My Family’s Homemade Sourdough Bread

My homemade sourdough bread with a golden, crisp crust and soft, airy crumb — fresh from my Hungarian kitchen.

There is something special about having a loaf of homemade bread cooling on the kitchen counter.

This is the sourdough bread I make at home for my family — the kind of bread that disappears slice by slice before it has even completely cooled. It has a beautifully crisp crust, a soft and airy inside, and that slightly tangy flavor that makes homemade sourdough so different from anything you can buy at the store.

Growing up Hungarian, bread was simply part of everyday life. There was always bread on the table — with breakfast, next to soups and stews, for sandwiches, or just spread with butter when it was still fresh.

These days, I love being able to make that same kind of simple comfort in my own kitchen.

If sourdough bread seems intimidating, don't let the long process scare you. Most of the time is actually resting and fermenting. Once you understand the rhythm of the dough, it becomes one of those recipes you make almost automatically.

And that smell when you lift the lid from the Dutch oven? Worth every minute. ❤️

Ingredients

• 150 g active sourdough starter

• 450 g bread flour

• 50 g whole-grain spelt flour or whole-wheat flour

• 350 g lukewarm water

• 2 teaspoons salt

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, for the proofing container

Before You Start...

Your sourdough starter should be active and bubbly before you begin.

I like to feed mine about 8–10 hours before making the dough. You want the starter to be nicely risen and active when it goes into the bread.

Crisp and golden on the outside, soft and airy inside — exactly how I love my homemade sourdough bread.

How to Make Homemade Sourdough Bread

1. Mix the flour and water

Add the bread flour, whole-grain flour and lukewarm water to the bowl of a stand mixer.

Knead for approximately 4–5 minutes, until you have a smooth dough.

Cover the bowl and allow the dough to rest for 30–60 minutes.

This first resting period gives the flour time to absorb the water before we add the starter and salt.

2. Add the sourdough starter

Add 150 g of your active starter to the rested dough.

Using the stand mixer on low speed, knead for another 4–5 minutes.

Add the salt and continue kneading for approximately another 4–5 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic.

3. Begin the first fermentation

Lightly coat a covered proofing container or bowl with the olive oil and transfer the dough into it.

Cover and allow it to rest for 40 minutes.

4. Stretch and fold

Now it's time to strengthen the dough.

Gently lift one edge of the dough, stretch it upward without tearing it, and fold it toward the center.

Repeat with the opposite side, then the remaining two sides.

Cover and rest for another 40 minutes.

Repeat this stretch-and-fold process two more times, allowing approximately 40 minutes between each round.

After the third fold, leave the dough to rest for approximately 1 hour.

5. Shape the loaf

Turn the dough gently onto your work surface.

Try not to press all of those beautiful air bubbles out of it.

Shape the dough into a round loaf by gently creating tension across the surface.

Cover and let it rest for approximately 30 minutes.

6. Final proof

Lightly flour a clean kitchen towel or banneton with rice flour.

Place the shaped loaf seam-side up into the prepared basket or towel-lined bowl and cover it.

You now have two options.

Allow it to rise at room temperature, around 22–24°C (72–75°F), for approximately 2 hours, or place it in the refrigerator for a slow 12–14 hour overnight fermentation.

I love the overnight method because it fits so easily into everyday life — prepare the dough one day and bake fresh bread the next morning.

Baking the Sourdough Bread

Place a large Dutch oven with its lid into your oven and preheat everything together to:

230°C / 450°F

Let the Dutch oven become thoroughly hot before baking.

Carefully turn the risen dough onto a piece of parchment paper.

Using a bread lame or very sharp knife, score the top approximately 4 mm deep. This gives the bread somewhere to expand as it rises in the oven.

Carefully lower the dough into the hot Dutch oven using the parchment paper.

Cover with the lid.

Bake:

40 minutes covered at 230°C / 450°F

Then remove the lid and continue baking for approximately:

5–10 minutes uncovered

The bread should have a deep golden-brown crust.

Transfer it to a cooling rack and — this is probably the hardest part of the entire recipe 😂 — let it cool before slicing.

A Few Tips From My Kitchen

Make sure your starter is truly active before beginning. If your starter isn't strong, your bread won't rise properly no matter how carefully you follow the remaining steps.

Don't worry if your dough feels a little sticky. Sourdough isn't supposed to feel like a stiff bread dough.

And don't skip the folds. They may seem like a small detail, but they're what help develop the structure that gives you that beautiful airy crumb.

For an extra-crispy crust, I like to leave the bread uncovered for those final few minutes until it reaches exactly the color I want.

How We Eat It

In our house, the first slices rarely need anything complicated.

Fresh sourdough + good butter = enough. 😃

But this bread is also wonderful with Hungarian salami and cheese, alongside soups and stews, topped with körözött, used for sandwiches, or simply served with Hungarian peppers and tomatoes.

And if you follow my recipes regularly, you'll probably recognize this bread — it has made plenty of appearances in my kitchen already. ❤️

A little creativity makes every homemade loaf unique — one of my favorite parts of sourdough baking is decorating and scoring the dough before it goes into the oven.

More From My Hungarian Kitchen ❤️

There is something incredibly satisfying about pulling a loaf of homemade bread from the oven — especially when you hear that crust crackling as it cools. For me, this is what home cooking is all about: simple ingredients, a little patience, and food made to be shared around the table.

And don't stop with the bread! If you're in the mood for more Hungarian baking, try my Kelesztés Nélküli Kifli (No-Rise Hungarian Crescent Rolls) for an easy homemade breakfast, or make a batch of my 5-Minute Cheese Pogácsa when you need something savory and quick. If you're craving something sweet, my Kakaós Csiga (Hungarian Chocolate Rolls) is another Hungarian bakery favorite worth trying.

Fresh sourdough is also perfect alongside many of my traditional Hungarian comfort-food recipes. Serve a thick slice next to a bowl of soup or stew, use it for sandwiches, or keep things wonderfully simple with butter, Hungarian peppers and tomatoes. Bread has long been a natural companion to Hungarian soups, stews and everyday meals.

Looking for more Hungarian recipes?Explore my Hungarian Recipes and Bread & Baking collections here on the website — there is always something new coming out of my kitchen. 🇭🇺

And if you'd rather cook along with me, come find me on YouTube, where I share my recipes step by step, kitchen videos and plenty of Hungarian comfort food.

You can also follow From My Hungarian Kitchen on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and Pinterest for new recipes, quick cooking videos, behind-the-scenes kitchen moments and a little Hungarian food inspiration throughout the week.

If you make this sourdough bread, tag me! I genuinely love seeing my recipes being made in other kitchens. ❤️

And before you go, save this recipe or send it to someone who's been saying, “One day I'm going to start making sourdough.” Maybe this is their sign. 😃

Jó étvágyat — and happy baking! ❤️