Easy Bread Machine Sourdough (Truly Foolproof)
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?
It’s time to end that sadness forever. Because once you master this bread machine sourdough recipe, you’ll have a foolproof loaf you’ll be proud of every time.
Over time, this has become my go-to for daily baking. It’s incredibly easy, especially since my bread machine handles most of the kneading. With just a few basic ingredients and letting the dough rise overnight in the fridge, I always end up with a crispy loaf on the outside and soft and chewy inside.
It’s perfect for sandwiches, toast, or even just a buttered slice. At first, the dough might seem a bit dry, but I’ve learned that’s completely normal. Resist the urge to add extra water and trust the process, and it turns out perfectly every time.
Ingredients and Tools You’ll Need
We’re using the bread machine to do the kneading, but you can also do it in a stand mixer. Make sure your starter is bubbly and active.
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Equipment
- Bread machine (with a dough cycle setting) (It does the kneading for you. If you don’t have one, kneading by hand or using a mixer works, but a bread machine simplifies the process.)
- Large mixing bowl
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Damp tea towel or kitchen towel
- Baking Sheet
- Parchment paper
- Rimmed baking sheet
Ingredients
- 3 cups bread flour (15.85 ounces) (regular or wheat flour will work too, but bread flour will make your bread chewier and stronger)
- 1 cup lukewarm water (7.75 ounces)
- ¾ cup fed sourdough starter (5.65 ounces) (You can also easily make your own at home with flour and water—it takes about 5-7 days to get a strong starter going.)
- ½ tablespoon sugar
- 1 ¾ teaspoon salt
How to Make Bread Machine Sourdough
Step One: Autolyze
Combine the bread flour, sourdough starter, sugar, and water in a large mixing bowl. The dough will feel drier than typical sourdough—this is normal. Do not add more water. Use your hands to make sure all ingredients are incorporated into a cohesive ball. Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and let the dough rest on the counter for 30 minutes. Tip: Pre-measure the salt and place it in a small container on the towel to remind yourself to add it later.
Step Two: Knead
After the autolyze, transfer the dough and salt into the bread machine bucket. Then, select the “dough” cycle and press start. You don’t need to fold the dough or anything crazy like that. Just walk away.
Step Three: First Rise
When the cycle ends, leave the dough in the machine to continue rising for 2-3 more hours. The dough should be noticeably puffier and soft to the touch, though it may not have doubled in size. This longer rise helps develop the flavor and texture of the bread.
Step Four: Shape The Loaf
Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper and sprinkling cornmeal over the surface. Carefully remove the dough from the bread machine and gently shape it into a round or oval loaf. The dough will be slightly sticky, but avoid using flour for shaping. Place the dough on the prepared baking sheet.
Step Five: Second Rise (Overnight Proof)
Spray a piece of plastic wrap with cooking spray and loosely cover the shaped dough. Place the covered loaf in the refrigerator to proof overnight for 8 to 16 hours.
Step Six: Prep For Baking
In the morning, preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Position two racks: one in the center of the oven and the other in the lower middle. Then, place an empty-rimmed baking sheet on the lower rack while the oven is preheating. Next, remove the loaf from the fridge. Dust it lightly with flour and use a lame or a sharp serrated knife to slash the top of the dough, allowing the loaf to expand during baking.
Step Seven: Bake With Steam
When the oven is fully preheated, carefully pour 1 cup of water into the baking sheet on the lower rack to create steam. Immediately place the loaf on the center rack and close the oven door. Bake the loaf for 45 minutes until it reaches a deep golden-brown color. Remove from the oven and allow the bread to cool on a wire rack for at least 4 hours.
Step Eight: Slice And Serve
Once the bread has fully cooled (after at least 4 hours), use a sharp, serrated knife to slice the loaf into even pieces. Enjoy fresh or toasted with your favorite toppings!
Storage Instructions
Once the bread has completely cooled, wrap it in a clean kitchen towel or place it in a paper bag. This will help keep the crust crispy while preventing the bread from drying. Avoid using plastic, as it can cause the crust to become soft. Stored this way, the bread will stay fresh for about 3 days at room temperature.
You can also freeze it. First, let the loaf cool completely. Then, slice the bread into pieces, so it’s easier to use later. Wrap the slices tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and place them in a freezer-safe bag. Remove as much air as possible before sealing the bag. The bread can be stored in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Thaw the slices at room temperature or pop them straight into the toaster. You can also reheat them in the oven for a few minutes to freshen up the crust.
What to Serve with Bread Machine Sourdough Bread
This bread is great for everything from toast at breakfast to a side at dinner.
- Spread on some homemade butter or strawberry jam.
- It’s great for grilled cheese sandwiches since it doesn’t have big holes.
- Serve as a side for dinner, like with a creamy chicken noodle soup.
Questions and Troubleshooting
Check my Sourdough FAQ page to see what could have gone wrong.
The autolyze step helps improve the dough’s texture, but if you’re short on time, you can throw everything in the bread machine and still get a great loaf.
No! It’s normal for this particular recipe. Once it rests and rises, the dough will soften and be easier to work with.
