How to Make Sourdough Bread — This easy sourdough bread recipe uses yogurt and sour cream in place of a traditional sourdough starter, which makes it possible to prep a loaf in less than a day!
Easy Homemade Sourdough Bread Recipe
I’ve always wanted to make sourdough bread and can finally check it off my culinary bucket list. And rather than doing it in week(s), I did it in hours.
Traditional sourdough starters take 5-7+ days to develop and making the bread can take a full day, whereas I made this bread in 9 hours. Do it as an overnight recipe or think of it like a slow cooker recipe. Set it and forget it because it really is that easy.
Rather than using a traditional sourdough starter, Greek yogurt and sour cream are mixed with bread flour, yeast, and a pinch of salt. The active cultures in the Greek yogurt and sour cream ferment the dough and give the bread traditional sourdough flavor. The longer you let the bread rise and ferment, up to about 18 hours, the more sourdough-ey it’ll taste.
I’ve made the homemade sourdough bread twice because my family kept raving about this loaf. For this bread, I did a 6 1/2 hour rise/ferment (first rise) and for the next loaf I did 10 hours. The 10-hour version was more sourdough-ey and also had a more more ‘holey’ and open crumb, but I wouldn’t necessarily say the 10-hour was ‘better’. Both are fabulous.
If you’ve ever made bread, this recipe will be a total snap. Much easier than cinnamon rolls, sweet rolls, or dinner rolls, by a long shot.
The bread is hearty, satisfying, and has a firm crust that gives was to a super moist, soft interior. My daughter loves crust (she didn’t get that from me) and my family devoured the loaf in one sitting.
I got the bug to try this because of Mandy’s post and without knowing I was making homemade sourdough bread or the flavor goal, my family said it tastes like a piece of San Francisco sourdough bread from a fancy bakery.
It’s so rewarding knowing I made bread that looks and tastes like something from a bakery. You’re going to love that feeling. And you’re going to love the bread.
Homemade Sourdough Bread Ingredients
When making sourdough bread, you’ll need:
- Bread flour
- Plain Greek yogurt with live active cultures
- Sour cream
- Salt
- Instant dry yeast
How to Make Sourdough Bread
Add all the sourdough bread ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer and knead the dough for 5 to 7 minutes using a dough hook attachment. The dough will be seem like it’s almost too wet and it’s very heavy, but this is what you want.
Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise for 6 to 8 hours. Once risen, remove the dough from the bowl and gently knead for a couple minutes. Shape the dough into a round mound and put back into oiled bowl to rise for another 1 to 2 hours.
Preheat your oven and place an empty Dutch oven inside to preheat as well. Once the oven is preheated, carefully remove the Dutch oven, place parchment paper on the bottom, and place dough inside. Cover with a lid and bake, then uncover during the last 10 minutes of baking.
Do I Have to Use a Dutch Oven?
While it’s not imperative to bake the bread in Dutch oven, it really helps develop sourdough’s signature crusty crust because a covered Dutch oven traps in the steam the bread releases while baking, aiding in crust development. If you don’t have a Dutch oven, a cast iron skillet or heavy-bottomed skillet will work, although some of the crustiness will be sacrificed.
Can I Freeze Sourdough Bread?
Yes, homemade sourdough bread freezes well. Let the baked bread cool completely before freezing (you can freeze the entire loaf or slice and freeze).
Can I Make This Gluten Free?
That is a question I am not sure about since I have not tried this recipe with gluten-free flours of any kind.
However, my gut tells me that I definitely don’t think almond flour or spelt flour will work. A baking flour that is a cup-or-cup style replacement of traditional all-purpose flour is the only flour I think has a flying chance, but I do not know if it will work.
I have only made the recipe exactly as written. If you make the recipe with gluten-free flour, please comment how it went for you.
Tips for Making Sourdough Bread
I highly recommend using King Arthur bread flour for this sourdough bread recipe. I think it’s the best quality bread flour and it delivers consistently good results.
The sourdough bread recipe looks long but that’s because I write yeast recipes with as much detail and give as many tips as I possibly can to set you up for success. Read the recipe at least twice before starting. All you’re really doing is making dough, letting it rise for 6+ hours, letting it rise again for 1+ hour, and baking.
I like it served simply with honey butter or butter. Or try jam, jelly, or hummus. The bread is great toasted, perfect for sandwiches, for crostini, or with your favorite dip. I wouldn’t complain if you put a hunk of cheese and bread in one hand and a glass of wine in the other.
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Easy Sourdough Bread
This easy sourdough bread recipe uses yogurt and sour cream in place of a traditional sourdough starter, which makes it possible to prep a loaf in less than a day!
Ingredients
- 3 cups bread flour (I use King Arthur)
- one-17.6 ounce tub plain unsweetened Greek yogurt with active cultures (500 grams)
- about 1/2 to 1 cup sour cream (or Greek yogurt, lite versions are okay)
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- scant 1 teaspoon (just slightly less than 1 teaspoon) instant dry yeast (I use Red Star Platinum)
Instructions
- To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook (or use a large mixing bowl and wooden spoon and your hands), add the flour, Greek yogurt, 1/2 cup sour cream, salt, and yeast.
- Turn mixer on low speed and allow it to knead dough for about 5 to 7 minutes (about 7 to 10 minutes by hand using a wooden spoon and then switching to your hands). Add sour cream as needed to form a very moist and wet dough. If it’s at all dry or crumbly, add more sour cream (or Greek yogurt) until it comes together. I used one-17.6 ounce tub of Greek yogurt and almost 1 cup lite sour cream. Dough will be seem like it’s almost too wet and it’s very heavy, but this is what you want. Err on the side of wetter than drier because flour and yeast love moisture when rising.
- Remove dough from the mixing bowl, spray a large bowl with cooking spray, pat dough into a round ball, place it in the bowl, and flip it over once so it’s lightly oiled on both top and bottom. It will look like a dimply head of cauliflower.
- Cover bowl with plasticwrap (spray it with cooking spray in case dough rises high enough to touch it) and place bowl in a warm, draft-free place to rise for about 6 to 8 hours (I did 6 1/2 hours), or doubled in size. If you want to start this before work or before bed and made as an overnight dough and it’ll go 8-10 hours, that’s fine. There’s really no harm in letting it rise for up to 18 hours and the longer you let it go, the more of a classic sourdough/fermented flavor that will develop. If you suspect you’re going to allow it to rise on the longer side (12-18 hours), reduce yeast to about 1/2 teaspoon so dough doesn’t get too puffy and overflow the bowl.
- After 6+ hours of rising, turn dough out onto a floured surface (without punching it down to preserve the air pockets and bubbles that have been created) and knead lightly for about 2 to 3 minutes.
Pat dough into a round mound, and place it back into large mixing bowl, seam side down. Cover with plastic wrap, and allow to rise for 60 to 120 minutes, or until doubled in size (I did 60 minutes; I suspect the longer you let the second rise go, the more ‘holey’ the bread will be). Placing the bowl on the stovetop is a nice spot for this rise because you’re going to turn on the oven and the residual heat emitted helps with rising. - Shortly after dough begins the 60-120 minute rising, turn oven on to 450F and place a covered 12-to 14 quart or sufficiently large Dutch oven (empty) or heavy-bottomed skillet into the oven and allow it to heat for about 45 minutes. Dutch ovens are so heavy and take so long to get truly hot, and when you’re ready to bake the bread, you want the Dutch oven screaming hot.
- After about 60-90 minutes or dough has doubled in size, remove Dutch oven from oven (careful, it’s screaming hot, use two pairs of hot mitts) and carefully place a piece of parchment paper on the bottom of Dutch oven to prevent bread from sticking.
Carefully transfer dough from rising bowl to Dutch oven, cover it, and bake covered for 30 minutes. Don’t open the oven door or the Dutch oven lid to peek; you want to seal in the steam. - After 30 minutes, uncover the Dutch oven, and allow bread to bake uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes (I did 8 minutes) or until it’s as browned as desired. Traditional sourdough has a darker crust than most bread (sometimes almost burnt-looking, but I prefer mine on the lighter side).
