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!
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!