Sourdough bread does not have to be complicated. With this easy no knead five ingredient sourdough bread recipe, you will be putting healthy sourdough bread on the table in no time! As long as you have an active starter, you can begin this process today and have delicious bread by the next. You do not need a stand mixer for this no knead recipe. Using just a few basic ingredients, this no knead Sourdough bread recipe is sure to be a favorite!

Ingredients For The Recipe
As I mentioned, this recipe takes only FIVE ingredients!
- Sourdough Starter
- All Purpose Flour
- Whole Wheat Flour
- Water
- Salt
As long as you have a sourdough starter established, you most likely have all the other ingredients already available in your kitchen. If you don’t already have a starter, follow my instructions here to learn how to make one. Your starter should be fed, active, and bubbly for this recipe. I prefer to use an all purpose organic unbleached flour combined with an organic whole wheat flour for added flavor depth and texture. Also, be sure to use filtered water to avoid adding unnecessary chemicals to your dough. Use a high quality sea salt for the healthiest product.

Tools For The Recipe
In addition to the ingredients listed above, you will also need a few tools.
- Kitchen Scales with a grams setting
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Banneton Baskets (optional)
- Dutch Oven
Any kitchen scales or scales with a grams setting will work perfectly for this recipe. In addition, find a large mixing bowl in your kitchen about 12 inches in diameter and several inches deep. The banneton baskets are used during the bulk fermentation stage. They are optional, but I do recommend them. However, if you do not have these, you could also line two bowls with a thin cloth or tea towel. Finally, the Dutch Oven is crucial to this recipe to trap the steam and to give you excellent oven spring in your loaf.
Mixing your No Knead Sourdough Bread
It is important to note that you must have an active bubbly sourdough starter BEFORE you begin the process of mixing the dough. To achieve this, feed your starter about 8 hours before you plan to mix the dough give or take a couple hours depending on the temperature of your kitchen. Although I rarely measure exactly, I like to keep my starter at about 80% hydration which is a pancake batter consistency. As an example, this simply means that if you fed your starter 100 grams of flour, you would feed it 80 grams of water. However, I usually go for the pancake batter look rather than measure exactly.
Mixing the flour and water
Once you have the active bubbly starter, you are ready to mix the flour and water. Begin by measuring out both of your flours in the large mixing bowl and gently combine. Then remove the bowl and measure your water into another vessel. I like to measure my water directly into my tea kettle since I need to heat it. Warm the water slightly on the stove. You want warm water-not hot. Warm water more rapidly absorbs flour compared to cold or room temperature water. Gently combine the flour and warm water and let it rest for about 30 minutes. This process is called autolyse and it gives your dough time for the flour to fully absorb the water.

Adding the remaining ingredients
After the dough has set for about 30 minutes, add in the sourdough starter and salt. Gently work these ingredients in with your hands for about 3 minutes until everything is well combined. Cover the dough with a towel and let it set for another 20 minutes before moving onto the next steps.


Stretch and Fold
After the dough has rested for about 20 minutes, you can begin the stretch and fold process. To do this, first lightly wet your hands. Then, take one full side of the dough and grab ahold of it from underneath. Pull it up as high as you can and fold it over the remaining dough. Repeat this step with the remaining three sides.

You will need to repeat this stretch and fold process 5 more times waiting about 20 minutes in between each stretch and fold. This is a crucial step as it is creating beautiful pockets of air in your loaf.
Bulk Fermentation for your No Knead Sourdough Bread
Room Temp Fermentation
Now that your dough is mixed, stretched, and folded, it simply needs to rest for several hours covered in plastic wrap, beeswax wrap, or a bread cover. This is the bulk fermentation phase where your dough sets at room temperature for at least six hours. I have left mine for anywhere from 6 to 12 hours and it still turns out. Just keep in mind, the longer the dough sits, the more sour it will taste!
Refrigerated Fermentation
After the bulk fermentation at room temperature, carefully transfer your dough to a floured surface. Gently divide the dough into two sections. Being careful to not pop any bubbles, gently roll the dough until it forms a nice ball by tucking the ends underneath several times. Repeat this with the other loaf. Allow the dough to rese on the counter for 30 minutes.
After resting, come back to the dough for one last shaping. Turn the dough over and flatten it out just a little bit. Take one end and pull it slightly. Fold it over to the center. Next take the opposite end and do the same thing. Finally, take the outer two remaining sides and also pull and fold these. Lightly flour your banneton baskets. Scoop up the dough that you just shaped and plop it into the basket with the folded sides facing out. Cover the baskets and refrigerate for another 8 hours minimum or overnight.
Scoring and Baking your Sourdough Bread
Scoring
The next day, begin by preheating your Dutch oven in a 500 degree oven. Allow the Dutch oven to preheat with the dough and leave it for a remaining 30 minutes after the oven is fully hot. Directly before baking the bread, remove it from the fridge and transfer the loaf to a piece of parchment paper folded sides down, smooth side up. Lightly flour the top of the bread and smooth the flour around to coat the surface. Score your bread with a mixture of deep and shallow cuts. I like to make a few deeper cuts towards the center of the loaf about an inch deep as well as more shallow cuts along the edge.

