---
title: 'How to Make Sourdough Bread - Step By Step with Hannah'
source: 'https://youtube.com/watch?v=gTHKEOTF5nA'
video_id: 'gTHKEOTF5nA'
date: 2026-07-01
duration_sec: 374
---

# How to Make Sourdough Bread - Step By Step with Hannah

> Source: [How to Make Sourdough Bread - Step By Step with Hannah](https://youtube.com/watch?v=gTHKEOTF5nA)

## Summary

This tutorial demonstrates how to make a first sourdough loaf from scratch at home, following a step-by-step process using a kitchen scale, bowl, and an active starter. The video emphasizes the importance of starter activity, proper kneading, and shaping to achieve a successful bake.

### Key Points

- **Equipment needed** [0:15] — Requires a bowl, basic kitchen scale, very active sourdough starter, and proofing baskets.
- **Active starter** [0:36] — Starter should be at its peak (risen to the top) for the best results.
- **Mixing starter with water** [0:49] — Mix starter and water until fully dissolved and milky; then add flour and knead for about 5 minutes until smooth.
- **First bulk rise** [1:15] — Cover dough and let sit for 1.5 to 2 hours until slightly risen.
- **Adding salt** [1:32] — Add salt and 50 g of water, pinch in with fingers, then knead 5 more minutes until salt is dissolved.
- **Second bulk rise** [2:06] — Cover and let dough double in size – 4-5 hours on counter or overnight in the fridge.
- **Shaping the loaves** [2:30] — Divide dough in half, shape each into a rectangle, fold sides over, roll up, and build tension by pushing/pulling in a circular motion.
- **Baking** [4:12] — Place shaped dough on parchment, score lightly then deeply, bake in preheated Dutch oven with lid for 30 mins, then 10 mins uncovered.
- **Cooling** [5:12] — Let loaf cool completely on counter before slicing.

### Conclusion

By following these steps carefully, anyone can bake a professional-looking and tasting sourdough loaf at home. The key is using a very active starter and handling the dough with patience and proper tension.

## Transcript

Welcome to the Ballerina Farm kitchen!
Today we are making sourdough bread
we're going to do a tutorial video of
step by step how to make your first
sourdough loaf.  We've also got some
photographers here, Aubrey and Crystal,
who are photographing a sourdough bread
booklet to put in our sourdough kits.
What you're going to need is a bowl,
a basic kitchen scale,
a very active sourdough starter, and a
couple proofing baskets.
Step One is we get our sourdough starter
and as you can tell this starter is very
active. It's risen to the top of the jar
and it's at its peak. This is when I find
the most success with my sourdough
loaves is when I'm using a very active
sourdough starter. Now dump that into the
bowl,
add the water, and then we're going to
mix the starter with the water until
it's completely dissolved and nice and
milky. Then we're going to add our flour.
We're gonna mix it together and then I
just knead it with my hand because I
feel like that's the easiest and at this
point I knead the dough for about five
minutes until it's nice and smooth and
everything is nice and incorporated.
Then I'm going to throw a lid on, or cover
the dough somehow, and let that sit for
an hour and a half to two hours.
After an hour and a half to two hours,
you can tell the dough has risen a bit.
Now we're going to add our salt.
I add the salt and then I also add an
additional 50 grams of water to help
with the incorporation of the salt. I use
my fingers to really pinch in the salt
to the dough.
This really helps it get
incorporated and really mixed in, and
then I'm going to knead the dough again
for another five minutes
and at this point you can tell the dough
is nice and smooth again you can't feel
the salt at all. It's completely
dissolved.  Then we're going to cover the
bowl again and we're going to let the
dough rise until it's doubled in size if
you're leaving it out on the countertop
this will probably take four to five
hours
or sometimes I start my dough at night, I
throw it in the fridge, and then it will
be ready the next morning.
After your dough has doubled in size,
now it's time to shape the loaves. We're
just going to dump the dough out onto a
clean surface,
cut it in half evenly,
and then we're going to shape each half
into a rectangle.
Once your dough is in a rectangle, we're
going to fold each side over each other
and then roll the bottom up to the top.
After it's rolled up, we are going to
build tension in the loaf. I do this by
pushing the loaf away and pulling it in -
push and pull in a circular motion - push,
pull,
push, pull - until you can tell that there
is tension in the loaf and it's nice and
springy
we're going to repeat that for both
Loaves and then we're going to let them
sit on the counter for 20 minutes.
With your bench scraper, grab the loaf,
flip it over and we're going to repeat
that again, this time not stretching the
dough so far into a rectangle and being
a lot more gentle with the dough; we're
going to fold each half over,
roll it up from the end,
and then we're going to build tension in
the loaf again - pushing away and pulling
in in a circular motion - pushing away,
pulling in.
After you have built tension the second
time, that is when the loaves go right
into the proofing baskets. With your
bench scraper, scoop up the loaf and put
it right into the basket
and then we're going to cover that dough
and let it sit in the fridge for two hours.
After your dough has been in the fridge
for two hours, it's time to bake. We're
gonna carefully put the dough onto
parchment paper; I usually sprinkle a
little flour on top of my loaf so that
the designs are more pronounced.
Your initial scoring will be very
shallow cuts. I'm doing some wheat stocks
here.
Very shallow cuts and then my main score
will be a lot deeper
and once you do your main score you need
to get that into the preheated pan as
soon as possible. Here's the Dutch oven.
Put it into the Dutch oven with a little
bit of water (helps with the steam).
Put the lid back on and into the oven it
goes
for about 30 minutes. At the 30 minute
mark we're going to take off the lid and
let the loaf cook for an additional 10
minutes so it's nice and golden brown on
the outside.
Once it's done, we take it out and let it
cool on the counter until it's
completely cooled before we cut into the
loaf.
And that's it! That is all you need for
your first sourdough loaf at home :)
[Music]
Mmmm
Do you want this? Does anyone want a piece?
Okay, so that is how you
make your first sourdough loaf at home.
If you guys make it at home, tag me and...
no. Let's do a redo. Redo this outro!
So start baking, ladies and gentlemen. Tag
me if you make it at home. I want to see it!
Mabel's eating it right now. Let's go
bake!