Bake

No-Knead Sourdough Bread

by:
November  3, 2021
5
43 Ratings
No-Knead Sourdough Bread
Photo by Bobbi Lin
  • Prep time 14 hours
  • Cook time 50 minutes
  • Makes 1 large loaf
Author Notes

A riff on Jim Lahey's popular no-knead method, this bread uses a sourdough starter instead of commercial yeast. You can adjust the fermentation (rising) time to make a tangier, more sourdough-forward loaf. If you have a Dutch oven or pot that you can preheat empty, do that! You'll get an even better crust on your loaf. But if you can't (and check, not all pots are safe to preheat empty), it'll be deliciously crusty and chewy regardless.

Helpful tools for this recipe:
- Food52 x Staub Round Cocotte
- Mason Cash Cane Mixing Bowls
- Five Two Airtight Silicone Lids

—Posie (Harwood) Brien

Test Kitchen Notes

This recipe is shared in partnership with Miele. Posie, who developed this amazing no-knead sourdough bread recipe, shared some more tips and tricks to get the best results from this baking project. She writes, "No-knead bread is a fantastic place to start experimenting with your sourdough starter, because it’s relatively easy to execute. Jim Lahey popularized this technique in the 2000s, and it’s won over many a baker. I fell for it five years ago, and have been baking it ever since.

"At its core, the original no-knead bread recipe requires you to do little more than mix together your flour, water, salt, and commercial yeast (which you can find at the grocery store, and is what many bread recipes call for). Once mixed into a shaggy dough, you let it rest and rise. After a long rise, you plop the dough into a Dutch oven and bake it.

"The recipe creates an artisan-style loaf with a chewy-crispy crust and a soft interior. You can easily adapt it to use other flours (like spelt or rye) or flavors (like herbs or cheese). So naturally, I turned to sourdough. To create a sourdough version, I used the same technique as the original Lahey recipe, but skipped the commercial yeast and used ripe sourdough starter instead.

"So feed your sourdough starter (or get started by finding one!) and give it a shot. This is one of the most accessible recipes for embarking on your journey of sourdough baking, and I suspect you’ll fall in love with it just as I have." —The Editors

What You'll Need
Watch This Recipe
No-Knead Sourdough Bread
Ingredients
  • 4 cups (480 grams) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
  • 1 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup (100 grams) ripe sourdough starter
  • 1 1/3 cups (303 grams) room-temperature water
Directions
  1. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour and salt.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk the sourdough starter and water until no bits of starter remain.
  3. Add the flour mixture to the starter mixture and stir (a wooden spoon is helpful here) until it just comes together. You don’t want to see major dry spots, but don’t worry about getting everything perfectly combined; it’s okay for it to look shaggy and not smooth.
  4. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a reusable bowl cover and let it sit at room temperature for 1 hour.
  5. After 1 hour, uncover the bowl and fold the dough over onto itself a few times. The best way to do this is to grab the dough with your hand (or use a dough scraper), starting at the top of the bowl furthest from you, and pull it over onto itself toward the bottom of the bowl closest to you. Turn the bowl 90 degrees and repeat, doing 4 folds in total.
  6. Cover the bowl again and let it rest at room temperature overnight (aim for 8 to 10 hours).
  7. After this rise, scoop the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Using your hand or a dough scraper, repeat the four-time folding motion, shaping the dough into a ball as you go, leaving it seam-side down. Cover the dough lightly with a flour-dusted tea towel and let it sit for 1½ hours, or until puffy and almost doubled in size. (It’s nice to let the shaped dough rise on a piece of parchment paper or another floured towel, as this will make it easier to move into the pot.)
  8. Just before the end of the rising time, heat the oven to 450°F. Once risen, carefully transfer the dough to a Dutch oven or other heavy pot; arrange seam side up.
  9. Using a very sharp knife or bread lame, slash the top of the loaf once, making a ½-inch cut down the center. (Feel free to get fancier if you like!)
  10. Cover the pot with the lid and bake the bread for 20 minutes, then remove the lid and bake for another 25 to 30 minutes, until the crust is a deep golden brown all over. If you have a digital thermometer, the internal temperature of the loaf should register 210°F. Remove from the oven and flip out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
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176 Reviews

LM
LM January 13, 2024
Hi Posie,

I am making my 7th loaf of no-knead bread. My bread never seems to rise because after it sits for 8-10hr (and has risen) I put it out on my parchment for the final (which has deflated the original rise) and then into a preheated Dutch oven. Flavor is good but never rises! I am wondering if I should just let it rise in my fridge for the 8-10 hrs (will it really rise in a cold environment?) then take it out for the last step and the final 1.5 hr rise and bake. Please advise Thanks so much!
 
pb2022
pb2022 January 13, 2024
That’s frustrating, I know! Troubleshooting can be tricky because there are so many factors (temp, ripeness of starter, etc) but if you’re getting a good rise on the first rise, just skip the final rise and shape and bake right away. Give that a go and see if it helps?
 
