No-Knead Sourdough Bread
jeffraben.com/recipes · No. 417
A rustic, bakery-quality sourdough loaf made with just four ingredients and no kneading, developing gluten through long fermentation and gentle folding.
Ingredients
Method
- Mix the Dough: In a large bowl, combine the sourdough starter and water. Stir until the starter is mostly dissolved.
- Add the flour and salt. Mix with a spoon or your hands until no dry flour remains. The dough will look shaggy, sticky, and rough—this is exactly what you want.
- Cover the bowl with a towel or plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 30 minutes (autolyse), allowing the flour to fully hydrate and begin gluten development.
- Stretch and Fold (Optional but Recommended): After the rest, perform a set of gentle stretch-and-folds—wet your hand, grab one edge of the dough, stretch it upward and fold it over itself, rotate the bowl and repeat 3–4 times.
- Cover and let rest for another 30 minutes. Repeat this process 2–3 times over the next 1½ hours.
- Bulk Fermentation: After the final fold, cover the dough and let it rise at room temperature for 4–6 hours, depending on kitchen temperature. Look for a 50–75% increase in volume, a slightly domed surface, and visible bubbles along the sides. For deeper flavor, refrigerate the dough after 3–4 hours and ferment overnight (8–16 hours).
- Shape the Dough: Lightly flour your work surface. Turn the dough out gently—avoid deflating it. Shape by pulling the edges toward the center, rotating and tightening the surface, forming a round or oval loaf. Place the shaped dough seam-side down on parchment paper.
- Cover loosely and let rest for 30–60 minutes while the oven preheats.
- Preheat the Oven: Place your Dutch oven (with lid) inside the oven and preheat to 475°F (245°C) for at least 30 minutes.
- Bake: Carefully remove the hot Dutch oven. Lift the dough using the parchment paper and lower it inside. Optionally score the top with a sharp blade or knife.
- Cover with the lid and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for another 15–20 minutes, until the crust is deep golden brown. The internal temperature should reach about 210°F (99°C).
- Cool Completely: Remove the bread from the pot and let it cool on a wire rack for at least 1 hour before slicing.
Tips: Use an active starter (bubbly, doubled, recently fed). This dough is relatively high hydration—sticky dough = open crumb; don't add too much extra flour. Time is flexible; use visual cues, not the clock. Don't skip steam—baking covered traps steam for maximum oven spring. Flavor variations: Whole wheat (replace up to 30% of flour with whole wheat, add 1–2 tbsp extra water); Garlic & herb (fold in minced garlic and fresh herbs during first stretch-and-fold); Seeded (add sunflower, sesame, or flax seeds); Olive (fold in chopped olives and a drizzle of olive oil). Storage: room temperature wrapped in towel or paper bag up to 2 days; refrigerate up to 5 days; freeze sliced up to 2 months; refresh in 350°F oven for 10 minutes.