Chef John's Sourdough Bread

4.7
(153)
135 Reviews
94 Photos

Turn your kitchen into a sourdough bread bakery with this easy recipe and my sourdough starter recipe. Making your own sourdough bread does take a while, but the amount of actual work is minimal — and the finished loaf is spectacular!

By
John Mitzewich
Chef John
John Mitzewich
John Mitzewich — aka Chef John — has produced more than 1,500 cooking videos for Allrecipes. He's the actor, director, and screenwriter whose hands and voice confidently walk you through techniques.
Allrecipes' editorial guidelines
Updated on February 7, 2024
Tested by
Allrecipes Test Kitchen
Tested by Allrecipes Test Kitchen
The Allrecipes Test Kitchen staff are a team of culinary pros who make and vet recipes using only equipment you'd find in a home kitchen. Staff credentials vary but include training at the Culinary Institute of America; kitchen stints in fine dining restaurants; and countless hours in the test kitchen itself.
Meet the Allrecipes Test Kitchen
94
looking down at a loaf of sourdough bread with a few pieces sliced
94
94
94
94
Prep Time:
30 mins
Cook Time:
25 mins
Additional Time:
21 hrs
Total Time:
21 hrs 55 mins
Servings:
8
Yield:
1 loaf
Jump to Nutrition Facts

Ingredients

  • 100 grams active sourdough starter

  • 394 grams bread flour

  • 250 grams water

  • 8 grams kosher salt

  • 2 tablespoons rice flour, or as needed

Directions

  1. Gather all ingredients.

    all ingredients gathered to make sourdough bread

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  2. Place starter into a bowl. Add bread flour, water, and salt; mix until well blended and sticky.

    starter, flour, water and salt combined in a bowl until sticky

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  3. Cover with aluminum foil and let stand for 4 hours at 70 to 75 degrees F (21 to 24 degrees C).

    dough after standing for a few hours

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  4. Uncover dough and use wet hands to fold it over onto itself three to four times. Cover again with foil and let ferment for 2 more hours.

    dough after fermenting for a few hours

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  5. Generously dust a proofing basket (banneton) with rice flour.

  6. Scrape dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Shape into a ball with a smooth, unbroken surface, using just enough flour on the surface to keep it from sticking. Place dough into the prepared basket with the smooth side down. Pinch the rougher edges on the surface together toward the center to smooth them while maintaining a round ball shape.

    dough placed into prepared basket

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  7. Cover and refrigerate for 12 hours to slow the fermentation process.

    dough covered to slow fermenting process

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  8. Remove the banneton from the refrigerator. Let sit in a warm spot until dough springs back slowly and retains a slight indentation when poked gently with a finger, about 3 to 5 hours.

  9. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

  10. Dust surface of dough with flour. Gently invert the banneton over the center of the baking sheet and flip dough out onto the parchment paper. Gently brush off excess rice flour. Score top of dough about 1/8-inch deep with a sharp knife to create a shallow slit running across the center. Mist the entire surface lightly with water.

    dough filled out and scored

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  11. Bake in the center of the preheated oven until beautifully browned, 25 to 30 minutes.

    sourdough bread baked until browned

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  12. Transfer loaf to a wire rack and let cool completely before slicing.

    loaf of sourdough bread sliced after cooling completely

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

Chef's Notes

It's important that you plan ahead! My sourdough starter takes 10 days to make.

If you don't have a banneton, you can line a similarly sized bowl with a tightly woven cotton kitchen towel and generously coat it with rice flour. I've done that before, and it works exactly the same. The only difference is the wooden basket breathes, unlike a metal bowl, but I don't think that's a big deal.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

205 Calories
1g Fat
41g Carbs
7g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 8
Calories 205
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 1g 1%
Saturated Fat 0g 1%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 405mg 18%
Total Carbohydrate 41g 15%
Dietary Fiber 2g 5%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 7g 14%
Calcium 15mg 1%
Iron 3mg 14%
Potassium 78mg 2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.

You’ll Also Love

Long-Fermentation Sourdough Bread
8 Ratings
Chef John's Sourdough Starter
52 Ratings
Gluten-Free Sourdough Sandwich Bread
1 Rating
Rory's Guaranteed Rise Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
18 Ratings
Card Placeholder Image
Honey Wheat Sourdough Bread with Quinoa
1 Rating
Card Placeholder Image
Sourdough Discard Bread
1 Rating
Air Fryer Sourdough Bread
1 Rating
Sourdough Bread III
89 Ratings
The French Bread
29 Ratings
sourdough bread with one slice cut off so you can see inside of bread on tile counter
Sourdough Bread
307 Ratings
Plain and Simple Sourdough Bread
222 Ratings
Sourdough Pizza Crust Dough
20 Ratings
Sour dough bread
San Francisco Sourdough Bread
563 Ratings
close up view of two loaves of Ekmek Turkish Bread on a wooden cutting board
Ekmek Turkish Bread
18 Ratings
Sourdough Scones
77 Ratings
Sourdough Soft Pretzels
18 Ratings