- Remove Dutch oven from oven, and remove bread from Dutch oven. Place it on a wire rack to cool completely before slicing. As tempting as it is, don’t slice too early because the cooling process is important and should be considered an important extension of the baking process. Slice or break off hunks, and serve with honey butter, butter, jam, hummus, etc.
- Bread is best fresh, but will keep airtight at room temp for up to 3 days. Older bread may be better toasted.
Notes
- Note that the yogurt you use must say ‘active cultures’, I used 0% Non-Fat Fage.
- Use closer to 1/2 teaspoon yeast if you plan to allow dough to rise for 12-18 hours; see step 4 above.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 145Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 6mgSodium: 181mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 5g
More Homemade Bread Recipes:
Easy Cheddar Sourdough Bread — The bread is hearty, satisfying, and has a firm crust that gives was to a super moist, soft interior with ample hunks of cheddar.
No-Knead Make-Ahead Dinner Rolls with Honey Butter — The easiest dinner rolls ever! No kneading, no fuss & you can make the dough ahead of time! Perfect for holiday meals and parties!
Raisin Bread for Raisin Lovers — There’s nothing worse than raisin bread with like five raisins in the whole slice, which isn’t a problem here. Calling all raisin lovers, this bread is for you!
Honey Dinner Rolls — Soft, fluffy rolls brushed with sweet honey butter! Truly the best dinner rolls ever. They disappear so fast at holiday meals & parties!
One-Hour Sun-Dried Tomato, Basil, and Mozzarella Focaccia Bread — The bread is soft and chewy, loaded with tangy sun-dried tomatoes, and the basil is the perfect complement to the tomatoes.
100% Whole Wheat No-Knead Make Ahead Dinner Rolls with Honey Butter – Working with wheat flour and yeast is usually the kiss of death but these rolls are light, fluffy, soft and you’d never guess made exclusively with whole wheat flour!
Soft and Fluffy Sandwich Bread (vegan) — The bread is versatile for anything from sandwiches to grilled cheese to French toast. It’s an easy recipe, even for bread-making novices.
Originally posted November 20, 2014 and reposted with updated text February 25, 2022.
Hi Averie,
New fan here! So, unless I missed it like other goobers who comment on here, I have read through EVERY single comment on this thread (I must say I had a myriad of emotions reading through them: silly, irritation, excitement, and madness at such stupid questions – I literally cannot believe someone asked you for measurements……ummmm that’s what your damn recipe IS – insert face palm emoji). Anyway, I also went through the FAQ section and cannot find any alterations for high altitude baking, anywhere. I live at approx. 4500 ft. and am wondering if you have any suggestions? Although I am an avid cook, I have never, ever, in my 42 years on earth, made bread, so I’m extremely motivated to get this right the first time! I suppose I can just google it, but I guess it’s more fun asking you. Plus it gave me an excuse to come on here and tell you how much I have loved making a variety of your recipes and extend some gratitude. The Hummingbird Cake was AMAZING btw….among others! :)
It’s great you have been making some of my other recipes and have been enjoying them! I appreciate you also checking diligently before asking, very courteous of you!
As for altitude baking, I live at sea level so I don’t provide suggestions at altitude since there is no way I could test things.
https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/learn/resources/high-altitude-baking They are a trusted baking brand, notably flour, but their info is always very reliable. I would potentially take into account what they say. Although if you have made my other recipes with no changes, I don’t know if you’d need to change anything with this either. It will be trial and error. Best of luck!
Okay, thank you for that website! Although I assumed you probably didn’t have suggestions, you’d at least send me somewhere credible. I will check it out, do some trial and error, and let you know! :) So far, I will say, most of the recipes that require baking turn out just fine. I have a convection oven and I think that helps a LOT for high altitude baking. Sometimes I had a bit more flour and water to recipes, depending on the size and that seems to work well.
Thanks again!
I have a 5 quart Dutch oven. Your recipe indicates 12 to 14 quarts. Will this still work if I have to divide my dough?
Thanks, Henrietta
Possibly yes that will be fine. Rather than trying to divide the dough (because then what are you going to do with the other half for such a long period of time?) I suggest halving the recipe and you can see how it goes for you.
I have made this recipe twice and both times my bread came out very heavy and dense. The wonderful tangy taste of sourdough was there but not the light, bubbly, airy texture. Can you tell me what I’m doing wrong?
Thank you,
Stephanie
celticelf2@aol.com
It sounds like you could be over-flouring the dough. Any time bread is dense and heavy, that is the obviously culprit. However, because of the Greek yogurt involved, I would also change that to make sure you are using what I call for with active cultures. I use the Fage brand.
Try a lighter hand with the flour, and perhaps that will do the trick for you. Also make sure you let it rise enough each time and are not shortcutting either of those rises before baking it off.
I tried it gluten free. Increased the amount of yeast since gluten free does not rise enough. I over proofed it and it resulted in wetter and gummier bread. Next time I will only let it rise for 6-8 hours ( I did 13) when it doubles and I will add less liquid to the process.
Thanks for sharing what you did in an attempt to make it GF. I don’t bake GF very much so it’s always nice to hear what works, or doesn’t.
Can I use regular whole milk plain yogurt? I bought it by mistake. Thank you.
“Regular yogurt” (not Greek yogurt) is too thin for this recipe. I don’t know how thick or thin your yogurt is, but I am guessing that if it’s not labeled as Greek yogurt it’s going to be too thin.
Like Nancy
I felt my dough was too wet. It stuck to my fingers. At this point should I just keep adding a little flour at a time until it does not stick to my finger? It tasted good but it was also flat and I would say too moist on the inside?
I will try it again but thought I would get some feed back from you.
Wet dough that just simply feels too wet, is just too wet. Add more flour as needed to dry it out a bit. That is the only way your dough will rise is with a proper flour-moisture balance.
I made this bread overnight using the exact recipe and brands recommended, with the exception of the fage yogurt. I used Stonyfield whole milk Probiotic yogurt, not greek, because I picked up the wrong one.
My dough was definitely too wet. I should have added more flour. The finished texture is moist, a nice chew and a crisp crust without being tough. Although it rose nicely both times, texture and flavor is very nice, the finished product is somewhat flat. Most likely because my dough was too wet.
It rose the first time 8 hours and the second time 2 hours.
I will try again this evening and this time make sure to use more flour
Most likely because my dough was too wet. <--- Yes, that. Because all yogurts have different moisture contents, and because not all flour is created equal, I highly recommend https://amzn.to/342ANAa as my only baking flour, ever, because it works the best. But yes, you have to add flour as needed which will tighten up the dough and give it more rise and lift.
Definitely switch to a thick really “solid” yogurt, not watery in the least and add flour as needed and you will be in business!
Any reason you didn’t slice the top of the bread before baking? Just curious.
No reason.
I do not have a mixer. Can this sour dough bread be made in a food processor with the dough blade?
I have never worked with a food processor that has a dough blade so am not personally sure if that would work or not. If nothing else, I would just hand knead.
This sounds like a great recipe. One question though. I remember reading ‘somewhere’ that when using dairy in bread, extra long proofs in a room temperature environment can cause the dairy to spoil. Is there anything about this dough that negates that issue? Or is what I read bogus?
There’s lots of information and research and anecdotal stories about bread making. Far more than I have time to weed through.
Just follow the recipe has written it should work out just fine as written.
Just made it , according to recipe almost, I thought it looked too dry so I added two tbls spoons of water which made it too wet, added a bit more flour. Eventually baked beautifully I added 1.0 minutes due to the wetness but it looks great, I wish I could post a pic
Glad this turned out great for you! You can always tag me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/averiesunshine/ with any photos you post!
