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Sourdough Bread

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This artisan-style sourdough bread delivers a chewy interior with a crisp, golden crust. Naturally leavened with an active starter and baked in a Dutch oven, it’s a rustic, from-scratch loaf perfect for slicing and sharing.

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 4 cups bread flour (plus more for dusting)
  • 1 1/3 cups warm filtered water (90°F)
  • 1/2 cup active sourdough starter
  • 2 tsp salt

Instructions

  1. In a large glass bowl, combine warm water and starter, stirring until fully dissolved. Add salt and flour and mix with your hands until a shaggy dough forms. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rest for 1 hour.
  2. After resting, perform four gentle stretch-and-folds using wet hands. Rest for 20 minutes, and optionally repeat this process 2–3 more times over the next hour.
  3. After the final stretch, shape the dough into a ball, cover it, and let it rise for 8–12 hours until it is springy and it bounces back when gently pressed.
  4. Turn dough onto a floured surface, flour the top, flip, then pinch edges to the center like a sack. Flip again so the seams are down and shape into a tight ball.
  5. Line a bowl or colander with a floured towel. Place dough seam-side into the bowl, cover, and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Then refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
  6. Place a Dutch oven and lid inside your oven and preheat to 500°F for 1 hour.
  7. Remove the dough from the fridge. Flip onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, flour top, and score with a razor or knife. Transfer dough to the hot pot using parchment as handles. Cover and bake at 500°F for 20 minutes.
  8. Reduce oven temperature to 405°F and bake for 20 minutes or until the internal temperature is 195–205°F.
  9. Use parchment and a spatula to lift the bread from the pot. Cool on a rack for at least 1 hour before slicing and serving.

Notes

  • Use filtered water to avoid chlorine, which can harm your starter.
  • Be patient—the long fermentation time builds flavor and texture.
  • Scoring the loaf allows steam to escape and creates beautiful patterns.
  • For a crisper crust, let the loaf cool completely before slicing.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://www.brokenpranch.com/the-best-beginner-sourdough-bread-recipe/