Same-Day Sourdough Bread – Home Grown Happiness

Sourdough bread doesn’t have to be multi-day process! This same-day sourdough bread is perfect for fresh, homemade sourdough without the long overnight wait. This method shortens the timeline but still uses only sourdough starter as the yeast.

Fermentation and proofing

What You Need

• Flour – Use a strong bread flour for the best gluten development. I also add in a bit of whole wheat flour for depth of flavour.
• Sourdough starter – An active, bubbly starter is key to a good rise.
• Water – Hydrates the dough and helps fermentation.
• Salt – Enhances flavor and strengthens the dough.

1. Feed your starter

If your starter isn’t active yet, feed it in the morning at a 1:1:1 ratio (e.g., 40g starter: 40g flour: 40g water) and place it in a warm spot. It should double in about 4 hours and be ready to be used in the dough. Alternatively, feed it the night before with a 1:3:3 ratio (e.g., 15g starter:45g flour: 45g water), so it’s ready by morning.

2. Mix the Dough

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and water. Stir until all the flour is hydrated, then cover and let it rest for about 30 minutes (autolyze).

3. Add Starter & Salt

Once the starter is active and bubbly, add it to the dough along with the salt. Use wet hands to squish and mix it in until fully incorporated. Add in a few slap and folds to incorporate it better and start developing the structure.

Slap and folding

Slap and fold is a kneading technique used to develop gluten in high-hydration doughs. To perform it, take the dough, lift it, and slap it onto the work surface, then fold it over itself. Repeat this process to build strength. It can also be done in a bowl using a scooping motion to repeatedly stretch and fold the dough.

4. Bulk Fermentation & Folding

Over the next 3 hours, give the dough more sets of stretches and folds every 30 minutes. Keep the dough covered it in a warm spot, around 25°C/76°F.

5. Bulk Ferment continued

After the folds, remove the dough and clean the bowl (old dough can stick to the bowl like glue!). Then place the dough back into the cleaned bowl and let it continue its bulk ferment. At the end, there should be definite signs of activity on the dough, like bubbles forming; the dough should be visibly puffier and will jiggle if you give the bowl a shake. At a room temperature of around 25°C/76°F, my dough needs about another 1-2 hours, but it will take longer in colder temperatures.

5. Shape the Dough

Gently turn the dough onto a floured surface. Pre-shape into a ball and let it rest for 20-30 minutes before final shaping. Shape into a round (boule) or oval (bâtard) and place it in a proofing basket seam-side up.

6. Final Proof

Let the dough proof in the basket at room temperature for another 1.5-2 hours until slightly puffy and bulked out by around 50%. You don’t want it to double or it will be over-proofed and can be too weak to hold its shape.

7. Bake the Bread

Preheat your oven and Dutch oven to 450°F (230°C) for at least 30 minutes. If your bread has finished rising, place it in the fridge while the oven heats.

Bake covered for 20 minutes, then uncover and bake for another 20-25 minutes until golden brown and crisp.

Tips for Success

• Use an active starter
• Warm environment = faster fermentation
• Watch the dough, not the clock – The fermentation time will vary depending on your starter and room temperature.

Storing & Freezing

• Store the baked loaf at room temperature in a paper bag or wrapped in a clean towel for up to 3 days.
• To freeze, slice the bread and store in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months.

Same-Day Sourdough

Sourdough bread doesn’t have to be multi-day process! This same-day sourdough bread is perfect for fresh, homemade sourdough without the long overnight wait. This method shortens the timeline but still uses only sourdough starter as the yeast.

Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

12 hours hrs

Course Bread

Cuisine American, New Zealand

Servings 8

Calories 201 kcal

Levain

• 40 g sourdough starter
• 40 g flour
• 40 g water

Dough

• 320 g bread flour
• 80 g whole wheat flour
• 285 g water
• 8 g salt
• All the levain or 100g active starter

Rice flour for dusting proofing basket

• If your starter isn’t active, feed it in the morning at a 1:1:1 ratio (e.g., 40g starter: 40g flour: 40g water) and place it in a warm spot. It should double in about 4 hours and be ready to be used in the dough. Alternatively, feed it the night before with a 1:3:3 ratio (e.g., 15g starter:45g flour: 45g water), so it’s ready by morning.

• In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and water. Stir until all the flour is hydrated, then cover and let it rest for about 30 minutes (autolyze).

• Once the starter is active and bubbly, add it to the dough along with the salt. Use wet hands to squish and mix it in until fully incorporated. Perform slap and folds in the bowl or on the bench to fully incorporate the starter and begin developing structure.

• Over the next 3 hours, give the dough more sets of stretches and folds every 30 minutes. Keep the dough covered it in a warm spot, around 25°C/76°F.

Bulk Ferment continued

• After the folds, remove the dough and clean the bowl (old dough can stick to the bowl like glue!). Then place the dough back into the cleaned bowl and let it continue its bulk ferment. At the end, there should be definite signs of activity on the dough, like bubbles forming; the dough should be visibly puffier and jiggle if you shake the bowl. At a room temperature of around 25°C/76°F, my dough needs about another 1-2 hours, but it will take longer in colder temperatures.

• Gently turn the dough onto a floured surface. Pre-shape into a ball and let it rest for 20-30 minutes before final shaping. Shape into a round (boule) or oval (bâtard) and place it in a proofing basket seam-side up.

To shape a bâtard:

• Lightly flour the bench and tip out the dough.

• Pre-shape into a round and let it rest for 20 minutes.

• Flip it over so the smooth side is down. Gently stretch it into a rectangle.

• Fold the top third down and the bottom third up, like a pamphlet.

• Starting from the short end, roll it up tightly into a log.

• Pull the dough towards you on the bench to create surface tension.

• Place it seam-side up into a floured, lined banneton for the final proof.

• Let the dough proof in the basket at room temperature of 25°C/76°F for another 1.5-2 hours until puffy and bulked out by around 50%. You don’t want it to double, or it will be over-proofed and can be too weak to hold its shape. See the notes below for creating a warm proofing spot.

Baking

• Preheat your oven and Dutch oven to 450°F (230°C) for at least 30 minutes. If your bread has finished rising, place it in the fridge while the oven heats.

• Bake covered for 20 minutes, then uncover and bake for another 20-25 minutes until golden brown and crisp.

Fermentation and proofing

Since this bread is made in one day, fermentation times play a big role. Dough ferments fastest in warm spots, so in summer, it can bulk ferment in as little as 4 hours, while in colder months, it might take closer to 6 to 8 hours.
If your kitchen is cold you can create a warm proofing spot by:

• Using the oven with the light on (but no heat).
• Place the dough in the oven (turned off) and put a shallow dish of just boiled water next to it. The steam and heat from the water creates a humid, warm-proofing spot. Replace the water as it cools
• Place the bowl on a towel on a dough heating pad, on a low setting (between 75-79°F (24 and 26°C).

However, you’ve got to be careful not to make it too warm because if the dough rises too quickly, it might over-ferment. This will weaken the gluten and lead to a sticky, hard-to-shape dough.

Serving: 1gCalories: 201kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 7gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.1gSodium: 391mgPotassium: 82mgFiber: 2gSugar: 0.2gVitamin A: 2IUCalcium: 12mgIron: 1mg

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