I spent about 15 years doing gluten free baking, and I discovered that the secret to successful GF bread was the use of Xanthan Gum, as well as using a mixture of different flour. What the Xanthan Gum does is to mimic the gluten in wheat by trapping the gasses as they are released. Usually 1 to 2 teaspoons are all that are required. One note: as Xanthan Gum is hydrophilic BE SURE to add it to the dry ingredients first; mix it in with the dry ingredients thoroughly BEFORE adding any liquid.
I dabbled around with XG about 10-12 years ago when it was just starting to become a “thing” in progressive GF circles.
However because I don’t have to be GF, and because XG definitely has a learning curve, I really haven’t gone back to experimenting with it.
Thanks for your info, it may help someone one day who reads this.
1. Fage Greek yogurt is very concentrated. Other brands tend to be wet, especially the generic store brands. If using the latter, make a well on top. Let sit in fridge overnight. Then pour off the whey. Repeat 2 or 3 times.2. I tried the recipe to make whole wheat bread this week. Used 2 cups King Arthur whole wheat flour plus 1 cup K.A. bread flour. Even after 15 minutes hand mixing, the dough was too dry. Did not mix. Dry flour all over the bowl. Had to add 1 cup water. That did it, to mix it.Let it sit 12 hours. Next morning the dough was too wet. Tried to shape a ball. Got sticky dough all over my hands.Added much flour. That helped. Made 2 balls. First ball put into a terra cotta pot (oiled it first), then inside Dutch oven. Took forever to bake. Did rise. Tastes delicious. Second ball put onto 8×8 inch, then inside Dutch oven. Also took forever to bake.Came out a bit flat.Tastes great.Better toasted.
Whole wheat flour isn’t something that I would think would work well since you need to really up the moisture content as it acts like a sponge and so I’m not surprised your dough was too dry. Then too wet. Better to just stick with regular AP flour IMO but sounds like you got it to work out in the end.
Hi Averie, I changed up the recipe and it was still delicious.I put the bread in a cloche and placed in a cold oven.Set the temp. for 450 and baked with the lid on for 47 min. I then took the lid off and baked for another 5 min.It was crusty, wonderful and still delicious. Loved the tangy taste and the crunch of the crust.
Glad that your change-ups worked great for you and your loved the taste of the bread!
Hi. I was so excited to come across this no starter recipe for Sour dough bread. I made a batch today and must say I’m a little disappointed. This dough is extremely wet. I followed the recipe as you had written it out. My dough is going through it’s second rise right now. I can only hope that once it is baked it will be well worth the mess. I will try to update you on the results.
Keep up the good work, I look forward to reading through a few more of your recipes.
Kathy
If it was “extremely” wet, perhaps more flour was in order. It’s hard to know from brand to brand of yogurt, flour, climates, etc. exactly how much is enough. That is the art in the science of baking. Sometimes you have to add a bit more, or a bit less, of a particular to get a nice result. Bread baking is often this way and practice makes perfect. Thanks for trying the recipe and hope it works out for you.
Turned out beautifully. Used a 4 qt enameled Dutch oven so the loaf ended up tall. Next time I’ll split the dough in half and make two batches. Absolutely delicious!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this turned out beautifully and that you have plans to split the dough in the future so you can get two loaves out of it!
Hi,
I have to say that I am so disappointed. I tried this recipe twice and both times it did not work. I bought the ingredients that you listed. The first time it was a hockey puck, and raw on the inside. The second time, it rose, and browned lightly, and I took it out of the oven and it sunk in on itself, and was raw inside. So, I put it back into the oven, the edges seem to cook , but it took so long the crust was like concrete. Yes, I cooked it a lot longer, but I thought if it is raw, it does not matter. It was not edible.
I am not sure what happened or what is going on in your situation that the interior is not cooking through before the top is burning. Are you using a heavy cast iron or enameled cast iron like a LeCrueset or a Staub or something along those lines? I recommend having the Dutch oven covered to prevent excessive unnecessary browning at the surface before the interior has a chance to cook through.
Have you calibrated your oven recently to make sure that it’s actually baking at the temperature you think it is? Too hot or too cold can contribute to the problems you’re having.
Thanks for trying the recipe and I am sorry it didn’t work out for you. Others have had success, despite you not having luck, and I know that’s likely not a consolation to you, but I just want to make sure future readers who possibly want to make this recipe but see your comment are not discouraged from doing so.
I don’t know what else to suggest since I have not run into this personally. It could be the brand of flour, the climate, the brand wet ingredients, your oven, your cooking vessel, etc. lots to think about and it’s hard to trouble shoot from afar at times for me.
The sourdough bread with unflavored yogurt and sour cream is by far the best loaf of bread I have ever made! Furthermore, it is beautiful to look at! Last night, fresh from the oven (after cooling), we all had slices with olive oil and herbs. YUM! I just finished the loaf today with sandwiches for lunch! Outstanding. Five stars is not enough to give this tangy bread.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it is the best bread you’ve ever made! And yes I agree, beautiful in appearance as well.
My first loaf came out great. I was running low on yogurt and sour cream, so I added a little milk to get the tacky dough. Started at 10:30am, eating great bread at 7pm. Excellent recipe, thank you.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad that you were able to makeshift with a little milk and it worked out great for you!
I am confused whether I have to shape the loaf before putting it in the Dutch oven after the second rise?
yes
I just made this recipe using Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Flour. I added a whole packet (2 1/4 tsp) of yeast and added 3 tsp of xantham gum. The result was good, with a good crust and good flavor. However, it was somewhat dense, which is typical of GF baking. I used this bread as a base for french toast and it was delicious. Overall, I think it works with the GF flour, with the modifications noted above . One question: I lost a lot of air/volume when I kneaded the dough after the 8 hour rest. I am wondering if I could just bake the bread at that point to keep it as light and as airy as possible? Thank you!
Thanks for sharing what you did regarding keeping it GF and yes that is consistent with GF baking that things can be a little dense.
In terms of baking it when you ask, I haven’t ever deviated from the recipe so can’t say for sure but if you’re up for trying it out, I would just give a whirl and see what happens.
Have made this twice . Both times got very little rise after the second knead. I headed as lightly as possible. I baked in a 6 quart Dutch oven. Got a fairly tasty hockey puck about 2-3 inches thick. Very surprised to see that you use a 12 quart. I’d have a pancake if I used a bigger one. What am I doing wrong?
I don’t have a small Dutch oven so I use what I have.
As for the rise, I am not sure. It sounds like it is something in either your yeast or possibly the flour. I use King Arthur All-Purpose Flour and the yeast I linked to in the post. Working with yeast is tricky at times and it’s hard to say from afar what goes awry in someone’s kitchen.
Thanks for trying the recipe and best of luck if you give it another attempt.
Hi – Can this be made in a bread machine? I hope! Thanks.
I have only made the recipe as written, and cannot give advice or predict what will happen if you change something. If you have a question regarding changing, altering, or making substitutions to the recipe, please check out the FAQ page for more info.
Hi
I try the sourdough with yogurt and sour cream but after 6 to y hours the dough is still very gooey and soft..I can’t even shape it.
What should I do with it.?
I would add more flour then until it firms up and you can shape it.
We enjoyed the recipe a lot! I found the dough very sticky after the first rise, so I added half a cup or so more flour. I should have just done it in the mixing bowl because I lost a lot of dough on the counter and hands (despite flouring them).My Dutch oven is a smaller size (4.5 quart I think) so I divided the dough and baked two loaves. I will not do that next time because the size would have been fine. Will def make this again!!
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad he will make this again! It’s good to know that you were able to use that size Dutch oven and it still worked out just fine for you.
And with bread baking, especially in this quantity of flour, an extra half cup really isn’t tons extra, and I always encourage people to go by the feel of the dough and not necessarily only by what the cup measurement says. I’m glad you added more flour and it all worked out fine.
Have you ever made this in a loaf pan? I realize it won’t have the same chewy, crispy crust but that might be better for, say, making a grilled cheese.
No and you would probably want to use two 9×5’s if you try it because I know it won’t fit in one pan. LMK how it is if you try it!
Please, what size dutch oven? Thank you!
12-14 quart or something sufficiently large.
