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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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• 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
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• A mason jar with a loose lid

  For your starter. Pint size is plenty.

  ~$3

• 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
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• A banneton (proofing basket) — optional

  Not required, but gives that iconic spiral pattern. A flour-dusted mixing bowl with a towel works too.

  ~$15
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• Good flour

  Unbleached bread flour for the loaf, whole wheat or rye for feeding the starter. King Arthur is widely available and reliable.

  ~$8
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Week one: build a starter

1. Day 1. In your jar, mix 50g whole-wheat flour + 50g room-temp water. Stir, cover loosely, leave on the counter.
2. Day 2–4. Once a day, discard half and feed with 50g flour + 50g water. By day 3 or 4 you'll see bubbles.
3. Day 5–7. Switch to feeding twice a day. Your starter should double in size within 6 hours of feeding.
4. 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

1. Mix the dough. 100g active starter + 375g water + 500g bread flour + 10g salt. Mix until shaggy, rest 30 min.
2. 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.
3. Bulk ferment. 4–8 hours at room temp until the dough has grown by ~50% and looks jiggly.
4. Shape. Gently pull into a tight round. Place seam-up in a floured banneton or towel-lined bowl.
5. Cold proof. Fridge, 12–18 hours. Yes, overnight. This is where flavor develops.
6. 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.
7. Wait. Don't cut it for at least an hour. It's still cooking inside. Seriously.

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