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Rustic No-Knead Sourdough Bread

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Rustic No-Knead Sourdough Bread

Cuisine:World

Course:Bread

30m prep 35m cook 1h 5m ready

2 round loaves While this recipe is long, the process is really quite simple. There are different stages at which the dough can be retarded if you need to walk away from it for a while. If desired, any of the additions to yeast doughs may be added at the same time as the salt.

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Ingredients

Servings:
½× 1× 1½× 2× 3×
Units:
As Written US Metric
  • 1
    • 4 cups (525g) whole wheat flour
    • 4 cups (500g) all-purpose flour
    • ¾ cup (175g) lukewarm (80° to 90°F) water
    • 1 ¼ cups (160g) whole wheat/all-purpose flour blend, from above
    • ¾ cup (175g) water
    • 1 ¾ cups (225g) whole wheat/all-purpose flour blend, from above
    • 1 cup (235g) lukewarm (80° to 90°F) water
    • 2 ½ cups (305g) whole wheat/all-purpose flour blend, from above
    • ⅔ cup (155g) lukewarm (80° to 90°F) water
    Sub-recipe steps
    1. Whisk together well in a large bowl: 4 cups (525g) whole wheat flour; 4 cups (500g) all-purpose flour
    2. Transfer to a bag or an airtight container. This is the flour blend you will use to feed your starter. Measure 1 ¼ cups of this flour blend into a medium container such as a quart jar or a plastic container with about a 4-cup capacity. Add to the flour: ¾ cup (175g) lukewarm (80° to 90°F) water
    3. Stir together until smooth. Cover with a piece of thin, clean kitchen towel or fabric, and secure the fabric with a rubber band. Let the starter sit at room temperature, out of direct sunlight, for several days. Check it daily. You should start to see bubbles after 3 to 5 days. If a crust forms on top, that’s okay. If the starter smells cheesy, yeasty, or nose-tinglingly sharp, your starter is alive. The only thing to look out for is mold. If any mold grows on the starter, discard it and start again.
    4. When you see signs of fermentation, the starter is ready to be fed. It will need several more days—maybe even a week or more—of consistent feedings before it is ready to make bread.
    5. To feed the sourdough starter, every day at roughly the same time, discard all but about ¼ cup of the starter (or see Using Discarded Starter). Add to the remaining ¼ cup starter in the container: 1 ¼ cups (160g) whole wheat/all-purpose flour blend, from above; ¾ cup (175g) water
    6. Adding a precise amount of flour and water is not as important as feeding the starter regularly: As long as most of the previous day’s starter is discarded and enough flour and water are added to make a thick paste, you’re doing it right. Once you get a feel for it, you may choose not to measure the flour and water at all.
    7. As you feed the starter, try to get a sense of its behavior. It should increase in volume for several hours after being fed. At some point it will start to deflate. The smell of the starter will also change—right after feeding, it should smell mild. As the starter approaches the time for its next feeding, it will smell sharper and more acidic. Sometimes it may even smell like nail polish remover.
    8. The starter is ready for baking when it rises and falls consistently for a few days. At least 12 hours before you plan to start making bread, discard all but about 1 tablespoon of the starter (the starter clinging to the sides and bottom of the container will be enough).
    9. For a liquid starter, stir in: 1 ¾ cups (225g) whole wheat/all-purpose flour blend, from above; 1 cup (235g) lukewarm (80° to 90°F) water
    10. For a stiff starter, use: 2 ½ cups (305g) whole wheat/all-purpose flour blend, from above; ⅔ cup (155g) lukewarm (80° to 90°F) water
    11. Cover and let sit until the starter has increased in volume, 8 to 12 hours. To test for readiness, drop a spoonful of starter in a cup of water. It should float. If the starter does not float, cover it and wait until it is ready. In very warm conditions, the starter may have already peaked and deflated at 8 hours. In cool conditions, it may take longer (in this case, try to place the starter in a warm location). Working with a starter is all about learning how to read its signs. This is a skill you will pick up over time.
    12. When the starter is ready, proceed with one of the recipes below or any sourdough recipe calling for a liquid starter (for those calling for a stiff starter, see Converting a Starter).
  • 1 ½ cups (355g) lukewarm (80° to 90°F) water
  • 4 cups (525g) bread flour
  • ½ cup (65g) whole wheat flour
  • ¼ cup (60g) lukewarm (80° to 90°F) water
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Let's Prepare

Collect

Gather these ingredients - no prep needed yet.

  • 1 1 ½ cups active Sourdough Starter (it should pass the float test)
  • 1 ½ cups (355g) lukewarm (80° to 90°F) water
  • 4 cups (525g) bread flour
  • ½ cup (65g) whole wheat flour
  • ¼ cup (60g) lukewarm (80° to 90°F) water
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Let's Cook

  1. Step 1.

    Mix together in a large bowl or a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook: 1 ½ cups active Sourdough Starter (it should pass the float test); 1 ½ cups (355g) lukewarm (80° to 90°F) water

  2. Step 2.

    Add: 4 cups (525g) bread flour; ½ cup (65g) whole wheat flour

  3. Step 3.

    Mix by hand or on low speed until a sticky dough forms. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.

  4. Step 4.

    Mix in by hand or with the dough hook until combined: ¼ cup (60g) lukewarm (80° to 90°F) water; 1 teaspoon salt

  5. Step 5.

    Transfer to a bowl just large enough to hold the dough with a little room to spare. Let the dough rise in a draft-free place until increased in volume (it will not double in volume like doughs made with commercial yeast), 3 to 4 hours. If the dough is in a glass or clear plastic container, you will be able to see air bubbles. Alternatively, after mixing in the salt, cover the dough tightly and refrigerate for 12 to 14 hours.

  6. Step 6.

    Turn out the dough onto a very lightly floured work surface. Divide it into 2 equal pieces, and round the dough into balls. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes. Give the dough a final shape into rounds. Lightly flour 2 thin kitchen towels (flour sack towels work nicely) and use them to line 2 bannetons or bowls just large enough to hold the dough. Transfer the shaped rounds, seam side up, to the baskets or bowls, cover, and let rise until a finger gently pressed into the dough leaves an imprint that does not spring back, 3 to 4 hours. Or cover and refrigerate the loaves up to 12 hours.

  7. Step 7.

    To bake the loaves in a Dutch oven or combo cooker, preheat the oven to 500°F for 45 minutes with the Dutch oven or combo cooker in the oven as it preheats. Uncover one of the loaves and gently remove it from the basket or bowl. Use lightly floured hands to transfer it carefully, seam side down, to the hot Dutch oven (be careful not to burn your hands or arms) or skillet part of the combo cooker. Score the dough with a lame or a very sharp knife, cover with the lid or the deeper part of the combo cooker, and return it to the oven. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the lid, reduce the heat to 450°F, and bake until deeply browned, 15 to 20 minutes more. Transfer the bread to a rack to cool completely. Return the empty Dutch oven or combo cooker to the oven, increase the oven temperature to 500°F, and let the Dutch oven or combo cooker preheat for at least 10 minutes before baking the second loaf.

  8. Step 8.

    To bake the loaves on a baking stone, steel, or baking sheet, position racks in the center and lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Place the stone, steel, or baking sheet on the center rack to preheat. Place a metal baking pan or cast-iron skillet on the lower rack. Once hot, take the stone, steel, or baking sheet out of the oven. Turn out the loaves, seam side down, onto the stone, steel, or pan, score them, and place in the oven. Immediately pour 1 cup hot water into the baking pan or skillet on the lower rack and close the oven door. Bake until deeply golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

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