That seems awfully big. I make a no-knead crusty bread in my 8qt Le Creuset Dutch oven and it is almost too big for the amount of dough (same amount of flour as your recipe).
It’s roomy but it’s not ‘too big’. I am not fortunate enough to own multiple different sizes of LeCreuset Dutch ovens and make this in the only one I have which is pretty big but fine although *somewhat smaller would work too.
I didn’t see the temperature on how high to bake it.Didntwork for me.
Step 6
I tried your easy sour dough bread recipe..there was nowhere in the recipe to tell you what temperture to turn on the oven.I guess at 350 .Something went wrong.Doesnt look like yours.Ill try,Again
Step 6, read carefully, there’s lots of details with this recipe.
Dough was very sticky after 7 hours. I put it in oven on warm to rise. Could that be the reason. I used more flour to get it so I could knead it. It was a failed loaf. Going to try again. But looking for some advice as to what not to do next time.
I think your oven was too warm. People get very confused about a ‘touch of warmness’ from an oven. You were probably actually baking your bread at a very low temp, thus making it sticky. It’s almost May 1, no matter where you live these days in the country it’s not bitterly cold. Just keep it on your counter.
Sticky dough is hard to know if it needs more flour or if it’s just inherently sticky. Use 1/4 cup more flour than you did before, keep it on your counter, change the brand of yogurt you’re using if that is an option for you, and see how that goes.
This sounds interesting… I would like to add – that I would definitely put TWO teaspoons of salt (10g) with 3c of flour.
what size dutch oven?
12-to 14 quart or sufficiently large
Could your cinnamon roll and bread recipes be substiuted with 1 to 1 gluten free flour and would I still have to use xanthum gum?
It is really hard to say since I have never made either of them GF so cannot comment on results based on my personal experience.
This sourdough bread sounds so good and easy. As soon as I get the yogurt I am definitely making it. Thank you for a faster way to get it in your tummy.
This looks like a great recipe and I can’t wait to try it out! I live in Singapore, which has a high humidity as well as high temperature. Do you think the humidity would work with or against the dough?
I think the warmer temps will work in your favor for rising. The humidity can be counteracted by adding a bit of extra flour if you think that the dough is overly loose and moist.
Could I use all greek yogurt instead of yogurt AND sour cream?
I haven’t tried it that way so I cannot say for sure the results.
Can you make this recipe into rolls?
Possibly but I haven’t tried and am not sure if they would work or not.
Cannot wait to try this. Went through seven days of making a starter and made the bread – did not raise at all, even though the starter passed the ‘ready’ test ~ will let you know how it turned out – thanks so much!!
This is the cheater’s guide to sourdough and works like a charm! Keep me posted!
Hello.
I finished mixing the dough and I have used all of the right ingredients and quantities, yet it has the consistency of toothpaste. Is this what I am looking for ? I added about 70 grams of whole wheat flour to thicken it a bit, but its still quite runny. At this point no way I’m taking it out of the bowl to try to shape it.
Any suggestions?
Thanks.
Well you’ve probably deteremined what to do with it by this point. Hopefully things came out well. Whole wheat flour as a sidenote would not be my first choice for bread for the average person because it’s trickier to work with to get things to rise and not be dense. I would stick with AP or bread flour for the future just as a tip. Not saying that you can’t make w.w. bread at home, but you need to alter the original ratios.
Sourdough dough is typically a wet dough – it comes together as you let it sit and rise and knock down for a second rise… resist the temptation to add flour or you’ll make it too dense and dry. The key is to work quickly in forming your dough ball on a floured counter, once formed into shape, move it onto parchment (it allows you to carry the dough to the pan).
And Make sure you score it on top to give the bread a decided place to expand, otherwise you risk side blowout.
Hello.
I just finished mixing and I am letting it rest for 6 hours.
I am a little concerned with the texture.
I used the proper quantities. For the flour I used 385 grams of unbleached bread flour which should be equal to 3 cups. 500g of yogurt and half the quantity os sour cream.
The texture I get sort of resembles toothpaste. Actually could be a bit of a runny toothpaste. Is this the right “wetter” texture?
You mention taking it out of the bowl and shaping it round before returning to a large bowl. I can’t even think of doing that right now.
Any hints.
Many thanks.
Can’t wait to give this a go, however, i would like to know if you have ever used this as a sourdough pizza base?
No I have not. Interesting thought…let me know if you try it. I think knowing this bread, it wouldn’t be quite the right texture as a pizza crust, and you’d have to rework the recipe a bit to get to the correct texture for a pizza dough. But that’s just my hunch and haven’t experiemented.
I just mad this bread and love it!!!! Thank you very much. Yummmmmmmy
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you loved it!
Can I use emmer flour instead of bread flour?
I don’t know what kind of flour that is and have made the recipe only as I wrote it.
From a quick Google search, emmer is a grain, so I’d say give it a shot!
What are the measurements?
They’re listed in the recipe.
This was one of the best and easiest sourdough recipes I have tried. My family can’t get enough of it and I love the fact that I don’t need a starter. Have done it in an overnight situation as well as same day. Same day we were up early anyway and bread was done in time for a 6pm dinner!!! What is the nutritional information? Just wondering!!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad that it was one of the best and easiest sour doughs you’ve tried!
I don’t have the nutr info on it at this moment. Working on updating all my recipes but you can calculate using an online tool yourself in the meantime.
This was one of the best and easiest sourdough recipes I have tried. My family can’t get enough of it and I love the fact that I don’t need a starter. Have done it in an overnight situation as well as same day. Same day we were up early anyway and bread was done in time for a 6pm dinner!!!
OMG! I am so happy! Tried doing the “potato flakes” sourdough recipe and just didn’t have the patience for it! Made this last night and was perfect!!!! Let it rise for 6 hours, then turned it out on flour to knead “ gently” , put in pan and let it rise for another hour. Only thing I baked it in a regular loaf pan at 350 for 40 minutes. Will be making again and will let it rise longer for more holes. Thank you thank you thank you!
Thanks for the 5 star review and I am glad you’re so happy with this recipe and will make it again!
Hi Averie! So I tented the heavy cast iron skillet with foil to seal it, removed it the last 5-10 minutes and it worked well enough!! Only issue I had was that it didn’t rise as high as expected while baking & think I left the dough too wet, as it had a few gooey spots near the loafs center. Taste and texture ARE there however. Going to try again tonight until I perfect it. Thanks so much for this gorgeous recipe!!😘😘
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad that you’re going to keep trying it until you perfect it! Bread making is for sure one of those things that practice makes perfect!
Hi! Mine is rising now!! How would I use a heavy cast iron skillet to bake this? Is it necessary to cover it while baking until the last 5-10 minutes, for it to stay moist and for the crust to develop? So exited for this & don’t want to make any mistakes.❤️
I am not sure about a skillet without a lid since I have only made this recipe, covered until the end, in a large Dutch oven. Good luck with your bread.
This is absolutely amazing! Thanks so much for taking the time to share such a delicious recipe. Your instructions were clear and concise. I used my own homemade full fat yogurt along with a sour cream made only from cream, no crazy chemicals. Love it. Thanks again!
Thanks for the 5 star review and I’m glad to hear it turned out amazing!
PS. What is the formula if not using instant yeast.
Not sure exactly since I have only made as written. Sorry that things weren’t going well for you, not sure what to say since I’ve never had an issue with it.
I’ve tried this three times and failed each time. It is extremely wet dough when turned out after first rise. It’s crust is great but extremely dense with no rise. I saw in the notes to add more flour and yeast. How much? Thank! Really hoping I can get this to work.
Turned out perfect taste wise but didn’t have as many holes as I wanted.
I was wondering if you could freeze this bread? I was thinking about making some for Christmas gifts but would need to freeze some.
Also, I need to make about 15 loafs — if I double ti recipe, will that work or does the proportion need to change?
Thanks and I look forward to trying this recipe.
I have not froze it but you probably could. I have never made more than 1 loaf at a time so can’t answer your question.
