A lot of people are intimidated by baking their own bread at home, let alone sourdough bread. It seems to be portrayed as this difficult task that only professional bakers can accomplish. This 'no knead sourdough bread' recipe is meant to change that.
I love baking at home, and usually bake at least once a week. Sometimes I'll make a loaf of my homemade sandwich bread, which is great for weekday lunches, breakfast toast etc. When I'm in the mood for something heartier though I reach for this recipe and make a rustic loaf of old fashioned sourdough.
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Before You Start...
There are a few things to keep in mind before starting this sourdough bread. As this is a 'no knead' recipe, (which also incorporates whole wheat flour), don't be surprised if the bread turns out denser then store bought sourdough.
Usually, kneading the dough develops the gluten strands which allows the dough to stretch while proofing, by not kneading this dough it will not become as stretchy.
To get around this, you can add ¾ teaspoon of instant yeast to flour. This helps create a stronger 'lift' in the dough especially when using whole wheat flours.
Before you begin, you will also need to have a mature sourdough starter which is active and ready for feeding.
The bread in this recipe has about 75% hydration. This means that 75% of the weight of the bread dough is water, making it quite soft and tacky.
In order to successfully bake this recipe, it is important to properly weigh out the ingredients. Wet your hands where indicated in the recipe to prevent the dough from sticking to your hands.
Prep Your Sourdough Starter
If you do not yet have a sourdough starter in the fridge or are planning on making one from scratch now, you'll need to plan ahead before making this recipe. Read how to make your own starter from scratch with the link below.
If you already have a starter, it's a good idea to take it out of the fridge in the morning, a day before you want to bake and feed it once with a little flour and water.
This will reactivate the wild yeasts and make them stronger for baking.
Equipment
In order to create the light texture and crackly crust of this rustic sourdough bread, a cast iron or enamelled dutch oven is used to bake the bread. We used a 6 quart dutch oven for this recipe.
Professional bakeries will use specialized ovens that have steam injection to create moist heat. The way around this is to use the dutch oven which locks in the moisture in the bread, preventing it from drying out as it bakes.
You'll also want a digital scale in order to accurately measure out all the ingredients. We've recently updated the recipe below to use weights instead of volume measurements as different brands/types of flour may measure differently.
Finally, we recommend using some parchment paper as well to prevent the dough from sticking to the dutch oven. I use PaperChef parchment paper (affiliate) which is designed to withstand high temperatures.
No Knead Sourdough Bread Ingredients
- 100 grams(½ cup) active and bubbly sourdough starter
- 300 grams (2 cups) unbleached all-purpose or bread flour
- 200 grams (1 ½ cups) whole wheat flour ( For all white sourdough, simply use all-purpose flour here)
- 375 grams (1 ½ cups) warm water
- 1 tsp. salt
- Extra flour for dusting
Measuring Out & Mixing Your No-Knead Sourdough Bread
The night before you plan on baking, measure out all the dry ingredients and check your re-activated sourdough starter. It should be nice and bubbly, and wanting to be fed. Feed the starter with at least ½ cup flour/ ½ cup water to ensure it is ready to go for the morning and that you'll have enough.
Note: The times listed below are meant to give you an idea of how long it takes to bake the bread. You can change these times to fit your schedule, for example by mixing and then fermenfing the dough overnight before shaping/baking in the morning..
Mixing - 8:00 am
Mix all the pre-measured dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, weigh out the 100 grams of bubbly sourdough starter. Add the 375 grams of warm water to the starter and mix it all together. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry, and mix with a wooden spoon until it forms a shaggy, sticky mass.
Cover the bowl with a clean linen cloth and let the sourdough sit on the counter for 20 minutes. This allows the flour to properly absorb all the water and become more workable.
Stretching - 8:20 am
After twenty minutes, wet your hands, and grabbing one end of the dough lift it up, and stretch/fold the dough over on itself. Repeat this 5-8 times turning the bowl a quarter turn each time until the dough starts to become smooth. You'll notice how much more structure and less shaggy the dough appears after doing this.
