Sourdough bread is gaining in popularity and this no-knead sourdough recipe is really easy to make and only requires a little hands on time. Its hard to believe that just flour salt and water can make such a tasty loaf.
Regulars to my blog will know I like making bread. At home I have been making sourdough bread on a near daily basis for almost 3 years, and for many years before that on and off .
Over time, from reading many recipes and going to demos etc, I have finally developed my own no-knead sourdough loaf recipe which is about as easy as it is going to get. It will also make you wonder how three simple ingredients: flour; water; and salt can taste so good.
Before I started this blog a few friends had asked me for the recipe and are now making sourdough. So when I started the blog they suggested I share it on the blog too.
Until now I have been a little hesitant since it can be a bit tricky. There are so many more variables to consider – ambient temperature, humidity, how active the sourdough starter is and so on. That said, once you get the hang of it it really is very easy. With this week being National Real bread week, I felt I should hesitate no longer and finally share my recipe with you.
The actual hands on prep time is quick and takes no more than 10 minutes. After that it is just a case of letting the dough rise for several hours in two stages and then baking. Even when the no-knead sourdough loaf hasn’t gone quite to plan, I have yet to end up with a loaf that is inedible.
It always tastes great, even though sometimes it looks not as good as I would like it to and with a bit of practice that happens less and less. So if you have ever thought of making sourdough but haven’t tried it yet, then do give it a try. You will find soon be producing amazing bread and find a routine that works for you, and will wonder why you haven’t done this earlier.
Getting a routine
I make up my dough just before going to bed at around 11pm (it takes less than 5 minutes to make). Mr B then shapes it in the morning at about 8am which also takes less than 5 minutes.
It is then left for its second rise, and I pop it in the oven about midday. If you are not home during the day this is obviously not going to work for you. However, you could make the dough before work in the morning, shape when you return home, and bake before bed. Or you can slow down the process by popping it in the fridge and bake in the morning.
Alternatively you could make in the morning, shape at lunchtime and bake early evening, if your day permits. The options are endless, as long as you bear in mind you need about 12 hours in all, with the first rising taking the longest 8–10 hours, and the second 4 – 6 hours. If it has a longer first rise the 2nd will be quicker and vice versa. – It all about finding what works for you.
The sourdough starter
Before you make a sourdough loaf you will need to have a sourdough starter. If you have a friend that makes sourdough you could ask them for a bit to get you started. If not you will have to make your own which will take a few days.
Day 1 – mix 3 tbsp of organic bread flour with 3 tbsp water.
Days 2 -4 – add another 3 tbsp bread flour and 3 tbsp water to the starter each day.
- Keep your starter in a sealable container. A word of warning though, for a year or so I kept one of my starters in a Kilner jar until one time when I was feeding it (the process of adding fresh flour and water) the bottom of the jar cracked open while I was stirring it. The result? One horrendous mess. In addition, I had to start all over again. Now I play it safe and use a tall plastic container with a clip on lid.
- The starter needs to be left in a warm place to get started, so for the first few days keep it in a warm place about 20–30C but not in the full sun or it may become too hot and kill off the yeast. If your room is at the lower end of the range you can help the starter along by adding warm water (up to 35C). If it isn’t warm enough the only thing that will happen is that the starter will just take a little longer to get going.
- I like to make my no-knead sourdough loaf with organic flour, but this is not essential. It is, however, important to use organic flour to make the starter.
- Use bottled spring water or filtered water since the chlorine in tap water will inhibit the starter. Once established you can use tap water if you like. Personally I prefer to use filtered water.
- Once the starter is bubbly and active keep it in the refrigerator. If you are making bread everyday you can just keep it at room temperature as long as it is not really hot.
There is more than one way to make a starter. Paul Hollywood adds grated apple to the starter to get it going quickly. Others recommend using wholemeal flour as there are more natural yeasts on the outer bran of the wheat, although I have always found it to work perfectly fine to use just white flour. Alternatively you can buy dried wild yeast in a sachet on-line and use these as a fail safe way of making a starter. My current starter was made as above with stone ground flour from Woodbridge tide mill.