Thank you, Averie. Sorry, I read over the recipe more carefully and it does say leave in a warm dry place. I think I just couldn’t wrap my mind around proofing dough that long at room temperature without it over-proofing.
I struggled with SD starter for a year. Besides being a pain, menace, uber-girly-princess if time and valuable flour resources, I couldn’t get enough positive results to keep going. But I sure do miss the delicious SD flavor!
Anyway, thanks for the response. Can’t wait to try the recipe!
Do you leave the dough at room temperature during the long rise(s) or do you refrigerate/cold ferment like when a traditional Sourdough is baked?
I leave it at room temp.
So many people have problems proofing their bread. They should try to turn on your dishwasher while mixing the dough and turn off and drain it. Let sit slightly to drip of upper shelve. Cover your bowl with a tea towel and put in and close the door, ” MAKE SURE YOUR DISHWASHER IS OFF!” This provides the perfect invironment for yeast. We owned a small bakery and used a steam kettle in a small laminated room. Worked wonders. Same process.
Great suggestions and I agree with all!
I made this yesterday I changed one little thing I used 2cups of Bread flour and 1cup of Rye flour and it turned out amazing and delicious thank you and I already made another one this morning ?
Glad that the addition of rye flour with the bread flour worked out and that you made another one this morning!
Hi. I’ve been searching online for instant dry yeast but there are so many different kinds with similar (but not the same) name(s). What are other names for the same thing? Red Star Platinum does not seem to exist any longer. TIA
I know, there are SO many yeasts!! I would just use anything that’s Instant Yeast (also known as Fast-Rising, Rapid-Rise, Quick Rise, and/or Bread Machine Yeast). Good luck!
I’m a big bread maker and my family said this was the best one I’ve ever made. You are a master chef my dear…I don’t know which I’ll make more. This or the Starbucks lemon pound cake that I’ve made about 20 times so far….
I’m thrilled that a bread maker’s family said this is the best you’ve ever made!
Glad you love the Starbucks Lemon Cake too! Thanks for the compliments and trying my recipes!
Loved the sour dough recipe. Thanks for sharing. Much easier than feeding starter.
Thanks for trying the recipe and glad it came out great for you!
Made this for the sixth time today it turned out great as always…thanks for posting this recipe online!
Thanks for trying this recipe six times! Glad you’re a major fan and that it always turns out great!
I just finished baking this bread and it turned out great! No issues with it rising and the flavor does capture that of sourdough without the starter. I wish I could share a picture!
The only two things I have an issue with is the salt content. I think it could use more. Probably another 1/2 tsp to help push forward the flavor.
Thanks for trying the recipe and glad it came out great for you! You can post a pic on your Instagram acct if you have one and tag me @averiesunshine
As far as salt, it’s such a personal thing and I hesitate to call for too much because it’s impossible to un-do, but easy to add, or add some salted butter to your bread, and you’ll be set. And next time you can add that 1/2 tsp to the dough if you need to.
If guess I am old fashion, can I bake this bread in regular bread pans? I will add a pan of water in the oven for moisture. If, it is possible, would this make one or two loaves do you think? Thank you.
Honestly not sure how it will work in regular bread pans because I haven’t tried it that way. I think you’d want to use two 9×5-inch pans but that’s just a guess, if you do end up trying it.
I enjoyed the possibility of sourdough-like bread, but I’m afraid this didn’t work for me. Like others have reported my final product came out more like a thick flat-bread, uncooked in the middle. I used all the ingredients and brands as suggested in the recipe. Yeast was fresh. I had a good overnight rise, and a modest second rise before baking. But the results were pretty disappointing. I know it’s a wet dough, but mine was almost too wet to work with–“knead lightly for two or three minutes” was wishful thinking!. I’m not giving up, though. I think it’s interesting enough to warrant a few more tries. Probably not a fair comparison, as my first attempt didn’t work, but I don’t think what I tasted resembled good old sourdough. But, I’ll give it another go, and report back.
Bread is always challenging and no two environments, ingredients, skills of the cook, etc. are ever the same so it’s hard for me to troubleshoot from afar. However, if the dough was so wet that it wasn’t possible to work with it, that’s a sign you probably could have added more flour. Wet dough is one thing but it sounds like yours was beyond that and needed more flour. Keep me posted if you try again. Thanks for trying the recipe.
Hey! What size should the dutch oven be for this recipe? Thanks :)
Approximately 12 to 14 quarts or sufficiently large.
Can I use a Cuisinart to mix the dough? Also, my kitchen runs on the cooler side, should I put my oven on low and stick the dough in it with the door open to allow it to rise? I love sourdough, my favorite bread, and I really would like to try making this. Thanks for sharing the recipe..
You wouldn’t want to use a food processor to mix this dough if that’s what your Cuisinart is (they make many different appliances).
I have a feeling that even with a low oven and the door open, the bread could start to cook, rather than just rise. I would use your judgment on that one. Or just wait until it’s summer or warms up a bit and pick a hot-snap to make it. Bread will still rise in a cooler kitchen; it just takes longer.
I’ve heard/and used the oven trick but don’t turn it on! Just turn on the light :)
Just a thought…we keep our house quite cool and I find if I stick the bowl in the microwave it is protected from the chill and any drafts.
I love sourdough and this recipe idea changes my world! However I have tried baking it now about 8 times and I can’t get it right. I’m not a novice to bread making and have tried some of the trouble shooting things like new yeast and a really hot oven, I even purchased a new dutch oven but my dough still struggles to rise and when it bakes it is dense, hard on the outside and spongy in the middle. I have increased rise times to 16 hours, any other ideas? I really want to make this recipe work for me! Thanks!
Wow, thank you for trying this recipe so many times and being determined to get it right. It sounds like you’ve tried everything that’s obvious, and not that obvious, on your quest.
The fact that your dough struggles to rise…okay I would double the amount of yeast you’re using. (To anyone else reading this, don’t!) In this situation though, it’s warranted given a dense dough that doesn’t rise well and is spongy in the middle. I would also try to use the Red Star Platinum as well as the Fage brand yogurt. That way those variables are accounted for. And also King Arthur brand AP flour.
Also, a warm kitchen is always better than a chilly one, and in the winter, it’s chilly. If you know you’re going to be having a warm snap coming up, try it then!
Please keep me posted if you have the courage to try again and LMK how it goes!
Great, thanks for the tips. I’m planning on trying again this weekend and will LYK!
I did not see an answer to the bread machine question – that is what I am interested in. How to adjust this recipe for a bread machine.
I haven’t made the recipe in a bread machine and don’t have any advice on doing so.
The bread came out delicious!
My Dutch oven turned out to only be 3.5qts. I covered it in tin foil and I put a pan of water to create steam. I had to bake it for about 59 min total.
While it came out great, the inside is still a little moist. I think next time I’ll use less yogurt/sour cream.
Great to hear it turned out delicious!
I just made the dough and it’s going through its first rise. But… I just realized I used col yougurt. Should it have been at room temperature?
Room temp is probably better but eventually it will warm up. I’ve made it both ways. I think you’ll be fine. Enjoy!
Thank you again! The dough trippled in size overnight and it’s just about to go in the oven. I only have a 5.5 quart Dutch oven, but I’m thinking to cover the top with tin foil instead, making a dome higher than the Dutch oven lid would allow.
Also, when I bake french bread, I get it crusty by placing a tray of water in the oven for tge first 15 minutes of baking, to create steam. I might try it with this as well. Will let you know how it turns out!
Glad it rose great overnight and hope it baked up beautifully!
I made this recipe today! It is on the cooling rack. Somehow it came out pretty flat. Any idea what I did wrong? I’m excited to taste it!
It’s hard to say with yeast and bread and exactly where things went wrong but if it’s flat two things…not hot enough during baking to get a solid rise that will hold upon cooling. And/or yeast that wasn’t fresh or didn’t activate properly. I’d bake longer as necessary and replace the yeast with brand new or another brand and see what happens. Thanks for trying the recipe.
