Beginner Sourdough Bread
About this recipe
If you're diving into sourdough for the first time, this Beginner Sourdough Bread recipe is a fantastic choice. With just four simple ingredients—flour, water, salt, and sourdough starter—you can create a loaf that's crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.
In this video by Grant Bakes, you'll find a straightforward approach to making sourdough bread that demystifies the process. The step-by-step instructions ensure that even beginners can achieve a successful loaf.
Ingredient notes
- Use 25g of leftover sourdough starter from the fridge to feed your starter.
- For the dough, you'll need 100g of active sourdough starter, which should be fed the night before.
Tips from Grant Bakes’s video
- Feeding your starter the night before is crucial for a successful rise; let it sit at room temperature for 6-8 hours until it doubles in size.
- The stretch and fold technique is a gentler way to develop gluten in the dough, and it's done three times with 30-minute rests in between.
- For the first rise, let the dough sit in a greased bowl for 5-8 hours until it doubles in size.
Good to know
- How long does it take to make this sourdough bread?
- The total time for this recipe is about 12 hours.
- What is the yield of this recipe?
- This recipe yields 1 loaf of sourdough bread.
- What should I do if my dough feels too sticky?
- If the dough feels too sticky, you can add a little bit of flour to the top of the dough while shaping.
- What temperature should I preheat the oven to?
- Preheat the oven to 450°F (232°C) before baking.
No life story here — the video and the recipe are the whole point. All credit to Grant Bakes: watch the original on YouTube.
The recipe
Ingredients
Steps
- 1
Feed your sourdough starter in the evening by taking 25g of leftover starter from the fridge, adding 50g of water, and 50g of bread flour. Mix until it has a loose pancake batter consistency. Cover loosely and let it rise overnight for 6-8 hours.
- 2
The next morning, place a large mixing bowl on a digital scale and add 300g of water. Then add 100g of your active sourdough starter. Stir to dissolve the starter.
- 3
Add 450g of bread flour and 10g of salt to the bowl. Mix until a shaggy dough forms without any visible dry flour. Cover with a kitchen towel and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- 4
Perform the first set of stretch and folds: stretch each corner of the dough (north, west, south, east) and fold it over itself. Cover and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- 5
Repeat the stretch and fold process two more times, resting the dough for 30 minutes between each set.
- 6
After the final stretch and fold, let the dough rise in a greased bowl for 5-8 hours until it doubles in size.
- 7
Once doubled, gently remove the dough and shape it into a ball on a floured surface. Let it rest uncovered for 30 minutes.
- 8
Prepare an oval banneton basket by dusting it with flour. Shape the dough into an oval by folding the corners in and rolling it into a log. Place the shaped dough seam-side up in the basket.
- 9
Cover the dough and let it proof for 1-2 hours until it has risen slightly.
- 10
Preheat the oven with a Dutch oven inside to 450°F (232°C).
- 11
Carefully transfer the dough to a parchment-lined surface, score the top with a sharp knife, and place it in the preheated Dutch oven.
- 12
Bake for 30 minutes with the lid on, then remove the lid and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes until golden brown.
Heads up — we had to guess a little:
- The total time includes overnight rising and resting periods, which are typical for sourdough bread.
Credit where it’s due: this recipe was transcribed from Grant Bakes’s original video on YouTube. Follow them there — it’s their dish.
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