Using your starter
You may have heard a lot of talk about having to nurture and feed your starter. If that sound like a lot of faff, don’t let that put you off, it isn’t. Once you have a strong starter, it will be quite robust and can last months with out being used, and can be brought back to life by feeding with some fresh flour and water.
If you haven’t used your starter for some time you may need to discard about half and add flour and water to replace it allowing a few hours at room temperature or a day in the the refrigerator until it is active again.
Don’t worry if a rather ugly grey liquid forms on top, this just indicates your starter is hungry again. Simply stir in and add a little more flour and water. When it is active, it will look like the starter in the picture above.
If you make your no-knead sourdough every day or so you will not need to feed at all, as you will be replacing the starter that you use (and so in effect feeding it) as part of the baking process.
If you only bake once a week or so I would recommend mixing in a about 2-4 tbsp flour and 2-4 tbsp water and leaving it at room temperature for about an hour before using, just to get it really going again but it is not essential.
Making the no knead sourdough loaf, Step by step
That’s an awful lot of words for me, and I hope I haven’t put you off. In any case, if you have managed to get this far, hopefully you are willing to take the plunge. Now for the fun bit. You have an active starter and you know how to look after it, so you are all set to make bread.
Place the starter in a mixing bowl, Add the water and stir to mix. Refresh the starter by replacing the starter used with 75g water and 75g flour to the remaining starter and pop back into the fridge. Add the flour and salt. Using your hands mix the flour and water together, until you have a soft sticky dough. Cover and allow to prove for about 8–10 hours. Shape the dough and place in a banneton or bowl lined with a well floured tea towel. Cover and leave to rise before turning out onto a baking sheet. Cut a few slashes in the top of the loaf and bake until golden.
I cover the bowl with a disposable shower cap which works for me as I can use it again and again but you can cover the bowl with cling film, a tea-towel or stick it inside a clean carrier bag.
Once the dough has been shaped I place mine in a banneton . A banneton is a special basket in which to let your loaf rise, they cost about £8 and are readily available on line. I think they are worth getting if you intend to make the bread regularly because it gives such a pretty effect.
In the first instance though, a bowl lined with a well-floured clean tea towel works just as well. I used a 20cm wide bowl for the loaf in all the other pictures .
You will need a very sharp knife to slash the bread over the top. If you use a blunt knife you may find yourself pressing out the air. If your knife is not sharp enough, it’s better to leave it un-cut and just let it tear as it bakes. It does look rather rustic that way.
I am a white crusty bread girl myself, but do sometimes substitute 100g of the white flour with wholemeal which works well. However, if you use more wholemeal flour you will have to start altering the water to flour ratio significantly, as yet I have not tested that enough to give reliable proportions.
As I have mentioned before, sourdough can tend to vary, so sometimes you will find the bread needs a little more or less water or flour, on some days it may rise quicker then on others. You will soon get to know how it should look and feel though.
Remember the warmer the environment is the less time the dough will need. Now my most common mistake is leaving the loaf for the second rise too long so that it over proves and collapses a little when turned out. Don’t worry when that happens though, it will just end up a bit flat but still tastes fab .
If you have any questions or want any advise then do leave a comment below or send me an email via the contact page and I will do my best to answer them. I can also highly recommend the book Do/Sourdough/slow bread for busy lives by Andrew Whitley for further reading.
Phew that’s enough from me. Lets get baking!
No-Knead Sourdough Loaf
Ingredients
- 150 g sourdough starter (see body of post)
- 300 ml water
- 500 g strong white bread flour (preferably organic)
- plus extra flour to sprinkle and replenish the starter
- 1½ tsp salt
Instructions
- Place the sourdough starter in a large mixing bowl. (Remember to replenish the starter after you have made your dough, see below. ) Make up to 450g/1lb (2 cups) with water and add the bread flour and salt.
- Mix to form a rough ball of slightly sticky dough. The dough does not require kneading just mixing until the flour and water is combined.
- Leave in the bowl and loosely cover the bowl. Leave overnight or for about 8-10 hours depending on ambient temperature. The dough will have risen and increased in size.
