This Simple Sourdough Bread is just that…simple! It is made using my homemade sourdough starter that is just as easy! So, after your sourdough starter is ready to go, be sure to make this crusty and chewy (in the best way) bread. This bread is certainly delicious on its own, but use it for my Crispy Cheese Sandwich or Apple Gouda Grilled Cheese next time to really make the sandwiches stand out! 

Simple Sourdough Bread

Sourdough bread is one of those loaves of bread I always get from the bakery or in the bakery department at my local grocery store. It’s also my bread of choice (when it’s an option) at my favorite restaurants. There is just something special about the somewhat fermented taste of it. So, once I figured out the sourdough starter, I knew I had to use it for this simple sourdough bread!

Plus, there are never too many bread recipes to have at your fingertips, especially when we may be home more than normal!

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Loaf of Sourdough Bread Cut Into

Simple Sourdough Bread Recipe

This Simple Sourdough Bread recipe takes a little patience to let the dough rise a couple of times before baking it. But, if you were patient enough to get your sourdough starter ready to go, then a few hours is nothing! Plus, it is SO worth it to have freshly baked bread! There are only five ingredients to this recipe, so you more than likely have everything you need on hand.

Sourdough Bread in Bowl of Stand Mixer with Dough Hook 

How to Make Simple Sourdough Bread

Get out your stand mixer (or get your muscles ready) to mix the ingredients for the dough.

  • Combine all the ingredients together in the bowl from your stand mixer. (Learn how to make a Sourdough Starter here)
  • Use the dough hook attachment and mix the ingredients together on medium-low speed (or no higher than a ‘2’ setting). If you are mixing by hand, knead everything together for about ten minutes.
  • After you have mixed the dough (it will be sticky), place it in a lightly oiled bowl.
  • Cover the dough with plastic and let it sit for about 3 hours to let it rise.
Sourdough bread that has risen and is on parchment with flour

After the dough has had time to rise, gently fold up the sides of the dough, rotate the bowl, and fold again. Continue to do this until you have folded and rotated the dough a few times.

Did you know that using your hands this way and baking bread, in general, is very therapeutic? It involves patience and it can be very calming. Speaking of patience, after folding and rotating the dough, you need to cover it again to let it rise. It may not take the full 3 hours this time; it depends on how warm your kitchen is. Check it after a couple of hours.

After a couple of hours, sprinkle some flour onto your work surface and place the dough on the flour. Pull up the sides of the dough, pressing them into the center. You may need more flour, so keep that nearby! Continue to pull and press for a while. Finally, flip over the dough. The top should be smooth. Sprinkle some flour on it, and place it on a piece of parchment paper.

Once the dough is on the parchment paper, score the dough, or make a few cuts on the top of the dough a few times with a knife.

Baked Sourdough Bread in a Dutch Oven with Parchment Paper

How to Bake Simple Sourdough Bread

Once the dough is on the parchment paper (or you could do this before you pull and press the dough the final time), put a Dutch oven–lid ON–into a cold oven. Set the oven to 450°F to heat up the Dutch oven. Once the oven has reached the temperature of 450°F, carefully remove the hot Dutch oven and take off the lid (setting the lid on the stovetop).

Grab the parchment paper that is holding the dough and place it (again, carefully) into the hot Dutch oven. Cover it, and bake the bread for 15 minutes, with the oven still set at 450°F. After fifteen minutes, remove the lid of the Dutch oven and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the top is a nice golden brown. 

When you tap on the top of the bread, you should hear a hollow sound. Then, you know it is ready to be taken out of the oven. Let it sit for about 20 minutes on the counter or stovetop before taking it out of the Dutch oven and sliced. Enjoy!

Overhead Image of Sourdough Bread and Two Slices

How to Store Simple Sourdough Bread

Sourdough bread usually lasts for 4-5 days at room temperature. Do not store it in the refrigerator. Instead, keep it covered with a towel or in a zipped plastic bag someplace that is relatively cool. A bread box also works well. If you want to freeze the bread, be sure to let the bread cool completely before freezing!

The same advice goes for when you are going to cut into the bread–wait until it has cooled. Anyway, to freeze the bread, seal the loaf into a zipped plastic freezer bag, making sure to let all the air out. You can store bread for up to 6 months in the freezer, but the longer you keep it in there, the less fresh tasting it will be. (And be sure to label it with the date!)

4.93 from 63 votes

Simple Sourdough Bread

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Rise 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 50 minutes
Using a sourdough starter, you can have freshly baked sourdough bread with just a few ingredients!