Baking
Remove the Dutch oven from the oven and carefully transfer the loaf. Cover the Dutch oven with the lid and place in the oven for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove the lid of the Dutch oven and reduce the heat to 475 degrees. Bake for another 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, immediately remove the loaf and let it rest for 1 hour (if you can resist the temptation to cut into it immediately)!
Repeat the same process with the second loaf. Be sure to preheat the Dutch oven again at 500 degrees for another 30 minutes before baking the second loaf. This is very important to achieve oven spring in the second loaf as well!

General Timeline for your No Knead Sourdough Bread
Late the night before – Feed Starter
9:00 AM – Mix Dough
9:30 AM – Add Starter and Salt
10:00 AM – Begin Stretch and Folds
12:00 PM – Stretch and Folds Finished
8:00 PM – First Dough Shaping
8:30 PM – Second Dough Shaping and into the Fridge
8:00 AM (next day) – Preheat Oven and Dutch Oven
9:00 AM – Scoring and Transfer to Oven
9:20 AM – Final Baking
If you try this recipe and it’s one of your favorites, tag me in a post on Instagram @almostheavenhomesteading

You can purchase the Dutch oven I use by following the link below:
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No Knead Sourdough Bread

Easy 5 ingredient Sourdough Bread using just flour, water, salt, and sourdough starter! Sure to become a staple in your baking routine!
Ingredients
- 700 Grams All Purpose Flour
- 250 Grams Whole Wheat Flour
- 750 Grams Warm Water
- 200 Grams Active Bubbly Sourdough Starter
- 20 Grams Salt
Instructions
- Feed your starter about 8 hours before mixing your bread to ensure it is active and ready to go. Adjust the timing according to the normal behavior of your starter and the temperature of your kitchen (less time if very warm, more time if cooler)
- Measure the flours into a large mixing bowl and combine with a whisk.
- In a saucepan, measure the water.
- Warm the water slightly on the stove. The water should be warm not hot.
- Gently mix the flour and water together with a wooden spoon, and allow to rest for 30 minutes.
- Add in the sourdough starter and salt, and gently mix this in with your hands for about 3 minutes until all the ingredients are well combined.
- Cover with a cloth or plastic wrap and allow the dough to rest for 20 minutes.
- Perform 6 sets of stretch and folds 20 minutes apart.
- Cover the dough again and allow it to bulk ferment for at least 6 hours.
- Transfer the dough onto a floured surface and divide into to equal parts.
- Shape each piece into a ball by gently tucking the edges under and spinning toward you until the dough feels tight.
- Allow to rest for 30 minutes.
- Turn each piece of dough over and shape by pulling the edges of one side out and folding over the entire ball. Repeat with the other three sides.
- Transfer the dough into a floured banneton basket folded sides out.
- Cover the bannetons with plastic wrap or beeswax wrap and allow to proof in the fridge for at least 8 hours.
- Preheat a Dutch oven at 500 degrees for 45 minutes.
- Take one of the loaves from the fridge and transfer to a piece of parchment paper.
- Lightly flour the surface of the dough and score.
- Immediately transfer to the preheated Dutch oven, and bake with the lid on for 20 minutes.
- Remove the lid and decrease the temperature to 475 degrees.
- Bake for an additional 15 minutes.
- Remove from the Dutch oven and allow to cool before slicing.
Notes
Make sure your sourdough starter is active and bubbly. If you're unsure, use the float test by dropping a tablespoon of starter into a glass of water. If it floats, its active!
When baking the second loaf, be sure to preheat the Dutch oven again at 500 for at least 20 minutes.
The longer your dough sets at room temperature, the more digestible (and more sour) it becomes. Leave at room temperature for 10-12 hours for maximum benefits!
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