Let your bread machine do all the hard work for you and say goodbye to overly complex sourdough recipes forever.
💡Are you unfamiliar with the world of sourdough? Visit the beginners guide to sourdough baking, or get started with a sourdough starter of your own from scratch!
Have you ever had a complete baking fail? Well of course, we all have. But have you ever had a two year long baking fail? I bet you have not. When I first tried baking with sourdough, I failed at it every single week for two years before I finally quit. When I restarted years later, I was determined to succeed and it still took me FOREVER.
Most people love the idea of baking with sourdough because they see pictures of beautiful artisan loaves with deep crust, slashes, and all the rest. And then the reality of their bread is a flat, weird, situation that is not quite what they expected. Anyone else?
I am going to share a great recipe that is going to end that sadness forever. This recipe has no yeast, so it is a true sourdough bread. But it breaks some of the sourdough rules because it is kneaded fully, like a yeast dough, in the bread machine. It’s not baked in there (that would not work at all.) But if you are looking for a truly simple sourdough recipe, you have found it.
When I was developing this recipe, I knew that it couldn’t be a high hydration, super open crumb bread. That requires folding and a million steps. That’s fine, but it’s not what I wanted. I wanted a true, yeast free sourdough that could be made easily enough that it could be our everyday bread. So I had to make this a pretty low-hydration, but I think you’ll be surprised by how nice the texture is. It turns out a great, consistent loaf of bread.
Step by step bread machine sourdough bread:
Day 1: Prepare the dough in the bread machine and shape the loaf
This bread has an autolyse step that is a fancy word for “mix everything in a bowl and let it sit there”. Pour all the ingredients into a mixing bowl, EXCEPT THE SALT, and mix it up.
It may look dryer than you are used to seeing with sourdough bread. That’s okay. Don’t add any more water. You can use your hands to make sure any dry bits get mixed in.
Cover with a towel and just let it rest on the counter for about 30 minutes. I always measure out the salt and put it in a little container on top of the towel so I don’t forget to add it later.
Come back after the 30 minute rest and the dough will probably seem less dry. Great!
Then we put the dough and the salt in the bread machine bucket. Set in on the dough cycle and press start. You don’t need to fold the dough or anything crazy like that. Just walk away.
Since this is a true sourdough without yeast, it needs a longer rise time than what the bread machine gives it. Let it complete the cycle, turn itself off, then leave it for 2 to 3 more hours. It won’t double in size, but should look noticeably puffier. The cooler the room, the longer the rise.
Now we take out the dough and shape it into a loaf. It will feel sticky, but should not be too difficult to work with. Don’t flour your hands or anything else. Prepare a baking sheet by laying parchment paper on top and sprinkling it with cornmeal,
Roughly shape it into an oval without mashing it down. Just gently shape. I don’t use any type of fancy technique. When it looks like a smooth oval loaf, great.
Place the loaf on the baking sheet and cover it with heaviliy greased plastic wrap.
Put it in the fridge overnight. I have left it in there up to 18 hours without any trouble.
Day 2: Bake the bread
When you bake up in the morning, it’s time to bake your bread machine sourdough. The earlier the better.
Preheat your oven to 450 with one rack in the center and one rack in the lower middle. Place an empty rimmed baking sheet on the lower middle rack. We want to heat it up so it can create steam. The steam is an essential part of getting a good shaped loaf.
While the oven is preheating, take the loaf out of the fridge. It may not look that much bigger than it did yesterday. Don’t worry.
Gently rub it with flour (I use rice flour, but any kind is fine for this). and then slash it. If you want an “ear” on your loaf, do you main slash parallel to the baking sheet.
Once the oven has preheated, pour 1 cup of water onto the hot, empty baking sheet.
Immediately place the baking sheet in as well, close the door quickly, and set the timer for 45 minutes.
See how much oven spring you get with the steam? Amazing.
Let it cool at least 4 hours before slicing.
It is the perfect bread for sandwiches or toast with a chewy crust, great flavor, and beautiful interior with holes that aren’t too big for sandwiches.
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Essential tools and ingredients for this recipe:
- A bread maker! A basic model is fine, you are only using it for kneading and rising. I have this brand and use it almost every day.
- Bread flour. You really need bread flour for this recipe to ensure a chewy crust and good structure in your loaf. Look for one that is at least 12% protein. My favorite is King Arthur bread flour, available at the grocery store. If you are a serious baker, you can buy it in bulk for a much better price.
- Parchment paper. A sheet that will lay flat is much easier than wrestling with a roll every day.
- Your starter MUST be well fed, healthy, and vigorous! I follow a relatively low maintenance starter regimen and keep mine out on the counter.
Here’s the recipe!
If you love this recipe, please give it five stars!
Bread Machine Sourdough
Ingredients
- 3 cups bread flour 15.85 ounces/ 450 grams
- 1 cup lukewarm water 7.75 ounces/ 220 grams
- 3/4 cup fed sourdough starter 5.65 ounces/ 165 grams
- 1/2 tablespoon sugar
- 1 3/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Mix the bread flour, starter, sugar, and water in a large mixing bowl. It will seem dryer than most sourdoughs, but don't add more water. Use your hands to make sure everything is incorporated into a ball. Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and let it rest on the counter. (It helps to measure out the salt into a separate container on place it on top of the towel so you don't forget to add it later.)
- Place the dough and salt into the bread machine bucket and select the dough cycle. The machine will beep when the cycle ends, but let it rise another 2-3 hours in the machine, for a total rise time of 3-4 hours. The dough should look noticeably puffier, but may not have quite doubled in size.
- Prepare a baking sheet by lining with parchment paper and sprinkling with cornmeal. Take the dough out of the bread machine, and gently shape it into a round or oval loaf. The dough will be slightly sticky, but dry not to use any flour when shaping it. Place on the prepared baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap sprayed with cooking spray.
- Place the covered loaf in the refrigerator to proof overnight. Anywhere from 8-16 hours will be fine.
- In the morning, preheat the oven to 450 degrees with two racks: one in the center, one in the lower middle. Place an empty rimmed baking sheet on the lower rack while the oven is preheating. Remove the loaf from the fridge and gently rub with flour. Slash the loaf with a lame or sharp serrated knife.
- When the oven has preheated, pour 1 cup of water onto the empty baking sheet to create steam. Immediately place the loaf inside, close the door, and bake for 45 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for at least 4 hours before slicing. 7. Store at room temperature, well wrapped, for up to three days,
Video
Notes
Nutrition
More sourdough recipes for beginners:
- My sourdough roll recipe uses the same steam technique and adds a pinch of instant yeast for a fluffy roll with a crisp crust.
- Sourdough baguettes are hand kneaded but also a similar process.
- And if you want to all all the crazy folding and buy some neat tools, here is a true artisan bread recipe you might like.
Your sourdough bread didn’t turn out the way you hoped?
Check my Sourdough FAQ page to see what could have gone wrong, or leave me a comment and I will do my best to help you out!
Kate says
So happy to have found this recipe to be able to use my breadmaker with my sourdough starter. Thank you.
Sheach says
I’ve made this bread a few times now! Super easy and always wonderful. Especially since my starter has matured. Going to serve it today with a Cajun Corn Chowder. Thanks for the recipe ♡
Kirsten says
Love the recipe and process. I’ve been adjusting for my conditions over the past several months.
1) I always weight my ingrediants, grams (g). Measuring by volume doesn’t seem to come out quite right for me.
