My Master Sourdough Recipe {One Dough for Everything}

This one sourdough recipe is my go to for Pizza, Bread, Rolls, and more! Save this master sourdough recipe for an easy dough that works for almost everything!

I love this type of dough recipe because it has a very short time of actual hands on due to the long fermentation time and the use of a stand mixer.

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I’ve been making sourdough for so many years and love the versatility of a long fermentation and the flavor it brings.

This one master sourdough recipe is perfect to put up on the fridge for when you aren’t quite sure what you want to make, but need to get a dough going.

Having one master recipe has been a game changer for me, as I will make up the dough and decide what I’m going to do with it later on.

You can make so many different recipes with this one dough: Pizza crust, Bread, Dinner Rolls, Hamburger/Hot Dog buns, etc….

Are you new to sourdough and want to make your own sourdough starter? CLICK HERE TO LEARN HOW TO MAKE A SOURDOUGH STARTER

What makes this my master sourdough recipe?

Basic Ingredients – Using only a few basic ingredients, this dough is easy to put together with what you probably already have on hand.

Flexible recipe – Once you make the dough, you can decide how to divide it up to make whatever you choose. And, with the long fermentation, it’s very flexible for your time schedule.

A reliable recipe for everything – Having a master recipe means having one that works for just about anything you want to make. You can start the dough before you even know what you want to make!

Tools you made need when making this recipe

Grain Mill – I mill my own flour using a NUTRIMILL GRAIN MILL

Stand Mixer – Having a STAND MIXER makes kneading dough incredibly easy, especially a double batch of dough like this recipe.

Dough Scraper – Having a DOUGH SCRAPER is so handy when dividing dough on a work surface.

Loaf Pan – I prefer using a CAST IRON LOAF PAN This particular pan is 8.5×4.5 for reference.

Kitchen Scale – Having a KITCHEN SCALE helps for a consistent recipe every time and is especially helpful for beginner bakers.

Ingredients you will need for this master dough

• Flour – I generally use a half and half mixture of fresh milled hard white wheat and hard red wheat for my dough. You can use all purpose flour, bread flour, whole wheat flour, or any combination of both.
• Sourdough Starter – You can use active sourdough starter that has been fed within the last couple of days, or for a longer fermentation with deeper flavor, use hungry sourdough starter or sourdough discard. Note: Active starter in a warm place will make a less sour product. Discard in a cooler place for a longer fermentation process makes a more sour dough.
• Water – For best results, use filtered water.
• Oil – I use olive oil or avocado oil. The addition of oil to this dough makes for a soft dough.
• Eggs – Using eggs in bread dough makes for softer texture and better oven spring.
• Salt‘

For full ingredient amounts, see recipe card below

Looking for an overnight sourdough bread recipe? CLICK HERE!

Note on fermentation times – A colder, longer fermentation time makes a more sour dough as a warmer, shorter rise time will have a yeastier taste.

How to make this master sourdough recipe (Step by Step)

Mix the dough

If using fresh milled flour, mill your wheat berries on a fine setting of your grain mill.

Place the bowl of a stand mixer on the kitchen scale and weigh out the water, oil, sourdough starter, and add the eggs.

Place on the stand mixer base and pulse to combine the ingredients.

In a large bowl, weight out the flour. (If you previously weighed out the wheat berries for flour, just place the fresh milled flour in the stand mixer after milling)

Add the salt on top of the flour.

Turn the mixer on speed 1 or 2 and mix the dough until just combined and no dry flour remain.

Autolyse or Soak the dough

Cover the mixing bowl and let the dough rest for 15-30 minutes. This allows for a better kneading process and lets the flour fully absorb the water.

Knead the dough

After the dough has rested, turn the mixer on speed 1 or 2 and knead for 6-8 minutes.

You want the dough to be stretchy and silky after kneading.

This is a sticky dough that may not clean the side of the bowl, however after kneading it will all come together into an easier to manage dough.

First Rise/Bulk Fermentation

Put the dough in a lightly grease large mixing bowl and cover with plastic wrap, a shower cap, or a damp tea towel.

A word about using a tea towel: You will need to occasionally need to re-dampen the towel to prevent the dough from drying out.

Let the dough rise in a warm place for 3-6 hours. The fermentation time depends on how mature your sourdough starter is.

You will know the dough has risen properly when it has a dome shape in the bowl and when poked has an airy, pillowly like feel.

Shape the Dough

Transfer the dough onto a work surface or a silicone mat. If you need to use flour, use as little as possible.

I like using a dough scraper to divide the dough in half and then go ahead with shaping into what I am wanting to make.

For instance, you can shape one half of the dough into a loaf shape and do the second rise in a loaf pan and shape the rest of the dough into 8 hamburger buns, as I did on this particular day.

For an artisan loaf, turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and lift the corners of the dough up and over the center of the loaf all the way around.

Turn the dough over and drag against the counter in a circular motion a few times to build surface tension.

Place the shaped dough in a banneton basket lined with a tea towel and liberally dusted with rice flour SEAM SIDE UP with the smooth side down.

Pinch the seam closed, cover and place in the fridge overnight before baking the next morning.

After oven has preheated, take the dough out of the fridge and turn over onto a sheet of parchment paper.

Make a slash across the top of the dough and carefully lower into the hot Dutch oven. Bake as directed below*

See notes below for how I use this recipe for several different bread products

You can also roll half of the dough out into a large rectangle and spread with cinnamon sugar butter.

Roll back up and cut into 12 rolls to make a batch of cinnamon rolls!

Looking for an easy sourdough cinnamon rolls recipe? CLICK HERE!

Second Rise

After shaping the dough, let it rise for an additional 1-2 hours in a warm place.

When making a loaf of bread, let it rise until it has risen above the rim of the pan and then preheat the oven.

When making hamburger buns, let them rise until they get puffy and airy, then preheat the oven.

Each different variation of this recipe may rise at a different time.

You can place the shaped doughs in the fridge for a cold fermentation. I prefer doing this as much as possible to add a longer fermentation time, especially in the summer.

Bake

Depending on what recipe you are making with your dough, you will need to adjust the oven temperature and time.

Here is a list for the most common recipes you can make with this master sourdough recipe

Loaf of bread – Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and bake for 35 minutes. (This recipe makes the best sourdough bread!)

*Artisan Bread – Preheat a Dutch oven in the oven to 450 degrees F. Bake the loaf in the dutch oven with lid on for 20 minutes then with lid off for 15 minutes until golden brown. Keep in mind the addition of oil will make a loaf a bit different from the traditional sourdough bread as it will have a softer crust and crumb.

Cold start baking in a Dutch oven works very well, also! Just put the artisan loaf in the cold Dutch oven and put in the cold oven. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and bake as noted above.

Hamburger buns/Hotdog buns – Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and bake for 18-20 minutes.

Dinner rolls – Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and bake for 15-18 minutes.

Pizza Crust – Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and bake for 18-20 minutes.

Cinnamon Rolls – Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and bake for 18-20 minutes.

Storage

Store bread, buns, or rolls at room temperature on the kitchen counter in a plastic bag for 3-4 days.

This dough also freezes extremely well. Make the dough, let it rise and place in a freezer safe bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Let the dough thaw in the fridge overnight before proceeding with the recipe you’ve chosen to make with the dough.