Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe·Leave a Review

Need some easy sourdough instructions, a foolproof sourdough recipe, and a simple baking schedule? Here are my top tips to get started! You’ll love my secret kitchen hack that ensures a perfect loaf for beginning bakers.

Sourdough Starter

Here’s a likely scenario: Someone offers you a sourdough starter, and you think “I love sourdough! Why not? How hard can it be?”

Then, you start reading and get overwhelmed.

Don’t toss out that starter just yet. I can help you get started with your starter.

Before you begin reading, though, I have one piece of advice that will both save your sanity and ensure you have the most successful baking experience possible.

WEIGH YOUR INGREDIENTS

Seriously. A kitchen scale isn’t expensive, and it’s invaluable when it comes to getting ratios right… not only in feeding your sourdough starter but also baking in general. This is the kitchen scale I use, but any kitchen scale will work.

Sourdough baking has always been of interest to hardcore bakers. But its recent surge in popularity has everyone and their neighbor either starting their own starter or thinking about it.

Rather than starting a starter from scratch using all-purpose flour and wild yeast, you may be lucky enough to score some from a friend. The only question is what do you do with a sourdough starter once you have it? Since there’s no manual for What To Expect When You’re Expecting A Sourdough Starter, I wrote this post to help.

Am I a sourdough expert?

100% NO.

But, I have learned a ton sifting through all the sourdough posts online. Obviously, I’ve been baking FOR YEARS. But sourdough is a different kind of challenge.

If you want to learn from the experts, go straight to King Arthur Flour’s tutorials. I also think The Pantry Mama and The Perfect Loaf have a ton of helpful info. I recently discovered Havens Sourdough on Facebook Reels, and there’s something about her videos that I really like. They’re very helpful for beginning bakers.

If you’re like me, though, you may actually need a little remediation BEFORE even consulting the experts. That’s what this post is all about.

Where to start with a sourdough starter and Frequently Asked Questions:

Ask when the Sourdough Starter was last fed

If you get your starter from someone who is actively baking, it’s likely that it was fed within the last 24 hours. This is important. Starter to be used soon for baking should be “fed and ripe.” This essentially means that it’s been sitting out at room temperature, growing & bubbling, and has been fed within the last 24 hours at least.

If the Sourdough Starter is NOT ripe or hasn’t been recently fed…

You’ll need to feed it for at least a day, maybe more (I’ll explain this more below) to get it happy enough to yield good bread.

How do I know when my Sourdough Starter is ready?

In general, you’re looking for it to double in size between feedings. (Opinions differ as to whether or not this is really necessary, but my experience with my starter is that it’s a good indicator of sourdough starter health. When I wasn’t seeing mine double, I had some failed loaves.)

It’s helpful to mark on the vessel you’re keeping your Sourdough Starter in where it is after you feed it. It will rise and then fall. I recommend marking it with a rubber band. This helps give you a sense of how far it’s risen.

Fed Sourdough Starter (fed with organic 100% whole wheat flour)

I’ve also observed that my Sourdough Starter baked well when it was the consistency of something similar to really thick Elmer’s glue (the old-school white stuff, not that new-fangled gel stuff… obviously.) If your starter is watery, even if it’s bubbly, it’s probably not strong enough to bake with.

How often do I have to feed my Sourdough Starter?

If your sourdough starter is sitting out on the counter, I’d say at least every 24 hours. Some experts recommend every 12 hours. And definitely if you’re trying to get it going again after a stint in the ‘fridge, feed it every 12 hours.

I’m learning sourdough is more art and less science than regular baking. Things like room temperature and the natural microbiome of your kitchen seem to influence it as well. Don’t be discouraged if your starter is sluggish. With care, you can get it going.

How long can you store Sourdough Starter in the ‘fridge without feeding it?

Most sources say about a week, ideally, but you’ll hear tales of much, much longer. I’ve kept my sourdough discard in the fridge for about a week, and it was still churning along at the end of the week. I pulled some out to start it up again and had no issues. It made a beautiful loaf after a couple of days of feeding.

What is Hooch in Sourdough Starter?

If you’ve stored sourdough discard in the fridge for a while, you might notice a dark liquid forming on top. This liquid is called hooch—a byproduct of fermentation that appears when the wild yeast and bacteria in your starter have consumed most of their available food. It’s typically a sign that your starter (or discard) has been sitting unfed for a while.