2) For a more sour flavor, I feed my starter a flour combo – 1/3 AP flour, 1/3 Rye flour, 1/3 Whole Wheat flour (whatever your total feeding amount – e.g., 40 g, 40 g, 40 g)
3) I proof overnight in a 10″ oval proofing basket (banneton), it prevents is from flattening out overnight, adds a pretty design and takes up much less space in the fridge. NEVER bake in banneton – transfer to baking pan with parchment.
4) I have a dual conventional and convection oven, so I bake first 30 min in conventional @ 440F with water/steam in bottom pan, then switch to convection with reduced temp to 395F for 10 minutes which produces a really nice cursty crust. NOTE: temps and times may vary depending upon your local temp, humidity and elevation.
Wouters Jennifer says
Hello, love this recipe! Can I bake this in a bread pan?
Katie Shaw says
to make a sandwich loaf? you can, but if you want a sandwich loaf I have a recipe that’s better for that- search the site for sourdough sandwich bread. its really soft
Janice says
Hi Katie,
I was given some starter, but even after feeding religiously, it hasn’t doubled or bubbled! How can I be sure that the starter is okay to use before I try your bread machine recipe? As well, I do a no-knead bread (also 3 cups flour) in a cast iron pot, which I understand can be used for this recipe too, but I bake at 425 for 30 minutes covered and 30 minutes uncovered. What timing would you suggest? Yours of 45 minutes, or 60 as I usually do? My first sourdough was a flop, so I am super excited to try your bread machine recipe? Thank you! Janice
Katie Shaw says
hi janice! yikes! if it hasn’t bubbled or doubled I would not use it yet! is your house really cold? maybe try feeding it more often? you definitely need a bubbly starter for this recipe! as far as the baking time, if you are doing a dutch oven, I would do 30 minutes on, then remove and check at 20 minutes off, knowing that it might take more. hope this helps! 🙂
Robin Briceño says
Dear Katie,
Turned out great! Tastes like San Francisco sourdough! I did add a pinch of yeast though. This was my very first attempt at starter & breadmaking!
Thank you so very much! Can’t wait to try more of your recipes! 🙏🏼💛
Katie Shaw says
yay! glad your sourdough journey is off to a good start! ❤️
Svetlana says
Dear Katie, thank you so much for this recipe. Finally I have found recipe that works. It came out really well. Thank you.
Katie Shaw says
Svetlana this makes me so happy to hear! enjoy your sourdough journey
Jenny Sylvester says
This is a brilliant recipe that works every time! I’m very happy I found it after making sourdough that resembled cowpats…I use a dutch oven to cook it and it comes out really well. I just mustn’t make it too often because it’s too delicious!
Katie Shaw says
i’m so happy to hear that Jenny! yes we’ve all had our share of sourdough mishaps! 😂
Linda Bridges says
I was wondering about using a Dutch oven, is the principle the same until baking. Thanks
Katie Shaw says
yes, the recipe works very well for a dutch oven. just skip the whole part with the baking sheet and steam. a preheated dutch oven will give you the best rise
Leonette says
Never baked sourdough bread before but this recipe is fantastic and love that my bread-machine do most of the work!
Baking my 3d one tomorrow for the weekend.
Can you recommend another easy recipe but doing it the traditional way – without the bread machine’s help that is?
Thank you!!!
Katie Shaw says
I’m so happy you’re ! And yes I have recipe for the traditional method that’s still easy. Search my site for “Dutch oven sourdough” and it should pop up!
Leonette says
Thank you so much! My dough is ready for kneading in the bread machine now but I will definitely try your Dutch oven recipe over the weekend! So exciting…….my daughter is visiting on Sundah and I am surprising her with a sourdough plant and a loaf as well! Yayyyy!
Carmen says
I follow the exact instructions and came AMAZIING.
Mel Brine says
Great recipe and great bread. Made the first loaf as instructed. Second loaf was made in a bread tin and cooked at 190 degrees celsius for 35 to 40 minutes. Again a great loaf, lighter in colour and with a softer crust- much better for older teeth. Also makes for easier slicing and/or freezing. You are my new best friend. Stay safe and well.
Katie Shaw says
so happy you liked the recipe! happy to have a new friend 🙂
indi says
The results are incredible…so much so they I’ve been making this bread in a blink. I’m an absolute srdough lover and this has become my go to loaf for the wkend. Thank you.
I have also been wondering..I do like a bit of a more lacy crumb and wondered if you ever tried folding the dough after the machine kneading process. like instead of leaving the dough in the machine on e u turned it off remove it and fo abt 3
/4 folds every half hr.
Do you think this would make a difference?.
It would be interesting to see the outcome.
Also I have been using this recipe with various different flours like seeded wholegrain mixed with white etc but is it always necessary to use ” bread flour for this recipe? In some countries bread flour is non existent, and although I have tried plain flour the results were really just as good as any. I do love this recipe as it’s so versatile. Thank you.
Katie Shaw says
hi indi! its a such a low hydration dough I don’t know if doing any folds would really help. you could try increasing the hydration AND doing folds and see how it goes! if you use all purpose flour, just keep in mind it absorbs MUCH less water. you’ll want to reduce the water by about 20% in that case 🙂
Kerry says
Hi Katie
I got some starter from my cousin over the weekend, and they don’t have a bread machine so they taught me the more traditional method of kneading etc and I thought it was a pain.
I tried your recipe out, left out the sugar, but did everything else, and the results are incredible! So happy with how my bread turned out and it was super easy as well. My only comment is next time I’ll have the oven a bit less hot and maybe reduce baking time by 5 or 20 mins. The kids love the bread but the crust is a bit crunchy for them.
Thank you from South Africa 🇿🇦
Katie Shaw says
hooray! I’m so glad you like the recipe. my kids think the same about the crust! 😂
Eve Finkelstein says
Thank youfor this wonderful ,simple recipe . it has become my go to . I use one third white bread flour , one third whole wheat and one third spelt and add some sunflower seeds and flax seeds. We love it
Katie Shaw says
hi eve! I’m so happy you are enjoying it. and I am so happy to hear about the different flours. I’ve always wondered how it would work with spelt!
Katie Dilger says
Awesome and easy recipe! I have made this 5 times and we love it! This is totally our weekly bread recipe! I’ve also made it in my counter-top oven without the steam step and it was still yummy. (Maybe a little less rise) but I sliced it lengthwise and made a great pizza out of it.
Just as a caution; I didn’t use a baking/cookie sheet in the oven last time, but a glass baking dish and it exploded when I added the water for the steaming step. Totally my bad, not the poster’s, but just wanted to let other people know to not use glass for that step (duh, me). But when I use the cookie sheet it was totally awesome.
Katie Shaw says
so glad you like it! I’m going to try in my counter. top oven too!
Lia says
I LOVE this recipe but my bread maker just broke 🙁 I have been using this recipe to make a loaf of bread twice a week for the past little bit. Can you recommend any ways to knead by hand while I look at getting my bread maker fixed or replaced? Thanks.
Katie Shaw says
oh no! you can get the same texture as this one in the stand mixer… but bread dough is hard on them :(. I think you should take this opportunity to try a handmade loaf. it’s a different process and needs a bit more babysitting, but it’s not hard either. I’ll try to link it here, but if it doesn’t work, search for “Dutch Oven artisan sourdough bread” on my site. https://heartscontentfarmhouse.com/artisan-sourdough-bread-tutorial-and-recipe/
Lia Munro says
Thanks so much! I will give it a try.
