Sourdough Archives - SueBee Homemaker

Sourdough Discard Crackers

Suebee Homemaker — Mon, 22 Sep 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Turn leftover sourdough starter into crispy, golden crackers! These easy Sourdough Discard Crackers are packed with flavor and make the perfect homemade snack – perfect for happy hour charcuterie boards!

Crispy Homemade Crackers

Homemade crackers? You might wonder why anyone would make them when the store-bought kind are already delicious.

Making homemade sourdough crackers is easier than you might think and totally worth it. With just a bit of sourdough discard, butter or olive oil, and your favorite seasonings, you can roll out thin, crispy crackers that taste far fresher than anything from a box.

I use to roll my eyes at homemade crackers, but this sourdough-making gal is now a huge fan! Take note that this recipe is rather small. If you’re feeding a crowd, you’ll need to double or triple it!

Why This Recipe Works:

Reduces waste – A smart, tasty way to use up extra starter.
Tangy flavor – The natural sourdough acidity gives crackers a unique, savory taste.
Crispy texture – Thinly spread discard bakes into perfectly crunchy bites.
Customizable – Easily flavored with herbs, seeds, cheese, or spices.

What You’ll Need:

You’ll need just a handful of simple ingredients to make the tastiest crackers! Trust me.

Unsalted Butter
Sugar
Kosher Salt
Italian Seasoning
Sourdough Discard

BTW, this recipe doesn’t make a ton of crackers, but it’s a nice little snack to share. If you have loads of discard, double it and use two sheet pans!

How to make Sourdough Discard Crackers:

Step 1
Measure out the sourdough discard. Use a digital thermometer to measure the sourdough discard into a bowl or jar.

Step 2
Combine melted butter and seasonings. Add butter to a bowl and heat in microwave until melted. Add sugar, salt, and Italian seasoning. Mix well.

Step 3
Add discard to bowl. Then add the sourdough discard to the butter mixture and stir until very well combined.

Step 4
Spread cracker mixture on pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and add parchment paper to a baking sheet. Pour cracker mixture on the middle of the pan and use a spatula to spread close to all sides of the pan, in a very thin layer.

Step 5
Bake and score. Bake in the preheated oven for ten minutes. Remove pan and use a pizza cutter to slice into even squares. Use a fork to prick dough all over.

Step 6
Finish baking. Return pan to oven and finish baking, approximately 10-20 more minutes. If your oven bakes uneven or the mixture is thinner in some places, you’ll want to remove some of the cracker squares as the crackers continue to brown.

Step 7
Store. Store crackers in an airtight container for a day or two – if they last that long!

STORING: Keep sourdough crackers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week (if they last that long!).

Recipe FAQs:

Do I need active starter, or can I use discard?

Discard works perfectly—it gives the crackers flavor without needing extra rise.

How thin should I spread out the dough?

As thin as possible! The thinner the dough, the crispier the crackers will be.

Should I add flour?

This recipe doesn’t require flour. We’re just using the sourdough discard and spreading the mixture super thin.

Can I add flavors?

Absolutely—try herbs, garlic powder, sesame seeds, cheese, or everything bagel seasoning.

Other Sourdough Recipes:

We love using our sourdough starter for bread recipes. Here are a few of our faves!

Looking for more discard recipes? Try these sourdough blueberry muffins, overnight sourdough pancakes, or sourdough discard banana bread.

Kitchen Tools Used: (affiliate links)

xoxo ~Sue

Sourdough Discard Crackers Recipe

Turn leftover sourdough starter into crispy, golden crackers! These easy Sourdough Discard Crackers are packed with flavor and make the perfect homemade snack – perfect for happy hour charcuterie boards!

Course Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword sourdough discard cookies, sourdough discard crackers

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 25

Total Time 35

Servings servings

Calories 192kcal

Author Sue Ringsdorf

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
3/4 cup sourdough discard (180 grams)

Instructions

Measure out the sourdough discard. Use a digital thermometer to measure the sourdough discard into a bowl or jar.
Combine melted butter and seasonings. Add butter to a bowl and heat in microwave until melted. Add sugar, salt, and Italian seasoning. Mix well.
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
Add discard to bowl. Then add the sourdough discard to the butter mixture and stir until very well combined.
3/4 cup sourdough discard (180 grams)
Spread cracker mixture on pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and add parchment paper to a baking sheet. Pour cracker mixture on the middle of the pan and use a spatula to spread close to all sides of the pan, in a very thin layer.
Bake and score. Bake in the preheated oven for ten minutes. Remove pan and use a pizza cutter to slice into even squares. Use a fork to prick dough.
Finish baking. Return pan to oven and finish baking, approximately 15-25 more minutes. If your oven bakes uneven or the mixture is thinner in some places, you’ll want to remove some of the cracker squares as the crackers continue to brown.
Store. Store crackers in an airtight container for a day or two – if they last that long!

Notes

STORING: Keep sourdough crackers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week (if they last that long!).

This is a small recipe. If you have lots of sourdough discard, simply double the recipe and use two sheet pans.

Nutrition

Crusty Sourdough Bread

Suebee Homemaker — Mon, 18 Aug 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Crusty Sourdough Bread boasts a golden, crackling exterior that gives way to a chewy, tangy interior. Naturally leavened and slow-fermented, it delivers a rustic appearance and hearty bite perfect for any table!

The Crusty Loaf

I’ve been hearing from our youngest son about needing a crusty loaf in the sourdough collection. Which is why I’m finally sharing this – a simple loaf that I’ve made several times. While we love a fully loaded Jalapeño Cheddar Sourdough Bread, we also enjoy a simple recipe too.

My sourdough baking journey began in 2020 (like so many of you) and it is still my favorite type of bread to eat. We especially like the strong, tangy taste that can is further developed by placing the dough in the refrigerator for about 24 hours.

Why This Recipe Works:

SIMPLE INGREDIENTS – This recipe requires just four simple ingredients, including an active, bubbly starter. If you need a tutorial, head to my Sourdough Starter Basics post for all the information you need!
TANGY SOURDOUGH – By doing a cold fermentation, we’re adding a super tangy taste to the bread. It’s so good!
CRUSTY LOAF – We love that crusty loaf – crispy edges and a soft interior with plenty of flavor.
GREAT FOR SANDWICHES – This bread makes the ultimate sandwich. Gimme a grilled cheese, a ham and cheese panini, or a scrambled egg sammie.

What You’ll Need:

Bubbly Starter – The starter is THE most important part of sourdough bread making. It takes a little time, but you will be rewarded over and over again with an active bubbly starter.
Filtered Water – Use filtered water, either out of your refrigerator filter system or use bottled water. The water should either be at room temperature or slightly warmed before adding it to the sourdough process.
Flour – For this recipe, we’re using unbleached bread flour with a little bit of whole wheat.
Sea Salt – I recommend using fine sea salt.

How to make Crusty Sourdough Bread:

Step 1
Carefully measure. Use a kitchen scale to measure the water and sourdough starter and add to a large bowl. Stir well with a fork. Then add the bread flour, whole wheat flour, and sea salt – and stir again.

Step 2
Mix ingredients. Then use your hands to bring the ingredients together. It will look shaggy. Cover with a damp towel and let it sit for 45 minutes. (Be sure to set a timer.) This is the AUTOLYSE.

Step 3
Do stretch and folds. Then start the stretch and folds. Use your hand and lift the dough up on one side, stretching it upward, and then punch into the center of the dough. Turn the dough and repeat. Continue this process for about 30 seconds. This is the STRETCH AND FOLDS.

ADDITIONAL STRETCH AND FOLDS: I recommend doing additional sets of stretch and folds if time permits. Do these every 30 minutes for 3-4 more times to further the gluten development. A bench scraper is an excellent tool to assist with the stretch and folds.

Step 4
Let rise. Let the dough rise for 8-10 hours, or overnight. It should almost double in size and appear soft on top. Small air bubbles may appear as well. This is the BULK RISE (or bulk fermentation).

Note: I recommend placing a damp towel or some plastic wrap on the dough for the overnight rise. You might also add a bit of oil to the top to keep a crust from forming on the dough overnight.

Step 5
Do cold fermentation. Add the bowl of dough to the refrigerator for 12-24 hours (keeping the towel or cling wrap on top). After the cold fermentation, set the dough out on the counter for 30 minutes before shaping.

Step 6
Form loaf. Add a light dusting of flour to a baking mat or clean surface. Remove the dough to the mat and gently form into your desired shape, usually round or oblong. Don’t punch the dough down because you don’t want to remove all the air. Let dough sit for five minutes.

Step 7
Tighten loaf. After five minutes, use your hands to pull the dough toward you, dragging it along the mat to tighten it up. Repeat in the other directions to tighten. (Make sure you don’t have too much flour on the surface when tightening the dough, so there is some needed friction necessary to tighten it.)

Step 8
Let rise again. Place the dough, seam side up, in a bowl lined with a towel or a prepared proofing basket (pictured below). Cover with a damp towel and let it sit for about two hours. For this bread, it does not need to double again in size. This is the SECOND RISE (or final rise).

NOTE: For both the bowl or banneton basket, you’ll need to prepare them. For a bowl, add a thin tea towel dusted with rice flour (or regular flour will work in a pinch). For the basket, add some rice flour as well. The rice flour will help prevent sticking while regular flour may not do this as well.

Step 9
Prepare for baking. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Carefully remove the loaf to a piece of parchment paper, smooth side up. Then take a serrated edge knife or a bread lame (linked below), and score the top of the dough a couple of times. Place the bread (including parchment paper) into a Dutch oven.

NOTE: Some people swear by heating the pot before adding the sourdough bread to it. To do this, add the pot to the oven (with lid) while it preheats. Let it heat for an additional 30 minutes and then carefully add the bread dough.

Step 10
Bake. Add the lid to the pan and bake for 20 minutes. Then remove the lid and bake an additional 30 minutes, or until bread is nice and golden on top and bottom and cooked through.

Step 11
Cool. Remove pan and then use parchment paper as handles to lift the bread out of the pan. Place on a cooling rack. Let the delicous loaf COMPLETELY COOL before slicing.

Storing and Freezing:

Store leftover bread for a day or two on the countertop.
Freeze sourdough bread in a freezer bag. We like to wrap individual slices in cling wrap and then place in a freezer bag.

Recipe FAQs:

What is sourdough?

Sourdough is a slow-fermented bread that doesn’t require store-bought yeast to make it rise. It’s a LIVE fermented culture that creates a natural leavening agent. A starter is required to make sourdough.

Is sourdough bread gluten-free?

Sourdough bread is NOT gluten-free, as it contains flour, but its long fermentation helps break down this gluten. It’s easier on the gut because it’s more digestible and easier for the body to absorb.

How do I get a super crusty crust on my sourdough?

Bake with steam during the first 20 minutes—use a Dutch oven or place a tray of water in the oven. Also, bake at a high temperature (around 450°F/230°C) and let the bread cool fully on a wire rack to keep the crust crisp.

Do I need to score the bread before baking it?

Scoring allows the bread to expand in a controlled way and helps create a beautiful crust pattern. Use a sharp razor or lame right before baking.

Why did my sourdough deflate in the oven?

If your sourdough bread collapsed in the oven, it’s likely a combination of over-proofing, weak structure, or shaping issues.

If you feed your sourdough often, save the discard and make our Sourdough Discard Crackers! You’ll

Don’t toss your sourdough discard—it’s packed with flavor and can add a tangy depth to so many recipes. Use it in our Sourdough Discard Crackers, pancakes, muffins, pizza, and more! Not only does it cut down on waste, but it also makes everyday favorites even more delicious.

Other Delicious Sourdough Recipes:

Kitchen Tools Used: (affiliate links)

xoxo ~Sue

Crusty Sourdough Bread

Crusty Sourdough Bread boasts a golden, crackling exterior that gives way to a chewy, tangy interior. Naturally leavened and slow-fermented, it delivers a rustic appearance and hearty bite perfect for any table.

