Learn how to convert any recipe to sourdough with a few easy tricks. Eating healthy fermented grains doesn’t have to be challenging. Just use this simple process to convert your favorite recipes to sourdough.
If I had a food love language, I’m sure it would be sourdough. And by this point, you’ve all figured this out.
It’s been a 10-year love affair with this healthy, ancient way of eating grains. Once converted, it is truly hard to go back. Our family is never going back.
Honestly though, sourdough doesn’t have the best reputation. People have a misconception that sourdough is difficult and takes a long time.
You might be imagining yourself spending several hours a day kneading dough, or even hunkered over your bread bowl with your sourdough instructions, trying to troubleshoot your dough like a bad chemist.
That is just not the case. Sourdough has simplified meal making and food prep dramatically for our family.
Converting a recipe is actually quite simple. You may have to tweak it a bit, but it is really worth it. Between the health benefit of easier digestion and the greater depth of flavor, you’ll be thankful you made the switch.
There are multiple factors when considering converting a recipe to sourdough. Consider the type of recipe, how much liquid and flour, and whether or not another leavener may be added.
Why would you want to convert a recipe to sourdough?
- Flavor: Sourdough adds a delicious tang and complexity to grain products. From savory to sweet, the dimension added can’t compare with regular wheat products. Once you switch to eating traditionally fermented grains, regular grains seem sub-par and lacking flavor.
- Health: Switching to grains fermented with sourdough starter reduces the amount of phytic acid present in the grains, and allows the nutrients (like folate) to become more bio-available. Your body then can more easily absorb these nutrients.
- Digestibility: Fermented grains actually contain less gluten than unfermented. The good bacteria and yeast help break down the gluten, making it easier for your body to digest. Those who have difficulty digesting grains may be able to tolerate long-fermented sourdough products. Those with celiac disease still should avoid any glutinous grains, even fermented ones.
How To Convert Any Recipe To Sourdough:
The basics: Usually, when I go to convert a recipe, I follow some basic rules:
- Swap out one packet of yeast for one cup of starter.
- Reduce the liquid by one cup and reduce flour by one cup.
- Increase rise time, usually double.
Example:
For my yeast, no-knead, einkorn bread, the recipe calls for:
- 1.5 cups warm water (about 100 to 105 degrees) – changed to 1 cup of water.
- 1.5 Tablespoons instant yeast – removed, replaced with 1 cup sourdough starter
- 2 Tbsp + 2 tsp coconut oil – melted – removed coconut oil
- 2 Tbsp + 2 tsp honey – removed honey
- 1/2 Tablespoon salt – stayed the same
- 6 cups of whole grain einkorn flour – changed to 5 cups
The liquid ingredients (water, coconut oil, and honey) were reduced by just about 1 cup total, and the flour decreased by one cup as well.
Adjustments are based on your hydration of your starter:
This conversion is based on a sourdough starter fed at 100% hydration. I feed my starter equal parts flour and water. Usually around 1 cup of filtered water with 1 cup of flour.
The amount of flour and water used is based on the amount of starter I already have. But the ratio of flour to water never changes.
If you feed your starter a different ratio of flour to water, your recipes will need to be adjusted accordingly.
How long should I let recipes rise?
Typically, rise time will take about double the time, as the natural yeasts and bacteria take more time to develop than commercially developed yeast. While a yeast bread may take 1-2 hours to rise, give your sourdough recipe at least 4 hours.
If you are making a bread recipe, make sure to double both rises. The bulk rise, and the second rise after shaping.
With sourdough, you can even do longer rises in the refrigerator to help develop flavor without over fermenting. For bread, you would allow a bulk ferment after starting the dough, and then a second ferment in the fridge, covered with plastic, for up to 24 hours.
Differences in rising time will change substantially depending on the type of recipe, if it contains other leaveners like baking soda, the environment it is rising in, etc.
Can you convert non-yeast recipes to sourdough?
Yes. There are many quick-bread recipes that work well when converted to sourdough, like pancakes, crepes, muffins, and other quick breads (hello, banana bread).
The basic principle given previously still works here: add starter, reduce flour by one cup, reduce water by one cup. Except for crepes – that is a different type of recipe, since there is no flour added at all, except what is already in the starter.
Sourdough might sound complicated, but most new processes do. Take some time to read and learn about sourdough, give your own starter a try, and I promise, you’ll find it to be a simpler skill than expected. It’s an incredibly beneficial practice, both for your health, and for the depth of flavors you build into your recipes.
Try Some Of Our Favorite Recipes
- Sourdough Brownies
- Buffalo Cauliflower Wings
- Sourdough Strawberry Cream Cheese Cobbler
- Easy Artisan Bread
- Sourdough Banana Bread
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Sirma says
Such a usefull post Lisa.
I have a dinner rolls recipe that i love in the mean time i have stomach issues every time i eat them. I hope it work for that one.
Sirma
Ginny says
Hello,
If I have no plans to use my sourdough starter, am storing it in the refrigerator and feeding it once a week, is it ok to feed the starter cold from the refrigerator and then immediately put it back into the refrigerator until the next week?
Thanks.
Rachel says
I do that with my gluten free starter made from sorghum flour, and it works just fine. It just takes longer to double and fall (and thus be ready for use again) than if it’s on the counter.
Alyssa Johns says
This is helpful, thanks! Have you ever converted a croissant recipe to sourdough? Or do you have one?
Cindi says
I’m wondering if this would work with my Ezekiel Bread recipe. I would love to be able to make it without conventional yeast.
