Easy Sourdough Bread Recipe

5 from 3 votes

Easy Dutch Oven Sourdough Bread has a crackly, golden crust and a soft, tangy, chewy interior, all from just 4 simple ingredients and an overnight rise. It's beginner-friendly and doesn't need any fancy equipment beyond a Dutch oven.

Prep Time15

Cook Time45

Resting and rising time12

Total Time13

Course: Breakfast, Side Dish

Cuisine: American, Mediterranean, Western

Diet: Halal, Low Lactose, Vegetarian

Servings: slices

Calories: 169kcal

Author: Ayla Clulee

Ingredients

½ cup active sourdough starter (120 grams)
4 cups all-purpose flour (500 grams)
1 ½ cups water (360 ml)
2 teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoon honey
3 tablespoon rice flour (for preventing the dough sticking to dutch oven)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make the Dough

Twelve hours before you plan to bake, activate your sourdough starter.
Mix 1 ½ oz (40 grams) of starter with 1 ½ oz (40 grams) of water and 1 ½ oz (40 grams) of all-purpose flour. Cover it and leave it somewhere warm until it's bubbly and ready to use.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the active sourdough starter, all-purpose flour, honey (optional), and water. Mix until there are no dry spots. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let it rest for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, add the salt to the dough. Mix until well combined. You can use your hands or a wooden spoon to mix the dough. The dough will be sticky, but that's normal.
Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and leave it to rest for 45 minutes.

Stretch and Fold

After the dough has rested for 45 minutes, it's time to use the stretch-and-fold method. This method helps the gluten develop, which is what gives sourdough bread its signature chewy texture.
To do the stretch-and-fold method, wet your hands and grab the dough from the bottom of the bowl. Stretch it upwards and fold it over itself. Rotate the bowl a quarter turn and repeat the process.
Do this four times, so you've done a full rotation. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let it rest for 30 minutes. Repeat the stretch-and-fold method three more times, with 30-minute rests in between each round.

Proof and Shape

After the last stretch-and-fold, let the dough bulk ferment at room temperature overnight, for about 8-12 hours. This is called the bulk fermentation stage, and it allows the dough to rise. The timing might vary depending on the season and the temperature of the room.
Lightly flour a clean surface and gently scrape the dough out of the bowl onto it. Make sure not to deflate the dough too much.
Shape the dough into a ball by pulling the sides towards the center and pinching them together. Then, flip the dough over so that the smooth side is facing up.
Place the dough into a glass bowl lined with a towel that's been dusted with rice flour, with the seam side facing up. You can also use a banneton basket dusted with rice flour.
Cover the dough and let it proof for another 30 minutes to an hour, or until it has visibly risen and feels puffy.

Bake in a Dutch Oven

While the dough is proofing, preheat your oven to 230° C (450° F) and place your Dutch oven inside to preheat as well.
Place a long piece of parchment paper over the bowl with the dough. Flip the bowl over onto the countertop so that the dough is now on top of the parchment paper. The dough should hold its shape without collapsing.
To help the dough expand evenly in the oven, use a sharp knife or a razor blade to score the top with a decorative pattern. You can score in the areas where you want the dough to puff up, preventing random cracking.
With the help of parchment paper, gently transfer the dough into the preheated Dutch oven. Place a few ice cubes underneath the parchment to create steam and help the bread rise better.
Put the lid back on and bake it for about 20 minutes.
Take the lid off, reduce the temperature to 200℃ (390℉), and bake it for another 25-30 minutes, or until the crust is a beautiful golden brown and the bread sounds hollow when you tap it underneath.
Take the bread out of the Dutch oven and let it cool on a wire rack for at least an hour before slicing and serving.

Video

Notes

Make sure your sourdough starter is active, strong, well-fed, and at its peak with lots of bubbles before you use it. A sluggish starter is the most common reason for a dense, flat loaf.
Use a digital kitchen scale to measure your ingredients. Baking bread by weight is far more accurate than measuring by volume.
The dough will feel sticky and loose after mixing. That's normal for this hydration level, so resist the urge to add extra flour, which can make the crumb dense.
The stretch and fold method develops the gluten, which gives sourdough bread its signature chewy texture.
Bulk fermentation time will vary depending on the temperature of your kitchen, the strength of your starter, and the type of flour used. Warmer temperatures speed up fermentation, while colder temperatures slow it down.
If the dough spreads flat instead of holding its shape, it's likely over-fermented, so shorten the bulk ferment time next time. If it barely rises and looks dense, it's under-fermented or the starter wasn't active enough.
Use a sharp knife or razor blade to score the top of the loaf about ¼ to ½ inch deep. This lets the dough expand evenly in the oven instead of bursting randomly.
Preheat your Dutch oven before adding the bread dough for even heat distribution and the best oven spring.
If you don't have a Dutch oven, you can use a baking stone or a cast iron skillet with a metal bowl as a makeshift lid instead.
Let the bread cool completely, at least 1 hour, before slicing. Cutting it too soon will make the inside gummy.
Store leftover bread at room temperature in a paper or bread bag for up to 3 days. Airtight plastic will soften the crust.
To freeze, let the loaf cool completely, then slice and freeze in an airtight bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or toast slices straight from frozen.

Nutrition