- Knock back the dough and shape into a ball, you can knead lightly if you like but it is not essential. Place smooth side down in a well floured banneton (special basket) or in a 20cm/9in wide mixing bowl, lined with a tea-towel and well floured.
- Dust the top of the dough with a little more flour. Cover loosely and leave for a further 4 to 6 hours until risen again.
- Turn out of the basket or bowl onto a lightly oiled baking sheet, and slash the top a few times with a very sharp knife. Bake at 220℃ (200℃(fan)/425°F/gas mark 6 for about 50 minutes, until risen and golden. The loaf will sound hollow if you tap it on the bottom when cooked.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Simon Gilford
Thanks very much for the recipe! Worked out really well using Sheila (the name my daughter Emily has given to her starter)! The result was far better than we got from a more complex recipe we tried a few weeks ago and it did not involve lots of faffing about.
Jacqueline Bellefontaine
So pleased it work well for you. I have to say I’m making it even more often than before so I have been playing around trying different methods some more complex as you say. In the end, I just come back to this method, any minor improvements (and they are minor like slightly large holes) just are not worth the extra faff when this method produces a great tasting loaf without the fuss. Jacqui ps my starter is called Kerry after my Father who was a Master Baker not that he made sourdough bread but making bread always makes me feel close to him
Kum Lin Mok
Hello, Jacqueline,
I am a newbie to baking, but during this period of stay at home, I have managed to make a live starter out of white floor ( with Help of rye flour) and water. I keep the starter in the fridge and feed it every 3 days waiting to start my first sourdough bread. I would love to try out your simple no kneed sourdough bread, but may have challenges ahead. I am from Singapore which has hot humid weather- day at 30C-32C while night at 27C-28C . Your recipe calls for 8-10 hours for bulk fermentation and and the second/ final rise for 4-6 hours. The dough may have been overproofed and become hard if followed strictly to these hours. May I ask what hours should I adjust for these two steps and besides are there any other adjustments to the recipes that I should be looking out.
Best regards
Kumlin
Jacqueline Bellefontaine
Hi apologies for the delay in replying. So yes sourdough even more than conventional yeast to ambient influences like temperature and humidity so I guess you will need to doa bit of trail and error. At 30C I would expect the bread to rise with 2-4 hours. Because of the faster fermenting time you will not get such a characteristic “sour” flavour. If you want to slow that down then you can put the dough in the refrigerator. Depending how cold that is the yeast activity in the sourdough will slow right down to almost a stop but the flavour will still develop if you slow it down this way. So you might want to play around to get the flavour and rise how you like it.
One other thing you may find that the humidity will affect how much liquid you need. I find my dough needs less water in the more humid summer months than in the winter. This is because the flour will absorb moisture from the air. Hope this helps. Do let me know how you get on. Jacqui x
Maggie
I started to make this sourdough loaf with trepidation. Even my regular breadmaking is hit and miss so I didn’t believe I could make a tricky sourdough loaf and without any kneeding. It was so easy and the result – an amazing well risen delicious loaf. I’ve just eaten some straight from the oven as I couldn’t wait. Crispy crust, perfect inside. I was worried it would spread too much in the oven so I tipped it from my bowl into a cake tin the same size.. It worked but it looks too ‘perfect’ so next time I’ll have courage to just bake it on a baking sheet. Thank you so much.
Jacqueline Bellefontaine
Maggie, I’m so delighted you had success with this recipe I love it when I get another sourdough convert. There are a lot of more complicated recipes out there but I do like to keep things simple. I’ve done the trick of truing out into a tin to stop it spreading but I know what you mean about being perfect sometimes a little rustic somehow looks more inviting. Good luck turning it out next time and remember even if it does spread it will still taste fab.
Blair Madsen
I have just recently began baking with a sourdough starter. I have made several attempts but ran out of patients. I believe life has slowed down enough for me to enjoy the journey. I started with Jim Lahey’s(Sullivan’s Bakery, NY City)recipe for No Knead sourdough bread. I am excited to use your recipe. Thank you for sharing your time, talents and love of creating beautiful and delicious food. God Bless!