LM
LM January 13, 2024
Also, one last question, what do you think about the 8-10 hrs rise in the refrigerator?
 
pb2022
pb2022 January 14, 2024
That wil just slow things down. If you’re finding that you see good activity after that first 8-10 hours on the counter (some bubbles, change in texture, etc) then I’d stick with that and cut the next rise. Time in the fridge is just going to prolong it (you do that if you want to be able to do a much longer rise to gain more flavor; for you, it won’t make it rise MORE, unless you think yours is somehow rising too quickly?).
 
Valerie G.
Valerie G. January 14, 2024
The same thing happens to me. I get a nice rise overnight but after I shape it in the morning it doesn’t get a nice second rise after an hour and a half. Two ideas: Should I have it already shaped before I set it overnight? Or should I give it a few more hours to rise in the morning? (The latter seems less convenient but if it results in a better product …) Thanks. My bread is dense but tastes good.
 
Valerie G.
Valerie G. January 14, 2024
Sorry, I mean, should I have it already shaped before I set it overnight, and then just bake it in the morning without a deflation, reshape, rise.
 
Valerie G.
Valerie G. January 15, 2024
I ended up doing three sets of stretch and folds at night, shaped the loaf, and left it to rise overnight on the counter in the dutch oven I'd bake it in. Of course it puffed up too much. I did bake it and of course the top crust had a huge air hole under it, over the bread itself, making the top crust insipid. The bread itself is fine, nothing to write home about, perfectly edible, but I won't be doing it this way again. If I do the recipe again I guess I would give the dough more time to do the second rise in the morning.
 
Bridget F.
Bridget F. December 9, 2023
I’m so grateful for this recipe! I now bake fresh bread almost every week for my family and friends.
Thank you!!
 
Jeanna J.
Jeanna J. October 5, 2023
This was my first ever attempt at sourdough bread and I don't ever have to try any other recipe. Best bread I've ever tasted! I made a few small tweaks because I was low on AP flour.
I used half AP and half King Arthur bread flour. I also added 1/8 tsp malted barley syrup to my water. I put a little semolina on the parchment before placing the dough on it. I used my convection oven, so as someone else suggested I lowered the temp to 425 and after I uncovered it, it only took 20 minutes to reach 210 degrees. It was deliciously crusty and chewy as stated in the headnote.
 
Stormyk
Stormyk August 7, 2023
OK, this is not the first time I have made bread, so I'm not sure what happened? I could not get this recipe to rise? Sourdough starter seems to be working well and I have made no knead regular bread before and no problems, so I'm not sure what has happened. It didn't fall it just never seem to start rising?
 
Bridget F.
Bridget F. December 9, 2023
I’ve been using this recipe for over a year, this is what works for me:
Ripe starter (doubles in size after feeding about 4-6 hours?)
Water a little warmer than room temperature
Don’t over mix, leave a little wet and shaggy
I rest and rise my dough in my lower oven. First I put the light in to warm it slightly then, turn it off so it doesn’t get too hot.
Overnight about 9-10 hours is best
 
Tamileen
Tamileen August 7, 2023
I do love this recipe! But I’m still having trouble with it after three loaves. The instructions on my Dutch oven are not to heat over 450°. So I cook with a lid on for 20 minutes and 20 minutes with a lid off. The bottom of my loaf is over cooking. It is so hard to cut it. And sometimes after proofing when I go to put it in to the Dutch oven, it just flattens and spreads out like a blob. I’m not giving up, but I am frustrated.
 
Heather W.
Heather W. August 7, 2023
Disclaimer: I'm not an expert. :) But what I would try: lower the heat on your oven by 25 degrees, but cook the bread longer (if necessary). And if possible, move the rack up one notch (so your dutch oven is farther from the lower heating coil or heat source).
 
Tamileen
Tamileen August 7, 2023
I did move up the oven rack high as I could to accommodate the Dutch oven and the lid. So I was still experiencing that issue. I will try lowering the temperature to 425° and see what happens. Thanks for your advice.
 
