Sourdough French Bread Recipe With Starter

The slices of sourdough French bread are on a white cutting board.

5 from 2 votes

Sourdough French Bread Recipe With Starter

A crisp crust and a soft chewy crumb make these the best Sourdough French Bread loaves you will ever make! The best part is, they are made in one day and you don't need any fancy equipment!

Prep Time8 10

Cook Time30

Total Time8 40

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: French

Servings: servings

Calories: 204kcal

Author: Lynn Polito

Equipment

Ingredients

175 g Sourdough Starter Active and Bubbly
300 g Warm Water
10 g Salt
550 g All Purpose Flour
20 g Honey
25 g Olive Oil

Instructions

In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the dough hook, add all the ingredients. Mix on medium speed for 5-8 minutes until the dough comes together and comes away from the sides of the bowl.
Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let it rise for 6-8 hours.
After 6-8 hours, turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Cut the dough into two pieces. Working with one piece at a time, spread the dough into an 8x12 inch flat oval. Roll the oval into a long baguette and place it onto a parchment lined baking sheet (See photos in blog post for help). Repeat the process for the second piece of dough.
Let the dough rest for 1 hour on the baking sheet.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. With a sharp knife or a bread lame, cut small cuts into the top of each loaf. Spray the loaves with water or brush the loaves with water. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the bread is golden brown.

Notes

The dough will be wet, do not add more flour. You can do the windowpane test to see if the gluten has built up properly. To do this, take a piece of the dough and hold it up to the light while you are spreading it. If you can see the light through it, it is ready to rise!
The dough should take 6-8 hours to rise. If your kitchen is colder, it might take up to 10 hours to rise. If your kitchen is a little warmer, it might not take 6 hours. Keep an eye on the dough. When it doubles in size, it's ready to shape.
Spraying the loaves with water help give the loaves a crisp crust. You can also add a handful of ice cubes to an over safe pan and let them melt in the oven while the bread bakes.

Nutrition