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Sourdough Starter Recipe from Bread Ahead Bakery

Matt Jones

Follow this easy baking recipe to recreate Bread Ahead Bakery’s delicious crusty sourdough bread at home.

Recipe Meta

Prep

5 mins per day (plus 7 days fermenting and proving time)

Cook

N/A

Serves

Makes 1 starter

Difficulty

Easy

Ingredients

To make the starter (day 1)

  • 50g good quality wholegrain rye flour
  • 50g water

Additions to the starter (days 2-5)

  • 50g flour
  • 50g water

Final addition to the starter when you are ready to bake

  • 100g flour
  • 100g water

To make the sourdough

  • 1kg strong white flour
  • 700ml water
  • 300ml of your starter
  • 20g salt

Method

To make the starter, add the wholegrain flour and water to a bowl and mix together until smooth. Cover and leave on top of your fridge. Repeat the steps for day 1 on day 2, 3, 4 and 5. Your starter should be nice and lively with some bubbling and a slight alcoholic aroma. You can store your starter in the fridge now for up to 2 weeks, untouched.

When you want to make your bread, simply take the starter out of the fridge and feed it with 100g flour and 100g water. Leave out at room temperature for 8 hours, then you are ready to get baking!

To make a simple loaf of bread, gently mix all of the ingredients together, cover and place in the fridge for 8-24 hours. Bring out of the fridge and fold the dough. Leave for two hours.

Shape the dough into a banneton (a proving bowl). For best results place in the fridge again for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours. Bring out of the fridge and leave to prove for 4 hours.

Bake in a hot oven at 220C for 30 mins. Take out and enjoy your first creation!

Where to buy these ingredients