Jacqueline Bellefontaine
Thank you Blair. Glad you like the recipe. Sourdough does take a bit of patience but once you get it right the rewards are so great. Bland bread a thing of the past!
Scott J Williams
Hello Jacqueline
Having purchased lots of different varieties of sourdough bread from a number of food retailers in recent weeks, mainly on the basis that it tastes great, seems more dense and fulfilling over and above the ‘forced’ bread we see a daily basis in supermarkets and will keep for far longer than the latter, I decided to embark on making my own.
This is particularly timely given the COVID-19 pandemic, and seeing the shelves emptying of all of the essentials in local stores.
I’m not shy to sourdough baking – when I was a boy (40 years ago or so!) my mother was passed a portion of starter for Herman (the German friendship cake) which we used to bake with wild and gay abandon. Trying to relive my childhood routes with my own daughter, we made a starter of this of our own and baked many a loaf for our own consumption, but also gifted to family and friends. We took it upon ourselves to limit the amount of feeding required simply to provide enough to bake a cake but keep enough of the starter to feed so we were able to bake another, rather than pass the starter on to others (unless they specifically requested it).
So with this in mind, I have some sourdough bread tips based on your recipe and my recent experience, plus some starter related questions for you, if I may…
TIPS
Both my starter and bread were based on organic wholemeal bread flour rather than plain flour. Not really sure why, I just felt the resulting bread would be more wholesome and dense. My first loaf turned out too heavy and a wee bit under baked making it almost inedible. Having reviewed your recipe and method over again, I think that I had a) allowed the dough to over prove at the second proving stage, b) knocked out too much air transferring the dough from the bowl onto the baking tray, c) baked it on 180 degrees fan oven instead of 200 degrees fan oven (my fault as I didn’t pay enough attention to your temperatures) and d) realise now that wholemeal flour requires more water (in this case, 400ml instead of 300ml).
Taking into consideration the above, my second loaf turned out waaaaaay better but still there was room for imPROVEment (see what I did there..?). So here are my tips for using wholemeal flour:
1) Follow the proving timings to a tee. That is 10 hours for first prove, and after knocking back, 5 hours for the second prove (not 6).
2) Definitely add 100ml of extra water (400ml not 300ml).
3) After the first prove and knocking back, transfer the dough to a suitable baking tin (or similar alternative) that you intend to bake it on/in. This will ensure that you do not knock any further air out of the dough when transferring. A shallow, round tin also ensured that the dough would not spread out and flatten too much prior to baking, keeping the shape of the load and allowing for that extra ‘rise’.
4) Starter and feeding – I have adapted my starter to create a sourdough bread/Herman Friendship Cake hybrid. That is, I add flour and water in the usual way, but also added a tiny bit of sugar to get the yeast really firing. The Herman sourdough recipe does include the addition of milk, however, which I have omitted from my bread starter, which brings me to my questions…
QUESTIONS
1) Could you use your sourdough starter recipe or the Herman Friendship Cake starter recipe to make both sourdough bread and Herman cake? I ask because I’d like to make one starter and use for both purposes.
2) If yes, are there any advantages / disadvantages of using the same starter for both recipes?
3) If no, are you able to explain why (may tie in to 3) above ).
4) I added a little Hovis dried yeast to my starter to get it going. It worked well but noticed that the yeast included ‘bread improvers’ – on the basis that sourdough bread is based on naturally developing yeasts, would the Hovis yeast with bread improvers hinder my recipe based on your guidelines?
5) Based on my tip at 3) under TIPS, do you see any disadvantages to me transferring the dough to the in I intend to bake the bread in after first prove to prevent me knocking any further air out after second prove and prior to baking?
6) Finally, the crust on both of the loaves I baked was exceedingly hard. I don’t mind that as I like a nice crusty loaf, but this was like REALLY hard and a struggle to slice…what am I doing wrong here?
Many thanks and very best wishes; keep safe and well during these uncertain times.