Fermentation - 8:30 am - 12:00 pm
Once you've stretched and folded the dough, it's time to let the dough have its first rise and ferment. This produces the distinct sour taste and helps leaven(rise) the dough. Cover the bowl with a clean linen cloth and set it in a location that is approximately 75F - 80F for roughly 3.5 hours.
(Note: If your home is cooler then this, the time frame may need to be pushed to 5 or 6 hours of fermentation. You can also let the dough ferment overnight for a more sour flavor.)
After the first 30 minutes of fermentation (at 9:00am), stretch and fold the dough 4 times with wet hands as you did in the last step. Do this a second time at the 1 hour mark (9:30 am). This helps provide structure and give shape to the final loaf as we are not kneading the dough.
Pre-shaping the dough - 12:00 pm
Wet your hands to prevent the dough from sticking to your hands, and scoop it out onto a clean countertop. Working quickly, shape it into a rough ball, and let it sit uncovered on the counter for 30 minutes to relax. It's ok if it sticks to the counter at this point.
Shaping a boule - 12:30 pm
Lightly flour a clean section of counter. Then flour your hands, and the top of the dough. Turn the dough over by using a bench scraper or a large chefs knife to scoop the dough up and turn it over. You'll have to do this quickly as the dough is fairly soft and will start to droop and stretch otherwise.
Once you've flipped the dough over, fold the bottom edge of the dough up to the middle. Take the sides and fold them inward, then fold the top edge down. Kind of like folding an envelope.
Roll the dough over so the 'seam' is down, then gently drag the dough across the counter to create tension across the top of the dough. Watch the video from The Perfect Loaf below to see how it's done!
Proofing - 12:45 pm
Gently transfer the shaped boule to a piece of parchment paper and then lift the parchment into a clean bowl with roughly the same diameter of your bread boule. This helps the bread keep its final shape as it proofs, and prevents it from spreading outwards. Cover the bowl and let it proof for about 1.5 -2 hours.
Baking - 2:15 pm
As the bread proofs, pre-heat your oven to 450F with the dutch oven and lid inside. Once you are ready to bake, very carefully remove the hot dutch oven from the oven.
At this point dust the shaped boule with flour or score it with a sharp knife. Gently lift the boule out of the proofing bowl using the parchment paper and transfer it to the hot dutch oven.
Return the hot Dutch oven to the oven with the lid in place and bake the bread for 30 minutes covered. After 30 minutes remove the lid and bake for another 10 minutes to crisp up the outside.
Remove the baked loaf of sourdough bread and let it cool on a wire rack. The no knead sourdough bread is best served within the next day or two, but it can be kept in the fridge for up to 4 days to extend its shelf life. Note that refrigerating the bread will make it denser and less fluffy.
Additional Notes
Here are a few additional notes, and tips many of which have been posed as questions about this recipe and will help you bake a successful loaf of bread:
- Can I Make This With 100% AP Flour? Yes you can. When first mixing the dough though, withhold about 30 grams of water. If after mixing the dough it seems very very dry, add a little more until it becomes tacky.
- Nothing Is Happening, My Bread Dough Hasnt Risen At All. In all likelihood, something has killed your starter or the starter was dead, to begin with. Make sure the starter has doubled in size from the night before, smells sour, and is visibly active. Using Unbleached flour will increase your chances of success.
- Can I Make The Bread More Sour? This sourdough bread is mildly sour due to the relatively short fermentation time. In order to increase the sourness, you can refrigerate the dough in the 'proofing' phase for 8-10 hours to slow and lengthen the time the bacteria has to make the dough more sour. Make sure to properly cover or bag the bowl to prevent the dough from drying out.
- My Dough Is Very Wet & Hard To Work With. With 75% hydration, this recipe is 'wetter' than a regular loaf of bread which has generally 60%-65% hydration. Make sure to let the dough rest for at least 20 minutes after mixing to properly hydrate the flour and then do the 'stretch and fold' to give it some structure. Make sure your hands are wet, and work quickly when doing so to prevent the dough from sticking to your hands. It does take some practice! If you still find the dough hard to work with, hold back 20-30 grams of water the next time you try the recipe.
