Name: Easy sourdough bread and starter recipe
Prep time: 1440 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1470 min
Yield: 1
Ingredients: 3 cups baker’s flour (or plain flour if that’s all you have); 1 1/2 tsp salt; 1 1/2 tbs milk powder; 1 tsp bread improver or ascorbic acid; 1 tbs psyllium husks (optional); 1 1/4 cups of water; 1 1/2 teaspoons butter or oil; 1 teaspoon yeast

by Serina Bird Last updated on 06/15/2023

Making your own sourdough bread is something to be proud of. Once you make this recipe, you'll never have to buy store-bought sourdough again. - Serina Bird

Ingredients

Bread mix ingredients

3 cups baker’s flour (or plain flour if that’s all you have)
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tbs milk powder
1 tsp bread improver or ascorbic acid
1 tbs psyllium husks (optional)

Extra ingredients

1 1/4 cups of water
1 1/2 teaspoons butter or oil
1 teaspoon yeast

Method

Step 1

To make the starter: In a glass jar, place around 1/4 cup baker’s flour with equal part lukewarm (not hot) water. Leftover water from boiling potatoes works well.
Step 2

Cover with a cloth and leave in a warm place (place in an esky with a hot water bottle overnight if necessary).
Step 3

The next day, remove half of the mixture and add 1/8 cup baker’s flour with 1/8 cup of water, mix, cover and allow to rest a day. Repeat for around five days.
Step 4

You will now (hopefully) have a bubbly, slightly sour tasting starter that will make delicious bread.
Step 5

To feed the starter, you will need to discard half of your mixture and add 1/8 cup of flour and 1/8 up of water (or more, basically double whatever you have in the jar) and do this every day (unless you pause the process by storing your starter in the fridge). Feed your starter a day before you intend to use it.
Step 6

To make a loaf of sourdough bread: Combine around ¼ cup of starter with 1 ½ cups of water, 1 teaspoon of salt and 3 ½ cups of strong (baker’s) flour. Mix for around ten minutes until combined. I like to use a bread mixer or a thermocooker for the mixing.
Step 7

Allow to rest, covered, overnight in a warm place. The bread mixture will rise several times in volume. It is okay if it is quite sticky.
Step 8

Place onto a floured surface. Punch down and knead/stretch for a few minutes until it is elastic. Shape into a round or oblong shape, and place into a floured bowl. Cover and allow to rise for 30 minutes.
Step 9

Meanwhile, heat your oven until it is super-hot – between 220C and 240C. Also place a tray of boiling water in the bottom of the oven; the steam will help the sourdough bread form a lovely, thick crust.
Step 10

Sprinkle flour or semolina onto a tray, remove the dough carefully from the bowl and place onto the tray. Using a sharp knife (or blade) slash into the bread to allow room for it to grow as it expands.
Step 11

Bake the bread for 20 to 30 minutes in the hot oven. It is ready when it is a dark brown colour and is hollow on the bottom when tapped.

Recipe Notes

from Australia’s Best Recipes team

Makes 1 large loaf.

The starter

The quality of the starter will determine the taste and quality of the bread. Ideally get a starter from a friend, as you will have much better results with a starter that you know works and that has already developed a distinctive flavour. But if you can’t get one, you can make your own.