Basic Sourdough Bread Recipe - Food.com (2024)

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Editors' Pick

Basic Sourdough Bread Recipe - Food.com (1)

Submitted by Donna M.

"Plain white, simple sourdough bread. A great starter recipe to use if you are new to sourdough baking. The dough cycle of the bread machine can be used to prepare the dough, if you like. Prep time does not include proofing time for starter."

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Ready In:
3hrs 50mins

Ingredients:
6
Yields:

1 loaf

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ingredients

  • 2 cups proofed sourdough starter
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 12 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 3 cups white bread flour

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directions

  • Before measuring out your 2 cups of starter culture, it must be proofed: To proof, I usually start with 1 cup of starter and stir into it equal parts of flour and warm water (for this recipe, 1 1/2 cups of each would be more than enough).
  • Let mixture sit, covered loosely, for 8 to 12 hours-- the longer it sits, the sourer the flavor will be.
  • At this point, measure out the 2 cups required for recipe, and return leftover starter to refrigerator for next time.
  • Pour starter into mixing bowl.
  • Melt butter (microwave works well).
  • Add milk to butter and warm briefly (85 degrees F).
  • Add the salt and sugar, stir until dissolved.
  • Add this mixture to the culture and mix well.
  • Add the flour, 1 cup at a time, stirring until the dough is too stiff to mix by hand.
  • Turn onto floured board and knead in the remaining flour until the dough is smooth and satiny.
  • Pat dough into a 1-inch thick oval and form loaf by rolling oval up from the long side, pinching the seam together as you roll the dough, tucking ends to form the loaf.
  • Place in lightly greased loaf pan (I spray with cooking spray), and let rise, covered, at 85 degrees F for 1 1/2 to 3 hours.
  • When the dough rises 1 to 2 inches above the edges of pan, it is ready to bake.
  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  • Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees F and bake an additional 30 to 40 minutes (baking time varies according to your oven and your personal taste--some like a darker crustier bread than others).
  • Remove loaf from oven and brush the top lightly with melted butter; turn loaf out of the pan and cool on wire rack.
  • If you prefer, you can shape this into a round or oval loaf and bake on a baking sheet.

Questions & Replies

Basic Sourdough Bread Recipe - Food.com (13)

  1. Basic Sourdough Bread Recipe - Food.com (14)

    So if I am reading this bread recipe correctly it only has one rise right? Most bread recipes call for dough to rise the make loaves and rise a second time. So I am reading this correctly only one rise in the pan it is baked in?

  2. Basic Sourdough Bread Recipe - Food.com (15)

    Where do I get or start a starter????

  3. Basic Sourdough Bread Recipe - Food.com (16)

    I’m confused by the first paragraph of the Directions. It says Before measuring out your 2 cups of starter culture, it must be proofed: To proof, I usually start with 1 cup of starter and stir into it equal parts of flour and warm water (for this recipe, 1 1/2 cups of each would be more than enough). It says to add equal parts to the 1 cup of starter but then says 1 1/2 is more than enough. Can you clarify please?

  4. Basic Sourdough Bread Recipe - Food.com (17)

    I'm confused by "proofing". Does this become part of the 2 cups used in making the loaf or is this the replenishment that is poured back into the starter after the 2 cups have been measured out?

  5. Basic Sourdough Bread Recipe - Food.com (18)

    Does it have to be made in a loaf pan? It looks more convenient that the traditional round sourdough loaf, but if I want to make a round loaf, can I just shape it into a ball instead? Also, it looks less full of holes than most sourdough I'm used to, is there a reason for this? Thanks.

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Reviews

  1. Basic Sourdough Bread Recipe - Food.com (19)

    This makes a fabulous loaf of bread! Easy and simple with wonderful results! I used my bread machine's dough cycle for the kneading. I mixed the melted butter (actually I used margarine), milk, salt and sugar together in a measuring cup and then added to my starter and gently stirred it well. Then I put the flour in my machine and turned it on and then gradually added the liquid. The ratio of liquid to flour is perfect! My dough was elastic and smooth. Then I placed the dough in my glass loaf pan that I had sprayed with Pam and covered it with a clean dish towel to rise. It took about 2 hours to rise about 1 1/2" about the rim of the pan. Then I baked it! There is no better aroma than baking bread! The loaf has a moist spongy center and a crusty outside. Perfect! Thanks, Donna M!

