French basic beginner’s No-knead Sourdough Bread Recipe – a step by step recipe for a dense, bubbly homemade sourdough bread with the right crust. Baking a sour dough bread at home should be easy, especially for those who work a 9-5 jobs. That’s where the no knead (cold proof) overnight sourdough comes into play. Sample schedules and step by step instructions included.
Today I’m gonna walk you through how I knock up a sourdough bread from scratch — all while juggling the nine-to-five. I’ll show you my two go-to timetables for feeding the starter, throwing the dough together, and finally getting that loaf in the oven.
When I first came across sourdough, I thought, nah, no chance. Working full-time, couple of little ones running about — it just felt impossible. From figuring out how to make a starter myself (by the way, I’ve got just the rustic Greek starter recipe for you — no waste at the start, promise) to actually baking my first loaf, it all seemed a bit of a faff. But you know what? Bit of practice, bit of patience, and suddenly it all started clicking into place.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Flour – all purpose flour. I’m using T55 flour which should roughly correspond to all purpose flour (or 550 flour) in most countries.
- Water – it’s recommendable to use lukewarm and chloride-free water.
- Sourdough starter – use refreshed active and bubbly sourdough – see how to make and maintain one here.
How to make Beginners no knead sourdough bread?
1st: Refresh your sourdough starter. Once it’s bubbly and active, mix it with the flour and water. Stir well until combined. Using a spatula, lift the edges of the dough and fold them in towards the center to form a rough ball. Repeat this folding process four to five times over the course of one hour.
2nd: Cover the bowl with a cloth and let the dough rest on the counter for 1–2 hours, the dough is sticky and has a slightly silky sheen – which is what we want. Then cover it tightly with a lid and refrigerate for 12–20 hours.
3rd: Remove the dough from the fridge and take off the lid. Transfer it onto a well-floured surface — it will be sticky — and gently shape it into a ball. Place the dough into a preheated baking dish lined with baking paper, then bake until a toothpick comes out clean.
SAMPLE SHEDULES:
SAMPLE SHEDULE – evening bake:
- 10 PM (evening) – feed starter before bed, leave on the counter covered loosely with a lid
- 6 AM (morning) – combine ingredients – stretch& fold dough every 10-15 minutes – 4 times (optional) – and leave on the counter for an hour (or two if possible)
- 7 AM (same morning) – cover bowl with a cap and refrigerate
- 6 PM (same day) – shape bread, dust with flour and bake
SAMPLE SHEDULE – morning bake
- 7 AM (next morning) – shape bread, dust with flour and bake
- 8 AM (morning) – feed starter before work
- 6 PM (evening) – combine ingredients – stretch& fold dough every 10-15 minutes – 4 times (optional) – and leave on the counter for an hour (or two if possible)
- 10 PM – cover bowl with a cap and refrigerate overnight
Basic No knead sourdough bread (overnight)
Equipment
- 1 kitchen scale
- 1 Dutch oven, or bakers glass casserole with lid
Ingredients
- 520 g all purpose white flour, organic
- 120 g active sourdough starter
- 350 ml lukewarm water
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, activated sourdough starter, and water. Using a stand mixer, your hands, or a bread machine, mix until the ingredients come together into a dough, about 2–3 minutes.
- The dough should feel slightly sticky and have a silky texture. Using a spatula, lift and fold the edges of the dough toward the center to form a ball. Repeat this folding every 10–15 minutes, for a total of four times.
- Let the dough rest on the counter for 1 (or 2) hours altogether, covered with a cloth. Then refrigerate for 12 to 20 hours, keeping it well covered (e.g. with plastic cap) to prevent moisture from reaching the dough.
- Preheat a Dutch oven (or casserole dish). On a well-floured surface, gently shape the dough into a ball by tucking the edges inwards. Gently transfer to the (preheated) baking dish, laid with baking paper.
- Cover with the lid and bake at 200 °C/400 °F for about 50 minutes, or until fully cooked. Remove the bread from the dish, let it cool slightly, and enjoy.
Notes
Nutrition
This post may contain affiliate links, please see full disclosure here.
Great recipe, loved the sample schedules