Simple Sourdough Artisan Bread Recipe

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Since the yeast shortages of 2020, sourdough has just continued to become more and more popular, and with it’s delicious flavour from simple ingredients, who can blame people for falling in love with these beautiful loaves of bread. This sourdough recipe is made with basic pantry staples, and is simple enough for a beginner to try their hand at it and end up with a loaf they can feel proud of.

What is sourdough starter?

A sourdough starter is a mixture of flour and water left to ferment for several days. It is used as a natural leavening agent in bread making. The fermentation happens because wild yeast and bacteria present in the flour and air are allowed to develop and multiply over time. As a result, the starter becomes a living culture that can be used to make bread, bagels, and other delicious treats. Because sourdough starter is a living thing it needs to be fed regularly to keep it alive and active. It is an essential ingredient in making sourdough bread and plays a crucial role in the flavour, texture, and rise of the final product.

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Creating and maintaining a sourdough starter may seem daunting, but the process is quite simple with consistency and patience.

To make your own first, combine equal parts water and flour, 1/3 cup each is typically enough, in a jar and let it sit at room temperature overnight. Over the next few days, divide the starter in half and add equal parts water and flour the one half of the starter, and discard the other half. After a couple of days, you’ll notice bubbles and a slightly sour aroma – these are the signs that your starter is alive and active!

To keep your starter healthy, feed it every day with equal parts flour and water, discarding half of the mixture each time. This guarantees that your starter remains active and vibrant. The “sour” flavour will grow stronger over time, and as the culture develops.

If you need to take a break from baking for a while, toss your starter into the fridge after feeding. It will go dormant for several weeks in the fridge, and can be woken up gently with a good feeding 24 hours before intended use.

And don’t throw away that discard mentioned above., it can be used to make crackers, pancakes or discard breads.

Ingredients and Tools

Ingredients

• All Purpose Flour
• Water
• Active Sourdough Starter
• Olive Oil or Avocado Oil
• Salt
• Sweetener of your choice (honey, agave, sugar, etc)

Basic Tools and Equipment Required

• Stand mixer with dough hook
• Large Mixing Bowl
• Dutch Oven
• Scoring Blade (razor blade)
• Beeswax paper
• Proofing Banneton Baskets
• Parchment paper
• Bench Scraper
• Bowl Scraper

Substitutions and Variations

All of the tools listed above can make baking sourdough bread easier, but can be substituted with other things. Just because you are missing a tool listed above does not mean you are unable ton accomplish making a beautiful loaf of artisan bread, it just may take a little more work and creativity.

Stand Mixer and Dough Hook Substitution: Sourdough was made for a millennia by hand, simply with a bowl and bare hands. If you do not have a stand mixer, or one that is capable of mixing sourdough the same results can be achieved by kneading and mixing by hand. Simply put all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix until the dough comes together in a shaggy ball. Once in a shaggy ball fold the dough our onto the counter or work surface and knead until smooth and shinny.

Dutch Oven Substitution: The purpose of baking the bread in a dutch oven is to create steam so you can achieve those beautiful crusty ears and crispy crust on your loaf (or boule). If you don’t have a dutch oven then a similar affect can be created by putting a pan with ice cubes in the bottom of the oven to create steam, and baking in a cast iron skillet or on a pizza stone. If you don’t have a pizza stone or skillet a cookie sheet will do.

Scoring Blade Substitutions: I’ll admit scoring the bread with a blade is a bit of a game changer but for years I scored my bread with a sharp knife. It can take a special talent to get those beautiful designs with a knife that you would with a blade but it can be done with enough patience. I just stuck to the half moon/ tic-tac-toe boards with a knife but in reality the possibilities are endless.

Beeswax paper Substitutions: The purpose of the paper is to prevent the dough from drying out and creating a crust while proofing and fermenting. Beeswax paper is a great reusable tool to prevent this but plastic wrap, a damp tea towel or even a plastic bag (like a grocery bag) can do the trick. Anything that can protect the dough from drying out will do.

Proofing Banneton Basket Substitute: This is a a tool I have yet to invest in. Even though I love the look of a loaf that has been proofed in a banneton, I proof all my sourdough boules in a medium plastic bowl that I oil and flour to prevent from sticking. It works great profiling shape for that final rise, and is super budget friendly, because it’s already in my kitchen pantry.

It’s so important to remember when deciding to make sourdough that although we have so many tools to help up make the most aesthetic loaf possible, that this is the bread of our ancestors and that they made these loaves every day, without these technological advancements. Don’t let the lack of a certain tool be the reason you don’t try your hand at these beautiful loaves.

Timeline

Day 1

6am: Feed Sourdough starter and allow it to rest at room temperature. If the starter was in the fridge it should be done the night before.

4pm: Combine starter, water, oil, sugar, salt and 2-3 cups of flour into the bowl of a stand mixer and combine with the dough hook. Continue to add flour 1/3 cup at a time until it forms a mass and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Be sure to add the flour slowly so that the flour is absorbed into the dough fully, this will help prevent over flouring and a tough dry dough.

Then allow the mixer to knead the dough until it is smooth, shinny and can pass the window pane test. Usually about 10 minutes after adding the last of the flour. This mixing is important as it is developing the gluten which will give the bread its unique structure and crumb.

Once the dough is shiny and smooth place in an oiled bowl.

4:20pm: Begin stretch and folds. The first series of stretch and folds will be every 15 minutes for an hour. the second set will be every 30 minutes for an hour.

Stretching and folding is a kneading technique that acts exactly how it sounds, begin by grabbing one edge of the dough, stretching it and then folding it into the middle. Turn the bowl a quarter turn and repeat 3 more times.

6:20pm: The bulk fermentation process. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or beeswax paper to prevent a crust or form from forming. Allow the dough to rest at room temperature for 8-12 hours. This is when that beautiful sour taste and smell starts to develop. The dough should be bubbly and doubled in size.

Pro tip: If your kitchen is drafty or quite cook at night allow it to ferment in the oven with a light on.

Day 2

6:30 am: Punch down the dough and fold out onto a lightly floured surface. Shape the dough into loaves, making sure to create tension by pulling the dough towards you, and turning a 1/4 turn. Once the dough is shaped, place in a proofing basket or bowl and allow it to rise again for 2-4 hours (until doubled), or leave in the fridge until ready to bake.

8:30 am: (or whenever ready to bake) Place the Dutch oven empty into the oven and begin preheating to 500F.

While waiting for the oven to preheat, gently fold the dough onto a piece of parchment paper. Lightly flour the the top of the dough and score the bread as plainly or intricately as you wish.

9am: Once the oven is heated, remove the dutch oven, and gently place the bread in. You can add an ice cube or two for an extra crusty bread if you wish. place the lid back on and bake at 500F for 25 minutes. After the initial baking remove the lid and continue to bake at a reduced temperature of 450F for an additional 20-25 minutes.

9:50 am: Remove the brat from the oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

Simple Sourdough Bread Recipe