With a crisp, crackly crust and an airy, chewy crumb, this no-knead sourdough bread is a favorite in our household. We bake a few loaves each week because its simple, no-fuss process means just a little bit of effort yields marvelous results.
Jump to Recipe | What is it? | Ingredients| Helpful Tools | Tips | Variations
What is no-knead sourdough?
Sourdough bread is leavened with a sourdough starter rather than with commercial bakers yeast. And unlike breads with a tight crumb, which rely on kneading, no-knead breads have an airier quality, a more open crumb, and an artisan feel.
They also tend to take less effort than loaves of bread that you knead by hand. And you can make them easily overnight because they need less tending overall.
No-knead bread, and sourdough bread in particular, also have the benefit of being generally more nutritious and easier to digest. That’s because the slow fermentation process releases enzymes that make minerals more bio-available (1) while also increasing beta-glucans in the bread, which is a long-chain carbohydrate that supports gut health and immune system function.
What do you need to make it?
At its simplest, a no-knead sourdough requires four ingredients: sourdough starter, water, flour and sea salt. When you’re so familiar with the recipe and process that it becomes second nature, you can start to adapt the recipe and begin to include other ingredients, too, like fresh or dried herbs and spices.
- Starter. Sourdough starter gives this bread flavor and makes it rise. Starters are described according to bakers percentages, that is how much water and flour used to make this. This recipe calls for a 100% hydration starter, meaning you use equal amounts of water and flour in your starter culture.
You can make your own starter from scratch easily in about a week. It is particularly helpful to use an heirloom starter if you’re new to sourdough baking.
- Water. Filtered warm water works best for sourdough breads, because the chlorine in tap water can inhibit the microbes in the starter culture, slowing down the process. Warm water at about 100 F works particularly well, too.
- Flour. A mix of organic bread flour and whole-grain flour works well as a starting off point for beginning bakers. This combination gives the bread good flavor, while also being easier to work with than using 100% whole grain flours.
- Salt. Salt gives the bread flavor and improves its structure. Minimally processed fine sea salt gives the best results, because iodized sea salt can give bread a slight metallic flavor.
Helpful Tools
While making no-knead sourdough bread is fairly straight forward, you’ll need a few kitchen tools to make this recipe. Some, like a Dutch oven and digital scale, are essential while others are less necessary but still helpful.
- Digital Scale. Baking requires precision, and while you can bake good bread using only volume measurements, a digital scale provides consistency and precision to your baking. That translates to better bread.
- Dutch oven. A cast iron or enameled cast iron Dutch oven helps capture steam, which gives your bread crisper crust.
- Banneton. A banneton, or proofing basket, gives your bread a place to rise so it doesn’t lose its shape before baking. This is important for bread with high water content, like this no-knead sourdough recipe.
- Lame. A bread lame helps you score bread. If you’re baking bread regularly, it’s great to have on hand. But you can also use a sharp serrated knife or a razor blade, too.
- Dough whisk. This recipe makes a shaggy, wet dough and a dough whisk helps mix the water and flour together more efficiently than a spoon and with less mess than your hands.
- Glass mixing bowls with lids. You’ll need a large to mix the ingredients together and to let the dough rise, and you want to cover that bowl to keep the dough moist while it rises. You can use plastic wrap, but lidded glass bowls work best.
Tips for making no-knead sourdough
Before you bake, you’ll want to pay attention to a few key points to make sure your bread comes out right every time.
- Weigh your ingredients carefully. While the recipe is wonderfully forgiving, weighing your ingredients with precision ensures consistently good results from loaf to loaf.
- Use warm water. Warm water (about 100 F) helps activate the starter and speed the process along.
- Refrigerate the dough while your oven heats up. Chilling the dough in the fridge after the second rise, but before you bake it, makes scoring it easier.
- Temperature affects rising times. Your dough will rise more rapidly in a warm kitchen and will rise more slowly in a cool one.
- Score the dough for even oven spring, and to prevent tearing.
No-Knead Sourdough Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 100 grams sourdough starter (proofed and bubbly)
- 375 grams warm water
- 300 grams bread flour
- 200 grams whole wheat flour
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
Equipment
- Large Mixing Bowl with Lid
- Digital Scale
- Fork
- Dough Whisk
- Banneton
- Dutch Oven
- Parchment Paper
Instructions
The morning before you bake.
