Easy Sourdough Recipe With Starter — 100% Hydration Starter

Want a reliable sourdough recipe with starter? Most sourdough failures come down to one thing: using a recipe that was written for someone else’s kitchen. This recipe is different — it uses baker’s percentages so the ratios stay consistent no matter your loaf size, and it gives you two schedule options so you can bake around your day rather than the other way around. One bowl. One loaf. Two paths to the same crusty, open-crumbed result.

Sourdough Recipe With Starter — Quick Overview

This recipe makes one medium-large boule and uses a 100% hydration active starter (equal parts flour and water by weight). Total hands-on time is about 30 minutes — the rest is waiting and watching. Choose your schedule below based on when you want to eat.

Not sure when to feed your starter to hit your target mix time? Use the Starter Feeding Calculator to get exact timing.

How this Sourdough Recipe With Starter Works (timings & hydration)

Count the starter into the total hydration: this recipe sits around ~70% hydration overall. Autolyse boosts gluten development with minimal kneading, stretch-and-folds build structure, and the fridge retard step deepens flavor while slowing fermentation.

Ingredients (makes 1 standard boule / 1 large loaf)

Notes: This recipe assumes your starter is 100% hydration (equal parts flour+water by weight). The starter weight is included in the totals below so the math matches the dough hydration.

• 450 g bread flour
• 50 g whole wheat flour (optional; you can use 500 g bread flour instead)
• 300 g water (room temperature)
• 100 g active sourdough starter (100% hydration — fed, bubbly)
• 10 g fine salt (about 1.75 tsp)

Yields: 1 large loaf (about 800–900 g finished dough).

Method for this sourdough recipe with starter— simple step-by-step

1. Feed and check your starter (4–8 hours before or overnight). Use a bubbly, active starter. It should double (or show lots of bubbles) within a few hours after feeding.
2. Autolyse (30–60 minutes). In a large bowl, mix the 300 g water with the 500 g total flour (450 g bread flour + 50 g whole wheat if using) until there are no dry patches. Cover and rest 30–60 minutes.
   Why: autolyse hydrates flour and helps gluten development.
3. Add starter + salt (5 minutes). Add 100 g starter and 10 g salt. Mix until incorporated — squeeze and fold the dough until homogeneous. Cover.
4. Bulk Fermentation with Stretch-and-Folds (2–5 hours)
   • During the first 1.5–2 hours, perform 4 sets of stretch-and-folds every 20–30 minutes. To stretch-and-fold: wet your hands, grab one side of the dough, stretch it upward, and fold it over the centre. Rotate the bowl 90° and repeat 4 times per set.
   • After your last fold, leave the dough undisturbed. Bulk fermentation is done when the dough has grown 50–75%, has visible bubbles on the sides and surface, and jiggles like jello when you shake the bowl. Do not go by time alone — watch the dough.
   • Not sure how long your bulk will take? Use the Fermentation Matrix to get a personalised window based on your kitchen temperature and starter strength.
   • Choose your schedule after bulk:
     • Option A — Same Day: After a full bulk (3–4 hours at ~75°F), shape, then do a final proof at room temperature for 1–2 hours until the dough looks puffy and springs back slowly when poked. Bake as directed in Step 7.
     • Option B — Overnight Retard (recommended for flavour): After 1.5–2 hours of stretch-and-folds, shape lightly and transfer to a floured banneton. Cover and refrigerate overnight for 8–16 hours. Bake straight from the fridge the next day — no warming needed.
5. Shape: Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface, pre-shape into a round, rest 15–20 minutes, then final shape into a tight boule. Place seam-side up in a floured banneton (or bowl lined with linen).
6. Final proof: Room temp 1–2 hours until puffy (Option A) or fridge 8–16 hours (Option B).
7. Preheat oven + bake: Preheat oven to 475°F (245°C) with a Dutch oven inside for at least 45 minutes. Score the loaf, transfer dough seam-side down into hot Dutch oven, cover, bake 20 minutes covered, then reduce to 450°F (230°C) and bake 20–25 minutes uncovered until deep brown and hollow-sounding. Internal temp ~205–210°F when done.
8. Cool: Let cool at least 1 hour before slicing to finish crumb set.

Troubleshooting

Dense or gummy crumb

Almost always a fermentation issue — either bulk fermentation ended too early, or your starter wasn’t at peak when you mixed. If the crumb is dense with large irregular holes at the top and tight crumb at the bottom, that is under-fermentation. If it’s gummy throughout, it’s usually under-baking or slicing too early. Full guide: Why Is My Sourdough Dense?