Should You Pour Off Hooch from Sourdough Starter or Stir It Back In?

This is a topic of debate among sourdough bakers, but I personally stir it back in for a couple of reasons:

Maintaining Hydration Levels

Some suggest that leaving hooch in makes the starter “more liquid,” but that doesn’t quite make sense to me. The starter doesn’t generate extra liquid just by sitting—hooch is simply the separation of liquid from the rest of the starter. If you discard it, you’re reducing the total hydration, which could slightly alter the consistency of your discard or starter over time.

Potential Preservation Benefits

Hooch is often described as having an alcoholic smell, which makes sense because it contains ethanol—a natural byproduct of fermentation. While I haven’t seen definitive research on this, I believe leaving hooch in the starter may help create an inhospitable environment for mold and unwanted bacteria. Alcohol and the acidic nature of sourdough both contribute to its ability to resist spoilage, which could explain why some starters last for years without ever developing mold.

No Noticeable Effect on Flavor

I’ve personally never discarded hooch, and I’ve never noticed it affecting the flavor of my sourdough bread. My loaves still turn out just as delicious, with the same depth of flavor and structure, so for me, there’s no downside to keeping it in.

That said, if the hooch has been sitting for a long time and smells overly sharp (like acetone or nail polish remover), I might choose to pour it off before using the discard in a recipe. This can help avoid any overly strong, bitter flavors.

If you find hooch forming often, it may be a sign that your starter or discard needs more frequent feeding. Regular maintenance will help keep it active, balanced, and ready for baking.

What is Sourdough discard?

When you feed your starter, you’ll discard some of it to make room for the feed. This is perhaps the most confusing part to read about online. Advice is all over the place on when to discard and how much.

My “Old” Sourdough Feeding Ratio

What I used to do (based mostly on King Arthur Flour tutorials) was reserve 113 g (or about 1/2 cup) to keep as my ongoing sourdough starter. I would “discard” whatever was left. (I never actually discard starter; I store it in the fridge and bake with it. See below “What else can I do with sourdough discard?”)

To the 113 g of reserved sourdough starter, I would add 113 g (or about 1 cup) of all-purpose or bread flour + 113 g (or about 1/2 cup) of room-temperature filtered water. (See below for tips about water.) This is considered a 1:1:1 feed, since all parts of the feeding are equal.

My “New” Sourdough Feeding Ratio

Through a lot of trial, error, and reading, I realized that the best feeding ratio for MY schedule was actually a 1:4:4 feeding ratio. So currently, I reserve about 30 g of starter and feed it 120 g of whole wheat all-purpose flour and 120 g of filtered, room temperature water.

What feeding ratio should YOU use for your sourdough starter?

This largely depends on your schedule. If you want your starter to peak sooner, rather than later, (if you’re trying to feed in the same day that you start the bread making process) feed the 1:1:1 ratio.

If, like me, you’d like to feed your starter and let it rise overnight, you need to give it MORE flour and water to “eat” overnight. I’ve found that if I feed my starter the 1:4:4 ratio, it’s perfectly peaked by the morning.

What can I make with Sourdough Discard?

I have made a ton of this Chocolate Chip Banana Bread. It’s awesome, if I do say so myself, and has tons of 5-star reviews to prove it. King Arthur has a collection of recipes for discard, but I think pancakes or waffles are probably the most popular. I also get rave reviews over my Sourdough Discard Chocolate Cake.

If the Starter is ripe and has been recently fed…

You can proceed to baking, but first…

…you need to determine what type of sourdough bread you want to bake.

I learned VERY quickly that while I’m a proficient baker, I’m a novice when it comes to sourdough. Sourdough is a subset of yeast-risen bread that can seem really complicated and overwhelming at first (in my opinion).

But it doesn’t have to be. You can ease into sourdough baking by starting with something really simple, like my Easy Sourdough Sandwich Bread .

DISCLAIMER: This recipe won’t yield an artisanal boule (and like my Foolproof Sourdough Recipe below it has a kitchen hack for beginners of using a little bit of yeast to help ensure success.)

But it will yield a soft, slightly-tangy sandwich bread that’s easy to cut, toasts up beautifully, and makes a wonderful sandwich bread.

It also uses less flour than many traditional sourdough recipes, so if it’s your first time working with sourdough, you won’t be risking as much flour if you happen to have an unsuccessful first attempt. (Although, with a good starter and being mindful of the measurements and times stated in the recipe, I can almost guarantee success!)

