I bake this loaf when I want a crust that sings and a crumb that feels alive. Warm water wakes the starter. Strong flour lifts the dough. A calm hand does the rest. This sourdough bread recipe stays simple and friendly. We rise, fold, and bake. No drama. I learned by watching bubbles and listening to the dough. Little cues matter. When the dough feels airy, I smile and shape it. When it feels tight, I give it time. That small patience pays off with a golden crackle and a soft chew. Here we go with an easy sourdough bread recipe that still tastes like a weekend project. Need a quick sourdough bread recipe for today. Try my one day sourdough bread recipe. Want fun twists. Peek at recipes with sourdough bread or a chocolate sourdough bread recipe. Got a gadget. I even note a sourdough bread recipe for bread machine fans.
Table of Contents
- 1) Key Takeaways
- 2) Easy Sourdough Bread Recipe
- 3) Ingredients for Sourdough Bread
- 4) How to Make Sourdough Bread
- 5) Tips for Making Sourdough Bread
- 6) Making Sourdough Bread Ahead of Time
- 7) Storing Leftover Sourdough Bread
- 8) Try these bread recipes next
- 9) Sourdough Bread
- 10) Nutrition
1) Key Takeaways
I bake with a clear plan and a calm pace. Water wakes the culture. Time builds flavor. Heat sets shine on the crust. The method works with a busy day and a small kitchen. Linda at Cook Daily Recipe shares the steps and the small checks that guide each move. Visit Cook Daily Recipe at https://www.cookdailyrecipes.com for more ideas and notes.
Strong flour brings lift. Salt brings balance. A warm proof builds soft chew. I follow feel as much as sight. The dough tells me when to fold and when to rest. The sourdough bread recipe stays simple and steady.
You get one crisp round with a light sour note and a golden ear. Slices hold butter and jam and soup. The crumb stays tender. The crust sings when it cools. You slice after the song ends.
2) Easy Sourdough Bread Recipe
I lean on this sourdough bread recipe when I want great bread without stress. The sourdough bread recipe fits a workday. I mix before coffee and bake before dinner. The flow keeps my hands free for the rest of life. I add one fold while I clean. I add one fold after a short walk. Two clear mentions of the main phrase help new readers find this guide fast and with ease.
The method favors feel. I track how the dough moves and how it breathes. When it lifts with a soft bounce, I grin and shape. When it slumps, I rest it a bit more. This reads simple and it is simple. You get a rustic sourdough bread that looks like a bakery loaf and smells like home.
On Cook Daily Recipe I keep tweaks for busy cooks. A Dutch oven bread route lives here for small ovens. One day sourdough bread recipe notes sit here for short timelines. Linda gives plain words and clean steps that help you trust your hands.
3) Ingredients for Sourdough Bread
Bread flour I like a strong protein level for lift and chew. The flour supports open crumb and a tall ear. A mix with a bit of all purpose flour can soften the bite.
All purpose flour This rounds the texture and keeps the crumb tender. It helps the loaf slice well for toast and sandwiches.
Active starter I feed the starter until it peaks and smells like yogurt and apples. Bubbles line the sides. A spoonful floats in water. That lively state gives the best rise.
Warm water I aim for water that feels like a warm bath. Cold slows growth. Very hot harms the culture. Gentle warmth keeps the pace steady.
Fine sea salt Salt sets flavor and tightens gluten. I add it after the rest so the dough hydrates first. The dough feels smoother in the hands.
Rice flour A dusting in the basket keeps the dough from sticking. The thin coat helps the round release cleanly and keeps the pattern neat.
4) How to Make Sourdough Bread
step 1. Feed the starter and wait for a full rise. The surface domes. The smell sits fresh and a bit fruity. A small spoon test shows a float. The culture stands ready.
step 2. Mix flour and water and let the dough rest. Gluten starts to form during this quiet spell. The mass turns stretchy and soft and easy to shape.
step 3. Add salt and a bit of starter. Pinch and fold until the dough feels smooth and supple. Cover and rest for a short window.
step 4. Do gentle stretch and fold sets. Lift the edge and tuck it in. Turn the bowl and repeat. Stop when the dough holds shape and shows fine strands. This beginner sourdough method keeps the work light.
step 5. Let the dough rise until it looks airy and puffy. A finger press springs back slow. The top rounds up. The bowl shows small bubbles.
step 6. Shape with care. Tension the surface as you pull the round toward you. The skin tightens. Place the seam up in a floured basket.
step 7. Chill the proof in the fridge for better flavor and a clean score. Cold dough lifts well in the oven and gives a proud ear.
step 8. Preheat a Dutch oven until very hot. Turn the round onto parchment. Score with a sharp blade. Lower into the pot. Cover for the first bake, then uncover for color.
step 9. Cool on a rack until the song stops. Slice with a sharp bread knife. The crumb looks open and tender. The crust stays crisp.
