Sourdough Bread (Measuring Cups Method)
A beginner-friendly sourdough bread recipe made with measuring cups instead of weight — no scale required.
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.