdough Bread (Dutch Oven Method)

How to Bake Sourdough In A Loaf Pan (step by step guide)

The photographs featured in this section of the post are made using a double batch of dough (you can easily double the dough using the buttons in the recipe card). The dough is baked in a large farmhouse loaf pan (24cm x 16cm) – details of the pan are after the instructions.

Premix the Dough

Weigh out your sourdough starter and water into a large mixing bowl and mix together briefly.

Now add your flour and salt and mix whole lot together to form a dry, shaggy dough.

Cover your bowl with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let it sit for around 1 hour.

This process is called the “autolyse” and allows your flour to soak in all the water and become hydrated.

Forming Up The Dough

Bring the dough together into a ball. Pull the edges of the dough into the centre until it’s smoother and more formed.

You’ll notice that the dough is fully hydrated after soaking all the water up. It will be fairly sticky but as you bring it into a ball, it will become smoother and shinier.

Once the dough has formed into a smooth ball, pop the cling film back on and let it rest for 30 minutes.

Stretches and Folds

Over the next few hours you need to create some structure for your dough by “stretching and folding”.

Aim to do around 4-6 sets of stretches and folds.

For each set, stretch the dough up and over itself 4 times. Leave around 15 minutes in between each set. Again you do not have to be exact with time, but you need to do at least 4 sets over 2 hours.

Bulk Fermentation

Once you’ve finished your stretch and folds, place the cling film or damp tea towel back over your dough and let it rest and ferment (a plastic cover is a better option for this stage). I let it rise to just under double for this recipe because you want it to rise a bit in the pan afterwards.

Shaping the Dough

Once your dough has finished it’s first ferment, it’s time to shape it so that it will fit into your loaf tin. Shaping your dough into a batard is the best for proofing and baking in a loaf tin.

You’ll need to flour your counter top with rice flour for this (we use rice flour because it has no gluten). Try to be quite sparing with the rice flour, you only need a very light dusting. Semolina is also a good choice (and is what I have used in these photos).

Use a silicone dough scraper to gently ease the dough out of the bowl. You want it to land upside down on your counter so that the smooth top of the dough is on the countertop and the sticky underside is facing up. This will make it easier to shape.

You can see that this dough has been flipped out of the bowl with the sticky side facing upwards to make shaping easier.

Shape the dough into a batard or loaf shape (you can see instructions for this here).

The dough can be spread into a rectangle and then gently folded before being rolled into a loaf shape.

You can see the dough here gently being rolled into a loaf shape.

Putting The Sourdough Into the Loaf Pan

Lightly coat the inside of your loaf tin with butter. Dust it with semolina or rice flour.

Once the dough is shaped, you need to gently lift it into the loaf pan. You need to place it into the loaf tin with the seam on the bottom (opposite to how you would place it into a banneton).

Proofing

Now the dough is in the loaf tin, you need to let it proof. For this sourdough loaf I like to proof it a little on the counter first and then put it in the fridge until I’m ready to bake.

As long as it didn’t over ferment during bulk fermentation, allow the dough to puff up a bit before you put it in the fridge for cold fermentation. Don’t let it go too far though or you won’t have any oven spring.

Preparing To Bake

Once you’re ready to bake your sourdough, you’ll need to preheat your oven to 200C/392F.

Bake Your Sourdough Bread In A Loaf Pan

Now it’s time to bake!

When the oven is at temperature, take your loaf of sourdough out of the fridge and score it (you don’t have to score it if you don’t want to). Lightly spray the top of the dough with water. Place it into the hot oven.

45 Minutes at 200C/392F

Let Your Bread Cool

When your sourdough is done, remove it from the oven. Let it sit for a few minutes and then carefully remove it from the tin. Place onto a wire rack to cool.

If you wish to soften the crust a little, you can brush the top of the loaf with melted butter if you wish.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I get sourdough starter?

You can easily make your own starter to make an artisan-style loaf using flour and water, or you can buy it online or from specialty stores. If you have any friends who like to make bread, I’d also bet they have some they’d happily gift you!

How long does homemade sourdough bread last?

If you keep it in an airtight container on the counter, it should last for 3-4 days. However, if you want it to last longer, I suggest slicing it, placing it in a plastic bag, and freezing for up to a month. Whenever a bread craving strikes, just grab a slice!

What is the best flour for sourdough bread?

I prefer bread flour, which has a higher protein content than regular all-purpose flour. More protein means more gluten, which in turn means a better structure for the bread to be crusty on the outside and irregularly crumbed on the inside. YUM!

What is the best size dutch oven for baking bread?

I suggest reaching for a round dutch oven that is no smaller than 4 quarts and no larger than 7 quarts. I personally like using my 5 ½ quart dutch oven for making this sourdough loaf.

Baking Schedule

This beginner’s sourdough bread is a two-day-long process where the bread is mixed and prepared on day one, cold-proofed (retarded) in the fridge overnight, then baked on day two.

I love the convenience of this type of schedule, which means most of the work is done on the first day, then the dough can be left in the fridge until the next day, where the dough can be baked in the morning, afternoon, or even the evening.

The baking schedule to the right shows you a high-level view of what step takes place and when.

Baker’s Terminology

A starter is a mixture of flour and water you allow to ferment naturally. You’ll refresh (feed) the starter indefinitely to keep the fermentation active and healthy, and you will wait for it to become fully ripe before you use any of it to make bread.