Carm says
Hi Katie, I can’t wait to try this recipe. Finally a sourdough recipe that isn’t complicated. Thank you!! I just have one question, hopefully you can help me. My kids, unfortunately don’t like the sour taste of the bread, is there any way to make it less tangy. Thanks
Katie Shaw says
carm I would do a 4-5 hour room temp final proof instead of the overnight proof if you like it less sour. I don’t find this recipe very sour, though, as its written. 🙂
Audrey says
This is my go-to sourdough bread recipe. Easy and delicious!
Katie Shaw says
thank you Audrey! it is nice to find something easy that works! 🙂
Mary says
I love this recipe and the simplicity of making what is normally a complicated loaf of bread!
I never have time to read these long recipe posts, I jump straight to the recipe, so I was confused about how long to wait before adding salt and had to go back and read the full blog. I wonder, could you please add the time to Step 1 – the 30 minute wait before you add salt before you put in breadmaker? Many thanks!
Peter says
Brilliant! Takes very little effort and produces a superb loaf. For a change I’ve been adding a tablespoon of virgin olive oil and a tablespoon of honey to the liquid at the start.
Very pleased with your recipe, thank you
Katie Shaw says
Peter I am so glad you are enjoying it. I appreciate your comment! 🙂
Patricia Firseth says
Wow this recipe is a 10. It’s clearly explained, really simple using the bread machine, and so delicious. I highly recommend you try this.
Katie Shaw says
how kind of you Patricia! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Jill says
Love making my bread almost every day – always use this recipe and it always works unless I ‘rip’ across the risen dough. Make sure it keeps its rise by getting the dough from the bread machine carefully in one piece as far as you can and don’t stretch it too far.
I sometimes make it with 2 cups bread flour and one cup plain (all purpose) and it works just as well.
Very timely if you work full time and only have time to work it from teatime to bedtime every day.
Irene Chia says
Hi, this is the 5th time I made sourdough bread. Using your recipe, 1 time success. But it turn out sour , can I reduce the starter. Many Many thanks. Easy recipe 🙂 🙂
Jill says
Try keeping it out of the fridge overnight and bake first thing in the morning – keeping it cool makes it more sour.
Glenda Boran says
We quit buying store bought bread. This recipe is fantastic. Thank you so much.
Kate says
Can you bake this right in the bread machine?
Katie Shaw says
hi Kate, you can! you’ll need to take out the bucket and cover with plastic and have it rest in the fridge overnight after a gentle shape. then in the morning put it back in. you’ll need a machine with a bake only cycle OR to watch it and stick it on when it switches to bake 🙂
Talia says
Hi,
This recipe is really good, but I was wondering if I could add some rye flour in. Would I need to adjust water amount or add any gluten powder? Also, this crust of this bread is quite tough to chew. Any suggestions for making it easier on the jaw?
Thanks
Katie Shaw says
talia reduce the baking temp by 25 degrees for a softer crust. yes you can add rye. I would start w/ 10% of the total flour and increase it more each time you bake. no need to change water or anything else 🙂
Carmen says
Would it be the same for whole wheat flour? I have King Arthur 100% whole grain whole wheat flour with 14% protein content. Can I try replacing 10% of bread flour with the whole wheat without changing any other ingredients? Thanks.
BTW, after 2-3 epic fails in trying to knead, fold, pinch sourdough, I found your recipe. It has become my weekly bread. Thank you! (My husband thanks you too!)
Katie Shaw says
Hi Carmen! Yes, substituting at 10% will be fine just as written. A few readers have gone up to 1/3 or even 1/2 whole wheat and kept everything else the same. I’m glad you’re enjoying the recipe!
MC says
I have made this several times and I appreciate how easy the low-hydration dough is! One question: when shaping the loaf, is the idea to keep the dry side up, sticky side up, or doesn’t it matter? I wasn’t sure from the recipe whether to shape on the counter first (nope, at least not with sticky side down and no flour in the counter!), or shape directly on the parchment. Then I looked at the video and saw you just shape it between your hands and not on a surface. I will try that next time, but still wondering about where the sticky side goes. Thank you!
Katie Shaw says
I keep the stickier side on top because it shapes a bit smoother. but I don’t think it really matters! I’m glad you like the recipe!
Marika Booth says
Dusted off my bread machine after I friend shared some of her sourdough starter with me. Love that I can still use my bread machine without having to have any yeast on hand. Have made several of these loaves over the past few weeks and each one has turned out great!
Katie Shaw says
hooray! it will be even better baking sourdough in the fall I hope!
Indira Sarais says
wowwwww I’m completely blown away abt this particular sourdough recipe. I have been making sourdough for 2-3 yrs now and this bread reminded me of the bread I would buy from the local bakeries in italy. My loaf was perfect, in texture, taste and crunch. This bread is perfect for any occasion. Cant believe I been searching so long to find a great recipe for srdgh in a bread machine.This is my absolute favourite now I must find a sourdough croissant. Thank you.
Katie Shaw says
I’m so happy you loved the recipe! hope you find that croissant you’re searching for 😉
Anonymous says
so easy and so good! my first successful sourdough!
Claudine says
Hello again, salt it says everywhere that it will kill the yeast, I am not sure that it does found an excellent croissants recipe and was amazed that the salt was added to the water and instant yeast before adding the flour etc. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uz_eiTIYKIg&t=6s its fool proof works perfectly every time and the resulting croissants are delicious, regards, Claudine
Katie Shaw says
yes sometimes I mix the salt right in and it seems to be fine!
Claudine says
Hello Katie, this is just what I was looking for! why sugar? bread dough doesn’t need sugar, Australian bread machine recipes put sugar, butter and powdered milk as well as water, flour, yeast and salt, sugar, butter powdered milk are not needed and the bread works perfectly well without, I made it lots of times.
regards, Claudine
Katie Shaw says
hi Claudine, yes if you want to leave out the sugar that’s no problem at all
Iain Laird says
Me – sorry. Forgot to rate!
Iain says
Great recipe – many thanks. For those of us in the UK and Europe the only addition to make it perfect would be to put 230 C in brackets after 450! I suspect (but do not know) Derek (just posted) may have been using a fan oven since the jump down from 230C to 200 C is rather a big one!
Katie Shaw says
great idea Iain, I’ll add that! 🙂
Derek Matthews says
I have used this recipe twice and am very satisfied with the results. I use a mixture of wholemeal and plain bread flour. I think the cooking time is a little long, 35 minutes at 200C is adequate.
Katie Shaw says
thanks Derek! I agree for a softer crust it can be pulled out sooner.
Bonnie Shcolnik says
This was just what I needed to keep making sourdough bread…my first two were so bad I threw them out…but with your recipe and my bread machine I have a beautiful yummy bread…it looks great and it’s taste and texture are wonderful…thank you so much !
Katie Shaw says
hooray! I am so glad you liked it! thanks for letting me know 🙂
Connie says
Hi Katie. Thank you for this recipe I will try to make it today. I have not had any success with sourdough bread yet. I have been trying to make a great starter for 2 months. Hopefully the last try will be ready today. My question is, can I freeze it for a day before baking it? I am taking it to my daughters cottage tomorrow, so I have to make it today, but we won’t bake it until two days from now.
Katie Shaw says
connie, I have never had any luck freezing any type of sourdough dough. the best plan would be to bake, let it fully cool and then freeze the finished loaf. or make the dough, shape, put it in the fridge and keep it refrigerated for some extra time.
Marcy says
Fantastic Recipe! I hate it when people say how the recipe was perfect and then go on to show you how they changed it…but I’m going to be that person 🙂 I used the recipe as written but made the following “tweaks” in cooking that worked well for me. Twice so far!
1. I mixed all the ingredients except salt in my stand mixer before letting them rest. I have carpal tunnel, so this is much easier on my hands.
