If you’re looking for a homemade sourdough bread recipe with a soft chewy texture, golden crust, and rich tangy flavor, this easy sourdough bread is the perfect loaf to bake. Made with a fed sourdough starter and simple pantry ingredients, this bread has a classic homemade flavor with a light airy crumb and beautiful bakery-style appearance.
This homemade sourdough bread combines the deep flavor of traditional sourdough with a softer texture that’s perfect for sandwiches, toast, garlic bread, and everyday baking. The overnight sponge helps develop rich flavor while creating a tender loaf with a delicious crust.
Whether you’re new to sourdough baking or already love making homemade bread, this recipe creates beautiful loaves that are comforting, flavorful, and perfect for sharing.
Why You’ll Love This Homemade Bread
This sourdough bread recipe is:
- Soft and chewy
- Full of rich sourdough flavor
- Perfect for beginners
- Great for sandwiches and toast
- Made with simple ingredients
- Freezer friendly
The overnight fermentation gives the bread its classic tangy flavor while helping create a soft airy texture.
Ingredients
- Fed sourdough starter
- Warm water
- King Arthur unbleached all-purpose flour
- Active dry yeast or instant yeast
- Salt
- Olive oil
How to Make Homemade Bread
Start by mixing together the sourdough starter, warm water, and part of the flour to create a sponge. Cover the mixture and allow it to rest at room temperature before refrigerating overnight.
The next day, add the yeast, olive oil, salt and remaining flour until a soft dough forms. Knead the dough until smooth, elastic, and slightly springy.
Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl and allow it to rise until puffy and expanded.
Once risen, gently press down the dough and divide it into portions for your loaf pans. Shape each loaf and place into prepared pans.
Allow the loaves to rise again until puffy while the oven preheats.
Before baking, use a sharp knife or bread lame to score the tops of the loaves. This helps control expansion and creates a beautiful bakery-style appearance.
Bake until the loaves are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped.
Allow the bread to cool completely before slicing.
Tips for the Best Sourdough Bread
For perfect homemade sourdough bread:
- Use an active fed sourdough starter
- Allow enough fermentation time
- Avoid adding too much flour
- Score the dough before baking
- Cool completely before slicing
The dough should feel soft and elastic without becoming overly stiff.
What Does Scoring Bread Do?
Scoring helps the bread expand properly while baking and prevents uneven cracking. It also creates the classic artisan bread appearance on the finished loaf.
The best time to score bread is right before it goes into the oven, after the final rise.
- Let the shaped loaves complete their second rise until puffy.
- Preheat the oven fully.
- Use a very sharp knife, razor blade, or bread lame to make your cuts.
- Immediately place the bread into the oven.
Scoring too early can cause the cuts to close back up during rising.
A few tips for better scoring:
- Make quick confident cuts instead of slow dragging motions.
- Slightly wetting the blade can help prevent sticking.
- A slash about ¼–½ inch deep works well for sandwich-style sourdough loaves.
- One long slash down the center is simple and classic.
Scoring helps:
- Control where the bread expands
- Prevent random cracking
- Create a bakery-style appearance
- Improve oven spring
If the dough collapses while scoring, it may have over-proofed slightly.
Ways to Serve Homemade Bread
This homemade sourdough bread is perfect for:
- Toast
- Sandwiches
- Garlic bread
- Soup sides
- Avocado toast
- Homemade grilled cheese
It’s also delicious served warm with butter, olive oil, or homemade jam.
Storage Tips
Store the bread loosely wrapped for several days at room temperature or freeze tightly wrapped loaves for longer storage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does sourdough bread need an overnight sponge?
The overnight fermentation develops deeper flavor and improves the bread’s texture.
Can I freeze sourdough bread?
Yes! Sourdough bread freezes very well once fully cooled.
Why should I score the dough?
Scoring helps the bread rise evenly and creates a bakery-style appearance.
Why cool the bread before slicing?
Cooling allows the inside structure to finish setting properly for cleaner slices.
More homemade bread recipes to enjoy.
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Ingredients
Method
- Mix together the starter, water, and 3 cups of the flour. Cover with a damp towel, and let this sponge sit at room temperature for 2 hours; and then in the refrigerator overnight, or for up to 16 hours.
- The next day: Add the yeast, salt, oil, and enough of the remaining 2 1/2 cups of flour to make a soft dough that cleans the sides of the bowl. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured or oiled work surface, and knead it, adding more flour as necessary, until it's smooth and springs back when you poke it. If the dough feels too stiff, add a few more teaspoons of water to soften it.
- Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover it with a towel, and let it rise for 2 hours at room temperature. The dough should become puffy.
- Press the dough down and divide it into two pieces. Form each piece and place in a loaf pan. Cover the loaves with damp towels or lightly greased plastic wrap and allow them to rise for 1 hour (or more), or until they've become puffy.
- While the loaves are rising, preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Use a sharp knife or lame to make a slash along the top of each loaf, which helps the bread to rise evenly in the oven. Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until the bread is golden, sounds hollow when tapped, and the internal temperature of the loaf is 190°F to 205°F on a digital thermometer.
- Remove the bread from the oven, and cool completely on a rack.
- Store loosely wrapped in plastic for 3 days, or wrap tightly and freeze for up to 3 months.
