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Home » Recipes » Batter Bread

Beginner's No Knead Sourdough Bread

Published: Jun 15, 2024 by Marye

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.
Total time for the recipe to be finished.Total Time 12 hours hours 50 minutes minutes
Jump to Recipe
Sliced loaf of sourbread with crispy crust.
Sliced sourdough bread with text overlay for Pinterest.

Imagine the irresistible aroma of freshly baked sourdough bread filling your kitchen. With this easy no-knead sourdough bread recipe, you can achieve a beautifully crusty loaf with a soft, tangy interior—all without the hassle of kneading.

Perfect for busy families who love homemade bread, this recipe requires minimal effort and delivers maximum flavor.

Keep reading to discover how you can create tangy sourdough in your own home with just a few simple ingredients and a Dutch oven.

Closeup of sliced sourdough bread showing the texture inside.
Table of Contents
  • ...it came out great!
  • 🗝️ Key takeaways
  • 🧾 Ingredients
  • 📖 Variations
  • 🍴 Equipment
  • Rising times
  • 🥫 How to store leftovers
  • Marye's Tip
  • 💭 Things to know
  • 👩‍🍳 FAQs
  • 📚 Related recipes
  • 🍽️ Repurpose leftovers
  • 📞 The last word
  • 📖 Recipe
  • No-knead sourdough bread
  • 💬 Comments

Save this recipe by clicking on the ❤️ heart on the right-hand side of the screen or in the recipe card.

...it came out great!

5 star rating
5 star rating
5 star rating
5 star rating
5 star rating
I jumped the gun earlier while it was baking, but it came out great! At first it seemed like it wasn’t going to bake but the cornmeal was really getting dark. This made the bottom crust really hard but it’s very good!
Rose

🗝️ Key takeaways

  • Bread for busy people: This no-knead sourdough bread recipe is perfect for busy people who want homemade bread without the fuss. It's straightforward, requires minimal hands-on time, and delivers a deliciously chewy crust with a soft, tangy interior.
  • Best sandwiches ever: Serve this bread fresh out of the oven for breakfast with some butter and jam, as a side for your favorite soups and stews, or make sandwiches that will have everyone asking for seconds.
  • Keep it clean: Be sure to use filtered spring water to ensure success. Chemicals in tap water, as well as some brands of bottled water, can kill off the wild yeast in. your starter.

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 is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.

Labeled ingredients for no-knead sourdough bread.

📖 Variations

  1. Whole Wheat: Replace half of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour for a heartier loaf. The texture will be heavier.
  2. Seeded: Add a mix of your favorite seeds (like sunflower, sesame, and flax) to the dough for extra crunch and nutrition.
  3. Herbed: Mix in chopped fresh herbs like rosemary or thyme for a fragrant and flavorful twist.

🤫 Cook's secrets -

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.

🍴 Equipment

  1. large mixing bowl
  2. heavy dutch oven with lid, cast iron is best
  3. parchment paper

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.

Here's more information on how to get bread to rise.

🥫 How to store leftovers

Store any leftover bread in a paper bag or wrapped in a clean kitchen towel to keep the crust crisp. For longer storage, wrap the bread tightly in plastic wrap and freeze.

Thaw at room temperature and refresh in a warm oven if desired.

A round loaf of sourdough bread.

Marye's Tip

Slice the bread and freeze it in individual portions, so you can easily toast a slice or two whenever you want. Putting parchment paper between the slices makes them easier to get out when frozen.

💭 Things to know

  1. Ensure your sourdough starter is active and bubbly before starting this recipe.
  2. The dough will be sticky and shaggy—that's normal for no-knead bread.
  3. Patience is key; the longer fermentation time helps develop the flavor and texture. Allow the dough to ferment overnight for the best flavor and texture.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. You can use half bread flour and half whole wheat flour in this recipe.
  7. If you'd like to add raisins, seeds, or herbs you can do that when you add the salt mixture.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. You can also try this sourdough bread that uses commercial yeast as well as starter so the rising times are faster and more predictable.

👩‍🍳 FAQs

Have other questions? Ask me in the comments!

Can I use a different flour?

Yes, but you may need to adjust the water content slightly.

What if I don't have a Dutch oven?

You can use any heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid, but a Dutch oven works best for creating steam and achieving a great crust. As a last resort you can bake the dough on a heavy baking sheet and toss some ice cubes in the bottom of the oven when you put the dough in to bake. This will create steam.

Why is my sourdough bread so dense?

Your dough might have been too cold. Make sure to keep everything at a warm room temperature until the last rising time.

Can you let dough rise for too long?

Yes. You can let this dough rise for up to 24 hours in the refrigerator but no more than that. It will get a weird taste and texture.

Golden brown loaf of sourdough with a crispy crust.

📚 Related recipes

Love bread? You'll be obsessed with these amazing bread recipes! Homemade is BEST!!!

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🍽️ Repurpose leftovers

Turn leftover sourdough into delicious croutons or breadcrumbs. Simply cube the bread, toss with olive oil and your favorite seasonings, then bake until golden and crisp.

Linked ad for breadbaking supplies on Amazon.

📞 The last word

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!

If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.