- Switch It Up & Add Some Flavorings. Add 120 grams of chopped nuts, olives or dried fruit to the recipe. Or add ½ tablespoon chopped herbs and brush it with garlic and oil before baking! The options are endless!
Made the recipe? Comment & Rate it below, then take a picture and tag me on Facebook & Instagram: @earthfoodandfire . For more from scratch recipes follow me on Instagram & Pinterest
Recipe
No Knead Sourdough Bread
Ingredients
- 300 grams unbleached all purpose or bread flour
- 200 grams whole wheat flour
- 100 grams active and bubbly sourdough starter
- 375 grams warm water
- 1 tsp. salt
- Extra flour for dusting
Instructions
The Night Before
- The night before you plan on baking, measure out all the dry ingredients and check your re-activated sourdough starter. It should be nice and bubbly, and wanting to be fed. Feed the starter with at least ½ cup flour and ½ cup water to ensure it is ready to go for the morning and that you'll have enough.
Day Of Baking - Mixing
- Mix all the pre-measured dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, weigh out the 100 grams of bubbly sourdough starter. Add 375 grams of warm water to the starter and mix it all together. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry, and mix with a wooden spoon until it forms a shaggy, sticky mass. Cover the bowl with a clean linen cloth and let the sourdough sit on the counter for 20 minutes.
Stretching
- After twenty minutes, wet your hands, and grabbing one end of the dough lift it up, and stretch/fold the dough over on itself. Repeat this 5-8 times, turning the bowl a quarter turn each time until the dough starts to become smooth.
Fermentation
- Once you've stretched and folded the dough, cover the bowl with a clean linen cloth and set it in a location that is approximately 75F - 80F for roughly 3.5 hours.After the first 30 minutes of fermentation, stretch and fold the dough 4 times with wet hands as you did in the last step. Do this a second time after another 30 minutes. Cover the bowl and let the dough finish fermenting.(Note: If your home is cooler then this, the time frame may need to be pushed to 4 or 4.5 hours of fermentation.)
Pre-shaping the dough
- Wet your hands to prevent the dough from sticking to your hands, and scoop it out onto a clean countertop. Working quickly, shape it into a rough ball, and let it sit uncovered on the counter for 30 minutes to relax.
Shaping a boule
- Lightly flour a clean section of counter. Then flour your hands, and the top of the dough. Turn the dough over by using a bench scraper or a large chefs knife to scoop the dough up and turn it over. Once flipped, fold the bottom edge of the dough up to the middle. Take the sides and fold them inward, then fold the top edge down. Kind of like folding an envelope. Roll the dough over so the 'seam' is down, then gently drag the dough across the counter to create tension across the top of the dough.
Proofing
- Gently transfer the shaped boule to a piece of parchment paper and then lift the parchment into a clean bowl with roughly the same diameter of your bread boule. This helps the bread keep its final shape as it proofs, and prevents it from spreading outwards. Cover the bowl and let it proof for about 1.5 - 2 hours, or until double in size.
Baking
- As the bread proofs, pre-heat your oven to 450F with the dutch oven and lid inside. Once you are ready to bake, very carefully remove the hot dutch oven from the oven.Dust the shaped boule with flour or score it with a sharp knife. Gently lift the boule out of the proofing bowl using the parchment paper and transfer it to the hot dutch oven.Return the hot Dutch oven to the oven with the lid in place and bake the bread for 30 minutes covered. After 30 minutes remove the lid and bake for another 10 minutes to crisp up the outside.
- Remove the baked loaf of sourdough bread and let it cool completly on a wire rack.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
Sage
Can't wait to try this recipe out! I recently redid my kitchen, I'm talking refinished cabinets, new appliances, the whole shebang. Now that it's all done, I'm feeling so inspired to cook and bake. Homemade sourdough is top of my list! Thank you for sharing!
