Overnight Sourdough Bread Recipe (Perfect for Beginners)
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Learn how to make delicious overnight sourdough bread at home with a step-by-step video that’s perfect for the beginner and that your family will love.
Overnight Sourdough Bread recipe is the perfect recipe to learn baking with a sourdough bread starter. Our step-by-step instructions and video will have you creating an amazing loaf of bread at home in no time.
This Sourdough Bread recipe couldn’t be easier to make and it’s a lot quicker compared to other sourdough bread recipes from starters.
This 500g homemade sourdough recipe has a tender crumb with a slightly sour flavor surrounded by a beautiful crisp crust that has that pull you want in artisan bread.
Sourdough Bread had been on this list for 3 years! I let uncertainty and trepidation keep me from jumping on the Sourdough Bread bandwagon. How can Bread and water be intimidating? Right?
Participating in an online monthly bread challenge finally pushed me into trying sourdough, and the rest is history.
I was fortunate enough to receive some dried starter from a wonderful woman named Selma. Selma passed away a few years ago but her blog “Selma’s Table” still remains and I consult it often. This is a recipe that I got from her blog.
She named her starter “Twinkle” and encouraged everyone to name theirs too. My starter’s name is “Phoenix” because she rose from dust. She has amazing vigor. I’m not always vigilant about keeping her fed but she doesn’t hold it against me and rises to the occasion every time.
I’ve included photos of my 1st loaf and a recent one at the end of this post. I’m proud of both and hope you’ll try this basic sourdough bread recipe too.
Hello, Julie. Just wanted to say thank you for sharing your overnight sourdough recipe as it really works well for me, a lot of people have shared their methods and this one is simply the best one I have come across so far. So thank you again!”
Kris T
What is Sourdough Bread
Sourdough bread is made by fermentation of dough using naturally occurring lactobacilli and yeast. Sourdough bread has a mildly sour taste not present in most bread made with baker’s yeast and keeps better than other bread due to the lactic acid produced by the lactobacilli. Wikipedia
What is different about sourdough bread?
The difference is in how they are made. Regular bread is made using store-bought yeast that reacts with gluten making the dough rise. Sourdough bread is made with a “starter“. This starter is made from a combination of yeast and bacteria growing inside a paste made of flour and water.
Make your own starter!
If you have questions on making or using a Bread Starter, read “How To Make Your Own Bread Starter (and how to maintain it).”
Health Benefits of Sourdough bread
The fermentation that occurs from using a starter has been shown to lower blood sugar, be easier to digest and can even be tolerated by gluten resistant individuals.
However, that’s not to say it is gluten-free. Sourdough bread contains higher levels of folate and antioxidants than other bread. Healthline is a very thorough reference regarding the health benefits of sourdough.
Ingredient Tips:
- Bubbly starter – I recommend feeding your starter and letting it sit out at room temperature 4 to 6 hours or until it increases in volume by about 30% and passes the float test.
- If your dough is runny it can be because your starter was actually starving when you used it.
- Bread Flour – Bread flour has a higher protein content than AP flour. That higher protein provides more structure to your loaf.
- If you substitute they will both be delicious and the texture will be the same but you may find the loaf made with AP flour balloons out more or doesn’t rise as high.
- Water – There’s a lot of controversy regarding water in bread making. Some experts say if you can drink it you can use it to bake with. Other experts say the chlorine can inhibit yeast activity.
- Mineral content (hardness) can reduce extensibility (elasticity and ability to stretch) of the dough.
- Salt – I use fine sea salt. It is easier to incorporate and dissolve than coarser salt.
The above pictures from top left to bottom right.
- The freshly fed starter is thick.
- The Bubbly starter is ready. when bubbly and passes the float test.
- 1st quick knead just to combine ingredients (about 1 minute). The dough is thick and heavy.
- 2nd quick knead after a 30-minute rest. The dough is softer and smoother.
- Dough after 8 hours is full of air bubbles.
- Dough after final delicate knead is smooth and silky.
Absolutely! We love adding dried fruit such as apricots or cranberries, chopped nuts, cheese, olives, or herbs such as rosemary or thyme.
We recommend that you start by adding no more than 20%. So for this 500-gram loaf that would be
500 x 20% = 100 grams. You shouldn’t have to adjust your baking time.
Be careful that you don’t add a lot of moisture. Semi-hard cheeses such as cheddar shredded or diced into smaller pieces work well. Drain fresh fruit or olives of excess juice.
