Now that you have a sourdough starter, let’s make some sourdough bread! It’s much simpler than you’d ever think and all you need is a couple bowls, a towel and time. No kneading required! We will call this sourdough bread 101. I’m relatively new to it and if you want to learn a lot more about sourdough bread, check out this guy. I’ve learned a lot about bread making from the Bake with Jack’s channel.

My advice is to enjoy the process of sourdough and don’t worry about what it turns out like. Some loaves will be really hilarious, especially in the beginning. It will still taste amazing and is super healthy for you. So get started. Put down your pencils. It’s finally time for your test on sourdough bread 101.

One note of caution should be addressed when making sourdough bread, especially at room temperatures for more than 8-10 hours. Cleanliness is essential. You can introduce bad bacteria and despite popular beliefs, the starter does not inhibit these growths. Rather, studies have shown the bacteria to grow starting at the 4 hour mark. So please work on clean surfaces and with clean equipment and supplies.

Sourdough Bread

This is a basic higher hydration sourdough loaf to give you the feel for working with wet dough so you'll feel more confident in the future to push boundaries. It’s a fantastic way to learn how to make a nice airy bread with a chewy crust and minimal effort.

Print Recipe

Prep Time5 minutes minutes

Cook Time45 minutes minutes

Rest Time18 hours hours

Total Time18 hours hours 50 minutes minutes

Servings12

Calories 110

Ingredients

• 3 cups (450g) flour
• 1 ⅓ cups (320mL) water
• ½ cup (100g) starter
• 1 tsp (5g) salt

Instructions

• In a large bowl, add starter and water.
• Add in flour and salt, stir with a spoon handle or hands until a shaggy dough forms. It will be sticky. Do not add flour.
• Cover and let sit overnight at room temperature.
• The next day, wet your hands. Gently remove the dough from the bowl onto a clean work surface.
• Using damp hands, grab a top section of the dough. Stretch and bring it to the opposite side. Do this for each side. This will create tension.
• Find a colander or an 8″ bowl with deep sides. Using a clean towel, line the colander and dust liberally with flour.
• With damp hands, pick up the dough and place it seem side up in the container. Dust the top and fold the towel over. Leave for approximately 2-3 hours.
• Place one rack in the middle of the oven and the second rack as close to the bottom as possible. On the bottom rack, place a pan filled with 1/2" (1cm) of water. Do not use a glass container for the water as it could break or shatter due to thermal shock. Preheat oven 450F (230C.)
• Gently remove the top towel and invert the dough onto a baking sheet in one swift movement. If the towel sticks, wet your fingers and gently pull the towel away while pressing on the dough.
• Slice the top with a sharp knife quickly about 1/8" (3mm) deep and the length of the bread.
• Open the stove carefully, as the steam could burn you.
• Add the bread and bake 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 400F (200C) and bake an additional 25-30 minutes. Center of bread should reach 212F (100C.)
• Let cool on wire rack before slicing.

Nutrition Facts

Sourdough Bread

Serving Size

 

1 slice

Amount per Serving

Calories

110

% Daily Value*

Sodium

 

387.5

mg

17

%

Carbohydrates

 

24.4

g

8

%

Protein

 

4.4

g

9

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

* Calories provided as a courtesy and not guaranteed.