Holly
I’m so excited. I’ve followed your recipe this last week for the starter and I’m attempting my second loaf tonight! First loaf didn’t go too great because I forgot to pull my starter out of the fridge the night before to let it completely reactive. Instead I pulled it out of the fridge morning of, fed it, waited 2 hours and used it in the dough. Bad idea, don’t do this lol. My dough didn’t really rise at all and just didn’t work out. But I made the dough again today with my red starter that I left on the counter instead and I got great rises on each of my proofs. My oven is currently preheating with my Dutch oven in it and I’m so excited to bake and taste my hard work! Thank you for your awesome instructions!!
Chef Markus Mueller
That's great Holly! We'd love to see the finished results! You can tag us on Instagram and Facebook @earthfoodandfire !
Amber
I used your recipe for starter then this for making bread, it turned out amazing, my husband was so impressed. However, the second time I tried to make a loaf, it was not nearly as good—very dense and doughy. I ended up throwing out my whole starter and doing it all over again with same result. First loaf was perfect, two weeks later second loaf dense doughy. Can you provide more information on maintaining the starter? When I made the first loaf from freshly made starter, I scooped out 100g for recipe then put remainder in refrigerator. One week later I took it out, added 2/3c flour and 1/3c water, stirred it up and put it back in refrigerator. When I went to bake again, nite before I scooped out 50g, added 50g flour and 50g water, let stand on counter with linen cloth cover over nite then made bread as directed using 100g and discarded the left over that had been out. I know your recipe suggests feeding starter nite before with 1/2c flour and 1/2c water but do you mean the entire tub of starter from the refrigerator or a specific portion? I feel like my second loaf problems lay with the starter, could be wrong of course, I’m new on the sourdough scene. Help me, please.
Chef Markus Mueller
Hey Amber, Glad you had such success with your first loaf. What I would do if you are storing the starter in the fridge (which is fine), is to take the entire starter out and feed it and let it become fully active again before measuring out the 100 grams needed for the bread recipe. Depending on your local room temp/humidity etc, how long it takes to become active again may vary. Generally speaking though, I would take the whole starter out a day or so before you plan to bake in order to get it a good feeding and warm up before starting the bread making. Once it's fully active again (so doubled in size, bubbly, and sour-smelling), take the 100 grams of active starter, and 'feed' it with the bread recipe ingredients. Any leftover starter not used to make the bread is returned to the fridge for next time. I hope that clears it up.
Teri
Any recipes for cracked wheat sour dough? Or how to incorporate cracked wheat into your no knead recipe? I love this recipe! Would really like to make it with cracked wheat. Thank you.
Chef Markus Mueller
Hey Teri, I have never added cracked wheat to this recipe, but I would simply try and start by adding 1/4 cup of cracked wheat into the recipe and see what happens. You'll probably need to soak or boil the cracked wheat first...take this into account when making the recipe as it will be adding moisture to the ratio. Never hurts to try and see what happens!
Cynthia Lockhart
Hi! Can I save the starter for another batch of bread?
Chef Markus Mueller
Hey Cynthia, you certainly can. If you have any starter left, just feed it again to 'grow' it until you have enough to bake with.
If you used it all, you can take a piece of dough from your sourdough loaf before baking and 'feed' that. It will act as the starter does. You'll just need to adjust it's consistancy as you feed it.
Barb
Hi! At the Proofing step, if the dough is refrigerated overnight, does it need to be at room temp before putting in the oven? Or can it go right in cold?
Chef Markus Mueller
Hi Barb, If the loaf has been shaped and proofed in the fridge, it should be able to go right into the oven. I would suggest doing the fermentation overnight in the fridge as opposed to the proofing though, as you'll have more control over the size of the boule if you only let it proof for an hour or so at room temp before baking as opposed to letting it proof overnight, and it might get way to big and collapse in the oven as it bakes.
Teri
When is the best time to add olives & some fresh rosemary? Love this recipe & instructions. I’m new to the sourdough baking (quarantine) and have made my share of mistakes— I just keep trying. Thanks for your time.
