Food Friday: My Wife’s Homemade Sourdough Bread

Posted byJared Harding WilsonPosted inFoodTags:, , , , , , , ,
A freshly baked sourdough loaf torn in half on a wooden cutting board, steam rising from the soft, open crumb.

It’s Food Friday! And this week I get to share something I’m really excited about: my wife’s homemade sourdough bread.

A freshly baked sourdough loaf torn in half on a wooden cutting board, steam rising from the soft, open crumb.
Fresh out of the oven, still steaming.

Where it started

My lovely bride talked about learning how to make sourdough bread for quite some time. All it took was just getting started, and she’s gotten better with every loaf.

She got her starter from her mother, who helped her through it. The recipe she uses came from a friend of the family a few years ago.

I’ve only helped my wife a little, but I definitely enjoy the end result! And that made me happy, because it meant I was able to have that succulent sourdough grilled cheese late one night.

Now she makes two loaves at a time, just because it takes so much work to make. It’s definitely fun to make, too!

These photos are from a baking day back on August 6. Here’s how it comes together.

What you’ll need

A bag of unbleached bread flour, a jar of sourdough starter, a pitcher of filtered water and a jar of sea salt on a granite counter.
Just four ingredients: flour, starter, water and salt.

Key items:

  • Digital scale
  • Parchment paper
  • Stand mixer with a dough hook
  • Dutch oven
  • Proofing basket or bowl
  • Dough scorer (scoring knife)

Feeding your starter

Feed your starter with equal parts unbleached flour and water. A hungry starter gets water and flour.

You want your starter active: light and bubbly. Here’s a simple float test: drop a spoonful into a bowl of water. If it floats, it’s ready.

A hand holding a tall glass jar of bubbly, active sourdough starter.
An active starter, light and bubbly and ready to go.

Step one: make the dough

  1. Add 5 oz of active starter and 13.5 oz of water (filtered or bottled is best) to the mixer bowl.
  2. Stir the starter and water with the dough hook until it looks milky.
Bubbly, milky sourdough starter and water mixed together in a stand mixer bowl.
Starter and water stirred together until milky.
  1. Add 0.75 to 0.80 oz of pure sea salt (Costco salt is great) and 20 oz of unbleached bread flour (we use Costco bread flour).
  2. Stir it all together to form a dough ball. Cover it and wait 30 minutes.
  3. Take the cover off, then stretch and pull all 4 sides. Repeat every 30 minutes for 2 hours.
  4. Put the dough ball in a sealed container or bread bag and refrigerate it to rest overnight.

Step two: stretching and proofing

  1. Take the dough out of the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
  2. Slowly stretch it into a large rectangle, taking your time so it doesn’t tear.
Sourdough dough gently stretched thin into a large rectangle on a floured counter.
Stretch slowly so the dough doesn’t tear.
  1. Fold it onto itself and form a smooth ball.
A long strip of sourdough dough folded over onto itself on a floured granite counter.
Folding the dough onto itself before shaping it into a ball.
  1. Place the ball on floured parchment paper in a bowl or proofing basket.
A smooth round ball of sourdough dough resting on parchment paper inside a bowl.
A smooth ball, ready to proof.
  1. Cover it and wait for it to double in size, about 4 to 6 hours.
Two balls of sourdough dough in parchment-lined bowls, covered with plastic wrap while they proof.
Two loaves at a time, covered and proofing.
A round proofing basket on the counter covered with a sheet of parchment paper.
Covered up and waiting to double in size.

Step three: prep and baking

  1. Set your Dutch oven on top of a cookie sheet in the oven and preheat to 450°F.
  2. When it’s up to temperature, flour the top of the dough and score a pattern with a scoring knife.
  3. Lift the dough by the parchment and set it, parchment and all, into the hot Dutch oven.
  4. Put the lid on and bake for 32 minutes.
  5. Take the lid off and bake another 3 to 10 minutes. Baking times vary by oven.
  6. Take the loaf out of the pot and let it cool before slicing.
A whole scored sourdough loaf with a golden, crackly crust cooling on a wooden cutting board.
Golden, crackly and cooling before slicing.

Freezer tip

Sometimes we don’t eat the second loaf fast enough. So before mold sets in, we slice it up and put the slices in bags in the freezer. And they freeze well!

Printable recipe card

My Wife’s Homemade Sourdough Bread
Recipe from a family friend.

Makes 1 loaf. Time: about 2½ hours of dough work, an overnight rest, 4 to 6 hours proofing, and about 35 to 42 minutes baking.

Ingredients

  • 5 oz active sourdough starter (light and bubbly; passes the float test)
  • 13.5 oz water (filtered or bottled preferred)
  • 0.75 to 0.80 oz pure sea salt
  • 20 oz unbleached bread flour

Feeding your starter: Equal parts unbleached flour and water.

Equipment: Digital scale, parchment paper, dough hook, Dutch oven, proofing basket or bowl, dough scorer.

Step one: make the dough

  1. Stir starter and water with a dough hook until milky.
  2. Add salt and flour; stir to form a dough ball. Cover and wait 30 minutes.
  3. Uncover, stretch and pull all 4 sides. Repeat every 30 minutes for 2 hours.
  4. Place in a sealed container or bread bag and refrigerate overnight.

Step two: stretching and proofing

  1. Let the dough sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
  2. Slowly stretch into a large rectangle without tearing.
  3. Fold onto itself and form a smooth ball.
  4. Place on floured parchment in a bowl, cover, and let double in size (4 to 6 hours).

Step three: prep and baking

  1. Place a Dutch oven on a cookie sheet in the oven; preheat to 450°F.
  2. Flour the top of the dough and score a pattern.
  3. Place dough, with parchment, into the hot Dutch oven. Lid on, bake 32 minutes.
  4. Remove lid and bake 3 to 10 minutes more (times vary by oven).
  5. Remove from the pot and cool before slicing.

Freezer tip: Slice any loaf you won’t finish in time and freeze the slices in bags.

Have you ever made sourdough? Do you have a starter going at your house? Let me know in the comments!

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Published by Jared Harding Wilson

Jared Harding Wilson is a Utah hiker, musician, and storyteller who writes about trails, national parks, faith in Jesus Christ, good food, books, and music at Hike Stars on Earth. He loves exploring the mountains with his bride and finding the light in everyday adventures.

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