Same Day Sourdough - No Dutch Oven!

Did you know you can make delicious sourdough bread, without needing a banneton or Dutch oven? And it's ready to eat the same day!

We've adapted our Simply White Sourdough Bread recipe to a delicious sandwich loaf that couldn't be easier to make. You don't need any special tools at all to make this recipe: just an oven, a large bowl, and two regular loaf pans.  The shape is perfect for sandwiches and toast!

Don't have a sourdough starter yet? Grab your Superstarter today and bake along with us!

Recommended Tools

  • Large Bowl
  • Two pound size loaf pans 
  • Nonstick spray or high temp parchment paper

Before You Bake

Give your starter a large feed to create enough excess for the recipe. We like to feed the evening before we plan to bake.

  1. Start with 15g of starter.
  2. Add 45g room-temperature filtered water and 45g bread flour or unbleached all-purpose flour. Mix well.
  3. Cover loosely and rest overnight. 
  4. When the starter has reached its peak, you are ready to begin mixing your dough.

Ingredients

  • 90g active sourdough starter (fed and bubbly, at its peak)
  • 250g warm filtered water, around 80-85F
  • 375g bread flour (or unbleached all-purpose flour)
  • 10g fine sea salt

Method

This recipe uses a higher quantity of sourdough starter and lukewarm water to speed up the fermentation process. Let it proof in a warm spot in your kitchen for a same-day rise. 

1. Mix the Dough

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix by hand until no dry flour remains and a shaggy dough forms.
Knead the dough for 3-5 minutes, until the dough comes together into a smoother ball.
Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel or plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes.

2. Stretch and Fold

After resting, begin a series of stretch and folds to gently strengthen the dough:

  • With damp hands, grab one side of the dough, stretch it upward, then fold it over toward the center.
  • Rotate the bowl ninety degrees and repeat this on all four sides. That’s one set.
    Repeat this process every 30 minutes, for a total of four sets over two hours. Keep the dough covered between sets.

3. Bulk Fermentation

  • After the final stretch and fold, cover the bowl and let the dough ferment in a warm place (ideally 73–77°F) until it has visibly risen by 80-90%, appears slightly domed, and jiggles gently when moved.
    This can take anywhere from 3-8 hours depending on your kitchen temperature. Colder climates will require a longer fermentation time. 

4. Shape and Second Proof

  • Turn out the dough onto a clean work surface and shape it into batard shape by tightly rolling it up.
  • Grease a 9.5x5" loaf pan, or line it with high heat parchment paper.
  • Transfer shaped dough to loaf pan.
  • Cover and allow to rise at room temperature for 1-2 hours, until top of dough is near the top of the pan. 
    note: if you are short on time, you can move your shaped dough to the refrigerator to cold proof instead of letting it rise at room temperature, and bake within 6-48 hours. 

5. Preheat and Score

  • Preheat oven to 450°F
  • With a very sharp knife or bread lame, make a clean slit across the entire surface of your dough.
  • Place a second loaf pan, flipped upside-down, over the pan containing your dough, creating a lid. 

6. Bake

  • Bake 20 minutes covered at 450F.
  • Then, remove the lid, reduce the temperature to 410F, and bake an additional 15 minutes uncovered until the crust is golden brown and crisp.

7. Cool Completely

Transfer your finished loaf to a wire rack and let it cool completely before slicing. This allows the crumb to finish setting and keeps the interior light and airy.

Tips for Success

  • Find a warm spot: Letting your dough ferment fully is key to flavor and structure. For a same-day loaf, look for a warm spot such as near an appliance.
  • Flour matters: Bread flour yields a chewier crumb and great structure, but unbleached all-purpose works beautifully too. 
  • Bake hot: A properly preheated oven gives you that bold rise and blistered crust. This often takes longer than your oven's preheat cycle. 
  • Get your starter ready: your starter should be at peak before baking - bubbly, doubled in size, with a pleasant tangy smell.
  • Sticky is normal: handle your dough with damp hands to avoid sticking. Dust lightly with flour if needed. Dough should be sticky but manageable. 
  • Prep your loaf pan: a non-stick spray works great, or you can line your pan with parchment paper. Be sure to use a high-temp paper, as low-temp paper can stick to your bread.
  • Work that dough: It's okay if you don't have time for a full four sets of stretch and folds, but try to get a few sets in for best structure.