Bread Machine Crusty Sourdough Bread

Prep 10 min
Total 3 hr 40 min
Servings 12

This sourdough bread machine recipe has unraveled the closely guarded secret to great sourdough bread and made it "bread machine easy." How do you make sourdough bread? Especially one with such a delicious crust? The sourdough starter should be made at least 1 week before you make the bread and then kept cool in the refrigerator until ready to use. Use the starter once a week or stir in 1 teaspoon sugar, and after using, replenish or "feed it" according to our directions. This sourdough bread recipe for the bread machine will create a tangy, sour flavor that only gets better as you regularly replenish your sourdough starter.

By Betty Crocker Kitchens

Updated January 22, 2021

Make with

Gold Medal Flour

Ingredients

Sourdough Starter

1 1/2

teaspoons bread machine or quick active dry yeast
4

cups lukewarm water (105°F to 115°F)
3

cups Gold Medal™ All-Purpose Flour or Gold Medal™ Bread Flour
4

teaspoons sugar

Bread

1/2

cup water
3

cups Gold Medal™ Bread Flour
2

tablespoons sugar
1 1/2

teaspoons salt
1

teaspoon bread machine or quick active dry yeast

Steps

1

Make sourdough starter at least 1 week before making bread. In large glass bowl, dissolve 1 1/2 teaspoons yeast in warm water. Stir in 3 cups flour and 4 teaspoons sugar. Beat with electric mixer on medium speed about 1 minute or until smooth. Cover loosely; let stand at room temperature about 1 week or until mixture is bubbly and has a sour aroma. Transfer to 2-quart or larger nonmetal bowl. Cover tightly; refrigerate until ready to use.
2

Use sourdough starter once a week or stir in 1 teaspoon sugar. After using starter, replenish it by stirring in 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, 3/4 cup water and 1 teaspoon sugar until smooth. Cover loosely; let stand in warm place at least 1 day until bubbly. Cover tightly; refrigerate until ready to use. To use, stir cold starter; measure cold starter, and let stand until room temperature (starter will expand as it warms up).
3

Measure 1 cup of the sourdough starter and all remaining bread ingredients carefully, placing in bread machine pan in the order recommended by the manufacturer.
4

Select Basic/White cycle. Use Medium or Light crust color. Do not use delay cycle. (Total time will vary with appliance and setting.) Remove baked bread from pan; cool on cooling rack.

The sourdough starter was the only leavening pioneers had to make breads, biscuits and pancakes. Each evening, starter was removed from the crock and set "to work" for the next day's bread. A little of the "sourdough" was returned to the crock the next day to ferment and be ready for the next time. You'll still need to replenish your starter like the pioneers, but our sourdough bread recipe for the bread machine makes the kneading process much easier!
If you just want to focus on the Sourdough Starter recipe, we have those ingredients and steps here.
After you make our sourdough bread machine recipe, try a different flavor with our recipe for Bread Machine Multigrain Loaf. This recipe is leavened with yeast instead of sourdough and contains half whole grains for a hearty texture full of goodness.
Once you've perfected Bread Machine sourdough, try Bread Machine Caramelized-Onion Bread. It has a sweet, subtle flavor due to the caramelized onions.