Let’s Bake: Real Sourdough Bread Without the Drama

Your starter is alive, bubbly, and full of potential. You’ve babied it, fed it, sniffed it… maybe even named it. Now it’s finally time for the fun part: baking with your starter.

Here’s the thing: you don’t need a Dutch oven, a banneton, a lame, or a bread shrine to make a killer loaf. I bake mine in a regular loaf pan, lined with parchment, and it turns out crusty and golden every time—no lid, no stress.

Let’s get into it.

Ingredients

• ½ cup (120g) sourdough starter (active or discard, though active is best for rise)
• 1½ cups (360g) water, room temperature
• 3 cups (360g) flour (bread flour is best, but any unbleached flour will do)
• 1½ tsp salt
• 1 tbsp honey

Quick Tip: Active vs Discard

Active Starter = bubbly, doubled, and at its peak—bake with this.

Discard = past its peak or unfed—still useful, just not for rising bread.

If it’s already risen and fallen, it’s discard—even if it was fed recently!

Instructions for baking

Step 1: Autolyse (aka chill time)

In a large bowl, mix the starter, water, and flour. I like to use my hand mixer with dough hook attachments for this part—makes it quick and easy. You’re not kneading here, just mixing until everything’s hydrated.

Cover and let it rest for 30 minutes to an hour. This step helps the flour soak up the water and gets the gluten party started.

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Step 2: Salt + Honey

Add in your salt (and honey if you’re using it) and mix it in well. Again, I use my hand mixer here to make life easier and the dough smoother. You could use a spoon or your hands if you prefer, but dough hooks are queen in my kitchen.

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Step 3: Stretch, Slap, Fold—Have Fun With It

Now it’s time to get hands-on. Every 30 minutes for the next 2 hours, you’ll do a round of stretch and folds—or slap the dough around a little if you’re feeling spicy.

It doesn’t have to be perfect. You’re building strength, and having a little fun with it helps! Do 4–6 sets in total.

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Step 4: Bulk Fermentation

After your final stretch and fold, cover the dough and let it rest at room temperature for 4–6 hours. You’re looking for it to double in size and feel light and airy when you poke it.

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Step 5: Shape It

Gently turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Fold the edges toward the center to create some surface tension, then let it rest for 10–15 minutes.

Shape it into a loaf by tucking and rolling it, then place it into a loaf pan lined with parchment. Don’t stress if it’s not perfect—it still bakes beautifully.

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Step 6: Final Rise

Let the shaped dough rise for 2–3 hours at room temperature, or pop it in the fridge overnight for even better flavor (this is called retardation, and yep, it’s a weird word).

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Step 7: Bake It

Preheat your oven to 420°F. Once it’s ready, slide your pan in—no lid, no Dutch oven, no influencer nonsense.

Bake for 50–55 minutes, until the top is deep golden and your house smells like heaven. Let it cool before slicing (if you can wait).

Real Talk Tips—

Baking with your starter should be fun, not frustrating. Skip the perfection and enjoy the process.

A loaf pan and parchment paper are all you really need.

Don’t sweat the fancy tools—your hands and dough hooks are more than enough.

Expect a learning curve, but know that an imperfect sourdough is still better than 99% of grocery store bread.

Boom! You Did That

You baked real sourdough— No banneton, no lame, no TikTok-perfect crust. Just you, your starter, and a damn good loaf of bread.

Baking with your starter doesn’t need to be complicated. It needs to fit into your real life, and this method makes that happen.

Still need a little help getting your starter just right?
➔ READ THIS

Search DISCARD on the blog for recipes using discard!