Scott
Jacqueline Bellefontaine
on your tips do follow the prooving times but be aware they may vary slightly from time to time I find i need a shorter prooving time in the summer than winter. And yes you are right you do need more water for wholemeal flour. A little bit of sugar in the starter should not be necessaery when it is very active and being used regulary but it will not do any harm.
In answer to your questions
1 I am not familiar with the Herman Friendship cake ( although i have vague memories of making something similar as a child) I expect you could use the same starter but I would not add milk to it. add that at the mixing stage.
2. advanatge would be just having one starter to nurture.
4.No the hovis yeast should not hinder your recipe but again once the starter is active and regularly fed you should not need to add yeast. Even when non active it should only take a couple of days of feeding to get the starter going again. If my starter has not been used for a while or if I am in a hurry and do not have time for a long rise, I sometimes add a little extra yeast to the bread dough with the flour with great success (about half what I would add if making a regular loaf). I do not add it to the starter itself.
5. yes you can rise the loaf directly in a baking tin, no reason why not. Today I experimented with my loaf and did the 2nd rise in a basket and then turned out into a casserole dish about the same diameter this stopped the dough spreading as much but still gave me the prooving basket rings that look so pretty.
6. do find all sourdough has a much tougher crust than regular bread and can be a struggle to cut unless you have a very sharp knife. If it really is too hard, you could try cooking it for a slightly shorter time or at a slightly lower temperature and see if that helps.
Hope this helps to answer your questions. Enjoy your sourdough journey Im sure you will find it very rewarding.
Frances
Hello
I am a new sourdough bread maker. My bread rises and looks good but is a little sticky inside when baked. I bake it in a Dutch oven at 230° c covered for 20-25 mins and then uncovered for 15-20 mins. Is the sticky texture typical of sourdough bread or a I doing something wrong?
Jacqueline Bellefontaine
sour dough does have a more dense texture but it should really be sticky as such.It sounds as though you may be slightly undercooking it. I tend to cook mine in for about 50 minutes in an easrthenware cloche. It may be worth trying yours for an extra 10-15 minutes before uncovering. Like regular bread it should sound hollow when you tap on the underneath.
Frances
Thank you. I will do as you suggest and try cooking it longer with the lid on. Frances
Natalie
I tried your recipe but it didn’t rise. I made the starter and added to it for four days. On the evening of the fourth day I made the bread. In the morning it hadn’t risen at all. So I put it in the oven on the breadproof setting and left it for 8 hours. It just barely rose. I pushed it down and let proof for another 4 hours (no rise) then baked anyway. It’s very hard. Any suggestions?
Jacqui Bellefontaine
It sounds to me like your starter was not yet very active. Because sourdough is made from wild yeasts it can vary how long it takes to get going and how fast it works. It will be much slower if its cold. Was it looking nice and bubbly before you made the bread. Try feeding it for a little longer. If you don’t want to wait for a few more days before trying again add just a little fast yeast to the mixture to give it a helping hand. until you have an active starter.
Good luck and please ask again if you need anymore help. Once ou have mastered it Im sure you wont look back. Jacqui
Natalie
Thank you so much! My starter has some bubbles but still doesn’t look foamy like yours. Part of the problem is probably that we keep our house around 68 F. Thanks again. Hoping I get to try again soon 🙂
Jacqui Bellefontaine
Ah that sound like this is the problem. You want it to be nice and frothy when you use it.The yeast will still work at low temperatures but it will be slower and take longer to get going. Good luck and let me know how you get on next time.
Natalie
Does this really have 391 carbohydrates or is this a typo?!
Jacqui Bellefontaine
Hi Natalie, Yes that is correct it has 391g carboydrate but that is the amount for the whole loaf not a serving!
Nia Price
Hi
I wonder if you can advise further on the shaping stage, I’ve left my dough all night and it’s risen really well, but still very sticky, so by manipulating it off the bowl it collapsed… does this count as knocking back? I’ve put it straight into a loaf tin and am keen to bake it for breakfast eat day- what’s the min it can 2nd proved? If the first rise was all night in the airing could board?