Levain (or leaven)

A levain is made by mixing a small off-shoot of your ripe starter with water and flour and allowing it to ferment before mixing it into a dough. You can always use your starter directly to make sourdough bread, but a levain is a small off-shoot that allows you to adjust the flour, hydration, and ripening schedule (which have implications on the bacteria and wild yeast balance).

Autolyse

Some recipes utilize a step called autolyse (“auto-lease”). It occurs at the beginning of bread baking and is a step in which only flour and water are mixed together and left to rest. The goal of autolyse is to initiate enzymatic activity in the dough to help draw out sugars from the flour. Additionally, it helps increase dough extensibility (the ability for the dough to stretch out without tearing).

The dough’s first rise is called bulk fermentation. After mixing the flour, salt, and levain into a dough, you put it all into a bowl or container, cover it, and let it rest. The dough will undergo a fermentation process during this critical step. Bacteria and yeast begin to generate organic acids and alcohols and leaven the dough, which will translate to flavor and rise in your final bread.

Also, bulk fermentation is when you might give the dough additional strength through stretching and folding.

The proof is the dough’s final, or second, rise after the dough has been divided and shaped and lasts until the dough is finally baked in the oven. During this time, the dough continues to ferment, further strengthening and leavening it.

I typically proof at a cold temperature in the refrigerator (also called “retarding”).

Final dough temperature

The final dough temperature (FDT) is the dough’s temperature after mixing all ingredients. The dough’s temperature is important because it’s the main factor that affects fermentation strength: a warmer dough will ferment faster than a cooler dough.

Naturally, each component (levain, the flour, the water, and the ambient environment) has a temperature. While most of these are out of our control, we can easily adjust the water temperature, which enables us to change the FDT of the entire dough to meet whatever the recipe calls for.

So you don’t have to do any calculations, here’s a quick cheat sheet for this Beginner’s Sourdough bread recipe:

Final dough temperature cheat sheet.

If your kitchen is outside of these temperatures, my guide on the importance of dough temperature in baking will walk you through calculating exactly what to warm (or cool) your mixing water to so your dough meets the FDT for any recipe.

Beginner’s Sourdough Bread dough after a set of stretches and folds in bulk fermentation.

Baker’s percentages (baker’s math)

Baker’s math, or baker’s percentages, helps bakers adjust the actual quantity of the ingredients up or down, depending on how much bread they want to make. I write all the formulas on The Perfect Loaf in baker’s percentages, where all ingredient weights are a percentage of the total flour weight, which always adds up to 100%. Read through my introduction to baker’s percentages for a more in-depth explanation (including how to scale up and down a bread recipe).

TPL Members (the baking community here) have access to all the recipes here at The Perfect Loaf in spreadsheet form, making scaling up and down recipes as simple as changing a few numbers.

• combo cooker like a Lodge 3qt. cast iron combo cooker or a Le Creuset Dutch oven that can withstand 500°F (260°C) in the oven and has a well-sealing lid
• large mixing bowl to mix your dough by hand
• two medium kitchen bowls to proof your dough
• two kitchen towels or a tea towel to line the proofing bowls
• bench knife to cut and shape the dough
• plastic or silicone bowl scraper
• kitchen scale that measures in grams
• instant-read thermometer
• white rice flour for dusting proofing bowl
• blade for scoring your dough (a “lame”), or a razor blade, sharp knife, or scissors
• fine-grain sea salt
• parchment paper
• pizza peel (or cutting board)
• heavy duty oven mitt
• the best bread knife for cutting your sourdough bread

You can find a full list of all the tools I use when baking on my baking tools page.

About This Recipe

Each time I pull a fresh sourdough loaf out of the oven, I am still humbled and amazed at what Mother Nature can do with just 4 ingredients and a little human input. This recipe for from-scratch sourdough bread yields the most gorgeous, golden, crusty loaf with a soft, stretchy, and perfectly irregular crumb you could ever want, all using just 4 simple ingredients (one of which is water!).

While this rustic sourdough bread is indeed a lengthy recipe (you’ll need about 24 hours from start to finish), most of the time is spent waiting. None of the steps are particularly difficult, aside from having the patience and willpower to avoid cutting into your delightfully sweet-sour-yeasty smelling ball of goodness before it has cooled entirely.

And despite what you may think, you don’t need much in terms of special equipment or serious kitchen know-how to make your own homemade bread. I like to bake my sourdough in a dutch oven, which is one of my favorite kitchen staples. Once your bread is baked, whip up a batch of homemade soup to accompany it. What a delicious way to spend a chilly day!

Expert Tips

• Do a float test. You want to make sure your starter is at 100% hydration, which you can check with a simple float test.
• Keep a bowl or glass of water nearby. When you are first starting to make the sourdough dough, it will be very sticky. Dipping your hands into a bowl of water before mixing will help immensely!
• Wait an hour before cutting. It will be very challenging to wait before cutting into the artisan bread, but I promise you it’s worth it! Cutting into your bread when it is too hot could ruin its structure, though it will still be tasty!
• Use the parchment as your guide to get it into the Dutch oven. You want the dutch oven to be 450F before gently placing the boule inside, which is a tricky endeavor if you want to avoid burning yourself. That’s where the parchment comes in handy — use the corners to help you gently guide the loaf into its snuggly, warm room. Just make sure you DON’T DROP THE LOAF IN. This will totally deflate your last rise, leaving you with a dense result.

