Easy no-knead Sourdough Bread

Share this Recipe
Jump to Recipe

This is the easiest Sourdough Bread that you can make if you are starting in the world of bread baking. It does not require kneading and yet the results are amazing.

This has actually been my first sourdough recipe that has allowed me to improve my baking skills. Since I got into the sourdough world (find here how to make your own Sourdough Starter) I have been experimenting and trying different recipes My first loaves were as flat as a pancake, but with time they have come to look better, and I will be sharing with you the tips and tricks that I have been learning and that will help you bake a nice looking bread loaf. However, do not feel discouraged if your first breads turn out flat or they don’t look as you expected. This is a learning journey, and every bread you make will be better! (Although not every day is the same and some days my bread is not as good as the last time).

WHAT YOU CAN FIND HERE:

Why is this recipe for beginners?

This sourdough bread recipe is just really easy and straightforward, you follow the instructions, mix the ingredients, and wait. It is actually mostly waiting time, since there is no real knead per se. We will be following the “stretch and fold” method, which makes things much easier and allows you to keep your hands off a sticky dough. I personally love kneading, but as you first get your hands on a bread dough that has a high hydration percentage, it is not that fun getting your hands stuck to the dough.

This recipe gives you time flexibility

Since we are not kneading, we just have to wait and come back every 30-40 minutes to give some folds to the dough, and then we can either bake the dough the same day or store it in the fridge until the next day. This way if you only have time to start mixing the dough later in the evening, you can bake the bread the next morning or even the next evening! You don’t need to be a slave of your bread’s fermentation times, although you also have to understand the fermentation times and take into account that the dough might develop a more sour flavor the longer it ferments. So I have done both things: I have started making the dough in the morning, and by mid-afternoon I could already bake the bread AND I have started mixing the dough in the afternoon, placed it in the fridge and baked it the next morning. Up to you!

How to keep the bread fresh for longer

Sourdough bread will naturally stay fresh for longer time compared to yeast bread. The bacteria present in the sourdough produce lactic and acetic acid and other antimicrobial compounds1, which prevent mold growth and hence preserve the bread for a longer period of time. However, a loaf of bread left exposed to air will eventually harden, so you should keep the bread in either a bread box, a bread cloth bag or a plastic bag. What I also do is freezing the bread. I cut thin slices and put them in a zip bag. This way whenever I want fresh bread (in case that I run out) I can take a slice out, put in in the toaster and have fresh, warm bread in just a minute!

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

INGREDIENTS

MIXING AND “NO-KNEADING”

  1. Mix all the ingredients with a spoon in a bowl until no dry flour is left. You can adjust the amount of water you need cover and let it rest for 15 minutes.
  2. Mix again with the spoon or with your hand if you want. The dough will be quite softer and easy to work with now. Try to give it a shape of a ball. Cover (I use a shower cap that I reuse every time) and let it rest for 30 minutes. Every 30 minutes wer are going to do some “Stretches and folds”.
  3. With lightly wet hands, take a piece of the dough (which will be quite soft), stretch it upwards and then fold it over toward the center of the bowl. Turn the bowl one-quarter and repeat.: stretch and fold. Keep turning the bowl 2 to 3 times more until you completed a full circle and the dough feels strong and tighten up.
  4. Repeat this process of “Stretch and fold” every 30 minutes for 4-5 times. In total the dough will bulk rise for 2 to 2 and a half hours. During that time prepare another bowl where the dough will rise for the second time: Cover it with a clean towel and dust it with some flour.
  5. After the bulk rise, dust some flour over your work space and place the dough over it. Give it just a few folds to give it some tension and to make a ball. Place the dough into the towel-covered bowl, and let it rise for another 2 hours.
  6. You will know when the bread is ready to bake when you poke on it with your finger and it does not rises back immediately. Transfer the bread into a baking sheet lined with baking paper, give it a cut with a knife or a razor blade and pop it in the oven.

BAKING

  1. Preheat the oven at maximum (around 250C/ 482F) heat up and down for 20 minutes, with an oven proof casserole dish on the bottom of the oven. When your bread is ready to bake, boil some water, place the bread in the oven, add the hot water in the casserole dish and close the door. Turn off the oven for 15 minutes.
  2. After the 15 minutes remove the casserole dish and turn on the oven again at 220C/ 428F. Continue baking for another 30 – 40 minutes until the crust has the color that you like.
  3. Place the bread on a cooling rack and let it cool for at least 1 hour (preferably 3 hours, but who can resist so long…) before slicing, since the bread is still baking in the inside.
  4. Once cooled down, slice and enjoy!

RECIPE

No-knead Sourdough Bread

This sourdough bread is really easy to make, does not require kneading and yet the results are amazing.
Prep Time 6 hrs
Cook Time 50 mins
Course Bread
Servings 1 big loaf

INGREDIENTS
  

  • 400 g wheat bread flour (more than 10 % protein)
  • 100 g whole wheat flour
  • 100 g active sourdough starter (100% hydration)
  • 10 g salt
  • 275-325 g water (the amount will depend on the type of flour you use and its protein content)

INSTRUCTIONS
 

Mixing of the dough and "no-kneading"

  • Mix all the ingredients with a spoon in a bowl until no dry flour is left. You can adjust the amount of water you need cover and let it rest for 15 minutes.
  • Mix again with the spoon or with your hand if you want. The dough will be quite softer and easy to work with now. Try to give it a shape of a ball. Cover (I use a shower cap that I reuse every time) and let it rest for 30 minutes. Every 30 minutes wer are going to do some "Stretches and folds".
  • With lightly wet hands, take a piece of the dough (which will be quite soft), stretch it upwards and then fold it over toward the center of the bowl. Turn the bowl one-quarter and repeat.: stretch and fold. Keep turning the bowl 2 to 3 times more until you completed a full circle and the dough feels strong and tighten up.
  • Repeat this process of "Stretch and fold" every 30 minutes for 4-5 times. In total the dough will bulk rise for 2 to 2 and a half hours. During that time prepare another bowl where the dough will rise for the second time: Cover it with a clean towel and dust it with some flour.
  • After the bulk rise, dust some flour over your work space and place the dough over it. Give it just a few folds to give it some tension and to make a ball. Place the dough into the towel-covered bowl, and let it rise for another 2 hours.
  • You will know when the bread is ready to bake when you poke on it with your finger and it does not rises back immediately. Transfer the bread into a baking sheet lined with baking paper, give it a cut with a knife or a razor blade and pop it in the oven.

BAKING

  • Preheat the oven at maximum (around 250C/ 482F) heat up and down for 20 minutes, with an oven proof casserole dish on the bottom of the oven. When your bread is ready to bake, boil some water, place the bread in the oven, add the hot water in the casserole dish and close the door. Turn off the oven for 15 minutes.
  • After the 15 minutes remove the casserole dish and turn on the oven again at 220C/ 428F. Continue baking for another 30 – 40 minutes until the crust has the color that you like.
  • Place the bread on a cooling rack and let it cool for at least 1 hour (preferably 3 hours, but who can resist so long…) before slicing, since the bread is still baking in the inside.
  • Once cooled down, slice and enjoy!
Keyword bread, dough, easy, sourdough

RESOURCES

  1. Bartkiene, E., et al. (2020). Lactic Acid Bacteria Isolation from Spontaneous Sourdough and Their Characterization Including Antimicrobial and Antifungal Properties Evaluation. Microorganisms. Obtained from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7023352/



1 thought on “Easy no-knead Sourdough Bread”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating