Easy Sourdough Recipe From Starter

I’m sharing an Easy Sourdough Bread Recipe from starter that reveals the simple tweaks behind a rustic loaf with a chewy crust and soft center, read on.

I never thought a loaf made straight from my active sourdough starter could feel this alive but it does. Strong bread flour gives a chewy crust that sings when you slice it and a soft center that makes you forget time, honestly.

This Beginner Sourdough Bread Recipe With Starter is the kind that keeps you poking a hole at the crumb to see how its done, and if youve been scrolling through Easy Beginner Sourdough Recipes this one will actually make you stop and read, maybe even try. Its rustic, a little rough around the edges and oddly proud, like bread that finally figured itself out.

Ingredients

• Bread flour: high protein, builds gluten for structure and give a chewy crumb.
• Water: hydrates dough, affects crumb openness and fermentation speed.
• Sourdough starter: gives tangy flavor, wild bacteria add depth, plus some protein and carbs.
• Sea salt: enhances flavor, slows fermentation, adds trace minerals but no calories.
• Olive oil: optional fat that softens crumb, adds aroma and a bit of healthy fats.
• Rice flour or cornmeal: dusting prevents sticking and gives a crisp, slightly textured base.

Ingredient Quantities

• 500g (about 4 cups) strong bread flour, plus extra for dusting
• 350g (about 1 1/2 cups) water
• 100g active sourdough starter, 100% hydration
• 10g fine sea salt (about 2 tsp)
• 1 tbsp olive oil, optional
• Rice flour or cornmeal for dusting, optional

How to Make this

1. Feed and check your starter: make sure 100g active 100% hydration starter is bubbly and passes the float test. If it sinks wait till it rises and looks foamy, otherwise the bread will be dense.

2. Mix starter and water: in a large bowl pour 350g lukewarm water and stir in the 100g starter until dissolved. This helps even hydration.

3. Add flour and autolyse: add 500g strong bread flour, mix until no dry bits remain, cover and let rest 30 to 45 minutes. This autolyse helps gluten develop so you dont have to overwork the dough.

4. Add salt and oil: sprinkle 10g fine sea salt and 1 tbsp olive oil (optional) over the dough, pinch and fold them in until incorporated. Use wet hands if dough is sticky.

5. Bulk fermentation with folds: do 3 to 5 sets of stretch-and-folds every 20 to 30 minutes during the first 2 hours (lift one side, stretch up and fold over). After the folds leave the dough to rest at room temperature until it has risen by about 30 to 50 percent, usually 3 to 5 hours total depending on temp.

6. Pre-shape and bench rest: turn dough onto a lightly floured surface, pre-shape into a loose round, let rest 15 to 30 minutes uncovered. This relaxes the dough for final shaping.

7. Final shape and banneton: shape into a tight boule or batard, dust a banneton or bowl with rice flour or cornmeal (optional) and place dough seam-side up. Tuck in a little tension so it holds shape.

8. Final proof: proof at room temp
1.5 to 3 hours until puffy but not doubled, or fridge-proof overnight 12 to 18 hours for deeper flavor. If cold-proofing, bake straight from the fridge but expect longer oven spring control.

9. Preheat and bake: preheat oven with a Dutch oven or heavy pot to 475F (250C) for at least 30 to 45 minutes. Turn the dough onto parchment, score with a sharp lame or knife, place into the hot pot, cover and bake 20 minutes covered, then remove lid and bake another 20 to 30 minutes at 450F (230C) until deep golden and crusty. The covered bake traps steam for a chewy crust and good oven spring.

10. Cool and finish: remove loaf to a rack and cool at least 1 hour before slicing so the crumb sets. Tip: if you want a softer crust brush very lightly with olive oil when warm, or for extra chew keep it plain and enjoy strong crust and soft center.

Equipment Needed

1. Digital kitchen scale (essential for weighing flour, water and starter in grams, dont guess)
2. Large mixing bowl (for dissolving starter, autolyse and bulk ferment)
3. Bench scraper / dough scraper (for folding, lifting and shaping the dough)
4. Measuring spoons (for the 10g salt and 1 tbsp oil)
5. Banneton or proofing basket, or a bowl dusted with rice flour/cornmeal (for final proof)
6. Dutch oven or heavy oven-safe pot with lid (preheated for steam and oven spring)
7. Parchment paper (to transfer loaf into the hot pot)
8. Sharp lame or very sharp knife / razor (for scoring the loaf)
9. Cooling rack and oven mitts (to safely remove and cool the bread)

FAQ

Easy Sourdough Recipe From Starter Substitutions and Variations

• Bread flour: swap with 500g all-purpose + about 30g vital wheat gluten to get the same strength, or replace up to 150g (30%) with whole wheat for a nuttier, denser loaf.
• Water: replace up to half the water with whole milk or buttermilk (use same weight) for a softer, richer crumb; sparkling water can be used for a bit more oven spring.
• Sourdough starter: if you dont have starter, stir 1 to 1.5 tsp instant dry yeast into the dough and shorten bulk ferment to 1–2 hours; loaf will rise faster but be less tangy.
• Fine sea salt: use 8g table salt instead by weight, or 12g flaky sea salt; kosher salt volumes vary by brand so always measure salt by weight not teaspoons.

Pro Tips

1. Wake the starter smartly: if your starter looks meh but not totally dead, make a tiny levain the morning you bake by mixing 20 grams starter with 50 g flour and 50 g water. Let it sit 4 to 6 hours, it will be much more predictable than gambling on a sluggish jar, and you wont end up with a dense loaf.

2. Tune hydration by feel not numbers, especially in humid or dry weather. If the dough feels like pudding after the autolyse add 10 to 20 g less water next time, if it feels tight add 10 to 20 g more. During mixing wet your hands or use a bench scraper to avoid adding extra flour which will make the crumb tight.

3. Make folding efficient: cup the dough and stretch up in one smooth motion, rotate the bowl between folds, and keep the folds regular. Youll build strength faster with fewer, confident folds than with frantic overhandling. Use the finger poke test for readiness not just the clock, poke gently and if it springs back slowly its ready.

4. Scoring and oven steam hacks: score in one quick decisive cut about a third of the way into the dough at an angle to get a nice ear, dont saw back and forth. If you dont have a Dutch oven, throw a tray of boiling water into the oven or spray steam three times in the first three minutes to mimic the trapped steam effect. For doneness look for a deep golden crust and a hollow sound when you tap the bottom, or an internal temp around 205 to 210 F.