Easy Sourdough Bread made with Yeast

One of the most common questions I get is why the bread isn’t rising with a new starter. Inevitably, when you make a new sourdough starter, it takes some time for the starter to be strong enough to rise bread well. I almost always say to add a pinch of yeast to the dough until the starter gets stronger and it always works! This easy sourdough bread made with yeast if perfect for beginner sourdough bakers!

*This post contains affiliate links. I may make a small commission on sales at no cost to you*

You may be saying, “but I wanted a sourdough starter so I could stop using commercial yeast”. And, while that is true, keep in mind a brand new starter just isn’t strong enough yet to rise bread dough well. Homemade sourdough bread can take many hours to rise even with a robust starter so having some sourdough bread recipes that use a bit of yeast at first can make all of the difference in your success.

Using just a small amount of instant yeast can give you a beautiful loaf of bread. I think this is the perfect recipe for your first loaf of sourdough bread!

Try not to think of it as cheating, try to think of it as patiently waiting for your starter to be strong enough to raise bread on it’s own.

We don’t want to waste ingredients hoping our young starter will work. So, having this recipe during the first several weeks will not only make successful loaves, but will build your bread baking confidence in the process.

If you are brand new to sourdough, start here: https://therosehomestead.com/how-to-make-a-sourdough-starter/

Isn’t using yeast in sourdough cheating?

This is a great question! Although some sourdough purists may say that it is “cheating” to use yeast in your sourdough bread recipes, I take a different approach.

I believe that for anyone to have success and build confidence at a particular hobby or task, it is important to explore all the avenues for success.

For instance, if you try to make sourdough bread over and over and waste a lot of ingredients, you will most likely give up and never try to make sourdough bread again.

On the flip side, if you add a bit of yeast at first while you are building the starter, not only will you be successful from the beginning, you will have a successful sourdough journey all together.

Think of it this way, when we are children and are learning to ride bikes our parents often add training wheels to the bike for our safety and to build confidence during the learning process.

We still learn to ride the bike but the training wheels helped us to get a feel for it and be successful while being safe in those first few rides.

Look at instant yeast as training wheels on your sourdough journey. You won’t need the training wheels for long and they will help you be successful along the learning process.

Why Sourdough?

Sourdough is wild yeast that you capture from the air in your environment. To do this, you mix water and flour together and over several days allow it to ferment.

This fermentation process builds up good bacteria and yeast.

The natural yeast and bacteria will produce carbon dioxide during the fermentation process causing a rise in the dough.

Making bread using this wild yeast is not only delicious but very nutritious. The process of fermenting your bread adds beneficial gut bacteria to the finished product and may be easier for some to digest than bread made strictly with commercial yeast.

Sourdough is a journey in a sense. It’s an ancient method for rising bread products that to this day is immensely popular.

A sourdough starter will last for generations if maintained and used.

Think of how amazing it is that you can take some flour and water and make wild yeast that you can pass down to your children, their children, and their children.

Methods and techniques like this need to be used in today’s time to bring back the old ways that worked and still do in the present!

Why you will love this recipe

This recipe is perfect for beginner sourdough bread bakers. If you have a new sourdough starter and don’t want to waste costly ingredients trying to see if your starter is ready to bake bread you will love this recipe.

The touch of instant yeast makes sure the bread dough will rise properly and give you a delicious and beautiful loaf of bread.

You will build your confidence with every successful loaf. As your starter gets stronger and stronger you can omit the yeast all together and use this recipe with only the active sourdough starter.

This bread is full of flavor from the sourdough starter and has a wonderfully soft texture perfect for sandwiches or toast.

What is active sourdough starter?

Active sourdough starter is starter that has been fed within the last 24 hours and is bubbly. If you keep your starter in the fridge like me, it will need to have been fed within the last 5 days.

Sourdough discard is starter that is hungry. It may have a liquid on top and have a strong acetone like odor. This signals that the sourdough starter is hungry. The acetone smell and liquid is a by product of the fermentation process.

For best results with this recipe, use active sourdough starter. You want the starter to do as much of the rise as possible.

