Beginner’s Guide to Master Easy Homemade Sourdough Bread

Beginner’s guide to master easy homemade sourdough bread. If you’ve always wanted to bake homemade sourdough bread but thought it seemed too complicated, you’re in the right place!

This beginner’s guide will walk you through the entire process step-by-step, with tips, tricks, and everything you need to succeed. By the end, you’ll have a beautiful, crusty loaf of sourdough that tastes like it came straight from a bakery—all made in your own kitchen.

Why Sourdough?

Sourdough bread isn’t just delicious; it’s healthier too! The natural fermentation process gives the bread that iconic tangy flavor and makes it easier to digest. Plus, there’s nothing quite as satisfying as pulling your very own golden loaf out of the oven.

Don’t worry if you’re completely new to this. With a little patience and the right guidance, anyone can bake sourdough bread.

What You’ll Need to Get Started

Ingredients:

• Flour: Use high-quality bread flour (I use King Arthur Bread Flour) or all-purpose flour.
• Water: Filtered water works best.
• Salt: Regular table salt or sea salt.
• Sourdough Starter: This is the key ingredient! If you don’t have one, don’t worry—you can make your own (more on this below).

Tools:

• Mixing bowl
• Kitchen scale (for accuracy)
• Bench scraper
• Proofing basket (optional but helpful)
• 2 loaf pans

Get Your Starter Ready

Before you bake, you need an active sourdough starter. A starter is a mix of flour and water that ferments over time, creating natural yeast. If you don’t have one yet:

1. Combine 1/2 cup of flour and 1/4 cup of water in a jar.
2. Stir well, cover loosely, and let it sit at room temperature.
3. Feed it daily by adding equal parts flour and water.
4. After 5-7 days, your starter should be bubbly, tangy-smelling, and ready to use!

If you already have a starter, just feed it 4-6 hours before baking to ensure it’s active.

Mix the Dough

1. In a large bowl, combine 500g of bread flour, 375g of water, 10-12g of salt, and 100g of active starter.
2. Mix everything together until no dry flour remains. The dough will be sticky—that’s normal!
3. Cover the bowl with a clean towel and let it rest for 30 minutes. This step is called the “autolyse” and helps the dough hydrate.

Stretch and Fold

Sourdough bread doesn’t need kneading, but it does need a little TLC.

1. After the rest, gently stretch the dough upward and fold it over itself.
2. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat.
3. Do this stretch-and-fold process 3-4 times over the next 2 hours. It builds structure in the dough.

Shape the Dough

1. Turn the dough onto a floured surface.
2. Gently shape it into a round (or oval) loaf by folding the edges toward the center.
3. Place the shaped dough into a proofing basket or bowl lined with parchment paper.

Bulk Fermentation

The long rise, or bulk fermentation, is where the magic happens. This helps develop flavor, structure, and texture in your sourdough. Some folks like to leave their dough in a warm spot, covered with plastic wrap and a clean towel for 3 to 12 hours. It will take longer in the winter than the summer, and shorter with a strong starter (or one made with yeast) than a weaker starter.

Letting the dough do a slow fermentation in the fridge takes out a lot of the guesswork. The temperature controls the rate at which your dough ferments, so you don’t need to worry if your kitchen is too hot (ferments too quickly) or too cold (isn’t ready to bake). It’s ready when the dough has doubled in size.

Let It Rise Again!

Wake up the dough from its long, cold sleep. This is a shorter rise than the first, letting the dough recover from all the work it has been through and to activate the natural yeasts. Caution: don’t let your dough proof too long – it will use up all of that gluten-strength and won’t end up in a nice, high, round loaf.

Bake the Bread

1. Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C). If using a Dutch oven, place it inside to heat up.
2. Carefully place the dough in a loaf pan, dust with flour and score, and then put the 2nd loaf pan on top as a lid and put it into the oven.
3. Cover and bake for 30 minutes.
4. Remove the loaf pan that is acting as a lid and reduce heat to 400°F and bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until the crust is deep golden brown. (If you’re not sure your bread is done, you can check the internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer. It should be about 205 degrees F.)
5. Let the bread cool for at least 1 hour before slicing. It’s still working a bit inside the loaf, and if you cut it open too soon, it will be a gummy mess. When you are ready for your first slice, use a good serrated knife to cut through the crust so you don’t smash the tender crumb on the inside.

Troubleshooting Tips

• Sticky Dough? Don’t panic! Sourdough dough is wetter than regular bread dough, but it’s what gives the bread its great texture.
• Flat Loaf? Your starter might not have been active enough. Make sure it’s bubbly and passes the “float test” (a spoonful should float in water).
• Hard Crust? Let your bread cool completely before slicing—this prevents it from drying out.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• It’s beginner-friendly with simple steps.
• You don’t need fancy equipment.
• The taste and texture are so worth the effort.

Time to Get Baking!

With this guide, you’re ready to master homemade sourdough bread. Sure, it takes some time and practice, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll be hooked. There’s nothing like the smell of freshly baked sourdough filling your home—or the satisfaction of slicing into that perfect loaf you made yourself. Happy baking!

---

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclose here.

Shop This Post

Rectangular Baking Bread Loaf Pan https://amzn.to/4gJ3YrM

Digital Kitchen Scale with LCD Display https://amzn.to/3VJZx7Q

Multipurpose Bench Scraper https://amzn.to/3Bq1cIV

Bread Banneton Proofing Basket https://amzn.to/4gGrjdl

Dough Whisk Stainless Steel Dough Hook https://amzn.to/3VJoH6u

---

Click Here for more delicious recipes from Little House Big Barn! 😊