When I first started baking, I didn’t quite grasp how important temperature is in the bread-making process. I always like to say: Treat temperature as an ingredient, just as flour, water, and salt are ingredients. What I mean by that, practically, is that if one day you mix with water that is 70°F (21°C) and then a week later mix with water that is 80°F (26°C), you will get drastically different outcomes. Temperature determines the amount of fermentation activity you’ll see. Lower temperatures generally mean less activity; therefore, things will take longer. Higher temperatures generally mean more activity; therefore, things will take less time. Working with consistent temperatures will ensure consistency in your bread baking, and you’ll get the results you want in terms of flavor, rise, texture–well, everything.

If it’s cold where you’re baking, see my tips on how to bake sourdough bread in the winter. And conversely, if it’s warm where you are, see my post on how to bake in the summer. These guides will help ensure your loaves have the best flavor and volume.

Are the Recipes at The Perfect Loaf Made for High Altitude?

I always bake sourdough bread at a high altitude in my home kitchen, and the recipes posted here are tested in those same conditions. But I do slightly modify my recipes to work in kitchens at lower altitudes just as well. As always with baking bread, some adjustments will be necessary for your kitchen, whether it is hydration, oven temperature, timeline, or leavening percentage.

More Homemade Bread Recipes

• ( ) , 70 degrees F ideally
• Olive oil – for greasing bowl
• Rice flour – for dusting banneton

• Mix your levain and water together until combined. Then mix in the bread flour until little to no clumps remain with a spatula or your hands and cover for 45 minutes. This is called the autolyse – hydrating your flour prior to moving on to the next step.100 g Levain, 360 g Water, 500 g Bread Flour
• *When making sourdough it’s helpful to have a little bowl of water nearby – dipping your hands in water prior to working with the wet, sticky dough will help immensely!
• Add 2 teaspoons of kosher salt to your dough and mix with a spatula or your hands until the salt granules have dissolved completely into the dough. Place in a bowl greased with one tablespoon of olive oil, cover, and set aside to rest for another 45 minutes.2 Teaspoons Salt, Olive oil – for greasing bowl
• Time to start folding the dough – every 30 minutes for the next two hours fold your dough as shown in the video below. Gently stretch the dough in an upwards motion before placing back onto itself – do this four times every 30 minutes rotating around the dough as you do so.
• Once you’ve folded the dough 4 separate times, allow it to rest for 45 minutes before continuing.
• 3 Tablespoons Rice flour – for dusting banneton
• The next morning, preheat the oven to 450 degrees with your dutch oven placed inside while preheating – turn on your timer for 45 minutes. After turning on your oven, remove your sourdough from the fridge. Grab a piece of parchment paper larger than the diameter of the dough and flip the cold dough onto the parchment paper. Using a lame or a razor blade, score the bread one ⅓ of the loaf from top to bottom. See the video below for an example! Once your 45 minute timer has gone off, place the loaf into your preheated dutch oven. Be careful not to burn yourself or drop in your sourdough! The parchment paper is your friend here – use the parchment paper as grips to gently lower the loaf into the dutch oven and place the lid on top.
• Remove the dutch oven from the oven and carefully remove the sourdough from within – I usually use a small spatula to coax one side of the bread from the bottom of the dutch oven, allowing me to remove the hot sourdough loaf and place it on a cooling rack.
• It will be very challenging to wait before cutting into the loaf, but I promise you it’s worth it! Cutting into your bread when it is too hot could ruin it’s structure – I usually wait an hour at the very least before diving in unless you don’t mind cutting in early.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=f4LzV9SmzVk%3Ffeature%3Doembed

Frequently Asked Questions

• Where can I get sourdough starter? easily make your own using flour and water, or you can buy it online or from specialty stores. If you have any friends who like to make bread, I’d also bet they have some they’d happily gift you!
• How long does homemade sourdough bread last? If you keep it in an airtight container on the counter, it should last for 3-4 days. However, if you want it to last longer, I suggest slicing it, placing it in a plastic bag, and freezing for up to a month. Whenever a bread craving strikes, just grab a slice!
• What is the best flour for sourdough bread? I prefer bread flour, which has a higher protein content than regular all-purpose flour. More protein means more gluten, which in turn means a better structure for the bread to be crusty on the outside and irregularly crumbed on the inside. YUM!
• What is the best size dutch oven for baking bread? I suggest reaching for one that is no smaller than 4 quarts and no larger than 7 quarts.

Adjusting Your Oven Temperature for High Altitude Baking

The biggest modifier when baking bread at a high altitude is the oven temperature. I’ve found that I either have to bake bread longer OR at a higher temperature to bake the loaf properly. Between the two, I usually opt to bake the bread for longer. The extra time needed depends on the bread; it is usually more for pan bread than free-form loaves.

While increasing the baking temperature will offset the time needed to bake a loaf fully, it only goes so far. If the temperature is too far, you’ll burn the loaf’s exterior before the interior is fully baked through.

Should I Bake Sourdough Bread With Convection?

You can use convection (fan assist) when baking sourdough bread if the bread is baked inside of a closed pot, like a Dutch oven or combo cooker. The pot traps the steam during baking, even with the fan running. However, I don’t use convection with bread baked directly on a baking surface. The fan circulates air—and any steam—in the oven, and I’ve found it causes the dough to dry out prematurely.

If you’re baking a loaf of bread that doesn’t require steam, you can use convection. Bread like my sourdough pain de mie, which is either baked with the lid on or with an egg wash, doesn’t require steaming the oven. In this case, convection can safely be used. Note that when using convection, it’s common to either reduce the baking temperature or the total baking time.