But if you’re wanting to have a more traditional loaf of sourdough, the Foolproof Sourdough Recipe below is the way to go!

More Sourdough Starter Tips

There are a lot of factors that can influence the health of a sourdough starter (and without a healthy starter, you won’t have baking success), ranging from flour choice to room temperature, to water quality. What I’ve shared here are best practices that seem to help the health of my sourdough starter and the success of my loaves.

Use filtered water that’s been sitting out uncovered at least overnight. Tap water seems to make my starter sluggish apparently from trace amounts of chlorine. You can also use distilled water if you have it.
Use unbleached flour if possible. Ideally, whole grain works best to “start” a starter and feeding it with whole-grain seems to be recommended as well. But don’t give up or fail to start baking if all you have is beached, all-purpose flour. It will work, too.
Store your starter in glass, not plastic or stainless steel.
Keep it loosely covered at all times. Those little yeast buggers need some room to breathe.

Using Yeast In A Sourdough Recipe

Before you read any further, you may be wondering how I can call the Foolproof Sourdough Recipe below “sourdough” if I’m using active dry yeast. Glad you asked.

Hardcore sourdough purists would likely seldom advocate using any additional yeast in a loaf of sourdough. But the more research I’ve done into sourdough, the more I’ve found that there’s actually a group of bakers and experts who do employ the help of a tiny bit of extra yeast. It truly does help ensure success for the beginning baker.

It also provides a little bit more predictability in your baking schedule. One of the more frustrating things about getting started with sourdough is understanding when bulk fermentation is done. It can range from as few as 4 hours up to 12 hours. And if you’ve never really gotten a feel for what a well-fermented dough looks and feels like, you run the risk of shaping your dough when it is underfermented, which leads to a dense crumb once baked.

With the help of a small amount of added yeast, it virtually ensures you’re going to reach the end of your bulk ferment within a 4 to 5 hour time span, in my experience.

You may wonder then why even bother with sourdough starter if you’re just going to use added yeast?

Only using 1/4 teaspoon of yeast or less (I believe as little as 1/8th teaspoon would work as well) gives a tiny “boost” to your dough, but the majority of the work is still happening thanks to the natural yeasts in your starter.

The complexity of sourdough is achieved through both yeast and bacteria. Yeast is the primary actor in the bulk ferment, while bacteria are more active in the overnight refrigeration that yields the sour taste (also known as a cold retard.) If you were to use a lot of added active dry yeast, your dough would rise too much and too fast to allow for this overnight refrigeration and end up with less bacterial activity, less sour taste, and not offer the same improved digestibility that sourdough is known for.

About Sourdough Digestibility

One of the main reasons I wanted to master at-home sourdough baking was for my husband. While he doesn’t have Celiac disease, he is gluten-sensitive. Over the years, we discovered that he was able to enjoy traditional sourdough bread without issue. Given that I have a baking website, it seemed only natural that I master the art of sourdough.

So what makes sourdough more digestible? Most sources point to the extended fermentation as the source of improved digestibility in sourdough. The lactic acid produced by the bacteria, which somewhat “take over” in the overnight refrigeration, may give a “head start” to breaking down some of the carbohydrates and protein in the bread, making it easier to digest.

It’s for this reason, again, that I only use a tiny amount of additional yeast in this foolproof sourdough recipe. Using any more would cause the dough to rise too fast for this overnight fermentation period.

My Sourdough Baking Schedule

One of the more difficult parts of sourdough baking is fitting in all of the time it takes to make it! There’s a lot of hands-off time. But, without a well-planned schedule, you may end up with some inconvenient time slots where you need to be managing the fermenting, folding, etc. The basic schedule and recipe below is what I’ve found works for my schedule.

