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How to Make Sourdough Bread
Making sourdough bread is five phases: build a starter, confirm it is ripe, mix and bulk ferment the dough, build strength with stretch and folds, then shape, proof, and bake. The first phase is a one-time investment of about 7 to 14 days of daily feeding to grow a live culture of wild yeast and bacteria. After that, each loaf takes roughly 12 to 24 hours from mix to oven, and most of that time is hands-off fermentation. Sourdough is measured by weight and hydration percentage, not cups, so a digital scale and a covered pot matter more than fancy tools. This overview walks the whole path and links to our deeper guides for each step, so you can zoom in wherever you get stuck without losing the big picture of where you are in the process.
Phase 1: How do I build a sourdough starter?
Everything begins with a starter, a live culture you grow by feeding flour and water daily until wild yeast and bacteria take hold. It typically takes about 7 to 14 days before it doubles reliably and can raise a loaf. Our step-by-step walkthrough covers the day-by-day schedule, what to feed, and the common stalls.
Deep dive: How to Make a Sourdough Starter from Scratch. If yours stalls, see Sourdough Starter Not Rising.
Phase 2: How do I know the starter is ready to bake?
A starter is ready when it doubles within about 4 to 8 hours of a feeding, looks bubbly and domed, and smells pleasantly tangy. Baking with a starter that is not yet ripe is the most common reason a first loaf comes out dense. Learn the real readiness signs (and why the float test is unreliable) before you commit a whole batch of flour.
Deep dive: When Is My Sourdough Starter Ready? and the ongoing feeding schedule.
Phase 3: How do I mix and bulk ferment the dough?
Mix flour, water, salt, and ripe starter, usually at around 72 to 78 percent hydration, then let it bulk ferment at a dough temperature near 75 to 78 F. Bulk fermentation is where the dough gains its rise and flavor, and judging it well is the skill that separates a light loaf from a dense one. Our beginner recipe gives exact grams, timing, and an afternoon-start, morning-bake schedule.
Deep dive: A Beginner Sourdough Bread Recipe You Can Actually Follow.
Phase 4: How do I build strength with stretch and folds?
Instead of kneading, sourdough dough is strengthened with a few sets of stretch and folds spaced through bulk fermentation. This develops gluten gently and builds the structure that holds an open crumb. Our guide shows how to do a set, how many sets, spacing, and the doneness cues to watch for.
Deep dive: Stretch and Fold Sourdough.
Phase 5: How do I shape, proof, and bake?
Once bulk fermentation is done, shape the dough into a taut round, proof it (many bakers do an overnight cold proof in the fridge for flavor and easier handling), then bake in a screaming-hot Dutch oven so trapped steam gives you oven spring and a crackly crust. The beginner recipe carries you through shaping, scoring, and bake temperatures. Left over with extra starter? Put it to work with sourdough discard.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to make sourdough bread from scratch?
Building a starter from flour and water takes about 7 to 14 days of daily feeding before it can reliably raise a loaf. Once the starter is mature, a single loaf typically takes about 12 to 24 hours from mixing to baking, most of it hands-off bulk fermentation and an overnight cold proof.
Do I need special equipment to make sourdough bread?
The essentials are a jar for the starter, a digital scale, a mixing bowl, and a Dutch oven or covered pot for trapping steam. A banneton, bench scraper, and lame help but are not required. A scale matters most, since sourdough is measured by weight and hydration percentage, not cups.
What is the hardest part of making sourdough bread?
For most beginners it is judging bulk fermentation: knowing when the dough has fermented enough but not too much. Temperature drives it, so a dough near 75 to 78 F ferments predictably while a cold kitchen slows everything down. Watching the dough for a 30 to 50 percent rise and a jiggly, bubbly feel beats watching the clock.
A coach for every phase
Not sure if your starter is ripe or your dough is done fermenting? Snap a photo and Sourdoughy's AI reads the stage and tells you the next move, with feeding and fold timers built in.
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