For example, if a recipe called for a no-convection bake temperature of 350°F (175°C) for 20 minutes at sea level, I’d set my oven to 350°F (175°C) and bake for 20 minutes with convection turned on.

Ultimately, I don’t usually use convection when baking sourdough bread in my home oven.

How to Make Sourdough Bread

1. In a large metal bowl or glass bowl, whisk together the water and starter until mostly combined. Add the flour and salt. Stir together by hand or spatula until the mixture is very shaggy, but most of the flour is mixed in. Cover with a damp kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature for 1 hour.

2. Fill a bowl or measuring cup with several inches of cold water. Uncover your dough.With the dough bowl directly in front of you, dip your fingers into the water, and then slide them under one edge of the dough down to the bottom of the bowl. Stretch and fold the dough to the center, rotate the bowl 90°, and repeat the stretch and fold until you’ve made 4 folds and turns.

3. Recover the bowl and rest for another 20 minutes. Repeat the stretch and fold process again, and either repeat twice more or move onto the bulk rise. Shape your dough into a ball, then cover and let the dough rise until well puffed, 6 to 12 hours.

4. Dip both hands in cold water. Slip your fingers under the dough on either side and lift the dough up about a foot or two above the counter. It should essentially be draped over your hands. Place it on the counter. Sprinkle the top of the dough lightly with flour, and flip it over, so the floured side is down. Pinch all the edges into the center, like bundling up a sack. Flip it over and start shaping it into a round sourdough boule shape.

5. Line a bowl or colander with a clean, smooth kitchen towel and dust generously with flour. With the help of your dough or bench scraper, carefully pick up the dough ball and flip it over, setting it smooth side down in the towel.

6. Cover and rise at room temperature for 30 minutes. After the 30-minute rise, place the loaf in the refrigerator while the oven preheats. Place a large cast-iron Dutch oven or large heavy-duty oven-safe pot with the lid on in the oven and preheat the oven to 500F for 1 hour.

7. When ready to bake, uncover and lightly flour the loaf. Place a piece of parchment paper on top of the bowl and a baking sheet over that. Invert the dough, and remove the bowl and towel. Using a sharp knife, make a shallow cut down the length of the loaf or cut in a decorative design.

8. Carefully remove the pot from the oven. Using the parchment paper as handles, place the loaf along with the parchment paper inside the pot and cover with the lid.

9. Bake the sourdough bread dough for 20 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 450F.

10. Carefully remove the lid and continue baking until the crust is a deep golden brown, or the internal temperature is 195F to 205F, about 20 minutes more. Use the parchment and a spatula to lift the sourdough bread out of the pot and place the loaf on a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

Adjusting Dough Hydration at High Altitude

Flour is usually drier at high elevation2, and I can attest to that. But this isn’t always the case, and like I always say: adjust the dough hydration to suit the flour you have on hand. Dough hydration is always relative to the flour used because flour is not a static ingredient; it’s ever-changing. We should always be ready to either hold back water or add more water as necessary.

Dough hydration is always relative to the flour used.

This is why in many recipes here at The Perfect Loaf, I call for water to be held back and added in thorough mixing. This way, we can be sure we’re not over-hydrating a bread dough and using just enough to bring the dough to the desired consistency.

How Humidity Affects Dough Hydration at High Altitude

Sometimes, but not always, humidity is tied to elevation. Humidity affects the amount of water your dough will ultimately handle. Here in New Mexico, we have a wide range of humidity levels, but generally, it’s low, around 20-30%. To compensate, I usually need to add additional water to my recipes.

The important thing is to be aware of this and adjust the hydration of your dough to compensate. I try to give extra cues (including photos) in my recipes to help you judge when your dough is hydrated just enough.

Let Your Dough Rest in Autolyse

Because the humidity at high elevations is typically lower, you might find it beneficial to allow your flour and water mixture to rest for a period before adding your preferment. Performing an autolyse, which is just mixing your flour and water and allowing it to rest, might be beneficial when you bake sourdough bread at a high altitude, even if it’s a short 15-20 minute rest.

With sourdough bread and its requisite lengthy fermentation time, usually, we don’t have to worry about fully hydrating the flour in a recipe—it happens without any autolyse. This rest period might benefit baked goods with a short preparation timeline (like cookies). A short autolyse is always an option when you bake sourdough bread at a high altitude.

Flour

I used commonly available supermarket flour for this recipe: Bob’s Red Mill Artisan Bread Flour, Bob’s Red Mill Whole Wheat Flour, and Bob’s Red Mill or Arrowhead Dark Rye Flour. These are great flour choices, but any of King Arthur’s offerings are equally suitable. I chose “bread flour” as it has a higher protein percentage compared to all-purpose flour, which helps bring significant strength to the dough so that less mixing and kneading is required–it also makes things a bit easier for your first loaf of bread3.