I followed the instructions to the tee, but the dough didn’t rise that much and when I baked it, it sank and was not done. What could have happened?
So many things can happen with bread that it’s impossible to troubleshoot from afar, but if it didn’t rise much and sank it sounds like the yeast wasn’t active or as alive as it should have been. Trying again with brand new and totally fresh yeast would be my first suggestion.
Making the sourdough today but don’t see the capacity for the Dutch oven. Can this bread be made in a corning ware tall casserole dish with cover. I have one that’s a 5qt.LMK
Thanks
More along the lines of a 10-quart is what you want.
A 5-quart is going to be too small unless you’d want to maybe halve the recipe, but I haven’t tried doing that so can’t speak for sure about results, baking times, etc.
Can I try this in a slow cooker? I love this recipe!!
I haven’t tried it that way and just from what I know about bread-making and this recipe, I don’t think you’d have a ton of success. LMK if you try.
some people say this dough is very wet and add more flour to it to make it more dough like. If you have ever made no kneed bread it is also a wet dough. The easiest way to handle it is before you turn the dough out to for a loaf is put a generous sized sheet of parchment paper into a 10 inch frying pan and press it down. After you form your loaf set it on the parchment paper inside the frying pan to do the second rise. Then after your Dutch oven has been heated to the proper temperature use the four corners of the parchment paper to move it into the oven with out disturbing the loaf too badly. you can also remove the loaf from the very hot Dutch oven by grabbing the four corners and lifting it out. I learned to do it this way from America’s Test Kitchen No Kneed Bread video.
Do you need a Dutch oven or can you bake it on a cookie tray?
I think the steam from the Dutch oven really helps with the crust development. You could try on a cookie tray and see what happens but I’ve never done it that way.
I use my crockpot! Just place it in. The oven with the lid!
Has this recipe been tried out in a bread machine yet? I can’t wait to give this sourdough a try! ^_^
I absolutely love sourdough bread, but it’s so much more expensive! I’ve never thought I’d be using sour cream or yogurt in a bread recipe, but it makes sense considering it has such a specific flavor I want to recreate. I’ll be giving this a try, thank you :)
Last night, my dogs ate the bread I bought for guests the following day. I live in the heat of Phoenix, AZ, USA and while I regularly make my own peasant bread, it was 115F yesterday; didn’t feel like turning on the oven to try this recipe as I had intended. Until I discovered my dogs’ crime. I had Greek yogurt and sour cream, although not in the quantities listed. And I had pastry rather than bread flour. But I decided to go for it. Worst case, I’d have to make an unplanned trip out in the heat for more bread. Best case, delicious bread for fondue. I don’t yet have a stand mixer so I combined with my own ten digits. I think hand mixing tells you if you have enough dry to wet ingredients. Plus, kneading is therapeutic! The first thing I noticed is, the dough is absolutely beautiful! I had to make myself to NOT overwork it. I have an enamel-over-cast-iron-Dutch oven (Tramontina for those not on a Le Cruset budget) with which I make rustic bread a lot. It’s stained with use but still works beautifully. I precut a piece of parchment to make it easier to gently put the dough in the screaming hot oven. My inaugural loaf is not 100% perfect but it’ll do for fondue. I love this recipe and plan to keep trying different thing until I perfect it. Thanks so much for this recipe!
Wow, love this story, love your creativity, ingenuity (where there’s a will there’s a way with regard to using on-hand ingredients to not have to go out in the heat….I live in San Diego, bought a house in Phoenix b/c it was so much cheaper than CA, couldn’t handle AZ, and was back in San Diego after 8 months! So I applaud you for dealing with that heat!), and the fact that you hand-kneaded it. Wow, such a great, great story! Thank you for trying this recipe and if you play around with it anymore at all, LMK what you do! I also have a cheese-stuffed version :) https://www.averiecooks.com/2015/01/easy-cheddar-sourdough-bread.html
I made this today and the taste is wonderful and the crust is beautiful…but the inside was still doughy. Any suggestions? Thank you!!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I would say bake a bit longer is the simple answer. But if you’re concerned that the outside would get overly done then perhaps make your mound of dough a bit flatter so it cooks through faster in the center. Also tweaking oven temp/time can also work but you’ll have to play around with it given your oven, pan, etc. Bread is one of those things sometimes you have to experiment a bit and sounds like you’re so close to nailing it!
I followed your guidance; lowered the temp to 400 degrees & baked an additional 30 minutes, checking in 10 minute increments. Et voila! It was perfection. Additionally, I had located the Red Star Platinum yeast & what a great product. All 3 loaves, even the less than perfect loaf, were excellent but it was fun mastering this. Merci mille fois’
Glad my guidance worked and that it came out great for you! And yes, Red Star Platium is the bomb! I love that stuff; it’s like insurance for bread-making!
i baked my 2nd loaf using the proper flour, yeast & a new cast iron Dutch oven BUT the crust burned before the bread was fully cooked. Can you provide guidance? I’m thinking of using 400 degree oven next time but am open to other ideas. The taste was perfect but 1/3 of the loaf was undercooked.
Dutch ovens, cast iron pots, lids or no lids, the oven itself, the climate, the dough, etc…ALL of these things play a role and no one’s equipment and situation is going to be exactly alike so with bread, trial and error is often the best way. In this situation based on what you said, I think turning down the oven to 400F is a good idea and also maybe make your loaf a little ‘flatter’ and less like a big round globe. That will help it cook quicker and more evenly as well. Keep me posted how round 2 goes! Glad that 2/3 of round 1 tasted good :)
Success ! I really watched the dough and added slightly less than 1 cup of sour cream. I could tell from the dough consistency that it was going to work. It raised up just perfect and stayed that way! It was delicious. Only it never lasts more than one day at our house.
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad you were able to tell from the dough consistency that it was going to work! Love it when as a bread maker you can see/feel a dough even in the very early stages and just know, yep this is a keeper! Love that feeling and glad you love the bread and that it lasts 1 day, max! :)
oops, I meant “substitutions” not “substations”!
This recipe is absolutely perfect! We recently retired to a rather remote location & are unable to buzz out to the store (especially with the snow) but I REALLY wanted to try this. I did NOT have sour cream or Red Star Platinum yeast & my King Arthur was the plain, unbleached variety of flour. I did have a big, beautiful tub of Grreek God full-fat yogurt.
I used my enamel lined Le Crueset Dutch oven & now plan to pick up a cast iron Dutch oven to use exclusively for sour dough bread. I will also pick up the King Arthur Bread flour & the Red Star Platinum yeast! My Le Cruset suffered a little in the preheating process but it was worth the sacrifice. I felt the substations were not too far off & I was right.
The sour taste was heavenly & the chewy crust with the soft, tender center were perfection. I apologize for preparing with substitutes but I have really wanted to make my own sour dough bread & loved your logical decision to use yogurt, brilliant.
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! And no apologies for substitutions! You totally winged it based on what you had (in a remote area, in a snowstorm!) and all worked out – gotta love that!
I use an enameled Le Creuset dutch oven with this bread too. And when I bake this bread in it, the dutch oven does get a few more brown spots on the ‘white’, which after 10-12 years of cooking with it, it’s not that bright enameled white anymore either so I’m just like…whatever. I think that you will love the Red Star Platinum and KA’s bread flour is just extra nice for bread since you get extra gluten for extra rise and puff. But sounds like you didn’t even need it! Glad it was a hit for you!
Helpful hint: put your dough on a piece of parchment paper, before putting in bowl for the second rise. Makes it easier to move the dough to the dutch oven.
The bread looks and tastes amazing. It was big and full when I removed it from the oven. But as it cooled on the rack, it started to deflate. I was wondering about how smooth the bread should be when kneading it, after it rises over night? Mine was still very tacky, and I added more flour while kneading. I followed the recipe and used 1 tsp of yeast. I found I had no parchment paper, and used a circle of foil instead. Could too much liquid be the culprit? I had the oven on at 450 degrees. The bread just looks like it is not quite cooked; the bubbles collapsed as it cooled.