Course Bread

Cuisine American

Keyword crusty sourdough bread, homemade sourdough bread

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 50

Rise/Fermentation Time 1 12

Total Time 1 13 10

Servings slices

Calories 187kcal

Author Sue Ringsdorf

Ingredients

75 grams active sourdough starter
375 grams warm filtered water
480 grams unbleached bread flour
20 grams unbleached whole wheat flour
10 grams fine sea salt

Instructions

Carefully measure. Use a kitchen scale to measure the water and sourdough starter and add to a large bowl. Stir well with a fork. Then add the bread flour, whole wheat flour, and sea salt – and stir again.
75 grams active sourdough starter, 375 grams warm filtered water, 480 grams unbleached bread flour, 20 grams unbleached whole wheat flour, 10 grams fine sea salt
Mix ingredients. Then use your hands to bring the ingredients together. It will look shaggy. Cover with a damp towel and let it sit for 45 minutes. (Be sure to set a timer.) This is the AUTOLYSE.
Do stretch and folds. Then start the stretch and folds. Use your hand and lift the dough up on one side, stretching it upward, and then punch into the center of the dough. Turn the dough and repeat. Continue this process for about 30 seconds. This is the STRETCH AND FOLDS.
ADDITIONAL STRETCH AND FOLDS: I recommend doing additional sets of stretch and folds if time permits. Do these every 30 minutes for 3-4 more times to further the gluten development. A bench scraper is an excellent tool to assist with the stretch and folds.
Let rise. Let the dough rise for 8-10 hours, or overnight. It should almost double in size and appear soft on top. Small air bubbles may appear as well. This is the BULK RISE (or bulk fermentation).
Note: I recommend placing a damp towel or some plastic wrap on the dough for the overnight rise. You might also add a bit of oil to the top to keep a crust from forming on the dough overnight.
Do cold fermentation. Add the bowl of dough to the refrigerator for 12-24 hours (keeping the towel or cling wrap on top). After the cold fermentation, set the dough out on the counter for 30 minutes before shaping.
Form loaf. Add a light dusting of flour to a baking mat or clean surface. Remove the dough to the mat and gently form into your desired shape, usually round or oblong. Don’t punch the dough down because you don’t want to remove all the air. Let dough sit for five minutes.
Tighten loaf. After five minutes, use your hands to pull the dough toward you, dragging it along the mat to tighten it up. Repeat in the other directions to tighten. (Make sure you don’t have too much flour on the surface when tightening the dough, so there is some needed friction necessary to tighten it.)
Let rise again. Place the dough, seam side up, in a bowl lined with a towel or a prepared proofing basket (pictured below). Cover with a damp towel and let it sit for about two hours. For this bread, it does not need to double again in size. This is the SECOND RISE (or final rise).
NOTE: For both the bowl or banneton basket, you’ll need to prepare them. For a bowl, add a thin tea towel dusted with rice flour (or regular flour will work in a pinch). For the basket, add some rice flour as well. The rice flour will help prevent sticking while regular flour may not do this as well.
Prepare for baking. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Carefully remove the loaf to a piece of parchment paper, smooth side up. Then take a serrated edge knife or a bread lame (linked below), and score the top of the dough a couple of times. Place the bread (including parchment paper) into a Dutch oven.
NOTE: Some people swear by heating the pot before adding the sourdough bread to it. To do this, add the pot to the oven (with lid) while it preheats. Let it heat for an additional 30 minutes and then carefully add the bread dough.
Bake. Add the lid to the pan and bake for 20 minutes. Then remove the lid and bake an additional 30 minutes, or until bread is nice and golden on top and bottom and cooked through.
Cool. Remove pan and then use parchment paper as handles to lift the bread out of the pan. Place on a cooling rack. Let the delicous loaf COMPLETELY COOL before slicing.

Notes

Adding a cold fermentation to this process, we’re adding a tangy flavor to the sourdough bread. So good!
Store leftover bread for a day or two on the countertop.
Freeze sourdough bread in a freezer bag. We like to wrap individual slices in cling wrap and then place in a freezer bag.
This bread makes the ultimate avocado toast, breakfast sandwich, or grilled cheese!

Nutrition

Sourdough Naan Bread Recipe

Suebee Homemaker — Mon, 13 May 2024 11:00:00 +0000

This Sourdough Naan Bread Recipe is a tangy twist on the traditional Indian flatbread, leavened with a sourdough starter for a distinctive flavor profile. Its chewy texture and slightly acidic taste make it a delicious accompaniment to savory dishes or a delicious base for creative toppings.

Sourdough Naan

As y’all know, bread is my love language and I keep a very large stock in my freezer at all times (unless my boys steal it, which is ok). Recently, I’ve fallen in love with sourdough baking and I’m constantly working on something new. If you are a sourdough beginner, please join me on my mission to share the most delicious sourdough recipes.

Next up – this delicious sourdough naan bread!

If you aren’t into sourdough baking, you can use yeast to make our Cast Iron Naan. Either way, you should be enjoying naan bread soon! Just do it.

Why This Recipe Works:

SIMPLE. This sourdough version of naan bread has only eight simple ingredients! Perfect for home cooks like me (and you)!
GUT HEALTHY. Sourdough is a gut healthy bread. Sourdough bread is NOT gluten-free, as it contains flour, but its long fermentation helps break down this gluten. It’s easier on the gut because it’s more digestible and easier for the body to absorb.
TOASTY AND DELICIOUS – We love making naan bread in a cast iron skillet because it gets browned (which we love). This bread is soft, pillowy, with a perfect sour flavor too! I recommend making a double batch and freeze some for later.

Ingredients Used for Homemade Sourdough Naan:

Bubbly Starter – The starter is THE most important part of sourdough bread making. It takes a little time, but you will be rewarded over and over again with an active bubbly starter.
Filtered Water – Use filtered water, either out of your refrigerator filter system or use bottled water. The water should either be at room temperature or slightly warmed before adding it to the sourdough process.
Olive Oil – I recommend using extra-virgin olive oil.
Greek Yogurt – We use 2% plain yogurt.
Flour – For this recipe, use a combo of unbleached all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour.
Granulated Sugar – Just one tablespoon needed.
Sea Salt – I recommend using fine sea salt.

Make your own sourdough starter at home with just a few simple ingredients using Sourdough Starter Basics. In just over a week’s time and a little bit of patience, you’ll be ready to use your active starter to make the best sourdough bread!

How to make this Sourdough Naan Recipe:

NOTE: You need to make sure you have an active sourdough starter to use for this naan. It should have been fed and then risen until bubbly.

Step 1
Mix the sourdough starter and water. Use a kitchen scale to measure the water and sourdough starter and add to a large bowl. Stir well with a fork.

Step 2
Add remaining wet ingredients. Then add the remaining wet ingredients – olive oil and Greek yogurt – and mix again.

Step 3
Add the dry ingredients. Add the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, granulated sugar, and sea salt. Mix well with a fork and then use your hands to squeeze the ingredients together. The mixture will be shaggy (see below).

Cover with a damp towel and let the shaggy sit for 45 minutes. (Be sure to set a timer.) This is the AUTOLYSE.

Step 4
Start stretch and folds. After 45 minutes, start the STRETCH AND FOLDS. Use your hand and lift the dough up on one side, stretching it upward, and then punch into the center of the dough. Turn the dough and repeat. Continue this process for about 30 seconds.

Step 5
Let the sourdough naan dough rise for 6-8 hours, or overnight. It should almost double in size and appear soft on top. Small air bubbles may appear as well. This is the BULK RISE (or bulk fermentation).

Note: I recommend placing a damp towel or some plastic wrap on the dough for the overnight rise. You might also add a bit of oil to the top to keep a crust from forming on the dough overnight.

**If you have time, I recommend placing the sourdough in the refrigerator for 24 hours. This will develop a more sour flavor which we enjoy. You’ll want to place the bowl of dough on your countertop for a couple of hours before forming naan bread.

Step 6
Form the naan bread. Add a light dusting of flour to a baking mat or clean surface. Remove the bread dough to the mat and divide the dough into about 10 equal pieces. Then use your hands to form balls of dough and try to coax each ball to have smooth top, using your hands to rotate the shapes on a clean surface.

Place a towel on the dough balls and let rest for 20 minutes.

Step 7
Roll out the dough. Use a lightly floured surface and a rolling pin to roll out each dough ball into a round or oval shape.

Step 8
Grill bread. Preheat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. As each shape is formed, place in the hot skillet cooking for a couple of minutes on one side. Then flip to cook on the other side. Cooking time will vary.

Step 9
Cool. Transfer each naan bread to a clean towel. Brush both sides with melted butter.

How to serve Sourdough Naan Bread:

We love pairing sourdough naan with so many recipes. Try it with one of the following recipes.

Other Favorite Sourdough Recipes:

Recipe FAQs:

What is sourdough?

Sourdough is a slow-fermented bread that doesn’t require store-bought yeast to make it rise. It’s a LIVE fermented culture which creates a natural leavening agent. A starter is required to make sourdough.

What is a starter?

A starter is a live culture made over a series of days, consisting of flour and water. It can be kept alive for years with periodic feeding.

How do you make a starter at home?

A starter can be created in less than a week with a simple combo of unbleached flour and filtered water. It’s a process of removing half of the starter and then “feeding” it every day, storing in a jar on your countertop, and getting it to a bubbly, sour point where it floats in water.

How does the sourdough need to ferment?

Fermentation time can vary depending on factors like room temperature and the activity of your sourdough starter. Generally, allow the dough to ferment for 4-6 hours, or until it doubles in size. However, we love letting it ferment for even longer for a more sour flavor.

How can I get that bubbly texture on the naan?

Make sure your cooking surface is very hot before placing the naan on it. The rapid cooking will create steam pockets in the dough, resulting in the desired bubbles.

Can I use add-ins to naan bread for additional flavor or texture?

You can add herbs like cilantro, basil, or garlic to the dough for extra flavor. Toppings like sesame seeds or cheese can be added before cooking for a unique twist.

Kitchen Tools Used: (affiliate links)

xoxo ~Sue

Sourdough Naan Bread Recipe

This Sourdough Naan Bread Recipe is a tangy twist on the traditional Indian flatbread, leavened with a sourdough starter for a distinctive flavor profile. Its chewy texture and slightly acidic taste make it a delicious accompaniment to savory dishes or a delicious base for creative toppings.

Course Bread

Cuisine American

Keyword homemade sourdough bread, sourdough naan bread

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 30

Fermentation Time 12

Total Time 12 50

Servings servings

Calories 225kcal

Author Sue Ringsdorf

Ingredients

150 grams sourdough starter (3/4 cup)
235 grams filtered water (1 cup)
52 grams olive oil (1/4 cup)
120 grams plain Greek yogurt (1/2 cup)
13 grams granulated sugar (1 Tablespoon)
33 grams whole wheat flour (1/4 cup)
390 grams all-purpose flour (3 1/4 cups)
12 grams sea salt (2 teaspoons)

Instructions

You need to make sure you have an active sourdough starter to use for this naan. It should have been fed and then risen until bubbly.