Flat loaf that spread sideways

Over-proofing is the most common cause — the dough loses structure and can’t hold its shape going into the oven. Next time, reduce the final proof time, make sure your shaping is tight, and bake a little earlier. You can also try scoring at a shallower angle (15–20°) rather than straight down. Full guide: Why Did My Sourdough Spread Sideways?

No oven spring — loaf barely rose

Check three things in order: (1) Was your starter genuinely at peak — bubbly, domed, doubled? (2) Did the dough bulk ferment long enough? (3) Was your Dutch oven fully preheated for at least 45 minutes? All three need to be right. Full guide: Sourdough Not Rising in the Oven

Starter not bubbling or doubling

Feed your starter 2–3 more times before baking — once a day if kept at room temperature, or skip the fridge until it’s reliably doubling within 4–8 hours. A starter that takes more than 10–12 hours to double at 72°F needs more frequent feedings to strengthen it. Full guide: Sourdough Starter Not Rising

Too sour — or not sour enough

More sourness: longer cold proof (up to 16–18 hours in the fridge), or let your starter ferment slightly past peak before adding it to the dough. Less sourness: shorten the retard, use the same-day schedule, or feed your starter 1–2 hours before peak to catch it earlier. Full guide: Getting Tangier or Milder Sourdough

Dough is too sticky to handle

Wet hands are your best tool — never add more flour during bulk or shaping. If the dough is extremely sticky throughout, it may be slightly over-hydrated for your flour brand, or bulk fermentation went too long and the gluten has broken down. Try reducing hydration by 3–5% on your next bake. Full guide: Sourdough Too Sticky

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Easy Sourdough Recipe With Starter — No-Fail Everyday Loaf

A single medium loaf using an active 100% hydration starter. Crusty exterior, open crumb, ~70% hydration (balanced and forgiving). Two schedule options: same-day (room temp) or slow overnight retard (fridge).

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine American, French

Keyword Simple sourdough, Sourdough Recipe

Total Time 10 hours hours

Servings 1 Loaf

Equipment

• 1 Banneton
• 1 Dutch Oven

Ingredients

• 450 g bread flour
• 50 g whole wheat flour optional; you can use 500 g bread flour instead
• 300 g water room temperature
• 100 g active sourdough starter 100% hydration — fed, bubbly
• 10 g fine salt about 1.75 tsp

Instructions

• Feed and check your starter (4–8 hours before or overnight). Use a bubbly, active starter. It should double (or show lots of bubbles) within a few hours after feeding.
• Autolyse (30–60 minutes). In a large bowl, mix the 300 g water with the 500 g total flour (450 g bread flour + 50 g whole wheat if using) until there are no dry patches. Cover and rest 30–60 minutes.
• Why: autolyse hydrates flour and helps gluten development.
• Add starter + salt (5 minutes). Add 100 g starter and 10 g salt. Mix until incorporated — squeeze and fold the dough until homogeneous. Cover.
• Bulk fermentation with stretch-and-folds (2–4 hours at ~75°F / adjust for temp).
• Do 4 sets of stretch-and-folds every 20–30 minutes during the first 1.5–2 hours. To stretch-and-fold: wet hands, lift one side and fold over; rotate bowl and repeat 4×.
• After the last fold, let dough rest undisturbed until it has increased by ~20–40% and shows bubbles at the surface. (Warmer temps shorten time; cooler temps lengthen it.)
• Option A — Same day schedule: Bulk ferment ~3–4 hours total, then shape and final proof 1–2 hours (or until ~80% rise), bake.
• Option B — Overnight retard (recommended for flavor): After initial bulk and folds (1.5–2 hours), shape lightly and place in a floured banneton, cover, and refrigerate overnight (8–16 hours). Bake next day from cold.
• Shape: Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface, pre-shape into a round, rest 15–20 minutes, then final shape into a tight boule. Place seam-side up in a floured banneton (or bowl lined with linen).
• Final proof: Room temp 1–2 hours until puffy (Option A) or fridge 8–16 hours (Option B).
• Preheat oven + bake: Preheat oven to 475°F (245°C) with a Dutch oven inside for at least 45 minutes. Score the loaf, transfer dough seam-side down into hot Dutch oven, cover, bake 20 minutes covered, then reduce to 450°F (230°C) and bake 20–25 minutes uncovered until deep brown and hollow-sounding. Internal temp ~205–210°F when done.
• Cool: Let cool at least 1 hour before slicing to finish crumb set.

Notes

Troubleshooting & quick fixes

• Starter not bubbly? Feed 2–3 times or wait until it doubles before using.
• Too dense crumb? Try longer bulk fermentation (warm place), gentler shaping, or slightly higher hydration.
• Flat loaf after scoring? You may have overproofed — shorter final proof next time.
• Too sour? Shorten retard time or bake sooner after final proof.

Frequency Asked Questions: