This Easy Sourdough Recipe for Beginners is your guide to make your first sourdough. A recipe from the class I joined, and it works every time.

If you’ve always wanted to make homemade sourdough bread but felt intimidated by feeding a starter, stretch and folds, fermentation, and shaping, this easy sourdough recipe is a great place to start.

This beginner-friendly sourdough bread has a beautifully crisp crust, a soft and chewy interior, and that delicious slightly tangy flavor that makes homemade sourdough so special.

The best part? You only need four ingredients: sourdough starter, flour, water, and salt.

Once you understand what to look for during fermentation, sourdough becomes much less complicated.

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Why You’ll Love This Sourdough Recipe for Beginners

Beginner-friendly — no complicated techniques required.
Only 4 ingredients
Crispy, golden crust
Soft and chewy crumb
Delicious naturally fermented flavor
Can be prepared overnight
No commercial yeast required
Perfect for sandwiches, toast, or eating warm with butter

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Ingredients You’ll Need

Sourdough Starter-You need 100 grams of active sourdough starter. Your starter should be bubbly, active, and able to rise after feeding. For the best results, use your starter when it is at or near its peak.
Bread Flour– I have been using bread flour for my sourdough as this was recommended in the class. Also, I like the outcome, too. Bread flour has a higher protein content than many all-purpose flours, which helps give sourdough its chewy structure.
Water– I recommend using room-temperature water and filtered water. If your kitchen is particularly warm, slightly cooler water can help slow fermentation.
Salt– I use the Iodized salt, and my bread turns out great all the time.Salt adds flavor and also helps strengthen the dough.

Easy Sourdough Recipe for Beginners

This beginner-friendly sourdough bread has a beautifully crisp crust, a soft and chewy interior, and that tangy flavor that makes homemade sourdough so special. The best part? You only need four ingredients!

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Author: Shobee

Ingredients

200 grams Active Starter
700 grams Distilled Water
1000 grams Bread Flour
24 grams Iodized Salt

Instructions

Prepare the Banneton

Flour the banneton generously. Put the cover on and flour it generously. Set it aside until ready to use.
Place the starter in a large bowl. Add the water and mix ensuring that the starter is incorporated and no lumps at all.
Add the flour. You can use your hand to do this. Mix until a huge clump of messy dough is produced. Make that the flour is completely mix with water. Dig beneath the bowl to ensure that all of the flour is incorporated.
Cover and let the dough sit for 10 minutes

Knead # 1 (Stretch and Fold)

After ten minutes, make dimples in the dough. Sprinkle the salt. Pull the edge of dough towards the middle, rotating the bowl. Do this 30 times. Cover and let the dough sit for 10 minutes.

Knead # 2 (Stretch and Fold)

After ten minutes, make dimples in the dough. Sprinkle the salt. Pull the edge of dough towards the middle, rotating the bowl. Do this 30 times. Cover and let the dough sit for 10 minutes.

Knead # 3 (Stretch and Fold)

After 10 minutes, pull the edge of dough about six inch high towards the middle, rotating the bowl. Do this 30 times. Cover and let the dough sit for 30 minutes.

Knead # 4 (Stretch and Fold)

Pull the edge of dough about six inch high towards the middle, rotating the bowl. Do this 6 times. Cover and let the dough sit for 30 minutes.

Knead # 5 (Stretch and Fold)

Pull the edge of dough about six inch high towards the middle, rotating the bowl. Do this 6 times. Cover and let the dough sit for 30 minutes.

Knead # 6 (Stretch and Fold)

Pull the edge of dough about six inch high towards the middle, rotating the bowl. Do this 6 times. Cover and let the dough sit for 30 minutes.

Shaping the Dough

After doing the Stretch and Fold, transfer the dough to a floured surface. Divide the dough into equal size by weighing it. Each shape should be about 700 grams.

Fermentation

Shape the dough by pulling it towards you to form a tension. Transfer it to the prepared banneton. Cover the dough with a cloth and let it ferment for 24 hours. I prefer to let it ferment for thirty-six hours since I like my sourdough tangier.

Preparing the Oven

After 24/ 36 hours, preheat the oven and your Dutch oven to 500 F. Five minutes before preheating is done, take thou dough out of the fridge and put a parchment paper on top. Flip the dough and sprinkle it generously with a flour. Score/ cut the dough on the middle side. Take the Dutch oven out and gently place the dough inside. Close the oven and lower the oven temperature to 450 F. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the Dutch oven cover and continue baking for another twenty minutes, or until the bread internal temperature is 205 F.
You just made your sourdough! Enjoy!

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Welcome!

Hi, my name is Shobee. Welcome to The Skinny Pot, where we cook Easy Recipes from the available ingredients from our pantry and fridge! We’re your go-to source for simple and delicious recipes that make the most of what you already have at home. Talk about the pantry challenge. Read more...