Tangy Sourdough Bread - Sourdough Recipes (2024)

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This recipe for Tangy Sourdough Bread is what comes to mind when you think of sourdough. Like San Francisco sourdough. It is the quintessential example of sourdough bread. Crispy golden crust with a bit of chewiness. Moist and tender open crumb, and a delectable tanginess that comes only from aged fermentation.

(Post modified with new photos on 1/19/24.)

We love this Tangy Sourdough Bread and make it every week! It makes two loaves, so I’ll either freeze one for later in the week, take it to our weekly potluck at church, or give a loaf to family or friends.

There is much to know about working with sourdough, so I’ll try to share a few things about making this particular recipe. The first is to use sourdough starter that has been “fed”. Which means, you’ve fed your starter flour and water, it has set for a few hours, and is now bubbly.

This recipe has a two-day process, but when I’ve been in a hurry, I’ve actually skipped refrigerating the dough overnight. It still turned out good. It just wasn’t as tangy in flavor.

The next thing to know, is that this dough will more than likely be very sticky. And that’s okay. That’s how it is supposed to be. Using a stainless bench scraper helps a bunch in lifting the sticky dough from the work surface. It’s important to work the dough during it’s “rising stage” to help it develop its gluten. Once that happens, the dough will be less sticky and will become a more stable, soft dough.

The Old Way – My Beginning Attempts

When I first began making my sourdough bread, I placed the dough on parchment paper that had been sprayed with cooking spray. Then once it was ready for baking, I scored it with a knife, and using a pizza peel, placed it in a 425 degree oven on a baking stone. This worked really well, and I was happy with my bread for many years. (I have had my sourdough starter, who I named Bertha, since June 2013.)

This year, I wanted to take things to a new level, to achieve a bread like what you would purchase from a professional bakery.

More Sourdough Bread Loaves to Try

• Kansas Sourdough Bread
• Sourdough Herb Cheese Ring
• Sourdough Rye Bread
• Multigrain Sourdough Bread

Ingredients for Tangy Sourdough Bread

(See the full recipe at the bottom of this post.)

• “fed” sourdough starter
• lukewarm water
• all-purpose flour, divided
• granulated sugar
• kosher salt
• water
• Brown Rice Flour, for dusting

Instructions for Making this Recipe

Gather the ingredients so you have everything close at hand on the counter or table. For this recipe you only need five simple ingredients: Sourdough starter, all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, kosher salt, and water. I also use brown rice flour when dusting the loaves.

Prepare the Levain (Leaven Starter)

In a large mixing bowl, combine the “fed” starter, warm water, and 3 cups of all-purpose flour. Stir vigorously with wooden spoon for 1 minute. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for an hour. Refrigerate overnight.

Mix the Bread Dough

The next day, remove the levain from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature, about an hour.

In a large mixing bowl, with kneading hook attachment, combine the levain with the remaining 2 cups all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, and kosher salt. Begin mixing at a low speed, adding up to 1/4 cup of water as needed to make a smooth dough. Continue kneading for 5-7 minutes.

Transfer the dough to a large greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rise until it has doubled. (This may take 2-3 hours).

Because I stopped adding yeast to my recipe, the dough now needs to be worked during it’s rising time to help develop it’s natural gluten. Remove the dough at each hour interval to stretch and fold the dough on a smooth surface, envelope-style to work the gluten in the dough. The dough will most likely be sticky, but refrain from using flour. Instead, use a stainless bench scraper to lift the dough from the work space.

Form Dough into Loaves

Once the dough has doubled, divide the dough in half. Stretch and fold the dough, envelope-style, again using the bench scraper as needed. Form each into a ball. Cover and allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes.

Flatten each ball into an rectangle. Stretch and then fold the dough, envelope-style. Form a nice smooth ball, pinching on the bottom.

To help seal the bottom, slide the bottom of the dough against a clean unfloured work surface and turn it 90 degrees. Repeat this 2-3 times to seal the seam.

See Also

Regina’s Butter Biscuits RecipeAcorn Soup Recipe - Hunter Angler Gardener CookApples and Brie Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Fig Spread Recipe | ChefDeHome.comHow to Make Sourdough Starter [Simple and TASTY Recipes] - My Fermented Foods

At this point, you may either place the dough into a Dough Banneton Basket that has been sprinkled with Brown Rice Flour or place it on a greased sheet of parchment paper or a bread sling. If using a bread sling, go ahead and transfer the dough to a Dutch oven.

A Bread Banneton may be used to give the bread a pretty design in the final rise. It is not necessary, but it’s a fun and easy way to decorate the bread. Brown Rice Flour is a non gluten flour that will not dissolve into the dough. This helps keep it from sticking to the basket.

Cover and allow the dough to rise for 1-3 hours until puffy. Halfway through the rising time, preheat the oven to 475F degrees.

Score and Bake the Bread

Uncover the risen dough. If using the Banneton, turn dough out onto a bread sling or sheet of parchment paper.

I highly recommend purchasing a bread sling when making sourdough. It allows you to lower and lift the bread in and out of the Dutch oven without burning yourself or harming the risen bread. They make them in both round and oval shapes for different sized loaves.

Using a knife or bread lame, score the bread with one or two fairly deep horizontal slashes in each.

If you’re feeling creative, now is the time to decorate your bread with other designs. Just search Sourdough Bread Designs online to see fabulous designs by creative bakers.

Next, holding opposite sides of the sling or parchment paper, lift the dough and place in a 4-6 quart Dutch Oven. Spritz with water (2-3 times) to help create steam in the oven. Cover with lid and bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes.

Baking the bread inside a covered Dutch Oven helps give the bread a “steamed” quality like that from a wood-fired oven.

After this initial baking period, uncover each Dutch oven and reduce the oven temperature to 450F. Continue baking for an additional 12-14 minutes until golden brown. To prevent your loaves from burning on the bottom, place a baking sheet beneath the Dutch Ovens on a lower rack.

If time allows, you may cure your bread by turning off your oven and cracking open the oven door for 20 minutes. This will give your bread a crackly, crunchy crust.

Transfer bread from Dutch Ovens to wire racks to cool completely.

All of these steps helped me to produce a Tangy Sourdough Bread that I am very pleased with. It has wonderful flavor, but now the outside is a beautiful deep golden brown that is crunchy, while the inside is pleasingly soft and chewy.

If you don’t have a sourdough starter, you may make your own HERE. This makes wonderful Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, or use for Sourdough Croutons.

This recipe makes 2 loaves, which will serve approximately 16-20 people.

See more Sourdough Recipes Here.