2. I baked on parchment in a dutch oven so no need for messing with the steam. I put my dutch oven in the oven when I preheated so it was to temperature when I put the loaf in. I cooked it at 450 degrees for 17 minutes (I have a convection oven so things tend to go a bit faster for me) and then removed the lid.
3. I inserted a probe thermometer into the bread and cooked it to 200 degrees inside, removed and let rest for 4+ hours.
PERFECTION!
You’ve made sourdough a reality for my family on a regular basis now! With the dough and first rise in the bread machine, it makes it easy to work around my schedule. Thank you so much!!! I’m looking forward to many happy loaves!
Katie Shaw says
marcy that is so funny! your changes are great. it does work well in a Dutch Oven!
Andrew says
Thanks for sharing this recipe. My results have been outstanding. Works with light and dark rye flours too.
It’s so easy – just as long as I remember to plan far enough in advance!
I’ve struggled before now, but it’s sooooo good to have a recipe that just works.
Thank you again
Katie Shaw says
so glad to hear that Andrew 😊
Sharon Plon says
Never made sourdough before and this recipe comes out great! I’ve made it several times. I normally don’t make that deep a cut across the top. Does it help to do that?
Katie Shaw says
Sharon it just helps to give your loaf an “ear” where it sort of rises up. just for looks 🙂
Ann says
Katie
To fill you in a little on my first success…….I used the french dough cycle (3h35) instead of the usual of 2h20. It was too late at night to take out of the machine and put on a tray in the fridge so I left it all night in the machine. This morning I took it out, shaped it on a tray and baked with no further resting. Excellent result! Would it have been even better if it had been in the fridge overnight instead of the machine?
Ann says
My first success with sourdough. First time I used your method and recipe and it worked brilliantly. Thank you.
Katie Shaw says
you are so welcome! I truly believe this method succeeds when others fail!
Gemma Gomba says
I have been baking sourdough bread using this recipe once or twice a week. I knew it was gonna happen one time that I forget to put the paddle in the bucket. Multitasking. I realized when I was washing the bucket after the first 3 hr rise ( the dough looked different too). I decided to proceed and see what happens. I also did not wait for the 4 hrs before cutting the bread. The bread did not rise as much and the sourdough taste was not there. I assume lack of rising is due to improper kneading, lack of sourdough taste is due to not waiting the 4 hrs?
It will notahppen again.
My next sourdough bread is with roasted garlic and rosemary, which will be added when the dough cycle beeps for add ins.
BTW, have not tried any other recipe.. no need as this one is highly recommended.
Katie Shaw says
gemma I’ve done that too! it not rising makes sense to me but I wonder why it didn’t have the same flavor? anyway, know that everyone has a sourdough bread snafu now and then! hope the garlic and rosemary version goes well!
Ivy says
Really great recipe and a lot less complicated than the artisan recipe someone gave me, but the taste and texture are almost identical. It’s also pretty forgiving. I’m at high altitude and add less flour and then eyeball it for the right texture of dough and it has never been a problem. Don’t use a scale either.
Katie Shaw says
so happy you liked it ivy! I’m not sure why so many people think complicated sourdough methods are the best! 😊
Wendy says
Hi!
I would like to make sourdough bread bowls and use this recipe. Can you recommend how to multiply and/or split this recipe to make 6 bowls? I know I shouldn’t try to stick double the recipe in the machine so I will do it twice or three times or however many. Just not sure how big the results of this are.
Katie Shaw says
Wendy you could double the recipe in the machine. it doesn’t come halfway up the bucket when it rises so I think it will be fine. that should be enough for 6 bread bowls
Wendy says
Thanks! I will definitely be trying this!
Patricia says
I made this several times and each time worked out better,except this time. I noticed as it was in the fridge it was not rising smoothly. It had cracks in the loaf. Left overnight and it didn’t rise much. Baked it and sliced after it cooled. Tasted favourable but heavy. Any ideas what went wrong? Somewhat disappointed as my daughter requested a loaf to take to the lake for her weeks vacation.
Katie Shaw says
patricia, sometimes it just happens that a loaf doesn’t turn out as well and there’s no real reason. it could be that as the humidity increased your flour absorbed more water in storage. did the dough seem very sticky s you were handling it? the other explanation is your starter wasn’t as well fed as its been in the past.
Lorraine Cole says
This recipe works. It’s easy to follow and execute.
I make a slightly smaller 300g loaf and it works every single time.
A sourdough loaf without fuss. Hooray.
My bread machine’s dough cycle has a half hour pause before it starts kneading so I’ve been able to cut out the ’30 minute counter rest’ by putting the mixed dough straight into one side of the dough bucket and adding the salt to the other side. I then select the dough cycle program and leave it alone for 6 or 7 hours before the, tip it out and stick it in the fridge stage. Brilliant.
Thank you for including grams in your measurements as well as cups and pounds and ounces.
It makes life so much easier than converting all the time.
Katie Shaw says
hi lorraine! I’m so happy to hear that it’s working well, and I love the tip about the smaller loaf, as I’d like to try that too! happy I could simplify your sourdough life 🙂
Christie Baxter says
I have been making my own bread with a bread machine for years using only the dough cycle and shaping it in my loaf pan for the final rise, but these days bread flour and yeast are hard to find (at least in my town it is). So I thought about making sourdough bread with a starter, and getting away from yeast and bread flour until “things” hopefully get back to normal. Your recipe is the easiest and close to what I have been looking for but I have a few questions. When shaping the bread, can I us my loaf pan? And can I use regular flour?
Katie Shaw says
christine, this really does better on a baking sheet so it can puff up in the oven. all purpose flour is fine but you’ll need to reduce the water considerably, about 20%. they absorb water at very different amounts 🙂
Marika says
Great recipe! Love the incorporation of the bread machine with a nice overnight bake.
Mary Ann says
Definitely five stars. I tried two other sourdough recipes before I found yours. I’m so glad I did! Thank you for your clear directions also. My family LOVES this bread. A round of applause for my first sourdough starter, Althea.
Katie Shaw says
hooray! so glad it worked out well for you! glad you found it too 🙂
Brenda says
How doyou make the starter for the bread
Katie Shaw says
Brenda, search my site for sourdough starter and you’ll find detailed instructions for starting one and for maintaining it 🙂
Suki says
Hi Katie,
Thank you for your reply, the bread still tastes great so definitely going to try it with 1/4 wholemeal flour next time! Thanks again
Suki says
Hi, I’m not a baker and we’ve tried a few different recipes but this one is spot on! The bread tastes awesome! Thank you for posting this recipe.
I thought I’d try the recipe with wholemeal bread flour instead and it didn’t rise as much, definitely more stodgy and the bottom feels uncooked. Any thoughts on what I could tweak to make the wholemeal version as good?
Katie Shaw says
It’s just a trickier flour to get a good result with. You can try adding a little more water, letting it rise longer, or backing off and doing just 1/4 whole wheat then increasing the amount from there. until you find your limit.
Juan says
Hi Katie! Why not preparing the dough and letting it autolyse in the mixer? Have you had any inconvenient with that? I already have experience on sourdough bread but never used the machine for mixing and kneading. Great recipe!!
Katie Shaw says
hi Juan, you definitely could do that, I just don’t like to deal with my mixer unless have I to, it’s sort of a pain
tess says
Hi there! Thanks for putting this out there. After the bread has been shaped to I have ti refrigerate it? Is there an amount of time I can leave it on the counter and then bake it ?
thanks
Tess
Katie Shaw says
you can experiment with another room temperature rise, about 3 hours, but this will vary a LOT depending on the temperature of your room.. I just like the overnight fridge method because there’s no risk of over proofing and it develops flavor.