  2. Basic Sourdough Bread Recipe - Food.com (20)

    This is a wonderful recipe. I'd give it six stars if I could. I am a novice at sourdough, and I did the dough in my bread machine and baked it in the oven (ok..I am lazy). It was terrific, very moist and crusty and deleciously sour. Thanks for the recipe. I wlll definitely make it over and over again.

  3. Basic Sourdough Bread Recipe - Food.com (21)

    A friend gave me some sourdough starter he made from scratch capturing local wild yeast. I've been working with a plain flour and water recipe for weeks without being excited by the bread. I tried this recipe and LOVED the result! Nice sour flavor and soft, chewy bread you can really enjoy! I prepared 4 proofed starter portions. In the pic, the one on the right is per the recipe using bread flour. Middle is recipe but with all purpose flour bcs I ran out of bread flour. On the left is all purpose flour with beer instead of milk! I think I will half the dough next time as I did with the last starter portion which made two nice rounds.

    • Basic Sourdough Bread Recipe - Food.com (22)

  4. Basic Sourdough Bread Recipe - Food.com (23)

    I am so glad I caught you (or you caught me) online. I would have over-cooked it. 38 minutes and it's done...I got the heel! I couldn't wait for morning. It's beautiful...it's delicious...what else can I say! I know my husband's going to like this one too; it is very mild. Absolutely no yeast added and the texture is gorgeous. I baked it in a clear glass pyrex loaf pan. It has ever the slightest tang of sourdough (used the Red Sea sourdough starter)...ummm ummm ummm! Definitely a winner. Thanks Donna for sharing this!

  5. Basic Sourdough Bread Recipe - Food.com (24)

    EXCELLENT, I don't have a bread machine, but didn't need one...omg, the AROMA that so filled the house, and then that was NOTHING...taste was truly WONDERFUL, Thank you Donna, I loved this and afraid we're now "hooked" on sourdough. But thank-you, nobody is complaining! Now I can't wait to try your other sourdough recipes!

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Tweaks

  1. Basic Sourdough Bread Recipe - Food.com (25)

    I have made this recipe a couple of times a month for the last year. I have tried others but always go back to this one. The only tweak I did was substitute the milk and butter with about 3/4 cup of butter milk. Great recipe! Thanks

  2. Basic Sourdough Bread Recipe - Food.com (26)

    I’ve had good luck with this recipes as is, but this time I used 2 cups of regular flour and 1 cup of whole wheat flour and the resulting loaf is perfect!

    • Basic Sourdough Bread Recipe - Food.com (27)

  3. Basic Sourdough Bread Recipe - Food.com (28)

    Didn't change anything.

  4. Basic Sourdough Bread Recipe - Food.com (29)

    I'm gluten intolerant, so I'm just trying it out and seeing about converting this recipe to gf. I'm using rice flour and a mixture blend gf flour. 1 cup and 3 cups and 2 cups of gf s ourdough starter just like this recipe. I replaced the sugar with about 1/4 a cup of honey. But all the directions are the same. Will post a picture when finished!

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Basic Sourdough Bread Recipe  - Food.com (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to good sourdough bread? ›

Top 10 Tips & Tricks for Making Sourdough
  • Use your sourdough starter at its peak. ...
  • Moisten the surface of the dough before baking for more rise. ...
  • Handle with care: be gentle with your dough. ...
  • Use sifted flour to make your sourdough less dense. ...
  • Soak your flour beforehand for a lighter loaf. ...
  • Just add water for softer sourdough.

What are the ingredients in authentic sourdough bread? ›

These are fresh flour, water, salt, and a natural starter (leaven or levain). Real sourdough bread is made without the use of commercial yeast or any other commercially available leavening agent. Leavening agents make bread rise when it is baked.

How do you make enough sourdough starter? ›

There is no single best ratio, but I've found a ratio of 1:5:5 fed twice daily at 12-hour intervals to produce a sourdough starter that's strong and healthy. This ratio corresponds to 20% ripe starter carryover, 100% water, and 100% flour (a mix of whole grain rye and white flour) at each feeding.