Recipes using a bread starter
- Multi-Grain Wheat Bread Recipe
- Spelt Sourdough Bread
- Sourdough Sandwich Bread using Bread Starter
- Multi-Grain Wheat Bread
- 750gr All-Purpose Flour Sourdough.
Pro tips for Overnight Sourdough Bread
Resting times
Don’t let bread rule your life! Here are some resting times that may help you to bake according to your schedule
- Counter rise – Written as is, this recipe has a counter rise of 3 to 8 hours. I’ve shaped it and let it rest in a banneton or you can carefully shape it just before baking it. The rise time is variable. If you have a warm kitchen it may be ready sooner. Press your thumb into the dough and if it bounces back slowly it’s ready to bake. If it bounces back quickly, it needs a little more time to rise. If it stays dented, it’s probably over-proofed.
- Refrigerator proofing – If you don’t choose to bake your bread at the 3 to 8 hour counter proof, we recommend a 90 minute to 4 hour counter proof. Shape the dough and place it seam-side up into a banneton basket or a bowl lined with a kitchen towel that’s dusted with flour. We like dusting ours with a 50/50 mix of wheat flour and rice flour. We’ve actually left our bread in the refrigerator for up to 18 hours with no problems.
- When you’re ready to bake, remove the shaped dough from the refrigerator and let it sit on the counter while your oven preheats. Place it in the dutch oven, score it, and bake as usual.
If you do the full counter proof and then refrigerate the dough it will be over-proofed. For that reason, try a much shorter counter rise and then refrigerate it.
More helpful tips
- Feed your starter earlier in the day. When it’s bubbly do the test float. If it’s runny it’s used up all its energy and needs to be fed again before you can use it. To see if your starter is ready, put a small amount in a bowl or cup of water. If it floats it’s ready!
- Your bread can be cooked in a cold Dutch oven but I like the color and oven rise I get from preheating my lidded pot.
- To properly bake the bread we rely on an instant-read thermometer. The bread is finished baking when it reaches an internal temperature of 205ºF to 210ºF.
- This bread freezes beautifully. I wrap it in plastic wrap or a ziplock bag and then heavy-duty foil.
- Each time you bake, we keep a notebook and write down anything we do differently such as resting time, baking time, or adding additional ingredients. It’s so difficult to remember what worked the best unless we can look back and see what we were happy about or wanted to do differently the next time. This will also help you to determine what resting times work for you.
YOU MAY NEED
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6 Quart Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven. – I love this Dutch oven. I have three that are triple the price of this one and it’s my favorite. It bakes my bread perfectly and makes a mean ragu recipe.
Zatoba 1003 Black Walnut Bread Lame Decorative Dough Slasher, 2x2x8 inches – I started out with a lesser quality lame and while this one isn’t expensive it’s definitely better quality and has made a prettier slash in my dough. You can also use a sharp knife.
Instant-read Thermometers aren’t just for meat! I use them to know when my bread is baked. I bake until I get an internal temperature of 205º F to 210º F or anywhere in between.
I have two books (out of several) that I’ve learned so much from. I recommend them exclusively to help in your bread experience. They are easy to read and will help you get that beautiful loaf on the table!
This is a 500gr loaf of bread which isn’t large. Baking bread is all about percentages. If you want a larger loaf, you can adjust the “Servings” in the recipe card and it will calculate your ingredients. (Thank you, Daniel, for this question!)
I hope you enjoyed this delicious recipe as much as we do. Drop me a comment below, and don’t forget to give it a star rating. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. Your comments and ratings help others decide if this recipe is for them too.
Conversions are listed below the recipe card
Overnight Sourdough Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 150 g bubbly starter
- 285 g *purified water or filtered water at room temperature
- 500 g bread flour organic
- 9 g sea salt fine
Instructions
- Squelch all of the ingredients together briefly (just for a minute is enough) with your hand. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
- Stretch and fold the dough into the bowl several times for about a minute. Cover and leave it out on the counter overnight, 6 to 8 hours. In the morning it will have doubled in volume at least.
- Pre-heat the oven to 475 °F (240/250C) (I preheat to 475°F and place your lidded pot inside to heat up. You can use an enamel Dutch oven or aluminum roaster. You can also put the dough into a cold pot.
- Dust your counter with flour. I use a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper and then dusted with rice flour. It makes it easy to pick up the dough. Scrape the dough out onto the counter. Don’t punch it down. You want to keep as many of those bubbles as you can.
