Get ready for a simple sourdough artisan loaf recipe, plus my time stamped baking schedule to follow for perfect loaves every time. I’ll also cover how to “get started” with an active starter, how to store your bread, and will link to all of my favorite basic tools and supplies that I have come to love.

While we choose to eat mostly gluten free day to day, properly fermented and prepared sourdough has been a welcome addition to our diet as we all tolerate it so well. The fermentation process helps break down the gluten in the flour, and allows for an easier to digest bread. Many who are gluten sensitive do great with sourdough when it’s prepared properly. I’d recommend doing more research on this – there is so much out there!

But homemade sourdough has been wonderful for our family, and beats the cost and ingredients of even the best gluten free bread options in-store. I also just love the process, and the satisfaction of making something we would typically buy on a shelf. If you’ve been interested at all, I say go for it!

LONG FERMENTATION

NOTE: longer bread fermentations have been shown to make the bread even lower in gluten, easier to digest, and give more of that “sourdough” flavor. Once you get to the refrigerated step in the process, you can leave your dough to “long ferment” for up to 24 additional hours. Takes patience but it’s produced our favorite loaves to date!

How to Get Started with a Sourdough “Starter”

Sourdough starter is simply a mix of flour and water that is fermented. It is a leavening agent that uses naturally occurring yeasts and bacteria to make baked goods rise.

There are several recipes and guides online for starting your own sourdough starter from scratch. I’ve heard from many having lots of trial & error with this and it sounded complicated, so I decided to start with an already established starter that had been dehydrated.

I purchased one from Ballerina Farm’s online shop and it shipped super quick and came with very easy to follow step-by-step instructions for rehydrating. The process requires a food scale, jar, flour, and water, and 4-5 days of time before you’re ready to bake with the starter. It really is super simple, just follow the instructions to “feed” the starter with flour and water each day. I loved knowing that I was rehydrating a super strong starter so I wouldn’t have to question whether or not it was truly ready to bake with. 5 days & you’re good to go.

Grab the starter I purchased online HERE.

Tools I Use

Click the following links to be taken to my favorites I use every time I bake!

How I Store My Sourdough

Once baked and cooled, I keep my sourdough loaves at room temperature usually sitting on the cutting board and covered with a light towel tucked around. After 1-2 days, I transfer to a Ziploc bag or bread storage bag and keep in the refrigerator.

Sourdough Starter Care Between Baking

After using my starter for a loaf, I will feed it again in about 24 hours. I feed a stronger ratio of 45g starter, 45g filtered water, and 45g organic unbleached all purpose flour. Once the starter has doubled in size, I stick the entire jar in the fridge and leave it there until I’m ready to bake with it again.

If keeping my starter at room temperature, not in the fridge, I will feed it every other night to keep it fresh and strong.

Get Ready to Bake!

I’ve got my favorite, tried and true recipe for beautiful artisan sourdough loaves posted below; with time stamps to follow for an easy baking schedule.

I start by prepping my starter in the afternoon, then mix my dough in the evening. I perform the stretches & folds before bed, and then shape the loaves the next morning. By mid morning, I’m ready to bake. It’s a long process but with many breaks between hands on time. Perfect for the weekend, and you’ll have bread ready to eat all week, or share with a friend.

To see all of the steps of the process in action so you can visualize exactly how to perform them, head to my Instagram, @justjessieb! I show the process in this video:

Sourdough Step By Step Video on Instagram

Print Recipe
5 from 4 votes

Sourdough Loaf

My tried and true recipe for a rustic artisan loaf made with sourdough starter and organic all purpose flour. Time stamps included for an easy to follow baking guide! Makes two loaves
Prep Time20 hours
Cook Time50 minutes
Total Time20 hours 50 minutes
Keyword: sourdough
Servings: 2 loaves
Calories: 114kcal