- Feed your sourdough starter according to your regular maintenance schedule.
The night before you bake.
- Spoon 100 grams proofed and bubbly sourdough starter into a large mixing bowl, and set it on the counter. Feed the starter in your jar, and transfer it to the fridge.
- Pour the warm water over the starter, and then whisk the water and flour together with a fork until the starter dissolves completely.
- Measure the flours into the liquid ingredients, and then sprinkle in the salt. Use a dough whisk or a sturdy spoon to stir the ingredients together until no pockets of flour remain. Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap or a tight-fitting lid, and let it rest for 15 minutes.
Stretch, fold and let rise.
- Uncover the mixing bowl, and then wet your dominant hand with water. Grab the dough from the underside and pull it up and over itself. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees, and then grab the dough from the underside and pull it up and over itself a second time. Rotate the bowl once more, repeating the stretch and fold technique each time.
- Repeat the stretch-and-fold process twice more at 15-minute intervals. Cover the bowl again, and let it rise overnight – 8 to 10 hours.
The next morning: Shape and let it rise again.
- Thoroughly flour your banneton, and then dust your working surface lightly with flour. Wet your hands, and then gently scoop the dough out of the mixing bowl and onto your working surface. Spread it out, so that it makes a rough circle about 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick and then gently fold the edges of the dough in toward the middle, shaping it into a round ball.
- Transfer the dough, seam-side up, to the banneton, and then cover it loosely with a tea towel. Let it rise at room temperature 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Heat the oven and chill the dough.
- Set the Dutch oven in the oven, and then heat the oven to 500 F. Transfer the dough to the fridge, and let it chill while the oven heats up.
Bake.
- When the oven reaches temperature, place a square of parchment paper on your countertop, and then take the dough out of the fridge. Gently invert the banneton over the parchment paper until the dough releases. Sometimes, the dough will take several seconds to release. Score the loaf with a lame or a sharp knife.
- Carefully remove the Dutch oven from the oven, and remove its top. Grasping the edges of the parchment paper, gently lower the dough into the Dutch oven. Cover it with a lid, and transfer it bake to the oven. Bake the bread for 30 minutes.
- Turn the heat down to 450 F, and then remove the lid of the oven. Continue baking a further 15 minutes, or until the bread is a rich amber-brown color and registers an internal temperature of 210 F.
- Transfer the loaf to a cooling rack. Let it cool completely before slicing and serving.
Variations
Part of the beauty of this basic, no-knead sourdough is that it’s simple. That simplicity allows you to develop nearly infinite variations depending on what you have in your kitchen and which flavors you like. Once you have the basic recipe down, and working it into your weekly routine feels natural, you can start to adjust the recipe.
While you’ll want to keep the basic proportions of flour and water the same, you can start to work with other flours or add herbs, spices, and other add-ins to make the recipe truly your own.
Here’s some of our favorite versions:
Rosemary Garlic Bread. Stir 3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary and 1/4 cup sous vide garlic confit into the flour and water mixture.
No-knead Einkorn Bread. Cut the water down to 280 grams, and use 500 grams all-purpose einkorn flour.
Miso Sesame Bread. Whisk 2 tablespoons miso paste into the warm water, and then add 3 tablespoons sesame seeds to the flour.
Randy says
Fantastic! Success on first try!
My kitchen scale weighs in oz, so here’s a conversion of the units
3.53 oz. sourdough starter (proofed and bubbly) (100 grams)
1 2/3 cups warm water (375 grams)
10.6 0z. bread flour (300 grams)
7.05 0z. whole wheat flour (200 grams)
2 tsp fine sea salt
My bread was a bit over-baked on the bottom crust, but probably just a function of inaccurate oven temps.
Emelia Myles says
First time making sourdough bread. Best bread I have ever made. Thanks for the guide! It worked out beautifully.
victoria Shields says
What is the timeframe between step one and two on the section the night before you bake
Jenny says
8-10 hours
Sean Jackson says
Repeat the stretch-and-fold process twice more at 15-minute intervals. Cover the bowl again, and let it rise
overnight.
Is this overnight rise done in the fridge or room temp please. An it only has 1-1/2 -2 hours proving in the banneton just want to do this right sorry for all the questions.