Pro Tips for Making This Recipe

• Active starter: I recommend feeding your starter several hours before you want to start your sourdough loaf. You can use a refrigerated starter that has been fed and then chilled within 3 to 4 days of being fed. Otherwise, feed your starter, then look for it to rise, then start to fall. You want to use it when it’s “hungry,” which is when the starter rises up and deflates again.
• Bulk Rise Time: The colder the environment, the longer it will take to rise, and vice versa. In the summer, I leave it on the counter. In the winter, I’ll place it in a proofing drawer or the oven with the light on. You can also choose your environment based on when you want to bake the bread. If you made the dough in the morning and want to bake it in the evening, put it in a warm spot to rise. Pop it in the fridge if you want to slow down the process and bake it a day or two later.
• Weighing the ingredients is the best and most accurate way to make a great loaf. It ensures the ratio of flour to water to starter is correct for the ideal ferment. Of course, you can still make this recipe without a scale, but if you have one, I highly encourage you to use it. Plus, there are no measuring cups to clean!
• I suggest you keep notes when making this sourdough bread recipe. Trying to keep track of all the steps if you are going off from memory can be a little overwhelming. Also, I suggest keeping notes, as the time it takes for your dough to rise depends on the temperature of your kitchen. Keeping a record of the temperature and time it took for the dough to rise will help you perfect the timing of your sourdough loaf over time. You can also keep track of how many stretches and folds your boule prefers so that you can reference it later on.
• Instead of kneading the dough, sourdough requires you to stretch and fold the dough. This process strengthens the dough without overworking it and will add height and structure to the loaf. Be patient, and don’t skip the stretch and fold process.
• Scoring the dough before baking your sourdough bread helps control how the bread expands in the oven. Don’t press down on the dough as you score it, as you’ll deflate it. Make sure you score the dough right before you bake it. If you score it and leave it out, the loaf might deflate. If you skip scoring the bread, the sourdough bread will burst open in unexpected areas as the dough expands while baking.

What’s Next?

I hope this guide on baking sourdough bread at high altitude helps you modify recipes to work in your high-altitude kitchen. The recommendations here are general guidelines, so be sure to test them!

One last important point: be sure to store your bread properly when living at a high altitude in a dry climate to ensure it doesn’t dry out quickly. Although honestly, even if you live at sea level, storing your bread properly is important to extend its freshness.

How to Adjust Baking Time for High Altitude

Related to the section above regarding baking temperature, I usually need to change the baking time when I bake sourdough bread here at a high altitude. As I said above, I either change the total bake time (increased) or the baking temperature (increased)—not both.

It takes bread (and other food) longer to reach a higher internal temperature at high altitudes. For a standard free-form loaf, on average, I need to bake 10 minutes longer, depending on the style of bread and recipe. Loaves with higher hydration always require a longer bake time, whether a whole wheat loaf or a white loaf.

How Can I Tell When Bread is Done Baking at High Altitude?

For a free-form loaf, I indicate the internal temperature should be near 200-205°F (93-96°C). However, when baking bread at high altitudes, I’ve found that sometimes no matter how long I bake my bread, it never reaches that temperature. Look for a crust that is well-colored and crispy all around. The loaf should be lighter; a knock to the bottom sounds hollow.

The best way to determine when your loaf is fully baked through is to use a combination of sensorial and measured inputs:

• Depending on the bread type, the internal temperature should be near 200-205°F (93-96°C), depending on the style of bread1
• The crust should be deeply colored throughout
• A gentle squeeze should have a satisfying crunch
• There should be no pale-colored areas on the crust
• The loaf should feel light in hand, indicating sufficient water has baked away

What Size Loaf Tin To Use for Sourdough Bread?

The large loaf photographed in this recipe is a double batch of dough baked in a Farmhouse Loaf Pan measuring 24cm x 16cm x 12cm or 9.5″ x 6″ x 4.7″. This pan was purchased here, but you can find a similar size here and here.

For a single batch of dough I recommend a loaf pan measuring 22cm x 10cm x 11cm or 8.5″ x 4″ x 4.25″ (this is the size of the pan used to make the loaf photographed below).

You can easily double or even triple the recipe for this loaf pan sourdough by using the buttons on the recipe card.

You can bake this simple sourdough recipe in either a metal or glass loaf pan. I prefer metal, however use whatever you have on hand.

This loaf of sourdough bread was made using a single batch of dough and baked in a loaf tin measuring 22cm x 10cm x 11cm or 8.5″ x 4″ x 4.25″.

Can I use all-purpose flour? What about whole wheat flour?

For best results, use bread flour for this bread dough. All-purpose and whole wheat flour absorb water differently than bread flour, and you’ll have to adjust the hydration level. I highly recommend sticking with bread flour as this recipe was developed with bread flour.

How do I store sourdough?

Store the sourdough bread at room temperature in a bread bag or wrapped in a kitchen towel for up to 3 days. I would avoid storing the bread in the fridge as it can dry out.

Can I freeze sourdough?

Sourdough freezes wonderfully! You can freeze an entire loaf or slices. Once the bread is at room temperature, wrap the loaf or slices tightly in plastic and transfer to a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature when ready to enjoy.

Can I add add-ins?

You can! Some add-ins I like are sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pepitas, and shredded cheese. I would not add more than 1 cup. Add them after the first round of folds, working the mix-ins in until mostly distributed. They will continue mixing in during the remaining folds and shaping. Fresh or dried herbs are a great addition as well. Add a teaspoon or two to the flour mixture at the start of the recipe.

Why is my loaf gummy?

There are a few things to consider if you have a gummy loaf of bread. If the starter is not mature enough, there is not enough yeast and bacteria to proof the dough and maintain the crumb structure as it bakes. Underproofing the dough will lead to gummy, dense sourdough bread with big holes, so you need to be patient and give the dough enough time to proof. Proofing time varies based on the temperature of your kitchen, so do not rely solely on a timer to ensure the dough is ready. If you didn’t underproof the loaf, then you might have cut into the loaf too early. Allow the sourdough bread to cool fully before cutting it open.