Mix the sourdough starter and water. Use a kitchen scale to measure the water and bubbly (active) sourdough starter and add to a large bowl. Stir well with a fork.
150 grams sourdough starter (3/4 cup), 235 grams filtered water (1 cup)
Add remaining wet ingredients. Then add the remaining wet ingredients – olive oil and Greek yogurt – and mix again.
52 grams olive oil (1/4 cup), 120 grams plain Greek yogurt (1/2 cup)
Add the dry ingredients. Add the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, granulated sugar, and sea salt. Mix well with a fork and then use your hands to squeeze the ingredients together. The mixture will be shaggy.
Cover with a damp towel and let the shaggy sit for 45 minutes. (Be sure to set a timer.) This is the AUTOLYSE.
390 grams all-purpose flour (3 1/4 cups), 33 grams whole wheat flour (1/4 cup), 13 grams granulated sugar (1 Tablespoon), 12 grams sea salt (2 teaspoons)
Start stretch and folds. After 45 minutes, start the STRETCH AND FOLDS. Use your hand and lift the dough up on one side, stretching it upward, and then punch into the center of the dough. Turn the dough and repeat. Continue this process for about 30 seconds.
ADDITIONAL STRETCH AND FOLDS: I recommend doing additional sets of stretch and folds if time permits. Do these every 30 minutes for 3-4 more times to further the gluten development. A bench scraper is an excellent tool to assist with the stretch and folds.
Let the sourdough naan dough rise for 6-8 hours, or overnight. It should almost double in size and appear soft on top. Small air bubbles may appear as well. This is the BULK RISE (or bulk fermentation).
**If you have time, I recommend placing the sourdough in the refrigerator for 24 hours. This will develop a more sour flavor which we enjoy. You'll want to place the bowl of dough on your countertop for a couple of hours before forming naan bread.
Add a bit of olive oil to the top of the dough and then add cling wrap to the top of the bowl.
Form the naan bread. Add a light dusting of flour to a baking mat or clean surface. Remove the bread dough to the mat and divide the dough into about 10 equal pieces. Then use your hands to form balls of dough and try to coax each ball to have smooth top, using your hands to rotate the shapes on a clean surface.
Place a towel on the dough balls and let rest for 20 minutes.
Roll out the dough. Use a lightly floured surface and a rolling pin to roll out each dough ball into a round or oval shape.
Grill bread. Preheat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. As each shape is formed, place in the hot skillet cooking for a couple of minutes on one side. Then flip to cook on the other side. Cooking time will vary.
Cool. Transfer each naan bread to a clean towel. Brush both sides with melted butter.

Notes

Store leftover sourdough naan bread in a plastic bag on your countertop for a day or two.
Freeze naan in a freezer bag (separated by parchment paper) in your freezer for up to three months.
Make sure your cooking surface is very hot before placing the naan on it to cook. The rapid cooking will create steam pockets in the dough, resulting in the desired bubbles.

Nutrition

Best Sourdough Bread Recipes

Suebee Homemaker — Tue, 30 Apr 2024 11:00:00 +0000

This roundup of the Best Sourdough Bread Recipes features a delicious variety of loaves, from a classic crusty sourdough bread to creative twists like cranberry, jalapeño cheddar, and cinnamon raisin. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned baker, these recipes offer step-by-step photos and directions to help you master the art of sourdough!

Sourdough Bread

Is there anything better than homemade sourdough bread? I think not!

If made correctly, typical sourdough bread has a complex, tangy flavor profile – aka “sour”. Its depth of flavor comes from natural fermentation, which develops over time and varies based on the starter, flour and other ingredients, and the fermentation process used.

If you’ve been following along with me for a while, you may remember that I began my sourdough journey during the 2020 pandemic – when the rest of the world was hunkered down at home doing the same. After I got comfortable with the process, I started creating recipes and sharing with the world – YOU!

Making sourdough is truly a labor of love. You feed your starter every day just like a human being – LOL – (if you’re planning to bake with it soon) and then you’ll be blessed with beautiful loaves of bread. It really is the best tasting bread you’ll ever eat, and it’s super rewarding too.

Don’t have a starter? Read our Sourdough Starter Basics and then let’s get busy making bread!

Our Favorite Sourdough Recipes

The following recipes include our favorite sourdough bread recipes.

Because I’m a spicy gal, our Jalapeño Cheddar Sourdough Bread is probably my favorite one. I toast it, add a slathering of butter, and then top it with slices of cheddar cheese. I know – MORE cheese please!

My hubby prefers our Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough Bread because he favors anything sweet! It makes great French toast too!

Try some of the following and let me know which you like best!

Cranberry Walnut Sourdough Bread Recipe

Cranberry Walnut Sourdough Bread is a chewy bread filled with cranberries and walnuts. This sourdough makes a delicious toast with butter and jam and the perfect peanut butter and jelly sandwich!

Check out this recipe

Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough Bread

Adding cinnamon and raisins to sourdough bread takes your everyday loaf up a notch. Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough Bread makes the best toast, especially when you add a pat of butter or a slathering of jam!

Check out this recipe

Jalapeno Cheddar Sourdough Bread Recipe

Follow my easy instructions to make the best Jalapeño Cheddar Sourdough Bread! Packed with cheddar cheese and spicy pickled jalapeños, this bread makes delicious toast, grilled cheese and paninis, and an accompaniment to soups and pasta!

Check out this recipe

Garlic Sourdough Bread

Garlic Sourdough Bread combines roasted garlic and freshly shredded parmesan with a delicious sourdough base. This savory bread also includes dried rosemary which packs an extra punch of flavor. Use this delicious bread to make avocado toast and the tastiest paninis!

Check out this recipe

Crusty Sourdough Bread

Check out this recipe

Sourdough Naan Bread Recipe

Check out this recipe

Whole Wheat Sourdough Sandwich Bread

Now that we are all baking with sourdough, let's make some Whole Wheat Sourdough Sandwich Bread, shall we? This bread adds some complex flavors, incorporating whole wheat flour and honey into an amazing, light-tasting bread! Perfect for sandwiches or avocado toast!

Check out this recipe

Chocolate Sourdough Bread

Chocolate Sourdough Bread starts with a sourdough base and incorporates dark chocolate chips. This decadent bread makes excellent toast with various added toppings including butter, peanut butter, or a cinnamon sugar combo!

Check out this recipe

Sourdough Focaccia

This Sourdough Focaccia is a delicious Italian bread, combining a chewy sourdough with pesto sauce and shredded parmesan cheese. Add this bread to any Italian meal or eat it plain with a crisp glass of wine!

Check out this recipe

Sourdough Bagels

Use your sourdough starter to make the best Sourdough Bagels. These are soft on the inside and chewy on the outside, and are perfect for a bagel sammie of any kind!

Check out this recipe

Multigrain Sourdough Bread

Make some Multigrain Sourdough Bread at home and enjoy slices of soft and gut-healthy bread. This delicious sourdough is easy to make with just seven ingredients and you can adjust the baking time to work with your schedule!

Check out this recipe

Sourdough Sandwich Bread

Sourdough Sandwich Bread uses a bubbly sourdough starter to create the best everyday sandwich bread. After reading my sourdough baking tips, you'll soon be on your way to amazing avocado toast, sandwiches, paninis, or just plain bread with butter!

Check out this recipe

Cranberry Walnut Sourdough Bread

Suebee Homemaker — Thu, 31 Aug 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Cranberry Walnut Sourdough Bread is a chewy bread filled with cranberries and walnuts. This sourdough makes a delicious toast with butter and jam and the perfect peanut butter and jelly sandwich!

Cranberry Sourdough

Are you a raisin-in-your-bread type of person? If so, you’re going to love THIS one in addition to my Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough Bread.

When adding raisins and nuts to sourdough, remember to soak the add-ins before incorporating them. That way they’ll stay soft and fresh when biting into the bread!

Making sourdough requires a little bit of planning but it’s flexible at the same time. If you are going during the day, you can plan around it by making it over the weekend until you get used to what it takes.

The most important thing to remember is that you can ALWAYS place the bulk rise in the refrigerator for a day or two and then readjust your baking schedule. In addition, I always recommend making two loaves at a time because it freezes so wonderfully. Happy baking!

Why we LOVE this sourdough recipe:

SWEET AND SAVORY – We love the combo of sweet cranberries and the nutty flavor of walnuts in a loaf of bread.
FREEZES WELL – I always have several loaves of bread in the freezer because I love sharing it with friends and family. A crusty artisan loaf of sourdough bread makes the best gift!
MAKES DELICIOUS TOAST – Cranberry walnut bread makes the best toast.

Ingredients Used for Cranberry Walnut Bread:

Only four base ingredients plus three bonus ingredients (Craisins, walnuts, and cinnamon!) are required for this delicious bread! I use two different types of flour, however, but they’re always stocked in my pantry.

Bubbly Starter – The starter is THE most important part of sourdough bread making. It takes a little time, but you will be rewarded over and over again with an active bubbly starter.
Filtered Water – Use filtered water, either out of your refrigerator filter system or use bottled water. The water should either be at room temperature or slightly warmed before adding it to the sourdough process.
Flour – For this recipe, use a combo of unbleached bread flour and whole wheat flour.
Sea Salt – I recommend using fine sea salt.
Craisins (or dried cranberries) – The key ingredient and adds incredible flavor. I always use the lower-sugar version.
Walnuts – I used some chopped earthy walnuts for this bread.
Cinnamon – This ingredient is often used in my kitchen for SO many of my recipes.

How to make Cranberry Walnut Sourdough Bread:

Step 1
Carefully measure. Use a kitchen scale to measure the water and sourdough starter and add to a large bowl. Stir well with a fork. Add the remaining ingredients (in the order listed) and stir again.

Step 2
Then use your hands to bring the ingredients together. It will look shaggy. Cover with a damp towel and let it sit for 45 minutes. (Be sure to set a timer.) This is the AUTOLYSE.

Step 3
Meanwhile, soak the Craisins and walnuts in some warm water. Let it soak during the autolyse and then drain well.

Step 4
After 45 minutes, add the Craisins, walnuts, and cinnamon. Then start the stretch and folds. Use your hand and lift the dough up on one side, stretching it upward, and then punch into the center of the dough. Turn the dough and repeat. Continue this process for about 30 seconds. This is the STRETCH AND FOLDS.

You’ll want to try to get most of the add-ins to the center of the dough during this process. Form the dough into a smooth’ish ball, and place towel back in the bowl.

Step 5
Let the dough rise for 6-8 hours, or overnight. It should almost double in size and appear soft on top. Small air bubbles may appear as well. This is the BULK RISE (or bulk fermentation).

Note: I recommend placing a damp towel or some plastic wrap on the dough for the overnight rise. You might also add a bit of oil to the top to keep a crust from forming on the dough overnight.

Step 6
Add a light dusting of flour to a baking mat or clean surface. Remove the dough to the mat and gently form into your desired shape, usually round or oblong. Don’t punch the dough down because you don’t want to remove all the air. Let dough sit for five minutes.

Step 7
After five minutes, use your hands to pull the dough toward you, dragging it along the mat to tighten it up. Repeat in the other directions to tighten. (Make sure you don’t have too much flour on the surface when tightening the dough, so there is some needed friction necessary to tighten it.)

Step 8
Place the dough, seam side up, in a bowl lined with a towel or a prepared proofing basket (pictured below). Cover with a damp towel and let it sit for about 2-4 hours. For this bread, it does not need to double again in size. This is the SECOND RISE (or final rise).

Step 10
Bake. Add the lid to the pan and bake for 20 minutes. Then remove the lid and bake an additional 30-35 minutes, or until bread is nice and golden on top and bottom.

Step 11
Cool. Remove pan and then use parchment paper as handles to lift the bread out of the pan. Place on a cooling rack. Let the delicous loaf COMPLETELY COOL before slicing.

How we enjoy our sourdough bread:

There are so many tasty ways to enjoy a thick slice of cranberry walnut sourdough. In fact, we normally eat it for dinner at least once a week! It’s simple and makes dinnertime a breeze.

Add butter and jam or any flavor of cream cheese.
Top with peanut butter and bananas.
Make a grilled peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Other Delicious Sourdough Recipes:

Our sourdough options keep getting better, right? Next, try one of the following:

Sourdough FAQs:

What is sourdough?

How do you make a sourdough starter?

Is sourdough bread gluten-free?

