Bread, the Way It’s Always Been…

Baking your first loaf of sourdough bread is a meaningful milestone for any home baker. Once you have a mature, active starter on the counter, there’s a quiet excitement in finally putting it to use, and turning simple ingredients into something nourishing and real. This simple sourdough bread recipe is designed to guide you through that moment with confidence, showing you how to create a beautiful, reliable loaf right at home.

With just four ingredients – flour, water, salt, and your sourdough starter, this recipe proves that great homemade sourdough doesn’t need to be complicated. It’s approachable enough for beginners, yet satisfying for experienced bakers who appreciate a dependable, everyday loaf. I’ll walk you through each step, from mixing and fermentation to shaping and baking, so you can learn the rhythm of sourdough and feel confident bringing fresh bread to your table again and again.

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Why Make Sourdough Bread from Scratch

Making sourdough bread from scratch is about more than baking, it’s about choosing a slower, more intentional way of feeding your family. Unlike commercial bread, sourdough is naturally fermented, allowing time to do the work that shortcuts often skip. That long fermentation helps break down gluten and phytic acid, making sourdough easier to digest and allowing nutrients in the grain to be more readily absorbed. Many people find homemade sourdough gentler on their bodies, with fewer additives and none of the preservatives found in store-bought loaves.

But the benefits go beyond nutrition. Sourdough introduces a rhythm to the kitchen that feels grounding and familiar. Feeding the starter, folding the dough between everyday tasks, and baking when the house is still. It all becomes part of the day rather than something that competes with it. Bread like this doesn’t demand perfection or constant attention. It asks for patience, presence, and a willingness to let time work in your favor.

When you make sourdough from scratch, you’re not just baking bread. You’re building a habit. One that slows the pace, fills the home with warmth, and turns a simple loaf into something deeply sustaining.

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Tools You Will Need:

• Digital Kitchen Scale
• Dough Hook and Bowl if Mixing by Hand Or –
• Stand Mixer
• Proofing Basket
• Parchment Paper (I love King Arthurs)
• Dutch Oven (Save | Splurge!)
• Baking Sheet
• Lame for Scoring

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Classic Sourdough Bread

Four ingredients. Time does the rest.

Yields: 1 round sourdough boule (about 900–950 g baked loaf)
Prep Time: 30 minutes (hands-on)
Bulk Fermentation: 3–5 hours
Cold Ferment: 8–24 hours
Oven Temperature: 475°F → 425°F
Bake Time: 35-40 minutes
Total Time: About 18–24 hours, mostly inactive
Best For: Home bakers looking for a reliable, everyday sourdough boule

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Ingredients

• 100 g active sourdough starter (bubbly and at its peak)
• 375 g warm filtered water
• 500 g unbleached bread flour or all-purpose flour
• 10 g fine sea salt

This recipe sits at about 75% hydration – soft, forgiving, and approachable.

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Instructions

1. Feed Your Starter

Feed your sourdough starter 8–12 hours before mixing using about a 1:2:2 ratio. Keep 25 grams starter, then feed with 50 grams flourand 40 grams water. (I like to add a little less water to my starter to create a stronger activation.) Stir, cover, and let rest at room temperature until doubled, bubbly, and gently domed on top. Use when it’s at its peak.

2. Autolyse (The Rest Before the Work)

In a large bowl with your dough hook or wooden spoon, mix the sourdough starter, flour and water. The dough will feel shaggy at first. Cover and let rest for 30 – 60 minutes. This step allows the flour to fully hydrate and the gluten to begin forming.

2. Add Salt

Add 10 grams of salt to the dough. Mix with your hands or a dough hok until fully incorporated.

3. Bulk Fermentation + Stretch & Folds

Cover the bowl and let the dough ferment at room temperature for 3–5 hours, depending on the warmth of your kitchen.

During the first two hours, perform four sets of stretch and folds, spaced about 30 minutes apart:

• Lift one side of the dough, stretch it upward, and fold it over itself.
• Rotate the bowl and repeat on all four sides.

After the final fold, let the dough rest undisturbed. You’re looking for dough that has risen about 40–50%, looks slightly domed, and jiggles gently when the bowl is nudged.

You can also press a lightly floured finger into the dough:

• If it slowly springs back and leaves a faint dent, it’s ready
• If it snaps back quickly, it needs more time
• If it collapses or feels very loose, it’s gone a bit long, but can still be shaped and baked

4. Pre-Shape

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently shape it into a loose round by pulling the dough toward you, building light surface tension.

Let it rest uncovered for 20–30 minutes. This short bench rest allows the gluten to relax before final shaping.

5. Final Shape

Flip the dough over and gently stretch the edges toward the center. Turn it seam-side down and tighten into a smooth boule.

Place seam-side up into a floured banneton or a towel-lined bowl.

6. Cold Ferment (Overnight)

Cover and refrigerate for 8–24 hours.

This slow, cold rest deepens flavor, improves structure, and makes baking fit more gently into a busy day.

7. Pre-Heat Oven

Preheat your oven to 475°F with a Dutch oven inside for 30 minutes.

8. Score the Boule

Turn the dough out onto parchment paper, score the top with a sharp blade, and carefully transfer it into the hot Dutch oven. You can do a simple cross score (one line down the middle both horizontally and vertically). If you want to elevate it further, lightly score a wheat stalk on each quadrant (see image below).

9. Bake

• 25 minutes covered (with steam)
• Reduce the oven to 425°F and bake uncovered (without steam) for an additional 15-20 minutes

9. Cool

Cool on a wire rack for at least 1 hour before slicing.

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What to Look For

A well-baked sourdough boule will have:

• A deeply golden, blistered crust
• A tender crumb with irregular holes
• A gentle tang that doesn’t overpower

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How to Store Your Sourdough Boule

• Store cut-sides together. Wrap loosely in a clean linen towel for 2–4 days, depending on your kitchen.
• Avoid airtight containers, they soften the crust

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A Note from My Kitchen Table…

Learning to bake sourdough was what changed everything for me in the kitchen. It showed me that homemade food doesn’t have to be complicated, it just asks for time, patience, and a willingness to begin. Once I learned how to make bread, everything else felt possible.

This loaf became the foundation of our meals. Simple soups, quiet dinners, and everyday food felt more complete with a slice of sourdough alongside. It has a way of transforming even the simplest meal into something satisfying. And often – this bread needs nothing at all. A thick slice with good butter and a pinch of salt is enough. Sourdough isn’t just the best bread. It’s the beginning of a slower, more intentional way of cooking.

From my homemade kitchen to yours,
Kate

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