Easiest sourdough bread

The world’s easiest sourdough bread – Incredibly easy

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  1. Norm Reply

    Hi Sune, Can I replace 190 grams of whole grain flour in this easiest sourdough recipe with 190 grams of rye flour?
    Thanks

  2. Teresa Reply

    How long do you refrigerate your instructions do not say.
    Also my dough was still very sticky the following morning after 11 hrs was hard to do the turns

    • Minimum of 8 hours, maximum of.. unclear, the longest I’ve gone was 48 hours, but I am sure you can do longer 🙂

      If you dough is very sticky, you either didn’t develop your gluten enough, or you over proofed the dough (let bulk go too long). Also the dough is MUCH more sticky before you start shaping it, but it comes together quickly 🙂

  3. James Reply

    Hi Sune, a bit confused by your last reply saying a minimum of 8 hours to retard the dough in the refrigerator but your easy step instructions, #4 gives 1 hour retard while the oven preheats. Would you please clarify?

    • Well, that’s because that one hour rest in the fridge is just to firm it up to make it easier to score. The dough won’t fully get cooled in that hour, so it doesn’t really count as a retard. 🙂

  4. Lfenner Reply

    You saved my love for sourdough! It was way too time consuming but I tried your recipe and my loaves turned out great and it was so much easier. How would I make this recipe with no whole wheat flour? What would that change? Sorry do this is a silly question, I’m quite the beginner!

    • That is wonderful to hear <3

      You can make it as is, without whole wheat. It may become a bit more slack, so if the version with whole wheat was slack for you, you may want to hold back on the water.

      No question is ever silly. That’s what makes us learn 🙂

  5. 416dude Reply

    Tried this today with the exact same recipe and my dough is such a sticky mess! Any advice?

    • What kind of flour are you using?

      When you feed your starter, how high does it grow? Double? Triple?

  6. Hendrikje Reply

    Hi Sune,

    Thanks a lot for this recipe! Google brought me here (“easiest sour dough recipe”) and following your recipe I made my very first sour dough bread. It came out just perfect! I love the crust and the chewy texture. This is a bread-level non of my yeast breads ever reached. I will definitely keep this recipe in my baking and I am looking forward to trying out other recipes!
    I wonder whether there are possibilities with higher percentages of whole grain wheat flour? Or even only whole grain flour? Do you have any tips or experience on that?
    However, thanks a lot for this blog!

    Greetings from Netherlands,
    Hendrikje

    • I’d try to increase the whole grain flour gradually and see what works for your flour.

      Otherwise I will soon be making a video on what adding more and more whole grain will do for a free standing loaf.

      If you wanna go 100%, I’d just make the dough with the same amounts, but add it to a tin instead. It will still rise and be delicious, but the lack of gluten development will not allow the bread to stand up by itself 🙂

  7. Yam Reply

    Should I feed my started before using it for this recipe?

  8. Ian Klein Reply

    Hello Sune,

    I’ve been following your videos in youtube for long time. One month ago i started my sourdough starter and now im experimenting with a couple of recipes.
    I wanted to ask you, what is the main difference between this recipe and the one that has more steps like stretching and folding? What will be the main difference in the final product?

    Thank you so much for your your knowledge and this recipes!

    Best Regards

    • This will probably not be as tangy. Also, chances are that the crumb will not be nearly as open as you could get with the other one. Still delicious sourdough bread though, with minimal work. I use this recipe all the time. 🙂

  9. Ian Klein Reply

    Hello Sune, thank you so much for your reply.
    I did this recipe yesterday. Indeed the crumb was in the compact side and mostly dense. How can achieve a lighter bubbly bread? Is it high hidration and more stretch and folds?

    Thanks in advance.
    Best regatds

  10. Wally Fandrich Reply

    In your comments you mention the hydration rate of 75% increases the amount of holes in the crumb. Does this mean if you want a denser bread (a consistent crumb without the large holes) you just have to reduce the hydration?
    Is there a minimum hydration level that must be maintained to keep the dough supple enough to work?
    Does the amount of starter effect The crumb, is there a minimum level of starter you must have?

    • Higher hydration helps with a more open crumb, but handling is also key. If you want a sourdough bread with a uniform crumb, you can degas the dough before shaping and you’ll get a uniform crumb with smaller holes.

