Sourdough Bread for Beginners: What I’ve Learned

When I first started looking into sourdough bread, I am not going to lie – I was very overwhelmed. What’s a proofing basket? Will my starter die if I leave it on the counter too long? Do I actually need a gram scale? There are so many ways and opinions out there of how to make sourdough, and I am here to tell you what I learned and simplify sourdough for you.

Sourdough Starter

Let’s start off with how to care for your starter. I got my starter from someone I knew, so I did not make my own, but here is a helpful sourdough book that will teach you how to make your own starter.

DIY Sourdough Book
Available at Lehmans.com or in Lehman’s store in Kidron, Ohio

What I do to feed my starter:

  1. Feed it equal parts flour and equal parts filtered water; I do about a ¼ cup each feeding. Stir your starter until all the clumps are out, and use a rubber band, ribbon, hair-tie, etc. to mark where the top of your starter is, so you can see where it started and how much it has rose.
  2. If your starter is getting full, you can start a discard jar, which is where you just scope out a small amount of starter, place it in a smaller jar and put it in your fridge for use in other recipes. There is no need to feed this.
  3. I store my starter in my fridge most of the time and then take it out and put it on my counter for when I want to make some bread. I usually take my starter out the day before I start my bread and feed it. Please note that your bread might need to be fed 2-3 times for it to rise to where you want it.

Sourdough starter in jar

Sourdough starter on spoon

Tools Needed for Baking Sourdough

Now, time to make some bread! There is a TON of recipes out there. When I was ready to make my first loaf, I heard so many things I needed beforehand, proofing basket, bread knife, bread oven, dough whisk, gram scale, glass bowls, and so much more. I thought to myself “is bread really this complicated?” Well, I wanted to find out, and I am here to tell you, all of this is just preference. I will let you know what I liked and what I thought I could skip for a simpler method!

First before getting into our recipe, I wanted to know if I NEEDED a gram scale but wanted to test it out to see if it made that much of a difference. I tested out recipes with and without a scale, and I really think the cups recipe I have is simpler and easier for me to prepare, and while the scale was pretty inexpensive, I don’t think it’s absolutely needed, as both loaves came out the same.

Simplified Sourdough RecipeSliced sourdough bread

(Full recipe with ingredient list can be found at the end of this post.)

Instructions:
1. Take half a cup of active sourdough starter and place it in a bowl. I recommend using glass or ceramic, but plastic is fine. The dough tends to stick to plastic more.

2. Add one and a half cups of warm water to the bowl and whisk until there are no clumps and the mixture is completely milky.

3. Add four cups of unbleached AP flour into the mixture. I use a dough whisk for this step and do feel it is much easier.

Mixing bread dough with Old Country Dough Whisk
Find the Old Country Dough Whisk at Lehmans.com or in Lehman’s store in Kidron, Ohio.

4. Add two teaspoons of fine grain sea salt and mix until a shaggy dough forms, but it is combined. It is okay if the dough is not smooth.

5. Cover the bowl and let it sit on the counter for one hour.

6. After an hour, perform the first set of stretch and folds by lifting the dough in quadrants and folding it back onto itself.

7. Cover the dough again and wait for 30 minutes.

8. Repeat the stretch and fold process for a second time, then cover and wait another 30 minutes.

9. Do a third set of stretches and folds, then cover and wait for another 30 minutes.

10. Perform the final set of stretch and folds, then place the dough back in the bowl, cover it, and let it sit overnight for 10 to 12 hours. I like to transfer mine into a flour dusted proofing basket at this time.

11. In the morning, preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit with a Dutch oven or Bread Oven inside for one hour.

Dominion Bread Baker Oven
Dominion Bread Baker (also known as bread oven or cloche) helps create the steam that’s needed for crunchy, chewy crusts. Find it at Lehmans.com or in Lehman’s store.

12. Sprinkle flour on your countertop and gently tip the dough onto the counter, stretching it out while keeping the bubbles intact.

13. Shape the dough into a square, fold it into thirds, and roll it tightly, pinching the bottoms together.

14. Place the shaped dough on a piece of parchment paper, sprinkle all-purpose flour on top, and make a slit on the side of the loaf, this is called an “ear.”

15. Bake the bread in the preheated Dutch oven for 30 minutes with the lid on, then 15 minutes with the lid off.

16. Let the bread cool for a couple of hours before slicing. I do recommend using a bread slicer for sourdough, as the crust can be harder to cut through and this makes it so much easier.

Sourdough Loaf with Bread and Bagel Slicer Knife
Bread and Bagel Slicer Knife is available at Lehmans.com or Lehman’s store.

I also use beeswax paper to store my bread as well. This is reusable and keeps my bread fresh for days!

Tips for Success:
• Hydration: Maintaining the correct water-to-flour ratio is crucial. Too much water can make the dough overly sticky, while too little can result in a dense loaf. This goes for your starter as well. You want your starter to be like thick pancake batter at all times.
• Temperature: Fermentation times can vary with room temperature. Warmer environments speed up fermentation, while cooler ones slow it down. Keeping your starter warm and cozy is where it will thrive.
• Scoring: Proper scoring allows the bread to expand without bursting unpredictably. Experiment with different patterns and designs. Baking for someone? Personalize the loaf for them. Get creative!Holding sourdough bread loaf

Baking sourdough at home is a fun and rewarding way to make beautiful loaves for you and your family. There are a lot of opinions out there for what is the “right” way to do it, but I believe what is most important is that you end up with a delicious loaf. (Also, name your starter, it’s important. Mine is named “Sassy the Starter.”)

Have fun!

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Freshly baked sourdough loaf

Simplified Sourdough Bread

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Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 4 cups Unbleached AP flour
  • 11/2 cups water (at room temperature)
  • 1/2 cup active sourdough starter
  • 3 teaspoons of sea salt

Instructions

  1. Take half a cup of active sourdough starter and place it in a bowl (glass or ceramic recommended).
  2. Add one and a half cups of warm water to the bowl and whisk until there are no clumps and the mixture is completely milky.
  3. Add four cups of unbleached AP flour into the mixture (dough whisk recommended).
  4. Add two teaspoons of fine grain sea salt and mix until a shaggy dough forms, but it is combined. It is okay if the dough is not smooth.
  5. Cover the bowl and let it sit on the counter for one hour.
  6. After an hour, perform the first set of stretch and folds by lifting the dough in quadrants and folding it back onto itself.
  7. Cover the dough again and wait for 30 minutes.
  8. Repeat the stretch and fold process for a second time, then cover and wait another 30 minutes.
  9. Do a third set of stretches and folds, then cover and wait for another 30 minutes.
  10. Perform the final set of stretch and folds, then place the dough back in the bowl, cover it, and let it sit overnight for 10 to 12 hours. (I like to transfer mine into a flour dusted proofing basket at this time.)
  11. In the morning, preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit with a Dutch oven or Bread Oven inside for one hour.
  12. Sprinkle flour on your countertop and gently tip the dough onto the counter, stretching it out while keeping the bubbles intact.
  13. Shape the dough into a square, fold it into thirds, and roll it tightly, pinching the bottoms together.
  14. Place the shaped dough on a piece of parchment paper, sprinkle all-purpose flour on top, and make a slit on the side of the loaf, this is called an “ear.”
  15. Bake the bread in the preheated Dutch oven for 30 minutes with the lid on, then 15 minutes with the lid off.
  16. Let the bread cool for a couple of hours before slicing.

Notes

I do recommend using a bread slicer for sourdough, as the crust can be harder to cut through and this makes it so much easier. I also use beeswax paper to store my bread as well. This is reusable and keeps my bread fresh for days!

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