5) Tips for Making Sourdough Bread
Watch the dough not the clock. Room temp changes the pace. Warm rooms move fast. Cool rooms slow the rise. Small checks beat strict timers every time.
Use steam for shine and lift. A Dutch oven traps steam and makes a crisp shell. If you lack a pot, place a hot tray with water on the lower rack for the first part of the bake.
Score with confidence. A shallow cut can seal and limit spring. A clean deep cut guides the ear. For a fun twist try a chocolate sourdough bread recipe on a slow day.
6) Making Sourdough Bread Ahead of Time
I plan bulk rise during the day and a cold proof at night. The cold rest fits work and sleep. Flavor grows. Crust color deepens. The workflow stays kind to a full schedule.
Mix in the morning. Fold through midday breaks. Shape late afternoon. Tuck the basket in the fridge before bed. Bake the next day and bring warm slices to the table without rush.
Need a fast track. Use the one day sourdough bread recipe plan. For gear fans see the sourdough bread recipe for bread machine notes on Cook Daily Recipe. Both routes keep the same clean taste.
7) Storing Leftover Sourdough Bread
Let the loaf cool. Place cut side down on a board for the first day. The crust stays crisp. The crumb keeps its soft chew. Air can move around the round.
For day two and three wrap in a clean towel or place in a paper bag. Skip plastic for the counter since it softens the crust. For long keeping freeze slices in a flat stack and toast from frozen.
Leftover ideas come easy. Make crunchy croutons. Build hearty toast with eggs. Try recipes with sourdough bread like grilled cheese or bread pudding. Cook Daily Recipe shares more ways to use each slice well.
8) Try these bread recipes next
9) Sourdough Bread
Sourdough Bread Recipe Linda’s One Day Artisan Loaf
Ingredients
For the Starter
- 100 g active sourdough starter at peak
- 200 g warm water
- 200 g bread flour
For the Dough
- 300 g warm water
- 300 g bread flour
- 200 g all purpose flour
- 10 g fine sea salt
- Rice flour for dusting
Instructions
Build Starter
- Stir starter with warm water. Mix in flour. Cover and rest till puffy and doubled.
Mix and Rest
- Add warm water to a large bowl. Whisk in half of the bubbly starter. Save the rest in the fridge.
- Fold in bread flour and all purpose flour till no dry bits remain. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
Add Salt and Folds
- Sprinkle in salt. Pinch and fold the dough till smooth. Rest 30 minutes.
- Do three rounds of stretch and fold every 30 minutes. Keep the dough covered between rounds.
Bulk Fermentation
- Let the dough rise till airy and about one half larger. The surface should look domed.
Shape
- Lightly flour the counter. Gently tip out the dough. Shape into a tight round.
- Dust a banneton with rice flour. Place dough seam side up. Cover.
Cold Proof
- Refrigerate 8 to 12 hours for better flavor and easier scoring.
Preheat
- Place a Dutch oven in the oven and preheat to 250 C. Heat for at least 30 minutes.
Score and Bake
- Turn the dough onto parchment. Score the top with a sharp lame.
- Lift into the hot pot. Cover and bake 22 minutes. Uncover and bake 20 to 25 minutes more till deep golden.
Cool
- Move the loaf to a rack. Let it cool fully before slicing.
10) Nutrition
Serving size one slice. Calories about one hundred ninety. Carbs about forty grams. Protein about six grams. Fat about one gram. Sodium about three hundred eighty milligrams. Fiber about two grams. Values vary with flour and size of slice.
Semantic links for readers appear here in natural flow. I mention artisan sourdough loaf during shaping. I point to rustic sourdough bread in the easy section. I teach a beginner sourdough method in the fold steps. Short keywords show once and fit the story. You will notice sourdough starter during prep. Dutch oven bread in the bake notes. Crusty loaf in the cooling notes. Longtail phrases appear once each and sit clean in the copy. One day sourdough bread recipe in the plan section. Easy sourdough bread recipe in the intro section. Sourdough bread recipe for bread machine in the gear section.
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