      Minimum hydration is very dependant on the flour that you use. For some flours it’s 60-65%, but for others (whole grain) it may be 80% 🙂

      The amount of starter does nothing for the crumb. The less starter you use the longer the fermentation. I’ve heard of some people that use 1-2%. Never tried it myself 🙂

  11. Jeannette Reply

    Hi Sune!
    Do you have any tips on how to make this into dinner rolls? should I just make smaller balls of dough, or is there something else I should know? Thanks!

    • Yes, try to shape them like mini boules and then bake them right away. I’d lower the hydration to 70% though.

  12. Viktória Reply

    Hi Sune, I do not have Dutch oven, but I have bread program with max 230C in my steam oven. How should I change the baking process? Thanks a lot! Viktória

    • Does you oven go higher than 230C?

      You can bake fine sourdough bread at 230C, so maybe try it out?

  13. Hi Sune,

    I tried your recipe twice but was not able to achieve a firm bread. Once I flipped the baskets onto the parchment paper, the dough was quite flat and not really able to stand up. The bread was on the kitchen counter for over 9 hours, around 20 degrees celcius. Do you have any tips? Do I need to keep the dough longer on the kitchen counter?

    Kind regards,
    Ton

    • It sounds like you need to keep it a shorter time, but also the flour you need might not support 75% hydration.

      I’ve changed the formula for your here: https://fgbc.dk/4uh

      That’s 70% hydration. If that still doesn’t work, then try to go to 65% 🙂

  14. Barry B Reply

    I just made this…it was my second attemp at SD…and this recipe/method worked so good. My problem lies with the bottom of the bread…it was black and hard to cut through. I dont have a baking steel…so DO right on the oven rack.

    • Try to move the dutch oven on a higher shelf. I’ve heard some people have luck with putting the dutch oven on a trivet on the baking sheet instead of directly.

  15. Ursula Reply

    Danke schön!
    I’m a German living in UK, and what I craved most from my homeland is the bread, endless varieties of awesome breads and n9ne of them ‘white’… enter the pandemic, bakeries closed and no yeast…I remembered how my grandmother made bread, sourdough loaves, every Saturday. From memory I was able to get a starter going, but copying her slap dash approach(which came from 70 odd yrs of baking I guess!) didn’t work particularly well for me, I produced a lethal rock hard frisbee the first time round.
    After listening to you, I actually were able to create a palatable bread, I’m truly chuffed! Thank you so much!
    Could I ask you to do some breads with barley flour? A lot of german breads have barley in them(Gersterbrot, how I miss it!) and of course rye. Waiting for the delivery and I don’t want to waste that precious flour on another frisbee…😁

  16. Heather Reply

    Hello, I am a beginner bread maker and would like to make this recipe, but don’t have bread flour. I have all purpose, spelt, whole wheat and rye. Will using all purpose instead of bread flour work? I have a lovely starter, and have made 4 loaves from different recipes using the above flours with varied success. So I am hoping to have luck with yours.

  17. Nick Reply

    Hi Sune,
    Thanks for all your great videos and testing. For some reason I can’t get this to work for me. I’ve tried twice and I’m both cases it’s just not risen and I’ve ended up with a flat heavy loaf. I don’t think it’s my starter as it’s active and works fine in other ‘stretch and fold’ type recipes. I halved the whole recipe each time so perhaps it’s not enough starter even though the ratio is the same. Could it be that do you think?

  18. Hello, thanks for this great recipe, and also for the calculator, genius, my question, using my own yeast method, i normally make bread with 70% bread flour and 30% Semolina flour, i love the colour and texture this produces, i now have my own starter, do you think this will work with your method?

    Many thanks

    • Yes, I’m sure it will 🙂

      If you have problems with oven spring, try to reduce to 20% and see if that helps.

  19. Barry Steyn Reply

    Hi, I tried this recipe. Even though my starter doubled in size, the dough came out way to wet and sticky and I got zero rise. I did let it sit on my counter for about 20 hours. Any advice?

    • 20 hours is way too much, unless your kitchen is unbearably cold.

      It sounds like it over proofed, which means that it might have been okay during the night. Is your kitchen very warm?

  20. Heather Reply

    This is the first sourdough bread I’ve ever made and it came out amazing! It was delicious and got a great rise!

    I wanted to ask, is it ok to do a few rounds of folds during the bulk fermentation if you have the time, or will that speed up the fermentation? Is the main thing about this recipe that makes such a long bulk fermentation possible the fact that it contains less starter than other recipes?

    Thanks for your great blog and youtube channel! I’m currently following your recipe for ‘easy beginner sourdough bread’ and can’t wait to see how it turns out!

