Okay so I have made zero breads in my life, and after today's attempt I believe that number remains. I followed online instructions for making a starter and then followed instructions my friend sent me to make the bread. I'm posting some photos of the instructions and the end result. The very edge of the crust sounded a bit like bread when I cut it and pulled it apart, and slightly tasted like it, but the inside was not edible. Can anyone tell me what I did wrong?
Just the starter:
Just before going in the oven:
It looks like my first loaf so you are on the right track! LOL
There does not appear to be enough water, you might want to increase the hydration.
It appears to me that it was not baked all the way through.
The best thug to do is to use a thermometer and do not remove the loaf until it is somewhere between 200 and 211º F (if it actually hits 212º F then it is already burned).
Then when you remove it from the oven it needs to rest for at least two hours (I commonly bake as late as I can and then let the bread rest overnight) this allows the water inside to evenly distribute so its not gooey.
This will get you started, there probably is more proofing/fermenting that will be need in the futire to develop flavor but you should get to a reasonable, edible, loaf with these small changes.
Why do you think that it was inedible?
How well did the dough rise? What was its consistency when you shaped the loaf?
I don't know how wet your starter was, but I kind of doubt you were under-hydrated. This looks like an underdeveloped dough, and the recipe you post seems to show very little kneading or mixing to develop dough structure.
If I was starting out, I might begin with a basic flour water salt and leavening recipe, without olive oil.
Maybe the sourdough experts can point us to a good online recipe or youtube video for a first loaf. For me, videos are really helpful to see what doughs should look like at various points.
Edit: another thread directs us to this: http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/56678/123-sourdough-no-knead-do-nothing-bread which has a link to pictures. It looks great. My suggestion would be to follow that, because the pictures give you points of comparison along the way.