Jenny says
Hi Sean, Let it rise at room temperature.
Sean says
Thankyou Jenny. How long would you say over night please in hours I don’t sleep much.
Jenny says
About 8 hours, and up to 10.
Julie Zilkie says
Jenny,
What is high extraction Einkorn? Is that All purpose Einkorn. I am on their website and don’t see anything with this name.
Thank you!!
Jenny says
Jovial’s einkorn flour is high-extraction.
Fiona says
Hello! I read through all of the comments and although I saw my question asked, I did not see an answer from you. Would you mind weighing your ingredients next time and updating the recipe? Or are you just sure it doesn’t matter if we’re a little off? It seems that in bread-making every detail makes a difference. Thank you for this recipe, it’s the one I’ve found the most success with so far.
Susan Ford Keller says
Hmmm…..the Dutch Oven can only be purchased by Amazon Prime members. How’s that for exclusion? If that’s not illegal, it should be.
Jenny says
So, buy a different one.
Lisa Kelley says
You don’t have to be a Amazon Prime member to purchase the Dutch Oven from Amazon. The Prime Membership is something you pay for on a monthly basis and you get free two day shipping. Also, this product is by Lodge and can also be purchased from them directly I believe as well as many other stores that carry the product.
Heidi says
I would really love the weight measurements for this recipe, can you share that?
Heather says
Hi there, I am very inexperienced at working with sourdough but have already had a couple of successful tries. I was looking for a more simple recipe like yours. What I am wondering though is how to handle the starter. When do you take it out of the fridge? Do you feed it then or let it warm a bit? Could you fill in that gap a bit? Thanks.
Heather A
Jenny says
Generally, the night before you plan to bake, take the starter out of the fridge, and feed it. When it doubles in size, pull out what you need for bread, and then feed the starter the same amount of flour/water that you just removed. So, if you removed 8 ounce starter, feed it 4 ounces flour and 4 ounce water. Now return the starter to the fridge. The starter you pulled out of the jar, use that to make bread.
Karen says
Jenny,
Exicited to start making what seems a very easy bread.
I greatly appreciate that you have so kindly provided the shopping resoures.
I am a bit confussed about the flours. Looking online I did not find “High Extraction Einkorn Flour” or Whole Grain Einkorn Flour”.
I found only all purpose or whole wheat flours. Am i missing something? Thanks! Excited to start making bread, Karen
Veronica Nessler says
Can you please give weight in grams for the
flours, water, sourdough starter & salt?
Thank you
Nikki says
Hello! Thank you for your recipe! I’ve tried it a few times now & have trouble getting a good rise. Also, the dough has come out very wet each time & the dough never forms a ball in the mixer.. Do you have any tips? Do I need to use less water? Warmer water? I’ve tried a very complicated recipe with great success, but I’d like to have a less complicated option when I don’t have the time. Thanks much!
Jenny says
I would try 1) slightly less water, 2) a more active sourdough (make sure it’s proofed and bubbly), 3) I’d need to know what flours you’re using as that can influence hydration level.
Nikki says
Thank you so much for responding! For flours, I have been using a sprouted whole-grain spelt for the whole-grain einkorn & an organic bread flour for the high extraction flour. I think my starter is a lot more active these days & I have better routine, so I’m hoping the recipe will work out for me. I’m still a beginner so I don’t understand hydration levels yet! ???? Thanks again!
Jenny says
It can be tricky, but you’ll totally get the hang of it!
Rachel Moore says
I want to try to make this bread. Do you think I could do it in my bread baker?
Jenny says
You could try and let us know how it goes.
Evelyn Schimmel says
Hi Jenny,
I notice that you only give measurements by volume, not weight. For bread baking, measuring by weight is far more accurate–there are lots of variations in the way you can scoop out a cup of flour! And especially when measuring sourdough starter. It could be bubbly and full of air, which can make 1/4 cup quite different from a starter that is more relaxed.
Would you consider showing weight measurements for the benefit of your non-American readers??
Thanks,
Evelyn
Canada
patricia says
Hi – just found your web site! I found your Whole Grain, No-Knead Sourdough bread recipe and wanted to know if
A – Could I substitute sprouted Sorghum flour in this recipe?
B – substitute Sprouted Rye flour?
C- use straight kefir instead of sourdough starter?