Kitchen Tools Used: (affiliate links)

xoxo ~Sue

Cranberry Walnut Sourdough Bread Recipe

Course Bread

Cuisine American

Keyword cranberry walnut sourdough bread, sourdough starter

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 50

Fermentation 10

Total Time 11 20

Servings slices

Calories 224kcal

Author Sue Ringsdorf

Ingredients

75 grams bubbly sourdough starter
350 grams filtered water – slightly warmed
250 grams bread flour
250 grams all-purpose flour
10 grams fine sea salt
100 grams lower-sugar Craisins
75 grams walnuts – chopped
1 teaspoon cinnamon
warm water – to coat fillings

Instructions

Carefully measure out the water and sourdough starter in a mixing bowl, and stir well with a fork. Add the bread flour, all-purpose flour, and fine sea salt – and stir again.
75 grams bubbly sourdough starter, 350 grams filtered water, 250 grams bread flour, 250 grams all-purpose flour, 10 grams fine sea salt
Then use your hands to bring the ingredients together. It will look shaggy. Cover with a damp towel and let it sit for 45 minutes. (Be sure to set a timer.) This is the AUTOLYSE.
Meanwhile, soak the Craisins and walnuts in some warm water. Let it soak during the autolyse and then drain well.
After 45 minutes, add the Craisins, walnuts, and cinnamon. Then start the stretch and folds. Use your hand and lift the dough up on one side, stretching it upward, and then punch into the center of the dough. Turn the dough and repeat. Continue this process for about 30 seconds. This is the STRETCH AND FOLDS.
100 grams lower-sugar Craisins, 75 grams walnuts, 1 teaspoon cinnamon
You’ll want to try to get most of the add-ins to the center of the dough during this process. Form the dough into a smooth’ish ball, and place towel back in the bowl.
ADDITIONAL STRETCH AND FOLDS: I recommend doing additional stretch and folds if time permits. Do these every 30 minutes for 3-4 more times to further develop the gluten structure.
Let the dough rise for 6-8 hours, or overnight. It should almost double in size and appear soft on top. Small air bubbles may appear as well. This is the BULK RISE.
Note: I recommend placing a damp towel on the dough for the overnight rise. You might also add a bit of oil to the top to keep a crust from forming on the dough overnight.
Add a light dusting of flour to a baking mat or clean surface. Remove the dough to the mat and gently form into your desired shape, usually round or oblong. Don’t punch the dough down because you don’t want to remove all the air. Let dough sit for five minutes.
After five minutes, use your hands to pull the dough toward you, dragging it along the mat to tighten it up. Repeat in the other directions to tighten. (Make sure you don’t have too much flour on the surface when tightening the dough, so there is some needed friction necessary to tighten it.)
Place the dough, seam side up, in a bowl lined with a towel or a prepared banneton basket (pictured below). Cover with a damp towel and let it sit for about 2-4 hours. For this bread, it does not need to double again in size. This is the SECOND RISE.
NOTE: For both the bowl or banneton basket, you’ll need to prepare them. For a bowl, add a thin tea towel dusted with rice flour (or regular flour will work in a pinch). For the basket, add some rice flour as well. The rice flour will help prevent sticking while regular flour may not do this as well.
Prepare for baking. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Carefully remove the loaf to a piece of parchment paper, smooth side up. Then take a serrated edge knife or a bread lame (linked below), and score the bread a couple of times. Place the bread (including parchment paper) into a dutch oven.
Bake. Add the lid to the pan and bake for 20 minutes. Then remove the lid and bake an additional 30-35 minutes, or until bread is nice and golden on top and bottom.
Cool. Remove pan and then use parchment paper as handles to lift the bread out of the pan. Place on a cooling rack. Let the bread COMPLETELY COOL before slicing.

Notes

Nutrition

Homemade Sourdough Croutons

Suebee Homemaker — Wed, 08 Mar 2023 12:00:00 +0000

Homemade Sourdough Croutons combine crusty, sourdough bread with extra-virgin olive oil and plenty of seasonings. These toasty, salty croutons are the best thing since sliced bread!

Try my How to make Crispy Chickpeas next!

Homemade Crunchy Croutons

If you’ve been following along for awhile now, you’ll know that I love 1) salads of all kinds and 2) sourdough bread. Combining the two of these is pure heaven.

Making homemade croutons is NOT DIFFICULT. I promise that after this quick tutorial, you’ll be using your leftover sourdough bread (or regular bread too) to make the best croutons in no time.

Why This Recipe Works:

SIMPLE INGREDIENTS – These are quick and use just seven ingredients (and five of them are seasonings)!
ECONOMICAL – The best way to use up leftover bread and reduce food waste.
FRESH – Croutons from a box are just ok. Fresh croutons are EXCELLENT and these are a great way to impress your friends!
TASTY – There are many adjectives to describe these little bites of heaven – crunchy, salty, a little bit spicy, buttery, and JUST delicious! This recipe is a delicious way to bring new life to your sourdough recipes.

What You’ll Need:

With just a few basic ingredients, you can make your own homemade sourdough croutons.

Sourdough Bread – Use any stale sourdough bread – that old bread that’s been sitting on your countertop for too long. But guess what? You can use fresh bread too. Both work really well in this recipe.
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil – Use the good stuff.
Seasonings – A combo of garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper.

How to Make Sourdough Croutons:

Step 1
Prep. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add some parchment paper to a sheet pan.

Step 2
Prep bread. Use a serrated knife to slice sourdough bread into small 1/2 inch cubes.

Step 3
Combine oil and seasonings. Add the seasonings to the olive oil and use a fork to whisk well.

Step 4
Add oil to bread. Drizzle the oil and seasonings over the sourdough bread cubes and use a large spoon or your hands (even better) to massage it into the bread, coating well.

Step 5
Add to pan. Pour the bread on the prepared baking sheet and spread evenly in a single layer to all sides of the pan.

Step 6
Bake. Bake the bread for about 15-20 minutes, or until toasty and golden brown. Shake pan about midway through the baking process.

Step 7
Serve. Add the croutons to creamy soups or your favorite salads!

STORE leftover croutons in an airtight container or a ziplock bag. These stay fresh for a day or two.

Recipe Variations for this Sourdough Crouton Recipe:

Add some parmesan cheese to the croutons after they come out of the oven. So good!
Use different spices like Italian Seasoning in place of one or two of the listed seasonings.
Turn these croutons into bread crumbs by using a rolling pin and grinding up the baked croutons into crumbs.

Sourdough Bread to use for Croutons:

If you are into making homemade sourdough bread, I’ve got several for you to try from. Note that this recipe works with store-bought bread as well but the type of bread matters. Always purchase a loaf of bread that has a crusty exterior – not sandwich bread.

What to Serve Sourdough Croutons with:

Enjoy your favorite salad recipes or your favorite soups with these flavorful croutons.

Recipe FAQs:

Do I have to use sourdough bread?

Absolutely not! Use any leftover, crusty bread that’s either stale or fresh. You could even use a whole wheat bread.

How long can I store homemade croutons?

Leftover croutons are best eaten fresh, but they will store fine on your countertop for several days. You can also “refresh” them by toasting them in the oven for a few minutes. I don’t recommend refrigerating or freezing because they will get soggy.

How can I use these croutons?

We love these homemade croutons on any salad or creamy soup. They are also pretty tasty as a snack.

Kitchen Tools Used: (affiliate links)

Baking Sheets – My favorite baking sheets – made in the USA.
Mixing Bowls

xoxo ~Sue

Homemade Sourdough Croutons

Homemade Sourdough Croutons combine crusty, sourdough bread with extra-virgin olive oil and plenty of seasonings. These toasty, salty croutons are the best thing since sliced bread!

Course Bread, Salad

Cuisine American

Keyword homemade sourdough croutons

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings servings

Calories 138kcal

Author Sue Ringsdorf

Ingredients

8 ounces sourdough bread – or about 4 cups, cubed
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper – to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add some parchment paper to a sheet pan.
Prep bread. Use a serrated knife to slice sourdough bread into small 1/2 inch cubes.
8 ounces sourdough bread
Combine oil and seasonings. Add the seasonings to the olive oil and use a fork to whisk well.
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Add oil to bread. Drizzle the oil and seasonings over the sourdough bread cubes and use a large spoon or your hands (even better) to massage it into the bread, coating well.
Add to pan. Pour the bread on the prepared baking sheet and spread evenly in a single layer to all sides of the pan.
Bake. Bake the bread for about 15-20 minutes, or until toasty and golden brown. Shake pan about midway through the baking process.
Serve. Add the croutons to creamy soups or your favorite salads!

Notes

STORE leftover croutons in an airtight container or a ziplock bag. These stay fresh for a day or two.

If you are into making homemade sourdough bread, I’ve got several for you to try from. Note that this recipe works with store-bought croutons as well but the kind of bread matters. Always purchase a loaf of bread that has a crusty exterior – not sandwich bread..

Nutrition

Chocolate Sourdough Bread

Suebee Homemaker — Fri, 07 Oct 2022 11:00:00 +0000

Chocolate Sourdough Bread starts with a sourdough base and incorporates dark chocolate chips. This decadent bread makes excellent toast with various added toppings including butter, peanut butter, or a cinnamon sugar combo!

Chocolate Sourdough

If you’re a dough girl like me and also love chocolate, then this recipe is for you. We enjoy this toasted with butter and peanut butter or just plain. The flavor is just out of this world!

The opportunities are endless with a sourdough starter. Try our Jalapeño Cheddar Sourdough Bread, Garlic Sourdough Bread, and Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough Bread next!

Why This Recipe Works:

It’s simple. This recipe has only four base ingredients plus the chocolate chips!
Gut healthy. Sourdough is a gut healthy bread. Sourdough bread is NOT gluten-free, as it contains flour, but its long fermentation helps break down this gluten. It’s easier on the gut because it’s more digestible and easier for the body to absorb.
Higher Hydration. This recipe is 75% hydration which means it’s a softer and has a more open crumb. You’ll see more “holes” in this bread due to a higher water to flour ratio.
Delicious! We love the decadence of this sourdough and you will too!

Ingredients Used:

Only four base ingredients plus the dark chocolate chips are required for this delicious bread! I uses just one type of flour for this recipe as well.

Bubbly Starter – The starter is THE most important part of sourdough bread making. It takes a little time, but you will be rewarded over and over again.
Filtered Water – Use a filtered water, either out of your refrigerator filter system or use bottled water. The water should either be room temperature or slightly warmed before adding it to the sourdough process.
Flour – I used unbleached bread flour for this recipe.
Sea Salt – I recommend using fine sea salt.
Chocolate – I used dark chocolate chips, but any kind of chips will work.

How to make Chocolate Sourdough Bread:

Step 1
Carefully measure out the water and sourdough starter in a mixing bowl, and stir well with a fork. Add the flour and sea salt, and stir again.

Step 2
Then use your hands to bring the ingredients together. It will look shaggy. Cover with a damp towel and let it sit for 45 minutes. (Be sure to set a timer.) This is the AUTOLYSE.

Step 3
After 45 minutes, add the chocolate chips. Then start the stretch and folds. Use your hand and lift the dough up on one side, stretching it upward, and then punch into the center of the dough. Turn the dough and repeat. Continue this process for about 30 seconds. This is the STRETCH AND FOLDS.

You’ll want to try to get most of the chocolate chips in the center of the dough during this process. Form the dough into a smooth’ish ball, and place towel back in the bowl.

ADDITIONAL STRETCH AND FOLDS: I recommend doing additional stretch and folds if time permits. Do these every 30 minutes for 3-4 more times to further develop the gluten structure.

Step 4
Let the dough rise for 6-8 hours, or overnight. It should almost double in size and appear soft on top. Small air bubbles may appear as well. This is the BULK RISE.

Note: I recommend placing a damp towel on the dough for the overnight rise. You might also add a bit of oil to the top to keep a crust from forming on the dough overnight.

Step 5
Add a light dusting of flour to a baking mat or clean surface. Remove the dough to the mat and gently form into your desired shape, usually round or oblong. Don’t punch the dough down because you don’t want to remove all the air. Let dough sit for five minutes.

After five minutes, use your hands to pull the dough toward you, dragging it along the mat to tighten it up. Repeat in the other directions to tighten. (Make sure you don’t have too much flour on the surface when tightening the dough, so there is some needed friction necessary to tighten it.)

Step 6
Place the dough, seem side up, in a bowl lined with a towel or a prepared banneton basket (pictured below). Cover with a damp towel and let it sit for about an hour or two. For this bread, it does not need to double again in size. This is the SECOND RISE.