How long does it take a sourdough starter to be ready to rise bread on it’s own?

After you have successfully started a sourdough starter it can take some time before it is strong enough to rise bread dough.

Typically, you will want to use and feed the starter for at least 2-4 weeks before it can be that strong.

Even then, the first few loaves may not rise as much as you expect and the bread may be a bit dense.

This is the time to use the instant yeast to help get great loaves while you build up the starter.

What you will need to make sourdough bread made with yeast

Flour

You can use all purpose flour, bread flour, or whole wheat flour. I use freshly milled hard white wheat.

Ancient grains are also wonderful for bread baking. They do require a bit more finesse because of their different gluten structure, however bread made with sourdough and ancient wheat is one of the healthiest options you can make. Mill fresh Einkorn, Spelt, or Kamut berries for a flavor you can’t replicate with modern wheat varieties.

This is the grain mill I use: https://collabs.shop/rxide2

If using freshly milled flour keep in mind we will soak the flour in the liquid ingredients before proceeding with the recipe.

Water

Filtered water is best for baking sourdough bread. Tap water usually contains chlorine which could inhibit the growth of the wild yeast. Well water will work, too.

Sourdough Starter

Use active sourdough starter for best results. This will allow the wild yeast to work with a little aid from the instant yeast.

You can test your sourdough starter using the float test to see if it is ready to bake with. Add a tablespoon of starter to a cup of water. If it floats it should be ready to bake with.

Instant Yeast

I like to use a quick rise instant yeast instead of active dry yeast in these applications. You can just add it to the recipe and forego the proofing of the yeast.

Olive oil

Olive oil adds softness to the loaf. Use a high quality organic olive oil if possible. You may substitute with melted butter or coconut oil.

Salt

I use Redmond’s Real Salt in all of my baking. It has a mild flavor that works great with bread baking. A high quality sea salt will work as well.

Equipment you may want to make this sourdough recipe

A stand mixer

A stand mixer makes properly kneading bread dough so much easier. I have been using the same mixer for a long time and can’t recommend it enough: https://collabs.shop/xmipvy

Grain Mill

If you want to use freshly milled flour you will need a grain mill. The grain mill I have is among the least expensive and has a lifetime warranty: https://collabs.shop/rxide2

Bread Pan

I love using a cast iron bread pan. It is practically non-stick and will last forever. This is the one I use: https://amzn.to/4fEMoFj

Step By Step Instructions for making sourdough bread made with yeast

In the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment, add warm water, sourdough starter, and olive oil.

This is the stand mixer I use and highly recommend: https://collabs.shop/xmipvy

Pulse until combined.

Add 2 1/2 cups of flour and mix well. Continue adding 1/4 cup of flour at a time until the dough cleans the sides of the bowl.

If using fresh flour cover and let the dough rest or soak for 30 minutes.

If not, proceed to next step.

Add the yeast and salt and continue to knead on speed 2.

Knead for 10 minutes or until the dough passes the windowpane test. This means the dough can be stretched so thinly without tearing you can see light through it.

Place the dough in a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Allow to rise until doubled at room temperature. If your house is quite cool, place in a warm place to rise.

This is the first rise or bulk fermentation and varies in time depending on the temperature and humidity in your home.

It can take from 1 1/2 hours to 4 hours.

Alternatively, you can mix this up in a bread machine and let the machine do the work.

Once it has doubled, punch down the dough.

Place the dough on a work surface and roll it out to deflate all of the gas. Roll the dough back up into a log shape. Drag the log of dough along the counter to build surface tension which makes for a better rise in the oven.

Place in a prepared loaf pan. This is the loaf pan I use: https://amzn.to/4fEMoFj

Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise until it is 1-2 inches above the rim of the pan. This is the second rise.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Bake the loaf for 35 minutes or until golden brown. The internal temperature should be 195-205 degrees F.

Allow the loaf to cool on a wire rack before slicing.

FAQ’S

Storage Tips

Store bread in a plastic bag on the counter for up 3-5 days.

Store in freezer in a freezer safe bag for up to 3 months.