Caz says
I too suffered from the ‘flat, weird situation’ time and time again. This recipe is fantastic. I make my usual yeast bread by bread-maker so this was easy for me. Beautiful loaf with just the right texture. Now eating it toasted on the second day. Glorious. Thank you very much from a happy bread baker in Tasmania
Katie Shaw says
caz I am so happy you found sourdough success!
JUANITA MOORE says
Katie! You make it look SO easy!! When I pulled the dough out of the bread machine, it was super gummy, was sticking to my hands big time. In that case should a little more flour be added? It’s a fairly young starter; this is my second loaf. I ended up putting it into a loaf pan (glass), as it did not seem to want to hold shape. Turned out tasting fine.
Katie Shaw says
this can happen when its humid out or if you use all purpose flour. you want the dough to be slightly sticky in the machine but not too wet 🙂
Gemma Gomba says
I am planning to use Italian flour 00 instead of bread flour- can’t find bread flour these days. My starter is not yet ready.
I hope it will work.
Katie Shaw says
it should still work. I would reduce the water about 20%, bread flour absorbs much more water. we couldn’t find bread flour here either but just yesterday I was able to get some. I think things are settling down
Lee FUDGE says
I started this yesterday and baked it this morning. It looks great, but I didn’t get much oven spring. Should the dough be back at room temperature before baking it? I also think maybe I didn’t score it deep enough?
Katie Shaw says
no I bake straight from the fridge. if you used the steam and still didn’t get much oven spring, it is probably one of two things: 1. your starter wasn’t as strong as it could be (this happens to everyone from time to time, if timing your last feeding was slightly off, etc.), the other possibility is that it over proofed. during the first. proof and it had “nothing left to give” so to speak.
Anne says
Hello Katie, my starter Spunky is 8 days old, has doubled in size and passed the float test.
Should I add any instant yeast to the recipe or not? Looking to bake my 1st sourdough loaf on the weekend..thanks
Katie Shaw says
no yeast! go for it!
Vicki Codde says
Made this recipe yesterday and baked it this morning. This is the first sourdough loaf that has come out for me. I will be doing this again. Many thanks to you for posting the video. Incredibly helpful!
Cecile Freeman says
Hello, I’m making this for the first time, about to put the dough in the bread maker. Is the overnight fridge necessary, or can I make the bread right after?
Katie Shaw says
you can do the second rise at room temperature for about 4 hours. but yes, it needs a second rise of some sort 🙂
Joelle says
I’m excited to try this recipe! Any thoughts on using white whole wheat flour?
Katie Shaw says
should work just fine, but might be a little denser 🙂
Francie Taylor says
Okay now THIS is spectacular sourdough bread! The only issue was that the crust was too dark. I will try again, reducing the oven temp to 445°and decreasing the bake time to 40 min. My family loves it!
Katie Shaw says
I’m so glad to hear it!
Barbara Eisenhower says
Can the dough be mixed too much?
Barbara Eisenhower says
Hey all you sourdough bread bakers out there.
I know it’s extremely hard if not impossible right now to find good quality bread flour. Well set your mind at ease. I’ve found a great resource for King Arthur Bread Flour.
Here’s what you need (not knead 😂) to do.
Go to the App Store, and download the “Instacart” app, then set up an Instacart account (Free), then, in the search window of Instacart, look for a store called “Restaurant Depot”, click on it and do a search for bread flour, then scroll down until you find King Arthur Special Patent Flour (12.7% protein). You can get a 50 lb bag (yes, 50lb) for only $15.29! Can you say BARGAIN!!!
I know 50 lbs seems like a whole lot, but if you’re really into baking, it won’t take long to go through it, or perhaps you have someone to share it with.
Anyway thought I’d just pass this along to all of you. Happy Baking!😃🥖🍞
Barbara
Teri says
Thank you for the tip! Can’t wait to try the recipe!!
Kim says
Hi, sorry if this question has already been asked, but I am very new to using sourdough starter. The recipe calls for fed starter. Does that mean you are using it after you have discarded and fed the starter? Or are you using your discard?
Katie Shaw says
hi kim, it means you want to use an active, bubbly starter. not the discard 🙂 use that for recipes like these: https://heartscontentfarmhouse.com/9-thrifty-recipes-made-with-sourdough-discard/
Barbara Eisenhower says
Hi,
I was wondering if I can bake this bread in my new cast iron (5qt) dutch oven? If so would I need to change anything about the process i.e. steam tray, etc.?
Thank you!
Katie Shaw says
a Dutch Oven will work great! no tray and steam necessary. I usually bake about 30 minutes with the lid on, 15-20 with it off.
Anna says
That’s the perfect recipe, thank you very much!
Kellee Montoya says
Hi! I got introduced to true sour bread by the Netflix Documentary “Cooked.” It spoke of health benefits of true sour dough bread in that using sour dough instead of yeast means that processes similar to digestion begin before you even eat the bread, aiding in your own digestion of the bread. I was wondering, when you said, “But it breaks some of the sourdough rules because it is kneaded fully, like a yeast dough, in the bread machine” will it still have the health benefits associated with sour dough bread even if this rule is broken? My guess is yes? Because what you use to knead it I think would not have an affect on the chemistry of the bread? But baking chemistry eludes me! Thanks!
Kellee Montoya says
Ahhh effect not affect, sorry…grammar…
Katie Shaw says
kellie, the health benefits are because of the long fermentation time. this recipe still has that, you’re good 🙂
Jane says
I use this recipe all the time, and I love it! Last week I used a cold Dutch oven method and it was amazing! It rose so nicely. I have a question… I was looking at your jalapeño cheddar recipe. Do you think I could use this recipe and add jalapeño and cheddar to it? Thanks!
Katie Shaw says
hi Jane, I don t know how they would do in the bread machine, I think it would rip them up a little. I would fold them in by hand after the machine kneads and then just stick the dough back in. (but at that point, it might be easier just t o do the whole by hand)
Amy says
Enjoying great success with this recipe – thank you!
Question – would using a silpat mat instead of parchment work? I can imagine I would still need to use cornmeal. Anyone tried this?
Katie Shaw says
Amy, I have never personally tried it but I hope someone chimes in.
Jane says
I use a slip mat all the time and don’t use cornmeal. It works great!
Rachel says
Just want to say THANK YOU for this recipe! I have been trying to work out how to use my bread machine to make sourdough for MONTHS without success. This is absolutely delicious and so easy!!
Katie Shaw says
hooray! glad it was helpful to you! 🙂
Wayne B says
I made this recipe yesterday/today and it came out tasting very good. I didn’t slash the top deeply enough so it burst on the side, but I still consider it a success. It was my first attempt at sourdough bread. My girlfriend asked me to make about loaf soon.
Thank you for this recipe.
Wayne B
Katie Shaw says
that’s great wayne! hope you become a sourdough-er for life 🙂
Guila says
Made this today! It was so easy and so good 😁 will be making again soon
Katie Shaw says
wonderful! glad you liked it 🙂
Neil says
Hi, Katie. Made my first loaf today. Not bad! A couple of questions, tho. 1) My kitchen scale is broken, so I used the volume measures. Is the sourdough starter measured in a dry measuring cup, or a liquid measuring cup? 2) My oven isn’t great… tends to cook quicker on one side than the other, so I always need to rotate pans. At what point in the baking process is it safe to open the oven to reposition the sheet? 3) The parchment stuck to the bottom of my loaf. If I skip the parchment, will the loaf stick to the pan? Thanks!