Jacqueline Bellefontaine
Apologies for the delay in replying its been a busy few days – Yes that would have counted as knocking back. Its hard to give a minimum time for the 2nd rising as it will depend on the ambient temperature you are looking for it to double in size I would aim for a minimum of 4 hours but you can speed it up by leaving in a warmer place. The longer and sower the rise the more pronounced the sourdough flavour will be.
Kelvin moody
No knead sourdough.
Just tried your no knead sourdough and was totally amazed , the results from the no knead weren’t much different to my kneaded /folded sourdough! Great holes good texture the only thing that still eludes me is the art of freestanding a good loaf, mine always ends up slightly flat. I followed your recipe to the ‘t’ and your result is more upright than mine…..any tips?
Regards
Baking mad boy
Jacqui Bellefontaine
Hi Kelvin, Im so glad you liked the recipe. To be honestI find that the hardest part of making sour dough and my loafs are not all this high. If the dough is too wet it tends not to keep its shape as well but you have to take care not to make it too dry either as that effects the texture. I also find that the quantity of liquid can vary throughout the year/from time to time. so it is rally just a case of find the correct balance and getting to know what it feels like. In other words practice makes perfect.
Over prooving can also cause it not to hold its shape so on warmer days the second rise will not be as long as on cooler days.
Hope this helps a bit. One thing for sure even when its flatter it still tastes great.
Thank you for getting in touch. Let me know if you find any great tips.
Jacqui
Marie Bailey
I have just made my very first sour dough loaf using your recipe.My starter had been on the go for 7days and I wasn’t sure if I had got it right, or if it was mature enough. It most certainly was!!
Due to the flour shortage I made both the starter and the loaf with ordinary white flour.
I am amazed that it worked and tastes so good although it was a bit to flat, the actual structure of the bread and crust are fabulous
Until I get some proper flour I have learned that yes you can make a successful loaf using plain flour but next time I will not be adding as much water to the mix as in the recipe as it made the dough very wet and sticky. That apart I am delighted with the result, and as they say practice makes perfect. Thank you for making the recipe so much fun (for an elderly septarian) and the very easy to follow steps which removed the fear of trying.
I actually think it’s far easier to make than ordinary bread and will be making it regularly from now on.
Jacqueline Bellefontaine
So pleased you have found it fun and had success with your sourdough bread. Your comment has really made my day. I have found some regular plain flours are actually still pretty high in protein (gluten) and can make perfectly acceptable bread. I even had to make one batch myslef. Ive just had a delivery of 16kg of bread flour so it actually plain flour that I’m now short of now 🙁 Stay safe. x
Sapphire
Thank you for posting this recipe
My starter is strong and ready so will be starting my bread in the morning
Jacqui Bellefontaine
Oh how exciting. Good luck and do get back to me and let me know how you got on.
Jane
Ive got my starter ready to use now ! Excited to make my first bread with i enjoy your blog , you make it seem easy . Thankyou
Jacqui Bellefontaine
Hi Jane,
I’m excited for you too! Do let me know how you get on and if you have any questions then just ask. sourdough is a little trickier than some of my recipes but once you get the hang of it you won’t look back I’m sure. Sp pleased to hear you are enjoying my blog and thank you for letting me know its always lovely to hear nice feed back. Jacqui x
Linda
Thank you Jacqui for sharing this wonderful recipe. For the past 3 weeks I have been research lots of recipes, videos etc. I learned a lot, but tbh it was getting me so confused. After one failed attempt, I tried your recipe, which made more sense, plus I liked your step by step guide and your timing of the process. I used both organic white and whole meal spelt flour and my loaf is so tasty. Thanks again! x
Jacqui Bellefontaine
Linda you have made my day. I love nothing more than to hear about successes like these. I hope you go on and enjoy many more homemade loaves. Thank you so much for taking the time to comment. Jacqui x
Janice
Hi Jacqueline
I’ve recently been diagnosed with autoimmune still waiting to hear if its celiac or one of the others.
I’ve started a gluten free diet anyway, I thought all sourdough bread was gluten free,
The point bring is yurs gluten free Jacqueline?
