Beginner's No Knead Sourdough Bread

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❤️ Why you'll love this recipe

This easy sourdough bread is perfect for beginners because there's no kneading involved. Just follow the steps and times carefully and you'll have deliciously chewy homemade bread in no time!

The long rising time gives it a tangy flavor, a chewy texture, and a thin, crispy crust. If you like authentic sourdough bread you'll love this recipe!

🧾 Ingredients

This easy, no knead loaf is made with a homemade sourdough starter that you'll need to make ahead of time use the link below or in the recipe card.

For this recipe you'll need:

• active sourdough starter - This will take about a week to become active so plan accordingly
• pure spring water (don't use tap water!)
• bread flour
• sea salt

🔪 Instructions

Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the green recipe card below.

1. Mix the flour, water, and starter in a bowl.
2. Let rest.
3. Add the salt water mixture to the bowl.
4. Mix.
5. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand until doubled - about 6 to 12 hours (or overnight).
6. Grease a dutch oven and sprinkle with cornmeal.
7. Gently ease the dough out of the bowl.
8. Shape it into a round and place it carefully in to the dutch oven.
9. Put the cover on.
10. Let it rise about 45 minutes.
11. Make 3 shallow slashes.
12. Preheat the oven to 450F.
13. Bake for 20 minutes.
14. Remove the cover and bake until golden brown - about 30 to 40 more minutes.
15. Remove the loaf immediately from the dutch oven and let cool completely before slicing.

🥫 Storage

Homemade sourdough bread is the best on the day it's made. Keep it in an airtight container.

For longer storage wrap and freeze in an airtight container. I like to slice the bread and put parchment between the slices before freezing so I can thaw just the amount I need instead of the whole loaf.

💭 Things to know

Expert Tip: Tap water has chemicals in it that can kill the wild yeast in sourdough. Be sure to use spring water from the store to ensure success.

• Dutch oven sourdough bread gets a crispy crust and chewy texture because of baking inside the covered dutch oven. You can also use a cloche baking method for this recipe.
• If you prefer a no knead sourdough sandwich bread fill your greased bread pan ⅔ of the way full with the dough rather than putting it in a dutch oven. Watch the rising carefully - it may take a little less time.
• You can use half bread flour and half whole wheat flour in this recipe.
• If you'd like to add raisins, seeds, or herbs you can do that when you add the salt mixture.
• The trick is to use filtered water or bottled spring water in both your starter and your bread. The chemicals in tap water kill off the wild yeast.
• You have to be patient when you are making sourdough. The rising times can be painfully long -- especially in the colder months of the year. You'll know when it's ready, don't hurry it.
• You can also try this sourdough bread that uses commercial yeast as well as starter so the rising times are faster and more predictable.
• Be sure to check out my favorite bread making supplies. I LOVE the sourdough starter container! Essential!

Rising times

When you make homemade sourdough bread you can kind of control how sour it gets by the amount of time you let it rise and where you let it rise.

If you let it rise in a proofing oven (or Texas kitchen in July) at 100F it will rise more quickly but be less sour.

If you let it rise in your cool kitchen or refrigerator for 12 hours or so it will be significantly tangier. You'll just need to decide how long to let it go so that it's just right for you.

👩🏻‍🍳 Frequently asked questions

Here are the questions I am most frequently asked about this recipe.

📚 Related recipes

• How to Make Homemade Bread: A Beginner's Guide will give you all the ins and outs of breadmaking - you'll be an expert in no time.
• No knead white sandwich bread is a basic bread for all kinds of sandwiches, toast, and snacks.
• The BEST English muffin bread anywhere! It has the perfect English muffin texture and it's so easy! No kneading required!
• Bread Troubleshooting Guide will help you figure out why your bread didn't rise or was crumbly.
• Quick and easy homemade baguette is done in just 30 minutes!

I love sourdough bread!

When I was in the Army I was stationed in Monterey, California. There were a ton of really awesome things about living there but the fresh food was probably my favorite.

Of all of that good food the thing at the top of my list was sourdough bread. That super crispy crust and tangy, sour aroma called me every time I was within sniffing distance.

When I moved back to Texas I decided to learn how to make the stuff. Dang. That was an eye opener. My homemade sourdough was even better!

📖 Recipe

4.5 from 4 votes

No Knead Sourdough Bread

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Classic sourdough bread recipe has a chewy crumb and thin, crisp crust. Super easy to make because there is no kneading required. Perfect for beginners! You'll need to make the starter about 5 days ahead of time.

Course Bread

Cuisine Amercian Heritage

Prep Time: 12 hours

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 12 hours 50 minutes

Servings:8

Calories:256

Author:Marye Audet-White

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Equipment Needed

• ▢
  Dutch oven
• ▢
  Scale

Ingredients

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 cup sourdough starter, 250g
• ▢ 1 ½ cups spring water, 350g
• ▢ 4 cups bread flour, 500g
• ▢ 2 teaspoons sea salt dissolved in 1 teaspoon warm water, 10g

Instructions

Sponge

• Combine the starter, water, and flour in a large bowl.
• Mixture will be thick -- you'll need to stir with your hands until all of the flour is mixed in.
• Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest one hour.

Dough

• Add the salt and water mixture to the dough and squish in with your fingers.
• Cover with plastic wrap and let stand until doubled - about 6 to 12 hours.

Baking the Sourdough.

• Lightly grease a heavy dutch oven and sprinkle lightly with cornmeal.
• Gently ease the dough out of the bowl - you don't want to break up the air pockets.
• Shape it into a round and place it carefully in to the dutch oven.
• Put the cover on.
• Let it rise until puffy, about 45 minutes.
• Make 3 shallow slashed in the dough with a very sharp knife.
• Preheat the oven to 450F.
• Bake for 20 minutes.
• Remove the cover and bake until golden brown - about 30 to 40 more minutes. You can double check the temperature by inserting and insta-read thermometer in the center. When it's done the temperature will be about 205F.
• Remove the loaf immediately from the dutch oven and let cool completely before slicing.

Notes

Expert Tip: Tap water has chemicals in it that can kill the wild yeast in sourdough. Be sure to use spring water from the store to ensure success.

• Dutch oven sourdough bread gets a crispy crust and chewy texture because of baking inside the covered dutch oven. You can also use a cloche baking method for this recipe.
• If you prefer a no knead sourdough sandwich bread fill your greased bread pan ⅔ of the way full with the dough rather than putting it in a dutch oven. Watch the rising carefully - it may take a little less time.
• You can use half bread flour and half whole wheat flour in this recipe.
• If you'd like to add raisins, seeds, or herbs you can do that when you add the salt mixture.
• The trick is to use filtered water or bottled spring water in both your starter and your bread. The chemicals in tap water kill off the wild yeast.
• You have to be patient when you are making sourdough. The rising times can be painfully long -- especially in the colder months of the year. You'll know when it's ready, don't hurry it.
• You can also try this sourdough bread that uses commercial yeast as well as starter so the rising times are faster and more predictable.

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 256kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g

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First published July 20, 2016. Last updated January 1, 2021 for better readability and user experience.