9 pm – Feed starter in a 1:4:4 ratio. (I feed 30g starter with 120 g 100% whole wheat flour and 120 g filtered water.)
6 am – Mix 100 g fed starter with 300 g water + 500 g bread flour (the loaf shown in this post was 125 g whole wheat and 375 g bread flour) + 12 g kosher salt by hand to form a shaggy dough. (This is a fairly low-hydration recipe, which is easier for beginning bakers.)
6:30 am – Pull sides of dough toward center to form loose ball of dough and cover.
7 am to 9 or 10 am – Perform stretch and folds every 30 to 45 min.
10 am to 1 or 2 pm – Check status of bulk ferment and begin shaping if fermenting is done. (Determining when bulk ferment is done is one of the hardest parts of sourdough. I use the “float test.“)
2 pm – Shape and stitch dough; place in a banneton dusted with rice flour.
2 pm – Cover banneton (I use a clean shower cap), and place in refrigerator for overnight cold retard. (This is what helps develop the tangy sourdough taste.)
6 am (next day) – Preheat oven to 450 degrees F with Dutch oven inside the oven. Once preheated, invert proofed dough onto a piece of parchment, score as desired, place in Dutchen oven, add 2 ice cubes to Dutchen oven [for steam], and cover with lid. Bake 30 minutes, covered; uncover, and bake until internal temperature of bread registers 205 degrees F, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven, and let cool completely before slicing for best results.

Hi, I’m Regan — a registered dietitian, professional recipe developer, and the creator of This Baking Life.

I bake with less sugar and smarter carbs in mind (though you’ll find plenty of full-sugar favorites here too!), so you can enjoy a real dessert without overthinking every bite.

If you make this recipe, tag me @ReganJonesRDN so I can see what you’re baking!

Foolproof Sourdough Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

Author: Regan Jones, RDN
Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: 1 loaf

Print Recipe

Description

If you’re looking for an easy, foolproof sourdough recipe, this is it! With an option to use a very small amount of additional yeast, this recipe is sure to come out perfect every time even if you’re a beginner baker!

Ingredients

100 g sourdough starter
300 g room temperature filtered water**
1/4 tsp. active dry yeast (optional*)
500 g flour (I use organic unbleached bread flour)
12 g salt (I use kosher salt)

Instructions

Add active starter, water and yeast, if using, to a large bowl; mix well. Add flour and salt, and mix until a shaggy dough forms. (I use either a dough whisk or the paddle attachment of my stand mixer for this step.) Cover the bowl, and let stand 30 minutes. (I cover my bowl with a clean shower cap, but you could also use a damp towel or plastic wrap.)
After 30 minutes, perform a set of stretch and folds with slightly wet hands to work the dough into a rough ball, about 15 seconds. To perform a stretch and fold, gather a portion of the dough from the edge of the dough, stretch it upwards, and then fold it over toward the middle of the dough; avoid tearing dough. Rotate the bowl ¼ turn, and repeat this process until you have come full circle to complete 1 set.
Cover the bowl, and let stand 30 minutes in a warm place. Repeat 4 sets of stretch and folds every 30 minutes, covering bowl in between sets. Dough will begin to smooth out with each stretch and fold.
Once stretch and folds are complete, cover bowl, and let dough rise (bulk ferment) in a warm spot. (The time needed for this step can range greatly depending on strength of your starter, whether or not you used additional yeast, and the temperature of your kitchen. I recommend checking dough every 30 minutes after about 2 hours, keeping in mind that bulk ferment can take much longer.)
Check dough to determine if bulk ferment is complete. (Dough is ready when it has almost doubled in size, is somewhat jiggly when shaken, and has some bubbles around the top and edges of dough. You can also test for readiness by cutting off a very small amount of dough and dropping it into a small glass of water. This is a float test. If it floats, the dough is ready for the next step.)
Turn out dough onto a surface lightly sprayed with water. With slightly wet hands, shape dough using preferred shaping method. (I often use the envelope method. The goal during shaping is not only the shape of the desired loaf, but also for the dough to have enough surface tension to create a tight ball.)
Once dough is shaped, lightly dust top of dough with flour. (I recommend using rice flour. It doesn’t brown in the oven and helps achieve a more artisanal look.)
Using a bench scraper, quickly and carefully scoop dough from the bottom and invert dough into a clean tea towel lined and rice-flour dusted banneton or bowl. Stitch bottom of dough by bringing edges of dough toward center overlapping in a zig-zag pattern. (This final shape step of stitching isn’t 100% necessary but it does help with surface tension and shape. I recommend it.) Cover banneton or bowl, and place in refrigerator.
Let dough rest in refrigerator at least 8 hours, preferably overnight. (This step is when the dough begins to develop its sour flavor and improved digestibility.)
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 450 degrees F with a Dutch oven inside of oven. Once oven has preheated, carefully invert dough out of banneton or bowl onto a piece of parchment paper.
Score your dough (I use a bread lame, but you could also use a razor blade) by making a shallow slash down the center or side of the top of the loaf. (This is an expansion score and is necessary for proper oven rising.)
Using parchment paper as handles, place dough into preheated Dutch oven on center rack of oven, cover with lid, and bake 30 minutes. Remove lid, and bake (uncovered) until internal temperature of dough is 205 degrees F as measured with an instant-read thermometer or until golden brown on outside, about 15 minutes.
Remove bread from oven, and let cool on a wire rack at least 1 hour before slicing. (Cutting bread too may result in a gummy internal texture.)

