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How to bake simple sourdough: A beginner's guide
Sourdough baking has captured the hearts of home bakers everywhere, yet many hesitate to take the first step. The process can seem intimidating with its unfamiliar terminology and time commitments, but the truth is simpler than you might think. Making sourdough bread at home is an accessible skill that rewards patience more than expertise. With just four basic ingredients and an understanding of the natural fermentation process, you can learn the art of creating artisan-quality loaves in your own kitchen. This guide breaks down each step, showing beginners how to make sourdough—from mixing your first dough to pulling a golden, crusty loaf from the oven.
What do you need to make sourdough?
Making sourdough requires just four ingredients: flour, water, salt and an active sourdough starter. You'll also need basic equipment including a mixing bowl, kitchen scale, Dutch oven or baking vessel and a bowl for proofing.
The beauty of sourdough lies in its simplicity. Unlike many baking projects that demand specialized tools or hard-to-find ingredients, sourdough asks only for patience and a few essentials. The process transforms these humble ingredients through natural fermentation, relying on wild yeast and beneficial bacteria to create complex flavors and that distinctive tangy taste. While the ingredient list is short, understanding each component's role helps you troubleshoot and refine your technique as you gain experience.
Essential ingredients
Each ingredient in sourdough plays a specific role in developing flavor, structure and texture. Quality matters, but you don't need expensive specialty items to get started.
Flour: Bread flour is recommended for beginners because its higher protein content develops strong gluten networks, giving your loaf quality structure and rise. All-purpose flour also works, though the texture might be slightly denser.
Water: Filtered or room temperature tap water hydrates the flour and activates the gluten. Some bakers prefer filtered water if their tap water is heavily chlorinated, as chlorine can slow yeast activity.
Salt: Salt enhances flavor and strengthens gluten, but it also regulates fermentation speed. Adding it at the right time can prevent the dough from fermenting too quickly.
- Active sourdough starter: This is the natural leavening agent that makes sourdough possible. This mixture of flour and water contains wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria captured from your environment, creating the characteristic rise and tangy flavor.
Equipment you'll need
Having the right tools makes the sourdough process smoother, though you can adapt with items you likely already own.
Digital kitchen scale: Essential for accuracy in sourdough baking. Weight measurements are more precise than volume, which helps ensure consistent results every time you bake.
Large mixing bowl: Gives your dough room to expand during bulk fermentation. Glass or ceramic bowls work well because they don't react with the acidic dough.
Bench scraper or dough scraper: Helps you handle sticky dough without adding excess flour, making shaping and dividing easier.
Banneton or proofing basket: Supports the dough's shape during the final proof. If you don't have one, a bowl lined with a well-floured kitchen towel works as well.
Dutch oven or covered baking vessel: Traps steam during the first part of baking, creating the environment needed for maximum spring and a crispy, crackly crust.
- Sharp blade or bread lame: Allows you to score the dough before baking, controlling how and where the loaf expands in the oven.
Simple sourdough steps: from starter to loaf
The sourdough process follows a natural rhythm that you'll learn to recognize with practice. These steps break down the journey from preparing your starter to pulling a finished loaf from the oven. Remember the golden rule of sourdough: watch the dough, not the clock.[1] Kitchen temperature dramatically affects timing, so use visual and tactile cues to guide your decisions rather than strictly following time estimates.
1. Feed your starter
An active, bubbly starter is essential for a good rise. Feed your starter 4-8 hours before mixing your dough, allowing it to reach peak activity. You'll know it's ready when it has doubled in size and shows bubbles throughout its surface and interior. The starter should dome on top rather than collapse, indicating it's at its most vigorous fermentation stage. This timing gives you the strongest leavening power, giving you a lighter crumb in your finished bread.
2. Mix the dough
Combine your flour, water, active starter and salt in a large bowl. Mix until no dry flour remains—the dough will look shaggy and rough, which is completely normal at this stage. This initial mixing begins the gluten development process that will continue throughout bulk fermentation. Don't worry if the dough seems messy or unstructured. The stretching and folding steps that come later will transform this rough mixture into a smooth, elastic dough with the strength to trap gas and rise beautifully.
