Name: Sourdough Artisan Loaf
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 d 55 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 3 cups all purpose flour; 1/2 cup fed sourdough starter; 1 1/2 tsp of sea salt; 1 cup water

Jump to Recipe

Sourdough Artisan Loaf is a rustic sourdough loaf that is made with the use of a sourdough starter.

There is something remarkable that occurs when you make things with your own hands. Sure you can go and buy a sourdough loaf. Believe me, there have been many moments when looking down at the mess I have made or the flat loaf that didn’t rise properly, where I have thought. What am I doing here? And more importantly, why?

Without question, those moments pass. Because it occurs to me deeply that there is so much more to it than the sum of its parts.

It’s the skills being developed. The love in the act. The pride of the end product. But above all, it is the quiet work we do with our hands each day that makes up our lives. And for that, the answer to why is found. So I keep going.

For all of you who have attempted a sourdough loaf and failed. You are not alone. It happens to even us seasoned sourdough bread makers. There are so many factors involved. But one thing is for sure, there are ways to use up that loaf.

Creating a lovely Sourdough French Toast Bake for a breakfast is a great way to use it. Other ways include croutons, bread crumbs, or one of our favorites. Make sourdough strata. This consists of cubing the bread and cooking it until golden in a skillet with butter or olive oil. Add a few garden veggies to the skillet (spinach, onion, zucchini, etc.) and beaten eggs to make sourdough strata scramble. I serve this one with a side of salsa.

Why I Love This Recipe

This Sourdough Artisan Loaf creates what I would call a perfectly rustic loaf of sourdough bread. It is a straightforward no fuss recipe that comes out perfect every time. That is if I make sure to use knead my loaf long enough and use a bubbly-fed and ready starter. And allow the dough sufficient time to rise on my countertop. I also love to use all-purpose flour in my kitchen as opposed to having to use a specific flour for one recipe. It is all around one of the best, simplest sourdough loaf recipes I use.

Tools You May Need

Dutch Oven

Dough Scraper

What You Will Need To Make It

3 cups all purpose flour

½ cup fed starter

1 cup of water

1 ½ tsp sea salt

Directions

In a large bowl add the entire contents and mix until you have a flakey ball of dough. Flour a surface well.

using a dough scraper on sourdough dough

Then take your hands and place the dough ball on that surface and knead for approximately 7-10 minutes consistently. You may use a hand mixer with a dough hook but your hands will work just fine. If you use a mixer knead with the dough hook on low for approximately 5 minutes.

kneading dough with hands on a floured surface

Your dough will be ready when its a soft like supple consistency.

kneading the dough for sourdough artisan loaf

Place the ball of dough in a greased bowl and cover with a tea towel. Let sit for 8-24 hours.

Once the dough has risen. Punch it to deflate it and put it on a floured surface and roll it back into a ball. Place it back in the bowl for another 2-4 hours to allow it to do its final rise.

When ready to bake, heat the oven to 450℉. Place a dutch oven with lid inside while it heats. When the oven is ready, remove the dutch oven. Cut a piece of parchment paper large enough to fit the loaf in the center once baked.

Place the dough ball on the paper. Score with a knife ( as shown) and place it inside the dutch oven and cover. Put inside the oven and bake for approximately 30 minutes. At the 30-minute mark, take the lid off the dutch oven and continue baking for another 15 minutes.

FAQ

What does “fed” starter mean?

Having a “fed” starter is extremely important. This means that you have added more flour and water to your starter and have allowed it to sit out on your counter to ferment for a minimum of 4 hours before use. Your starter is active and ready when you see the beautiful bubbles in the picture below.

Can I use regular yeast in place of the starter?

You can not make actual sourdough bread without a starter but you can still make a delicious loaf of bread. Here is a perfect recipe for using store-bought active yeast Easy Artisan No Knead Bread.

Trouble Shooting

Why didn’t my loaf rise?

There are a few typical reasons why your loaf didn’t rise. First if you have a cold kitchen it may take longer for the dough to fully rise. I have found waiting the full 24 hours cures this. It isn’t always ideal to wait that full amount of time but it beats not having a properly risen sourdough loaf. Another common factor is not kneading the dough long enough.

So be sure to knead with your hands for about 8 minutes or with a dough hook for 5 minutes. Lastly, not using an active starter. Many times our starters need longer than we give them to give all their fermented goodness. So be sure to allow your starter to sit until bubbly. It is advised that after feeding you give your starter 4 hours at the minimum. However, there have been times mine was not quite bubbly enough to use. So again, we need to be patient and give it a little more time.

Benefits Of Sourdough

Of course we love the taste but sourdough is actually a healthier alternative to eating regular breads such as white or wheat loaves. The lower phytate levels in sourdough make for an easier-to-digest food and result in a better more nutritious bread.

It is a good alternative for those who are sensitive to gluten as sourdough is a fermented food that has a bacteria-to-yeast composition that works on breaking down the starches found in the grain before it’s even eaten. Sourdough is also known as a prebiotic food that simply put, will help keep your gut bacteria healthy.

Shop This Post

Cast Iron Dutch Oven

Cuisinart Stand Mixer

Pin For Later

If you try this recipe and love it, I would love it if you would come back and give it 5 stars!

Yield: 8 servings