Name: Sourdough Bread Recipe (King Arthur Method)
Prep time: 2 h
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 3 h 40 min
Yield: 1
Cuisine: Sourdough
Ingredients: 600 grams (5 cups) King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour; 340 grams (1 1/2 cups) warm water; 230 grams (a little over 1 cup) active sourdough starter; 15 grams salt (2 1/2 teaspoons); 1 1/2 teaspoons Instant Yeast

This sourdough bread recipe (King Arthur method!) is a classic you’ll bake again and again—soft airy crumb, crusty exterior, and lots of that delicious, tangy flavor characteristic of sourdough recipes.

jump to recipe

Close up of freshly baked sourdough bread on a linen cloth with white flowers and bread in the background.

There’s something grounding and satisfying about baking fresh sourdough bread. This sourdough bread recipe uses the King Arthur method, making it a great beginner’s bread recipe. The King Arthur sourdough recipe is a hybrid-style recipe, using both homemade sourdough starter and a small amount of commercial yeast for consistent results. Straightforward steps yield a delicious, simple sourdough bread that is soft and full of flavor.

What makes this recipe so great is its flexibility. You still get the benefit of your wild yeast from the starter, but with the added reliability of instant yeast to help the rise. This makes it perfect for busy home bakers or anyone who wants great sourdough bread on the table in just a few hours. And its so much more delicious than anything from the grocery store!

If you’re looking to try a longer-fermented version, check out our favorite easy sourdough bread recipe (no Dutch oven needed!). For more sourdough bread recipes, try rosemary sourdough, flavored sourdough bread, overnight bagels, sourdough bread bowls, or our garlic cheddar sourdough focaccia recipe.

New to sourdough? Learn about making your own sourdough starter and lots of other baking tips in the sourdough step-by-step guide (all kinds of great information in there!). With a bit of trial, anyone can master the world of sourdough and get professional level looking loaves!

And if you’re ready to dive into even more bread making, read up on baking with freshly milled flour. Then, try our favorite sourdough with fresh milled flour, fresh milled blueberry muffins, or simple fresh milled pancakes!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Beginner-friendly: This is the best sourdough recipe for new bakers (especially after making a King Arthur sourdough starter from scratch). The added yeast helps boost your rise even if your starter isn’t at its peak strength (one of the common issues with sourdough!).

Flexible timing: This is the perfect loaf when you’re short on time because it doesn’t need a long rise. You can start this in the morning and have fresh bread by dinner with minimal effort.

That sourdough flavor you love: Thanks to the beneficial bacteria in the active starter, you still get the tangy, complex flavor of sourdough—no shortcuts on taste here! (Here are some great ideas to pair with your sourdough!)

What Is Sourdough Bread King Arthur Method?

This recipe adapted from King Arthur Baking’s original recipe is a quick-rise version of sourdough bread. It uses a combination of active sourdough starter and instant yeast to create reliable, bakery-style results. Unlike traditional sourdough that ferments over 12 to 24 hours, this method shortens that window while still developing excellent texture and flavor. It’s not quite a no-knead recipe, but the process is very straightforward, making it ideal for everyday baking.

Sliced King Arther sourdough bread slathered with butter.

Sourdough Bread King Arthur Method Ingredients

King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour: You can use other brands as well, but this is the King Arthur recipe. I do like King Arthur flour and find best results with bread flour. To make bread flour from all purpose, add 1 tablespoon vital wheat gluten per 1 cup of flour.
Water: Use warm water (about 100°F) to activate the yeast and help gluten develop.
Active sourdough starter: Must be recently fed (within 4–6 hours) for best rise and flavor. You can do a float test to make sure it’s ready. I also like to place a rubber band around the jar when I feed the starter so I can see how much it has grown.
Table salt: I love to use pink salt or non-iodized salt. This enhances flavor and helps strengthen the dough.
Instant yeast: Yeast is optional but a good idea, especially for beginners or when your starter isn’t super active.

A full list of ingredients and quantities can be found in the recipe card below.

Tools You May Need

Bench scraper

Baking sheet or stone

How To Make Sourdough Bread King Arthur Method

Weigh or measure your flour by spooning into the cup, then sweeping off any excess.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, water, active sourdough starter, salt, and yeast. Mix and knead until a smooth dough forms. Optional: You can do a series of folds here to help with the consistency of the bread. Pull up one of the edges of the dough, fold it over the middle, then do a quarter turn of the bowl and repeat.
Cover the bowl and let the dough rise at room temperature for about 2 hours, or until doubled in size. You let the bread rise in a warm place to speed the bulk fermentation.
Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into two equal parts and pre-shape each into a ball. Let rest for 15 minutes.
Shape each ball into a fat oval (batard) or a longer French-style loaf.
Place the shaped dough onto a lightly greased or baking sheet lined with piece of parchment paper. Cover and do a second rise until very puffy, about 1 hour.
Preheat your oven to 425°F during the final rise.
At the end of the rising time, spray the top and side of the dough with a little bit of lukewarm water and dust lightly with fresh flour. Use a sharp knife or razor blade to make two diagonal slashes on each loaf.
Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until the crust and is deeply golden brown and the loaves sound hollow when tapped.
Cool on a wire rack before slicing.

Sourdough bread on a wooden board, sliced with butter beside it - ready to eat.