Why is my bread so sour?

If your starter was under-fed, it could lead to the sourdough bread tasting more sour due to a build-up of lactic acid. To ensure your bread doesn’t taste too sour, consistently feed the starter before using it.

If you’ve tried this Sourdough Bread recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!

This easy sourdough bread recipe makes an amazing loaf with that characteristic texture and flavor you love.

• Collander or shallow bowl
• Sharp knife or bread lame

• warm filtered water (90F) (1⅓ cups)
• (See Notes) (½ cup)
• (4 cups plus 2 tablespoons)
• fine sea salt

Make the Dough

• Fill a bowl or measuring cup with several inches of cold water. Uncover your dough.
• With the dough bowl directly in front of you, dip your fingers into the water, and then slide them under one edge of the dough down to the bottom of the bowl. (I like to pull at the top or 12 o’clock.) Pull that section of dough up, stretch it over the center, and press it down into the dough to help hold it in place. Turn the bowl 90*, or a quarter turn, and repeat 3 more times until you’ve made 4 folds and turns.
• Recover the bowl and rest for another 20 minutes. Repeat the stretch and fold process again. At this point, you can repeat the stretch and fold sequence two more times or you can move on to the rise. (Continuing to stretch and fold will develop a stronger gluten structure resulting in a chewier loaf. The flavor and texture will be great either way, it’s up to your preference and time!)

Bulk Rise

• After the final stretch and fold, shape your dough into a ball. If your bowl is crusted with flour, scrape it clean or transfer your dough to another bowl. Cover and let the dough rise until well puffed, 6 to 12 hours, ideally in a place that is 68F to 75F. (See notes.)
• To test if the dough has risen enough, dip your finger in flour and poke the top of the dough. If it mostly springs back, it’s ready! If it holds the indentation without any movement or feels very dense, continue letting it proof and test it every hour. If it looks deflated or very soft, it is likely over-proofed. I’d still continue and bake it! It may bake up flatter but should still taste great.

Fold and Shape

• Fold: Sprinkle the top of the dough lightly with flour, and flip it over so the floured side is down. Pinch all of the edges into the center, like you are bundling up a sack.
• Shape: Flip the dough over so the seams are on the counter. With your hands cupped around the top of the load, gently pull the dough ball towards you, tightening the shape. Continue this motion by rotating the dough so that the edges are tightened all around and it forms a nice ball. Lightly dust with flour.
• Line a bowl or colander with a clean smooth kitchen towel and dust generously with flour. With the help of your dough or bench scraper, carefully pick up the dough ball and flip it over, setting it smooth side down in the towel. Cover and rise at room temperature for 30 minutes. (You can also place the dough in a large plastic bag and seal it, then refrigerate for up to 36 hours. The cold slows the rise and ages the yeast, resulting in a more sour, deeper flavored loaf.)
• After the 30-minute rise, place the loaf in the refrigerator while the oven preheats (at least 1 hour).

• When ready to bake, remove the loaf from the fridge. Uncover and lightly flour the loaf. Place a piece of parchment paper on top of the bowl and a baking sheet over that. Invert so that the dough falls onto the paper. Remove the bowl and towel.
• Using a sharp knife or razor blade, make a shallow cut down the length of the loaf or cut in a decorative design.
• Carefully remove the pot from the oven. Using the parchment paper as handles, place the loaf inside the pot and cover with the lid. (If the parchment is hanging out of the pot, just firmly press the lid down to seal it.)
• Bake for 20 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 450F.

• Active starter: I recommend feeding your starter several hours before you want to start your sourdough loaf. You can use a refrigerated starter that has been fed and then chilled within 3 to 4 days of being fed. Otherwise, feed your starter, then look for it to rise, then start to fall. You want to use it when it’s “hungry,” which is when the starter rises up and deflates again.
• Bulk Rise Time: The colder the environment, the longer it will take to rise, and vice versa. In the summer, I leave it on the counter. In the winter, I’ll place it in a proofing drawer or the oven with the light on. You can also choose your environment based on when you want to bake the bread. If you made the dough in the morning and want to bake it in the evening, put it in a warm spot to rise. Pop it in the fridge if you want to slow down the process and bake it a day or two later.
• Weighing the ingredients is the best and most accurate way to make a great loaf. It ensures the ratio of flour to water to starter is correct for the ideal ferment. Of course, you can still make this recipe without a scale, but if you have one, I highly encourage you to use it. Plus, there are no measuring cups to clean!
• I suggest you keep notes when making this sourdough bread recipe. Trying to keep track of all the steps if you are going off from memory can be a little overwhelming. Also, I suggest keeping notes, as the time it takes for your dough to rise depends on the temperature of your kitchen. Keeping a record of the temperature and time it took for the dough to rise will help you perfect the timing of your sourdough loaf over time. You can also keep track of how many stretches and folds your boule prefers so that you can reference it later on.
• Instead of kneading the dough, sourdough requires you to stretch and fold the dough. This process strengthens the dough without overworking it and will add height and structure to the loaf. Be patient, and don’t skip the stretch and fold process.
• Scoring the dough before baking helps control how the bread expands in the oven. Don’t press down on the dough as you score it, as you’ll deflate it. Make sure you score the dough right before you bake it. If you score it and leave it out, the loaf might deflate. If you skip scoring the bread, the bread will burst open in unexpected areas as the dough expands while baking.

