You make sourdough bread by mixing a simple dough of starter, water, flour, and salt, letting it slowly ferment, shaping it, then baking it in a very hot oven (often in a covered pot) for a crisp crust and chewy crumb.

How do you make sourdough bread? (Quick Scoop)

Here’s a beginner‑friendly, one‑loaf roadmap using common home‑baker ratios.

1. What you need

  • Active sourdough starter (bubbly, recently fed).
  • Bread flour (or strong white flour).
  • Water, room‑temperature to slightly warm (not hot).
  • Salt (fine sea salt or table salt).
  • Dutch oven or heavy lidded pot, baking sheet, and sharp knife/razor for scoring.

A very typical beginner formula is close to:

  • 50–100 g active starter
  • 350–375 g water
  • 500 g bread flour
  • 10–11 g salt.

2. Basic step‑by‑step (same‑day or overnight)

  1. Feed your starter
    • Feed your starter several hours before baking so it doubles in size, looks airy and bubbly, and passes the “float test” (a spoonful in water floats).
  1. Mix the dough
    • In a large bowl, whisk together starter and water until the starter is dissolved.
 * Add flour and salt, and mix until no dry flour remains; the dough will look rough and shaggy.

 * Cover and rest 30–60 minutes (this rest is often called “autolyse”).
  1. Strengthen the dough (stretch and fold)
    • With damp hands, grab one edge of the dough, stretch it up and fold it over toward the center; turn the bowl and repeat several times.
 * Do 2–4 short “stretch and fold” rounds, spaced about 30 minutes apart; this gently builds gluten without kneading.
  1. Bulk fermentation (first rise)
    • After the last fold, cover the bowl and let the dough sit at room temperature until it has risen noticeably (often 60–80% larger), still domed and airy.
 * In many home kitchens this takes roughly 6–10 hours depending on temperature and starter strength.
  1. Pre‑shape and shape
    • Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently form a loose round (pre‑shape); rest 15–20 minutes.
 * Shape into a tighter ball or oval by folding the sides in and rolling into a taut loaf, being careful not to crush all the gas.
  1. Final proof
    • Place the shaped dough seam‑side up in a floured proofing basket or a bowl lined with a floured towel.
 * Let it rise 1–2 hours at room temperature, or cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight for better flavor and easier scoring.
  1. Preheat the oven and pot
    • Put your Dutch oven (with lid) into the oven and preheat to about 230–245°C / 450–475°F for 30–45 minutes so everything is thoroughly hot.
  1. Score and bake
    • Invert the dough onto parchment, so the smooth side faces up.
 * Use a sharp blade to score the top (a simple long slash or “X” helps it expand).

 * Lower the dough (on parchment) into the preheated pot, cover, and bake about 20–30 minutes covered, then 15–30 minutes uncovered until deep golden and well risen.

 * The lid traps steam, which gives a shiny, blistered crust and good “oven spring.”
  1. Cool completely
    • Remove the loaf from the pot and cool on a rack at least an hour before slicing so the crumb can set.

3. Why sourdough feels “special” now

  • Sourdough had a big global “moment” during pandemic lockdowns and remains a trending home‑baking hobby, with active online communities sharing photos, starter tips, and troubleshooting.
  • Newer guides keep simplifying the process: no‑knead approaches, overnight schedules, and one‑loaf recipes for small households.

Forum‑style discussion often sounds like this:

“My loaf is flat and gummy inside — is my bulk too short or starter too weak?”
“Try letting it ferment longer, look for more jiggle and bubbles in the dough, and make sure your starter has recently doubled before mixing.”

4. Common beginner issues (and quick fixes)

  • Bread is dense or gummy
    • Usually under‑fermented dough, weak starter, or slicing while still warm; lengthen bulk fermentation and cool fully before slicing.
  • Loaf spreads out instead of rising tall
    • Often due to under‑developed gluten or over‑proofing; add more stretch‑and‑folds, shorten final proof slightly, and be gentle during shaping.
  • Pale or soft crust
    • Bake longer, keep the oven very hot, and remove the lid for the last part of baking to dry and darken the crust.
  • Too sour or not sour enough
    • Warmer, longer ferments tend to increase acidity; cooler, shorter ferments and younger starter give a milder flavor.

5. Simple “one‑page” process recap

  1. Feed starter and let it double.
  2. Mix starter + water + flour + salt into a rough dough.
  3. Rest, then do a few rounds of stretch‑and‑fold.
  4. Let it slowly rise until puffy and larger.
  5. Shape into a tight loaf and proof in a basket.
  6. Preheat a lidded pot in a very hot oven.
  7. Score the loaf, bake covered, then uncovered until deep golden.
  8. Cool fully, then slice and enjoy.

TL;DR: To make sourdough bread, you combine active starter, water, flour, and salt, give the dough a long, gentle rise with a few folds, then bake it in a very hot covered pot for a crunchy crust and chewy, open crumb.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.