If you love this recipe please comment below and give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖 Recipe

Sliced loaf of sourbread with crispy crust.

No Knead Sourdough Bread

4.58 from 7 votes
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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 hours
Cook Time: 50 minutes minutes
Total Time: 12 hours hours 50 minutes minutes
Servings:8
Calories:256
Author:Marye Audet-White

Ingredients

  • 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 Tips: 
  • 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.
  • 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.
You'll find more helpful tips and variations in the body of the post.

Nutrition Facts

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

Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.

First published July 20, 2016. Last updated June 15, 2024 for better readability and user experience.

Sliced loaf of sourbread with crispy crust.

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No-knead sourdough bread

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About Marye

Meet Marye Audet, a wizard in the kitchen and a storyteller at heart. Marye is like your eccentric but fun aunt who knows all the secret recipes and isn't afraid to spill them.

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  1. Rose says

    April 29, 2022 at 6:21 am

    5 stars
    I jumped the gun earlier while it was baking, but it came out great! At first it seemed like it wasn’t going to bake but the cornmeal was really getting dark. This made the bottom crust really hard but it’s very good!

    Reply
  2. HeidiHO says

    April 23, 2019 at 1:35 pm

    So do I remove the cast iron bottom skillet from the rack to transfer the dough from banneton or do I just pull rack out?

    Reply
    • Marye says

      April 24, 2019 at 10:18 am

      You are taking the dough out of the bowl, forming it gently into a round, and placing it in a dutch oven then baking. 🙂

      Reply
  3. Clarissa says

    November 06, 2016 at 9:01 am

    Hi,
    I made this dough last night and am really wishing you would post pictures of the dough and not just the bread. I used my scale and measured everything according to weight, but my dough is a super sticky blob! This is my first attempt at using my sourdough starter and my first attempt at a no knead bread of any kind so I'm flying blind here! Guess I'll see in a couple hours if it's going to work!

    Reply
    • Marye Audet says

      November 08, 2016 at 3:34 pm

      Aww I'm sorry! It's hard to get pictures of the dough because my hands are too gooey for the camera. I'll try next time I am making it. I hope everything worked out..The dough really is very loose and sticky.

      Reply
  4. Edye says

    July 25, 2016 at 12:09 pm

    I LOVE sourdough bread! Thanks for sharing 🙂

    Blessings,
    Edye | http://gracefulcoffee.wordpress.com

    Reply
    • Marye Audet says

      July 26, 2016 at 1:14 pm

      🙂 Thanks for stopping by, Edye!

      Reply
  5. Marye Audet says

    July 23, 2016 at 12:12 pm

    🙂 Following you, too!

    Reply
  6. laura@motherwouldknow says

    July 22, 2016 at 4:27 pm

    I love sourdough and I have a Le Creuset oven. Guess that means I should start learning to make homemade starter right now:)

    Reply
  7. Gina @ Running to the Kitchen says

    July 21, 2016 at 9:19 pm

    I'm all about the tang when it comes to sourdough, now I just need the patience to let it hang out in the fridge that long for it!

    Reply
    • Marye Audet says

      July 23, 2016 at 12:12 pm

      Oh me too! I hate that it takes so long but I love the results

      Reply
  8. Wendy says

    July 21, 2016 at 3:45 pm

    Your sourdough loaf looks like something from an artisan bakery! I am forwarding this recipe and the sourdough starter recipe to my son( a major sourdough bread lover). He enjoys cooking and baking and has been saying how much he would like to learn to make sourdough himself! Thanks!

    Reply
    • Marye Audet says

      July 23, 2016 at 12:09 pm

      Thank you Wendy! I hope he has fun with it.

      Reply
      • Rosemary Lincoln says

        September 01, 2016 at 11:46 am

        Can you just clarify please? I have made dutch oven bread before but always in a very hot dutch oven, meaning I sometimes have a flop as I put the risen dough into the pot.

        Your recipe is saying to do the last stage of rising in the cold oiled pot, is that correct? Sounds much easier but I had understood before it's essential to use a hot dutch oven?

        Thanks

        Rosemary (Scotland)

      • Marye Audet says

        September 02, 2016 at 8:34 pm

        You put the dough in the cold pot. Actually I usually warm it up with some warm water and then wipe the water out but definitely not a hot pot! Hope this helps.

      • Rosemary Lincoln says

        September 03, 2016 at 2:57 am

        Thank you - I'm just about to try it...will let you know. It will be a lot easier putting it into a cold pot, only downside is you need to use oil

      • Marye Audet says

        September 03, 2016 at 9:37 am

        I always do use oil so that's never been a problem for me. 🙂

  9. Catherine says

    July 21, 2016 at 12:49 pm

    Dear Marye, I love no-knead loaves. This has a beautiful color and crisp to it....perfect! xo, Catherine

    Reply
    • Marye Audet says

      July 23, 2016 at 12:07 pm

      Thank you!!

      Reply
Marye Audet-White, founder of Restless Chipotle Media

Hey Y'all, I'm Marye

Welcome to my kitchen! ☕

NY Times bestselling author. 10 cookbooks. Mom of 8 kids. Homeschooling mom for 22 years. Addicted to Hallmark Christmas Movies. Collector of old cookbooks.

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