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This easy Quick Sourdough Bread recipe lets you have the authentic sourdough taste without the time and effort of maintaining a sourdough starter. The dutch oven method is easy and requires no kneading!

Sourdough bread makes delicious French Toast, Homemade Croutons, and Tuna Melt Sandwiches. It’s also great for serving as toast with your morning eggs and bacon!

loaf of sourdough bread, parchment paper, dutch oven
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The Best Homemade Sourdough

My son makes the best turkey sandwiches and he’ll let you know it. He uses crisp lettuce, juicy slices of tomato, a thin spread of mayo, and an obscene amount of sliced turkey. But the best part is the lightly toasted slices of sourdough bread that hold everything together. Perfectly toasted – not too dark, not too light. And if you’re lucky he’ll include a fancy toothpick and a pickle, too.

If you’ve been one of the lucky recipients of his fantastic creation, you know that the bread really does make a difference. Homemade sourdough is the number choice among chefs and kid sandwich makers, so this recipe has become a favorite.

sliced sourdough bread on white plate, butter, red dutch oven

How do you make Sourdough Bread from Scratch?

Traditional sourdough bread requires some patience. First you have to make a starter (a culture of flour and water) which can take anywhere from 1-5 days. You “feed” it until it’s ready to use. The starter can be finicky, and doesn’t always produce something useable, which is why this recipe is so great!

This quick method uses a special Instant Sourdough Yeast by Red Star. No starter needed, just 4 ingredients, and a few simple steps. You can also prep the dough the day before and bake in the morning.

How to Make Sourdough Bread with Instant Yeast

See recipe card below for ingredient quantities and full instructions.

This easy dutch oven method results in a tender sourdough bread with a crunchy crust. You can even prep the dough the night before – it doesn’t get any easier! Don’t have a dutch oven? See the recipe for how to make it using a sheet pan

collage of images showing how to make instant yeast sourdough bread
  1. Mix together salt and instant sourdough yeast.
  2. Add warm water. Use an instant read thermometer to measure the water temperature. You want it to be between 105-110 degrees F. Let it bubble (bloom) for a few minutes
  3. Mix Dough: Mix together the bread flour, yeast, and salt then add the warm water and stir to form a dough. If needed, add additional flour or water.
  4. Allow Dough to Rise: First, let the dough rise in a bowl in a warm spot for 2 hours.
  5. 2nd Rise. After it has risen, fold into a domed shape on a floured surface and allow it to rise again (even overnight if you pop it in the fridge).
  6. Preheat Dutch Oven and Bake Sourdough Bread: Line a dutch oven with parchment paper and place in the cold oven with the lid on. Preheat the oven with the dutch oven inside. Getting the dutch oven hot is key to that great bread crust. Very carefully remove the hot dutch oven from the oven and place the dough inside (I like to sprinkle a little flour on the parchment first). Reduce the oven heat and bake the bread with the lid on for 30 minutes before removing the lid and baking for another 10-15 minutes. Allow the sourdough bread to cool on a wire rack before enjoying.

baked loaf of sourdough bread in a red dutch oven with parchment paper

FAQs

Is sourdough bread good for you?

Sourdough bread is considered a healthier choice compared to regular white bread. There are several benefits of sourdough bread such as the lower phytate levels that make it more digestible and the probiotics are great for your gut bacteria and are better for blood sugar levels.

Can I use regular instant yeast instead of the instant sourdough yeast?

Although you won’t get that classic sourdough taste, you can use regular instant yeast as a substitute. The recipe remains the same and you will still be left with an amazing loaf of bread.

How To Serve

Sourdough bread is amazing as is served warm with some butter. It’s great with soups and stews like this Pork Stew or Vegetable Soup.

You can also turn slices into an amazing grilled cheese or panini, or lightly toasted for a delicious Egg Salad or Chicken Salad Sandwich. Make the best ever sourdough garlic bread or dip chunks in this easy Garlic & Herb Olive Oil Bread Dip.