Chef Markus Mueller
Hi Teri, I would personally add the ingredients after initially mixing the dough, but before fermentation. After fermentation, you begin to shape the boule, and if you then have to re-mix the entire dough to incorporate new ingredients, I would worry the loaf will become too dense.
Kristin
I've tried this recipe several times and get rave reviews from my family and friends. Today after I let the dough rest on the counter and before creating the boule I divided the dough into four and four little loafs. We did bread bowls with broccoli cheddar soup and they turned out amazing! I just shortened the cook time to 25 minute with lid on and 8 with lid off and they were perfect...and really the 8 with the lid off was only cause our oven tends to have a hard time holding heat. Love it!
Chef Markus Mueller
Thanks for the review Kristin. What a good idea making bread bowls for soup! I should do that as a recipe post!
jennifer
My 4th loaf just came out of the oven! And this one looks like it is going to be the best.
I like the new directions- (first 3 loaves were with the old directions)
Holding it in a bowl before baking made a huge difference for me- it mostly held shape baking and rose nicely.
My question is- I have a larger oval Dutch oven- can I add an additional 50% or double this recipe to fill the pot more and make a larger loaf? What might the baking time look like?
Thanks!
Chef Markus Mueller
Hey Jennifer. Glad you like the new instructions.
Yes you can double the recipe you will have to adjust the cooking time though. Probably not twice as long, but I would go 10 minutes longer to start, and then check it...etc.
Erin
I have not made this yet, however, as I was reading it through, I wanted to say how much I appreciate your actual timeline where you set specific times to do each step. That is a lifesaver and I cannot wait to try this ?
Chef Markus Mueller
Hi Erin, I'm glad you like the timeline. I thought it might be helpful to give an overview of the process. Keep in mind the times are approximations and proofing/fermentation may take longer or go quicker depending on your starter, room temperature etc. Happy baking!
Owen Kemp
In reading your bread sourdough bread recipe, it says: The bread in this recipe has about 75% hydration. This means that "75% of the weight of the bread dough is water", making it quite soft and tacky.
Does that mean the water is 3 times heavier than the flour in this recipe? That's the way I read it, so I am a bit confused. Or is the water actually 75% as heavy as the flour... I am about to make my first loaf of sourdough bread and want to make sure I understand the ratios. Thanks!!! 🙂
Chef Markus Mueller
Hi Owen, The percentage given is the baker's percentage indicating the amount of water in relation to the amount of flour. Bakers percentages are used to easily and accurately scale bread and other baking recipes. In this case, the hydration level (75%) is obtained by dividing the amount of water(in grams) by the total amount of flour in the recipe and then multiplying by 100. In this case 375/500x100=75. You can read a more detailed description of what bakers percentages are here : What are bakers percentages?
Jacky
I've used this sourdough recipe and also the starter that goes with it. These two recipes turn out the best of all the ones I've tried. I will definitely keep this one and continue to use it!
Chef Markus Mueller
Thanks Jacky! Glad you are enjoying both recipes. Take a picture and tag us on social media if you like! (@earthfoodandfire)
Kristin
I skipped the second stretches during fermentation both times I made the bread because for one I’m forgetful, and for two, the first loaf came out fine without it. Now that I’ve made it again and it came out perfectly, I’d say those two additional stretches during fermentation are definitely optional. I tagged the page in my Instagram!
Chef Markus Mueller
Hi Kristin! The Sourdough can be very forgiving especially when it comes to stretching the dough in this recipe. The stretching does help create structure though, which in turn helps the boule hold its shape as it proofs. Again, depending on the flour used though, you may not need it especially if you are not fermenting it that long. Glad you enjoyed the recipe and the bread!
Ria
Perfection! I used a combination of 3 different starters for my 1st attempt, as I am not really a baker but, more of an experimental chef, (equal parts slurry delicate white, sturdier whole wheat & a bold rye starter). All the rest of your steps were followed faithfully & I used Sarah Owens scoring style. I wish I could add a picture. Best bread baking results EVER! TY TY TY!
