My Go-To Sourdough Recipe
There’s nothing quite like the smell of fresh sourdough coming out of your own oven. Once you taste homemade bread, you’ll never want to go back to store-bought! In this post, I’m sharing my go-to sourdough recipe — simple, flexible, and perfect for endless flavor add-ins like roasted garlic and rosemary, or jalapeño cheddar. Whether you’re new to sourdough or looking for a reliable everyday loaf, this is the recipe I reach for again and again.
I started baking bread last year, and let me tell you — once you taste your own homemade sourdough, you'll never want to buy a grocery store loaf again. There’s just something magical about creating a beautiful, crusty loaf from simple ingredients.
Plus, the possibilities for flavor add-ins are endless. A few of my personal favorites? Roasted garlic + rosemary + parmesan, jalapeño + cheddar, or even just a classic plain loaf with a little extra sea salt on top.
This is my go-to sourdough recipe — the one I come back to again and again.
Ingredients:
500g bread flour
330g room temperature water
100g active sourdough starter
10g salt
Instructions:
Mix the flour and 320g of the water in a large bowl until just combined. Cover and let it rest for 1 hour (this is called an autolyse — it helps the dough develop strength naturally).
Add the starter, salt, and the remaining 10g water. Mix everything together until fully incorporated. Cover and let it rest for 1 hour.
Stretch and fold the dough 5 times, every 30 minutes. (This helps build the structure of the bread.)
Let the dough rise (bulk ferment) for about 6 hours at 75°F. It should look puffy and have grown noticeably in size.
Preshape the dough into a loose round, let it rest for 30 minutes, and then shape it again into a tighter ball.
Cold proof the shaped dough overnight in the fridge, covered, to develop flavor and make it easier to bake.
The next day, preheat your oven — with a Dutch oven inside — to 500°F for 1 hour.
When ready to bake, score the top of the dough with a sharp blade (this is where you can get creative with your designs!). Place the dough on parchment paper, drop 3 ice cubes between the parchment and the Dutch oven (for extra steam), cover with the lid, and bake for 20 minutes at 480°F.
Remove the lid, lower the temperature to 450°F, and bake for another 25 minutes until your loaf is deep golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped.
Let the loaf cool for at least 1 hour before slicing. (I know it's hard to wait, but it’s worth it!)
A Few Notes:
Every oven is a little different, so don’t be afraid to adjust the temperature or baking time as needed.
If you’re adding inclusions like cheese, herbs, or garlic, fold them in gently during your second stretch and fold.
Have fun with the scoring — simple lines, a wheat stalk pattern, or even a heart design all look beautiful.
Homemade sourdough is one of life’s simple joys — and once you get into the rhythm, it’s easier (and more addictive) than you think.
Happy baking!