What is the best flour for sourdough bread? ›

The best flour blend for creating a new sourdough starter is 50% whole-meal flour (whole wheat or whole rye) and 50% bread flour or all-purpose flour. I recommend a 50/50 mix of whole wheat flour and bread flour.

What is the mother of sourdough bread? ›

Mother - this is the overall dough culture that lives in a bowl in your fridge. We take portions from it to make our ferments (Starter) for our sourdough recipes. When the mother culture gets low, we add to it (feed it).

What ingredients should not be in sourdough bread? ›

Other natural ingredients can be added but genuine sourdough bread making does not involve the use of baker's yeast, chemical raising agents, so-called processing aids or other additives.

What is the healthiest sourdough bread? ›

“The whole-grain sourdoughs have more fiber, protein and micronutrients, making them more filling and healthier for you overall,” says Natalie Rizzo, registered dietitian and nutrition editor at TODAY.com. When choosing a sourdough loaf, look for ones that have whole wheat, spelt or rye, Rizzo adds.

Is grocery store sourdough real sourdough? ›

Despite the fact that traditional sourdough ingredients are flour, water, and salt, many store-bought versions include added yeast, ascorbic acid, vinegar, and oil. So, although many grocery stores may carry bread labeled “sourdough”, more often than not they are in fact fake sourdough.

Can you use too much starter in sourdough bread? ›

The more starter you use, the faster your dough will ferment - resulting in a less sour loaf. Of course the amount of starter is actually a ratio in relation to the flour - so 50g of starter to 500g of flour will ferment at a much slower rate than 200g of starter to 500g of flour.

Do you have to discard sourdough starter every time you feed it? ›

Do I have to discard my sourdough starter? It would be best if you discarded some portion of your starter each time you feed it unless you want to continue to let it grow. Eventually, you need to discard the used “food” (flour and water) that's been used to sustain your starter during the last fermentation period.

How much sourdough starter do you need for a loaf of bread? ›

Ingredients for one sourdough bread loaf
  1. 500 grams of bread flour.
  2. 330 grams of lukewarm water.
  3. 50 grams of active starter (fed)
  4. 9 grams of salt.
Dec 9, 2021

Is it cheaper to buy or make sourdough bread? ›

Making sourdough bread at home can be cheaper per loaf in the long run, but buying it might be more cost-effective if you value convenience or bake infrequently.

What is the best proofing time for sourdough bread? ›

The time you let the dough rise at warm room temperature depends on the dough formula and the exact temperature. For most sourdough bread dough, a final rise time (proof) of 1 to 4 hours at room temperature is appropriate.

What makes sourdough taste better? ›

The key taste compounds include salt, which is directly added to the dough, as well as acetic and lactic acid, produced during fermentation. After these experiments, they applied a technique called “unified flavor quantitation,” which was previously developed by Hofmann's team, to the sourdough bread.

What makes sourdough bread taste better? ›

Keep the dough temperature lower: Lactic acid bacteria are most active in the higher temperatures of the mid 80s-90sºF. Keeping the dough in the 76-78º F range will still ferment and produce bacteria but will encourage lactic acid bacteria instead of acetic acid bacteria resulting in a more mild flavored loaf.

What is the secret behind the sour of sourdough bread? ›

Sourdough bread's signature taste comes from friendly bacteria and yeast, which produce flavorful lactic and acetic acids in rising bread dough.

How can I make my sourdough rise better? ›

So don't leave your dough in a warm oven, on a radiator or in sunlight. It will likely be too warm and will dry out your dough too. Instead, find a cosy spot, with no drafts, for your dough to rise. And, if your sourdough starter is struggling to get going, consider finding it a warmer spot too.

How to make sourdough bread fluffier? ›

Keeping the lid on for the first part of baking allows steam to expand between the gluten fibers to rise the bread and create a fluffy loaf. Step 4: Remove the lid and bake for an additional 12-14 minutes or until the crust is crispy and golden brown. Once you take the lid off, the bread likely won't rise anymore.

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