Katie Shaw says
I measure starter in a dry cup.
As far as opening the door, I would wait until the loaf has risen to a height you are happy with. The steam makes it rise and opening the door risks losing some of it. But to be honest, if you are quick it should be okay. 🙂
I have done it without the parchment and it has worked. Just sprinkle very generously with cornmeal! Good luck!
lynda says
My first truly yest free bread and was wonderful! I wish I could share a picture with you. My only issue was the crust was difficult to slice, but was perfect the next day. Thank you! The video is great too, btw.
Katie Shaw says
that’s great Lynda! wish I could see it too! 🙂
Lynda Keller says
I took a pic and put it on instagram…I tagged you so hopefully you can. Baguettes for today!
Teresa says
Followed your instructions for the sourdough starter and then baked a loaf of bread with this recipe. It turned out great! Looking forward to learning more about sourdough baking! Thanks for your easy to follow instructions!
Katie Shaw says
hi teresa, I am so glad it worked for you! hope you become a lifelong sourdough-er!
Christie says
Can final loaf be baked in Dutch oven?
Katie Shaw says
yes. it does very well in a Dutch Oven!
Christina Davila says
Have you had any luck doubling this recipe to make 2 large loaves right away?
Katie Shaw says
I have never tried it, but I don’t see why not. it doesn’t take up half the bread machine bucket during the rise.
Amy says
Hi Katie, very excited to try this recipe. I was just wondering how long you need to let the mix rest for step 1 please?
Thank so much.
Amy
Katie Shaw says
hi Amy! about 20-40 minutes 🙂
Lynn Hall says
Hi
Dough cycle…what length if time do you set the dough cycle for as my machine has various times in its menu.
Thanks.
Katie Shaw says
my dough cycle is a total of 90 minutes: 30 minutes mixing and kneading (it kneads on and off), and then 60 minutes rising
NewStarter! says
I made this as my first ever sourdough with (strong) 50% white and 50% wholemeal flour and it turned out great!
I added maybe a tablespoon extra water at the autolyse stage to incorporate all the floor.
Has anyone tried baking this as two smaller loaves (boules maybe?) – I’m wondering how I would need to adjust the baking time
Katie Shaw says
I have done two smaller loaves (got the idea from a reader!) and they take about 30-35 minutes 🙂
NewStarter! says
Thank you Katie! Really pleased to have found this recipe – so many of the overly complex ones almost put me off before I’d started!
Glenda Boran says
I’m getting the hang of sourdough, each loaf i make is better than the one before it. I believe this is because each time my starter matures a little bit more. We love this bread
Katie Shaw says
yes Glenda I totally agree with you! the starter is so important! I’m glad you like the recipe and enjoy your sourdough journey 🙂
Tamarind says
Hi there,
I have never baked sourdough before, but as I can’t get yeast now, and my husband has been asking me to make some for ages, I thought I’d have a go. I made the starter from scratch and have been feeding it everyday for 8 days.
I followed your recipe to the letter (we never buy any bread, and I bake all ours in a machine). We were all absolutely amazed at the end product. It looked and tasted superb, so thank you!
My question now is, how to I look after my starter if I want to make a loaf every 3 days? It’s now in the fridge. I last fed it Monday morning, and I’d like to cook another loaf on Thursday morning. Your help would be much appreciated.
Many thanks,
Tamarind
Katie Shaw says
hi tamarind,
glad your bread was a success! as far as your feeding schedule, here is what I would personally do.
Tuesday. starter stays in fridge
Wednesday PM remove starter, discard some, feed, keep at room temperature until active (keep it at room temp overnight)
Thursday AM, discard again, feed again, starter should be very active, use for recipe when it’s at peak. return to fridge
and repeat 🙂
save your discard and bake with it too!
Amy says
There are also many recipes you can make with discard; waffles, scones, biscuits, muffins and crumpets have all been successful in my kitchen over the past month. You would have to keep feeding your starter, but you can make so much more than just bread!
Patricia says
Is it imperative to do the overnight step? Is there another option? I’d like it finished earlier. Right now mine has about another hour Resting inside the bread machine.
Katie Shaw says
patricia, here is what another reader tried:
“One change I made: I started the dough early this morning, and put it in the bread machine. Then I realized I wouldn’t have time before my guests arrived to leave it in the frig overnight. So I put the shaped loaf in my “proofing room,” where it’s about 80 F for an hour. It rose, not as much as my yeast breads, but still. It was beautiful! And chewy and delicious!”
I would guess it is not as sour, but it should still work!
Patricia says
Thanks. I ended up putting it in the fridge overnight. I will bake it in the morning.
Melissa says
Hello Katie,
Is your starter equal parts starter, water and flour? For example, 55 g starter, 55 g flour, and 55 g water?
Thank you. I can’t wait to try this!!
Melissa
Katie Shaw says
hi Melissa- yes my starter is like that exactly
Patricia says
Thanks. I ended up putting it in the fridge for overnight. I will bake it in the morning. My next question is does it need to be baked at 450F for 45 minutes? Seems a long time and the parchment paper could start scorching at that high a temperature.
Katie Shaw says
I’ve had my parchment brown, but not scorch. the steam makes the oven temp drop a bit. you could certainly turn the temp down if you want
Marilyn Bickler says
Can I use a banneton with this recipe?
Katie Shaw says
Yes!
AnnieBee says
This was the first time I have made sourdough bread outside of the using the bread machine for the whole process. It was nice to be able to shape the loaf instead of getting a “cube” from the bread machine. I wasn’t sure it was going to rise with just the starter alone. But, of course, it did. It was easy to make. And your directions were clear, except for resting the bread. The blog talks about 30 minutes rest, but the recipe doesn’t say. It is an amazing chewy soury sourdough. We love it. Thank you
Katie Shaw says
Hi Mel, it’s very mysterious to me because I make these many times a week! But I am going to amend the instructions to say that you may need to add more flour because it seems a few people are having that issue. Thanks for letting me know.
I strongly recommend getting a bread machine to knead your dough once things return to normal and you can hunt for one at a thrift shop.
Katie Shaw says
So glad it worked well for you Annie!!
Cheryl J says
Katie,
How long do you wait after feeding your starter to use it in the recipe? Mine lives on the counter right now and I feed it every morning and night. Also, thanks for the AP directions, because I can’t get bread flour either!
Cheryl
Katie Shaw says
Cheryl, the best way to see if your starter is ready is: after you feed it, does it double in size after 4-8 hours? (a starter in a warm room will be faster to double). A secondary test is the float test. Simply scoop a few tablespoons of fed starter and see if it floats in a glass of water. if it passes these tests, its ready to try. I personally feel a starter is best after 30 days. but a lot of people disagree with me and have success after 7 days!
Ted Peake says
Hi
Tried this twice and crust is burnt both times on top but the bottom is only just cooked, should I try it in a DO.
Thanks
Ted
Katie Shaw says
yes that would be a great way to get it more even. I would guess that when the steam hits your oven its working hard to regain temp and that’s why the crust in burning. with the dutch oven, bake about 30-35 minutes with the lid on to trap the moisture, then 15-25 minutes off to help it brown.
Ted says
With the Dutch oven…..brilliant
Katie H says
Amazing! Couldn’t believe this restaurant quality bread came out of my kitchen!
We are at 7000 feet elevation so I was nervous to start experimenting with sourdough, but it has been amazingly forgiving–much more so than regular yeast.
I made 2 smaller loaves and they needed about 10 min less in the oven.
I love making the bread machine knead for me, it makes the process go so smoothly. Great idea!
