Easy Sourdough Bread Recipe
There’s something really grounding about making bread completely from scratch. It’s slow, simple and satisfying — which is why sourdough has become one of my favourite rituals at home.
I started my own sourdough journey with a ten-day old starter (made myself!) and a very beginner-friendly loaf. This post walks you through exactly how I did it, in a relaxed, realistic way (no complicated jargon, no fancy equipment).
Growing My Starter (Day 1–10)
To make the starter, I fed it once a day using just plain flour and water. I began with a 1:1:1 ratio, then increased gradually as it started to rise more:
- Day 1–4: feed 1:1:1
- Day 5–7: feed 1:2:2
- Day 8–10: feed 1:2.5:2.5
Once it tripled in size consistently, I knew it was ready to bake with.
The night before baking, I fed it using a 1:2.5:2.5 ratio and left it overnight to become active and bubbly.
During this phase I did discard of the starter when doing these maintenance feeds. Although more recently I have started to use the discard for other recipes (including sourdough rolls which have turned out amazing - I will share this recipe soon!).
Top tip: I used slightly less water (5g less roughly) on the feeds as I found my starter preferred a thicker consistency.
Sourdough Recipe (same day bake)
Ingredients:
- 100g active sourdough starter
- 500g strong white bread flour (make sure the protein is higher than 13% - I use M&S)
- 370g water
- 10g salt (any fine salt, I use Himalayan pink salt)
Method:
- Firstly, whisk together the starter with water. Then add the flour, and let the dough rest for 30 mins.
- Add salt and combine then cover with clingfilm (or a damp tea towel) and leave to rest for 1 hour and a half. Ideally in a warm area of your kitchen.
- Time to start stretch and folds (in the bowl). I do this a total of 4 times, each 1 hour apart. Make sure your hands are wet, this will make it easier.
- Then remove from the bowl, onto a floured surface. Loosely shape the dough, and start tucking in the sides to create some tension on the outside.
- Cover with the bowl or a damp tea towel and leave to proof for 2 hours (until it has doubled in size).
- Once doubled, preheat your oven to 240°C (fan) and put in your Dutch Oven to preheat also.
- At this point I create some more tension in my dough by tucking in the sides and forming a shape. Leave to rest again for 30 minutes - whilst your oven is preheating.
- Transfer dough to greaseproof paper and pop it in your preheated Dutch Oven, with a couple of ice cubes in the side (this creates some steam), and bake for 25-30 minutes with the lid on. Then with the lid off for another 15-20 minutes until golden.
- Leave to cool completely on a cooling rack before slicing, and enjoy!
It’s surprisingly doable once you get into a routine — and seriously satisfying. If you try the loaf, let me know — I’m still learning too and loving the process.