Baking Your First Sourdough Loaf 🍞

You’ve fed your starter. You’ve gathered your ingredients. And now… it’s time to bake your very first loaf of sourdough!

I created the Beginner Artisan Loaf recipe to be simple, flexible, and beginner-friendly, so you can bake delicious bread at home without the overwhelm. It also bakes 2 loaves: one for later in the week or gifting. It’s my work smarter not harder method!

Here’s a step-by-step breakdown—with time stamps to guide your bake:

What You’ll Need

• 1000g flour
• 750g water (room temp)
• 100g active sourdough starter (fed and bubbly)
• 18g salt

⏰ Timeline Overview (Example Start Time: 8:00 AM) I prefer to put my dough together at night and bulk ferment overnight. It fits best in my family’s schedule.

8:00 AM – Mix the Dough

In a large bowl, mix active starter, water, flour and salt. Stir until fully combined—no need to knead yet! Cover and rest for 1 hour

9:00 AM to 11:00 – Stretch & Fold (3-4 Rounds)

Every 30 – 45 minutes, perform a round of stretch and folds:

1. Grab one side of the dough, stretch it up, and fold it over.
2. Rotate the bowl and repeat 3–4 times.
3. Each round takes about 1 minute.

Do this 3-4 times total, then let the dough rest and rise for the remaining bulk fermentation.

11:00 AM to 5:00 PM – Bulk Ferment

Let the dough rise, covered with a damp tea towel or bowl cover at room temp —until it doubles, looks puffier and jiggles slightly when you move the bowl. This step may take longer depending on your kitchen temp (colder = slower).

5:00 PM – Shape the Dough

Gently turn your dough out onto a floured surface. Shape it into a round (boule) or oval (batard) by folding the edges toward the center and flipping it seam-side down. Let it rest for 20 minutes uncovered. Do a final shape, then place your dough into a floured banneton or towel-lined bowl seam-side up. Cover and place in the fridge overnight or up to 2 days.

💤 Overnight – Cold Fermentation

This slow rise builds flavor, structure, and makes morning baking a breeze!

Next Morning – Bake Day!

Preheat your oven to 450°F with your Dutch oven inside (about 25 minutes).

When ready, gently flip the dough onto parchment, score the top and transfer to the hot Dutch oven.

Bake:

• 25 minutes with the lid on
• 20–25 minutes with the lid off (until deep golden brown)

Cool for at least 1 hour before slicing. (Yes, really—this part is hard, but worth it!)

🥖 That’s it! You did it.

You baked your first real loaf of sourdough—and we couldn’t be prouder. This is just the beginning of your sourdough journey.

📖 Ready to try it?
👉 Get the Full Beginner Artisan Loaf Recipe

You don’t need perfection. You just need to start.

your bread bestie,

xo Courtney