Finally, if the loaf doesn’t magically get eaten quickly, you can even make Panzanella Salad.

Storage, Freezing, and Reheating Tips

Leftovers/Storage: Leftover sourdough bread can be stored at room temperature (wrapped or in an airtight container) for about 4 days.

Freezer: You can also freeze the leftover sourdough bread as a whole loaf or cut into slices. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap to prevent freezer burn and freeze for up to 2 months. Then thaw the loaf at room temperature or you can toast the slices from frozen.

Reheating: Sourdough bread is great at room temperature but you can also reheat slices in the toaster or the entire loaf in the oven (350°F for 5-10 minutes).

Recipe Notes/Tips

  • Make sure to preheat the dutch oven! Using a hot dutch oven helps get that amazing crunchy crust.
  • If you don’t have a dutch oven, you can still make this bread! Just place the dough on a parchment lined baking sheet that is sprinkled with flour and cover with foil. Make sure you tightly seal the foil. Like the dutch oven method, bake covered for 30 minutes before removing the foil and baking for 10-15 minutes more.
sliced sourdough bread with butter, white plates

More Bread Recipes

Recipe

Sourdough Bread Recipe

4.55 from 64 votes
This easy to make sourdough bread recipe is amazingly good with that authentic sourdough taste.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings 1 loaf

Equipment

  • Enameled Dutch Oven

Ingredients
  

  • 4.5 cups bread flour
  • 1 Package Red Star Platinum Instant Sourdough Yeast
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1 ¾ cups warm water 105-110 degrees F

Instructions
 

  • In a large mixing bowl mix instant sourdough yeast and salt. Slowly add the warm water (105-110 degrees F) and stir well. Let sit to "bloom" for a couple od minutes, then stir in the flour until a dough forms. If you need to add some water for dry spots or leftover flour add a tablespoon at a time.
  • Cover with a moist towel or plastic wrap for 2 hours in a warm place. If using plastic wrap poke a few tiny holes in it for gasses to escape.
  • Sprinkle some flour onto a flat surface and place the dough onto it. Stretch and fold over the sides to create a round domed shape with the edges tucked (folded) into the bottom.
  • Cover again and let dough rise for 1 additional hour in a warm dry place, or cover and refrigerate if baking the next day (see notes).
  • While the dough is rising (and around the 30 minutes mark) preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Line an enameled Dutch Oven with parchment paper and cover with the lid. Place in the oven while it's preheating.
  • Carefully remove the pot from the oven and remove the lid. Sprinkle some flour on the parchment paper and place the dough inside. Use a sharp knife to make a few slits across the top of the bread to help with expansion.
  • Replace the lid and place the pot in the oven. Reduce heat to 425 degrees F and bake for 30 minutes, covered.
  • Remove the lid to the Dutch oven and bake for another 10-15 minutes. The internal temperature at the center of bread should be around 205 degrees F.
  • Carefully remove the bread from the dutch oven and let cool on a wire rack.

Notes

To make ahead, you can refrigerate the dough after step 3. If refrigerated, let dough warm up for 1 hour at room temperature before baking in step 5.
Sheet pan method:
Place parchment paper on a rimmed baking sheet and sprinkle with flour. Place dough on the parchment paper, score across the top, then cover with foil, making a tight seal around the sheet pan. Preheat to 500 degrees F, then reduce heat to 425 and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil for an additional 10-15 minutes until center reads 205 degrees F.
Please not that nutritional content is provided for informational purposes only. Actual serving size and nutritional value will vary. 

Nutrition

Calories: 2034kcalCarbohydrates: 408gProtein: 68gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 7009mgPotassium: 573mgFiber: 14gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 11IUCalcium: 101mgIron: 5mg
Keyword instant sourdough yeast, sourdough bread

Kristin Maxwell

Kristin Maxwell is the creator and main recipe developer, writer, and photographer of Yellow Bliss Road. A self-taught cook and self-appointed foodie, she specializes in easy, flavorful and approachable recipes for any home cook.