Step 7
Prepare for baking. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Carefully remove the loaf to a piece of parchment paper, smooth side up. Then take a serrated edge knife or a bread lame (linked below), and score the bread a couple of times. Place the bread (including parchment paper) into a dutch oven.

Step 8
Bake. Add the lid to the pan and bake for 20 minutes. Then remove the lid and bake an additional 30-35 minutes, or until bread is nice and golden on top and bottom.

Step 9
Cool. Remove pan and then use parchment paper as handles to lift the bread out of the pan. Place on a cooling rack. Let the bread COMPLETELY COOL before slicing.

See my post on how to store sourdough bread for maximum freshness! Let’s not let our hard work go to waste and savor every single morsel of sourdough.

Sourdough 101 FAQs:

What is sourdough? Sourdough is a slow-fermented bread that doesn’t require store-bought yeast to make it rise. It’s a LIVE fermented culture which creates a natural leavening agent. A starter is required to make sourdough.
What is a starter? A starter is a live culture made over a series of days, consisting of flour and water. It can be kept alive for years with periodic feeding.
How do you make a starter? A starter can be created in less than a week with a simple combo of unbleached flour and filtered water. It’s a process of removing half of the starter and then “feeding” it every day, storing in a jar on your countertop, and getting it to a bubbly, sour point where it floats in water. More on this later.
Is sourdough bread healthy? Sourdough bread is NOT gluten-free, as it contains flour, but its long fermentation helps break down this gluten. It’s easier on the gut because it’s more digestible and easier for the body to absorb. It’s also DELISH!

How we enjoy our chocolate sourdough:

Toast it and add a slathering of butter and/or peanut butter (pictured below).
Make a panini with peanut butter and banana slices.
Use it as a base for French Toast.
Toast it and add butter, cinnamon and sugar.

Other Delicious Sourdough Recipes:

Kitchen Tools Used: (affiliate links)

xoxo ~Sue

Chocolate Sourdough Bread

Course Bread

Cuisine American

Keyword chocolate sourdough bread

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 50

Rise/Ferment Time 8

Total Time 9 20

Servings slices

Calories 237kcal

Author Sue Ringsdorf

Ingredients

75 grams bubbly, active sourdough starter
375 grams warm filtered water
500 grams bread flour
10 grams fine sea salt
160 grams dark chocolate chips

Instructions

** READ the entire blog post with photos before making this recipe!
Carefully measure out the water and sourdough starter in a mixing bowl, and stir well with a fork. Add the flour and sea salt, and stir again.
75 grams bubbly, active sourdough starter, 375 grams warm filtered water, 500 grams bread flour, 10 grams fine sea salt
Then use your hands to bring the ingredients together. It will look shaggy. Cover with a damp towel and let it sit for 45 minutes. (Be sure to set a timer.) This is the AUTOLYSE.
After 45 minutes, add the chocolate chips. Then start the stretch and folds. Use your hand and lift the dough up on one side, stretching it upward, and then punch into the center of the dough. Turn the dough and repeat. Continue this process for about 30 seconds. This is the STRETCH AND FOLDS.
160 grams dark chocolate chips
You’ll want to try to get most of the chocolate chips in the center of the dough during this process. Form the dough into a smooth’ish ball, and place towel back in the bowl.
ADDITIONAL STRETCH AND FOLDS: I recommend doing additional stretch and folds if time permits. Do these every 30 minutes for 3-4 more times to further develop the gluten structure.
Let the dough rise for 6-8 hours, or overnight. It should almost double in size and appear soft on top. Small air bubbles may appear as well. This is the BULK RISE.
Note: I recommend placing a damp towel on the dough for the overnight rise. You might also add a bit of oil to the top to keep a crust from forming on the dough overnight.
Add a light dusting of flour to a baking mat or clean surface. Remove the dough to the mat and gently form into your desired shape, usually round or oblong. Don’t punch the dough down because you don’t want to remove all the air. Let dough sit for five minutes.
After five minutes, use your hands to pull the dough toward you, dragging it along the mat to tighten it up. Repeat in the other directions to tighten. (Make sure you don’t have too much flour on the surface when tightening the dough, so there is some needed friction necessary to tighten it.)
Place the dough, seem side up, in a bowl lined with a towel or a prepared banneton basket (pictured below). Cover with a damp towel and let it sit for about an hour or two. For this bread, it does not need to double again in size. This is the SECOND RISE.
NOTE: For both the bowl or banneton basket, you’ll need to prepare them. For a bowl, add a thin tea towel dusted with rice flour (or regular flour will work in a pinch). For the basket, add some rice flour as well. The rice flour will help prevent sticking while regular flour may not do this as well.
Prepare for baking. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Carefully remove the loaf to a piece of parchment paper, smooth side up. Then take a serrated edge knife or a bread lame (linked below), and score the bread a couple of times. Place the bread (including parchment paper) into a dutch oven.
Bake. Add the lid to the pan and bake for 20 minutes. Then remove the lid and bake an additional 30-35 minutes, or until bread is nice and golden on top and bottom.
Cool. Remove pan and then use parchment paper as handles to lift the bread out of the pan. Place on a cooling rack. Let the bread COMPLETELY COOL before slicing.

Notes

How we enjoy our chocolate sourdough:

Toast it and add a slathering of butter and/or peanut butter (pictured below).
Make a panini with peanut butter and banana slices.
Use it as a base for French Toast.
Toast it and add butter, cinnamon and sugar.

Nutrition

Sourdough Starter Basics

Suebee Homemaker — Sun, 21 Aug 2022 11:00:00 +0000

This simple process creates a homemade starter and a real living thing you can and should give a name. Mine is named Justine after my beloved grandmother who loved making homemade bread as well as a variety of other delicious things!

Storing Your Starter

If you bake with sourdough a few times a month, keep your starter in the fridge and feed it every 7-10 days. If you bake with it every few days, store your starter at room temperature and feed it every day.

Supplies Needed to Make a Sourdough Starter:

A clean glass jar. I use a wide-mouth, two-cup Weck jar. Glass jars are readily found on Amazon or World Market.
Paper Towel plus rubber band – Loosely cover the jar with a paper towel and secure with a rubber band to allow air to flow in and out of the jar.
Digital Scale. Mine is linked below.
A small wooden spoon or small silicone spatula.

Note: You can also use a jar with a lid that you’ve poked holes in (instead of a paper towel). My brother uses this method and swears by it.

Ingredients Required for Sourdough Starter Basics:

Flour – You will need a mixture of unbleached all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour. Using whole wheat flour on the first day gives the starter a boost in the process but all-purpose flour should be used after that.
Water – Use filtered or bottled water to create and feed your starter. Avoid tap water because the chlorine may cause the starter to die.

Day 1

50 grams of whole wheat flour
50 grams of filtered water (or bottled water)

Day 2 – 7 (or longer)

50 grams of all-purpose flour
50 grams of filtered water

How to make a Sourdough Starter:

I recommend feeding your starter at the same time each day, preferably first thing in the morning. The whole process should take approximately 7-10 days.

The environment of your kitchen is important to consider when growing a starter. Make sure it’s not too cold or too warm. The temperature should be between 68 – 76 degrees F for best results.

If you live in a cold climate, the starter should still grow but it will take a few days longer than average.

Day 1 – Make the initial starter.

In a clean jar, combine 50 grams of whole wheat flour with 50 grams of warm, filtered water. Use a wooden spoon to stir well. Cover the jar with a paper towel and fasten with a rubber band. Set the jar in a warm spot in your kitchen.

On the first day, the mixture will be thick and pasty. Don’t worry, that’s normal at this stage.

Day 2-7 (or longer) – Feed starter.

Each day, discard approximately half of the starter. Add 50 grams of unbleached flour and 50 grams of warm filtered water. Use a wooden spoon to stir well. Continue to cover the jar with a paper towel and place in a warm spot in your kitchen.

I personally eyeball the amount of starter to discard. If preferred, you can weigh the starter and discard exactly half each day.

Below is what Justine (my starter) looked like 1) before feeding on day 3 and 2) after feeding on day 3.

How do I know when my sourdough starter is ready?

Towards the end of the 7-10 days, you’ll see that the starter doubles in size each day a few hours after feeding. It will also appear to be very fluffy and bubbly.
The starter floats. See below.

The Float Test

To determine if your starter is ready, you’ll need to do a float test. As you approach day 7 and notice that your starter is “growing” in the jar and becoming bubbly, gently remove a teaspoon of starter and place in a bowl of water. If it floats, you’ve got an active starter. You’re ready to put your starter to work!

NOTE: Once you’ve created an active starter, the discarded starter can be collected in a separate container and stored in your refrigerator to use in sourdough discard recipes.

Sourdough FAQs:

What is sourdough? Sourdough is a slow-fermented bread that doesn’t require store-bought, commercial yeast to make it rise. It’s a LIVE fermented culture which creates a natural leavening agent. A starter is required to make sourdough.

Is sourdough bread healthy? Sourdough bread is NOT gluten-free, as it contains flour, but its long fermentation helps break down this gluten. It’s easier on the gut because it’s more digestible and easier for the body to absorb. It’s also DELISH!

Why do we discard and feed a sourdough starter? It’s necessary to discard and feed a starter to create the gasses it needs for bread baking. Your starter will become “hungry” when it has used up the food (the gasses) and starts to deflate in the jar. It rises and falls at different rates depending on many factors.

How do I know if my starter has gone bad? The starter is bad if the top is hard and discolored (not brown but colored spots) and/or has mold growing it. This should be thrown out immediately.

How often should I change the jar? This is up to you, but I normally change the jar after the sides get incredibly thick and crusty. Normally for me, that’s about once per month. However, if you keep the insides of your jar clean with a small spatula each time you feed it, you probably won’t need to change jars at all.

Observations:

As you go through days one through seven (or longer if necessary), you’ll notice several things.

Bubbles – When the starter is active, you’ll see lots of small bubbles on the top.
Smell – If your starter smells like vinegar, you’re smelling the acids of the fermentation and that is ok. It usually means that it’s hungry and needs to be fed.
Hooch – This is a brown liquid that pools to the top of the starter and hardens. Simply discard it and feed as usual. See photo below showing the spoon lifting the thick dark layer before discarding it.
Consistency – Your active starter should be thick like pancake batter. Pourable but not too thin.
Rise and Fall – Each day, you’ll see the starter rise and then fall.

Pro-Tip: Use an active sourdough starter when it is at peak height. It will rise after feeding and stay up for anywhere between one and several hours.

Sourdough Tips:

For best results, keep your starter at room temperature (preferably in a warm spot in your kitchen) when getting ready to bake with it.
Cooler temperatures will make it more difficult to get it bubbly and active.
Use equal parts of warm filtered water and flour when feeding your starter.
Avoid tap water in the sourdough process.
For an extra sour flavor, use partial amounts of whole-grain flour along with regular white flour.
When creating a starter, it’s best to keep a regular feeding schedule where you feed it at about the same time each day.
The type of flour you use is important. Unbleached flour (or organic) are highly recommended.

A healthy starter will rise to the top of the jar, appear bubbly on top, and will smell a lot like vinegar.

How to prepare starter to have enough for your recipe:

First of all, consider this:

If your starter is rather large and you’ll know you have enough to bake with, then carry on. No need to adjust.
If your starter is rather small, you’ll need to bulk it up so that you have enough to bake with and some to keep. (Because my rule of thumb is to NEVER RUN OUT OF STARTER!)

Proceed, if necessary:

Feed the starter as normal up to the day before you bake, generally speaking.
Adjust the starter the day before you bake OR the day you bake.
If you need 75 grams of starter in your recipe, you’ll want to have roughly 100 grams of starter at the ready. Some to use and some to keep.
So if you only have about 50 grams of starter and then 25 grams after discard, add 35 grams of water and 35 grams of flour to your starter to bulk it up.

