How to Make Homemade Sourdough Bread, Part 2: Making the Dough and Baking Your First Loaf

Congratulations on successfully making a healthy and active sourdough starter! As I mentioned in How to Make Homemade Sourdough Bread, Part 1: Making Your Sourdough Starter, developing the starter is the most difficult part of the process, in my opinion. Now, it’s time for the fun part!

Everything You’ll Need

While some of the materials listed are helpful, they aren’t all completely necessary. If you’re unsure you’ll enjoy making sourdough bread, you can avoid the added expenses and use alternative tools you likely already have in your kitchen (I’ll list alternatives at relevant steps of the process). If you wish to continue making sourdough bread after baking your first loaf, consider purchasing the optional tools to make the process smoother going forward.

Ingredients

• Active sourdough starter
• Unbleached flour
• Filtered water
• Salt

Materials

• Large mixing bowl
• Kitchen scale
• Danish whisk
• Plastic dough scraper
• Disposable shower cap
• Metal dough scraper
• Banneton bread-proofing basket
• Flour dusting wand
• Bread lame

Click here to see the complete product list on Amazon!

Making and Preparing the Dough

Now that your sourdough starter is active and ready for baking, it’s time to make the dough. While this step can be tedious, it’s also the rewarding part of the process, as you finally start to see results from all your hard work thus far.

What You’ll Need

• 100 grams (½ cup) active sourdough starter
• 475 grams (3 ½ cups) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 325 grams (1 ⅓ cups) filtered water
• 10 grams (2 teaspoons) salt
• Large mixing bowl
• Kitchen scale (Alternative: measuring cups)
• Danish whisk (Alternative: wooden spoon)
• Plastic dough scraper (Alternative: plastic or silicone spatula)
• Disposable shower cap (Alternative: plastic wrap or tea towel)
• Metal dough scraper (Alternative: metal spatula and pizza cutter)
• Banneton bread-proofing basket (Alternative: clean mixing bowl lined with a tea towel)
• Flour dusting wand (Alternative: sifter or mesh strainer)
• Bread lame (Alternative: razor blade or serrated paring knife)

Note: Measurements are for one loaf. Simply double all ingredients to make two loaves.

Instructions

1. Mix the Dough: In a large mixing bowl, combine active sourdough starter, water, and flour, using a kitchen scale to weigh your measurements. Stir using a Danish whisk until the mixture is just combined and no dry flour remains. At this stage, the dough will be shaggy and sticky. Let it rest uncovered for 30 minutes to allow the flour to hydrate fully, improving the dough's texture.
2. Add Salt: After mixing the dough, sprinkle salt over it. Using a wet hand or a plastic dough scraper, pinch and fold the salt into the dough, helping to distribute it evenly.
3. Stretch and Folds: Reach into the bowl, stretch one edge of the dough upward, and fold it over the center. Turn the bowl a quarter turn and repeat. A full rotation equals one set of stretch and folds. Perform stretch and folds for 10 minutes to develop the dough's strength. Cover the dough bowl with a loose cover that provides air for the dough to rise–such as a disposable shower cap, loose plastic wrap, or a tea towel–for 1 hour.
4. Bulk Fermentation: Keep it covered and let it ferment at room temperature for 4–6 hours or until it has doubled in size. During this time, perform one set of stretch and folds every 30 minutes, keeping it covered between sets. This process strengthens the dough’s structure without the need for heavy kneading and helps create a good crumb.
5. Shape the Dough: Once the dough has doubled in size and is airy and bubbly, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface without pulling or forcing it out of the bowl. If you’re making two loaves, use a metal dough scraper to chop it in half. Again, using the metal dough scraper, gently shape it into a tight, round loaf by lifting and folding the edges toward the center, then flip it over (also using the metal dough scraper to avoid tearing the dough with your fingers).
6. Proof the Dough: Transfer the shaped dough to a generously floured banneton bread-proofing basket. Sprinkle the flour over the top of the dough loaf using a flour dusting wand or sifter to avoid it from sticking, cover it back up, and let it proof for another 1–2 hours at room temperature. When the dough has slightly expanded and springs back when lightly pressed, place it (in the covered banneton) in the fridge overnight for 12 to 15 hours.
7. Score the Dough: Just before baking, score the dough with a bread lame, cutting one long slash (main score) approximately ¼ to ½-inch deep, allowing the dough to expand evenly as it bakes. You can also make additional, smaller scores to create a decorative pattern in the dough. However, these scores must be more shallow than the main score to hold their pattern because the loaf will expand at the weakest point during baking.