Any suggestions?
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m thinking that your idea of “The bread just looks like it is not quite cooked” is spot on – just cook it longer :) Being that all brands of yeast, greek yogurt and sour cream, climates, flour brand and gluten content variances, type of pan/pot used to bake it in, etc…. SO MANY things could vary that my advice to people is to bake until done, whatever that means in your oven and in your situation with your ingredients and not to worry about the clock so much.
Any baked good that falls or deflates, from cake to bread, generally means the internal temp was *not quite* hot enough to really set the structure of the item, and it will fall upon cooling.
And also if you think your dough was pretty darn moist (yes it’s an extremely moist dough) but…if you think there was too much liquid, and based on everything else, there probably was…counteract that with 1. more flour and/or 2. longer baking time.
You’re SO close….give it one my try and tweak things slightly & LMK how it goes!
I made this as a Boule and it is hot out of the oven…18 hr first rise, 3 hour second rise. I handled it as a no-knead bread, but used a stand mixer to knead as directed, etc.. Topped with Quinoa seeds before baking. It has a beautiful, shiny (but intermittent ) medium golden brown top crust and artisan brown bottom–just gorgeous. Internal temp at about 207 deg. F. when I gauged mine– baked throughout, for sure!
Take your time ladies, you can do it, too.
Love your comment and thank you for sharing everything you did and yes, taking one’s time, taking the internal temp or knowing approx what it was, all these little things do matter in bread-making and I’m so glad your boule turned out wonderfully! I love that you did a 18 + 3 hour rise and as a no-knead in terms of how you handled it. I bet the flavor was incredible and really authentic sour-doughey after your long rises! Thanks for the wonderful comment and trying the recipe!
I made your sourdough bread yesterday, wish I could post a picture it look beautiful from the outside but it had a big hollow spot on top..what did I do wrong…..please help me! I used full fat yogurt and sour cream don’t know if that was it but other than that I followed the recipe to the letter…. Also last night when I tasted it was sour, this morning not so much!!! Please help me my husband is a sourdough lover, but I’m not good with keeping up with normal starters…. Thanks Sandy
With bread-making there are SO many variables. What I think happened in this situation is that the bread rose very fast in the oven, created the hollow spot, then it was just…hollow. You could try turning your oven down 25 to 75 degrees and baking longer at a lower temp. That could help. I use Red Star Platinum yeast and have never had issues with that yeast acting finnicky so maybe switch brands of yeast to; just to anything NEW that you didn’t use and maybe that will self-correct things. Trial and error, that’s bread :)
As a sourdough baker myself, this really intrigues me. Starters are a real pain and baking sourdough bread is a lot of work. I only have one question. Do you think that using whole milk Greek yogurt and regular sour cream would work?
I don’t like using fat free or low fat because of the additives in them that are needed to get the same consistency as regular whole milk products.
I was concerned the increased fat in the whole milk yogurt and regular sour cream might affect the texture. Any thoughts?
Baking, especially bread, can be trial and error. I think you should use the ingredients with the particular fat percentage you’re interested in using and then see what happens. If it doesn’t work, then use what I did – I know it works :)
I have a baking FAQ post here that may help, too! https://www.averiecooks.com/faq
Looks like a great take on naturally leavened sourdough! I noticed you didn’t score the top of the loaf before baking, were you going for a more “rustic” look to your loaf?
Thanks for the recipe, I might try my somewhat experienced hand at it this coming week! Ciao :)
I really don’t ever score my bread. When I do, I feel like it doesn’t end up cosmetically looking the way I want, so I don’t do it.
This is amazing! I made the dough before bed last night and it is cooling now. This is the prettiest bread I have ever made. Perfectly browned and cracked on top. I wish is could attach a picture. I admit I already cut off a small slice while it is still warm. Delicious! Just like sourdough!
Oh I am so glad you love it and it came out perfectly for you!! My very next post on Wednesday is going to be for a spinoff version of this! Please check back :)
Oh bother. I tried this today and I totally screwed it up. The bread fell flat, it got burned on the bottom, and it was not all the way done on the inside. The burned bottom happened to me the last time I baked bread as well. Last time I used parchment, this time I oiled the pot. Any suggestions? I was thinking maybe putting the Dutch oven on top of a baking sheet or glass pan, so the heat doesn’t hit it so directly.
Oil = what you want to add to vegetables, popcorn, etc. in the bottom of a pn to make it become browned!
Oil + bread = guaranteed to burn. No where in the recipe did I say to oil the pan so that’s one issue and falling flat. I think your yeast could have been inactive OR the internal temp of the bread didn’t get hot enough (despite it burning on the bottom from the oil you decided to use) and so you need to still bake it longer but with no oil next time. I would just try again with your regular Dutch oven, no cooking sheets, pans, etc. Just the D.O. with parchment and I think you will be fine.
I have a question: I happened to see on my roll of parchment paper that it only withstands temperatures of 420. I see the bread needs to be bakes at 450. Did you have any problem with the parchment burning or getting kind of crispy? Should I oil the bottom of the Dutch oven instead of using parchment? Thanks!!
It was fine for me but do as you see fit. Obviously I don’t want to recommend anything that could start a fire! But I was fine :)
I don’t have a Dutch oven or an iron skillet. If baked in a loaf pan or on a sheet, would it not turn out very sourdough-ey? The skillet/oven is for the crust, no? Any ideas on improvising for that part?
Thanks
You never know til you try it! And I’m pretty sure if you read through the comments there are others who have written in discussing what they’ve done in your situation (just from my memory…so you may want to read through the comments).
I made this recipe today. I’m not sure if I did something wrong or not. But it fell completely flat and isn’t brown. I have a Dutch oven and the base is rated to 500 deg while the cover is only 350 deg so I covered the pot with foil. To lock in the steam. Any ideas? I really wanted this to work out and I’m willing to try again. :)
fell completely flat and isn’t brown = dead ringer for you didn’t bake it long enough. All Dutch ovens, ovens, yeast, dough, climates, etc are different. I suggest baking longer – til it’s brown. If the internal temp of bread doesn’t get hot enough, it will fall upon cooling and I think that’s what happened here. Try again, bake longer. I think you’ll be set!
Ok, I did it just took it out of the offer, looks good, to hot to touch, but lopsided? Help!
It might taste good but I’m upset because cause it’s lopsided, took picture but can’t figure out how to post it to you.
I’ve made many loaves of this bread and some are more lopsided than others; it’s a rustic homemade bread. I don’t think the shape matters all that much as long as it tastes fine. It’s just the way dough rises – sometimes lopsided-ness happens.
Trying my hand at making this, assembled and placed on the back of the stove, warming oven on, at approximately 12:30. Figured I would let it sit and ferment and make tomorrow. My question to let it sit overnight, do I need to place in the frig or leave it out?
Don’t refrigerate. Fermentation is much better accomplished at room temp!
That’s what I thought, thanks. I’m going to make it today, and maybe next time experiment with all purpose AND a little vital wheat gluten I’d used in another recipe. If I actually do that I’ll let you know how it turns out.
all purpose AND a little vital wheat gluten = good call and please do keep me posted!
This sounds SO good that I’m going to try it today! One question, though – must it be bread flour or can you use all purpose flour? I’m thinking bread flour because of the higher gluten, but since I don’t have any I wanted to check. Thanks!!!
I would use bread flour b/c of the higher gluten, yes.
This sounds good. I’ve been making sourdough for a year now using a start and it is really easy. I have a hard time actually using yeast now.
I live in Spain and don’t have a dutch oven. How can I make this recipe without one? Looking forward to your input, thanks!
If you read through the comments, I mentioned to another reader what I thought she could do.
Hi Averie,
I was super excited when I found this recipe for sourdough bread. I made the recipe, and while the crust looks divine, the bread is too moist, almost dense. Any idea what might have gone wrong? Thanks so much. The flavor is totally there, by the way, just curious about more of a traditional sourdough bread texture inside the loaf.