Alternative Instructions Using A Bread Machine (My go-to method)

Layer starter, water, yeast, if using, flour, and salt in bread machine pan. Start “dough” cycle. Once bread machine dough cycle is complete, remove dough from pan. Place in a bowl. Cover bowl, and let dough rise (bulk ferment) in a warm spot. (The time needed for this step can range greatly depending on strength of your starter, whether or not you used additional yeast, and the temperature of your kitchen. I recommend checking dough every 30 minutes after about 2 hours, keeping in mind that bulk ferment can take much longer.)
Check dough to determine if bulk ferment is complete. (Dough is ready when it has almost doubled in size, is somewhat jiggly when shaken, and has some bubbles around the top and edges of dough. You can also test for readiness by cutting off a very small amount of dough and dropping it into a small glass of water. This is a float test. If it floats, the dough is ready for the next step.)
Turn out dough onto a surface lightly sprayed with water. With slightly wet hands, shape dough using preferred shaping method. (I often use the envelope method. The goal during shaping is not only the shape of the desired loaf, but also for the dough to have enough surface tension to create a tight ball.)
Once dough is shaped, lightly dust top of dough with flour. (I recommend using rice flour. It doesn’t brown in the oven and helps achieve a more artisanal look.)
Using a bench scraper, quickly and carefully scoop dough from the bottom and invert dough into a clean tea towel lined and rice-flour dusted banneton or bowl. Stitch bottom of dough by bringing edges of dough toward center overlapping in a zig-zag pattern. (This final shape step of stitching isn’t 100% necessary but it does help with surface tension and shape. I recommend it.) Cover banneton or bowl, and place in refrigerator.
Let dough rest in refrigerator at least 8 hours, preferably overnight. (This step is when the dough begins to develop its sour flavor and improved digestibility.)
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 450 degrees F with a Dutch oven inside of oven. Once oven has preheated, carefully invert dough out of banneton or bowl onto a piece of parchment paper.
Score your dough (I use a bread lame, but you could also use a razor blade) by making a shallow slash down the center or side of the top of the loaf. (This is an expansion score and is necessary for proper oven rising.)
Using parchment paper as handles, place dough into preheated Dutch oven on center rack of oven, cover with lid, and bake 30 minutes. Remove lid, and bake (uncovered) until internal temperature of dough is 205 degrees F as measured with an instant-read thermometer or until golden brown on outside, about 15 minutes.
Remove bread from oven, and let cool on a wire rack at least 1 hour before slicing. (Cutting bread too may result in a gummy internal texture.)

Notes

*While traditional sourdough recipes don’t use any additional commercial yeast, I’ve found that this method (referred to as a hybrid dough) is perfect for beginning bakers. It helps ensure consistent success with sourdough loaves. By using only a very small amount of additional yeast, this recipe preserves the desired digestibility benefits and sour taste of sourdough through bulk fermentation process and overnight refrigeration.

**This amount of water yields what is considered a fairly low-hydration dough. I find this to be best for beginner bakers. As you become more familiar with sourdough, you could increase this by 25 g increments. A higher-hydration dough will be looser and stickier to work with, but will also have a more bubbly, open crumb when baked.

Prep Time: 10 min
Rising Time: 12 – 24 hours
Cook Time: 45 min
Category: Bread
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

I hope this helps. Again, I’m not near the expert that some bakers are when it comes to sourdough. But my guess is that you ended up here because you are still learning too! I’ve clocked enough hours taking care of my sourdough starter and testing out sourdough recipes that I feel like I’m at least qualified to give you a little neighborly advice. Happy Baking. ~Regan

Need some Sourdough Discard recipes? These are super popular!

Affiliate Disclosure

Disclosure: Some of the links on this site are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.