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Comments

  1. I couldn’t find regular bread flour today so I bought gluten free bread flour. Do you think this will be okay for the sourdough bread? Couldn’t find sourdough yeast either, but was successful at ordering it from Amazon. Everyone in Tampa must be making bread this week!

  2. I have made this many times, and our family loves it. As some reviews mention, it is too salty, but I have never had anyone think it is at all. I set mine by our fireplace to rise, and it works great! I haven’t tackled a sourdough starter yet, so this is the next best thing. Thank you, Kristin!

  3. I added another cup and 1/2 of flour. The dough looked like pie filling. This recipe doesn’t call for sugar. It doesn’t recommend butter or oil. Oil is important because it help the bread slide out of the bowl after rising and also helps during cooking. The bread itself was mediocre, following directions to a ‘T’.
    Probably won’t use this one again.

    1. Too much flour leaves a dry dense bread that probably won’t rise nicely. This recipe is amazing, not sure how it wasn’t for you. I actually added less flour because it’s winter here and dry, the dough should be slightly sticky. Mine still pulled away from the bowl after the first rise with minimal dough stuck to the bowl. The 2nd rise should just be on your counter so you just lift and place in hot Dutch oven. The first recipe I ever used was terrible, this one is delicious! Hope you can try again.

  4. I have a cast iron dutch oven, it over baked the bottom of the bread but with tweaking the how long the covered bake lasts and it works fine. Baked covered for 20ish minute the bottom wasn’t over cooked.

  5. I haven’t made this yet…I was just wondering if I could use regular yeast instead of the sourdough? I don’t have sourdough yeast available near me.

    1. Regular yeast would not yield the same results. If you want quick sourdough, that’s the only way I know of. I have found it on Amazon so maybe you could order some?

  6. I made this yesterday and it was great! My husband and my 6 year old grandson both loved it. With salted butter it might be just a bit too much salt so I’ll add a little less next time.

    1. First attempt making bread, it turned out beautifully! I added roasted garlic and rosemary to mine, I did not find it was too salty at all. Wonderful recipe!

    1. Bread flour has more protein in it than regular AP flour, but you can use one in place of the other. You can judge for yourself which you’d rather use; HERE is a great piece of information about it.

  7. just made this. never made bread in my life and it came out great. added a bit more water tbsp by tbsp as instructed plus 1 tbsp of salt and it tastes amazing :). thank you!

  8. Gotta be a typo – not Tablespoon of salt…Teaspoon is more like it. Otherwise great technique for a wonderful crust

    1. Not a typo. If you take a look at other recipes you’ll see they have roughly the same amount. Have you actually tried the recipe or did you just take off a star because you *think* it’s wrong?

      1. Of course, and the first person who tried a piece said “too much salt”.
        The reason I suggested typo was when I look at the photo of the ingredients, the salt pile looks like a teaspoon to my eye.

  9. trying your sourdough bread recipe today for first time; trying to get back into my breadbaking
    hobby. didn’t see a wheatberry bread recipe when I skimmed through the recipes. do you by chance have one that is good but relatively simple/easy? could wheatberries be added to this recipe with any modifications

  10. I don’t have a dutch oven. I do have a granite wear stock pot Ive been using.
    mixed results. I made two artisan loaves exactly the same. I got a better oven spring on the second one. The stock pot cools off very fast when removed from the one.

    is the lighter weigh to blame for inconsistent results??

  11. Updated Question

    Can I add some unsweetened cocoa powder to add some darker colour?? Will this foul up the recipe?? Thanks, Jim

    1. Not sure, because it’s something I haven’t tried. I supposed you could replace some of the flour, but I don’t know how it will come out.