Ingredients

  • 4-5 cups (500-625g) all-purpose flour, I prefer unbleached
  • 1 1/2 cups (355g) warm water
  • 3/4 cup (170g) active sourdough starter
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  • Add all ingredients together in the bowl of a stand mixer with dough hook.
  • Turn the mixer on 1-2 (never higher than 2 or medium-low) and let the mixer knead the dough for about 5 minutes. The dough will be sticky and doesn’t quite form a ball. (If making by hand, knead for about 10 minutes.)
  • Turn off the mixer and scrape the dough into a medium bowl that has been lightly coated with oil. Cover with plastic and set aside for about 3 hours while the dough rises.
  • After 3 hours, turn the dough and gently start folding up the sides. Grab the dough at the side of the bowl and lift up and towards the center of the bowl. Press down, turn the bowl 90 degrees and repeat this several times.
  • Cover again and let it rise for an additional 2-3 hours. (This will depend on the temperature of your home. A warmer kitchen will need less time.)
  • After the 2 hours, lightly dust your countertop with flour. Press the dough down with your fingers then start pulling up the sides and pressing into the center. You may need to add more flour as this can be a loose dough. Keep pulling up the sides and pressing into the center then flip the dough over. The top should be smooth. Dust with more flour and set the dough onto a piece of parchment paper. Score the dough with a knife.
  • Place a Dutch oven (make sure you have a lid) into a cold oven and heat to 450°F. Once heated, carefully remove the hot Dutch oven from the oven. Remove the lid and set it somewhere heat resistant. (I set the lid on my stove.) Pick up the parchment paper with both hands and place inside the Dutch oven. Carefully replace the lid.
  • Place into 450°F oven and bake for 15 minutes.
  • After 15 minutes, carefully remove the lid and bake an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the top is nicely golden brown (don’t worry if it is darker brown, you just don’t want it burnt) and when you tap on the top the bread sounds hollow.
  • Remove from oven and set Dutch oven to the side and leave the bread alone for about 15-20 minutes.

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Meet Amanda Rettke

Amanda Rettke is the creator of I Am Baker, and the bestselling author of Surprise Inside Cakes: Amazing Cakes for Every Occasion – With a Little Something Extra Inside.Over the course of her 15+ year blogging adventure, she has been featured in and collaborated with the Food Network, New York Times, LA Times, Country Living Magazine, People Magazine, Epicurious, Brides, Romantic Homes, life:beautiful, Publishers Weekly, The Daily Mail, Star Tribune, The Globe and Mail, DailyCandy, YumSugar, The Knot, The Kitchn, and Parade, to name a few.

Reader Comments

  1. I haven’t made yet. Have been making other breads in Dutch oven with 3 cups flour. Is this a huge loaf? And is bread flour ok to use?

  2. Made my first loaf of it today, I substituted a half cup rye flour in mine and used a rye starter. I cooked mine in a clay roaster dish with the soaked lid. I did a final rise before the oven for 15min. I did have to put in a cold oven due to the clay roaster. Once oven got to 500 degrees I cooked it 30min with the cover on it. The last 15min with out. Seems perfect I’ll see in the morning. Nothing better than fresh toast and coffee.

  3. I made this bread last night and it turned out great! I loved this recipe because it was finally something that was simple and easy to understand. When a recipe has a 100 steps to it then I usually move on to a different recipe and this one was just perfect.

  4. I never leave comments, but I had to for this recipe! I’ve been making it every weekend and we are obsessed! Making two loaves this weekend and going to freeze one as well! 10/5 stars!!

  5. Wanting to try this recipe. I have never made bread so this will be a first. Do you HAVE to use a Dutch oven? I don’t have one so any suggestions??

  6. Just made this recipe for the first time after making starter for the first time. The bread looks great on the outside, but when cutting it open the very center is still doughy. Wet. Dough must have been too thick? Suggestions on what causes this? Need more water in the dough? Starter needs more time? Thx for any help for the next time around!

    1. Your bread could be undercooked or unbaked inside for the following reasons: Your oven was too hot, so the outside of the bread cooked faster than the inside. You pulled your bread out of the oven too early. You didn’t let your dough reach room temperature before baking it. Gummy sourdough can also be caused by a starter that’s too young or inactive and or under fermentation.

      In most situations, an undercooked loaf of bread can be fixed by returning it to the oven for a few more minutes. This is true for loaves where the outside of your bread may look fully set, but the inside of the bread is still gummy. Place the loaf back in a preheated oven at 350° F for 10-20 minutes.

  7. I finally have a good starter, so I tried this recipe and for my first loaf my family and I were so happy!!
    I will probably add a little more salt next time, but it was super crispy and delicious. I am going to bake another loaf this weekend.
    Denise

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