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No Knead Sourdough

No-Knead Sourdough Bread

1225kcal
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Prep 30 minutes
Cook 35 minutes
Total 20 hours 20 minutes
Based on the straightforward technique from Natasha's Baking, this No-Knead Sourdough Bread saves massive amounts of time and physical effort. By allowing a high-hydration dough to rest through an automated autolyse and a series of gentle folds, you completely bypass mechanical kneading while still securing a beautifully open, airy interior crumb and a proud, blistered artisan ear.
Cuisine Sourdough

Ingredients

The Multipurpose Sourdough Starter Levain (Night Before)
  • 5 g Sourdough starter culture
  • 35 g Water
  • 30 g All-purpose flour or bread flour
  • 5 g Rye flour
The No-Knead Main Dough
  • 270 g Bread flour (90%)
  • 30 g Stone-ground whole wheat flour (10%)
  • 228 g Water (76% Hydration)
  • 60 g Active sourdough starter levain (20% - From the stage above)
  • 6 g Salt (2%)

Equipment

  • Large Mixing Bowl (A large spoon handles all the mixing to keep your hands completely clean)
  • Proofing Basket (Banneton) or a loaf pan lined with a clean kitchen towel
  • Cast Iron Pan with Lid (Or a heavy Dutch oven)
  • Sharp Scoring Lame or razor blade
  • Parchment Paper
  • Kitchen Scale

Method

Night Before – Starter Initialization
  1. 9:00 PM: In a small glass jar, add your 5g of starter culture to 35g of water and whisk together cleanly. Stir in 30g of all-purpose flour and 5g of rye flour.
  2. Mix thoroughly, cover loosely, and let it sit at room temperature 74–78°F (23–26°C) overnight for 8 to 10 hours until the starter reaches its peak and at least triples in volume.
Day 2 – The Same-Stage Autolyse & Low-Impact Folds
  1. 8:00 AM – The Hydration Autolyse: In a large mixing bowl, combine all 228g of water with 60g of your active overnight starter peak and 6g of salt, whisking briefly. Dump the 270g of bread flour and 30g of stone-ground whole wheat flour directly into the liquids. Mix everything thoroughly with a spoon just until the dry spots disappear. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest in a warm spot 74–78°F (23–26°C) for 1 full hour.
  2. 9:00 AM: Perform your 1st stretch and fold (or coil fold). Wet your hands slightly with water, lift the dough from the center, and let the loose edges tuck underneath the mass to lock in tension. The dough will look slightly lumpy but will handle beautifully. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
  3. 9:30 AM: Perform your 2nd stretch and fold. The structure will look noticeably smoother. Cover and let rest for 1 hour.
  4. 10:30 AM: Perform your 3rd stretch and fold. Cover and let rest for 1 hour.
  5. 11:30 AM: Perform your 4th stretch and fold. Cover the container and let the dough proof completely untouched for 1 hour. The Guardrail Volume Check: If your kitchen runs cool and the dough hasn't expanded by at least 50% or more, execute a 5th stretch-and-fold round and give it 1 extra hour of untouched rest.
Preshaping, Tension Rolling, and Cold Retard
  1. 12:30 PM – Preshaping: Gently tip the expanded dough out onto your work surface and dust the top lightly with flour. Flip the mass over so the floured side faces directly down.
  2. Fold the outer edges of the dough cleanly onto itself so that the raw flour coating remains entirely on the outside of the loaf (this ensures a beautiful, crispy crust). Round the dough into a loose ball and let it rest on your counter completely uncovered for 30 minutes to relax the gluten.
  3. 1:00 PM – Final Shaping: Dust the top of the resting dough round with a light layer of whole wheat flour. Use a dough scraper to flip it over onto your counter so the floured side faces down.
  4. Starting at the edge closest to you, pull the two right corners of the dough outward and fold them up into the center. Repeat this exact matching movement across the left side.
  5. Roll the dough down tightly away from you, shaping it into a perfectly smooth, taut roll.
  6. Transfer the shaped roll seam-side up into your well-floured proofing basket. Cover with plastic wrap and return the basket to a warm 80°F (27°C) spot for exactly 15 minutes to stabilize.
  7. Slide the basket directly into your refrigerator to rise slowly for 14 to 24 hours of cold fermentation retard.
Day 3 – Blazing Cast Iron Bake
  1. Next Morning: Preheat your oven to 500°F (260°C). Place your cast iron pan and lid onto the middle rack to heat up thoroughly for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
  2. Remove the cold dough basket from the fridge. Flip it over gently onto a sheet of parchment paper and score the smooth surface with one clean, long, deep cut using a sharp lame or razor blade.
  3. Transfer the dough carefully onto the smoking hot cast iron pan base, drop the heavy lid down tightly to lock in the steam, and bake at 500°F (260°C) with the lid on for exactly 15 minutes.
  4. Carefully lift the hot lid off to expose the loaf, lower the oven temperature to 450°F (232°C), and continue baking bare for an additional 20 minutes until the crust turns an incredibly deep golden brown. Let cool on a wire rack for 2 full hours before slicing!

Nutrition

Calories1225kcalCarbohydrates245gProtein44gFat6gSaturated Fat1gPolyunsaturated Fat3gMonounsaturated Fat1gCholesterol9mgSodium442mgPotassium517mgFiber11gSugar1gVitamin A17IUVitamin C0.2mgCalcium74mgIron5mg

Notes

  • Why the Single-Stage Mix Works Flawlessly: Unlike traditional artisan formulas that require you to hold back your salt until after a tedious autolyse stage, this specialized no-knead technique incorporates the water, starter, salt, and flour all together in step 3. The 1-hour automated hydration rest that follows allows the flour particles to absorb water seamlessly, perfectly activating gluten development without any mechanical kneading required.
  • Managing Fast Summer Fermentation Ratios: Keep a close eye on your dough volume during steps 4 through 7 if baking in a hot kitchen. High room temperatures accelerate wild yeast activity dramatically, which can lead to overproofing and a sticky, unmanageable structure. If your kitchen hits 80°F or above, compress your bulk rest windows slightly or begin your preshaping steps right when the dough hits a clean 40% volume rise.
  • Why the 40°F Fridge Calibration is Non-Negotiable: To secure that proud, tall oven spring and a gorgeous artisan ear, verify that your home refrigerator sits at a stable 40°F (4°C) or colder. If your fridge runs warmer (around 48°F), the sourdough yeasts will continue fermenting too aggressively overnight, overproofing the core starches and causing the loaf to pancake flat on the hot iron.
  • Achieving a Softer Everyday Crust Profile: Baking bare at 450°F creates a beautifully thick, rustic, and extra-crunchy bakery crust. If you prefer a thinner, softer skin that is easier to slice for children's school sandwiches, simply omit the open-air baking step—keep the heavy cast iron lid locked down throughout the entire baking process, or look into an enriched sandwich bread recipe on the site.

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