- Pull the outside thirds into the middle and shape as you wish. Try to pull the outside of the dough as tightly as possible so it will hold its shape well. I shaped mine into a ball also known as a boule.
- Cover with some oiled plastic wrap loosely. Allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes. Set the timer as this is the only proofing that should NOT be overdone.
- Remove the plastic wrap and slash with a sharp knife or lame.
- Carefully remove the pot from the oven and remove the lid. Carefully place the dough into the pot. I lift mine by the edges of the parchment paper and put the whole thing into the pot. Replace the lid and place in the oven.
- Reduce the heat to 425 °F 220C (425°F convection). Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for an additional 20 to 25 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 205 °F ri 212 °F when tested with an instant-read thermometer.
- Immediately remove from the pot and cool on a cooling rack completely before slicing.
Video
Notes
- If you want to mix bread earlier in the day. After rising for 90 minutes or up to 4 hours at room temperature, shape and set the covered dough in the refrigerator to bake the next day. Remove the dough from the refrigerator to sit out while the oven preheats.
- Feed earlier in the day. When it’s bubbly do the test float. If it’s runny it’s used up all its energy and needs to be fed again before you can use it. To see if your starter is ready, put a small amount in a bowl or cup of water. If it floats it’s ready!
- Your bread can be cooked in a cold dutch oven but I like the color and rise I get from preheating my lidded pot.
- This bread freezes beautifully. I wrap it in plastic wrap or a ziplock bag and then heavy-duty foil.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
This recipe was calculated using the exact brands and measurements I used to make this recipe. If you are following a strict diet please note changing anything will cause the nutritional info to change. My calculations are intended as a guide only.
Conversions for Overnight Sourdough Bread recipe
We realize that many of you aren’t comfortable using a scale. The closest conversions are the following.
- 4 cups flour
- 1 1/4 cup water
- 2/3 cup starter
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
A disclaimer is that I’ve never made this recipe without weighing the ingredients so I can’t guarantee or possibly troubleshoot any problems you may have with the recipe.
If you like this recipe you may enjoy these too
- Homemade Crusty Bread recipe
- 6 Ingredient Simple Classic Italian Bread Recipe
- Soft Buttermilk Sandwich Bread
- Simple Ciabatta Bread Recipe – Made 2 Ways!
- Spiced Apple Star Bread
This bread was made possible by the resources and recipes shared by Elaine, Selma, and Celia! Please visit all three of these blogs for amazing bread information!
Did you enjoy this recipe? Don’t forget to pin it for later and follow me on Pinterest for more delicious recipes like this one!
Can you make this recipe into rolls?
You absolutely can make this into rolls.
Can I proof in a banneton?
I proof in a banneton when I choose to do the refrigerator proof because the loaf is already shaped. Does this help, Brandi?
I do the last 30 minute proof in a banneton and it seems to work for me.
Thank you, Suzi!
The overnight sourdough bread recipe is really easy and the bread is great tasting. I love less hands on time.
Thank you, Bob! It’s one I still make a lot and glad it works for you too.
I have found that baking in the oven on top of a cast iron pizza pan with the dough on parchment makes a crisper loaf with less moisture inside. A pie pan with water is under the pizza pan to create steam during the first 20 minutes of baking at 500 degrees. Then pull the pie pan out and final bake at 475 degrees for 15 minutes. Also preheat the pizza pan at 500 degrees for an hour. I also bake with a Dutch oven capable of handling 500 degrees but the loaf holds excess moisture which is hard to toast.
Thanks for your tips, Greg! That’s a great way to mimic the professional steam ovens at home. I prefer the dutch oven for this recipe but use a similar method for my baguettes to get that yummy crisp crust.
I have used this recipe over and over. It turns out great every time! This is also the recipe I share with friends who are just starting out when I share starter! Thank you!
Thank you, Britni! I really appreciate your support and love when new people want to try sourdough. We tend to make it such a mystery and it doesn’t have to be right?
Hi! I am super excited to try this. Can you use whole wheat flour in place of the bread flour? Thanks!
Erin, your note got buried and I’m so sorry! You can use all whole wheat but I feel your bread would be pretty dense. I use the bread flour to open up the crumb. If you replaced the bread flour with anything, I’d go with all-purpose flour. Hope that helps!
Can you use krustze gluten free flour?
I haven’t tried that flour Linda. I’ve heard that others have had luck with the Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 flour but I haven’t tried that either. Maybe some of our readers can help here until I have a chance to experiment?
