Sourdough for Beginners: The Simple Way to Make Your First Loaf at Home

Sourdough has a reputation for being finicky, mysterious, and complicated. You hear about starters that need daily attention, complicated feeding schedules, and temperatures that have to be perfect.

That reputation isn't entirely fair.

You can make a simple loaf of sourdough bread at home with minimal equipment, basic ingredients, and no special skills. It does require patience that instant yeast doesn't, but the process is straightforward once you understand the basic rhythm.

This guide covers what you actually need to make your first loaf of sourdough bread, how the starter works, what to expect during fermentation, and the common mistakes that catch beginners off guard.

What You Need

You don't need much to make a basic loaf of sourdough bread.

Ingredients:

• Flour, All-purpose or bread flour. Bread flour gives more structure, but all-purpose works fine for a first loaf.
• Water, Regular tap water is fine. Chlorine can slow down the starter, but it won't ruin a well-established one.
• Salt, Regular table salt or kosher salt. This is important for flavor and gluten development.

That's it. Sourdough is just flour, water, and salt. The starter is just flour and water that has captured wild yeast from the air.

What about the starter?

If you already have a sourdough starter, you're ready to go. If not, you'll need to build one from scratch. This takes about 5-7 days of daily feeding before it's active enough to make bread.

Equipment:

• A mixing bowl, Anything that can hold the dough and let you stir it.
• A container for the dough, A bowl with a lid, a plastic bag, or a glass container.
• A knife or lame, To score the bread before baking.
• A baking vessel, A Dutch oven is ideal, but you can make sourdough without one.
• A kitchen scale (optional), This helps with consistency.

You can start sourdough with zero special equipment.

What a Sourdough Starter Is

A sourdough starter is just flour and water that has been sitting out long enough for wild yeast and lactobacillus bacteria to colonize it. The yeast makes the dough rise. The bacteria give sourdough its characteristic tang.

A healthy starter is bubbly, active, and has a pleasant sour aroma. It should roughly double in size within 4-12 hours after feeding.

Building a Starter from Scratch

If you're starting with no starter, here's the basic process:

Day 1: Mix 60 grams of flour with 60 grams of water. Stir until smooth. Cover loosely and let sit for 24 hours.

Day 2: Discard half and feed with 60 grams of flour and 60 grams of water.

Days 3-4: Continue discarding half and feeding daily. You may see occasional bubbles.

Days 5-7: The starter should become reliably bubbly and double after feeding. When a spoonful floats in water, it's ready to bake with.

Feed it at the same time each day and don't be discouraged by slow progress.

The Basic Process

The sourdough process has four main stages:

1. Mix the ingredients
2. Ferment the dough (bulk fermentation)
3. Shape and ferment again (final proof)
4. Bake

Step 1: Mix the ingredients

For a simple loaf:

• 350 grams bread flour
• 250 grams water (room temperature)
• 70 grams active starter (fed within 4-12 hours)
• 10 grams salt

Mix the flour, water, and starter until there are no dry pockets. Let this sit for 30 minutes. Then add the salt and mix it in. The dough will feel sticky and wet.

Step 2: Bulk fermentation

Let the dough sit at room temperature (70-75°F) for 4-8 hours. Watch for signs of activity: the dough should look bubbly, have increased in size by 50-100%, and feel lighter.

Alternatively, shape the dough, refrigerate overnight, and bake the next day. This is slower but more convenient.

Signs bulk fermentation is complete:

• The dough looks puffy and active
• There are bubbles visible on the surface
• The dough feels lighter and has increased in size

Step 3: Shape the dough

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently fold the edges toward the center to create tension. Shape it into a round or oval.

Place it seam-side up in a banneton or a bowl lined with a floured towel. Let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour, or refrigerate overnight.

Step 4: Bake

Preheat a Dutch oven at 450-500°F for at least 30 minutes.

Turn the proofed dough out onto parchment. Score the top with a sharp knife. Slide the dough into the hot Dutch oven and cover.

Bake covered for 20 minutes. Remove the lid and bake 20-25 more minutes until the crust is deep brown.

The bread is done when it registers 205-210°F internally or sounds hollow when tapped.

Step 5: Cool

Let the bread cool on a rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Cutting too soon creates gummy bread.

Common Beginner Mistakes

Using inactive starter - The starter should be bubbly and at or near peak height after feeding.

Under-proofing - Sourdough needs time. Let the dough go until it shows clear signs of readiness.

Over-proofing - If the dough sits too long, it spreads instead of rising and may have a sour smell.

Not enough steam - Steam helps the bread expand. A Dutch oven creates its own steam.

Cutting too soon - This creates gummy bread. Let it cool fully.

Temperature and Timing

Sourdough is sensitive to temperature:

• 68-70°F: 6-8 hours for bulk fermentation
• 70-75°F: 4-6 hours for bulk fermentation
• 75-80°F: 3-5 hours for bulk fermentation

If your kitchen is colder, plan for longer fermentation. The fridge slows things down, so you can proof overnight.

Troubleshooting

Dense loaf - Check that your starter was active, and watch for signs of readiness during fermentation.

Pale crust - Make sure your oven is hot enough and the bread bakes long enough.

Too sour - Use less starter, shorten fermentation, or feed your starter more frequently.

A Simple First Project

If you're new to sourdough:

Day 1 morning: Build or feed your starter

Day 1 late morning: Feed starter and let it peak

Day 1 afternoon: Mix dough and start bulk fermentation

Day 1 evening: Shape dough and refrigerate

Day 2 morning: Bake the bread

The Practical Bottom Line

Sourdough bread is more work than yeast bread, but it's more rewarding. The process is simple once you understand the rhythm:

• Build or maintain an active starter
• Mix flour, water, starter, and salt
• Let the dough ferment until it's clearly active
• Shape and proof
• Bake with steam for a good crust
• Cool before cutting

Start simple. Learn the process once. Make another loaf. The next one will be better.

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— C. Steward 🍞