Equipment

Dutch oven sourdough bread doesn’t require a ton of kitchen equipment, either. Here’s what I suggest you use:

Mixing and Folding the Sourdough Dough

Step 1: Make Levain. Mix active starter and water together before adding bread flour and mix until homogenous approximately 12 hours before you start the process of making your sourdough loaf. Place in a covered container at room temperature.

Step 2: Autolyse. Mix your levain and warm water together until combined in a large bowl. Then mix in the bread flour until little to no clumps remain with a spatula, wooden spoon or your hands and cover with a tea towel, plastic wrap or damp kitchen towel for 45 minutes.

Step 3: Add Salt. Add 2 teaspoons of kosher salt to your dough and mix with a spatula or your hands until the salt granules have dissolved completely into the dough. Place in a bowl greased with one tablespoon of olive oil, cover, and set aside to rest for another 45 minutes.

Step 4: Folding The Dough. Gently stretch the dough in an upwards motion before placing back onto itself – do this four times every 30 minutes rotating around the dough as you do so. Repeat for a total of 4 times over 2 hours. Once you’ve folded the dough 4 separate times, let the dough rest for 45 minutes before continuing.

Step 5: Pre-Shape. Shape the bread into a boule or circle by turning it out onto a work surface or wooden cutting board greased with a touch of olive oil. Gently stretch 6 sides of the dough into the center to create a circular shape. Then, place dough upside down and drag the dough gently while creating friction towards yourself about ten times. Allow the dough to rest, covered by a towel for 30 minutes before continuing.

Scoring and Baking your Sourdough Loaf

Step 7: Preheat. The next day or next morning, preheat the oven to 450 degrees with your dutch oven placed inside while preheating – turn on your timer for 45 minutes. After turning on your oven, remove your sourdough from the fridge.

Step 8: Score. Grab a piece of parchment paper larger than the diameter of the dough and flip the cold dough onto the parchment paper. Using a lame, razor blade sharp knife or kitchen shears, score the top of the loaf from top to bottom.

Step 9: Bake. Once your 45-minute timer has gone off, place the loaf into your preheated Dutch oven. Bake for about 25 minutes or until you start to see a hint of browning on the edges and top of your loaf. Once you see the top start to brown, you can remove the dutch oven lid completely. Bake for an additional 20 minutes or until the loaf of bread is a rich, dark golden brown with a crispy crust.

PRO TIP: Be careful not to burn yourself or drop in your sourdough! The parchment paper is your friend here – use the parchment paper as grips to gently lower the loaf into the dutch oven and place the lid on top.

Step 10: Remove Loaf & Cool. Remove the dutch oven from the oven and carefully remove the sourdough from within – I usually use a small spatula to coax one side of the bread from the bottom of the dutch oven, allowing me to remove the hot sourdough loaf and place it on a cooling rack for a minimum of 1 hour.

Do I need to cover my loaf pan sourdough bread when baking it?

No you don’t need to cover your loaf pan sourdough bread, you can bake it uncovered in your oven at 200C/392F for 45 minutes. A spritz of water before you place it into the oven is a good idea and provides a little steam but it’s not essential. You can place a loaf pan of the same size as you’re using to hold your dough on the top to create a mini Dutch Oven, but it’s definitely not essential.

Why does my sourdough tear at the sides when I bake it in a loaf pan?

If your sourdough bread tears at the sides of your sandwich loaf it generally indicates that your loaf is under fermented and or under proofed. Extend out the rise time and make sure that your dough is nice a puffy before you bake it.

Can I shape sourdough into smaller balls of dough and place them into a loaf pan?

Absolutely. Shaping your sourdough into 2 or 3 smaller balls and placing them side by side in a loaf pan makes a lovely shaped bread that can be torn or sliced into smaller loaves for freezing or sharing. Using this method of shaping with smaller balls of dough also makes the dough easier to handle than one big batch.

Can you bake sourdough in a cake pan?

You could bake sourdough bread in a cake pan if you don’t have a bread tin available. Cake loaf pans are generally smaller than bread pans so you will need to adjust your dough to suit this.

This sourdough bread baked in a loaf pan is the perfect size for toast and sandwiches. You can choose to bake it with a domed top or slashed like a rustic loaf.

• Weigh out your sourdough starter and water into a large mixing bowl and mix together briefly.
• Now add your flour and salt and mix whole lot together to form a dry dough.
• Cover your bowl with cling film or a damp tea towel and let it sit for around 1 hour. This process is called the “autolyse” and allows your flour to soak in all the water and become hydrated. You can see how the dough has changed in this photo.

• Bring the dough together into a ball. Pull the edges of the dough into the centre until it’s smoother and more formed.You’ll notice that the dough is fully hydrated after soaking all the water up. It will be fairly sticky but as you bring it into a ball, it will become smoother and shinier.
• Once the dough has formed into a smooth ball, pop the cling film back on and let it rest for 30 minutes.

STRETCH & FOLD PHASE (STRENGTHENING PHASE)

Sourdough Bread, Sourdough Recipes

Ingredients & Substitutions

It’s kind of shocking how few ingredients there are in sourdough bread. Here’s what you’ll need to gather:

Head on over to my Ultimate Primer On Making Sourdough Starter to make your own!