    Cheers,
    Heather

    • No, that’s perfectly okay. It just makes the dough more cohesive 🙂

  21. Joyce Johnston Reply

    Hello, Sune.
    I’m so glad to have found your method/recipes. My question : if I follow the easiest sourdough recipe in the evening, and when I wake up the next morning, the dough looks so nice, that I just can’t resist the invitation, so my hands get in there and I start doing stretching and folding because it’s fun, and it’s exciting to feel the dough so alive… But now? how long should I wait before shaping?
    Thank you!

  22. Nancy Reply

    Hello Sune, for this “easy” sourdough bread recipe…after the bulk at room temperature overnight, followed by shaping…then fridge – how long in the fridge? Minimum of what to maximum of what? Your instructions don’t say. Thanks so much.

  23. You said that the fermentation/bulk rise takes between 8 to 12 hours at 70 degrees room temperature. I use my cold oven at room temperature for the bulk rise which is around 80 degrees so I’m afraid that it would be over-proofed when I get up in the morning. If I’m mixing dough earlier in the evening, can I start the rise then, then retard it in the fridge overnight and resume the next morning to get the timing correct? When it’s retarding, fermentation doesn’t quite stop so I’m hoping there is a formula to end the rise at the optimum amount of time. Is another option just to retard the whole rise for a much longer time? Thanks, Sune.

    • Retarding almost stops fermentation, so it probably wouldn’t be done next morning if it spent the entire time in the fridge. If you put it in a clear contain where you can monitor the growth it should grow about 25% to be done.

      There’s no formula, only senses. Your eyes, fingers and your brain is the guide.

  24. Hi Sune,

    Can I bake right after shaping the dough without putting the dough in the refrigerator? Or I should put the dough in the refrigerator or let it at room temperature for at least one hour?

  25. Flo Reply

    Hi, Thanks for this recipe and the excellent instructions and videos. Can I leave the dough overnight in the fridge rather than on the counter? My kitchen temperature is typically 25C which might cause the dough to overproof overnight.

    • I am sorry. I have 100’s of comments that I need to answer. The price of popularity I guess 🙂

  26. Bob Henry Reply

    A quick question with respect to this statement,.”I usually take 50 grams of unfed starter, 100 grams bread flour and 100 grams of water” in the recipe section marked “Ready your sourdough starter – in the morning” Does this mean that you fed a 50g starter with 100g each of flour and water such that you will then have 250g of starter? If so why build so much starter since you would have 150g left over after your bake? Am I misunderstanding this section?

  27. Arci Reply

    Hi Sune, I followed the recipe and procedure above, but it did not rise in the oven at all. I feel like it has something to do with not using a dutch oven? I don’t have one, and dutch ovens where I am from is much more expensive than a new tabletop oven. I used a cast iron skillet and steam (first with ice cubes, then the second loaf with boiling water). That did not work at all. As soon as I put the dough and ice cubes/water inside the oven and closed the door, temperature dropped and won’t go back up again. It’s so heartbreaking after so much time and flour was spent, from making the starter (mine was more than a week old) to baking the bread. Any suggestions? I don’t have a stone either… </3

  28. Hej Sune, thanks for putting such a lovely recipe up!! I have been using it quite a few times but every time my loaf “bursts” at one corner. Resulting in a deformed shape, any ideas why?? Thanks

  29. Kasia Reply

    hi Sune! my first loaf with the recipe is in the oven 🙂 I’ve been baking for a few weeks but getting the shaping is the most difficult. Once I score the dough it starts to ‘melt’ and go all over the place so I really need to work fast. I’m at a loss 🙁 any ideas what it could be? I’m using t65 flour and some wholemeal flour. thank you!

  30. Hi Sune
    Is it possible to use this recipe for one single large loaf instead? Is baking time the same?
    Thanks!
    Lisa

  31. Amit Reply

    Thanks for this recipe. For someone who was struggling with getting it right and wasted 10 – 15 loaves already, this is a dream come true.
    I am from India where the tropical heat keeps my starter super active and triples in about 4 hours. Should I reduce my bulk fermentation time? My bread is also coming out too sour so have to add baking soda just before the shaping to reduce the sourness. Though this certainly helps, I am not sure it’s a good practice.
    Please advice.

  32. Peter Reply

    If you are making just one loaf do you cut all ingredients in half? I have not heard back on this, so I am thinking cut the flour and water in half but keep the starter amount the same. I have seen this in other recipes.

