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🍞 Easy Sourdough Bread Recipe (Step-by-Step Weekend Schedule for Beginners)

 If you’re here, chances are you already tackled Part 1 and have a bubbly sourdough starter ready to go. Now it’s time for the fun part… actually baking your first loaf!



The best part? This process looks complicated, but it’s surprisingly forgiving. My timing isn’t perfect (and yours doesn’t have to be either), and it still turns out amazing every time.

Here’s my real-life weekend sourdough baking schedule, with exact timestamps so you can follow along. If you are ready to dive in and need some supplies be sure to check out my Amazon Storefront for some of my favorite Sourdough making goodies! (As an Amazon Affiliate I may earn commission at no cost to you) 

🕔 Step 1 – Mix Your Dough (Friday 5:10 PM)

In a large mixing bowl (I usually grab my KitchenAid bowl or Maison Cash), combine:

  • 250g filtered water
  • 150g active, fed sourdough starter
  • 25g olive oil

Mix until it looks smooth and slightly milky, you'll see the olive oil in mine too. 




🥖 Step 2 – Add Flour

Add:

  • 500g bread flour

Mix with a fork or dough whisk until fully incorporated but still shaggy.

Cover and let rest for 45 minutes.



🧂 Step 3 – Add Salt (6:00 PM)

Add:

  • 10g salt
  • 10g water

Mix until smooth:

  • Use a dough hook on low for 2–3 minutes OR
  • Mix by hand until the dough tightens and smooths out

Cover and rest for 30 minutes.




🔁 Step 4 – Stretch & Folds (6:38–8:55 PM)

Perform stretch and folds:

  • Pull one side of dough up and fold over
  • Rotate bowl and repeat

Do this around the bowl once.

Repeat every ~30 minutes for 3–4 rounds. I did coil folds for the last one so showed that too! 

👉 Real talk: Sometimes I only do 1–2 rounds. It still works!




🌙 Step 5 – Bulk Fermentation (Overnight)

Transfer dough to a lightly oiled container.

Let it rise:

  • Cool house: Leave on the counter overnight
  • Warm house: Refrigerate overnight to avoid overproofing

🌅 Step 6 – Shape the Dough (Saturday Morning ~6:54 AM)

Your dough is ready when it looks:

  • Jiggly
  • Bubbly
  • Slightly tacky but not sticky


Turn onto your counter and gently shape:

  1. Stretch into a rectangle
  2. Fold sides inward
  3. Roll up
  4. Use push-and-pull motions to build surface tension


👉 Be gentle—you want to keep those air bubbles!

🧺 Step 7 – Banneton + Final Shape

  • Line your banneton
  • Dust dough lightly with rice flour
  • Place dough upside down into banneton


After 10 minutes:

  • Stitch the bottom by pinching alternating sides

Cover and refrigerate for cold proof.

❄️ Step 8 – Cold Proof

Let rest in fridge:

  • Minimum: 12 hours
  • Ideal: 24 hours
  • Max flexibility: up to 48 hours

🔥 Step 9 – Bake (Sunday 7:24 AM)

  • Preheat oven to 450°F (no need to preheat Dutch oven)
  • Turn dough onto parchment
  • Score deeply (deeper than you think!)


Place into Dutch oven and add 3–4 ice cubes under parchment.

Bake:

  • 40 minutes covered

🌡 Step 10 – Finish Baking

  • Reduce oven to 400°F
  • Remove lid
  • Bake 15 more minutes


Check internal temp:

  • Done at 200°F


⏳ Step 11 – The Hardest Part

Let cool at least 5 hours.

Yes, really.

Cutting too early = gummy bread. Don’t do it!



🥰 Step 12 – Enjoy!

Slice into your beautiful, homemade sourdough and enjoy every bite. You earned it!


Explore more sourdough help: My Sourdough Guides for Beginners page includes starter care, fermentation tips, discard recipes, baking tools, and ideas for enjoying your finished loaf.

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Location: Arlington, TX, USA

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