Classic Artisan Sourdough Bread Loaf

This artisan sourdough loaf bakes into a gorgeous golden crust with that signature crackle, a soft chewy crumb, and a rich fermented flavor that makes every slice taste like it came from a bakery.

Ingredients

1 cup Active Sourdough Starter (bubbly and recently fed)

1-1/2 cups Warm Water (about 100°F or 38°C)

4-5 cups All-Purpose Flour (or bread flour for extra chew)

1-1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Baking Powder (optional, for a higher rise)

1 tsp Sugar (optional, helps feed the yeast for a boost)

There’s nothing like the feeling of pulling a homemade sourdough loaf out of the oven. The crust sings as it cools, the aroma fills the kitchen, and you instantly feel like a seasoned baker. Sourdough gives the bread a complexity that’s naturally delicious—just flour, water, and time creating something extraordinary. Slice it warm with vegan butter, toast it for breakfast, or use it as the base for your favorite sandwiches. It’s timeless, comforting, and always worth the effort.

Instructions

Prepare the Dough

In a large mixing bowl, combine the sourdough starter, warm water, and sugar. Stir until the starter is dissolved.

In a separate bowl, mix the 4 cups of the flour, salt, and baking powder.

Mix and Knead

Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Stir until a shaggy dough forms, then knead the dough by hand (or in a stand mixer) for about 5-8 minutes, until it’s smooth and slightly elastic. Add the remaining flour or more as needed. You want a soft pliable dough, but not dry.

First Rise (Bulk Fermentation)

Lightly oil a large bowl and place the dough inside.Cover the bowl with a damp cloth or plastic wrap, and let the dough rise in a warm place for about 3-4 hours, or until it has doubled in size. This is the main rise where the baking powder will help boost the sourdough’s natural fermentation.

Shape the Dough

Once the dough has risen, gently turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Shape it into a round or oval loaf by folding the edges of the dough inward to create a smooth top.

Second Rise

Place the shaped dough seam side up into a lightly floured proofing basket or banneton or a parchment-lined baking sheet or parchment lined large shallow bowl, something to keep its shape. Cover it again and let it rise for another 1-2 hours until it puffs up almost double in size again.

Preheat the Oven

While the dough is completing its second rise, preheat your oven to 450°F (232°C) during the last 30 minutes of the second rise add the Dutch Oven with lid on top, into the oven to preheat as well.

Score and Bake

Gently place the dough onto a lightly floured piece of parchment paper, flipping it out of the bowl or proofing basket so the smooth side is upright.

Just before baking, score the top of the loaf with a sharp knife or razor to allow for expansion. It also will give your bread a unique decoration for presentation.

Place the dough (on parchment, if using a Dutch oven) into the preheated Dutch oven and cover with the lid. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown with a hollow sound when tapped on the bottom.

Cool

Allow the bread to cool on a wire rack for at least 60 minutes (or longer) before slicing. This helps finish the baking process and improves the texture.

Overnight Rise Option:

Mix, knead and prepare your dough. Place in a large lightly oiled bowl as instructed above, cover and allow to rise overnight in a warm area of the kitchen for 8-12 hours. After overnight rise, remove the dough from the bowl and continue with the Second Rise method above.

Why Overnight Rise Is My Favorite Method:

An overnight rise gives the dough time to slowly ferment, creating deeper flavor, a softer crumb, and easier digestibility. This long, gentle rest also develops the gluten naturally, so the bread becomes lighter, airier, and more flavorful without extra work.

Tip #1: After scoring the bread immediately bake the bread as it has opened up the air bubbles in the dough so its best to bake soon after.

Tip #2: If you dont have a dutch oven you can bake this bread in a large loaf pan or a small/medium cast iron skillet like I do. Just cover and tint lightly with a piece of foil or parchment paper to create the steam that the dutch oven makes in the first 15-20 minutes. Then remove and continue to bake. I actually use my double door air fryer to bake everything since I dont have an oven currently and it works just fine.

Tip #3 The best time to use your sourdough starter/discard once its mature after feeding when it doubles in size (about 4-6 hours after feeding) the starter is at its peek and will allow for your bread to rise the best when baking.