Sourdough French Bread

a cut loaf of French bread with slices in the background.

4.93 from 26 votes

This Sourdough French bread recipe using sourdough discard is so easy to make. Check out my recipe notes with tips for a perfect loaf every time!

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

combined rises10

Total Time10 45

Course: Bread

Cuisine: French, American

Keyword: Sourdough, sourdough bread, French bread, Sourdough French bread

Servings: slices

Calories: 142kcal

Author: Renae Gerhardstein

Equipment

lamé or sharp serrated knife
French bread pans or baking sheets

Ingredients

1 cup sourdough starter (250 grams) discard or fed 12-24 hours prior *see notes below
1 ½ cups warm water (350 grams)
2 tablespoons sugar (25 grams) see recipe notes below for using honey
⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil (70 grams) or your preferred cooking oil
4 cups all-purpose flour (500 grams) or bread flour, divided
2 teaspoons fine salt (10 grams)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Mixing the sourdough bread sponge

Combine starter, water, sugar, oil, and 3 cups (350 grams) flour in a medium bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer. Stir using a dough whisk or flat beater until a thick, sticky dough forms. This is called a sponge.
Cover and let rest for 30 mins.
Add salt to the dough, and slowly add the last 1 cup of flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

Kneading by hand

Add 1 cup of flour (150 grams) on the countertop and knead in one cup of flour at a time until the dough is no longer sticky. Then knead for 10 minutes by hand until the dough is soft, smooth, and elastic. See video below for more tips.
You should be able to stretch the dough for 4-5" without it tearing. Use a timer to time kneading and take short breaks if your arms get sore.

Stand mixer kneading

Use the dough hook at low speed to mix the dough until it cleans the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl. Knead in mixer for 5-7 minutes, until a soft, smooth, and elastic dough forms.
You should be able to stretch the dough for 4-5" without it tearing.

Overnight bulk fermentation rise

Place dough into a large greased bowl turning the dough over, and cover with a clean damp towel or plastic wrap.
Let rise at room temperature or a warm area 4-12 hours (see chart in notes below) to ferment.

Preparing the loaves

Cut the dough in half. Flatten each half to a 5" x 7" rectangle (i use my fingertips to gently deflate or degas the dough). Then tightly roll on the long side. Pinch the ends to seal them.
Place dough on lightly greased french bread pans, or place length-wise on a large parchment lined baking sheet. Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise for 1 1/2 - 2 hours, until the loaves have increased in size and look puffy.
Preheat oven to 400ºF (205º celcius). Using a very sharp knife or lamé quickly score loaves with 3 - 4 diagonal slashes. Make scores about 1/4" to 1/2" deep.
Bake for 25 - 30 minutes. The loaves should be golden on the outside and sound hollow when tapped.

Video

Notes

FOR GRAMS MEASUREMENTS click on the METRIC tab above ingredients.

This recipe uses a discard or unfed sourdough starter, which means one that was fed 12-24 hours before starting the recipe. Our recipe does not use a starter that's at its peak when mixing the dough. A 100% hydration sourdough starter works best for this recipe.

Ingredient substitutions:

You can substitute the sugar with 3 1/2 teaspoons (25 grams) honey.

I recommend using a clear glass mixing bowl for fermentation (rising). This allows you to see the activity on the dough's top and bottom. Often, the bottom of the dough will show a lot of activity, reassuring you that it's properly fermented.

Do not refrigerate the dough! Our recipe does not use a refrigerated rise. If it gets too cold, the dough will not ferment (rise) properly.

Bulk Fermentation Rising guidelines:

Rising times will vary according to your room temperature and humidity:

80ºF about 4-5 hours
75ºF about 6-7 hours
70ºF about 8-9 hours
For temperatures under 70ºF it can take up to 12 hours or more

Check out our tips on proofing sourdough for the best rise and flavor.

Tips for keeping dough warm during colder months:

Place the bowl in the oven with the door closed and light on to create a slightly warmer climate without actually turning the oven on.
Use a heated mat (like those used for germinating seeds) for rising.
Use the "proof" setting of your oven (I set mine to 85ºF) and set a timer. This will speed up the rising process, so check it at 4 and 6 hours.
If there is a sunny room in the house that stays warm, keep the dough covered in that area.

How to Score French Bread:

For a clean score, use quick, even motions. I prefer to use a lamé or a serrated knife. Sourdough scoring is only about 1/4" to 1/2" in depth. Side slashes work best for scoring loaves of French bread.

Scoring of the top is simple but necessary to keep it from cracking.

How will I know if my bread is done baking?

Check to see if the top of the loaf is golden and if it sounds hollow when tapped on.
Check the internal temperature in the center of the bread. It should 195º – 200ºF when done.

TFN Pro Tip:

When my sourdough bread is turning stale, I slice it into cubes and dry or toast it to make sourdough stuffing or slice it for French toast sourdough bread.

Bread Storage Instructions:

Let the bread cool completely. Store it in a plastic bag at room temperature. I use a plastic bread bag with a twist tie to seal it and it stays fresh for about 5 days.
This French bread is also great to freeze. Place in an airtight bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw loaves at room temperature, then slice and enjoy.
Check out our in-depth guide on how to store fresh sourdough bread for more storage tips.

Nutrition