Beginner Sourdough Recipe

The Ingredients

* 150g active sourdough starter
* 250g warm water
* 25g olive oil
* 500g bread flour
* 10g salt 

The Process

1. Get your starter ready

Feed it ahead of time and wait until it’s bubbly and active (this can take a few hours). 

2. Mix the dough

  • Mix: water + starter + olive oil
  • Add: flour + salt
  • Stir (or mix with your hands) until a rough, shaggy dough forms
  • Cover and rest 30–60 minutes (this is critical for gluten development)

3. Bulk rise (first rise)

  • After the rest, use your hands to work the dough into a smooth ball and place in a bowl for the first rise
  • Cover and let sit at room temp
  • Optional: do 1–2 stretch-and-folds during the first hour for better structure.
    • A stretch and fold is when you grab one edge of the dough, gently stretch it upward without tearing, and fold it over onto itself. Rotate the bowl and repeat 3–4 times until the dough tightens slightly, then cover and let it rest.
  • Wait until it’s puffy and nearly doubled (3–12 hours depending on temp) 

4. Shape the dough

  • Turn onto a floured surface
  • Fold it into a tight round ball
  • Create surface tension to helps it rise well (see below for more explanation, if needed)

5. Second rise (proof)

  • Place dough upside down (i.e., uglier seam side facing up) in a flour-lined bowl 
  • Let rise 30–60 minutes, until slightly puffy
  • Toward the end of the rise, place your dutch oven in your oven and preheat to 450°F 

6. Score

  • Remove dutch oven from oven very carefully 
  • Flip dough out of the flour-lined bowl and place the boule very carefully in the dutch oven
  • Using a razor or very sharp knife, make a shallow slash on top (2–3 inches) right before baking 

7. Bake

  • Bake covered: 20 minutes
  • Then uncovered: 40 minutes, until deep golden
    • For the final 10 minutes of the 40 minutes, you have the option to remove the loaf from the dutch oven and place it directly on the oven rack to crisp up.
  • Aim for an internal temp: ~205–210°F

8. Cool

  • Let it rest at least 1 hour before slicing (cutting early = gummy bread)

Important Notes (don’t skip this)

  • Watch the dough, not the clock. Temperature, for example, can change everything. Warmer conditions move up your timeline while cooler conditions slow everything down.
  • Your starter must be active or the loaf won’t rise.
  • It's tempting to dive right into a warm loaf (trust us, we know), but don’t rush the cooling step—it affects texture more than you think.
  • This is a basic overview of the process, but there are so many great recipes, posts, tutorials, and videos online that can add important context and really help you learn what you're doing, so you can adapt as you go. One of my favorite explainer posts is from Emilie at The Clever Carrot. Check it out here. 

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More on the whole surface tension thing:

To create tension on your sourdough ball (boule), use a drag-and-pull motion on a lightly floured surface to seal the seam and tighten the outer "skin". Aim for a smooth, taut surface that feels springy without tearing. 

Step-by-Step Tension Technique

  • Prepare the Surface: Use minimal flour; a slightly tacky surface helps the dough grip the counter, which is necessary to build tension.
  • Seam Sealing: If you haven't already, bring the edges of the dough into the center and pinch them to create a tight, sealed seam.
  • Proceed with the "drag and pull":
    • Place your hands (or a bench scraper) on the sides of the dough.
    • Gently pull the dough toward you, allowing the friction of the counter to drag the bottom of the dough underneath itself.
    • Rotate the dough slightly and repeat the motion until the top surface is smooth and tight.
    • Check for Readiness: The dough should hold its shape and not spread out immediately. If it tears, you have gone too far; if it spreads, it needs more tension.