Easiest Workday, No-Knead Sourdough Bread

You’ve probably spent hours reading through every blog post trying to figure out the perfect, hands-off, workday-flexible Sourdough bread. I was there too. And news flash, there’s no such thing as a “perfect loaf.” We all have our preferences with Sourdough bread. But, I have built this pretty-close-to-perfect, hands-off Sourdough recipe so you can get to work on time and still enjoy your yummy fermented sourdough bread in the evening, or the tomorrow.

How to Make the Easiest Workday Sourdough Bread

1. Mix your starter and water together until dissolved using a spatula or dough whisk.
2. Add your bread flour and salt, and combine with wet hands until your dough is nice and shaggy, making sure it is thoroughly combined.
3. Cover your bowl of dough with a damp towel for 30 minutes
4. After your dough has rested for about 30 minutes, perform a set of stretch and folds. It is easiest if you just keep your dough in the bowl; rotate the bowl 1/4 of a turn with each stretch and fold. Make it all the way around the bowl once.
5. Re-cover your bowl with your damp towel and let your dough rest and rise for 6-10 hours, or until it has doubled. This time frame will largely depend on your kitchen conditions. In the summer time, my dough doubles in about 6 hours, but in the winter it can take 12 hours depending on where it is sitting in my kitchen.
6. Remove your dough from the bowl and perform your first shape. Do this by gently stretching your dough out into a loose rectangle; fold two sides in, then fold the other two sides in. Allow your dough to rest, seam side down, for about 10 minutes.
7. Now perform your second shape. With the seam side still facing down, place your hands on the outer edges of your dough and pull your hands and the dough toward you. This will cause the seams on the bottom to hold together, and will tighten the overall shape of your boule. Creating a tight boule shouldn’t take more than 20 seconds, be careful not to overshape as you may risk ruining all your nice air bubbles.
   *Note: While you don’t need a bench scraper, it does make it a lot easier to make a tighter your boule. If you have a bench scraper, hold it in your right hand and tuck it slightly under the far side of your loaf. Use your left hand to pull the dough toward you, and your bench scraper to make an even tighter and more precise shape.
8. Now place your boule in your proofing basket to rest for 30-60 minutes and preheat your oven, with your dutch oven inside, to 450°. you can
   Now place your boule in your proofing basket to rest for 30-60 minutes and preheat your oven, with your dutch oven inside, to 450°.
   *Note: If you don’t have time to bake your bread tonight, you can put your boule in your proofing basket then place it in a plastic grocery bag and let it cold proof in the fridge for up to 3 days!
9. Flip your boule onto a sheet of parchment paper, score the top, and carefully place in your hot dutch oven.
   Flip your boule onto a sheet of parchment paper, score the top, and carefully place in your hot dutch oven.
   *Note: Try placing an ice cube in the bottom of your dutch oven just before lowering your boule in to create additional steam during your bake!
10. Bake with the lid on for 20-25 minutes, then remove the lid and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes.
11. Allow your fresh bread to cool for at least 2 hours – this is CRUCIAL. It can be painful to stare at, and smell fresh bread, but if you cut into your bread while it is still cooling it releases its excess steam too quickly, causing it to become dense and gummy.

Marie Friedt

Easiest, Workday No-Knead Sourdough Bread

One of your new go-to Sourdough bread recipes perfect for your 40-hour work week.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Resting Time 10 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Total Time 11 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 60 grams Ripe Starter
• 350 grams Warm Water preferably filtered
• 500 grams Bread Flour
• 9 grams Salt

Equipment

• 1 Bowl
• 1 Spatula or Dough Whisk
• 1 Towel or something to cover your bowl (ie. plate, lid, plastic wrap, etc.)

Method

 

1. Using your spatula or dough whisk, combine the starter and water in your bowl until your starter has dissolved.
2. Add your bread flour and salt and mix well with damp hands until you have a shaggy, but well combined dough.
3. Cover with a damp towel and allow to rest for 30 minutes.
4. Perform about one round of stretch and folds, and re-cover with your damp towel.
5. Allow your dough to rest from anywhere between 6-10 hours, or until your dough has doubled.
6. Remove your dough from the bowl and perform the first shape, allow to rest for 10 minutes.
7. Perform the second shape on the dough to form a tight boule, and place your boule in a proofing basket to rest from 30-60 minutes (if you are not ready to bake, place your boule in its basket inside a plastic bag to continue proofing in the fridge; it will last up to 3 days in the fridge).
8. Preheat your oven, with your dutch oven inside, to 450 degrees.
9. Place your sourdough boule on a piece of parchment paper, lightly flour the top of your boule, and score the top.
10. Bake your boule in the dutch oven with the lid on for 20-25 minutes.
11. Remove the dutch oven lid and bake for another 15-20 minutes.

Notes

• Throw an ice cube in the bottom of your dutch oven just before placing your loaf in to want to increase the softness of your loaf. The additional steam will prevent the crust from getting too crusty. 
• Wait until your loaf has completely cooled (~ 2hrs) before cutting into it. It’s tempting to try a fresh warm slice of bread right out of the oven, but you risk ruining the fluffiness of the loaf. The loaf still holds steam in it as you remove it from the oven, so cutting into it too soon will cause the moisture and heat to dissipate too quickly, resulting in a doughier and dense bread.

If you enjoyed this recipe, be sure to check out my other easy, workday sourdough and sourdough discard recipes in the Food (and Sourdough) category!