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Easy Sourdough bread recipe: High starter method

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This recipe is designed to be forgiving and ensures your first loaf is a success by using a generous amount of starter to accelerate the rise. (with video)

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 cups Active Sourdough Starter (400 grams) active and bubbly, made from equal parts flour and water
  • 3 cups Sifted All-Purpose Flour (360 grams)
  • 1 cup Warm Water (240 grams)
  • 1.5 teaspoons Salt (≈9 grams)

Instructions

  1. In a large mixing bowl (not metal) add 2 cups (400 grams) 100% hydration active sourdough starter. (For active starter, feed it and keep it OUT of the fridge for at least 4 hours, or overnight.)
  2. Add 1 cup warm water and whisk till well combined with the starter.
  3. Add: 3 cups sifted flour. (Sift or fluff your flour before measuring so it isn’t too compact in the measuring cup.) And 1.5 teaspoons salt. (I love to use Himalayan Pink Salt)
  4. Use a large spoon to mix ingredients together. It will be wet, biscuit-like dough.
  5. Cover this shaggy dough with a clean damp kitchen towel, and let the dough rest in a warm place for 2 hours. (Or in a warm oven (about 80 degrees) for about 1 hour)
  6. First stretch and fold: After 2 hours of rising on your counter, uncover the dough, with wet hands pick up one side of the dough and fold it in half, over on top of the other side of the dough. Turn the bowl 90 degrees. Repeat 4-6 times by stretching and folding over all four sides of the dough, then rotating the bowl and repeating the stretch and folds on all sides. (The dough does not stick to wet hands as badly as dry hands.)Rise: Cover with a clean towel (or plastic wrap), and let the dough rise (about 45 minutes depending on the temperature of your kitchen) or till doubled again.
  7. Second stretch & fold: Uncover the dough, wet your hands, then pick up one side of the dough and fold it in half, over on top of the other side of the dough. Rotate bowl 90 degrees. Repeat 4-6 times by stretching and folding over all four sides of the dough. The dough is becoming more bread-like now!Rise: Cover with a clean towel, and let rise till doubled again.
  8. 3rd stretch and fold: Uncover the dough, wet your hands, then pick up one side of the dough and fold it in half, over on top of the other side of the dough. Rotate the dough 90 degrees. Repeat 4-6 times by stretching and folding over all four sides of the dough. The dough is even more smooth and bread-like now!Rise: Cover with a clean towel, and let rise till doubled again.
  9. 4th stretch and fold: Uncover the dough, wet your hands, then pick up one side of the dough and fold it in half, over on top of the other side of the dough. Turn the dough 90 degrees. Repeat stretch and folds 4-6 times by stretching and folding over all four sides of the dough, rotating the dough and doing it on all 4 sides each time. The dough is fluffy and bread-like now!
  10. After 4th stretch and fold, SHAPE YOUR DOUGH INTO A ROUND LOAF.
  11. Dust a towel, or proofing basket, generously with flour. And place shaped sourdough bread dough ball in it.
  12. Dust top of dough ball with flour, and cover the top with a clean towel.
  13. Refrigerate: Place the sourdough bread bowl into the refrigerator to chill and rise for 4 – 8 hours.
  14. Preheat Oven to 400 degrees F. and place your dutch oven into the oven to preheat too.
  15. Parchment paper: Cut a 2-foot section of parchment and place it on your counter.
  16. Gently turn out your chilled sourdough ball onto the parchment paper.
  17. Score: USE A VERY SHARP KNIFE OR RAZOR to SCORE A DESIGN INTO THE TOP OF YOUR DOUGH.
  18. Remove the hot dutch oven from your preheated oven.
  19. Place dough into the dutch oven: Lift the raw sourdough loaf into the dutch oven by the ends of the parchment paper. (It’s ok for parchment paper to hang over the sides of the dutch oven.) And put the lid on your dutch oven.
  20. Bake: Use hot pads or towels to put the hot dutch oven back into the preheated oven at 400 degrees. Bake covered for 25 minutes.
  21. Remove the dutch oven lid.
  22. Bake for 25 more minutes!
  23. Let cool and enjoy!
  24. Ask me any questions you have in the comments. And don't forget to rate this recipe card and let me know what you think!

Notes

Prep your sourdough starter for this recipe
This recipe requires 2 cups (400 grams) of active, peak-rise starter. A kitchen scale is highly recommended for this step to ensure accuracy, especially since volume measurements for starter can vary wildly.
The night before you bake, you need to feed your existing starter using a 1:1:1 ratio by weight to hit the 400 gram target. To easily get the required amount, you need to feed:
This feed yields about 405 grams total. Let it rise until doubled and bubbly (peak activity), then measure out the 2 cups (400 grams) for your recipe.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://www.delicetreats.com/no-kneed-sourdough-bread-recipe/