3. Autolyse (optional rest)
Let the flour and water rest for 30 minutes to one hour before adding starter and salt. This rest period, known as the autolyse technique,” allows the flour to fully hydrate and begins gluten development naturally, making the dough easier to work with and requiring less kneading. During autolyse, enzymes in the flour break down proteins and starches, creating dough that stretches smoothly without tearing. Many bakers find this optional step worth the extra time because it often produces dough with great texture and makes subsequent steps less labor-intensive.
4. Bulk fermentation, stretch and folds
Bulk fermentation is the first rise, typically lasting 3-5 hours depending on your kitchen temperature. During the first 2 hours, perform 3-4 sets of stretches and folds every 30-45 minutes to build dough strength. These gentle turns redistribute the yeast and develop the gluten network without aggressive kneading.
To perform a stretch and fold, wet your hands, grab one side of the dough, stretch it upward and fold it over itself. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat until you've worked all four sides. The dough should increase 50-75% in volume and show bubbles on the surface and throughout the interior, indicating active fermentation and proper gas development.
5. Shape your loaf
Shaping creates surface tension that helps your loaf hold its structure and rise upward rather than spreading outward. Gently turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and pre-shape it into a round. Let it rest for 20-30 minutes, allowing the gluten to relax. This bench rest makes the final shaping easier and less likely to tear the dough.
For the final shaping, create surface tension by pulling the edges toward the center, then flip the dough seam-side down and use your hands to drag it across the counter in small circles. This tightens the outer skin. Finally, flip it seam-side up and place it in a well-floured banneton or bowl lined with a towel.
6. Proof the dough
There are two ways you can proof your dough. If you want to wait a bit before baking, try cold-proofing your shaped dough in the refrigerator for 8-24 hours or longer. This slow, cold fermentation develops deeper, more complex flavors and makes the dough easier to score because the cold firms up the exterior. The extended time also allows you to bake on your schedule rather than being tied to the dough's timeline.
Alternatively, you can proof at room temperature or in a proofing oven for 1-2 hours if you plan to bake the same day, though the flavor may not be as developed. Test for readiness using the poke test: gently press the dough with a floured finger—if the indentation springs back slowly but not completely, it's ready to bake.
Select KitchenAid® ranges such as this model feature Proof Mode, which is designed to maintain a low temperature and provides ideal conditions to properly activate yeast, allowing your baked goods to rise.
Note: Roughly an hour before you want to start baking, preheat your oven to 450-500°F with your Dutch oven inside. A fully heated Dutch oven creates immediate intense heat and steam when the dough goes in so you’ll want to have it already heated up.
7. Score the dough
Making shallow cuts on the dough’s surface is called “scoring.” This step is more than just an aesthetic choice; it creates controlled weak points where steam can escape, directing the loaf's expansion.
Turn your dough onto parchment paper, score it with swift, confident cuts using a sharp blade, or “lame,” held at a 30-45 degree angle. This specific angle encourages the dough to peel back as it grows, creating a dramatic, raised crust edge that artisan bakers call an "ear."
Tip:
Cold dough is significantly firmer and easier to score than room-temperature dough. If you’ve proofed at room temperature, try popping the dough into the freezer for 15–20 minutes just before scoring. This chills the "skin" of the dough, making it feel more like cutting through a soft fruit than a sticky paste.
8. Bake
Carefully transfer your dough into the hot Dutch oven with the score marks facing up. Bake covered for 20 minutes to trap steam, creating the conditions for maximum rise, known as “oven spring”.
Remove the lid and continue baking uncovered for 20-25 minutes until the crust reaches a deep golden brown. The internal temperature should reach 205-210°F, indicating a fully baked loaf with proper crumb structure. Allow the bread to cool for at least an hour before slicing or serving.
Understanding oven settings and symbols helps you achieve optimal baking conditions. For bakers invested in perfecting their craft, learning how to use a Dutch oven effectively helps create the steam environment essential for developing that crackling, caramelized crust.
Tips for sourdough success
These tips address common beginner mistakes and help you develop the intuition needed to become a confident sourdough baker. Understanding these key principles transforms sourdough from a mysterious process into a predictable, rewarding practice.
Temperature matters more than time
Sourdough timing varies dramatically based on kitchen temperature. A dough fermenting at 78°F might complete bulk fermentation in 3 hours, while the same dough at 63°F could need 6 hours or more. Warmer environments speed fermentation as yeast and bacteria become more active, while cooler temperatures slow everything down.