Also can i just say yur blog is so easy to follow, step by step u have guided us through the process and also given us other tips if this happens or if that happens, so honestly you have put it over really well. I enjoyed reading through it, u say its a lot of words, I’m glad there is, as within those words u have managed to motivate, and encourage me, in to believing I can actually make this loaf myself.
Thank you Jacqueline.
Kind regards
Janice and Poppy.
Jacqueline A Bellefontaine
Hi Janice and Poppy. Thank you for your kind words. Im glad you find my blog and recipes approachable that is my number one aim for Recipes Made Easy.
The issue of Gluten free and sourdough bread can be a bit confusing. To clarify as best I can, Sourdough bread is NOT gluten free. Where the confusion arises is that the long slow ferment of true sourdough bread (i say true as a lot of supermarket sourdough bread is not slow feremented) is that this alters the composition of the gluten which makes it easier for some people to tolerate. So in short if you are just gluten intolerant you may be able to eat sourdough bread without the unpleasant effects of gluten that you experience in regular bread). If you are celiac then I am afraid all sources of gluten is off the menu. I hope this helps if you have any other questions then please do ask.
Jacqui x
Jacqueline A Bellefontaine
Thank you for your kind words. I am pleased you like and find my recipes approachable that is the number one aim of Recipes Made Easy.
The issue with sourdough and gluten-free can be confusing but I am sorry to say that Sourdough bread is NOT gluten-free. Gluten is found in what and some other grains. The confusion with sourdough bread is that the long slow ferment of sourdough breads alters the composition of the gluten which means that some people who are gluten intolerant are able to eat sourdough without the unpleasant effects they experience when eating other breads. As the gluten is still there (just altered) you will not be able to eat sourdough if you are Celiac. If you find that you are just gluten intolerant and can eat sourdough bread, always make sure that is proper sourdough bread made with the long ferment. Some supermarkets label their bread sourdough because it has the addition of a sourdough starter for flavour but it is still fast risen with regular yeast so the gluten is not changed. I hope this helps clear any confusion. If you have any further questions then do just ask. Jacqui x
Victoria
Hi Jacqueline,
I’m waiting for my sourdough starters to be ready (is looking good so far!) and really looking forward to make your no-knead sourdough loaf. But I’m getting a bit confused on the ingredient list is 300ml and on the instructions is 450g of water. Am I a bit tired and not getting it? Which is possible!
Can you tell me how much water do I need please.
Thank you
Victoria
Jacqueline A Bellefontaine
Hi Victoria,
300ml of water is the same as 300g of water, so you will need about 300ml of water to make sourdough mixture up to 450g. I can see that this is a bit confusing thank you for pointing it out, I shall think about how best to change it a bit so it is less confusing and pop back later to update the recipe soon.
Jo Humphreys
Having almost lost the will to live, with my starter , I have finally got it going well. Have great success with cakes, but not with bread. I prove over night , but no matter how long or short the second proving is, it collapses on its self, when I transfer for baking. I use strong bread flour, but think the dough is too soft. Mixing a firmer dough to start with ends up with a chewy centre. Can you advise please. Regards. Jo
Jacqueline Bellefontaine
Hi Jo, So glad your starter is now thriving.You should find that if you are using it on a regular basis it should stay that way.
I have had the problem with bread collapsing before baking sometimes. I have found that over time I have been able to recognise better when the dough is the right consistency. As you say if it is too wet it collapses but too dry it becomes a bit tough, so to some extent is is a bit of trial and error. Another reason it may be collapsing is if it is over proved the second time. If you think the consistency of the dough is about right, then try not letting is rise quite so much before baking. I did go through a stage where I was having this problem and realised if I baked it a little earlier I was much more likely to get a decent height to the loaf even when it was a little wetter than it ideal.
If you still struggle what you might like to try is letting it rise in the pan you are baking it in. A lot of people get very good results baking in a well oiled cast iron casserole Or lined with baking parchment. I also have a reader who bakes hers in and earthenware chicken brick she picked up at a charity/thrift shop. So you might like to try that.