After letting it cool & cutting a slice I will let it proof in the fridge for a bit longer next time. This will be my go-to sourdough recipe.
Chef Markus Mueller
Way to go! Baking is very much trial and error, especially sourdough baking as the starter cultures ill vary so much from household to household. We'd love to see pictures if you have them! Tag us on social media @earthfoodandfire (Facebook & Instagram) or @earthfoodfire on twitter.
Alisha
Chef Markus, help! My crumb keeps coming out super dense and loaf doesn't really rise. What am I doing wrong?
Chef Markus Mueller
Hi Alisha, I'll need a little bit more info to help you troubleshoot. What kind of flour are you using? How old is your starter? How warm is your home?/ What temperature are you fermenting at? How long are you fermenting the dough for? Are you weighing out the ingredients properly? Are you doing the 'stretch' & 'fold' at the various stages as described in the recipe?
Let me know and we can try and figure out what is going on!
Erika
I am making this bread for the second time. My family loves SOUR sourdough, so I have been letting the dough rise overnight. The first time, I think the bowl i let it rise in was too small as it had risen so much that it stuck to the towel draped over the top. I picked off the hard crust, continued with the recipe and it came out wonderfully. This time, I used a larger bowl and when i checked it before going to bed it had risen quite a bit, so i changed the towel for plastic wrap just in case. When I checked it this morning, it had fallen and is looks very wet. I removed the plastic wrap and replaced the towel and put it in a warm spot. Is this dough going to be okay?
Chef Markus Mueller
Hi Erika, I apologize for the delayed response. The dough will likely be fine, though it may come out dense when baked. What you described sounds to me like the perfect description of the sourdough bacteria completing its life cycle. The dough rises as the starter feeds on the newly added flour and water during the initial fermentation, then as it sits overnight the bacteria slowly start to become less active and die off as they have consumed all the food, resulting in the dough sinking back down. To me it sounds like fermenting it overnight may be too long in your case (this can be due to very rapid fermentation at a warm temperature for example). The second time when the dough seemed so wet was likely because you covered it with plastic wrap and it wasn't able to breathe as it fermented and condensation likely dripped back onto the dough making it appear wet.
It sounds like you had let it ferment for a little while already before going to bed. Couple that with a solid 6-8 hours overnight fermentation, there simply may not be enough active bacteria left to produce a fluffy loaf.
My advice would be to either mix the dough literally right before bed to cut down the fermentation time, or fermenting it in the fridge overnight. Take it out in the morning, shape it and then proof it for 2-3 hours before baking.
I hope this helps!
Erika
I cut my losses and tried again a few days later. A little less time on the proofing and it came out beautifully! Thank you so much for your response.
Chef Markus Mueller
You're welcome Erika! Glad you loved the recipe!
Pane-Bistecca
I made the bread and blogged it on my food blog. It is one of the best breads I have ever baked!!! Thank you for that, I will bake it over and over again, as it really is very much to our taste!
http://pane-bistecca.com/2020/05/02/sauerteig-no-knead-brot-sourdough-no-knead-bread/
many thanks
Wilma
Chef Markus Mueller
Hi Wilma, Glad you enjoyed the recipe! It looks like it turned out great!
Kristina
I just found your recipe last month and have been making it several times a week with my new starter. When I found the changed recipe tonight I was kind of bummed because the previous instructions were so quick and easy. That’s why I loved it! And it was the best sourdough bread I’ve had anywhere outside of San Francisco. Truly perfect and simple. Could you possibly post the previous “old and unimproved” directions?
Chef Markus Mueller
Good Morning Kristina,
We changed the recipe to weights in grams because it is much more accurate than measuring by volume(cups). We were receiving a lot of questions from people about the recipe not working etc due to the fact the volume measurements can vary significantly depending on the type of flour used to the measuring cups themselves. By using weights everyone can be sure they are using the same amounts as when we tested the recipe. We lowered the amount of starter in the recipe because it’s not really necessary to have that much starter if yours is active and mature. Since everyone’s starter is different(texture, strength etc) it removes some of the variable results people are getting.