Ridiculously simple path to a delicious loaf of bread. So easy that I’ve gotten on a regular schedule of using it so we always have fresh sourdough bread in the kitchen. Everyone loves it! Thank you so much for this recipe!
Thank you, Stephanie! That made my day. I make this one regularly too.
I have been making sourdough bread for about 2 years now. I have tried about 10 different recipes. This recipe is by far the easiest and by far the best. Thank you!
Thank you so much, Judy! That means the world to me and why I do what I do!
Hello Julie! Hoping you can answer my question. I received a well established starter on 10/20/2021. When I received it, it was fed the day I received it. Today I would like to make some bread (true newbie) and have no clue where to start. Do I take out a certain amount of starter and then make a bubbly starter? Any ideas you could give me would be greatly appreciated.
I want to use your overnight recipe.
Congratulations Melanie! You definitely need to feed it before using it even though it was fed before you received it. Go ahead and discard all but about 1 tablespoon of the starter. I know that’s scary but the discard will not do you any good. I feed mine with an equal amount of flour and water which means it is a 100% starter. My ratio is 50 grams all-purpose flour, 50 grams of wheat flour, and 100 grams of filtered or bottled water when maintaining it but need a little more to bake bread so will use 150 grams of flour and 150 grams of water. You can get a little more starter info with this article: https://hostessatheart.com/bread-starter/. You’ll have to give your fed starter some time to get good and active, so let it sit out 4 to 6 hours before mixing your dough. I recommend doing a float test (video). Keep me informed of how it goes!
Made this last night, baked off this morning. I used my mixer to do all the work. Came out beautiful! I doubled the recipe and got two beautiful loaves
Great to know, Lynda! I’m all for convenience and your comment will definitely help answer the mixer question for our other bakers!
So if you refrigerate the dough, do you still do the second proof with the oiled plastic wrap? I’m a little confused about that step.
How can you tell if your dough is overproved?
Love the recipe; I just keep trying to get it absolutely perfect so that my sourdough looks as good as yours. Still the best sourdough I’ve had in ages.
Hi Mary! The bread will continue to proof even if refrigerated so you can do 1 of 2 things. Let it proof for 90 minutes or no longer than 4 hours on the counter at room temperature. Shape it and put it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to bake. You can also shape it after the refrigerator proof and let it rise while your oven preheats. I hope this helps. Please let me know if you have any questions! Thanks for your comment!
I can’t wait to try this. What do I do if my starter isn’t bubbly and doesn’t pass the float test?
You need to feed it again and not make the recipe until it bubbles predictably and passes the float test. How soon are you testing it after feeding it? Try 4 or 6 hours.
THE BEST recipe to follow and be successful. I made a usual round and 2 baguettes. It’s easy to get the float test and a marvelous rise. EXCELLENT
Thank you, Vada! I’m so glad that you’ve had great success with this recipe!
I was looking for an easy, last-minute “overnight” sourdough bread (one quick pull and fold and 30 minutes). I left it proofing for a couple hours longer than called for, but was super careful about the last proof. Used rye sourdough starter, new to me from a friend’s batch. And wow! This is by far my best sourdough bake in ages! GREAT recipe! Thank you so much.
That warms my heart, Deborah! I’m glad you shared your experience and that it worked for you.
Hi. When would be a good time to add chives to the loaf and how much would you recommend?
I would add them when you are adding all of your ingredients. I usually recommend 20% for additions but with herbs that could be overbearing. Start with 3 to 4 tablespoons and see how well they disperse.
Hi, when do we add seeds or cheese if we like into the dough? Thank you.
Add them with all of your ingredients before the 1st quick need since the second knead is so quick, I don’t think it would distribute them well.
Hi Julie,
Thank you for the recipe.
I followed the recipe and let the bread rise from 10 pm to 7 am.
The taste is good but I had zero big bubbles in the bread, which made it rather dense.
I noticed the dough is on the dryer side when I put it to the overnight rest.
Was that why? Should I have added more water?
Thank you!
Hi Jocy! There are so many factors to consider. The bigger bubbles often occur in bread that’s had a lot of folding over several hours. This recipe is more hands-off so you usually will not see the big holes in the crumb. I don’t remember anyone stating that their loaf was dry. Did the dough feel dry? If so, you might want to add water. Your bread only rose from 10 to 7 so it shouldn’t be over-proofed either. Climate and temperatures can really affect how bread behaves.