NOTE: If you are “resting” your starter in the refrigerator and not actively baking, you can keep a very small amount. I recommend keeping at least 30 grams.

How to Dry Your Starter:

There are a couple of reasons to dry some of your starter.

If you want to make sure you never ruin your starter and want to have it as a back-up.
If you are traveling and know you won’t be able to feed it in a timely manner.
If you’d like to send it to someone to use for their own starter.

To dry your starter, do the following things:

Prep a sheet pan with some parchment paper.
Spread a thin amount of starter on the parchment.
Let it sit at room temperature for several days until it hardens.
Remove the dried starter in pieces.
Store at room temperature.

To revive a dried starter,

Crumble some of the starter (about 10 grams), place in a jar, and add twice as much warm filtered water. Let this sit for several hours.
Then add 20 grams each of filtered water and unbleached flour. Let sit at room temp for 24 hours.
Start the discard and feeding process until the starter is revived.

Sourdough Recipes:

I’ve got a bunch of sourdough recipes on the blog and more in progress. Try the following and let me know what you think!

Kitchen Tools Used: (affiliate links)

See the blog for all of my sourdough recipes!

How to Store Sourdough Bread

Suebee Homemaker — Sun, 14 Aug 2022 11:00:00 +0000

Whether or not you’re making your own sourdough or bringing it home from the store or bakery, you’ll need to know how to store sourdough bread for maximum freshness. There are a variety of options and I’ll cover my favorites in this post.

Best Ways to Store Sourdough Bread

Baking sourdough is an art, speaking from experience. I’ve spent the last two years developing this skill and now I really do think of it as artwork. I’ve grown two different starters, and am currently maintaining Justine, my starter named after my beloved grandmother.

If you have an active starter, It’s a good idea to name him or her. She or he is a REAL LIVE thing (i.e. fermentation) that needs to be loved and maintained on a regular basis.

While baking with a sourdough starter isn’t all that difficult once you practice a few times, it does take time and effort. So let’s not let our hard work go to waste and savor every single morsel of sourdough. Let’s focus on a longer shelf life for this incredible bread!

One thing to keep in mind is that homemade sourdough lasts longer at room temperature than MOST homemade breads. The good bacteria in sourdough breaks up some of the starch molecules, decreasing the rate of staling.

Why does bread go stale?

Now I completely understand why my mother made fresh bread the day of a gathering, bake sale, or church event. She knew that maximum freshness meant right out of the oven!

In actuality, the moisture in fresh bread immediately starts moving outward toward the crust. Staling starts in soon after the bread cools, losing the crispy crust and the chewy, soft interior.

During the staling process, two things happen.

Moisture moves into the crust.
Starch converts to a different form.

While stale bread doesn’t taste good, mold is a whole other thing. It’s dangerous to eat and should always be tossed in the garbage.

Best Ways to Store Sourdough

First of all, NEVER store fresh bread in the refrigerator. The cool temperature will speed up the staling process.

Here are options for answering the big question. How to Store Sourdough Bread?

FREEZER. The best way to store sourdough is actually in your freezer. After I bake it and let it completely cool, I slice it and place in a freezer bag. Placing small sheets of parchment paper, aluminum foil, or plastic wrap between each slice helps to keep the slices from freezing together as well. To avoid freezer burn over time, make sure you squeeze as much air out of the bag and use it within a reasonable amount of time (a couple of months).

BROWN PAPER BAG. Using a paper bag helps to keep the loaf of sourdough bread fresh and is a great way to store bread at room temperature.

A BREAD BOX. While I don’t personally use one, I know people have success with keeping their bread fresh in a bread box. The Brabantia Bread Box looks like a good one to try and you can store a couple of loaves at once.

You can store entire loaves of bread or half loaves, cut side down.

ON A CUTTING BOARD. This may seem crazy, but if the humidity levels in your house aren’t too high, you can place partial loaves cut side down on a cutting board for a day. It’s a good way way to have the fresh bread handy for a gathering of some kind.

LINEN BAGS. Linen is a breathable and durable fabric that provides an excellent environment for storing fresh bread. Since it’s a natural product, using and reusing a linen bag is a more ethical choice than plastic. Unlike plastic bags, linen bags allow the bread to ‘breathe’, thus keeping the crust crisp.

PLASTIC BAGS. While this isn’t the best choice, you should be able to store your sourdough in storage bags on your countertop for a couple of days. Make sure you squeeze all of the air out of the plastic bag by folding it over and then seal the bag.

PRO-TIP: Always let your bread cool on baking racks for about an hour before slicing and two hours before storing.

My Favorite Ways to Use Bread that is Stale (but not moldy):

The good news is that a sourdough loaf that goes a bit stale can still be used in many different ways, including the following!

French Toast – Use it in my Blueberry French Toast Casserole or a simple Overnight French Toast Casserole.
Bread Salad (Panzanella)
Paninis – Try this simple Roasted Vegetable Pesto Panini!
Croutons
Stuffing – My mom’s Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipe is a good way to use up sourdough bread!

Favorite Sourdough Recipes:

I’d be remiss to avoid the big question. What are your favorite sourdough recipes? Here are my top five and all are fairly simple recipes for you to try!

Jalapeno Cheddar Sourdough
Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough
Garlic Sourdough Bread
Pesto Focaccia Bread
Chocolate Sourdough Bread – coming soon!

I’ve got even MORE sourdough bread recipes on the blog and MORE coming soon!

Storing Tools: (affiliate links)

Sourdough Focaccia

Suebee Homemaker — Thu, 04 Aug 2022 11:00:00 +0000

This Sourdough Focaccia is a delicious Italian bread, combining a chewy sourdough with pesto sauce and shredded parmesan cheese. Add this bread to any Italian meal or eat it plain with a crisp glass of wine!

Focaccia with Sourdough Starter

This focaccia bread uses a sourdough starter to develop a delicious “sour” flavor. The addition of fresh basil pesto sauce and parmesan cheese adds additional flavor that can’t be matched.

My yeast-based Jalapeno Cheddar Focaccia and Italian Focaccia Bread are also delicious!

Why This Recipe Works:

It’s simple. As mentioned, this has only seven ingredients and is quick to mix up.
The pesto sauce and parmesan cheese add great flavor. I keep my homemade pesto sauce in the freezer for recipes just like this! And the parmesan cheese is a perfect addition.
Gut healthy. Sourdough is a gut healthy bread. Sourdough bread is NOT gluten-free, as it contains flour, but its long fermentation helps break down this gluten. It’s easier on the gut because it’s more digestible and easier for the body to absorb.
Higher Hydration. This recipe is 70% hydration which means it’s softer and has a more open crumb. You’ll see more “holes” in this bread due to a higher water to flour ratio.
Delicious! We love the “sour” flavor of sourdough bread and this one is just right.

Have you hopped on the sourdough bandwagon yet? If so, try my Sourdough Bagels, Crusty Sourdough Bread, and some Whole Wheat Sourdough Sandwich Bread next!

Ingredients Used:

Bubbly Starter – The starter is THE most important part of sourdough bread making. It takes a little time, but you will be rewarded over and over again.
Filtered Water – Use a filtered water, either out of your refrigerator filter system or use bottled water. The water should either be room temperature or slightly warmed before adding it to the sourdough process.
Pesto Sauce – I use my Homemade Basil Pesto Sauce, but any pesto will work.
Flour – For this recipe, use a combo of unbleached bread flour and all-purpose flour.
Sea Salt – I recommend using fine sea salt.
Parmesan Cheese – Some freshly shredded parmesan cheese adds incredible flavor to this focaccia. (No powdered parmesan PLEASE!)
Olive Oil – You’ll need about three tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil.
Italian Seasoning – Optional, but really nice in this bread!

How to make Sourdough Focaccia:

Step 1
Carefully measure out the ingredients except the parmesan cheese (in the order listed) and combine in a mixing bowl. Use a fork and stir.

Step 2
Then use your hands to bring the ingredients together. It will look shaggy. Cover with a damp towel and let it sit for 45 minutes. (Be sure to set a timer.) This is the AUTOLYSE.

Step 3
After 45 minutes, add the parmesan cheese to the bowl. Then start the stretch and folds. Use your hand and lift the dough up on one side, stretching it upward, and then punch into the center of the dough. Turn the dough and repeat. Continue this process for about 30 seconds. This is the STRETCH AND FOLDS.

ADDITIONAL STRETCH AND FOLDS: I recommend doing additional stretch and folds if time permits. Do these every 30 minutes for 3-4 more times to further develop the gluten structure.

Step 4
Let the dough rise for eight hours, or overnight. It should almost double in size and appear soft on top. Small air bubbles may appear as well. This is the BULK RISE.

Note: I recommend placing a damp towel on the dough for the overnight rise. You might also add a bit of oil to the top to keep a crust from forming on the dough overnight.

Step 5
Use a 9×13 inch pan or slightly bigger. Add the olive oil to the pan and then add the sourdough, pushing down slightly to fill the pan. Then take the dough with your hands and gently flip it so that the other side is down in the pan. Don’t punch the dough down because you don’t want to remove all the air.

Cover with a damp towel and let it sit on your countertop for another 2-4 hours, or until it is very soft and puffy. This is the SECOND RISE.

Step 6
Prepare for baking. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Carefully use your fingers to form dimples all over the dough. Then add the Italian Seasoning to the dough.

Step 7
Bake. Bake focaccia for about 30 minutes, or until bread is nice and golden on top.

Step 8
Cool. Carefully remove bread to a cooling rack. Add fresh basil to the top.

Unlike other sourdough bread I’ve made, you can slice this bread when it is still slightly warm.

See my post on how to store sourdough bread for maximum freshness! Let’s not let our hard work go to waste and savor every single morsel of sourdough.

Other Delicious Sourdough Recipes:

I’m really enjoying being on this sourdough journey and hope you are trying some of my recipes! Here are a handful of my favorites!

What to serve with Sourdough Focaccia Bread:

This focaccia bread goes with SO many things including the following.

This focaccia also is a great addition to a charcuterie board with various dips, cheeses, and Italian meats.

Kitchen Tools Used: (affiliate links)

xoxo ~Sue

Sourdough Focaccia

Course Appetizer, Bread

Cuisine Italian

Keyword rosemary focaccia bread, sourdough focaccia

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 30

Rise/Ferment Time 8

Total Time 9

Servings servings

Calories 181kcal

Author Sue Ringsdorf

Ingredients

75 grams bubbly, active sourdough starter
375 grams warm, filtered water
40 grams basil pesto
300 grams unbleached bread flour
200 grams unbleached all-purpose flour
10 grams fine sea salt
100 grams freshly ground parmesan cheese
50 grams olive oil – for prepping to bake
a few sprinkles of Italian Seasoning

Instructions

Use a kitchen scale to measure the water and sourdough starter and add to a large bowl. Stir well with a fork. Add the basil pesto, bread flour, all-purpose flour, and sea salt – and stir again.
375 grams warm, filtered water, 75 grams bubbly, active sourdough starter, 40 grams basil pesto, 300 grams unbleached bread flour, 200 grams unbleached all-purpose flour, 10 grams fine sea salt
Then use your hands to bring the ingredients together. It will look shaggy. Cover with a damp towel and let it sit for 45 minutes. (Be sure to set a timer.) This is the AUTOLYSE.
After 45 minutes, add the parmesan cheese to the bowl. Then start the stretch and folds. Use your hand and lift the dough up on one side, stretching it upward, and then punch into the center of the dough. Turn the dough and repeat. Continue this process for about 30 seconds. This is the STRETCH AND FOLDS.
100 grams freshly ground parmesan cheese
ADDITIONAL STRETCH AND FOLDS: I recommend doing additional stretch and folds if time permits. Do these every 30 minutes for 3-4 more times to further develop the gluten structure.
Let the dough rise for eight hours, or overnight. It should almost double in size and appear soft on top. Small air bubbles may appear as well. This is the BULK RISE.
Note: I recommend placing a damp towel on the dough for the overnight rise. You might also add a bit of oil to the top to keep a crust from forming on the dough overnight.
Use a 9×13 inch pan or slightly bigger. Add the olive oil to the pan and then add the sourdough, pushing down slightly to fill the pan. Then take the dough with your hands and gently flip it so that the other side is down in the pan. Don’t punch the dough down because you don’t want to remove all the air.
50 grams olive oil
Cover with a damp towel and let it sit for about an 2-4 hours, or until it's very soft and puffy. This is the SECOND RISE.
Prepare for baking. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Carefully use your fingers to form dimples all over the dough. Then add the Italian Seasoning to the dough.
a few sprinkles of Italian Seasoning
Bake. Bake focaccia for about 30 minutes, or until bread is nice and golden on top.
Cool. Carefully remove bread to a cooling rack. Add fresh basil to the top. Slice focaccia and serve.