Ingredients

  • 735 + 50 g filtered water
  • 200 – 235 g active starter (see notes)
  • 1000 – 1050 g organic unbleached all purpose flour (see notes)
  • 24 g fine sea salt

Instructions

Activate the Starter

  • 12:00 to 2:00 PM:  Feed your starter (35g starter, 125g warm filtered water, 140g organic unbleached all-purpose flour) and wait for it to double in size or “activate”

Mix the Dough

  • 7:00 PM:  Mix the dough by adding 735g water and 235g starter to a bowl.  Stir until milky, then add 1000g flour.  Mix it for about 2-3 minutes to combine as much as you can, then cover and let it rest for 20 minutes.  Add the salt and 50g water and use your hands to mix it in and knead the dough for about 5 minutes.  Cover again, and let it rest for 30 minutes.

Stretches & Folds

  • 8:00 PM:  Over the next 2 hours, perform 4 sets of “stretch and folds”.  Every 30 minutes (8:00, 8:30, 9:00, 9:30) I use two hands to stretch one side of the dough up and fold it back down over the other side, then turn the bowl 1/4 turn and repeat until I’ve done all four sides.  Cover the bowl each time you finish a set of stretch & folds.

Long Ferment Overnight

  • 10:00 PM:  Cover the bowl one final time and let it rest on the counter overnight to ferment, until roughly doubled in size.

Shape the Dough

  • 8:00 AM:  Lightly flour a large cutting board and scoop the dough out onto the surface.  Divide the dough in half.  Spread the dough out into a rectangle shape, fold in the sides, then roll up into a round.  To further shape and build tension in the dough, use your hands to push the dough away from you and pull back 4 times until the loaf feels round and springy.  Repeat with the second loaf, and allow the loaves to rest uncovered for 20 minutes.
  • 8:30 AM:  Repeat the shaping process, using your hands to push and pull the loaf 4 times.  Use a dough scraper to flip the loaves upside down (round, smooth side down) into proofing baskets.  Cover with plastic wrap or a shower cap and transfer to the refrigerator for at least 1-2 hours.
    For a long fermentation, you can leve the loaves in the coolest part of your refrigerator (covered) for up to 24 hours.
    Preheat the oven to 450ºF just a bit before you plan on baking.

Bake the Loaves

  • 10:00 AM:  Flip the dough out of the proofing baskets and onto two square sheets of parchment paper.  Dust each loaf with flour and lightly rub to coat, then lightly score in whatever pattern you like (often I just do an X across the top).  Use the parchment paper to lift the dough into a Dutch oven (I bake two at the same time, each in their own pot).
    Cover and bake at 450ºF for 30 minutes.  Remove the lids, and reduce the temperature to 425ºF.  Continue to bake for 20 minutes, or until the outside is as golden brown as you like.
    Transfer to a cooling rack, and let the bread sit for at least an hour before slicing.  ENJOY!

Notes

  • During the colder winter months, around November to March, this recipe works best for me with more starter (235g) and less flour (1000g).  In the warmer months, around April to October, I switch to 200g starter and 1050g flour and they turn out just right.  If your loaves aren’t holding their shape well, try the latter option.  If the dough seems to dry to work with and isn’t rising well, then try the first option.  I hope this helps!  
  • This recipe makes two loaves.  If you have two Dutch oven style pots, you can bake them both at once.  Mine fit in the oven side by side.  Otherwise you can bake them one at a time, back to back.
  • Nutrition facts calculated for 16 slices per loaf.  If you cut smaller slices, the facts will change – but this gives an idea.
  • Store the loaves covered with a light towel on the counter for 1-2 days, then transfer to a ziploc bag or bread bag and keep in the refrigerator.  Slice & lightly toast to serve. 
  • See above post for links to my storage favorites and all of my tools used, start to finish!

Nutrition

Calories: 114kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 293mg | Potassium: 33mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 1mg
Filed   bread muffins, Featured, SOURDOUGH