MY SOURDOUGH STARTER IS READY, NOW WHAT?
For an instant gratificationist person like me, the process of making sourdough can be as sour as the bread itself. It’s a three-day commitment. But it’s also the most rewarding thing you can bake. Not only will your home smell like a Parisian boulangerie — the process will do something for your self-esteem too.
Relax, the process is mostly hands-off: long stretches of waiting interrupted by short bursts of kneading. The labor — mixing, kneading, shaping — isn’t what gets me. That part is actually easy. What gets me every time is the proofing, the waiting, the anticipation. But once you understand the rhythm of it, sourdough stops feeling intimidating and starts feeling meditative. It’s a lesson in patience.
Read all the way through before you start.
From the moment you start until you finally slice the bread and smear it with your favorite butter, you’re looking at about 50 hours. That breaks down to 24 hours to proof the sourdough starter, another 24 hours to proof the dough, 1 hour to bake, and at least 1 hour to let it cool. Don’t skip the cooling — cutting into warm sourdough compresses the crumb and makes it dense. I know it’s hard. Be patient.
The good news is that by the third time you make it, the waiting gets easier. Think of it as a practice in patience and gratitude.
The first time — and maybe the second too — it will feel a little confusing. Pay attention and follow the instructions.
I’ve made the recipe as clear as possible, but it’s a lot of information, so I’d recommend printing it out and reading it thoroughly before you dive in. Said the woman who consistently jumps into recipes without reading them first.
You can make sourdough breads without a sourdough starter kit, but it is much easier when you have the tools (proofing basket, dough scoring blade). You can order a sourdough kit on Amazon.
If you need a gluten-free option, I also have a gluten-free sourdough recipe right here on the blog.
If you’re still intimidated, start with my simple yeasted bread. It’s quicker, easier, and just as delicious and satisfying.
LETS DO IT!
Step By Step Sourdough Bread
Equipment
- dough scraper
- blade for scoring the dough
- 2 large bowls
- 2 Dutch ovens or oven proof pots
- Plastic wrap or nylon bag
- baking paper
Ingredients
- 1 cup sourdough starter
- 6 cups bread flour
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
Instructions
Day 1
- In a large bowl, using a wooden spoon, mix together 1 cup starter + 1 cup flour + 1 cup water until well combined.
- Cover loosely with a plastic wrap or bag and store in a warm place overnight (minimum 12 hours).
- Seal the starter container with a lid and store in the fridge. Feed it at least once a week.
Day 2
- Add to the same bowl 5 cups flour + 1 tablespoon salt + 2 cups water.
- Mix together with one hand until a wet sticky dough is formed (don’t be tempted to add flour yet. If the dough is too dry add a little bit of water). Knead the dough for 10 mins, it should get less sticky as you knead it. Roll it into a ball, flour the bowl and put it back in the bowl.
- Cover loosely with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for minimum 14 hours.
Day 3
- Remove from the fridge. Knead the dough in the bowl, flatten it and fold the corners into the center repeatedly, for 10 minutes.
- Cut the dough into 2 equal size pieces and shape them into balls or logs, flour them.
- Line a Dutch oven, heavy pot or loaf pan with baking paper or flour and put the balls in them.
- Cover the pots loosely with a plastic bag and let the bread proof in a warm place for 4 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F/220°C.
- Score the bread with a sharp knife or razor blade. Scoring the bread is not necessarily for decorative purposes; it gives the bread more room to grow during its final rise in the oven without splitting.
- Put the lids on the pots and bake for 40 minutes.
- Carefully remove the pots from the oven and quickly remove their lids (keep your hands covered, and don't do this in the oven. You can burn yourself).
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until they get a nice golden color. Let them cool completely before slicing.
- The best way to keep the bread fresh and last last longer is by slicing it, then storing in plastic bags and freezing them.
Hi Shelly. No.1 this is a first for me with sourdough. But so far all is well. 🙏 I’m at the stage of after adding the 5 cups etc n back in fridge. Here’s my question. I only have one cast iron dutch oven with lid. ( I will be adding another or at least a lid to fit my cast iron fry pan) I only want to bake 1 loaf of bread. Will the 2nd dough kept in fridge be ok for maybe 2 days?
Thank you, Shelly too…😄
Hi Shelly, I’m so sorry for the delay. I had terrible covid a week ago and I’m still in recovery.
You can definitely save the dough in the fridge but when you take it out, let it rise for a few hours.
Good luck! LMK how it came out 🙂
How do you knead it in the bowl? Is the kneading just flattening and folding corners in over and over again?
Exactly! Straight in the bowl by flattening, folding and punching it too.
After the time in the fridge, can I transfer it to a bannetton?
Can you pls be more specific. The loaf? The starter?