Sourdough is one of my favorite types of bread. This bread is fairly simple to make and quite enjoyable sliced for sandwiches or toast. Get the sourdough starter going four to six days before you plan to bake the bread. You can keep the starter in the refrigerator and keep it fed for later use.
One of the things I’m most fond of is the many heirloom recipes in my collection. This particular recipe was created from an old white bread recipe which I turned into a sourdough bread recipe. It comes from the kitchen of a dairy farm in Kansas. And if you have a moment, check out my post about my Kansas Farm Tour, where I spent a week in Kansas touring different farms.
If you’ve never experienced homemade bread, this is one recipe you need to try. My mom had a wedding cake and bread baking business on the farm when we were little. She would bake banana bread, coffee cakes, and homemade bread to sell to our neighbors and my dad’s co-workers. She was always making homemade goodness and a freshly baked loaf of bread was such a treat!
How to make Easy Sourdough Bread:
Step 1: Make the sourdough starter by combing the dry yeast with the water. Whisk in the sugar, flour, and salt. Let sit uncovered on the counter for 4-6 days. Whisk 4-5 times daily.
Step 2: Scald the milk in a small saucepan. Stir in the sugar to dissolve. Let cool to lukewarm. Pour the warm water into the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl; sprinkle with yeast and stir until dissolved. Add the milk mixture, sourdough starter, salt, and 3 cups of the flour. Mix with the dough hook until smooth. Cut the butter into pieces and incorporate. Add enough of the remaining flour to make a smooth dough.
Step 3: Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, 4-5 minutes. Form into a ball and place into a greased bowl, turning to coat all sides. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled, 1 – 1/4 hours.
Step 4: Punch down dough and let rest for about 15 minutes. Grease two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans. Divide the dough in half and shape into loaves. Transfer the dough to the loaf pans and make a cut on the top of each loaf with a sharp knife or new razer blade. Spray some plastic wrap with cooking spray, so that it doesn’t stick, and loosely cover the loaves. Let rise in a warm area until doubled, about 1 – 1 1/4 hours.
Step 5: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes. Remove from the bread pans and let cool completely.
These cast iron bread pans are amazing! They help crisp up the bottom and sides of the sourdough bread! Order them here!
Baker’s Tip:
You can roll the dough into small rounds to make bread bowls! Try my chili recipe in sourdough bread bowls.
Love baking and cooking in cast iron? Be sure and try my Cast Iron Pizza, Cast Iron Pork Chops, Chicken Fajitas, and Apple Hand Pies.
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Sourdough Bread
Ingredients
Sourdough starter
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 2 cups lukewarm water
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Bread
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 cup water lukewarm
- 1 .25-ounce packet (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
- 1 cup sourdough starter
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 5 1/2 to 6 cups bread or all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
Instructions
Sourdough starter
Combine the dry yeast with the water. Whisk in the sugar, flour, and salt. Let sit uncovered on the counter for 4-6 days. Whisk 4-5 times daily.
Bread
- Scald the milk in a small saucepan. Stir in the sugar to dissolve. Let cool to lukewarm. Pour the warm water into the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl; sprinkle with yeast and stir until dissolved. Add the milk mixture, sourdough starter, salt, and 3 cups of the flour. Mix with the dough hook until smooth. Cut the butter into pieces and incorporate. Add enough of the remaining flour to make a smooth dough.
- Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, 4-5 minutes. Form into a ball and place into a greased bowl, turning to coat all sides. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled, 1 - 1/4 hours.
- Punch down dough and let rest for about 15 minutes. Grease two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans. Divide the dough in half and shape into loaves. Transfer the dough to the loaf pans and make a cut on the top of each loaf with a sharp knife or new razer blade. Spray some plastic wrap with cooking spray, so that it doesn't stick, and loosely cover the loaves. Let rise in a warm area until doubled, about 1 - 1 1/4 hours.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes. Remove from the bread pans and let cool completely.
Note: Lodge brand cast iron bread pans are great for making bread! Place a pan of water on the rack below the bread in the oven. The steam created will make a crunchy crust.
Recipe Notes
Baker's Tip:
I typically use a mixture of all-purpose and bread flour in bread recipes. Start with 5 cups flour and see if you need to add more. I like to knead in the last cup or so of flour on the butcher block or whatever surface you roll dough out on.
To keep the starter:
To keep the starter add half cup water half cup all purpose flour and one tsp sugar to the left over starter. Whisk together. Store in the refrigerator. As you use the starter, keep refreshing it.
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Noting beats the taste of fresh baked bread. I love the aroma too. This looks like the perfect companion to soups, stews and chilis this winter.
I know, right?! Thanks Gloria for stopping by!
I’ve never been brave enough to make sourdough but I really want to try to bake more breads and pastries from scratch this year. I can do it, right?
Charity,
Just follow the directions and you’ll be alright! Make sure your kitchen is warm enough to proof bread during the winter. Let me know if you need any tips!
My husband loves fresh baked bread…actually, who doesn’t?! You say simple, and I’m in!
What man doesn’t LOVE homemade bread?! Mine hardly waits until I pull it out of the pan to grab a slice! Thanks for stopping by!
