I used to buy sourdough bread from the store many years ago because I thought it was authentic and too hard to make at home… until I worked in a bakery and learned there’s nothing authentic about their sourdough. That sourdough flavor comes from different additives and flavourings added to flour to produce that sourdough taste without using sourdough starter.
Then I thought I would make sourdough bread at home, but I will admit that I used to think sourdough bread was so complicated to make. I watched others and it seemed almost impossible to me. I can make regular bread, but sourdough? And then I remembered the time we made sourdough bread in grade 4 and how good it was, and I was less intimidated and more determined to make an easy loaf of sourdough bread that anyone could make with little bread making experience.
I often hear others expressing how they think bread making is complicated, takes too long, has too many steps and though bread cannot be rushed and can require a bit more skill with fancy recipes needing a lot of ingredients, it doesn’t need to be if we stick to more old fashioned roots.
That is why I am sharing this simple overnight sourdough bread recipe with you. It is easy to make, and rises overnight. The next day with a little prep, you can have the most delicious sourdough bread!
Let’s get started!
Stir flour, salt and sourdough starter together. Stir well. Add honey to water and stir. Pour water into flour and mix well.
Dough will be very sticky. Cover and let rise 12 hours. I always slightly heat the oven, just until warm, cover the dough with my bread towel, place it in the oven, close the door and leave it overnight.
The next day, the dough should have doubled in size. Place dough onto floured parchment and shape it into a round loaf, or place dough in a floured banetton basket. Sprinkle dough with a little flour. Let dough rise for 45 minutes.
Place cast iron Dutch Oven pot with lid in oven, then turn oven on to 400F. Once oven is heated, remove dutch oven and carefully put dough (leave it on the parchment) into hot pan. I usually do not used parchment but it’s a little tricky to get the loaf into the extremely hot dutch oven. If you do not use parchment, please be careful! Place the lid on and bake for 30 minutes.
Here’s the dough after 30 minutes. Remove lid and bake for 15 minutes.
Here’s the bread fresh from the oven.
Look at that golden color! Let cool completely before slicing. If you slice into the bread too soon, the steam will escape, causing the bread to become gummy in the centre.
This bread is so good! It has such a great sourdough flavor, with a chewy crumb and crusty outer. It’s magnificent with butter (especially homemade butter!) and great as a sandwich or toast.
Simple Overnight Sourdough Bread
3 cups flour
1 cup sourdough starter
1/2 tsp salt
1-1/2 cups warm water
2 tbsp honey
Stir flour, salt and sourdough starter together. Stir well. Add honey to water and stir. Pour into flour and mix well. Dough will be very sticky. Cover and let rise 12 hours.
Place dough onto floured parchment and shape it into a round loaf, or place dough in a floured banetton basket. Sprinkle dough with a little flour. Let dough rise for 45 minutes.
Place cast iron Dutch Oven pot with lid in oven, then turn oven on to 400F. Once oven is heated, carefully put dough (leave it on the parchment) into hot pan. I usually do not used parchment but it’s a little tricky to get the loaf into the extremely hot dutch oven. If you do not use parchment, please be careful! Place the lid on and bake for 30 minutes. Remove lid and bake for 15 minutes.
Remove from oven. Let cool completely before slicing.
Need to make sourdough starter? It’s simple to do. Check out our post with all the directions here: https://www.ourcityhomestead.com/making-sourdough-starter/
enjoy from Our City Homestead to yours