Sourdough Bread

With it’s crisp crust, chewy texture and just the right amount of sour, this sourdough bread is easy to assemble and worth the time and effort.

To make this sourdough, you’ll need a sourdough starter. Check out my sourdough starter recipe here.

No sourdough starter? Try this instead:

For a sourdough starter substitute, use a combination of 1/2 cup chilled plain “active culture” yogurt and 2 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar.

The substitute will yield a less sour sourdough, but the bread will still be delicious.

From the earliest records of bread making in the Fertile Crescent to the days of the San Francisco Gold Rush, bread makers have used a fermented starter to make sourdough bread that’s reliable, easily renewed and longer lasting.

Check out Wild Culture: A History of Sourdough for a short but deep dive into sourdough world.

San Francisco Style

Adapted from a recipe in Kneadlessly Simple by Nancy Baggett, this sourdough bread is reminiscent of loaves made famous by the Boudin family bakery in San Francisco since 1849.

You can still buy their sourdough loaves at Ghirardelli Square or the San Francisco airport.

Or be bold

like the San Francisco “Sourdough” miners and dig in to your own tradition of baking sourdough bread at home.

Baking bread is a fun science experiment that yields incredible, unique results each time.

Think of it as a hands-on, therapeutic new project that you and your loved ones get to eat!

With minimal shaping and easy to follow, clear instructions, you’ll be a Sourdough pro after the first loaf!

Use a heavy 3- 4 quart pot with a lid. The heavy pot traps steam to give bread the moist environment it needs to get brown and crisp.

In addition to a sourdough starter, you will need

• bread or all purpose flour, unbleached
• some instant, fast rising or bread machine yeast
• kosher salt
• your favorite vegetable oil
• ice water

Other tools you’ll need:

• extra flour to help shape the bread
• a spatula and or fork for stirring
• kitchen shears or sharp knife to make slits
• extra vegetable oil and brush (or your hands) to coat top of loaf
• parchment paper
• an instant-read thermometer

• Mix together wet and dry ingredients.
• Use your hands or a spatula to form a stiff ball.
• Take your time!

After the first rise, use an oiled spatula to fold dough in on all sides towards the center of the bowl.

Add a few tablespoons of flour to coat on all sides and gently roll into a ball.

Tuck ball under all the way around to form a roughly 6-inch round.

Dust with flour.

Make a few slits in the top, brush with oil, place on parchment.

Let dough rise in the pot, lid on, until doubled in size (for a few hours).

Bake at 425 F until an internal temperature of 207- 209 F.

See recipe for details.

Pin and Dig in to Sourdough Bread!

Who knows? It may jumpstart a new, rewarding baking tradition!

More breads to love:

• Easy Italian Farm Bread
• Almond Flour and Honey Sandwich Bread (gluten free)
• Simple Irish Soda Bread
• Zucchini Pecan Quick Bread
• Best Banana Bread
• Brown Sugar Pumpkin Bread
• Jiffy Blueberry Cornbread