Sourdough Round Bread

This Sourdough Round Bread recipe is perfect for beginners. This recipe makes beautiful round loaves with a soft, chewy crumb. With just a handful of ingredients, you can enjoy the authentic taste of sourdough at home. 

WHY YOU’LL LOVE this Sourdough Round Bread

Dutch Oven Baked. This sourdough round bread is fluffy, tender, and perfectly tangy, baked in a hot dutch oven pot.

No Knead Recipe. This sourdough round bread is fool-proof and instead of kneading, you just do an easy set of stretching and folding.

Tangy Flavor. Each bite has that signature sourdough tanginess that will have you craving another slice. This yields a rustic, artisan-style loaf that is slightly crispy and chewy on the outside, and fantastically fluffy and soft on the inside.

INGREDIENTS

Starter- Active bubbly starter is what you want for sourdough bread.

Warm Water- The warm water (not hot) helps incorporate the starter and honey without killing the starter.

Bread Flour- Although you can use all-purpose flour, the higher protein content in bread flour creates a higher more airy loaf that’s perfect for sandwiches.

Oil– Gives a more pleasing texture and flavor.

Honey- The slight sweetness of this sourdough bread.

Scroll down to the recipe card to see the quantities used.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Add the active starter to a large bowl. Mix in warm water and honey, until milky.
2. Then add in bread flour, oil, and salt. Stir with a dough whisk or mix with your hands until the dough is thicker and not formed. I also use a flexible dough scraper to help incorporate the dough.
3. Finish mixing the dough with your hand until most of the flour has been incorporated. Cover with a damp tea towel or a reusable bowl cover. Let rest for 45-60 minutes.
4. Do a series of 4-6 stretches and folds. Cover with a damp tea towel or a reusable bowl cover and sit on the counter overnight for 8-10 hours. Do not refrigerate the dough.
5. In the morning, lightly flour your countertop and place dough on it. I like to use a flexible dough scraper to help pull the dough onto the counter. Stretch out your dough into a rectangle, then tri-fold it into a log, and then fold it in half. Once folded, push it away from you, and then pull it towards you to build tension in the dough. Do that 3-4 times until your loaf is round and bouncy. 
6. Gently, with a bench scraper, place dough into a proofing basket that is lined with floured parchment paper. Cover with a damp tea towel or a reusable bowl cover and let rise for 2-3 hours until it doubles in size. 
7. If baking the same morning, preheat the oven and cast iron pot (with lid) to 450 F for at least 15 minutes. Lightly flour the top of your bread and score bread with a bread lame, or a sharp knife creating a shallow design.
8. Use the parchment paper to lift the dough into the preheated cast iron pot. Add two ice cubes to the pot behind the parchment paper. 
9. Cover and bake for 30 minutes at 450 F with the lid on- remove the lid and put back in the oven for another 5-8 minutes or until a deep golden brown.
10. Remove the pot from the oven and carefully place the bread on a cooling rack to cool for 1 hour before slicing. Leave baked bread on the counter, covered, and enjoy within 2-3 days.
11. If not baking after the 2nd rise, place the proofing basket with the dough in the fridge covered until ready to bake. The dough can stay in the refrigerator unbaked for four days. 

TIPS/STORAGE for Sourdough Round Bread

Storage: keep the bread in a fabric or paper bag, wrapped in a tea towel, or a bread bin at room temperature for up to three days. It will dry out slightly over time but toasts very well and is delicious as a grilled cheese.

Freezing: freeze the full round in an airtight container, or do individual slices, for up to two months. Thaw slices directly in the toaster for easy single servings.

Need more sourdough recipes? Try this Easy Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls. It’s seriously so good!

Print