King Arthur Sourdough on a wooden board, sliced with butter beside it - ready to eat.

Recipe Best Tips

If your kitchen is cooler, the dough temperature will be lower and rise time may be longer.
Want more sour flavor? Let the shaped loaves proof in the fridge overnight (covered with plastic wrap), then bake straight from the fridge the next day.
Use a baking stone or steel sheet pan for an even better crust. You can also use a Dutch oven to keep a higher hydration while cooking. If you cook in a Dutch oven, skip the spraying step.
To bake in a loaf pan, shape the bread into a more oblong shape before the final proofing.
Store at room temp wrapped in a cloth or bread bag for up to 3 days. Plastic bags tend to hold too much moisture for room temp storage. Freeze for longer storage—slice first for easy toast!

Sourdough Bread King Arthur Variations

Whole wheat version: Replace up to 50% of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour.
Herb & garlic sourdough: Add 1 tablespoon dried herbs and 2 cloves minced garlic during mixing.
Cheddar jalapeño sourdough: Fold in 1 cup shredded cheddar and 1 diced jalapeño before shaping.
Seeded crust: After shaping, brush with water and roll in sesame or poppy seeds for a flavorful crunch.

King Arthur sourdough recipe on a linen cloth with flowers and bread in the background.

Recipe FAQs

No, but it helps! The yeast gives you a more predictable rise and is a good option when using an old starter. You can omit it if your starter is strong and bubbly and do a longer bulk rise of 8-12 hours.

A strong starter is the key to good sourdough! Also spraying the outside of the loaf with water is a great head start on the golden, crispy exterior you want without burning in an open bake. Hydration is key in sourdough, which is why many people bake in a Dutch oven to capture the steam and keep the loaf moist.

King Arthur flour is a good flour for a white sourdough, but you can use any brand of flour your prefer. I do recommend bread flour. Bread flour has a higher protein content, which gives an artisan loaf like this one a better texture (no gumminess here!). To make bread flour from all purpose flour, add 1 tablespoon of vital wheat gluten per every 1 cup of all purpose flour.

Some common mistakes include not using a starter that is strong and active, rushing the rise time (that’s why we add yeast in this recipe! Wild yeast in sourdough culture take longer to rise), using water that is too hot (damages the yeast), and not rolling your loaves tightly to create surface tension in the bread.

You can, but the texture will be denser. Try using half whole wheat, half all-purpose for best results. You’d also love our favorite whole wheat focaccia!

I hope you love King Arthur Sourdough Bread recipe!

This is a great go-to sourdough bread that doesn’t require days of planning or perfect conditions. Whether you’re baking for your family or trying sourdough for the first time, this method is a keeper. It’s actually our favorite sandwich bread recipe!

Sourdough Bread Recipe (King Arthur Method)

Yield: 1 loaf

Prep Time: 2 hours

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Additional Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Total Time: 3 hours 40 minutes

This sourdough bread recipe (King Arthur method!) is a classic you'll bake again and again—soft airy crumb, crusty exterior, and lots of that delicious, tangy flavor characteristic of sourdough recipes.

Ingredients

600 grams (5 cups) King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour
340 grams (1 1/2 cups) warm water
230 grams (a little over 1 cup) active sourdough starter
15 grams salt (2 1/2 teaspoons)
1 1/2 teaspoons Instant Yeast

Instructions

Weigh or measure your flour by spooning into the cup, then sweeping off any excess.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, water, active sourdough starter, salt, and yeast. Mix and knead until a smooth dough forms. Optional: You can do a series of folds here to help with the consistency of the bread. Pull up one of the edges of the dough, fold it over the middle, then do a quarter turn of the bowl and repeat.
Cover the bowl and let the dough rise at room temperature for about 2 hours, or until doubled in size. You let the bread rise in a warm place to speed the bulk fermentation.
Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into two equal parts and pre-shape each into a ball. Let rest for 15 minutes.
Shape each ball into a fat oval (batard) or a longer French-style loaf.
Place the shaped dough onto a lightly greased or baking sheet lined with piece of parchment paper. Cover and do a second rise until very puffy, about 1 hour.
Preheat your oven to 425°F during the final rise.
At the end of the rising time, spray the top and side of the dough with a little bit of lukewarm water and dust lightly with fresh flour. Use a sharp knife or razor blade to make two diagonal slashes on each loaf.
Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until the crust and is deeply golden brown and the loaves sound hollow when tapped.
Cool on a wire rack before slicing.

Notes

If your kitchen is cooler, the dough temperature will be lower and rise time may be longer.
Want more sour flavor? Let the shaped loaves proof in the fridge overnight (covered with plastic wrap), then bake straight from the fridge the next day.
Use a baking stone or steel sheet pan for an even better crust. You can also use a Dutch oven to keep a higher hydration while cooking. If you cook in a Dutch oven, skip the spraying step.
To bake in a loaf pan, shape the bread into a more oblong shape before the final proofing.
Store at room temp wrapped in a cloth or bread bag for up to 3 days. Plastic bags tend to hold too much moisture for room temp storage. Freeze for longer storage—slice first for easy toast!

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Other Sourdough Recipes You May Enjoy…

These recipes are good options for any sourdough baker and a great way to use that classic fresh sourdough starter! Find these and more in the sourdough main menu.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our full disclosure policy.

The Best Sourdough Bread Recipe King Arthur Method