Great question! The dough should look noticeably puffier, but doesn’t need to double in size. If you press it gently with a finger and it springs back slowly, it’s ready.
Yes, you can! If you’re in a rush, let the dough rise at room temperature for another 2-3 hours. The slow, overnight rise helps develop the sourdough flavor, so try it when you can.
There are a couple of reasons this could happen. If your starter wasn’t bubbly and active when you used it, that could slow the rise. Also, sourdough can be slightly slow to rise, especially in cooler kitchens. If this happens, just give it more time to puff up! If you’re having trouble with your sourdough starter and wondering if it’s still alive, don’t worry! Check out this helpful guide on how to tell if you’ve killed your sourdough starter.
Yes! Some readers have baked this in the machine. But you can’t just run a cycle from start to finish. You’ll need to remove the dough to rest in the fridge overnight, then pop it back in to bake in the morning.
You sure can. The steam and baking sheet is really a workaround for those of us who don’t have one. 😊
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 do all the crazy folding and buy some neat tools, here is a true artisan bread recipe you might like.
Printable Recipe
Bread Machine Sourdough
Equipment
- Bread machine (with a dough cycle setting)
- Large mixing bowl
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Damp tea towel or kitchen towel
- Baking Sheet
- Rimmed baking sheet
Ingredients
- 3 cups bread flour (15.85 ounces)
- 1 cup lukewarm water (7.75 ounces)
- ¾ cup fed sourdough starter (5.65 ounces)
- ½ tablespoon sugar
- 1 ¾ teaspoon salt
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Instructions
- Autolyze. Combine the bread flour, sourdough starter, sugar, and water in a large mixing bowl. The dough will feel drier than typical sourdough—this is normal. Do not add more water. Use your hands to make sure all ingredients are incorporated into a cohesive ball. Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and let the dough rest on the counter for 30 minutes.Tip: Pre-measure the salt and place it in a small container on the towel to remind yourself to add it later.
- Knead. After the autolyze, transfer the dough and salt into the bread machine bucket. Then, select the “dough” cycle and press start. You don’t need to fold the dough or anything crazy like that. Just walk away.
- First rise. When the cycle ends, leave the dough in the machine to continue rising for 2-3 more hours. The dough should be noticeably puffier and soft to the touch, though it may not have doubled in size. This longer rise helps develop the flavor and texture of the bread.
- Shape the loaf. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper and sprinkling cornmeal over the surface. Carefully remove the dough from the bread machine and gently shape it into a round or oval loaf. The dough will be slightly sticky, but avoid using flour for shaping. Place the dough on the prepared baking sheet.
- Second Rise (overnight proof). Spray a piece of plastic wrap with cooking spray and loosely cover the shaped dough. Place the covered loaf in the refrigerator to proof overnight for 8 to 16 hours.
- Prep for baking. In the morning, preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Position two racks: one in the center of the oven and the other in the lower middle. Then, place an empty-rimmed baking sheet on the lower rack while the oven is preheating. Next, remove the loaf from the fridge. Dust it lightly with flour and use a lame or a sharp serrated knife to slash the top of the dough, allowing the loaf to expand during baking.
- Bake with steam. When the oven is fully preheated, carefully pour 1 cup of water into the baking sheet on the lower rack to create steam. Immediately place the loaf on the center rack and close the oven door. Bake the loaf for 45 minutes until it reaches a deep golden-brown color. Remove from the oven and allow the bread to cool on a wire rack for at least 4 hours.
- Slice and serve. Once the bread has fully cooled (after at least 4 hours), use a sharp, serrated knife to slice the loaf into even pieces. Enjoy fresh or toasted with your favorite toppings!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
By Katie Shaw
Katie shares simple, reliable recipes from her home in Virginia, where she lives with her husband, three daughters, a chocolate lab, and over thirty chickens.
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.
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 🙂
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.
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
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?
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.
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
no yeast! go for it!
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!
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?
you can do the second rise at room temperature for about 4 hours. but yes, it needs a second rise of some sort 🙂
I’m excited to try this recipe! Any thoughts on using white whole wheat flour?
should work just fine, but might be a little denser 🙂
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!
I’m so glad to hear it!
Can the dough be mixed too much?
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
Thank you for the tip! Can’t wait to try the recipe!!
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?
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/
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!
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.
That’s the perfect recipe, thank you very much!
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!
Ahhh effect not affect, sorry…grammar…
kellie, the health benefits are because of the long fermentation time. this recipe still has that, you’re good 🙂
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!
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)
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?
Amy, I have never personally tried it but I hope someone chimes in.
I use a slip mat all the time and don’t use cornmeal. It works great!
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!!
hooray! glad it was helpful to you! 🙂
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
that’s great wayne! hope you become a sourdough-er for life 🙂
Made this today! It was so easy and so good ???? will be making again soon
wonderful! glad you liked it 🙂
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!
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!
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.
that’s great Lynda! wish I could see it too! 🙂
I took a pic and put it on instagram…I tagged you so hopefully you can. Baguettes for today!
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!
hi teresa, I am so glad it worked for you! hope you become a lifelong sourdough-er!
Can final loaf be baked in Dutch oven?
yes. it does very well in a Dutch Oven!