There’s this moment—just after you pull it from the oven. The crust still snapping with heat. That burnt-toffee color. The Jamie Oliver Sourdough Bread Recipe isn’t fancy, but it punches you with the smell of something deep and old and right. Earthy, warm, familiar. I made it last Saturday, in a hoodie, with the windows open. Rain tapping against the glass. Felt like it could fix anything.

Ingredients Needed

475 g all-purpose flour
100 g active sourdough starter, bubbling like a science experiment
325 g lukewarm water—warm, not hot, like bathwater you almost forgot about
10 g salt (don’t eyeball it; trust me, I’ve ruined a loaf)

How To Make Jamie Oliver Sourdough Bread

Prepare the Starter: If your starter isn’t foaming, alive, and a bit weird-smelling—wait. Feed it like it’s your weird pet. Flour and water, every 8 hours or so. You’ll know when it’s ready. It starts to smell like ripe fruit and old books.
Mix the Ingredients: Big bowl. Use your hands, not a spoon, unless you’re afraid of getting messy. The water goes in first, then starter, then flour. Salt after. Squish it together until your arm’s tired. Not smooth, just combined. Then cover it—dish towel, plate, cling film—whatever—and leave it. Go read. Or nap.
Stretch and Fold: Okay, now you’re building muscle. Dough muscle. Grab a side, pull it up, and flop it over. Turn the bowl. Do that again. Four sides. Then let it rest. Do it again in half an hour. Again in another half. The dough changes while you’re not looking. Like a mood lifting.
Shape and Proof the Dough:Flour the counter. Lightly. Don’t dump it like snow. Drop the dough down. Fold it in on itself, loosely. It’ll resist. Let it. Then let it sit there, bare, for 20 mins. Dry out just enough to behave.
Now for the real shaping. Pinch, fold, coax it into a tense little orb. Don’t overthink it. Then gently place it, seam side up, into something floured—a banneton if you’re fancy, a bowl with a towel if you’re me. Cover it. Stick it in the fridge overnight. Or, if you’re impatient, proof it on the counter for a few hours. Your call.

Bake the Bread:

Oven on. Hot as it goes—500°F. Throw your Dutch oven in there too. At least an hour. This part’s crucial.
Take your dough from the fridge, flip it onto parchment (fast but kind), score it—one bold slash across the top—and into the Dutch oven it goes. Careful. Lid on. 20 minutes.
Then lid off. Turn heat down to 475°F. Now you watch. The crust blooms, splits, darkens. Another 20-ish minutes. Your kitchen smells like a bakery exploded in the best way.

Why I Love This Recipe

This bread came with a kind of ritual. Rain outside, jazz in the background, sleeves pushed up. My kid stole a slice before it cooled. Said it was the “crispiest cloud.” He’s eight. Said it better than I could.

Recipe Tips

Swap in bread flour if you want chewier insides—less soft, more bite
Preheat the Dutch oven like your life depends on it
The cold proof is where the magic happens—don’t rush it
Sprinkle semolina or cornmeal under the dough—stops the sticking, adds crunch
Adjust rising time based on mood—yours or the kitchen’s

How To Store This Jamie Oliver Sourdough Bread

At Room Temperature: Wrap it in a clean towel. Or paper bag. Two days tops. It gets a bit tough after that—great for toast though.
In the Fridge: If you must—airtight container. But the crust goes soft. Just saying.
In the Freezer: Slice it first. Stack the slices in a zip bag. Three months easy.

Reheating:

Oven: 350°F. 10 minutes. Like new.
Microwave: 20 seconds. Eh—it works.
Air Fryer: 3 minutes at 350°F. Surprisingly decent.

Let’s Answer a Few Questions!

Can I skip the overnight rise?
You can. Won’t taste as deep though. But yeah, go ahead.

What if my starter’s lazy?
Feed it. Wait. It’ll perk up. If not, start again. They’re moody like that.

Do I need a Dutch oven?
It helps. A lot. But if you don’t have one, use a baking stone and a pan of boiling water for steam.

Can I throw in extras?
Totally. Seeds, herbs, nuts, olives. Just don’t go overboard. It’s still bread.

Why didn’t mine rise?
Starter probably wasn’t strong. Or maybe it proofed too long. Or not long enough. It’s part science, part feeling.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

Calories: 84
Carbs: 16g
Protein: 3g
Fat: 1g
Sugar: 0g
Fibre: 1g
Sodium: 187mg

Try More recipe:

Jamie Oliver Sourdough Bread Recipe

Course: BreakfastCuisine: British

Servings

servings

Prep time

hours

Cooking time

minutes

Calories

kcal

Crusty, chewy, deeply satisfying—this sourdough is the kind you rip apart with your hands and eat warm.

Ingredients

475 g all-purpose flour
100 g active sourdough starter
325 g lukewarm water
10 g salt

Directions

Feed starter until bubbly.
Mix ingredients. Let rest 30 minutes.
Stretch and fold twice, resting in between. Then 2-hour rest.
Shape, rest again, and proof overnight (or 3–4 hours room temp).
Preheat oven and Dutch oven to 500°F. Score and bake 20 mins covered, 15–25 mins uncovered at 475°F.
Let cool. Eat.

Notes

Swap in bread flour if you want chewier insides—less soft, more bite
Preheat the Dutch oven like your life depends on it
The cold proof is where the magic happens—don’t rush it
Sprinkle semolina or cornmeal under the dough—stops the sticking, adds crunch
Adjust rising time based on mood—yours or the kitchen’s