Sourdough QuickStart
Two ingredients, one jar, a little patience — and a loaf of bread better than most bakeries.
The real secret: a good starter
Sourdough isn't hard. It's slow. The single most important thing is a healthy, bubbly starter. Get that right and the rest is practice.
The minimum you need
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Shop scales
A kitchen scale (grams)
Baking by volume doesn't work. A scale is the single piece of gear that separates frustrated bakers from happy ones.
~$15–25 -
A mason jar with a loose lid
For your starter. Pint size is plenty.
~$3 -
Shop Dutch ovens
A dutch oven
Traps steam during the first part of the bake. This is how you get the bakery-style crust at home.
~$40–80 -
Shop bannetons
A banneton (proofing basket) — optional
Not required, but gives that iconic spiral pattern. A flour-dusted mixing bowl with a towel works too.
~$15 -
Shop flour
Good flour
Unbleached bread flour for the loaf, whole wheat or rye for feeding the starter. King Arthur is widely available and reliable.
~$8
Week one: build a starter
- Day 1. In your jar, mix 50g whole-wheat flour + 50g room-temp water. Stir, cover loosely, leave on the counter.
- Day 2–4. Once a day, discard half and feed with 50g flour + 50g water. By day 3 or 4 you'll see bubbles.
- Day 5–7. Switch to feeding twice a day. Your starter should double in size within 6 hours of feeding.
- Day 7+. When it reliably doubles, floats in water (a tiny spoonful floats on top), and smells pleasantly sour — it's ready.
Week two: your first loaf
- Mix the dough. 100g active starter + 375g water + 500g bread flour + 10g salt. Mix until shaggy, rest 30 min.
- Four stretch-and-folds, 30 min apart. Wet your hand, grab one side of the dough, stretch up, fold over. Rotate the bowl. Repeat 4 times per round.
- Bulk ferment. 4–8 hours at room temp until the dough has grown by ~50% and looks jiggly.
- Shape. Gently pull into a tight round. Place seam-up in a floured banneton or towel-lined bowl.
- Cold proof. Fridge, 12–18 hours. Yes, overnight. This is where flavor develops.
- Bake. Preheat dutch oven to 500°F. Turn dough onto parchment, score the top, lower into pot. 20 min covered at 475°F, then 20–25 min uncovered until deep golden brown.
- Wait. Don't cut it for at least an hour. It's still cooking inside. Seriously.
Where to go next
Beginner FAQ
My starter is not bubbling — is it dead?
Almost certainly not. Young starters are slow, especially in cool kitchens. Keep feeding on schedule, move it somewhere warm (around 75°F), and give it several more days before worrying.
Why did my loaf come out dense?
Usually underproofing or a starter that was not at peak strength when you mixed. Make sure your starter doubles within a few hours of feeding before you bake with it.
Do I really need a Dutch oven?
It is the easiest way to trap the steam that gives sourdough its open crumb and crackly crust. Alternatives exist (a pan of water in the oven, a baking steel plus a bowl), but a Dutch oven is the most reliable path for a beginner.