This guide is intended to give you the basic steps to make two loaves of sourdough bread. What I love about this recipe/process is that it is not sour, it’s has the air pockets –which makes it fluffy and soft. Ready for it? I would say the best ingredient is your confidence and perseverance! Really, not giving up in the middle of the process, and still have the courage to try again, it’s my best advice. Remember, progress is a win already!
Simple ingredients
Sourdough starter
Unbleached bread flour
Water
Kosher salt
Sourdough bread (Step by Step) in 24 hours
- 9-10 pm, , discard about half of your starter and feed it by adding 1:1 ratio water and flour, mix in the bottle using a wooden spoon. Put the lid back but don’t close tight. Leave it at room temperature for about 9-10 hours. You will see the starter has double in size, sometimes you can see a little dome.
- 7-8 am, now is the time to prepare the dough, your starter is ready and you don’t want to deflate before we use it. In a big bowl add starter, water and stir until water looks white and starter is dissolved –I use a manual dough hook for this step. Next, add flour, and mix with the same hook and form a rough dough.
- There three folds I do in the span of one hour. Using your hands start the first fold, let it in the same bowl to do this. Then let the dough cover with a lid, the reason is that you don’t want the upper layer of the dough dry up. After 30 minutes, repeat the folding, and cover, and after another 30 minutes, do the same and cover. See video on my IG for reference of the folding. Let it at room temperature for 7-8 hours.
- 4-5 pm, at this point you will see the dough has double in size. It is now time to split the dough and form the loaves for a second proof. Place the dough in a floured surface and cut it in half. You can use a bread scraper or a knife.
- Have two bowls ready with a little bit of rice flour sprinkled in them. Shape the loaves just to make a ball, no knead necessary. Place each loaf facing down in each of the bowls. The bottom of the loaves are now facing up and you need to use your finger to pinch them to close them. Cover the bowls with plastic wrap and place them in the fridge for the second proof. Let them there for about 4-5 hours, you will see they almost double in size.
- 9-10 pm, preheat oven with the Dutch ovens inside the oven to 450 F. It is really hot, so be cautious when the oven is ready and you need to put the loaves inside.
- Meanwhile, cut two pieces of parchment paper you will use to place the loaves in the Dutch ovens. Place each loaf in each piece of paper and score your loaves using a scoring tool, or a sharp knife. If you do not score, it it probably that they will have a natural opening after they are cooked. Add your creativity here. They have to be deep, big cuts.
- Once the oven is ready, take out one Dutch oven at a time. Grab the parchment paper with the bread in it and place it inside the hot Dutch oven, place the lid back and put it back in the oven. Repeat the process with the second loaf. You will cook with the lid on for 27 minutes.
- After that time, take the lid out, and continue to bake for 7 minutes.
- Once they are done, take them out of the Dutch ovens, and cool them in a rack. This prevents them from having a hard shell at the bottom. Enjoy warm!
How to serve
I use sourdough for everything, sandwiches, plain, to pair with soups, to serve sloppy joes, you name it, open sandwiches, toasts with butter and Nutella, you name it. Also, my kids love peanut butter and honey sandwiches!
How to store
Use within two days at room temperature. I cut slices and freeze. It keeps its consistency and flavor! Up to three months I would say.
Special thanks to Emily –who gifted the starter! Also, Tarah for her recipe to make two loaves, Mary, for enlighten me about the cold second proof in the fridge, and finally a girl name Kankas, that was so nice to answer a message from a stranger and told me about the rice flour at the bottom of the second proof.
Simple Sourdough bread step by step with times
Ingredients
Instructions
- 9-10 pm, discard about half of your starter and feed it by adding 1:1 ratio water and flour, mix in the bottle using a wooden spoon. Put the lid back but don’t close tight. Leave it at room temperature for about 9-10 hours. You will see the starter has double in size, sometimes you can see a little dome.
- 7-8 am, now is the time to prepare the dough, your starter is ready and you don’t want to deflate before we use it. In a big bowl add starter, water and stir until water looks white and starter is dissolved –I use a manual dough hook for this step. Next, add flour, and mix with the same hook and form a rough dough.
- There three folds I do in the span of one hour. Using your hands start the first fold, let it in the same bowl to do this. Then let the dough cover with a lid, the reason is that you don’t want the upper layer of the dough dry up. After 30 minutes, repeat the folding, and cover, and after another 30 minutes, do the same and cover. See video on my IG for reference of the folding. Let it at room temperature for 7-8 hours.
- 4-5 pm, at this point you will see the dough has double in size. It is now time to split the dough and form the loaves for a second proof. Place the dough in a floured surface and cut it in half. You can use a bread scraper or a knife.
- Have two bowls ready with a little bit of rice flour sprinkled in them. Shape the loaves just to make a ball, no knead necessary. Place each loaf facing down in each of the bowls. The bottom of the loaves are now facing up and you need to use your finger to pinch them to close them. Cover the bowls with plastic wrap and place them in the fridge for the second proof. Let them there for about 4-5 hours, you will see they almost double in size.
- 9-10 pm, preheat oven with the Dutch ovens inside the oven to 450 F. It is really hot, so be cautious when the oven is ready and you need to put the loaves inside.
- Meanwhile, cut two pieces of parchment paper you will use to place the loaves in the Dutch ovens. Place each loaf in each piece of paper and score your loaves using a scoring tool, or a sharp knife. If you do not score, it it probably that they will have a natural opening after they are cooked. Add your creativity here. They have to be deep, big cuts.
- Once the oven is ready, take out one Dutch oven at a time. Grab the parchment paper with the bread in it and place it inside the hot Dutch oven, place the lid back and put it back in the oven. Repeat the process with the second loaf. You will cook with the lid on for 27 minutes.
- After that time, take the lid out, and continue to bake for 7 minutes.
- Once they are done, take them out of the Dutch ovens, and cool them in a rack. This prevents them from having a hard shell at the bottom. Enjoy warm!