Maybe you're a brand new sourdough baker looking for a recipe you'll love. Or maybe you've been baking sourdough bread for years but need something to mix up your repertoire. Whatever kind of sourdough baker you are, this list of sourdough bread recipes—featuring everything from a classic naturally leavened loaf to a soft, sweet sourdough scone—is for you.
Want to further your sourdough knowledge? We have all the resources you need to become a better baker. Check out our guide at How to bake sourdoughpacked with helpful tips, videos and answers to all your most pressing sourdough baking questions.
Photography by Rick Holbrook; Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne
A great starter sourdough bread: Rustic Sourdough Bread
Because this recipe includes commercial yeast as well as starter, you are guaranteed a good, strong growth – even if your starter isn't good enough. As a result, it's a great choice if you're new to sourdough baking and want an extra shot of success.
Get the recipe: Rustic bread with dough
Buy the recipe: SAF Red Instant Tip
A crusty bread, crumbed open: Pain de Campagne (Bread of the Country)
This natural leavened bread is very possible the only sourdough bread recipe you need. It can be done with the first Whip up sourdough straight from your fridge, it's mostly inexpensive (no boiling!) and has a flexible schedule that you can fit around your timeline. And the bread itself? It has an open crumb, shiny interior and wonderful height. What more could you want?
Get the recipe: Pain de Campagne (Country Bread)
Buy the recipe: Standard bucket for raising dough
Danielle Sykes
A classic open-crumb artisan bread: Vermont sourdough
With a soft interior and open crumb, this flavorful bread is one of our favorite sourdough recipes. He uses some tricks, like a levain at night and the autolysis method, to create flavor and make the dough easier to work with. (Want to guarantee that gaping, holey interior? Check out our blog at how to make an open crumb in sourdough bread.)
Get the recipe: Vermont Sourdough
Buy the recipe: Rye flour mixture
Food photography and styling by Liz Neily
A quick recipe you can make in an afternoon: Sourdough bread with natural yeast
Looking for a classic, artisan-style dry yeast-only bread – that can be made in a day? Try this recipe. It has a deep brown crust, rich flavor and soft color – exactly what you are looking for in this type of bread. Make sure you have a healthy and active starter for best results. (Confused about the term “baked sourdough starter”? Here's what that means.)
Get the recipe: Sourdough bread with natural yeast
Buy the recipe: Classic Fresh Sourdough Starter
Photography by Rick Holbrook; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne
A bread with many flavors: Bread with extra sourdough
If you like your dough with a lot of tang, this is the recipe for you. Refrigerating the dough encourages the production of more acetic acid, which contributes to the dough's sour flavor.
Get the recipe: Extra Crispy Sourdough Bread
Buy the recipe: Parish Lame bread
Photography by Danielle Sykes; food styling by Liz Neily
A mostly simple recipe: Bread with no-bake dough
Characterized by its crusty, chewy texture, strong sourdough flavor and rich golden color, this sourdough bread comes together with minimal active work thanks to a series of folds and long resting time – no need for disturbance.
Get the recipe: Sourdough bread without dough
Buy the recipe: Unbleached bread flour AND Diastatic malt powder
Photography by Rick Holbrook; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne
A soft sandwich bread: Sourdough sandwich bread
Made with an overnight levain for flavor and commercial yeast to help rise, this bread is a richly flavored, soft-textured sandwich loaf perfect for all your favorite sandwich toppings. Make it every Sunday and you have a loaf of bread to last all week.
Get the recipe: Sourdough sandwich bread
Buy the recipe: Standard loaf pan
Food photography and styling by Liz Neily
A Whole Wheat Sandwich: Whole wheat sourdough bread
This recipe makes a great everyday bread – packed with flavor thanks to whole wheat flour and a full starter cup, it makes the perfect base for toast, sandwiches and more. This beginner-friendly bread is made with a little commercial yeast, ensuring your bread will still rise even if your beginner isn't very active.
Get the recipe: Bread with whole wheat dough
Buy the recipe Whole wheat flour AND Whole wheat bread improver
Martin Philip
A slow and sustainable bread for experienced bakers: High-Moisture Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread
Although it takes two days from start to finish, this wheat bread is worth the wait with its deep flavor and moist crumb. This recipe is best suited for experienced dough bakers: Highly hydrated dough resists light handling and the process is long.
Get the recipe: Bread with whole wheat dough with high hydration
Buy the recipe: Whole wheat flour
Food photography and styling by Liz Neily
A sourdough bread made with rye flour: Jeffrey's Sourdough Rye Bread
Rye flour adds a strong flavor to this hearty bread, while bread flour provides enough strength to the dough. This recipe calls for just 2 tablespoons (about 21 g) of baked sourdough starter; it is mixed with rye flour first overnight, then the dough is mixed and baked the next day. (A mixer is required for thorough mixing; this bread cannot be successfully made by hand.)
Get the recipe: Jeffery's Sourbough Rye Bread
Buy the recipe: Medium organic rye flour AND Unbleached bread flour
Food photography and styling by Liz Neily
A Multi-Textured Seed Bread: Multi-Grain Sourdough Boule
This bread isn't boring at all: Made with seeds and grains in the dough and a generous topping of more seeds on the outside, it packs plenty of crunch and flavor into every slice.
Get the recipe: Sour ball with many grains
Buy the recipe: Mixture of harvest grains AND Artisanal bread filling
Rick Holbrook
A loaf as big as it is delicious: Honey-Beer Miche
A large country-style loaf made with sourdough starter and a blend of all-purpose flours and whole grains, this traditional mica also includes pumpernickel flour, dark beer and honey to make a complex and frankly delicious loaf. wonderful with a touch of sweetness.
Get the recipe: Honey-Beer Miche
Buy the recipe: Pumpernickel flour
Food photography and styling by Liz Neily
A soft and sweet weekend bread: Challah Sourdough
While this sourdough challah recipe takes a little patience—you'll start by actively starting the sourdough, creating a stiff levain, then mixing the dough and waiting overnight for it to rise—the results are worth it: This bread large is slightly sweet and delicate. sourdough tang and a softer, airier crumb than most breads.
Get the recipe: Challah Sourdough
Buy the recipe: Unbleached bread flour AND Orange blossom water
Photography by Kristin Teig; food styling by Liz Neily
A crunchy, chewy, subtly colored focaccia: Sourdough Focaccia
Sourdough should not always be used to make artisan crusty bread; it can also be made into thick squares of soft and chewy focaccia. This recipe calls for an overnight rest, so plan accordingly! (For a full-flavored, naturally leavened sourdough focaccia, try this Taiwanese Dough Focaccia.)
Get the recipe: Sour Dough Focaccia
Buy the recipe: SAF Red Instant Tip
For all things sourdough, check out our guide on How to bake sourdough.
