Easy Sourdough Bread Recipe – That Never Fails
If you’ve ever tried making sourdough and ended up frustrated with dense loaves, complicated steps, or recipes that just didn’t deliver, I’m right there with you! This easy sourdough bread recipe changed everything for me. It makes one perfect sandwich loaf in a standard loaf pan — tender crumb, great flavor, and no Dutch oven or complicated steps or temperature charts required.
After a year and a half of trying every “expert” method, fancy recipe, and multiple highly-rated artisan books, I was baking up dense, disappointing loaves. The only sourdough success I had during this time was my sourdough English muffins (which you really do have to try sometime!).
But my saving grace came from a friend a few months ago. She brought her sourdough loaf to our friend-group brunch and it was amazing! In fact, it was so good I begged her for the recipe and she text it to me right there – how’s that for simple? She affectionately called it her “lazy sourdough” and I knew I was all-in to try it. I’ve been using it ever since and I’m not looking back.
With her recipe, I’m consistently baking the best sourdough loaves I’ve ever tasted. No more stressing and over-thinking the process. My family is devouring my sourdough (with zero complaints) and I no longer have to use failed loaves for bread crumbs.
Why This Easy Sourdough Bread Recipe Works
In all honesty, it’s VERY easy to overcomplicate it with the massive amount of advice out there. Purist will die on the hills of using ONLY bread flour, multiple stretch and folds, extremely long cold proofs, room temperature and dough charts, and overly complicated shaping steps. I threw all that away and went back to the basics of bread baking. And let me tell you – these changes have made all the difference in my sourdough:
- I switched to a 1:5:5 starter feed, which is much wetter and easier to pour. We also love turning the same starter into sourdough English muffins — they are incredible and beat anything you can buy from the store.
- I use unbleached all-purpose flour instead of bread flour for a softer, more tender loaf that we prefer.
- Way more fed sourdough starter in this recipe makes the dough so so forgiving and helps speed up bulk fermentation. It is so much fast, in fact, that I can go from mixing the dough to a baked loaf in about 6 hours most days (room temp and humidity can affect timing – so keep that in mind).
- I bake in a loaf pan instead of as boule in a dutch oven— so much easier to slice for sandwiches or the toaster.
- I’m no longer afraid of over-fermenting my dough some. I used to be very stringent and likely not letting bulk fermentation go long enough. But if I’m going to error, I will always go for over-fermentation (before I shape my loaf).
- No more fussy shaping my loaves. Once I pour out my fermented dough, I just use a bench scraper to pull surface tension and form a smooth top.
The best part? Even if the outside isn’t gorgeous, the inside is light, airy, and tender every single time. I’ve found there is a greater oven spring that makes even a sloppy looking loaf look amazing when baked.
My Favorite Starter Feed (1:5:5 Ratio)
Start with a well-fed, active starter.
Feed ratio:
- 10 g active starter
- 50 g warm water
- 50 g unbleached all-purpose flour
Mix in a pint jar, cover with a cloth or coffee filter, and let it sit 6–8 hours (or until doubled, bubbly, and slightly deflated).
A starter at peak or even a little past peak works better than one that hasn’t fully risen yet.
Tips from My Kitchen
- Timing is flexible — while sourdough is not an exact science (as much as experts will try to tell you it is) factors like humidity and temperature will vary. Throw away strict timing and look for bubbling in your bulk fermented dough, (this is why I recommend a clear glass bowl).
- Refrigerating the shaped loaf makes scoring much easier and can develop the flavor more. But more times that not – I bake my loaf after shaping and letting it rise for about an hour.
- Don’t worry about perfect looks on the outside. That significant oven spring usually smooths things out, and the inside of the loaf is what matters most.
- This dough is very forgiving. I’ve tested it with the starter at peak and slightly past — both work great.
- If you care about the score – I recommend you flour your shaped loaf before you cold proof (for easier scoring). Cover and bake for 10 minutes, remove the top pan score, and cover and bake for 20 minutes more. Then remove the cover for browning the last 25 minutes of baking.
This easy sourdough bread recipe has helped me breath a huge sigh of relief. I really thought something was broken in me after trying for so long. It may sound dramatic but I was questioning my sanity and my entire existence as a home baker.
No more careful timing, multiple stretch and folds stress, just a great, reliable homemade bread that my family enjoys. If you’ve felt intimidated by sourdough before, I hope this helps you ease up and make some delicious sourdough. Trust me — you really can do this!
I’d love to hear from you in the comments: Have you struggled with sourdough too? Have you tried a higher starter amount in your dough? Please let me know, I love cheering each other on as we tackle baking challenges.
Happy baking, friend!
Here’s to simpler sourdough bread on the table.
Easy Sourdough Bread Recipe
Print Recipe
equipment (affiliate links
- Wooden spoon OR
- 2 8½ x 4½-inch loaf pan 1 for baking and 1 for lid
Ingredients
- 75 g sourdough starter fed & at peak or slightly beyond
- 350 g water slightly warm
- 10 g salt
- 500 g unbleached all-purpose flour
Instructions
- In a clear glass bowl (or stand mixer) mix the sourdough starter and slightly warm water together well.75 g sourdough starter350 g water
- Add the salt and flour. Stir until everything is fully incorporated — no dry flour left.10 g salt500 g unbleached all-purpose flour
- Transfer to a glass bowl if using your stand mixer and cover with a shower cap (or plastic wrap) and let it rest for 15–30 minutes.
- Do one round of 3 or 4 stretch and folds.
- Cover again and let the dough rise at room temperature for 4–6 hours, until it has doubled and you can see bubbles throughout.
- Spray your loaf pan with cooking spray or use a nonstick USA pans. Plop the fermented dough straight onto the counter. Using a bench scraper, gently pull the dough across the surface to create tension on top — no extra flour, no folding or rolling. Place your dough smooth-side up in the pan. Cover with a shower cap or plastic wrap.
- If baking right away – let it rise until it’s about 1 cm from the top of the pan.
- If delaying baking – place covered loaf in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours.
- When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 375°F. Bake covered for 10 minutes. Remove the cover, score the top deeply, then bake another 20 minutes. Remove the cover again and bake 25 minutes more until nicely browned and internal temperature reaches 190°F.
- Let the loaf cool for ten minutes on a wire rack. Remove from pan and let cool completely before slicing.
Notes
- Use a well-fed starter at peak or slightly past peak for best results.
- The higher amount of starter in the dough helps the bread rise faster and gives a lighter, airier crumb.
- Even if the shaped loaf over-rises a bit, the strong oven spring usually evens everything out.
- The simple bench scraper shaping method is very beginner-friendly — no flour dusting or complicated folding required.
- This dough is very forgiving and works well even if your kitchen temperature varies.
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