Time to Bake!

Now that your dough is proofed and scored, it's time to bake your sourdough bread to perfection. Baking at the right temperature with the correct setup ensures a crispy crust and a soft, airy interior.

What You’ll Need

• Dutch oven (Alternative: baking stone or baking sheet)
• Silicone bread sling (Alternative: parchment paper)
• Wire rack
• Sourdough bread knife (Alternative: regular bread knife)

Instructions

1. Preheat the Oven: Preheat the oven to 500°F (260°C). If using a Dutch oven, place it inside the oven while it preheats. A fully heated Dutch oven ensures a good rise and proper crust formation.
2. Prepare for Baking: Carefully transfer your proofed dough from the fridge onto a silicone bread sling or sheet of parchment paper.
3. Bake with Steam: Remove the hot Dutch oven from the oven, place the dough inside using the silicone bread sling or parchment paper, cover it with the lid, and return it to the oven. Bake covered for 20 minutes to trap steam. If using a baking stone or sheet, place an oven-safe pan with boiling water on the lower rack to create steam, then place your dough on the stone or baking sheet.
4. Finish Baking Uncovered: After 20 minutes, remove the lid (if using a Dutch oven) and continue baking for another 15–25 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.
5. Cool Before Slicing:
   Once baked, carefully remove the bread and place it on a wire rack. Let it cool for at least an hour before slicing to lock in moisture, help the crumb set, and prevent gumminess. Now, enjoy your freshly baked sourdough bread!

Note: While a regular bread knife will cut through your loaf of bread just fine, a sourdough bread knife slices through the loaf effortlessly, providing more control and preventing you from smooshing the bread or cutting rigid edges.

How to Properly Store Sourdough Bread

Proper storage is essential to keeping your sourdough bread fresh and delicious. Unlike store-bought bread, sourdough has a natural fermentation process that helps it stay fresh longer, but proper storage will help maintain its texture and flavor.

Short-Term Storage (1–5 Days)

• Keep your sourdough at room temperature in a paper bag, bread box, or clean kitchen towel. To maintain its crispiness, you can also store it in a bag placed inside a bread box. These storage options allow airflow, preventing the crust from becoming too soft while keeping the interior moist.
• Avoid storing sourdough in plastic bags unless you want a softer crust.

Long-Term Storage (Freezing)

• For longer storage, slice your bread and place the slices in an airtight freezer bag, allowing you to take out only what you need.
• Whole loaves can also be frozen by wrapping them in plastic wrap and placing them in a freezer-safe bag.
• To reheat, thaw at room temperature or warm in the oven at 325°F (163°C) for 10–15 minutes.

Reviving Stale Bread

• If your sourdough has gone stale, quickly run the loaf under cold water and place it in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 10–15 minutes to refresh the crust and restore moisture to the inside, making it taste freshly baked again!

Resources

As previously mentioned in Part 1, I discovered a content creator on TikTok called msemilyrose1, who has several sourdough-related video playlists. Once you’re on her profile, find the playlist titled “Sourdough Bread,” where she’s posted 8 step-by-step videos on the process. While there are likely thousands of video tutorials online about preparing and baking your dough, hers are easy to follow and ultimately helped me achieve a perfectly golden-brown crumb.

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