Looking for a sourdough bread recipe that’s simple and easy? Don’t want to fuss with digital scales, grams, and just use cups? I am your girl. Sourdough bread can be overwhelming but I want to help you break it down to make it easy. I have a sourdough bread recipe in cups! Yes, you read that right, a sourdough recipe in cups NOT grams. Before we jump in though let’s talk about that..
Let me tell you this comes with a set of risks and problems when measuring in cups and why measuring with grams is a thing. Flour comes in so many varieties and when you are milling or using bread flour or all-purpose it can be “Fluffier” or have more air between each piece depending on how long it has had to settle. When I measure a cup then you measure a cup… Your cup might have more flour than mine. This is why so many recipes are in grams. Also when we are talking bread and recipes seeing 1000 grams is easier to weigh than 7 cups + 2 tbsp + 2 tsp. Sometimes that extra 1 tbsp can make or break a recipe.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION! About Sourdough in cups…
That being said this recipe when I say CUPS in this recipe dip your measuring cup in, take a butter knife’s FLAT side, and sheer off the excess for a “Perfect” cup.
As I mentioned above a tbsp can make or break a recipe and give different results. Having a few failed loaves is to be expected until you know what kind of texture you are looking for in a dough. I highly recommend investing in a digital scale if you want to do sourdough bread.
YOUR STARTER
If you are new to sourdough the first thing we need to talk about is what you will need. First, you need a sourdough starter. If you want to learn more about that you can head on over to this blog here. You will also want a Dutch oven. Yes, you can bake in something else, but really I think every kitchen needs one!
You will want to plan out when you want to make bread. This is not a quick, whip it up an hour before dinner kind of bread… although if you need that, I got you covered in my quick one hour bread recipe.
Sourdough bread in cups!
Sourdough is a long process. You can start it early in the morning, but it’s usually best to start the day before.
First, you will want to start around 8am the day before you want to make your bread. Feed your starter and let her get all bubbly and happy. By the afternoon you should have hit the “peak” where it is no longer doming at the top but starting to dimple down a bit (not sinking just dimpling).
Webbing and floating
When you twirl the jar around you should see the webbing and bubbles from all sides. Scoop a small spoonful of your starter into a cup of water. If she floats, it is ready to use! Mix your water and starter than add in flour. Keep your hands wet so the dough is less sticky. When all the ingredients are combined, let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
Next, add in your salt and work the dough until it is combined. Let the dough rest 30-40 mins in a warm place and do a “Stretch and fold”. This is exactly what it sounds like. Wet your hands, stretch the dough up out of the bowl and fold it back into a ball. It only takes about 30 seconds to do this and you should feel the dough get firmer. repeat in 30 mins. You will want to do 3-6 stretches and folds. Cover your dough with plastic wrap and let it bulk ferment for 5-8 hours in a warm spot.
Remove the dough from the bowl carefully onto the counter and divide into two equal loaves.
To shape your loaf; You can do this several ways but I like to push and roll the dough forward and then pull it back towards me in a spinning motion to create a ball. Do push a roll motion like this for a few minutes to create tension and then let rest for 30 minutes on the counter. Place dough into floured bannteon baskets or a bowl lined with a floured tea towel. Cover with a plastic bag or plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight ( minium 12 hours).
The Next Morning
Preheat your oven with your empty Dutch oven inside to 500 and let the dutch oven heat up for one hour. Take our your dough the last 5 mins it is preheating and rub the top with flour. Take a razor blade or sharp knife and score a deep slice across the length of the bread. and you can score fun patterns in it if you like. Place your dough on floured parchment and into your hot Dutch oven. Take a small amount of water (about 1/4 cup) and pour it between the paper and pot. Be careful not to get any on your bread. This will create steam in your pot and will help make a lovely crust!
Place lid on your Dutch oven and back at 500 for 30 mins. Remove lid lower your heat to 450 for another 30 mins. Remove from oven and place on cooling rack. Do not cut until your loaf is completely cooled.
Need a Dutch oven? Check out the one I use here
Simple Sourdough Bread (IN CUPS)
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 1 day d
Servings 2 loaves
Equipment
1 Dutch Oven
Ingredients
- 1 cup Sourdough Starter Bubbly and active fed 5-10 hrs before
- 2 3/4 cups Water
- 7 cups Bread Flour add tsp at a time if it is too dry
- 1 tbsp Fine Sea Salt
Instructions
Lets Bake
Feed starter 6-8 hours before you want to start mixing ingredients.
When your starter is at its peak, has dimples and when you roll it you see webbing on all sides take 1 cup and mix it in 2 3/4 warm water.
Mix flour with hands or wooden spoon. This is super messy but wet your hands a bit and it will be eaiser to combine.
Let rest for 30 mins covered.
Add in salt dimpling it in with your hands to combine.
Knead for about 5 mins until salt combines in.
Put in a bowl and let rest for 30 mins. Stertch and fold until dough is more firm. Allow to rest for another 30 mins. Do one more stretch and fold until the dough is firm.
A stretch and fold really only takes about 20 seconds. It is quick and easy.
do about 3-6 stretch and folds 30-45 mins apart.
Cover your dough bowl with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let bulk rise for 5-8 hours.
Take out dough carefully and divide into two loaves. roll dough toward you on the lightly floured work surface to create a ball. Let rise on counter for 30 mins, roll dough again on surface and flip seam side up into a flour batton basket (you can use a foured tea towel too in a bowl.)
cover with a plastic bag and place in the fridge for overnight or for 12 hours
Preheat oven to 500 with your dutch oven inside for 1 hour.
Place parchement paper on top of your loaf in the bannton basket. Flip over, dust with flour and score in any pattern you like with a razor.
Place in dutch oven, add 1/4 cup of water under your parchement paper to create steam. Cover.
Place a large baking sheet on lower rack. This helps that bottom not burn.
Place dough in dutch oven and bake with lid on at 500 for 30 mins. remove lid and lower heat to 450 continue baking for 30-40 mins. ( internal temp should be 210)
Remove bread from dutch oven and allow bread to cool completely before cutting into it.
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