I’ve always wanted to make sourdough bread and can finally check it off my culinary bucket list.
And rather than doing it in week(s), I did it in hours.
Traditional sourdough starters take 5-7 days to develop, and making the bread can take a full day, so you’re looking at a week whereas I made this bread in 9 hours. Do it as an overnight recipe or think of it like a slow cooker recipe. Set it and forget it because it really is that easy.
Rather than using a traditional sourdough starter, Greek yogurt and sour cream is mixed with bread flour, yeast, and a pinch of salt. The active cultures in the Greek yogurt and sour cream ferment the dough and give the bread traditional sourdough flavor. The longer you let the bread rise and ferment, up to about 18 hours, the more sourdough-ey it’ll taste.
I’ve made the bread twice because my family kept raving about this loaf. For this bread I did a 6 1/2 hour rise/ferment (first rise) and for the next loaf I did 10 hours. The 10 hour version was more sourdough-ey and also had a more more ‘holey’ and open crumb, but I wouldn’t necessarily say the 10-hour was ‘better’. Both are fabulous.
If you’ve ever made bread, this recipe will be a total snap. Much easier than cinnamon rolls, sweet rolls, or dinner rolls, by a long shot. The recipe looks long but I write yeast recipes with as much detail and give as many tips as I possibly can to set you up for success. Read the recipe at least twice before starting. All you’re really doing is making dough, letting it rise for 6 hours, letting it rise again for 1 hour, and baking.
While it’s not imperative to bake the bread in Dutch oven, it really helps develop sourdough’s signature crusty crust because a covered Dutch oven traps in the steam the bread releases while baking, aiding in crust development. If you don’t have a Dutch oven, a cast iron skillet or heavy-bottomed skillet will work, although some of the crustiness will be sacrificed.
The bread is hearty, satisfying, and has a firm crust that gives was to a super moist, soft interior. My daughter loves crust (she didn’t get that from me) and my family devoured the loaf in one sitting.
I got the bug to try this because of Mandy’s post and without knowing I was making sourdough bread or the flavor goal, my family said it tastes like a piece of San Francisco sourdough bread from a fancy bakery.
I like it served simply with honey butter or butter. Or try jam, jelly, or hummus. The bread is great toasted, perfect for sandwiches, for crostini, or with your favorite dip. I wouldn’t complain if you put a hunk of cheese and bread in one hand and a glass of wine in the other.
It’s so rewarding knowing I made bread that looks and tastes like something from a bakery. You’re going to love that feeling. And you’re going to love the bread.
Traditional sourdough starters take 5-7 days to develop, and making the bread can take a full day, so you're looking at a week whereas you can make this bread in 9 hours. Do the first rise overnight or think of like a slow cooker recipe - set it and forget it because it really is that easy. Rather than using a traditional sourdough starter, Greek yogurt and sour cream is mixed with bread flour, yeast, and a pinch of salt. The active cultures in the Greek yogurt and sour cream ferment the dough and give the bread traditional sourdough flavor. The longer you let the bread rise and ferment, up to about 18 hours, the more sourdough-ey it'll taste. The bread is hearty, satisfying, and has a firm crust that gives was to a super moist, soft interior. Read the recipe at least twice before starting, but you're simply making dough, letting it rise for 6 hours, letting it rise again for 1 hour, and baking it.
Yield: one small/med 6 to 8-inch round loaf
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: about 35 to 40 minutes
Total Time: about 9 hours, for rising
3 cups bread flour (I use King Arthur)
one-17.6 ounce (500 gram) tub plain unsweetened Greek yogurt with active cultures (must say 'active cultures', I used 0% Non-Fat Fage)
about 1/2 to 1 cup sour cream (or Greek yogurt, lite versions are okay), or as needed see below step 1
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
scant 1 teaspoon (just slightly less than 1 teaspoon) instant dry yeast (I use Red Star Platinum) for 6 to 12 hours rising (use closer to 1/2 teaspoon yeast if you plan to allow dough to rise for 12-18 hours; see step 4 below)
Recipe from Averie Cooks. All images and content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or simply link back to this post for the recipe. Thank you.
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