Connie
Connie December 1, 2023
Put a baking sheet on the lower shelf in the oven, the dough on the middle shelf. That's what I do!
 
Bridget F.
Bridget F. December 9, 2023
Good idea to move rack. Get a separate temperature sensor for your oven it might be off.
 
Connie
Connie December 15, 2023
I've baked lots of sourdough, the baking sheet on the lowest shelf every time! It's essential.
 
LM
LM January 13, 2024
I feel your pain. Mine also spreads like a blob after proofing and I have tried 6 times. This will be my 7th! I am determined. So if I am doing something wrong I would love a reply. I had also thought to put it in the fridge during the 8-10-12 hrs but that seems an oxymoron to me since it calls for a slightly warm spot. So I have confusion over that step as well as the issue of my blob, but tasty bread!
 
klk7956
klk7956 June 26, 2023
I don’t have a Dutch oven. Can I bake it on a preheated stone and add steam with water or ice in a separate pan?
 
itsizzi
itsizzi June 26, 2023
You really need something with a lid to trap the steam inside. But any covered dish, that will take the heat, will do. Even a heatproof bowl with aluminum foil, just seal it tightly. It's really a forgiving recipe. :)
 
klk7956
klk7956 June 26, 2023
Thanks! That’s a great idea!
 
itsizzi
itsizzi June 26, 2023
I forgot to add, that whatever you use, to be sure you leave enough room at the top for it to rise, because it will almost double.
 
Susanna
Susanna December 4, 2023
I found a really simple trick. instead of the Dutch oven, use a large stainless steel bowl over the dough on parchment on a baking Stone. This preserves the steam and gives you an incredible oven Spring. Of course you need a fairly large bowl to cover the loaf. I usually make 2 loaves out of this recipe.
 
LM
LM January 15, 2024
Hopefully, it will double! Mine has never double!
 
Catherine M.
Catherine M. February 20, 2023
This is the recipe I've been using for my first-ever sourdough. I love it! I wish I had the details on how to double it.
 
Valerie G.
Valerie G. January 30, 2023
Have you made this with some percentage of whole wheat flour, say 1/4. If so, any recommendations on adapting the recipe to include whole wheat flour? Thank you!
 
Tamileen
Tamileen August 7, 2023
I use 3 cups unbleached flour and 1 cup wheat flour. I have no trouble with it..
 
SomeName123
SomeName123 January 4, 2023
Thank you for sharing this recipe! I'm a beginner in sourdough baking and this was a great success with little effort. After making this several times, I scaled the recipe a bit for a smaller loaf and decreased amount of flour to my preference: 300 g AP flour, 1 1/4 tsp salt, 90 g starter, 228 g water. I bake for the same amount of time and don't preheat the dutch oven. I found that it didn't noticeably improve the result and extra risk of burning is not worth it.

This is a very flexible and forgiving recipe too. Once I forgot to mix starter with water and just put everything in the bowl. Sometimes I do an extra fold after an hour and sometimes I stick it in the refrigerator overnight if I'm not sure when I'll get a chance to bake in the morning. Out of the fridge, I leave it to raise for about 2 hrs. Never had a bad result, it's always good.
 
Darlenie
Darlenie November 16, 2022
Amazing! We just returned from France and had sourdough leavened bread from a wood fired stone oven. It inspired me to make my own sourdough starter. This was my first bake with it. The results were pretty close to the authentic bread from France. The crust had a nice crunchy bite. The sourdough flavor had a nice subtle tang that you don't get from a yeast leavened bread. The inside texture was a nice airy pockets of gas. I will continue to use this recipe. Thank you!
 
Myfood52/0812
Myfood52/0812 June 12, 2022
Love this recipe - it is my go to for easy sourdough bread. Today I have added Jalapeños and sun-dried tomatoes. It has proofed beautifully.
 
Dawn
Dawn February 25, 2023
In what stage of the recipe do you add these additional ingredients?
 
Meganjoys
Meganjoys February 19, 2022
I used this recipe for my first time baking sourdough bread and it is so fantastic! My bread turned out great and I will definitely use this again. I appreciate everyone’s comments as I want to try everything you mentioned!
 
