I know, I know — every sourdough recipe on the internet wants you to own a kitchen scale and speak fluent baker’s percentages before you even touch the flour. This one doesn’t. This recipe uses plain old measuring cups because that’s how most of us actually bake, and I got tired of feeling like sourdough was a club with a gatekeeping problem.

This is the loaf I make on a regular Tuesday, no scale required, no baking degree needed — just flour, water, starter, and a little patience. If you’ve been wanting to try sourdough but the weight-based recipes scared you off, this one’s for you. Consider this your invitation back into the kitchen.

Sourdough Bread (Measuring Cups Method)

A beginner-friendly sourdough bread recipe made with measuring cups instead of weight — no scale required.

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Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Equipment

• dutch oven

Ingredients

  

• 1/4 cup Sourdough Starter
• 1.5 cups Filtered water
• 2 tsp Sea Salt
• 4 cups plys 2 Tbsp Flour

Instructions

 

Feed the Starter:

• 1/3 cup flour + a little less than 1/3 cup filtered water – mix well with plastic or wooden
• Leave on counter for 2-4 hours, want it to have a nice bubbly texture
• 2-4 hours later…..

Make the Dough

• 1.5 cups filtered water into a bowl
• Add 1/4 cup starter (scrape out with fingers)
• Mix all together
• 2 teaspoons of salt and stir
• 4 cups + 2 tablespoons flour – spoon the flour into the measuring cup then flatten off with a knife (since we don’t have a scale)
• Mix with spoon until all together, shape gently with hands to form a ball (when you try to stretch, it tears)
• Cover the dough with a lid, plastic wrap or wet tea towel, Rest for 1 hour
• 1 hour later…..

Stretch and Fold Round 1

• Now the dough should stretch, Wet hands a little bit gather it all into a ball that is not stuck to bottom
• Mentally Divide bowl into 4 quarters – stretch 1 side and fold over, turn and repeat until you’ve done 4 stretch and folds
• Cover the dough with a lid, plastic wrap or wet tea towel, Rest for 30 minutes
• 30 minutes later….

Stretch and Fold Round 2

• Stretch and Fold again (same as above)
• Cover the dough with a lid, plastic wrap or wet tea towel
• Rest for 7-10 Hours
• approximately 8 hours later…..

Shape the Dough and Final Rest

• Dough should be nice and risen
• Add flour to fingers, pull the dough out of the bowl onto a floured surface
• Pretend 4 quarter, grab 2 opposing quarters and pull toward each other, do with the other 2 quarters then flip over so seamed side is down, shape it into a circle the best you can, shape and roll to create a nice smooth top
• Put dough ball into a piece of parchment like a sling, but it back into bowl
• Cover, Rest for 1 -2 hours
• 1 hour later…..begin the preheat for cooking step

Preheat Oven

• Set oven to 450
• Add 2 ice cubes into the dutch oven and put into oven – leave it in there while the oven preheats

Bake Bread

• Score the dough from top to bottom 15 degree angle using a razor blade (creates oven spring)
• Take dutch oven out, add the parchment sling with the dough inside the oven, tuck 3 ice cubes behind the parchment paper
• Bake 20 minutes with lid on
• Bake 22 minutes with lid off (lid completely off for about 10-15 mins, then top with foil so the top doesn’t get too brown

Cool and Enjoy

• Let bread cool for at least 1 hour before cutting
• Store bread on a cutting board with a kitchen towel over for a day or so then store in a bag.

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