Notes

You will need a sourdough starter for this bread. A starter can be created in less than a week with a simple combo of unbleached flour and filtered water. It’s a process of removing half of the starter and then “feeding” it every day, storing in a jar on your countertop, and getting it to a bubbly, sour point where it floats in water.

Nutrition

Garlic Sourdough Bread

Suebee Homemaker — Mon, 11 Jul 2022 11:00:00 +0000

Roasted Garlic Sourdough

There is nothing better than a crusty loaf of sourdough bread. The best part is the smells coming from the oven and the worst part is waiting until the bread cools before slicing it!

Over the past couple of years, I’ve made numerous loafs of bread with the majority being sourdough. I’m slowly fine-tuning the art of the perfect loaf and it’s been so much fun continuing to learn about this process.

Why This Recipe Works:

It’s simple. As mentioned, this recipe has only five base ingredients plus three add-ins.
Gut healthy. Sourdough is a gut-healthy bread. Sourdough bread is NOT gluten-free, as it contains flour, but its long fermentation helps break down this gluten. It’s easier on the gut because it’s more digestible and easier for the body to absorb.
Higher Hydration. This recipe is 70% hydration which means it’s softer and has a more open crumb. You’ll see more “holes” in this bread due to a higher water-to-flour ratio.
Delicious! We love the strong flavor of the roasted garlic and the salty parmesan cheese!

Ingredients Used:

Only four base ingredients plus three bonus ingredients (garlic, parmesan, and rosemary!) are required for this delicious bread! I use a combo of two types of flour for this recipe as well.

Bubbly Starter – The starter is THE most important part of sourdough bread making. It takes a little time, but you will be rewarded over and over again.
Filtered Water – Use filtered water, either out of your refrigerator filter system or use bottled water. The water should either be at room temperature or slightly warmed before adding it to the sourdough process.
Flour – For this recipe, use a combo of unbleached bread flour and whole wheat flour. Organic is normally unbleached, btw.
Sea Salt – I recommend using fine sea salt.
Garlic – Roast two whole heads of garlic and then squeeze out the insides.
Parmesan – Make sure you use a wedge of parmesan and shred it or cut into small cubes.
Rosemary – One to two teaspoons of rosemary adds incredible flavor to this sourdough recipe. I also added a little bit to the top before baking.

How to prepare the starter for baking:

First of all, consider this:

If your starter is rather large and you’ll know you have enough to bake with, then carry on. No need to adjust.
If your starter is rather small, you’ll need to bulk it up so that you have enough to bake with and some to keep. (Because my rule of thumb is to NEVER RUN OUT OF STARTER!)

THEN:

Feed the starter as normal up to the day before you bake, generally speaking.
Adjust the starter the day before you bake OR the day you bake.
If you need 75 grams of starter in your recipe, you’ll want to have roughly 100 grams of starter at the ready. Some to use and some to keep.
So if you only have about 50 grams of starter and then 25 grams after discard, add 40 grams of water and 40 grams of flour to your starter to bulk it up for one loaf of garlic sourdough.

NOTE: I normally make two loaves of sourdough at a time which means I need 150 grams of bubbly starter plus some to keep for later. Remember – NEVER RUN OUT OF STARTER!

How to make Garlic Sourdough Bread:

Step 1
Roast the garlic. Chop off the tops of two heads of garlic. Add them to some foil and drizzle the tops with olive oil. Wrap them up tightly and roast in a preheated 400-degree oven until the garlic is soft, about 50 minutes or more. Remove and cool slightly. Then squeeze out the insides to use for the bread.

Step 2
Shred parmesan. Use a wedge of parmesan and shred. You can also use a knife to chop into small cubes.

Step 3
Carefully measure out the water and sourdough starter in a mixing bowl, and stir well with a fork. Add the flour and salt, and stir again.

Step 4
Then use your hands to bring the ingredients together. It will look shaggy. Cover with a damp towel and let it sit for 45 minutes. (Be sure to set a timer.) This is the AUTOLYSE.

Step 5
After 45 minutes, add the roasted garlic, parmesan cheese, and dried rosemary. Then start the stretch and folds. Use your hand and lift the dough up on one side, stretching it upward, and then punch into the center of the dough. Turn the dough and repeat. Continue this process for about 30 seconds. This is the STRETCH AND FOLDS.

You’ll want to try to get most of the garlic and parmesan in the center of the dough during this process. Form the dough into a smooth’ish ball, and place towel back in the bowl.

ADDITIONAL STRETCH AND FOLDS: I recommend doing additional stretch and folds if time permits. Do these every 30 minutes 3-4 more times to further develop the gluten structure.

Step 6
Let the dough rise for 6-8 hours, or overnight. It should almost double in size and appear soft on top. Small air bubbles may appear as well. This is the BULK RISE.

Note: I recommend placing a damp towel on the dough for the overnight rise. You might also add a bit of oil to the top to keep a crust from forming on the dough overnight.

Step 7
Add a light dusting of flour to a baking mat or clean surface. Remove the dough to the mat and gently form into your desired shape, usually round or oblong. Don’t punch the dough down because you don’t want to remove all the air. Let dough sit for five minutes.

Step 8
After five minutes, use your hands to pull the dough toward you, dragging it along the mat to tighten it up. Repeat in the other directions to tighten. (Make sure you don’t have too much flour on the surface when tightening the dough, so there is some needed friction necessary to tighten it.)

Step 9
Place the dough, seam side up, in a bowl lined with a towel or a prepared banneton basket (pictured below). Cover with a damp towel and let it sit for about an hour or two. For this bread, it does not need to double again in size. This is the SECOND RISE.

Step 10
Prepare for baking. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Carefully remove the loaf to a piece of parchment paper, smooth side up. Then take a serrated edge knife or a bread lame (linked below), and score the bread a couple of times. Place the bread (including parchment paper) into a Dutch oven.

Step 11
Bake. Add the lid to the pan and bake for 20 minutes. Then remove the lid and bake an additional 30-35 minutes, or until bread is nice and golden on top and bottom.

Step 12
Cool. Remove pan and then use parchment paper as handles to lift the bread out of the pan. Place on a cooling rack. Let the bread COMPLETELY COOL before slicing.

How we enjoy our sourdough bread:

There are so many tasty ways to enjoy garlic sourdough. In fact, we normally eat it for dinner at least once a week! It’s simple and makes dinnertime a breeze.

Add different meats and cheese.
Make avocado toast.
Make grilled cheese using pimento cheese.
Add over easy eggs (WITH avocado).
Use it to make the best Roasted Vegetable Pesto Panini or a BLT Sandwich with Pesto Sauce.

See my post on how to store sourdough bread for maximum freshness! Let’s not let our hard work go to waste and savor every single morsel of sourdough.

Recipe FAQs:

What is sourdough?

How do you make a sourdough starter?

Is sourdough bread gluten-free?

Other Delicious Sourdough Recipes:

The opportunities are endless with a sourdough starter. Try one (or two) of the following next.

Kitchen Tools Used: (affiliate links)

xoxo ~Sue

Garlic Sourdough Bread

Course Bread

Cuisine American

Keyword garlic sourdough bread

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 50

Rise/Ferment Time 8

Total Time 9 20

Servings slices

Calories 237kcal

Author Sue Ringsdorf

Ingredients

75 grams bubbly sourdough starter
365 grams warm, filtered water
480 grams bread flour
40 grams whole wheat flour
10 grams fine sea salt
1-2 heads garlic – roasted
100 grams parmesan cheese – cubed or shredded
2 teaspoons dried rosemary

Instructions

** READ the entire blog post with photos before making this recipe!
Roast the garlic. Chop off the tops of two heads of garlic. Add them to some foil and drizzle the tops with olive oil. Wrap them up tightly and roast in a preheated 400 degree oven until the garlic is soft, about 50 minutes or more. Remove and cool slightly. Then squeeze out the insides to use for the bread.
1-2 heads garlic, olive oil
Shred parmesan. Use a wedge of parmesan and shred. You can also use a knife to chop into small cubes.
Carefully measure out the water and sourdough starter in a mixing bowl, and stir well with a fork. Add the flour and salt, and stir again.
75 grams bubbly sourdough starter, 365 grams warm, filtered water, 480 grams bread flour, 40 grams whole wheat flour, 10 grams fine sea salt
Then use your hands to bring the ingredients together. It will look shaggy. Cover with a damp towel and let it sit for 45 minutes. (Be sure to set a timer.) This is the AUTOLYSE.
After 45 minutes, add the roasted garlic, parmesan cheese, and dried rosemary. Then start the stretch and folds. Use your hand and lift the dough up on one side, stretching it upward, and then punch into the center of the dough. Turn the dough and repeat. Continue this process for about 30 seconds. This is the STRETCH AND FOLDS.
roasted garlic, 100 grams parmesan cheese, 2 teaspoons dried rosemary
You’ll want to try to get most of the garlic and parmesan in the center of the dough during this process. Form the dough into a smooth’ish ball, and place towel back in the bowl.
ADDITIONAL STRETCH AND FOLDS: I recommend doing additional stretch and folds if time permits. Do these every 30 minutes for 3-4 more times to further develop the gluten structure.
Let the dough rise for 6-8 hours, or overnight. It should almost double in size and appear soft on top. Small air bubbles may appear as well. This is the BULK RISE.
Note: I recommend placing a damp towel on the dough for the overnight rise. You might also add a bit of oil to the top to keep a crust from forming on the dough overnight.
Add a light dusting of flour to a baking mat or clean surface. Remove the dough to the mat and gently form into your desired shape, usually round or oblong. Don’t punch the dough down because you don’t want to remove all the air. Let dough sit for five minutes.
After five minutes, use your hands to pull the dough toward you, dragging it along the mat to tighten it up. Repeat in the other directions to tighten.
Place the dough, seam side up, in a bowl lined with a towel or a prepared banneton basket (pictured below). Cover with a damp towel and let it sit for about an hour or two. For this bread, it does not need to double again in size. This is the SECOND RISE.
Prepare for baking. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Carefully remove the loaf to a piece of parchment paper, smooth side up. Then take a serrated edge knife or a bread lame (linked in post), and score the bread a couple of times. Place the bread (including parchment paper) into a dutch oven.
Bake. Add the lid to the pan and bake for 20 minutes. Then remove the lid and bake an additional 30-35 minutes, or until bread is nice and golden on top and bottom.
Cool. Remove pan and then use parchment paper as handles to lift the bread out of the pan. Place on a cooling rack. Let the bread COMPLETELY COOL before slicing.

Notes

You’ll need a digital scale for this recipe.

For both the bowl or banneton basket, you’ll need to prepare them. For a bowl, add a thin tea towel dusted with rice flour (or regular flour will work in a pinch). For the basket, add some rice flour as well. The rice flour will help prevent sticking while regular flour may not do this as well.

NOTE: I normally make two loaves of sourdough at a time which means I need 150 grams of bubbly starter plus some to keep for later.

Nutrition

Multigrain Sourdough Bread

Suebee Homemaker — Thu, 02 Jun 2022 11:00:00 +0000

Make some Multigrain Sourdough Bread at home and enjoy slices of soft and gut-healthy bread. This delicious sourdough is easy to make with just seven ingredients and you can adjust the baking time to work with your schedule!