Good luck and keep persevering it is so worth it in the end. Do let me know how you got on. Jacqui
Natalie
It took a little while to get the bread to look pretty but tasty no matter the looks. It’s soooo easy!
Jacqueline Bellefontaine
Thank you Natalie. You are right even when mine doesnt look perfect it always tastes great and as you say so easy. j x
Anna International
Great post Jacqueline! I am keen to get people to try sourdough too because it can be really easy once you get the hang of it – my go-to method is even easier than this (because I am lazy!) – I don’t even shape it! However, I can’t use a banneton with that method as it sticks so I am going to give your way a go for some prettier loaves – always more to learn. Also, shower cap – what a brilliant idea – I get through so much cling film! 🙂
Jacqueline Bellefonatine
Thanks for popping by Anna I shall pop over and check out your method too. I have to confess that sometimes mine sticks too but nine times out of ten I manage to get it out for a pretty loaf. The main thing is that temperamental though sourdough can be at times it always tastes fabulous.
As for the shower cap I got that tip when visiting a good friend in Australlia. Simple but brilliant.
Sasha @ Eat Love Eat
This is great! I love sourdough bread but have always been too afraid of making it, purely because I believed that looking after the starter would be too much trouble. You make the whole process sound very manageable though. And the fact that it’s no knead is a bonus of course!
Jacqueline Bellefonatine
I thought the same thing to begin with but they are tougher than you might think. I’m so keen to get more people baking real bread.
Ravina
Hello. I have made similar bread but will try yours also !!! I am gluten sensitive and just wanted to ask you to make sure, this is gluten free, correct?!! I have heard the Starter makes the bread GF..True?
Jacqueline Bellefontaine
Hi Ravina,
NO it is not gluten free. However some people who are gluten sensitive can digest sourdough bread more easily and not get the symptons they do with regular bread, which might be where the confusion arrises. It is definitely not suitable for you if you are allergic to gluten or are celiac.
Angela / Only Crumbs Remain
I’m just loving no knead bread Jacqueline after watching Paul Hollywood’s City Bakes when he was in new York, it’s amazing how we ca still make fantastic bread without any kneading! Your loaf looks absolutely delicious, I love the fact that you popped it into a basket for the second prove to get those beautiful marks – and those slashes, well I really must sharpen our kitchen knives as they make the loaf look so much more inviting then letting the bread tear a little as it bakes.
I had no idea that wholewheat flour naturally contained more yeast than the white flour, it certainly makes sense. Thank you for sharing,
Angela x
Jacqueline Bellefonatine
Thanks Angela. (and sorry for taking so long to reply it’s been hectic week) Yes it’s really interesting. Im not very good at explaining the science behind it but it’s to do with the long ferment which allows the gluten to develop over time.
I have been interested in bread all my life and I’m still learning. jacqui x
Charlotte Oates
This loaf looks delicious. I’ve not made my own sourdough before as I keep forgetting to get my starter going (I’m terrible at forward planning!). I really need to get on with it don’t I.
Jacqueline Bellefonatine
Yes do I’m sure you will love it. Im a bit like you on forward planning but once you get into the swing of it, it’s not so bad.
Hannah
This looks easy that enough that I’ve given it a go! Day 2 and my starter seems to have survived… Thanks so much for sharing!
Jacqueline Bellefonatine
That’s great news. Do let me know how you get on. If you have any questions then do drop me a line I will do my best to answer them.
Eb Gargano / easypeasyfoodie.com
Oooh – sourdough made easy! Now, that is a recipe I really need in my life!! I love sourdough but have always looked at recipes in the past and thought – ‘Nope! Way to much faff!’ – But yours looks lovely and straightforward. Going to pin that to my must make board too! Eb x
Jacqueline Bellefonatine
I don’t like to faff more than I have to with any of my recipes. I love sourdough too and it is so worth taking the time to master it as it beats paying upwards of £4 a loaf that you have to pay for the real thing and is so satisfying when you do.
Eileen
Those loaves look great. Nice crust and crumb and I bet they’re really tasty.
Jacqueline Bellefonatine
Thank you Eileen, they are really taste and I do like a good crusty loaf.