This bread machine sourdough bread recipe brings the perfect blend of convenience and artisanal flavor to your kitchen.
In just over 5 hours, you’ll have a warm, crusty Greek-style loaf that’s both nutritious and delicious.
Each slice delivers a satisfying 122 calories with the perfect balance of carbs and protein, making it an ideal choice for sandwiches or morning toast.
Best of all, your bread machine does most of the work, giving you bakery-quality results with minimal hands-on time.
Ingredients for Sourdough Bread Machine Recipe
- Sourdough Starter: 80g active starter – ensure it’s bubbly and ready to use
- Strong White Bread Flour: 460g – provides structure and perfect texture
- Unsalted Butter: 15g, softened – adds richness and tenderness
- Sweetener: 0.5 tsp sugar or honey – helps activate the starter
- Salt: 1.75 tsp – enhances flavor and controls fermentation
- Water: Choose your hydration level:
- 285ml for 65% hydration (substantial loaf)
- 335g for 75% hydration (lighter loaf)
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Initial Setup: Add starter to bread machine basket, followed by flour
- Flavor Addition: Incorporate sweetener, salt, and butter
- Hydration: Pour water around the basket edges for even distribution
- Kneading Phase: Select 30-minute knead cycle or sourdough setting
- First Rise: Allow dough to proof 3-4 hours until 50% larger
- Preparation: Dust with flour and score top with sharp blade
- Baking Time: Set machine to bake for 1 hour 15 minutes
- Cooling Period: Transfer to cooling rack and rest for 1 hour before slicing
Sourdough Basics
This bread machine recipe makes sourdough baking super simple! The key is having an active, bubbly sourdough starter.
Your starter should be fed and at its peak when you add it to the machine. The dough comes in two options – choose the 65% hydration for a firmer, more traditional loaf, or try the 75% hydration for a lighter, airier texture. Both make wonderful bread!
Storage Tips
Your fresh sourdough will stay tasty for 4-5 days when stored properly. Let it cool completely, then keep it in a paper bag or bread box at room temperature.
Don’t store it in the fridge, as this makes it go stale faster. If you want to keep it longer, slice the whole loaf once it’s cool and pop it in the freezer – it’ll stay fresh for up to 3 months! Just toast slices straight from frozen whenever you want them.
Serving Ideas
This sourdough makes amazing sandwiches! The mild tang works beautifully with both savory and sweet toppings.
Try it fresh with good butter and honey for breakfast, or make grilled cheese for lunch – the crispy crust is perfect for it.
For dinner, serve thick slices alongside soup or stew to soak up all the yummy flavors. Day-old bread? Toast it and top with mashed avocado and a sprinkle of sea salt!
Helpful Tips
Your bread machine does most of the work, but here are some friendly pointers: Check your dough during the first few minutes of kneading – if it looks too dry, add water a tablespoon at a time.
If it’s too sticky, sprinkle in a bit more flour. The dough should form a soft ball that cleans the sides of the pan. New to sourdough? Start with the 65% hydration recipe – it’s easier to handle and still makes wonderful bread!
Bread Machine Sourdough Bread
Equipment
- Bread Machine
Ingredients
65% Hydration Dough – The “substantial” dough
- 80 g sourdough starter (2.1oz)
- 460 g strong white bread flour (16.2oz)
- 15 g unsalted butter (0.5oz)
- 0.5 tsp sugar or honey
- 1.75 tsp salt
- 285 ml water (9.6 fl oz)
75% Hydration Dough – The “lighter” dough
- 80 g sourdough starter (2.1oz)
Instructions
- In your bread machine basket, pour in your sourdough starter then the flour
- Add in the sugar/honey, salt and the butter
- Pour in your water around the edges of the baking basket
- Set your bread machine to the kneading cycle for 30 minutes or if it has a sourdough dough cycle use that. For the Panasonic SD-ZX2522 use menu 29. For the Panasonic SD-ZB2512 use menu 26.
- Once your sourdough bread has finished kneading, let your dough rest and proof for 3-4 hours or until it has risen by about 50% of its original size.
- Once proofed, sprinkle some flour on top and score lengthwise with a sharp knife or a blade. Pop any large bubbles that may have appeared on the surface.
- Set your bread machine to the bake programme and set its timer for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
- Once done, remove the basket and tip the bread over to an airing rack. Let it cool down for about an hour before cutting it.