Have you hopped on the sourdough bandwagon yet? If so, try my Sourdough Bagels, the best ever Jalapeño Cheddar Sourdough Bread, and some Whole Wheat Sourdough Sandwich Bread next!

Seeded Sourdough

This Multigrain Bread incorporates a 10-grain cereal that I bought on Amazon. I believe you can also find it at most local stores. This cereal is key to this seeded bread as it contains a blend of whole grain wheat, rye, triticale, oat bran, oats, corn, barley, soy beans, brown rice, millet, and flaxseed. Other similar blends would work as well.

Why This Recipe Works:

It’s simple. As mentioned, this has only seven ingredients and is quick to mix up.
The multigrain adds a health factor. We can always use a little extra fiber and in our diet, and this helps!
Gut healthy. Sourdough is a gut healthy bread. Sourdough bread is NOT gluten-free, as it contains flour, but its long fermentation helps break down this gluten. It’s easier on the gut because it’s more digestible and easier for the body to absorb.
Higher Hydration. This recipe is 70% hydration which means it’s a softer and has a more open crumb. You’ll see more “holes” in this bread due to a higher water to flour ratio.
Delicious! We love the “sour” flavor of sourdough bread and this one is pretty sour. The grains also add a nutty flavor that we enjoy too.

I’ve also got a Multigrain Bread Recipe using yeast, if you’d prefer to go that route instead!

Ingredients Used:

Bubbly Starter – The starter is THE most important part of sourdough bread making. It takes a little time, but you will be rewarded over and over again.
Filtered Water – Use a filtered water, either out of your refrigerator filter system or use bottled water. The water should either be room temperature or slightly warmed before adding it to the sourdough process.
Honey – I often add honey to wheat or multigrain bread to balance flavors.
Flour – For this recipe, use a combo of unbleached bread flour and spelt flour. You could use an all-purpose flour instead of the spelt.
Sea Salt – I recommend using fine sea salt.
Multigrains – I used a 10 Grain Hot Cereal blend I found on Amazon. You could use another blend offered in your local store.

What is spelt flour?

While spelt is a cereal grain in the wheat family, it is not the same thing as wheat (same genus, different species). It looks similar to wheat in appearance, but it has a much harder outer shell before it has been milled. Spelt has a nutty and slightly sweet flavor, similar to that of whole wheat flour.

Spelt flour is popular because it is easy to work with and also tasty. This flour DOES contain gluten, which makes it very easy to substitute it into “regular” recipes that would typically call for all purpose flour. By adding spelt flour, you’ll get the flavor and nutritional benefits of the whole grain flour without without dramatically compromising the texture of your baked good.

Another important reason that spelt flour is popular is that it has a fairly strong nutritional profile. Spelt has fewer calories than wheat flour and is slightly higher in protein. It’s also easy to digest but is lower in fiber than wheat.

How to prepare starter to have enough for your recipe

First of all, consider this:

If your starter is rather large and you’ll know you have enough to bake with, then carry on. No need to adjust.
If your starter is rather small, you’ll need to bulk it up so that you have enough to bake with and some to keep. (Because my rule of thumb is to NEVER RUN OUT OF STARTER!)

Proceed, if necessary:

Feed the starter as normal up to the day before you bake, generally speaking.
Adjust the starter the day before you bake OR the day you bake.
If you need 75 grams of starter in your recipe, you’ll want to have roughly 100 grams of starter at the ready. Some to use and some to keep.
So if you only have about 50 grams of starter and then 25 grams after discard, add 35 grams of water and 35 grams of flour to your starter to bulk it up.

How to make Multigrain Sourdough Bread

Step 1
Carefully measure out the ingredients except the multigrain cereal (in the order listed) and combine in a mixing bowl. Use a fork and stir.

Step 2
Then use your hands to bring the ingredients together. It will look shaggy. Cover with a damp towel and let it sit for 45 minutes. (Be sure to set a timer.) This is the AUTOLYSE.

** While the dough is sitting in autolyse, soak the multigrain cereal in about 60 grams of hot water.

Step 3
After 45 minutes, add the multigrain cereal to the bowl. Then start the stretch and folds. Use your hand and lift the dough up on one side, stretching it upward, and then punch into the center of the dough. Turn the dough and repeat. Continue this process for about 30 seconds. This is the STRETCH AND FOLDS.

ADDITIONAL STRETCH AND FOLDS: I recommend doing additional stretch and folds if time permits. Do these every 30 minutes for 3-4 more times to further develop the gluten structure.

Step 4
Let the dough rise for 6-8 hours, or overnight. It should almost double in size and appear soft on top. Small air bubbles may appear as well. This is the BULK RISE.

Note: I recommend placing a damp towel on the dough for the overnight rise. You might also add a bit of oil to the top to keep a crust from forming on the dough overnight.

Step 6
After five minutes, use your hands to pull the dough toward you, dragging it along the mat to tighten it up. Repeat in the other directions to tighten. (Make sure you don’t have too much flour on the surface when tightening the dough, so there is some needed friction necessary to tighten it.)

Step 7
Place the dough, seem side up, in a bowl lined with a towel or a prepared banneton basket (pictured below). Cover with a damp towel and let it sit for about an hour or longer. For this bread, it does not need to double again in size. This is the SECOND RISE.

Note: For both the bowl or banneton basket, you’ll need to prepare them. For a bowl, add a thin tea towel dusted with rice flour (or regular flour will work in a pinch). For the basket, add some rice flour as well. The rice flour will help prevent sticking while regular flour may not do this as well.

Step 8
Prepare for baking. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Carefully remove the loaf to a piece of parchment paper, smooth side up. Then take a serrated edge knife or a bread lame (linked below), and score the bread a couple of times. Place the bread (including parchment paper) into a dutch oven.

Note: For this batch, I chose not to score the bread thinking it would “blow-out”. It didn’t, but I’ll take note for additional batches and report back.

Step 9
Bake. Add the lid to the pan and bake for 20 minutes. Then remove the lid and bake an additional 30 minutes, or until bread is nice and golden on top and bottom.

Step 10
Cool. Remove pan and then use parchment paper as handles to lift the bread out of the pan. Place on a cooling rack. Let the bread COMPLETELY COOL before slicing.

See my post on how to store sourdough bread for maximum freshness! Let’s not let our hard work go to waste and savor every single morsel of sourdough.

We love toasting this bread and adding butter (always!) plus smashed avocado (plus kosher salt) and a couple of sunny side up eggs (sometimes)! You could also add peanut butter and jelly or use this bread in paninis of any kind.

Sourdough 101 FAQs

What is sourdough? Sourdough is a slow-fermented bread that doesn’t require store-bought yeast to make it rise. It’s a LIVE fermented culture which creates a natural leavening agent. A starter is required to make sourdough.
What is a starter? A starter is a live culture made over a series of days, consisting of flour and water. It can be kept alive for years with periodic feeding.
How do you make a starter? A starter can be created in less than a week with a simple combo of unbleached flour and filtered water. It’s a process of removing half of the starter and then “feeding” it every day, storing in a jar on your countertop, and getting it to a bubbly, sour point where it floats in water. More on this later.
Is sourdough bread healthy? Sourdough bread is NOT gluten-free, as it contains flour, but its long fermentation helps break down this gluten. It’s easier on the gut because it’s more digestible and easier for the body to absorb. It’s also DELISH!

Try our Cranberry Walnut Sourdough Bread next!

Kitchen Tools Used: (affiliate links)

xoxo ~Sue

Multigrain Sourdough Bread

Course Bread

Cuisine American

Keyword multigrain sourdough bread

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 50

Rise/Ferment Time 8

Total Time 9 20

Servings slices

Calories 200kcal

Author Sue Ringsdorf

Ingredients

75 grams bubbly, active sourdough starter
350 grams warm, filtered water
40 grams honey
175 grams whole spelt flour
325 grams bread flour
10 grams fine sea salt
75 grams Harvest Grains Blend (soaked in hot water) – or 10-grain cereal

Instructions

** READ the blog post in it's entirety before making this sourdough recipe!
Carefully measure out the starter and water and use a fork and stir. Then proceed adding the other ingredients in the order listed and stir again with a fork.
75 grams bubbly, active sourdough starter, 350 grams warm, filtered water, 40 grams honey, 175 grams whole spelt flour, 325 grams bread flour, 10 grams fine sea salt, 75 grams Harvest Grains Blend (soaked in hot water)
Then use your hands to bring the ingredients together. It will look shaggy. Cover with a damp towel and let it sit for 45 minutes. (Be sure to set a timer.) This is the AUTOLYSE.
While the dough is sitting in autolyse, soak the multigrain cereal in about 60 grams of hot water.
After 45 minutes, add the multigrain cereal to the bowl. Then start the stretch and folds. Use your hand and lift the dough up on one side, stretching it upward, and then punch into the center of the dough. Turn the dough and repeat. Continue this process for about 30 seconds. This is the STRETCH AND FOLDS.
ADDITIONAL STRETCH AND FOLDS: I recommend doing additional stretch and folds if time permits. Do these every 30 minutes for 3-4 more times to further develop the gluten structure.
Let the dough rise for 6-8 hours, or overnight. It should almost double in size and appear soft on top. Small air bubbles may appear as well. This is the BULK RISE.
Note: I recommend placing a damp towel on the dough for the overnight rise. You might also add a bit of oil to the top to keep a crust from forming on the dough overnight.
Add a light dusting of flour to a baking mat or clean surface. Remove the dough to the mat and gently form into your desired shape, usually round or oblong. Don’t punch the dough down because you don’t want to remove all the air. Let dough sit for five minutes.
After five minutes, use your hands to pull the dough toward you, dragging it along the mat to tighten it up. Repeat in the other directions to tighten. (Make sure you don’t have too much flour on the surface when tightening the dough, so there is some needed friction necessary to tighten it.)
Place the dough, seem side up, in a bowl lined with a towel or a prepared banneton basket (pictured below). Cover with a damp towel and let it sit for about an hour or longer. For this bread, it does not need to double again in size. This is the SECOND RISE.
For both the bowl or banneton basket, you’ll need to prepare them. For a bowl, add a thin tea towel dusted with rice flour (or regular flour will work in a pinch). For the basket, add some rice flour as well. The rice flour will help prevent sticking while regular flour may not do this as well.
Prepare for baking. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Carefully remove the loaf to a piece of parchment paper, smooth side up. Then take a serrated edge knife or a bread lame (linked below), and score the bread a couple of times. Place the bread (including parchment paper) into a dutch oven.
Bake. Add the lid to the pan and bake for 20 minutes. Then remove the lid and bake an additional 30 minutes, or until bread is nice and golden on top and bottom.
Cool. Remove pan and then use parchment paper as handles to lift the bread out of the pan. Place on a cooling rack. Let the bread COMPLETELY COOL before slicing.

Notes

Expert Tips

Make sure your starter is ready. If you store your starter in the refrigerator between use, make sure it’s active and ready to go before baking with it. I often feed it 2-3 times before using it after resting (i.e. sleeping in the refrigerator).
Be flexible. If you’re bulk rise is taking longer than normal, or the starter isn’t as bubbly as you’d like it, be flexible. You can add time to either of these, and still make delicious bread. Many factors will come in to play as to when your sourdough is ready. In the summer months, the humidity and heat will make the process shorter. In the winter months, the process may be longer.
Measure carefully and then adjust as needed. Make sure you use a digital scale to measure your ingredients in grams. This is important. Even with measuring carefully, you MAY need to adjust slightly. When your hands are on the dough doing stretches and folds, you will come to feel if more water/more flour is needed to make the dough pliable and soft. This comes with practice.
Practice. Like I said above, as you practice making this bread and enjoying the bounties, you’ll learn all the little nuances to the sourdough process. Practice makes perfect!
Let the bread cool. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to slice the bread immediately after coming out of the oven. If you do this, it will be doughy tasting. Let the bread completely cool before slicing!

Nutrition