Barbara says
Your conversion for the bread removed ALL honey? And coconut oil…
They obviously as liquids add to moisture content, however they also add to taste…but are REMOVED?
Hélène says
Sourdough bread gets all its taste from the starter. There’s no fat or sweetener in sourdoughs. It also was a poor persons bread. If you had butter, you spread it on afterwards. If not, you just ate it plain. It’s wonderful to sop up egg yolks with too. Or dunk/float in soups/stews. Makes great croutons (salad dressing would be on this).
I love fat and honey in my fresh ground, 100% wholegrain yeast breads, esp rolls or challah, but sourdough is a different bread.
I just wish it was wholegrain. Ppl want fluffy sourdoughs and I don’t think that’s required. I’m looking for a wholegrain one as I know ancient ppl didn’t have refined flours among the vast majority of the populace.
Suzanne says
This is so helpful! I’ve always wondered how to make this happen!
Vanessa says
Thanks for sharing! Does the time that its good for change?
Mary says
In converting your recipe to a sourdough recipe you removed the oil and honey but you didn’t say why you did that. I’m a novice at sourdough(ing) so I’m wondering if those types of ingredients fight the process or if you, through trial and error, found they were either not necesssary (for your taste) or ??
Mary says
Oops read other comments. Makes sense.
Courtney says
I’m looking at converting a muffin recipe, it calls for several eggs and baking powder. I’d drop the baking powder, correct? But what do I do about the eggs?
Suzanne says
This is so helpful! I’ve been wondering if there was a simple way to make this happen so I don’t have to find all new recipes.
Cari says
I am not following your amounts for flour and water. I thought if you added 1 cup of starter you would need to reduce the flour and water by 1/2 cup each, since 1 cup of starter is half flour and half water. Am I missing something?
But what I was looking for is the amount of starter needed. I think what you are saying is to use 1 cup of starter in place of 2 tsp of yeast. Is that right?
Also rising times will need to be longer, maybe double?
I am looking forward to trying this out. Thank you!!
Sourdough newbie says
Cari, I noticed that too. She removed 1/2 cup of water and one cup of flour. Then there was the oil and honey. I am left with questions as well.
Crystal says
I agree. I’m confused by these ratios as well. I would love for these ratios to be converted to weight for accuracy and for more explanation as to why those percentages were chosen and why certain items were removed.
Lisa says
Good to know! I’ll make a note of this to update. Thanks!
Rick says
You’re right. 1 cup of starter is 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup water
GailMarie says
I make a French bread in a bread machine, just the dough then I Form it let it rise and take it to the oven..Can I incorporate starter instead of the package yeast? In a bread machine? So appreciate your help as it is one of my family‘s favorite breads.
Carol says
“The basic principle given previously still works here: add starter, reduce flour by one cup, reduce water by one cup. Except for crepes – that is a different type of recipe, since there is no flour added at all, except what is already in the starter.” So how much starter are you adding to say a muffin or biscuit recipe? A cup?
Lisa says
True. Usually I add at 1/2 cup to 1 cup haha. Not super helpful. In my sourdough biscuits, I use 1 cup, where as muffins I usually use 1/2. With more tweaking you could change that.
Marleen Brown says
Can you make this printable? The numerous pop ups can make it difficult to conceptualize.
Thank you so much for your information!
Candise says
Hi Lisa, love your posts.
You make sourdough easy👏
Do you have receipe and/or tips for making sourdough bread in a bread machine?
Lisa says
Thank you. I’m going to be working on a recipe for bread machines really soon! Stay tuned.
Teresa says
Do you have to have an Einkorn starter to make sourdough recipes with Einkorn?
Lisa says
Yep! https://www.farmhouseonboone.com/einkorn-sourdough-starter
Jhow says
After you have swapped out flour and water for sourdough starter, how do you handle the dough? Stretch and folds every 30 min. for a total of 4 sets, or use a machine and knead for the 8-10 minutes stated on the original recipe?
If the recipe calls for oil and honey should those be removed in order for the sourdough to work? I understand they are part of the wet/water that was removed in your sample recipe.
Thanks for giving us such great recipes and advice! It is hard work and you are doing it while raising a family. Much appreciated.
Lisa says
It would depend on the recipe. I usually like to use the stretch and fold method for bread that has a chewy crumb, and kneading for softer breads. If that makes sense. You would leave all the original ingredients, like the honey and oil. Hope that helps.
Jessi says
I have found a discard recipe that uses 1 cup starter and 3 table spoons of yeast. Would you just not use yeast and still do one cup? Or add another cup of starter? And what if you want honey in the bread? Can you keep it?
Lisa says
I would not use yeast. Normally if the recipe is calling for yeast and starter it is more of a discard recipe. Like this sourdough discard bread: https://www.farmhouseonboone.com/the-easiest-no-knead-sourdough-discard-bread. I personally would try to use active sourdough without the yeast (depending on the recipe of course). Honey is totally fine to keep.
Sheree says
My question is in recipes that convert to the sourdough starter, there is no fermentation time. It’s mix and bake. Isn’t the benefit of fermentation lost?
Lisa says
This would depend on the recipe. When converting bread recipes, they will need to ferment a lot more time than with commercial yeast. Typically at least double. For some things like cakes, and quick breads, you can ferment at room temperature (without the added leaveners, and typically I’ll leave out the eggs as well) for 6-24 hours. The next day add the eggs and leaveners and bake. You could just mix and bake, but it wouldn’t have the benefits of the fermentation.
Morgan Reese says
Best blueberry pancakes I ever made with sourdough millet and rye flours. and no belly bloat post meal. Amazing! Im hooked!