Mitsuyo R.
Mitsuyo R. February 14, 2022
This is the one of the best easy recipe.We went to Alaska last summer and picked up Alaskan sourdough starter. Finally, I started my sourdough starter, tried this recipe along with other recipes too. If you want simple sourdough loaf, this is the best! (super easy too) Thank you for the recipe.
 
itsizzi
itsizzi February 5, 2022
This calls for more flour than my regular no-knead recipe, and the initial dough is much drier. I thought there was no way it was going to rise. but it did just fine and the loaf turned out perfect. I followed the recipe as is and I got the largest rise loaf I've ever gotten when using instant yeast. Just super!
 
Bread
Bread January 27, 2022
Do I have to adjust temperature for a convection oven?
 
itsizzi
itsizzi February 5, 2022
I used convection at 425 and reduced the last bake to 20 min. Turned out just fine.
 
Heather W.
Heather W. January 25, 2022
I was so nervous about this, because after 12 hours of resting it hadn't risen very much, and I was thinking maybe I should have added yeast (like a lot of sourdough recipes do) but I decided to go ahead with it, and I am so glad I did because wow, it was beautiful. Perfectly round loaf with a beautiful crusty "ear" on top, big air pockets inside, chewy texture, great flavor. Our guests were so impressed. And I'm so happy that it has so few steps, unlike some other "no-knead" recipes that require more work and manipulating the dough than a traditional kneaded dough.
 
Ardis
Ardis January 24, 2022
after making this recipe a times I started adding 1/4 C more flour, and that helped me work the dough better. And I preheated my dutch oven.
It is OMG delish.
 
Dane H.
Dane H. May 11, 2021
I just made this with excellent results. I did add a little extra water and I let it rise for 12 hours. I also preheated my Dutch oven. End result was perfect, with a flaky, chewy crust. Great recipe@
 
Jennifer M.
Jennifer M. May 4, 2021
This recipe is great! I am new to bread baking and have been able to consistently make beautiful, tasty sourdough. Thank you!

One question...when I turn the dough over after the final rise what had been the bottom and is now the top is still a bit wet and sticky. I’ve been letting it sit for about 10 minutes under the towel before scoring but I am always nervous and the scoring is never clean. Do I need to flip it? What is the benefit of doing so?
 
Heather W.
Heather W. January 25, 2022
I let mine rise on a smooth dish towel - I sprinkle flour over the towel first, then use a flat hand to smear it all around. You can use as much flour as you want. That helps with the wet/sticky. There will still be some slight towel impressions on the dough when you flop it over, but it doesn't stick too much and the impressions bake out.

For what it's worth, I don't score the dough - it can be a bit tough to do, and a dough like this will split on its own anyway if you're baking it in a dutch oven. Some people say getting the blade wet before you score will help prevent sticking - maybe try that?
 
Angiecooksalot
Angiecooksalot April 8, 2021
I’ve made a lot of advanced sourdough recipes, and in my experience the best sourdough is no knead. So in my search for a new no-knead I was drawn to this one because it requires a much more reasonable amount of starter than most recipes. I made a few tweaks, half AP and half bread flour, increased hydration by 25%, added 1tsp of diastatic malt powder, and let it ferment overnight. What I ended up with was the BEST BREAD OF MY LIFE!!! Best bread I’ve ever made, and best I’ve ever eaten. Hands down. This recipe is magic. I will never bake another sourdough recipe again! I wish I could post pictures because wow, these loaves are gorgeous. The color and the open crumb are out of this world. Make this bread ASAP!
 
chic1134
chic1134 November 24, 2021
I am just getting into making bread. My dad used to bake a lot of bread with a bread machine-mixer/baker with mixed results. Would you explain what AP is? And have you ever added any other ingredients like nuts, cheese, garlic?
 
BarnOwlBaker
BarnOwlBaker December 3, 2021
AP = All Purpose Flour
 
Winny J.
Winny J. April 10, 2022
Did you let it ferment in the refrigerator over night or out on the counter? I’d like to know if after mixing all the ingredients I could just let it rest in the fridge over night and continue with the rest of the process the following day?
 
Martann
Martann November 17, 2022
IDK
But I just got called into work for tomorrow morning.
It’s 8:00 pm now, I just did my first fold before over night rest. I’m going to put it in the fridge. I’ll be home at noon. I’ll take it out then for, IDK 5 hours? Shape, Then bake 🤞
 
Martann
Martann November 17, 2022
Re-thinking…I’ll put my dough in the fridge at 9pm when I go to bed, take it out at 7am ish. Proof around 2.
I’ll let you know how it turns out
This what works with my schedule. Going out for an early dinner anniversary dinner tomorrow evening. Busy busy busy. LOL