Our no-nonsense guide to your first sourdough loaf
The recipe we hand to friends who want to start baking. No special equipment, no jargon, just the method we've used for a decade, scaled down for a home oven.
People are scared of sourdough, and I understand why. Every recipe online reads like a chemistry exam. So here's the version we actually hand to friends, stripped of the fear and most of the jargon.
You need four things: flour, water, salt, and an active starter. That's it. If you don't have a starter yet, ask a baker you like, most of us are happy to share a spoonful. Or make your own over a week or two, which is a story for another post.
The single biggest lesson I can give you is this: good bread is mostly waiting. The work with your hands takes maybe twenty minutes total. The rest is the dough doing its slow thing while you get on with your life.
"You are not kneading this dough into submission. You're just giving it time and getting out of the way."
Before you start
Your starter should be bubbly and active, fed four to twelve hours before you begin. Drop a spoonful in water; if it floats, you're good to go. If it sinks, feed it again and wait. This one check saves more first loaves than any other tip I know.
Weigh everything. Cups lie, scales don't. A cheap kitchen scale is the best few dollars you'll spend on baking, and once you switch you'll never go back to guessing.
Simple country sourdough
One medium loaf, mostly hands-off
What you'll need
500g Strong white bread flour
350g Water, room temperature
100g Active sourdough starter
10g Fine sea salt
The method
Mix the flour and water until no dry patches remain. Cover and rest for one hour. This step alone makes the dough easier to handle later.
Add the starter and salt. Squeeze and fold until fully combined. It'll feel shaggy and rough, that's fine.
Over the next three hours, do four sets of stretch-and-folds, spaced about 45 minutes apart. Wet hand, lift one side, fold it over, turn the bowl, repeat.
Cover and leave until roughly 50% bigger and jiggly, usually four to six hours depending on your kitchen's warmth.
Shape into a round, place seam-side up in a floured bowl, and refrigerate overnight, at least twelve hours.
Next morning, bake in a preheated covered pot at 230°C for 20 minutes lidded, then 20 to 25 minutes uncovered until deep brown.
Cool on a rack for at least an hour before cutting. I know it's hard. Do it anyway, the crumb sets as it cools.
Recipe Video
If it goes wrong
Your first loaf might be flat, or dense, or dark in odd places. Mine was. That's not failure, that's the tuition. Take a photo, note what you did, and change one thing next time. Baking is a conversation with your kitchen, and it takes a few tries to learn its accent.
When you're ready for a denser, more forgiving second loaf, read our honest guide to seeded rye. And if you'd rather skip the wait entirely, well, you know where to find us most mornings.
Keep reading
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