  12. These recipe instructions are very unclear. It says pour water into dry ing, stir well and let bloom, but last time I checked, when you pour 1 3/4 cups of liquid into 4.5 cups of flour, you can’t stir well, because a dough forms immediately due to the ratios. Does she mean we are to put in part of the flour and stir? Make a well and partly mix the water in? Doesn’t make sense…it seems to say to add more flour to make a dough??? Part of the method is missing. Hope mine doesn’t flop :/

    1. Please make sure you are reading the recipe card at the bottom of the post. That’s where you will find the complete and detailed instructions.

  13. I haven’t tried this recipe yet, but will certainly do so – I bought the sourdough yeast and am anxious to try it. If it is in the recipe or notes, I missed it. So what size of Dutch Oven (how many quarts) do you recommend?

    Kind regards.

    Gary

  14. Hi Kristin
    This was my first attempt at baking bread.
    Followed the instructions exactingly and end temperature of 207 deg. F achieved.
    The crusty surface was great with the Dutch oven. However the core though fully cooked and soft was very dense and heavy, the bread knife would bind. Some questions :
    Q1: I used whole wheat bread flour. Should it have been white flour ?
    Q2: how long should we wait for the water, salt and Red Star instant yeast to bloom and what should the mixture look like ?
    Q3: if white bread floor is used, will it not be as dense and heavy OR was there some mistake on the technique ?

    A video showing the process would perfect this easy recipe.

    p.s. I’m not much use in the kitchen but am semi-retired engineer, and interested in baking. The wife was encouraging and we are most of the bread, a slice at a time, s it was too heavy. Would have preferred it to be lighter.

    Will appreciate your feed back.
    Thanx

    1. Hi Percy, Wheat flour tends to be much more heavy and dense so that’s my guess as to the culprit. If you feel inclined, give it another try with white bread flour and it should turn out as intended.

  15. This is a fabulous recipe and perfect for beginners. The first time I made it I neglected to ensure the water was adequately hot. Turned into large hockey puck. More careful the second time—the loaf turned out delicious. Thank you!

  16. I am confused as to when I add the water. In the top instructions and in the pictures there is water used to dissolve the yeast and let it bloom. But then further down the instructions and in the recipe instructions water is added to the flour, salt and yeast.
    Which is it? I ended up putting the water in after everything else because I followed the recipe instructions.
    It’s a bit confusing could you maybe clarify. Thanks!

    1. You’re absolutely right, and I’m sorry for the mistake. I have updated the recipe to clarify.

  17. This is the best bread ever!! We were visiting my eldest son and family, he made 2 loaves (one for us to bring home). We ate most of his loaf while at his house and couldn’t wait to get home to start on ours!! That was the tough part because it took us 2 days to drive home. The crust was fantastic, SO crunchy with a meaty center. Can’t wait to get my hands on this yeast and start baking my very own loaf!!

  18. So simple you took all the fear and uncertainty out of homemade sourdough. Your recipe was spot on. First attempt was so yummy the next day we went to pick up 6 more pkgs four days later I had to make more. Not bad since it is just hubby and me!!!!

  19. Have you ever added anything to the bread for different flavors? I was thinking adding pumpkin for a pumpkin bread flavor

    1. I haven’t tried that. Not sure how the pumpkin would work out though, because that changes the texture.

      1. I usually add caraway seeds or dried rosemary which takes the bread to a whole new level. Absolutely delicious. Since I discovered this recipe with Red Star Platinum Sourdough yeast, I have only been baking my own bread.

    1. Hi Sandra – it’s best to keep the bread at room temperature, ideally wrapped in plastic wrap so it can “breathe.”

    1. I know the yeast is available on Amazon. It’s not available in every store here in the US either, but I think it will become more common. If you can’t find it, I’m afraid you won’t be able to use this recipe.

    2. Under tips below the recipe I believe it does say you can bake this bread without the sourdough yeast, keeping in mind that it won’t taste quite the same. Good luck, I’m having a hard time finding the yeast locally also.