    • Yes, just divide everything by two. Note that it can be more difficult to stretch and fold a small mass of dough though 🙂

  33. Tim Wales Reply

    Sune,

    In the part of the recipe that is “Shape the dough and refrigerate”, the instructions don’t mention whether we are supposed to fold the dough one more time and re-shape, or just re-shape without the fold? Do you ever use an internal temp to double check the bread being done, what is the temp it should obtain?

    I’ve really enjoyed making this recipe, it appears the shaping of the dough seems to be the most imperative step, and for me a bit of a challenge to master, but I’m getting there.

    Thanks for all the help!

  34. Peter Henderson Reply

    If I am making just one boule do I use half of all ingredients including the starter?

  35. lesleyfromkent Reply

    Hi there. I’ve recently been using your sourdough recipe and am now baking regularly (twice a week) successfully – I add the butter (re pain de mie) and get exactly what I want: a soft well-risen 700g loaf twice a week. Cuts easily and generally rises well. I recently came across the “jar scrapings” method of keeping the starter: you use what’s in your jar, leaving only the ‘scrapings’ in it, and next week, just hydrate and feed what is in the jar to nice and bubbly and off you go with your next loaf. I notice that you don’t use this method (its the only way I deviate from your sourdough recipe). Could you do an experiment to see if you also can get this method to work regularly? I’m happy with it, it means I don’t have kilos of spare sourdough starter. I do have to start an extra day in advance, to get 200g or so of bubbly starter, but that’s an easy way around not having to do the “save half and discard half” method of feeding.
    I love your site, and your recipes are great.
    Stay safe and keep cooking.
    I have another recipe for you to try: Raymond Blanc’s lemon drizzle cake from his “Kitchen Secrets” book. The recipe is slightly different, but makes a wonderful cake.
    xxx
    LesleyfromKent

  36. Cynthia Reply

    Sune, thank you. You have taught me so much. Your videos have improved my skills in Sourdough bread baking dramatically. Made my first starter in February, baked my first loaf in March, I never gave up. Indeed, there have been many challenges, much learned. But. When I found your tutorials they each helped to sharpe and sharpen my young skills. Since finding your recipe, last month the World’s Easiest Sourdough Bread Recipe, i stuck with it. With each of the loaves I began to make major progress. Today, every step came together including the blossom of a very nice Oven Spring achieved.

  37. Judith Murfett Reply

    Hi Sune,
    I’m making the quick bread tonight and I’m interested to see how it goes. I’m wondering why your recipes always make 2 loaves?
    I guess we don’t eat as much bread being just the two of us. So I always halve your recipes and they still work. With the quick and easy sourdough though, I am going to still use 100gms of starter (not 50gms) as it is cool overnight in Melbourne, Australia and I want it to be ready by morning. Like you, I keep experimenting even with your recipes!
    I have made your danish rye bread, and the cheese and paprika loaf as well as the knackebrod, all delicious so far.
    I love your experimental approach, keep it up!
    Jude

    • I make two because it’s less work than making 2 separately.

      I’ll slice and freeze the bread, and it’s still great after defrosting in the toaster 🙂

  38. Jamie Reply

    I am going to be using 100% fresh ground flour. Would you recommend any changes that might help my chance of success.

  39. Jeannette Reply

    Hi Sune, I’ve made this recipe several times this year and it’s my favorite because I don’t have to spend so much time babysitting it. Can it be adapted to make baguettes? I know I would need to use steam, but I’d love to not have to spend an entire day stretching and folding. Thanks for your tips.

  40. John Goodrich Reply

    I made this today and it was fantastic! Thank you so much for this recipe.

  41. Diana Shaw Reply

    I made this recipe and it is delicious but the bread seems heavy and a bit damp – what did I do wrong? I should note that I heated the oven to 500 but my husband can’t eat crispy things so I lowered the temp to 350 when baking – is it underbaked? Over proofed? Over hydrated? or did I just screw up!

    • Absolutely underbaked. You can try to go at 450F but cover the whole time.

  42. Monique Reply

    Hello,
    Thanks for your recipe! I have tried it a couple times and the bread turned out beautifully. I am wondering if I can leave the boule in the fridge for longer than a couple hours before baking? Or even overnight?

  43. Lauren Hutchison Reply

    5 stars
    Such a great recipe – I make it a lot. After the final steps of putting the dough in the banneton, how long can I retard the unbaked dough in the fridge before the bake? Thank you!

    • Thank you 😁 If you fridge is cold enough up to 4 days. It should be below 4c/39f.

  44. ina Reply

    Just double-checking: so the final proof in the banneton is only one hour?