Katie Shaw says
thanks for the tip on the smaller loaves!!! I will definitely be doing that. glad you liked the recipe 🙂
Cathy B. says
I made this recipe for the first time a few months ago and it turned out nicely. It was my very first loaf of sourdough bread. I followed the instructions exactly and was very happy with the results. I tried it again a few weeks later and it was a failure. Not sure why. I decided to try again a couple of days ago. I made a loaf for my parents. The only significant change I made was baking it in a dutch oven instead of on a cookie sheet. It turned out beautifully and my parents say that it tastes delicious.
I forgot to put my starter in the fridge after feeding it, so, since I had to feed it again the next morning anyway I decided to make another loaf for my husband and me. I’m almost out of bread flour so I wanted to see how it would turn out using all-purpose flour. I hadn’t seen Katie’s comment about needing to reduce the amount of water when using AP flour, so I measured the ingredients (by weight) as described in the recipe. I autolyzed for 30 minutes, popped it in the bread machine with the salt, and turned on the dough setting. My dough setting lasts 1.5 hours. After it finished I set a timer for 2 more hours. After the 2 hours was up, I checked the dough. And–OH CRAP–I had forgotten to put the paddle back in the bread machine after washing it, so basically, I accidentally autolyzed my dough for 4 hours instead of 30 minutes! BUT, I was able to save it and I thought I’d share how I did that in case anyone else makes the same mistake.
I put the paddle back in the bread machine and turned the dough setting on again. I let it knead the dough for about 10 minutes and then turned it off. I dumped the dough into a greased mixing bowl, covered it with a warm, damp towel, and put it in my oven with only the oven light on for an hour. When I pulled it out of the oven the dough had pretty much doubled in size and looked beautiful. I stretched and folded it and put it seam-side down on a piece of parchment paper dusted with wheat germ (in lieau of cornmeal). I let it rest for 10 minutes. I decided not to shape it, because it was already mostly round. I lifted the parchment paper and dough into my dutch oven, gently oiled the dough, covered the dough with plastic wrap, and then refrigerated it overnight for 8-9 hours. I floured the top of the dough before slashing it. I then baked it at 450 degrees for 20 minutes with the lid on my dutch oven, and 20 minutes with the lid off. It rose beautifully. It’s a soft, chewy bread with a tight crumb perfect for sandwiches and has a nice crisp crust when toasted. It doesn’t smell very sour, but has a good sourdough flavor. Yay!
When I make this again with AP flour I will try to follow the directions using the reduced amount of water. I don’t know whether I just got lucky on that end, or whether the extra long autolysis helped with water absorption. But, regardless, I am very happy with the results.
I love the simplicity of this recipe and plan to keep coming back to it again and again. Thanks, Katie!
Katie Shaw says
wow Cathy! I wonder if the extra long autolyse did help, it certainly makes sense that it would! I loved reading about all your different loaves. thanks for letting me know and I hope you keep me posted on any more variations 🙂
Jo Chape says
This is the first sourdough recipe I’ve tried and it went perfectly. I made my first sourdough starter this week because of not finding yeast during this lockdown. My son came over for a social-distancing Easter picnic in my back yard – my son who doesn’t like SF sourdough bread. And he loved it!
One change I made: I started the dough early this morning, and put it in the bread machine. Then I realized I wouldn’t have time before my guests arrived to leave it in the frig overnight. So I put the shaped loaf in my “proofing room,” where it’s about 80 F for an hour. It rose, not as much as my yeast breads, but still. It was beautiful! And chewy and delicious!
Thank you, Katie!
Katie Shaw says
so glad it worked out jo! happy easter:)
Paul Finke says
Can the salt be reduce or eliminate it completely?
Katie Shaw says
I have left it out accidentally a few times and there is very little flavor without it. the texture and rise are fine (maybe better, in fact), but I did not like the taste. however, if that doesn’t bother you, the recipe will still work in terms of rising and all that.
Kim MacBeth says
Hi- Love your recipe! My bread is currently in the fridge proofing…. We just moved a month ago to Sparks, NV and the elevation here is 4900ft. Any recommended changes for baking at elevation as far as temp and time? Thanks, Kim
Katie Shaw says
Kim I’m sorry I don’t have any experience with high altitude baking. This is a guide I recommend, though. https://extension.colostate.edu/docs/comm/highaltitude.pdf (It’s a free PDF with bread guide on the second page.). Also, I will add that my sourdough rolls use a similar baking method with the steam and the preheated baking sheet. I had a reader at high elevation say that she baked them exactly as instructed and they came out very well.
Cynthia says
I made 2 loaves today, one using the bread machine and one I used the machine to knead dough only. I love how each loaf turned out different using the same recipe. Handmade one turned out so pretty was very sour with an awesome crisp crust and the other a sweeter more chewy bread. Making one more tonight !
Katie Shaw says
wow that’s so interesting! glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
Karen says
I really want to make sourdough rye using half AP flour and half rye totally in the bread machine. Cynthia on April 17 you say you made one loaf entirely in the bread machine. Can you give me your instructions for doing that…. or perhaps Katie knows how to do this and what adjustments to make with the ingredients and baking time even if I must bake it in the oven.
Roy says
Why do you have to add the salt later.
I made a mistake and added right away.
Turned out great
Katie Shaw says
supposedly the bread rises better when the salt is added later. but like you, sometimes I add it right away and I don’t notice a huge difference!
Tjandra says
I tried this once and it came out perfect! But unfortunately my breadmachine stopped working the next day… please advise how to adapt this recipe without breadmachine?
Katie Shaw says
Tjandra instead of kneading in the bread machine you could use your stand mixer. The only this is that kneading. dough is hard on the mixer so I wouldn’t recommend it long term. Check out this post for how I do it to reduce wear and tear on the motor: https://heartscontentfarmhouse.com/how-to-knead-dough-in-a-stand-mixer/
Ed Magowan says
I’ve been making kefir for years AND was interested in using it as a sourdough starter AND looking for the convenience of using my bread machine for the ‘kneading’ phase…and found this page. I substituted kefir for both the water and sourdough starter, honey for the sugar, and otherwise followed your recipe and instructions. I’ve just eaten my first slice of my first loaf. I will likely tweak the baking a bit but I’m overall very pleased with the result.
Katie Shaw says
Wow that sounds amazing! Great to know that kefir works, thanks for letting me know!
Michelle says
I wish I could post a picture, as it looks AMAZING. Thank you so much for your easy-to-follow recipe. I largely struck out with the bread machine only process, so this was my last hope. Can’t wait to taste it. Four hours seems like an eternity…
Katie Shaw says
haha I. get it! maybe you could cut after 2 hours 🙂
Michelle says
I managed to wait three hours, and it was delicious! Loaf two was also successful, though my ear became more of a PacMan / Audrey II from Little Shop of Horrors mouth, but I’m not complaining. Thank you!
Emma Petchey says
Thanks.
My first ever attempt and it to be in bread machine as too lazy to knead.
Perfect result.
Question. Would it work without the sugar??
Katie Shaw says
yes! just a slightly different flavor!
Eric says
Perfect, simple, and tastes very good!
I made it even simpler.
What I just changed is that I never took the dough from the bread machine pan, from start, refrigeration, to baking.
After the dough has finished rising 2 to 3 hours after the dough cycle, I punch it down a little, carefully scrape down the sides – still in the bread machine pan – and put the pan covered in the fridge overnight.
The next morning I take the basket out, let it about 1 hour at room temperature, and then bake it in the bread machine with the ‘bake’ cycle (about 1 hour)
Katie Shaw says
glad you liked it Eric! so glad that it worked well baking the bread machine!
