2-Ingredient Sourdough Bread

What You'll Need

4 cups self-rising flour (see note below)
2 cups plain kefir

How to Make It

1. Mix & Refrigerate the Dough:

In a large glass bowl, combine flour and kefir until a shaggy dough forms.
Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Let the dough proof and rest for 4–6 hours or overnight (do not exceed 12 hours or the dough may become too wet).

2. Preheat Oven & Shape the Dough:

Place a Dutch oven (with lid on) into your oven and preheat both to 450°F (230°C) for 30 minutes.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator.
With wet hands, stretch the dough upwards and fold it toward the center all around.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.
Flour your hands and gently fold the dough towards yourself using a sweeping motion to form a smooth ball.
Place the shaped dough ball on a piece of parchment paper.

3. Bake the Bread:

Carefully remove the hot Dutch oven from the oven.
Transfer the dough (on the parchment) into the Dutch oven and cover with the lid.
Bake at 450°F for 30 minutes with the lid on.
After 30 minutes, remove the lid and bake for an additional 15–20 minutes.
If the top browns too quickly, loosely cover with foil.

Final Touch

Let the bread cool completely before slicing. Enjoy warm or toasted!

Note: Use self-rising flour with 3 grams of protein per 1/4 cup. Most store brand self-rising flours meet this requirement.

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101 comments

This bread is so dense! Very hard! It doesn’t taste at all like sourdough. Won’t waste my time and ingredients again!

I had similar issues that a lot of other people had. I followed the directions and used the right self-rising flour. Mine was burned on the bottom and doughy inside, but almost done. Tasted ok. I have baked yeast breads in the dutch oven at high temps before and also have a recipe for sandwich bread (yeast) that sits in the refrigerator overnight. Both types work ok. The only thing I can figure (just a guess) is that the oven temperature is too high for this recipe and that it’s a little delicate with the kefir in it. it might work out better at 350 in a couple of loaf pans, but that also a guess. But it was fun trying! Thanks!

Are you keeping the oven on while the dough is in the frig overnight?

I had the same experience as Lorri in the February 25,2026 comment. I’ve tried it twice. One thing I just noticed that the temp was supposed to be 450 from the recipe and I thought I heard 400 on the video. My bread didn’t crack and was not fine in the middle. Will try one more time with 450 for 30 minutes closed and extra 15 – 20 open. Hope that 3rd time works.

In theory this recipe probably works but baking at such a high temperature it does burn on the bottom and the amount of sodium in self rising flour is just not acceptable, mines has 400mg.