Beginner Friendly Sourdough Artisanal Bread Loaf

Discover the Joy of Baking with This Beginner Friendly Artisanal Sourdough Bread Loaf Recipe.

If you’ve ever wanted to bake beautiful, crusty sourdough bread at home but felt intimidated by the process, this beginner-friendly artisanal sourdough bread recipe is perfect for you. With simple ingredients and clear step-by-step instructions, you’ll learn how to create a delicious loaf with a golden crust, open crumb, and tangy flavor. No fancy equipment or advanced skills needed! Get ready to impress your friends and family with homemade sourdough that tastes like it came from a bakery.

Ingredients for Your Easy Sourdough Bread for Beginners

• Active sourdough starter (fed and bubbly)

• Bread flour (or all-purpose flour)

• Warm Water - between 80° - 85°F

  (27° - 29°C) Too hot water will kill your starter, and too cold water will slow your starter down.

• Salt - I like to use sea salt

This basic list is all you need to create authentic, homemade sourdough bread with a golden crust and tender crumb.

What you need to know before baking sourdough bread.

NOTES

• You must have a very active and bubbly starter for this recipe to work.

• See if your sourdough starter passes the 'Float Test'.

• The timing of your 'Bulk Fermentation' depends on different factors; How mature your sourdough starter is, and the temperature of your room

  

Equipment you'll need for making your Easy Sourdough Bread For Beginners

1. Mixing bowl

2. Dutch dough hook - optional as you can use your hands.

3. Kitchen scales

4. Banneton or whicker lined basket

5. Tea-towel

6. Dutch oven or cast iron bread pan with lid

7. Clingfilm or plastic bag

8. Dough bench scraper

9. Sourdough Lame or razor blade - optional this is for scoring your bread

10. Oven gloves - the dutch oven gets extremely hot

11. Cooling wrack - its important for tour bread to cool before cutting

12. A good bread knife

13. A food and oven Thermometer are also helpful for testing for correct temperatures

❓ Frequently Asked Questions: Beginner Sourdough Bread

What is sourdough bread?

• Sourdough is a naturally leavened bread made with a fermented mixture of flour and water (this is called a sourdough starter). Instead of commercial yeast, sourdough rises due to wild yeast and beneficial bacteria that develop in the sourdough starter.

How long does it take to make sourdough bread from scratch?

• From start to finish, this beginner sourdough bread recipe takes about 24 hours—including fermentation and an overnight cold proof. Most of the time is hands-off, allowing you to build flavor and structure naturally.

Do I need a sourdough starter to make this bread?

• Yes! A healthy, active sourdough starter is essential. If you don’t have one yet, check out my sourdough starter beginner guide for how to make and maintain one from scratch.

Can I make this with all-purpose flour?

• Absolutely. While bread flour gives you stronger gluten development, this simple sourdough bread recipe works great with all-purpose flour or a mix of all purpose and whole wheat.

What’s the best container for bulk fermentation?

• Use a clear, straight-sided container to easily track rise and spot fermentation progress. This helps prevent underproofed or overproofed dough—two of the most common beginner mistakes.

My dough is sticky—is that normal?

• Yes! Sourdough dough tends to be wetter than yeasted doughs. To try and help with this try using a bench scraper, or lightly wet hands when handling the dough.

INGREDIENTS for Easy Sourdough Bread For Beginners

• 475g of Bread Flour or Plain Flour

• 300g of Warm Water

• 100g of Active bubbly Sourdough Starter

• 10g of Sea Salt

METHOD - Step-by-step instructions for Baking Crispy Crust Sourdough Bread

Feed your starter 4 - 12 hours before making.

I like to feed it last thing at night so it is ready to use first thing in the morning.

To a bowl add all of the ingredients and mix by hand, or by hand using a Danish Dough Hook.

Mix until it forms a shaggy dough.

Cover with clingfilm or tea-towel and let rest for 30 minutes allowing the flour to hydrate.

After the 30 minute hydration rest it's time to do your first set of Stretch & Folds, to start building structure and gluten.

Stretch & Folds

Take one edge of the dough between your fingertips and stretch and shimmy the dough upwards, and then fold it into the centre of the dough.

Turn the bowl 90 degrees and repeat 3 more times.

This is classed as one set. Repeat two more sets, so you are doing three sets of Stretch & Folds on your first round.

Cover and let sit for 15 minutes before repeating another full set of three Stretch & Fold sets.

Cover for 15 minutes and repeat the Stretch & Fold sets agin.

Cover and rest this time for 30 minutes, and repeat the sets of Stretch & Folds.

Cover and rest for 30 minutes, and repeat the sets of Stretch & Folds.

Cover for 30 minutes, and then do the final sets of Stretch & Folds.

Bulk Fermentation

Cover with clingfilm and place in a warm spot for its 'Bulk Fermentation'.

The bulk fermentation is finished once the dough has doubled in size. This can take anywhere from 6 - 12 hours depending on the rooms temperature etc. It can also depend on the maturity of your sourdough starter.

*Do not let it over ferment.

Time to Shape Your Dough

Transfer the dough to a clean work surface. You may require a little dusting of flour it the dough os too sticky.

*Tip is to wet your fingertips slightly to help prevent the dough from sticking to them.

Fold the dough over to the centre, and then fold the other edge into the centre. Then roll the dough up.

Gently shape into a ball by spinning it towards you.

Turn the dough over and shape - a dough bench scraper is good for helping to turn over.

Fold one end over to the centre, and then fold the other end into the centre. Pinch together and then repeat on the other two sides.

*Why do this? It helps to create tension, which in return gives a better 'oven spring'.

Line your banneton or lined whicker basket with a floured tea-towel, and carefully transfer your dough (dough bench scraper is good for this)

Seem side up.

Cover with clingfilm, plastic bag, or shower cap and place in the fridge for 12 - 15 hours for its overnight 'Cold Ferment'.

*If using a plastic bag be sure to tie the ends.

The cold ferment will make the bread 'Scoring' much easier.

Time To Bake

Preheat your oven with your dutch oven base and lid for at least 20 minutes on full temperature.

Just before baking remove your dough from the fridge and turn out onto a piece of parchment paper.

If scoring, lightly dust the top of the bread, amd then score your desired pattern etc.

Carefully transfer your dough on the parchment paper and place both inside your dutch oven. (Carefull not to burn yourself) Place the lid on top and put back into the oven. Immediately reduce the temperature to 235C / 450F and bake for 25 minutes.

Very carefully remove the lid after 25 minutes, and continue baking for a further 20 - 25 minutes, until the breads internal temperature reaches 195-200ºF.

Carefully remove from the oven and allow to fully cool on a wire rack before slicing.