Description
This Easiest Ever Sourdough Bread recipe offers a simple no-knead approach to baking crusty, artisan-style bread at home. Using a naturally fermented starter and minimal hands-on time, it produces a loaf with a crisp golden crust and soft, airy crumb. Perfect for beginners, this method relies on slow fermentation and gentle folding to develop flavor and structure without complex techniques.
Ingredients
Scale
Starter Build (Night Before)
- 25 grams mature starter (about 2 tablespoons)
- 75 grams unbleached bread flour or all-purpose flour (½ cup + 1 teaspoon)
- 75 grams water, 90°F (⅓ cup)
For the Dough
- 100 grams ripe starter (heaping â…“ cup)
- 300 grams filtered water, 90°F (1¼ cups + 1 tablespoon)
- 500 grams white bread flour or unbleached all-purpose flour (3½ cups + ½ teaspoon)
- 10 grams sea salt (2â…› teaspoons)
Instructions
- Prepare the Starter Build: The evening before baking, mix 25 grams mature starter with 75 grams flour and 75 grams warm water (about 90°F) in a clean mason jar. Stir until no dry flour remains, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let rest at room temperature for 8-12 hours until doubled in size and bubbly.
- Mix the Dough: In the morning, combine 100 grams ripe starter with 300 grams warm water in a large bowl. Stir until the starter disperses completely. Add 500 grams bread flour and 10 grams sea salt, mixing until a shaggy, sticky dough forms. Use your hands to gather the dough into a sticky ball.
- First Rise: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the oven with just the light on to create a warm environment around 80-85°F. Let the dough rise for 5-6 hours until noticeably puffy and doubled in size. The dough should hold a finger indentation that fills in slowly.
- Shape the Dough: Lightly flour a counter and turn the dough onto it seam side down. Fold each edge to the center twice, pinching to seal. Flip the dough seam-side down and use cupped hands to gently rotate and tighten it into a smooth, taut ball.
- Second Rise: Dust a bread basket generously with flour. Place the shaped dough seam-side up in the basket, dust lightly with more flour, and cover with plastic wrap. Return to the oven with the light on for 2-3 hours until doubled and airy, holding a light finger indentation.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare for Baking: Remove the dough from the oven and preheat it to 450°F. Prepare a Dutch oven but do not preheat it. Place a sheet of parchment on the counter, gently turn the dough onto it seam-side down, and score the top lengthwise about ½ inch deep with a sharp knife or lame.
- Bake: Using the parchment paper, carefully lift the dough into the Dutch oven. Cover with the lid and reduce the oven temperature to 425°F. Bake covered for 40 minutes, then remove the lid and bake an additional 5-10 minutes until the crust is dark golden and sounds hollow when tapped.
- Cool: Remove the bread using the parchment paper onto a cooling rack. Let it cool completely for at least 2 hours to allow the crumb to set properly. The internal temperature should reach 190-205°F before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Active, bubbly starter is crucial for success. If your starter doesn’t float in water, it isn’t ready to use.
- If you don’t have a proofing basket, a large bowl lined with a well-floured kitchen towel works well.
- The dough will be sticky when mixing; this texture yields the best artisan bread texture.
- In cooler kitchens, longer fermentation may be necessary. The oven light provides ideal warmth for rising dough.
- Score the dough confidently with a single straight cut for even rising; hesitant cutting can cause uneven results.
- Bread flour yields the best texture, but all-purpose flour can be substituted with good results.
- Store the bread at room temperature in a paper bag for up to 3 days. For longer storage, slice and freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (about 85g)
- Calories: 200
- Sugar: 0.5g
- Sodium: 400mg
- Fat: 1g
- Saturated Fat: 0.2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0.6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 42g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
