There’s something incredibly satisfying about baking your own loaf of bread — the smell filling the house, the crackly crust as it cools, and that first warm slice with butter melting into it.
And if you’ve never baked bread before, I want you to know this straight up: you absolutely can do this. This simple overnight artisan-style loaf is made for beginners. No fancy techniques, no stress — just a slow, gentle process that fits around real life.
What You’ll Need
You don’t need much to make beautiful bread, just a few basics from around the kitchen.
A large mixing bowl, a spoon or dough whisk, and something to cover the bowl — a clean tea towel or plastic wrap is perfect. A bench scraper or spatula is handy but not essential, and you’ll need some baking paper and a sharp knife or razor blade for scoring the top.
For baking, a Dutch oven or heavy lidded pot will give you the best rise and crust. If you don’t have one, a baking tray with an oven-safe dish of water for steam will still work. And once it’s baked, a cooling rack helps the crust stay crisp.
If you happen to have a banneton or proofing basket, lovely — but a bowl lined with a floured tea towel does the job just as well.
Ingredients
You’ll need active sourdough starter, warm water, flour and salt. That’s it — simple, honest ingredients doing their thing slowly and naturally
Evening — Mixing and Building Strength
In the early evening, start by mixing your starter and warm water in a bowl until it looks milky and well combined. This helps the starter spread evenly through the dough, which means better rise later.
Add your flour and salt and stir until there’s no dry flour left. It won’t look smooth or pretty yet — that’s completely fine. Cover the bowl and let it rest. This short rest gives the flour time to absorb the water and makes the dough easier to work with later.
Over the next couple of hours, you’ll gently strengthen the dough with a few rounds of stretch and folds. Wet your hand, lift one side of the dough up and fold it over itself, then turn the bowl and repeat. Do this four times so you’ve worked all the way around.
You’ll do a few of these sets, about every 45 minutes. Each time, you’ll notice the dough becoming smoother and more elastic — it’s quietly building structure while you go about your evening.
After the last set, let the dough sit and relax. It should look puffier and slightly bigger, not doubled, just soft and airy.
Night — Shaping and Slow Fermentation
Later in the evening, tip the dough onto a lightly floured bench and gently shape it into a round. Don’t overthink this part — you’re just creating a bit of surface tension so it holds its shape.
Let it rest for a few minutes, then give it a final gentle shape and place it seam-side up into your floured basket or bowl. Cover it and pop it into the fridge for the night.
While you sleep, the dough keeps working, slowly developing flavour and structure. This long, cold rest is what gives sourdough that beautiful depth of taste.
Morning — Baking the Magic
In the morning, start by heating your oven nice and hot, with your Dutch oven inside. This step really matters — the heat trapped in the pot is what helps the bread rise properly and gives you that lovely oven spring.
When everything is hot, take the dough straight from the fridge and gently turn it out onto baking paper. Score the top with a sharp blade — this gives the bread a place to expand instead of tearing randomly.
Using the paper, carefully lift the dough into the hot pot. Before you put the lid on, pour a small amount of water down the inside edge of the pot, between the paper and the side — not onto the dough. This burst of steam helps create that crisp, bakery-style crust.
Pop the lid on quickly and return it to the oven. The bread bakes covered first, trapping steam and encouraging a big rise, then uncovered so the crust can deepen in colour and crunch.
When it comes out, it will sound hollow when tapped and smell incredible. Let it cool for at least an hour — as tempting as it is to cut in straight away, the inside is still finishing its set and will slice better once cooled.
A Few Tips
Your starter should be bubbly and recently fed — that’s what gives your loaf its lift. The dough will feel sticky, especially at the start, and that’s perfectly normal for artisan bread. And if your kitchen is cool, don’t rush the rises — slow bread is good bread.