This recipe is fool-proof! I never realize how EASY baking bread could be. I do however notice that my bread is not “sour” at all!
I’ve googled a few tips on making sourdough taste SOUR, but I was curious if the author or other recipe users had tried and true ones.
I keep my starter in the fridge and took it out and fed it for this recipe, after an hour or so it was floating and so I mixed it into the initial dough mixture.
A lot of people online suggest leaving the starter out for longer for a more sour result. Should this be done after feeding or before? for how long?
Another tip has been to make the flour to water ratio 2:1 instead of 1:1 for a drier starter. Does this recipe use a 1:1 starter? Anyone tried that?
Finally, feeding the starter with part rye or whole wheat flour seems a tip I should try. maybe 50/50 by weight.
Thank you for any feedback!
Hi, Emma! Congratulations on sourdough baking! I use a 1:1 starter and as soon as it floats it’s ready. To get a loaf that’s sour requires a lot more turning and folding than this recipe requires. A longer proof will also work. I’ve left this loaf in the refrigerator for a slower proof up to 18 hours. Give that a try and let me know what you think. I leave my starter out when getting it ready to bake with it but that doesn’t have much to do with its flavor. Once it’s fun out of food, you can’t use it until you’ve fed it again.
I do have another loaf in the works that is more old school, a little more work, but more of a sour flavor. I hope you’ll check back and give it a try once it’s posted. If you’re signed up for our newsletter, you’ll get a notification that way too.
Thank you for sharing your experience and questions!
I can’t find bread flour here Julie. Have you tried it with all purpose? How does that work?
Hi Vincent. Yes you can use all-purpose flour. You may be interested in our post where we used all-purpose and made a little larger loaf? https://hostessatheart.com/homemade-sourdough-bread/
I have made this recipe several times and each loaf gets better and better. THANK YOU!
I could sure use some clarity on the resting times, though. After all the ingredients are (1) squelched, (2) rest for 30 minutes, then (3) stretched/folded and covered… what is an acceptable timeframe afterwards? The recipe says “Leave on the counter overnight” to bake in the morning.
My schedule does not typically allow this, so I need to do a mix of both counter rising and fridge resting. (The recipe also says that it can rise @ room temperature for “8 hours”, then go in the fridge “overnight” for baking the next day.) But sometimes these time frames just don’t work well for me.
Please, what are the minimum and maximum times for each rise/rest (counter AND fridge)? I’m sure there is flexibility with both, but I am not experienced enough to guess. If I had that information, I could better time my bread baking around my busy (and often unpredictable!) work schedule.
THANK YOU so very much! xo
Hello, my bread baking friend! Thank you so much for your great comment.
You only want it to rest on the counter for 6 to 8 hours if you’re going to bake it immediately after that rest. I wouldn’t let it rest that long on the counter and then refrigerate it because it will get overproofed. I’m finding that you can leave it out on the counter for 90 minutes to 4 hours and then shape it and put it in the refrigerator. I’ve actually had mine in the refrigerator for up to 18 hours and then baked it and it came out great. If you refrigerate it, I recommend that you shape it before putting it in there and just let it rest outside the refrigerator while your oven preheats. Score it and your good to go.
Does this help Lynn? I’ll try and clarify this in our post for the future.
This is my go to recipe!! I have been making it for a year now. Is it possible to add seeds into this recipe? Most seed recipes take much longer, hoping it would work with this one!
Thank you, Tanya! So glad that you enjoy it. You can definitely add seeds to this recipe and it will not require a longer baking time. You can add up to 100 grams which equal 20%. Have you seen our whole grain Bread Blend? https://hostessatheart.com/organic-whole-grain-bread-blend/ It may give you some ideas. Have fun!
How do you make the starter?
https://hostessatheart.com/bread-starter/
I always feel like I’m loosing half my dough after squelching. So much is stuck to my hands. Am I doing something wrong? Is it to sticky? Any thoughts.
Thanks
No you’re not doing anything wrong. Try dampening your hands with water when you squelch your dough. That really helps with dough if it’s stickier.
Use a stiff spatula dipped in flour, you’ll get ALL your dough.
Thanks, Vicky!
Hi my sourdough bread has been rising at room temperature for 7 hours, it is now 6:00pm can I still bake it tonight or should I refrigerate it and bake it in the morning?
Thank you
Susan
I’m sorry I didn’t see this sooner Susan. What did you decide to do? You could have done either.