I’ve been wanting to make my own sourdough for ages! This looks so fantastic, and I didn’t know how easy it was to make a starter! Thanks for the tips!
Georgie,
The starter is super simple to make. Just stir it every time you walk by and it will make the most perfect bread! Thanks for stopping by!
I just love homemade bread! Your loaf is beautiful and sourdough is my favorite. I wish I could have a slice right now ^_^
Tammy,
It’s a favorite in our household too! Hope you try the recipe soon!
Sourdough is the best! Almost every week I try a different bread recipe to use up and test my sourdough starter. I’ll try this recipe too, looks delicious!
Sourdough is one of my absolute favorite breads for sandwiches. Especially for grilled cheese and tomato soup! This sourdough recipe will cut up nicely for croutons too. Can’t wait to try!
It’s SO perfect for grilled cheese and tomato soup!! YUM!
You seriously just took me back to my childhood! My grandmother used to make sourdough bread every week! I’ve never made it myself, but I need to! And I love that this recipe came from a kitchen of a dairy farm in Kansas! You KNOW it’s good if it came from a farm in Kansas!!
Thanks Amanda!! It’s my absolute favorite recipe collection, besides all of my grandmother’s recipes!
True story, over the summer I had a starter and was pretty close to the end…til I dropped it on the floor!!! ???? This is the motivation I needed to start again!
Hi Lorie!!
I’ve dropped pies on the floor before, so I hear ya! I’m sure you’ll love this sourdough bread!
This sourdough bread looks gorgeous! I want a slice right now! Love that I don’t need a bread maker and can just make it in the oven.
Thanks Sam! Yes NO bread maker needed. I’m not a bread maker kinda girl! 🙂
Nothing beats a good homemade bread and sour dough bread are best made at home according to me. And your bread looks so perfect. Would be great for some bruschetta and sandwiches.
It’s simple to make, just takes some time to rise! You’ll love this one!
I thought when you made Sourdough Bread that it required a specific “sour” component. This seems simple enough.
Hi Nicole!! Yes, you have to make the sourdough “starter” first. This brings the sour element that you are talking about. But, super simple.
I live in a motorhome with no oven, only microwave/convection combo. I use the convection to warm up(200 degrees) place a cup of boiling water in, turn off oven and let the proofing begin. Works great for both proofing S. Then bake in convection @ 400 for about 40-45 minutes. I also Sprite with water at beginning to give a nice crusty crust. Folks in the rv park love it?
So glad the recipe worked for you David!
I made sourdough many years ago with a starter that I had to feed every few days whether I was baking or not….can you give your directions for feeding the starter, your loaves are beautiful. I do have one of the cast loaf pans so I will def use it for one loaf. Many thx!
Thanks Cheer!
To keep the starter add half cup water half cup all purpose flour and one tsp sugar 2 left over starter. Whisk together. Store in the refrigerator. As you use the starter, keep refreshing it.
This looks delicious. I’m curious if you could make this bread with discarded starter, not active, as well since you’re adding more yeast to it. Any idea?
Krystal,
Absolutely!! You can use the discarded starter. Thanks for stopping by!
Looks delicious..Thank you for sharing your recipe.. how do you feed the starter so you don’t run out!
To keep the starter add half cup water half cup all purpose flour and one tsp sugar 2 left over starter. Whisk together. Store in the refrigerator. As you use the starter, keep refreshing it.
I make my sourdough bread without the use of additional yeast and I urge everyone to try that! In fact, I made my starter using no yeast either ~ the organisms in flour, especially since I use organic unbleached and other whole flours (kamut, spelt, etc.) have their own innate ability to ‘rise’ once fermented/soured to make the starter! Great page here for more ideas and recipes to try, awesome!
Has anyone tried making gluten free sourdough bread?
I made the starter from your recipe 3 days ago. I’m wondering what the consistency of the starter should be after 4-6 days?
Hi Natalie,
The consistency is going to be maybe a bit foamy before you stir it. But it’s going to be liquid.
Thanks, that helpful! I’ve never made one before so I wasn’t sure. Looking forward to making the bread in a few days!
No problem!! I usually just use a small whisk and stir the starter every time I walk by it (several times a day)
Wondering if you could substitute honey for sugar in the starter?
Of course you can substitute Honey if you would like to! Sounds delish!
The bread tastes great, however no sure why my loaves deflated in the oven. The had nice domes tops but then flattened out. Any idea?
Th
Thanks Cathy!
Usually when bread deflates in the oven, it means you may have over-proofed the dough. Hope you try it again!
This bread has a nice flavor, but just a hint of sourdough. Not strong at all. It has a dry texture. I followed the recipe to a tea and baked it exactly 40 minutes but it really is too dry for me. Maybe if I use less flour?
Hi Melissa,
Bread making is an art, not a science. So it’s possible you added too much flour and/or over kneaded the dough. And each oven is different, so it’s possible it was over baked just a tad.
For the sour part, it all depends on how long you let the sourdough starter ferment for. The longer it ferments, the more sour it will taste. Let me know if you have anymore questions!
I have my own sourdough starter how much do you need for the recipe if it is already made?
you would add 1 cup sourdough starter, just like it reads in the instructions.
Thanks!