SB Riess says
Hey Eric, did you still mix it in a bowl first? or did you do the first part in the bread machine too?
Mara Lockwood says
Can I use a proofing basket (instead of parchment paper on a sheet pan) for the overnight fridge storage in this recipe?
Katie Shaw says
sure, it’s just not necessary as the loaf holds its shape pretty well 🙂
Hannah says
I’m in New Zealand. We use Celsius. I’ve just converted 450 to 220c – for me that seems super hot and I’m scared I’m going to burn it tomorrow when I cook it. Is it supposed to be that hot? Does the steam do something to counteract it?
Also, I forgot to leave my dough in the bread machine for a few more hours and I’ve put it in the fridge already. Should I get it out for a bit and then put it back in the fridge again? Can’t wait to see how it goes?! Thanks for the amazing instructions.
Katie Shaw says
yes it bakes at a high temperature and the steam does knock the temp down at the beginning. if you prefer a. softer crust, you can turn the oven. down. a bit a few minutes into the baking time.
your dough should be fine rising just in the fridge 🙂
Hannah says
I forgot to slash it (I’m terrible at following recipes) so it doesn’t look like much but it TASTES SO GOOD!! Thank you so much for a an easy to follow and comprehensive recipe. LEGEND. Will definitely make it again and try and remember to slash it. Haha.
Husband is eating it saying it tastes like a bought one and he is fussy as hell!!
Thanks again!!
Katie Shaw says
YAY!!!!
Cathy says
Sorry for a newbie question, but what is “fed”starter. Mine has been brewing on my counter for eight days, do I need to do anything to it before baking with it?
Katie Shaw says
it just means that it is active and bubbly and that you have given it a feeding of flour recently. before baking it, it should double in volume about 8 hours after a feeding. 8 days is still pretty young. I would try a recipe. that uses a small amount of yeast while your starter is building strength, like these rolls: https://heartscontentfarmhouse.com/crusty-sourdough-rolls/
Anonymous says
Is there any way we can use AP flour? No bread flour in sight these days… Thanks!
Katie Shaw says
I have never tried it, but I had a friend who did. you’ll need to reduce the amount of water to 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon because all purpose flour absorbs less. it won’t be as chewy but it should work.
Nancy says
In step 1 you say to let bread ball rest on counter. How long of a rest?
Katie Shaw says
about 30 minutes. sorry, I need to add that to the instructions
Kate says
Thank you for great instructions and a great use for Fred the Bread (my starter!). This is heaven! Writing it up for inside my cupboard, it’s that good!!
Katie Shaw says
awesome Kate! glad you liked it 🙂
Gill says
In lock down in Spain, no yeast available, so decided to try sourdough.
3 weeks of failure.
Then I saw your post.
Success!
Thank you. Xxx
Such a detailed guide, I would have thought the original mix was too dry and added more water.
The only thing missing in your info for beginners is how to know if the sourdough is ready.i knew about the water float test, because of all failures.
I was giving up but after trying your recipe now a convert.
Katie Shaw says
Gill I’m so happy it worked for you! I will add what you mentioned about the starter. Stay safe and keep baking. 🙂 -Katie
Philippa says
what about whole wheat flour? I have tried it but it seems a bit damp in the middle. (need to cook longer ? need more water?)
Katie Shaw says
longer bake time or longer cool time. sourdough often seems “gummy” if you slice into it too early. whole wheat is going to be a denser loaf in generally which may be why is needs a little more time to bake. try turning down the temp about 25 degrees and giving it 15-20 more minutes so it doesn’t over brown the crust 🙂
philippa says
Thanks for the tips, Katie. I’ll try that. Do you have a page that describes how to maintain starter? I feel like I am using up a lot of flour feeding half a cup a day!
Philippa says
Thanks again for this. have you tried red fife with this recipe?
Walter says
This was the most accessible recipe for a home made sourdough loaf. Most other YouTube videos and recipes were too daunting.
I use a rye starter (100% hydration) and don’t any yeast. The taste and texture was incredible despite teetering on a burned crust
Tomorrow I’m trying a shorter baking time and a slightly higher hydration. Fingers crossed!
Big thanks for your clear instructions
Katie Shaw says
that’s great walter :). I’m curious to see how the higher hydration goes!
Kelly Buteaud says
Where do I get the sourdough starter recipe? Want to use my bread machine too!
Katie Shaw says
I am working on a post about one right now! but here is a good one to get you started. all purpose flour is fine! https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/sourdough-starter-recipe
Andrea Roth says
Does this recipe require that the active fed starter pass ‘the float test’?
Katie Shaw says
Hi Andrea, yes. it needs to be a well developed and bubbly starter. (however, sometimes a starter will be very active and STILL fail the float test. a better test is whether the starter doubles in volume after 8 hours or so.) hope this helps 🙂
Philip Platts says
Followed the instructions to the letter and made a delicious loaf. I used wholemeal flour & thought it might turn out heavy. It is heavier than I imagine it would be with white flour but it’s still a nice texture with great taste and I think healthier with wholemeal.
Thank you!
Katie Shaw says
that’s so great! and nice to know about the whole wheal flour, as I’m running low on bread flour!
Garrick says
This was my second attempt at sourdough and it turned out incredibly well. My wife said it was the best she’s ever had. I’m biased but it was crazy tasty. My first was a disaster. I’m making it again to see if I just got lucky. My problem was the dough was too wet to work with easily. It turns out that my starter is wetter than most so this time I added a little less water and it handled better. I’ll keep you posted on this one.
Katie Shaw says
that’s great!! let me know how it goes 🙂
Victoria Nuflo says
Love your easy and clear instructions! I’m on my second try because I failed to read “fed” starter right at the beginning of your recipe …. my bad :). Surprisingly, it still turned out delicious with no complaints on the home front! Just about ready to put my second try into the oven …. sure it’s going to be great. Thank you for sharing 💗
Katie Shaw says
Victoria it’s so great to know that it worked with unfed starter! Glad you liked the recipe 🙂
Pip says
How long do you rest before adding salt and putting on the dough cycle?
Katie Shaw says
20-45 minutes 🙂
Terri says
This turned out great!
Katie Shaw says
hooray! 🙂
Anonymous says
Perfect loaf! It was gone in a flash. So moist and delicious. Thank you!
Katie Shaw says
so happy to hear it!
Sonia Johannesson says
I’ve been trying on and off for 4 years to get a sourdough starter going. Came across your site and now I’ve just finished my first ever sourdough loaf. At 64 years old, better late than never. My husband rated it the best bread that he has ever had in all of his 68 years, so a huge thank you for this recipe. I am now hooked on keeping my starter alive, we’ve called him Bonefish Folley after a great Bahamian fisherman who has a fun song written about him. We dance to it every Friday at our Fish Fry here on Eleuthera and it always brings a smile to my face. Just like my little starter.Google the song and it will make you smile too. Thank you once again, island living is now even better.
Katie Shaw says
Thank you Sonia! Love the song and your sourdough starters name. Mine is Bert :). Glad you enjoyed the recipe
Ingrid says
Hi Sonia, Love the name of your starter, I even looked up the song, “Bonefish Folley”. What a happy, cute song. What is a fish fry? Sounds like a fun celebration to look forward to every week. Blessings to you on your sourdough bread yummyness!!!!!!
Anonymous says
Great bread recipe.. success on the first try with my 11y/o daughter helping!!! We love sourdough bread and will try your recipe for rolls next. Thank you!!!
Katie Shaw says
Oh I’m so happy to hear it! Bet you didn’t even miss all the folding of the dough 😉!