The Best No-Knead Sourdough Bread! New and Improved!!
 
 
A nutritious, naturally fermented sourdough recipe that uses a long fermentation time to eliminate kneading and increase the bread's digestibility. Win-win! Trust me, I've tweaked this recipe about a thousand times!
Author:
Recipe type: Snack
Cuisine: Vegan
Ingredients
  • ~ 1½ cups filtered water (more or less, depending on the hydration level of your starter)
  • ¼ cup sourdough starter at 100% hydration
  • 3½ cups all-purpose flour (OR 2  cups all-purpose and 1 1/2 cup stone ground whole wheat - my fave blend)
  • 2 tsp. salt
Instructions
  1. Dissolve starter in a large bowl into warm or room temperature filtered water. If you have a very wet/hydrated starter, you may use slightly less water to prevent the dough from becoming too slack and falling flat. Experiment to see what exact amount of water works best with your starter's hydration level.
  2. Add flour and salt and stir until combined. If your dough is firmer it helps to use your hands but try to handle the dough as little as possible. The dough should be shaggy but not crumbly.
  3. Cover the bowl with plastic and let sit at room temperature for 10-18 hours. If your house is warmer  (say above 72 degrees) you'll probably want to ferment on the shorter end of the spectrum and if your house is cooler it may take longer for your dough to ferment and rise to its peak. To give you an idea, in the summer my house is around 78 degrees and 10-11 hours works perfectly with my starter. This is the process of souring the bread and the long ferment allows the bacteria in the starter to improve the bread's digestibility. If your house is quite cold, you can put the covered dough in the oven with just the oven light on to facilitate rise. Fermentation is done when the dough has doubled in size.
  4. Generously flour or cornmeal (my favorite option and best if looking to reduce gluten content) a work surface and scrape the dough onto the surface. Gently spread out the dough with your hands as if you were making a large rectangular pizza. Then fold the dough into thirds like a letter and then in half so it forms sort of a square. Cover loosely with plastic and let it rest for 15 minutes.
  5. Lift the dough and gently form into a ball. Transfer to a proofing basket generously floured or sprinkled with cornmeal. Cover basket with a towel and let rise for an hour and a half. When this rise is done the dough should not easily spring back when poked with your finger.
  6. A half hour before the second rise is complete, preheat the oven to 450 degrees WITH the lidded dutch oven inside to preheat it also.
  7. Turn the dough upside down from the proofing basket into the dutch oven. Cover and bake 25 minutes.
  8. Uncover and bake an additional 5-10 minutes until crust is crisped and lightly brown.
  9. Let cool completely on rack before slicing. ENJOY!!!
Recipe by The Eclectic Kitchen - Crystal Cartier at https://theeclectickitchen.com/2018/01/10/the-best-no-knead-sourdough-bread-new-and-improved/