No Knead Sourdough Bread Recipe

The most unfussy sourdough recipe you’ll ever find. Easy No Knead Sourdough Bread baked up crusty and golden with the signature tangy flavor of a classic loaf. So crazy simple to make, you’re going to want to double that starter so you can make it every week.

No Knead Sourdough Bread

If you made your own sourdough starter recently….way to go! It’s one of my favorite things to maintain and gives me such a deep sense of grown up accomplishment even though I should already feel like a grown up. Seriously. But there’s something amazing about a sourdough bread starter that just seems magical to me.

And the fact that it’s a form of wild yeast that you cultivate right in your own kitchen with just two ingredients is so amazing to me. But a lot of people get stuck after that point….what do you make now? And, while there are a ton of incredible sourdough recipes online some of them seem complicated and fussy to the newbie sourdough starter parent.

But feat not….I found the easiest way to make a loaf of sourdough bread and it’s the most unfussy, uncomplicated recipe ever. This easy No Knead Sourdough Bread only takes about 15 minutes of total hands on time. You do need to give it time to rest overnight but it doesn’t get simpler than this.

What is Sourdough Bread

My favorite sourdough is from Boudin Bakery in San Francisco. The tangy aroma wafting though the air is totally intoxicating but I’m clear across the country so it’s a bit out of range for me to just pop in and buy a loaf.

I decided to keep a sourdough starter on hand for bread emergencies when I’m craving “real” San Francisco sourdough. But my favorite sourdough recipe is a little more work than I want to put into most days. So, I make it a little easier with this No Knead Bread. 

It has the same sourdough flavor and crusty exterior with none of the work. The only thing different is that the loaf is a little flatter than a classic loaf of bread and the air pockets are much smaller.

How To Make Sourdough Bread From Scratch

This easy bread recipe is made with just a few ingredients. You will need a sourdough starter since this is the leavening agent when not using commercial yeast. You can easily make your own sourdough starter at home using this guide.

1. To make a no knead sourdough, simply mix together the water and sourdough starter. Set aside. 
2. In a large bowl, mix the flour, water mixture and salt. The dough will look shaggy and dry. Blend together with your hands to form a ball and place back in the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and keep in a warm location in your kitchen to rise overnight or until doubled in size. 
3. Turn the dough out onto a large piece of parchment and form into a loaf. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise two hours.
4. Preheat oven to 450 degrees and place a large dutch oven in the oven to heat for 15 minutes.
5. Transfer the parchment with the dough to the dutch oven (carefully, it will be scorching hot by now). Cover and bake for 30 minutes.
6. Remove the lid and bake for an additional 20 minutes until golden and crisp. 
7. Transfer the bread to a cooling rack and cool to room temperature.

This bread is dangerously easy to make, you just have to prepare for the time you’ll need to wait for it to actually be ready to eat. But totally fuss-free! It also makes the most epic croutons, ever.

Tips for Baking Sourdough Bread

• This recipe is best baked in a Dutch Oven or enameled cast iron pot with a lid. This is the one I own and love but this is a much less expensive alternative that will work just as well. If you don’t own one and would prefer not to buy one, you can bake it in a heavy bottomed skillet like cast iron.
• I’ve tested this with both all purpose flour and bread flour, it works much better with bread flour but my family really couldn’t tell the difference between the two. So, if you don’t have bread flour, AP flour will work just as well.
• To slash or not to slash, because this no knead bread doesn’t rise as much as a classic loaf you don’t need to slash the top. It will bake up just fine.
• Typically, I would tell you to weigh your flour with a kitchen scale but this recipe is a little more forgiving so you can just mix everything up in a bowl measuring with a standard measuring cup.

More Easy Bread Recipes

And if you’re looking for a more authentic sourdough recipe, don’t worry….we’ll get to that soon. If you want another baking challenge, you should definitely make this easy Brioche Bread recipe.  It’s going crazy right now on Pinterest and you can even turn it into these Brioche Buns for hamburgers and sandwiches.

Another bread we love are these simple Popovers, it’s a batter based dough that you make in the blender and you can totally make them in a muffin tin if you don’t own a popover pan.

OR try this super easy White Bread Recipe because everyone loves a homemade sandwich bread. If for nothing else but to slather with a spoonful of butter.

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