As you noticed we also updated the method to make it easier to follow. It now includes a few stretches of the dough as well as being able to bake the dough in one day as opposed to two, and provides a timeline people can follow if they choose to. These re-written instructions will help create a moister, lighter loaf of bread with easier to follow instructions. The times shown are just a guide, and you can alter then to suit your own schedule.
If you look closely, the method is not really that different then before though. The only ‘steps’ added are letting the dough rest as well as stretching the dough a few times before fermenting it. This will help give the loaf a better shape and allow it to become lighter and less dense as it proofs.
I encourage you to try the new method, I am sure you will enjoy the results. If you do want to follow the old instructions just mix all the ingredients the night before, let it ferment overnight, then go right to the shaping step in the morning. Let the dough proof on the parchment until double in size and then bake it at as directed.
Chef Markus
Kristina
Thank you so much for your response. It continues to be the best bread I've ever made.
Shannon
Hi there! Just passed this recipe on to a friend, and looking at it again I noticed it says 100 gr or 1/2 cup of starter. When I made mine yesterday the recipe had asked for 1 1/2 cups... pretty sure it should be 1 1/2 right!?
Second time making this bread and absolutely LOVING it by the way! Thankyou!
Chef Markus Mueller
Hi Shannon, Glad to hear you love it!
We actually just updated the recipe to use weights in grams because it is much more accurate than measuring by volume(cups). We were receiving a lot of questions from people about the recipe not working etc due to the fact the volume measurements can vary significantly depending on the type of flour used to the measuring cups themselves. By using weights everyone can be sure they are using the same amounts as when we tested the recipe. We lowered the amount of starter in the recipe because it’s not really necessary to have that much starter if yours is active and mature. Since everyone’s starter is different(texture, strength etc) it removes some of the variable results people were getting.
Happy Baking!
Christie
I've pinned this recipe and made it at least 5 times with great success. I went to put it together tonight to find it has all been changed to grams. Could you include your old measurements as well? Why mess with a good thing?
Chef Markus Mueller
Hi Christi I'm glad you've enjoyed the recipe so far. I've just re-added the cups measurement in brackets in the post itself.
We changed the recipe to weights in grams because it is much more accurate. We where receiving a lot of questions from people about the recipe not working etc due to the fact the volume measurements can vary significantly from type of flour used to the measuring cup itself. By using weights everyone can be sure they are using the same amounts as when we tested the recipe.
You'll notice we also updated the method to make it easier to follow. It now includes a few stretches of the dough as well as being able to bake the dough in one day as opposed to two. This will help create a moister, lighter loaf of bread.
If you are so inclined though, you can still mix and then ferment the dough overnight as you did before, then shape and bake the bread in the morning.
Chef Markus
Bev
Hi. Just wondering if the starter should smell like vinegar? I’m on day 4. Can’t wait to try the recipes. Thanks for making it so easy.
Chef Markus Mueller
Hi Bev, the starter should smell sour. A vinegary smell can occur depending on how quickly your starter is fermenting. It's not a bad thing, each starter is different. As long as its bubbly, and actively rising with no signs of mold you are fine.
Jan Erickson
This made a beautiful loaf! My first time making sourdough a sourdough starter and bread. I used all white flour and kneaded it for maybe 5 minutes. Everything went just like the recipe. I live at 6200 ft altitude and followed the recipe exactly. Thank you—
Chef Markus Mueller
You're welcome Jan! Glad you liked the recipe. If you have a picture tag us on social media! ( @ earthfoodandfire)
Colleen
Unfortunately we don't have parchment paper or oven-friendly wax paper. Can we just grease the pan before putting the bread in?
I made this once before and loved the bread, but I made the mistake of using a wax paper that seeped into the bottom of the bread during cooking. Trying to avoid that this time around!
Thanks!
Chef Markus Mueller
Hi Colleen,
Yikes! Yes wax paper won't be heat proof at that temperature. If you don't have parchment paper simply greasing the Dutch oven should be fine.