If you’re new to sourdough or you’re looking for a simple bread to make, start with this basic homemade sourdough bread! It’s a very forgiving recipe and easy to throw together. You essentially just mix the ingredients together at night, let it rise on the counter, and bake the next day. There’s nothing more satisfying than a loaf of fresh homemade bread especially slathered with butter. It’s something to be really proud of in my opinion! This bread is warm and comforting and is perfect for eating as it is, as toast, french toast, sandwiches, etc. I hope you love it!
If you’re new to sourdough and you don’t know where to start with a sourdough starter or how to feed it, CHECK OUT THIS POST! I cover everything for you there!
Some benefits of sourdough:
- It’s easier to digest than most breads. The long fermentation breaks down a lot of the starches, which means it’s already starting the digestion process for you. Also, it’s usually easier to digest even for those that are sensitive to gluten.
- It’s filled with probiotics and amazing nutrients. It has probiotics and lactic acid from the fermentation process. The probiotics are good for your gut and the lactic acid also helps you to break it down and digest it.
- It’s lower glycemic since it’s a fermented food. That means it doesn’t cause as much of a blood sugar spike when you eat it.
- It feeds our family and is cheaper than bread at the store! It’s also made with simpler ingredients. Just flour, water, sourdough starter, olive oil and sea salt. You can’t beat that!
- We use it for lots of things like toast, sandwiches, french toast, breadcrumbs, etc.
What you need to make basic homemade sourdough loaf + substitutions:
- Sourdough starter- Everyone has a different way of doing their sourdough starter. I feel like it can feel so overwhelming but it doesn’t have to be. I’ve always followed the same way and it has worked every time! I feed my starter equal parts. So I will usually empty my jar so there is 50g of starter in there. I’ll typically take the discard and put it in a separate jar to save for discard recipes. Then, I’ll add in 50g of all-purpose flour, and 50g of purified water. Mix it well and leave it on the counter to rise for about 8-12 hours before adding it into a recipe. If I’m baking often, I’ll leave it on the counter and just feed it everyday. If not, I’ll leave it in the fridge and feed it once a week or just before when I’m going to use it. I’ve never made my starter myself because my neighbor actually shared hers with me years ago and it’s still doing wonderful! This is the one she bought!
- Water- Whenever I’m baking bread or feeding my sourdough starter, I use room temperature purified water. We actually have a Berkey water filter and LOVE it! So I just use my water straight from there. Filtered water & spring water works great too.
- Olive oil- This bread recipe has a little olive oil for moisture and taste. It adds a great little touch to this basic homemade sourdough bread.
- Bread flour- My favorite and go-to brand of flour is King Arthur. I buy organic when I can! I’ll buy the organic bag from Thrive Market. All-purpose flour works for this recipe too, but I haven’t tried any other flour personally. I do know that gluten-free flour doesn’t work the same for this recipe!
- Sea salt- Our go-to sea salt is from Redmond always. We buy it in bulk from their website. It’s unrefined sea alt meaning that it still contains the beneficial trace minerals! It’s also pure and unprocessed with is the best. You can use the code daddioskitchen for 15% off on their website.
Equipment I used:
- Food Scale- I use this for all my sourdough recipes and for feeding my starter. It really comes in handy and is more precise for measuring. That’s why most recipes use it! Also it makes less dishes because you don’t need measuring cups. I love this one, but you can use any scale for this basic homemade sourdough bread.
- Dutch oven- I’m obsessed with this dutch oven. It’s white with a gold top and so much more affordable than most. I love a Le Cresuet, because it’s beautiful and classic, and I usually use the one my mom passed down to me. However, this dutch oven works just as well and is beautiful!
- Thermometer- Another item that’s not required at all! We just already have one for all our meat but I’ve used it plenty of times for my bread to make sure it’s done. A good rule of thumb is making sure your bread reaches 200F inside when it’s done.
- Dough hook- This is definitely not required, but I love my dough hook. I use it for mixing everything instead of a whisk, and it works wonders. I got mine from the Food Nanny, but hers are always sold out. Most sourdough recipes call for using your hands, so that works just fine too.
- Bread lame- This is the best to have to score your sourdough. Scoring the top helps the steam to release while the bread is cooking so it can rise well. I’ve used a sharp knife and it works too, but it doesn’t work nearly as well as a bread lame.
- Shower caps- Using a shower cap is my favorite hack for covering your bowl when you let the dough rest. Since the side is elastic it fits right over the bowl perfectly. I reuse mine a ton of times instead of using plastic wrap.
- Weck jars- These are the best jars. One of my favorites and my personal preference when it comes to jars. I use it to store my sourdough starter, because of the wide top and the loose fitting lid.
- Bread bow- This is 100% not required but this is hands down the best way to cut bread! If you want your bread to cut easily and in more perfect slices a bread bow will be your best friend. It blows my mind how easily it cuts through my bread. I recently got this bread bow and it’s beautiful!
Other recipes you will love:
- Easy & Fluffy Sourdough Pancakes
- Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Homemade Artisan Sourdough Bread– Once you master this bread recipe, try this one!
Alright, let’s get to making the recipe! Enjo
Basic Homemade Sourdough Bread
If you're new to sourdough or you're looking for a simple bread to make, start with this basic homemade sourdough bread! It's a very forgiving recipe and easy to throw together. You essentially just mix the ingredients together at night, let it rise on the counter, and bake the next day. There's nothing more satisfying than a loaf of fresh homemade bread especially slathered with butter. It's something to be really proud of in my opinion! This bread is warm and comforting and is perfect for eating as it is, as toast, french toast, sandwiches, etc. I hope you love it!
Servings 0
Ingredients
- 25 g olive oil
- 15 g sea salt
- 150 g sourdough starter (fed), this is the one I have
- 250 g filtered water
- 500 g bread flour (or all-purpose flour)
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, add in olive oil, sourdough starter, sea salt, and water. Mix with a dough hook or a wooden spoon. Add in 500g of flour.
- Mix everything together again until everything is pretty incorporated. You can use your hands as well. The dough will be shaggy, that's okay.
- Cover the bowl with a a damp towel, plastic wrap, a plate or a shower cap and let it sit for 30 minutes or up to an hour.
- After the dough has rested, uncover and form the dough into a ball. There’s no need to knead the bread (you’ll do that later), you just need to get it into a ball form.
- Cover the bowl again with whatever you're using to cover. Let it rise for 10-18 hours.
- Once the bread is done rising, clean a space on your counter and sprinkle a little flour. Take dough out and knead it on the counter 10-15 times. Place it in a dutch oven with a good sprinkle of flour on the bottom or just line with parchment paper so it doesn't stick.
- Let the dough rest in the dutch oven for 1-2 hours. Close to the end of the second rise, preheat your oven to 450F degrees.
- Once the time is over, slash a line in the top with a bread lame or a sharp knife. Then, turn the oven to 400 degrees and bake in the oven with the top on for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, remove the lid from the dutch oven and let the bread cook for another 20-30 minutes until the internal temperature is about 200F. I use a food thermometer which I highly suggest using so you can ensure the bread is done inside!
- Let cool on a wire rack for at least an hour before slicing into the bread so it can set! Enjoy!