Stephanie's Simple Sourdough Recipes


Happy 2025!  I hope this post finds you all healthy and happy.

 I'd like to start this post by saying I'm not a baker, though I'd like to be.  I've been baking with sourdough for about a year now.  I started my starter from scratch, it is possible but takes patience.  I now keep my starter in the fridge if I'm not using it and I have dehydrated starter as well.  The dehydrated starter is what led me to this post, and reviving my blog.  This past Christmas I gave some family members, who wanted to get started some dehydrated starter, and some of my nieces received a basic "cookbook".  All of the recipes I've included in this blog have been tested, by me and I try to keep to the truest sourdough recipes using only flour, water and salt.  I do weigh my ingredients instead of measuring cups because weight is more accurate when using wet and dry ingredients.

These recipes are intended to get you started and build your confidence when baking with sourdough.  Please let me know if you have questions or need any dehydrated starter.  Also, keep in mind, baking with sourdough isn't quick, but it's so worth it. 

Happy Baking,

Stephanie 

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For those of you that received dehydrated sourdough from me at Christmas, and didn't get my "book", here are the basic instructions for rehydration and some simple recipes that I use the most.

There's a ton of stuff on the web regarding Sourdough, so if you have questions ask, or find a video, there are thousands and no "right or wrong" way.  

 To revive dried sourdough starter, you rehydrate it with water and flour, and then feed it until it's active and bubbly: 

  • 1. Rehydrate

  • In a clear jar, mix 15 grams of dried starter with 20 grams of water at 80°F. Stir until the starter dissolves and the mixture is smooth and wet. This can take 4–8 hours. 

  • 2. Feed

  • Stir in 15 grams of flour, cover, and let it sit at 78°F for 12–14 hours. 

  • 3. Repeat

  • Once the mixture has doubled or tripled in size, feed it again with 30 grams of starter, 30 grams of water, and 30 grams of flour. Repeat until the starter is active and bubbly. (At this point, depending on your jar, you probably will need to discard)

  • The time it takes for the starter to become active depends on the temperature. Colder temperatures mean longer fermentation times, while warmer temperatures mean quicker fermentation.

  • Do determine if your starter has doubled, use a rubber band around your jar.  When you feed
    your starter, place the rubber band around your jar "marking" where your starter is. You could
    also use a dry erase marker. When the starter is getting close to the top, discard (into another
    jar and place it in the fridge, you can do a lot with discard!} I make discard crackers. I've
    included that recipe.
  • Once your starter becomes active, you can place it in the fridge, tightly covered and it will
     keep for months.  Feed it daily, or place it in the back of your refrigerator until you’re ready
     to use it.  Just keep in mind it must come to room temp before feeding it again.  You also
     might notice a greyish liquid floating on the top when you take it out of the refrigerator, that
     is “hooch”  you can stir it in and make a stronger sourdough flavor or dump it off.

  • I use unbleached AP flour in my starter, but you can use rye, wheat, whatever.  Same with cooking.  I use bread flour for loaves.
    *Helpful items for sourdough are a dutch oven, offset spatula, rubberbands, disposable shower caps, pastry cutter, danish whisk, banneton and for measuring accuracy, kitchen scales.  It can be done without all of these things though.


  • Sourdough Discard Crackers

    600 g of Sourdough Discard
     5 Tbsp of Oil or melted butter
     Salt and seasoning

  • No additional our is needed in this recipe. Preheat the oven to 325. Cover a cooking sheet with parchment paper. Mix all ingredients, and pour onto a sheet spreading as thinly as possible. If you have offset spatula it is helpful. Place inside the oven for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes cut the “crackers” using a pizza cutter, or a pasta cutter. Place them back into the oven for 25 minutes. This recipe is delicious and addicting. I used to make half of this recipe and I was making crackers everyday. Feel free to include cheese or any spices that you would like. The true beauty of this recipe is that it doesn’t require any additional our or you rolling it out.

    The true beauty of this recipe is that it doesn’t require any additional flour or you rolling it out. 

Basic Sourdough Loaf (same day loaf)

160g starter

290g water

410g bread, or AP flour

8g salt


Stir until it comes together, cover the bowl and let sit for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes knead or mix for 5 minutes. Cover with a wet towel or plastic (or a shower cap) and let sit for 30 more minutes. Now you’re going to start 4 stretch and folds. Every 30 minutes, for 2 hours. This builds the gluten. After the 4th set, rest 30 minutes and then shape your loaf and put it back into the bowl for 1 hour. After 1 hour dump your dough out onto a 2 ft piece of parchment and score your loaf using a lame or a sharp knife, or razor blade. Gently lift your loaf on the parchment and place into your heated pan, cast iron skillet, dutch oven and cover. Bake 40 minutes covered and 10-20 minutes uncovered.


Preheat oven and whatever you’re baking the bread in to 425.

*When performing stretch and folds wet your hands DO NOT use oil or additional flour.  Wet as much as needed.

S English Muffins

276g starter
240g warm water
5g honey
365g bread flour
2 Tbsp melted butter 
5g salt

Mix all ingredients in a mixer, low/med 15 minutes.  Or knead by hand.  Transfer to a greased bowl, I use olive oil for “greasing” but butter is certainly fine.  Ferment at room temperature for 1 hour and then place the bowl in the refrigerator for up to 20 hours.

Cut out 12-6 inch squares out of parchment, cover the squares with cornmeal on a baking sheet.  Divide dough into 12 balls, flatten on parchment. Cover with a towel for 2-6 hours, leave on the cabinet or inside a cold oven with the light on.  Preheat oven to 350.  Heat skillet, carefully peel off parchment,  place into skillet 5-8 minutes each side.  Transfer to a baking sheet, bake for 10 minutes then cool on a wire rack.  After cooling, slice if desired.  I keep these in the freezer and take them out as needed.


Bagels

100g sourdough starter
500g bread flour
250g warm water
30g honey/or sugar
10g salt


Mix the above ingredients, rest for 30 minutes, then start your stretch and folds.  Perform 4 sets over the next 2 hours.  Leave on the counter in the bowl overnight.  In the morning, shape 10 bagels.  I do this by weighing my dough, dividing by 10, that’s how much each ball of dough should weigh.  Doesn’t need to be perfect.  Shape the bagels and place them on a parchment lined baking sheet to rise for 1-1.5 hours.2 quarts boiling water with 1 Tbsp Honey and 1 Tbsp Baking Soda

Preheat oven to 425. Carefully place your bagels into the boiling water for 30 seconds-2 minutes each side (longer time makes them chewier). Place back onto the parchment lined sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes. If you want to top them with anything, do it before baking.


      T

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