Rather than strictly following clock times, watch for visual cues: the dough should increase 50-75% in volume, show bubbles on the surface and throughout the interior, and jiggle slightly when you shake the bowl. The dough should feel alive and aerated, not dense or heavy. Learning to read these signs develops your baker's intuition and ensures success regardless of your kitchen's ambient temperature. Understanding how ovens work can help you utilize all your available settings throughout the baking process.
How to know when your starter is ready
An active starter shows clear signs of readiness. These signs may include dough that:
Has doubled in size from its feeding
Is covered with bubbles on top and throughout
Is domed on top rather than collapsed or flat
Passes the float test (a small spoonful floats in water)
These visual cues can indicate peak fermentation activity, when the yeast population is at its strongest and most capable of leavening bread. Using a starter before or after this peak reduces its leavening power, resulting in denser bread with less rise. The float test works because an active starter is filled with tiny gas bubbles that provide buoyancy. If the starter sinks immediately, it needs more time to ferment. Just as important as knowing when bread is done baking, recognizing your starter's readiness helps ensure consistent results.
Don't skip the cool down
After baking, sourdough bread should cool for at least an hour before slicing. This waiting period feels eternal when you're eager to taste your creation, but it's essential for the bread's final texture. During cooling, the interior crumb continues to set and firm up. Cutting too soon releases steam prematurely, resulting in a gummy, dense texture that never fully develops the tender, open crumb you worked so hard to achieve. The crust also softens slightly as it cools, creating the perfect balance between crackling exterior and tender interior. Patience at this final step helps ensure the optimal texture and allows you to fully appreciate the complex flavors that develop as the bread rests.
Sourdough FAQs
These are some of the most common questions beginners have about the sourdough process. Understanding these answers helps demystify the practice and sets realistic expectations.
Is making sourdough hard?
Making sourdough is not necessarily hard, but it does require patience. The actual hands-on time is minimal—about 20-30 minutes total spread across two days. Most of the "work" is waiting while the dough ferments naturally.
The perceived difficulty comes from the unfamiliar terminology and the extended timeline, not from complex techniques. Each individual step—mixing, stretching, shaping—is simple and requires no special skills. The challenge lies in developing the patience to let fermentation happen at its own pace and learning to read the dough's signals rather than relying solely on clock times. Once you complete your first loaf, the process often becomes far less intimidating, as sourdough baking tends to reward observation and patience more than technical expertise.
How long does the sourdough process take?
The complete sourdough process, using the cold proof, can take 24-48 hours from mixing to baking, though active hands-on time is only about 30 minutes. Most of the time is passive fermentation and proofing.
This extended timeline might seem daunting at first, but it actually offers flexibility. You can mix the dough in the evening, perform stretches and folds before bed, shape the loaf the next morning, and bake the following day. The long cold proof in the refrigerator means you can hold the dough for an extra day or two if your schedule shifts, making sourdough surprisingly adaptable to busy lives. The slow fermentation also develops deeper, more complex flavors that you simply can't rush. Understanding this timeline helps you plan ahead and integrate sourdough baking into your routine without feeling pressured.
Do I need a sourdough kit to get started?
A sourdough kit isn't necessary but can be helpful for beginners. The essentials are a kitchen scale, mixing bowl, Dutch oven and proofing basket. Many home bakers start with items they already have.
Sourdough kits typically bundle these basics together with a starter or instructions for creating one, which can be convenient. However, you likely already own most of what you need. A large bowl, clean kitchen towels, and a cast-iron Dutch oven can get you started. The one investment worth making early is a digital kitchen scale, as weight measurements are far more accurate than volume for consistent results. As you gain experience, you might choose to add specialized tools like a banneton, bench scraper or bread lame, but these aren't required for your first successful loaf.
Can I make sourdough without a dutch oven?
You can bake sourdough on a baking stone or sheet pan with a separate pan of water for steam. A Dutch oven traps steam naturally, producing the optimal crust and rise for beginners.
Without a Dutch oven, you need to create steam another way because steam is essential for maximum oven spring and crust development.
Some bakers place a metal pan filled with water on the oven's bottom rack. A Dutch oven simplifies the process by automatically trapping the steam released by the dough itself, creating the ideal baking environment with no extra steps. For beginners, a Dutch oven significantly increases your chances of success, making it one of the most worthwhile investments in your sourdough journey.