I’ve made it a few times and bread making is such an art, a delicate dance, between dry and wet ingredients. If you feel that it was too moist and dense inside, you could either reduce the Greek yogurt/sour cream or add more flour. It’s so variable based on brands of wet ingredients, type of flour used, climate, and personal preference. So I would say just experiment until you get something you love!
Averie, I really want to try this recipe! I don’t have a dutch oven, but am asking hubby for one for Christmas. What size would you recommend for this? And just for general use, what size would you say you get the most use out of for every day cooking? I can really only afford to get one right now. Thanks!
I linked in the post to the one I have. I find it to be a great overall size. It really is going to depend though on your family size, how big of meals you like to cook, if you want lots of leftovers, etc. Hope Santa takes care of you :)
I don’t have a dutch oven, but I have a large cast iron skillet. Will it be a problem if I can’t cover the bread as it bakes? I really want to start this tonight but I don’t have anything I can cover the bread and pan with.
I haven’t made it uncovered but just watch it in the oven and see how it’s looking. Trial and error and making tweaks as it bakes with temp/time will likely be necessary. Enjoy the bread! Please LMK how it goes in a cast iron skillet because I’m sure others will be curious too!
I love that I just need my dutch oven for this. Pinning now to try later!
Thanks for pinning, Bianca!
That is GENIUS!!! I’m definitely gonna be trying that very very soon. Can I use regular yogurt though instead of Greek? And all purpose flour instead of bread? Ouch! We don’t have both of those ingredients in Egypt.
You know you can try anything – who knows exactly how it’s going to work out. I only made the recipe the way I wrote it so I can’t speak to any substitutions and how they will work out! Please LMK how it goes!
Averie,
I love sourdough bread but I’ve never tried making it. This one looks delicious and doable. Pinned so I can make it later.
Annamaria
Thanks for pinning!
Oh WOW. Greek yogurt! Brilliant! I think this should be my next bread!
So I’m hiding my just-baked loaf of soda bread from my cat while the loaf cools (crazy cat thinks bread is cat food … ) and thinking, ooh, Averie has another bread recipe to try! I love faster versions of yeast breads cuz, you know, that whole time thing … which explains why I have never bothered with sourdough bread. If I can get similar results in less time, I’m in. Yet another recipe on my to-do list.
That’s too funny your cat likes bread! Soda bread is so good when it’s fresh – your cat has great taste :) You will definitely have to hide the sourdough too then!
LOVE this gorgeous rustic bread Averie!! Pinned & I want to make it this weekend :) x0
Thanks for pinning, too! And have a great pre-Thanksgiving holiday weekend!
Yay! Looks yummy ! Sourdough and no starter!!! Can’t wait to make it! No I can’t use enough exclamation points!!!!
This looks great!! I’ve been thinking of begging the local bakery to share some of their starter with me, but in the meantime, maybe this would be a good place to start. :)
It’s one of my goals to stop buying bread and making it..but I really do have a fear of working with dough that I need to get over. I love how crusty your loaf looks..I’m going to give this a try when I have some time off over the holidays. I never realized how much junk is in the bread we purchase so I really want to begin to make it and this recipe looks doable.
I hope you get over your yeast fear because there’s nothing to fear! The worst that can go wrong is you throw out a few cups of flour and a little butter or an egg maybe – because most bread doughs are really just flour, water, yeast, pinch of salt and sugar…sometimes butter or an egg, but that’s about it!
May I suggest starting your yeast bread journey with Averie’s one-hour breadsticks? It would be really hard to screw that recipe up and you have minimal time and ingredients invested in it (just make sure to spray your plastic wrap with non-stick spray before putting it over the bread stick dough to rise–my personal “oops”–pulling sticky wrap off of risen dough is sort of a pain!). I think that recipe is a good confidence-builder for working with yeast.
Kris, totally agree! Hard to screw up!
Lisa here’s the link https://www.averiecooks.com/2013/11/one-hour-soft-buttery-breadsticks-salted-and-cinnamon-sugar-vegan.html
Homemade bread is so good. Homemade sourdough bread is best! I never thought homemade sourdough was so easy :O I even think I have all these ingredients in the fridge. I’m definitely making this tomorrow for warm homemade bread on Sunday ♥ (My bf LOVES sourdoughbread too) Thank you for sharing. P.S Your chilli cheese dip was a big hit!
Glad you enjoyed the dip…and how good would it be to dip this bread into that! If you make this, LMK!
I love sourdough bread, but have always been too intimidated to make it myself. Your recipe sounds so easy, and looks absolutely perfect!
Thanks, Denise! And thanks for commenting! I’m about to go pin a bunch of your stuff :)
This is so incredibly clever! I never did a sour dough before because of the starter thingamajigqy. I’ve been known to kill things via neglect sooo.. This is perfect! I’m gonna try this out and report back. :-)
Please report back and LMK how it goes!
I never did a sour dough before because of the starter thingamajigqy. <--- LOL and me too!
I really want some of this now. DAMN YOU GLUTEN *shakes fist at the sky*
I went on a tour a bakery with my class last week and they were showing us the elaborate sourdough starters and all I could think was…nope. Too much work. This is my kind of recipe!
I know, sadly, I have NO idea how this could/would work in the absence of gluten since basically there is so very little yeast and you are really relying on the smidgeon of yeast + time + gluten to get that big puffy rise.
If you ever have some GF flour you don’t mind parting with, I would be SUPER curious to see what happens with this!
I am giddy with excitement over this! I have tried twice now to make a good sourdough started, and failed both times. Sourdough bread is one of my most favorite foods. I will be trying this as soon as possible- would it be ok to call in sick to work tomorrow to make bread???? ;)
LOL if I did have a job, I’d want to call in sick to stay home and bake sometimes too :) Sourdough starters can be finnicky, as is anything cultured, i.e. kombucha starters. Once they’re going, they really go. But getting them there can be tricky and this is pretty much foolproof! Please LMK how it goes!
Did you just say 9 hours!?!?! I’m gonna have to give this a try. You just can’t get good sourdough bread out here in Michigan…and I came from California. Sourdough is like a staple out there and I’m always sad when I order it out here and it’s just not the same. Pinned!
I sure did and I know what’s it’s like when you’re not in CA and yes, so hard to get good sourdough. If you try this, LMK!
This bread sounds phenomenal! I definitely want to try it out!
I had no idea sourdough could be made in a day!! I’ve made it but only a few times because of the planning and waiting on the starter. Yogurt and sour cream–how brilliant! The actual recipe looks pretty easy too. This would be great to start before bed and bake before lunch. I received a Dutch oven for Christmas last year so this would be fun to try. It’s a gorgeous loaf Averie–such a nice golden brown color on that crust!
because of the planning and waiting on the starter. <-- Exactly. You don't have to now and yes it's a perfect start-before-bed and bake before lunch or start at 7am before work and bake at 6pm when home! I think you would love this, Paula. If you try it, please LMK!
I love sourdough bread! This fast version sounds so good!
Sourdough is by far my favorite bread but I’ve never made it at home. That is about to change!
Oh my gosh! I bet this was SOOO satisfying to make :) It feels like such a huge accomplishment…thanks for sharing this, I’ll definitely have to try this one! :)
Perfect for Thanksgiving!! Congratulations on this milestone!
One word: gorgeous. I know I could eat the whole thing by myself! I am addicted to homemade sourdough! Pinned!
Thank you, Anna! It was sooo goooood. If you’re already a sourdough fan and already make it at home, I think you’d love how easy this is!
Um, I might have to make this tomorrow. Like, I think I’m going to the store for yogurt today. Sourdough is the BEST bread. Having lived in SF, it’s really the only bread I knew and sadly, outside of SF? It’s not the same. I have been meaning to make my own. LOVE this so much, pinned!
Thank you, Dorothy, it is SO GOOD. Like so good, loved it, would have eaten the whole thing myself if my family didn’t beat me to it! If you do try it, LMK! :)