Baking sourdough at home in 2026 is easier than most tutorials make it look. You do not need a bakery kitchen or expensive equipment. All you need is flour, water, salt, a jar for your starter, and a little patience. This guide walks you through the whole process so your first loaf comes out crusty and delicious.
Build a Strong Starter First
Mix equal weights of whole wheat flour and water in a clean jar and leave it at room temperature. Feed it the same way every twelve hours. After five to seven days it should double in size within six hours of feeding. A starter that floats when a spoonful is dropped in water is ready to bake with. Keep feeding it daily or store it in the fridge and feed it weekly.
Use a Simple Beginner Recipe
Start with 500 grams of bread flour, 350 grams of water, 100 grams of active starter, and 10 grams of salt. Mix everything, rest one hour, then stretch and fold four times over two hours. Beginners get the best results with a slightly wetter dough handled gently rather than a stiff dough kneaded hard. Let it rise at room temperature for four to six hours until puffy.
Shape and Proof With Confidence
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured counter and shape it into a tight round by pulling it toward you with cupped hands. Place it seam side up in a floured basket or lined bowl. A cold overnight proof in the refrigerator for twelve to sixteen hours builds deeper flavor and makes scoring easier. The dough should spring back slowly when poked.
Bake Hot and Steamy
Preheat your oven with a Dutch oven or heavy pot inside at 475 degrees Fahrenheit for a full forty five minutes. Flip the dough onto parchment, score the top, and bake covered for twenty minutes. Steam trapped inside the covered pot is what creates a crackling, golden crust you cannot get any other way. Uncover and bake twenty more minutes until deep brown. Cool at least one hour before slicing.
Your first loaf will not look like a bakery photo, and that is completely fine. Each bake teaches you something new about your flour, your kitchen temperature, and your starter. Keep notes, bake weekly, and within a month you will wonder why you ever found this intimidating.