Try out this basic homemade sourdough boule recipe to get a taste of this deliciously tangy bread. This recipe is beginner-friendly and will turn anyone into a sourdough baker:)

As sourdough became a common household phrase for many during the last recent years, the misconception that sourdough needs a lot of care also did. I’m sure you’ve heard quotes such as this one: “Can’t go! I’m busy taking care of my sourdough”. Though funny, I’m here to tell you that these quotes are just not true;) You can make sourdough fit your schedule seamlessly and it’s really so easy!

The timeline of this bread really depends on the temperature of your home. Since we’re in the midst of summer, this boule was baked the same day that I whipped up the dough. During the winter months, however this same exact recipe will need more time to double in size and usually I’ll bake the boule the next day.

Sourdough Starter

If you’re new to sourdough, what you’ll need first and foremost is obviously a starter. Any sourdough enthusiast will be happy to share some with you if you just ask. However, if you do not have any friends who already have a sourdough starter, you can make one yourself. I get lots of sourdough inspiration from Lisa Bass on Farmhouse on Boone. Click the link to follow along with how to make your very own starter. For this recipe, I assume that your sourdough starter is fed and ready to rumble, so make sure to give yourself that time to feed your starter before trying this recipe. I know my starter is at its peak when it has expanded and is bubbly.

What You’ll Need

Sourdough starter
All-purpose flour
Warm water
Himalayan salt

How to Make a Sourdough Boule

To summarize the process of making this sourdough boule, all it takes is mixing all of the ingredients, stretching and folding the dough three times, allowing the dough to rise until doubled, shaping the boule, and rising the dough once more before baking it to crispy perfection.

Step 1

Mix together 1 cup of your live and active sourdough starter with 1 and 1/4 cup of warm water. Next, add the 2 tsp of salt(I used Himalayan pink salt, but you can use whatever salt you have) and 4 cups of all-purpose flour. I kneaded this up all by hand until it looked like a shaggy dough. You can also use a standing mixer to knead the dough. I just love the feeling of dough in between my fingers haha.

Step 2

Now comes the three rounds of stretch and folds. Do NOT let this step overwhelm you. All this means is that you just need to grab the top of the dough and fold it in the middle, twist the bowl and repeat four times. This is one round of stretching and folding. Wait around 15-30 minutes and repeat this process until you accomplished three rounds. The dough should look smooth and pass the windowpane test. The windowpane test is when you stretch the dough and bring it up to a windowpane. It passes the test if the dough does not tear and is translucent. This means that the gluten is developing well in the dough and it will rise beautifully.

This is how the dough looks after the three rounds of stretch and folds.

Step 3

Cover your bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise for 8-16 hours until it has doubled in size. On this day, it took my sourdough to rise just 8 hours. During the winter it can take even longer than 12 hours. Remember, sourdough bread doesn’t follow a strict timeline. How long your dough will take to double really depends on the temperature of your house and the strength of your starter.

This is how my sourdough doubled in size after eight hours.

Step 4

This is my favorite step of the whole process of making a sourdough boule. Punch the dough down and shape the sourdough into a round loaf. Transfer the shaped dough either into a banneton or onto some parchment paper is you do not own one. I use this banneton basket I bought on amazon. These bannetons are super convenient because they help keep the doughs in a perfectly round shape during the second rise for a pretty boule.

My sourdough boule in a banneton ready for the second rise.

Step 5

Allow the dough to rise a second time. This took me just 2 hours on this summer day. If you want a longer fermentation, you can stick the dough into the fridge for around 12 hours. Lastly, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F with your Dutch oven in there. If you’re using a banneton, dump the sourdough boule onto a parchment paper. Score the boule using a blade or sharp knife. I just made a cross this time and cut across the boule twice. Once the oven is ready, place the parchment paper with the boule into the hot Dutch oven and bake the bread for 40 minutes with the lid on. Then, take the lid off and bake for 5 more minutes or until golden brown and crispy on top.

Basic Sourdough Boule Recipe

This basic sourdough boule recipe makes it as easy as 1-2-3 to taste a tangy and fluffy bread loaf in your own kitchen!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 45

Total Time 1 1

Servings 12

Equipment

stand mixer optional
Dutch oven

Ingredients

1 cup sourdough starter active and bubbly
1 1/4 cup warm water
2 tsp salt
4 cups all-purpose flour

Instructions

Knead all of the ingredients by hand or in a stand mixer until the mixture represents a shaggy dough.
Perform three rounds of stretch and folds on the dough every 15-30 minutes until the dough passes the windowpane test.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap and allow to ferment for 8-16 hours or until doubled.
Punch down the dough, shape it, and place into a banneton or onto parchment paper. Allow the dough to double again either on the counter for 2-4 hours or in the fridge for 12 hours.
Place Dutch oven into oven and preheat to 450 degrees F. Flip the dough onto parchment paper if you're using the banneton and score the loaf.
Place the boule with the parchment paper into the Dutch oven and bake for 40 minutes with the lid on. Take the lid off and bake for an additional 5 minutes or until golden brown.

Notes

The timing of the rises can be faster or slower depending on the temperature of your house. If you need more time before you can bake the boule, feel free to stick the dough into the fridge. If you want to speed up the process, place in a warm spot in your house, like on the stovetop or in the oven with the light on.

Conclusion

I hope you try out this basic homemade sourdough boule recipe in your own kitchen. Let me know how it turned out for you in the comments below! Thanks so much for stopping by Two Peas in Two Pods:) Feel free to look around our online nest and check out some of our other recipes. This recipe is brought to you by Irene and I hope you try out sourdough, not just because it’s deliciously flavorful, but because it’s so much healthier than using yeast!