Sourdough Made Simple

Start Here: A Simple Guide to Sourdough Baking

If you’re new to sourdough, it can feel like there’s a lot going on at once.

Starter, feeding, timing, dough, baking… and every recipe seems to explain it differently.

This page is here to simplify everything into a clear starting point so you know exactly what matters first, and what can wait.

Sourdough, in simple terms

Sourdough bread is made using a natural culture of wild yeast and bacteria (called a starter) instead of commercial yeast.

When flour and water ferment together, they create:

  • gas (which makes the bread rise)

  • acids (which give flavour and improve digestion)

  • structure changes in the dough (which affect texture)

That’s it. Everything else is just managing that process well.

The only 4 ingredients you actually need

Good sourdough doesn’t rely on complicated ingredients.

You only need:

  • Flour

  • Water

  • Salt

  • A sourdough starter

That’s the foundation. Everything else is optional or supportive.

What matters most when starting out

If you focus on these three things, everything becomes easier:

1. A healthy starter

Your starter is what makes the dough rise.

It needs to be:

  • active

  • predictable

  • regularly fed

If the starter isn’t strong, nothing else will behave consistently.

2. Time (not speed)

Sourdough is a slow fermentation process.

Rushing usually leads to:

  • dense bread

  • weak rise

  • unpredictable results

Letting dough develop properly is more important than exact timing.

3. Temperature

Temperature controls fermentation speed.

  • warmer = faster fermentation

  • cooler = slower fermentation

Even small changes in your kitchen can change how dough behaves.

What you don’t need to worry about yet

It’s easy to overcomplicate sourdough early on.

You can ignore for now:

  • perfect shaping techniques

  • fancy scoring patterns

  • advanced hydration formulas

  • special tools

These come later. They don’t determine whether your first loaves succeed.

Your simple starting path

If you’re just getting going, follow this order:

Step 1: Understand your starter

Learn what it looks like when it is active and healthy.

👉 Start here:
/learn/how-to-feed-your-starter
/learn/how-to-activate-your-dehydrated-starter

Step 2: Learn what “normal” looks like

Most early confusion comes from not knowing what to expect.

👉 Helpful guides:
/learn/why-is-my-starter-bubbling
/learn/what-to-do-if-nothing-is-happening-yet
/learn/is-my-starter-dead

Step 3: Understand dough behaviour

Once your starter is active, dough becomes the next learning stage.

👉 Read next:
/learn/why-is-my-dough-sticky
/learn/why-is-my-dough-rising
/learn/my-dough-wont-hold-its-shape

Step 4: Learn how baking actually shows results

This is where everything comes together.

👉 Explore:
/learn/why-is-my-sourdough-dense
/learn/why-didnt-i-get-oven-spring
/learn/why-did-my-loaf-spread

A final note

Sourdough isn’t about perfection or perfect timing.

It’s about learning how your starter, your flour, and your kitchen behave together.

Once you understand that, you stop guessing—and start recognising what your dough is telling you.

That’s when baking starts to feel consistent.

When you’re ready to go deeper

Head into the Learn Hub for troubleshooting and detailed guides