• Water – If possible, use filtered water. Your sourdough will end up tasting better for it!
• Bread Flour – While you technically can swap in all-purpose flour here, I prefer using higher-protein bread flour for most of my homemade bread recipes. More protein = more gluten, which means you’ll get a better structure.
• Salt – I use regular kosher salt for basically everything in the kitchen, but sea salt will also do. If possible, avoid using iodized table salt as it leaves behind a bitter taste.
• Olive Oil – This is just for greasing the bowl, so don’t bust out your bottle of expensive cold-pressed finishing oil until after the bread is baked and ready for dipping.
• Rice Flour – You’ll want rice flour for dusting your banneton because it is gluten-free, unlike your sourdough. Other flours like AP or bread flour will absorb moisture from the dough, which can cause it to stick to the proofing basket. Rice flour will not.  If you don’t have rice flour on hand, be super heavy-handed with your AP or bread flour to create enough of a barrier.

Benefits of Baking Sourdough In A Loaf Pan

The main benefits of baking sourdough in a loaf pan are:

• shaping technique isn’t as important
• can bake at lower temperatures
• gives you a softer crust
• perfect shape for sandwiches and toast
• no need for heavy Dutch Oven
• better for over fermented dough as the loaf tin supports the dough
• easier to cut than a boule or batard

Let’s look at the benefits of baking sourdough in a loaf pan in more detail.

Shaping Technique Isn’t As Important

When baking sourdough bread, the shaping technique you use can affect the oven spring of the loaf and of course the overall look of the loaf once it’s baked.

Using a loaf pan to bake sourdough bread means that the shaping technique becomes less important as the dough will take on the shape of the pan during proofing.

As you aren’t removing it from the loaf pan to bake, the dough is also supported during baking, meaning it often rises higher and gives you better oven spring overall.

You can see in this photo that the dough isn’t perfectly shaped, however it doesn’t matter as the loaf pan will support the dough through proofing and baking.

Bake Sourdough At Lower Temperatures

Using a loaf pan means that you can bake your sourdough at lower temperatures, since it is not having any time covered in a Dutch Oven or baking pot.

When baking traditional sourdough bread, you steam the loaf in a piping hot Dutch Oven, generally baking above 230C/446F. When using a loaf pan, the dough is uncovered for the whole bake so you need to lower the temperature to prevent the crust burning or becoming to hard and tough. I recommend 200C/392F for the whole bake, rather than a higher temp first and then dropping down.

Using a lower temperature can be a benefit, particularly if your oven doesn’t reach super high temperatures or you’re baking sourdough during the summer months.

Softer Crust Sourdough Sandwich Bread

Baking sourdough in a loaf pan will give you a softer outside crust, particularly around the sides and base of the loaf.

Before putting the sourdough bread dough into the loaf pan, you generally butter the pan. The butter helps to soften the loaf during baking time.

If you prefer a softer top crust, you can also brush this with butter when it comes out of the oven.

Perfect Shape for Sandwiches and Toast

If you love the flavor of sandwiches made from a batard or boule, you’re going to absolutely love the convenient shape of sourdough bread made in a loaf tin – it makes life so much easier! No more trying to jam that big slice into your little toaster!

Baking sourdough bread in a loaf pan makes the bread much easier to use for the perfect sandwich!

No Heavy Dutch Oven

If you have trouble lifting a Dutch Oven in and out of the oven, then using a loaf pan might be just the solution you’re looking for. Of course, if you like the idea of covering you sandwich loaf, you could place a loaf tin of the same size on the top of your dough to trap the steam in. This is a popular method to emulate the conditions of a Dutch Oven, but without the weight.

Better for Over Fermented Dough

Using a loaf pan to shape your sourdough bread into a sandwich loaf can also help to support the dough – both during proofing and baking.

If your dough is a little over fermented, using a loaf pan can help to support the dough and allow it to bake up better than it would if you used a banneton and then tipped it out to bake it, where the dough would be unsupported.

A loaf pan can be a good alternative to a banneton for proofing if you want to experiment with allowing your dough to proof more than you normally would as you bake it in the tin, you’re not tipping it out where it has to support itself.

Easier To Cut

If you’ve ever tried to cut through a crusty sourdough ear or an odd shaped loaf, you’ll know that it can be quite a challenge – even with the best bread knife for sourdough bread!

Sourdough baked in a loaf tin can be much easier to cut because the crust is softer and the shape is easier to hold. A loaf pan sourdough also fits into a slicing guide much easier than a boule or batard.

How Do You Adjust Baking Time for Sourdough In Loaf Pan?

It’s fairly simple to adjust the timing for baking sourdough in a loaf pan. Unlike using a Dutch Oven to bake sourdough bread, using a loaf pan means that the loaf is uncovered for the entire time it is in the oven.

This means that you need to reduce the temperature to ensure that the top of the loaf doesn’t burn. As a basic rule, I bake sourdough bread in a loaf pan for around 45 minutes at 200C/392F or until the crust is baked to my liking.

As you experiment more with baking sourdough in a loaf pan, you’ll find a time that works for your perfect loaf.

Finally, now that you have your sourdough starter bubbling away on your counter check out my sourdough starter discard recipes for ideas on how to use leftovers!

Do You Score Sourdough Sandwich Bread?

If you are baking sourdough bread in a loaf pan, you can choose to bake it as a rounded loaf, with no score or you can score it so that it forms one or even two sourdough ears. The choice is really yours.

If you prefer a domed top to your loaves, you can leave it un scored and allow it to ballon up. The only problem with this is that if your loaf is under fermented, it may naturally tear open while it bakes.

I prefer to score the loaf down the centre and allow it to form an ear. This gives the sourdough in a loaf pan a more rustic look and feel.