Thank you looking forward to exploring more recipes on your wonderful site!
Patricia
Jenny says
Hi Patricia:
A) No.
B) Yes, but you may need to adjust the hydration levels.
C) No.
Melanie says
Would it work to cut this recipe in half and use a smaller Dutch oven?
Jenny says
You could try and let us know how it goes.
Gina says
What is the difference between high extraction and whole grain flour? Both should be einkorn but is the first all purpose and the second whole wheat?
Thank you! I cannot wait to try my first bread!!
Carrie Vander Heyden says
I’m comparing directions in your book to those on this site for making sourdough bread. I’m confused what works better for you, the suggested rise time of 8 – 12 hours as listed in your book or the 6 – 8 as above? Also, how long do you let it rise a second time, 30 minutes or 3 hours?
Thanks 🙂
Jenny says
It depends on how sour you like your bread.
Erin Bailey says
Oh no! Where did the original recipe go? I was so excited to find a simple fool proof sourdough, and have made the most delicious beautiful loaves, but now it’s gone. Unfortunately, my memory isn’t recalling it either. Could you please post or send the original recipe? Thank you so much!
Jenny says
Hi Erin,
We’re revising almost all of the content, but you can still find originals by plugging the url into the wayback machine: https://archive.org/web/
Judy says
This is the first set of directions that make sense to me. Just trying my starter for the first time. Frankly, I find this very expensive for
one loaf of bread. Others give directions for a pre-fermentation, which I don’t understand why. So here goes. . .
Rosalie says
Do I need to oil the Dutch oven before putting in the oven. Won’t the bread stick if it isn’t oiled?
Jenny says
Hi Rosalie,
No and no.
Kim says
Hi Jenny:
I’m going to be making this bread, but I have a question about the sourdough starter. I have an einkorn sourdough starter (it’s new and I’ve only baked 2 loaves with it) and I refrigerate it since I bake about once a week. On the day I want to bake, when I take the starter out of the fridge, should I feed it once it gets to room temperature? If so, how long before I can use it?
I always feed it before I put it back in the fridge, so I’m not sure whether it needs to be fed when I take it out of the fridge. Thanks so much for all your great information on this website!
Carissa says
Hi Jenny,
I don’t have a 6qt oven. I have a 5 quart cast iron Dutch oven from Lodge, as well as a round superstone bread baker (round plate with dome lid) that is 11″ side to side and 7.75″ tall. Will either of these work for making your bread?
Erin says
Hi there!
I’m new to the sourdough world, and have only made one loaf of no-knead sourdough bread so far. I’d like to try your recipe for my second attempt. I have a couple of questions. Could I let my dough proof for 24 hours in the first rise, instead of just 6-8 hours? Also, how long after I feed my starter should use it?
Thanks!
Erin
Eli says
Is it ok to let the dough rise longer than 6-8 hours?
t says
would love to see this recipe by weight
Mandy @ OrganicallyMandy says
Hi Jenny!
Thank you for this post! I attempted my first sourdough today. It came out pretty flat, but still tasted amazing. I think I may have jumped the gun on the starter culture and should let it “wake-up” for a few more days.
A few questions for you:
– What would you recommend using if I don’t have a stand-up mixer. (I just used a wooden spoon today.)
– How does using more starter effect the outcome? Is the dough harder to mold and shape by chance?
– How many days and/or feedings do you give your starter after taking it out of the fridge before you bake with it?
Johanna Valenzuela says
Yum!!!
Johanna Valenzuela says
I was checking out some of your Amazon links and saw you suggest “Real Salt”. I used to buy this but consistently found grit in my sauerkraut and other ferments. It seemed that the salt would dissolve but a dark reddish pink grit would be left behind. I finally started buying Celtic Sea Salt. Have you never had this problem?
Jenny says
Hi Johanna,
The grit is where a lot of the trace minerals are. You can totally use Celtic Sea Salt, though, or any salt really.
Sarah says
This is my go-to recipe for my sourdough bread, so I just had to comment. Today I made it with bread flour + whole wheat + 1/4 cup of flax meal + a little honey. It turned out perfect. No-knead bread really is the way to go!
Ngaire MCGrouther says
Hi I found your name in Mindfoof magazine published in New Zealand in the South Pacific region we are neighbours but not part of Australia.
Anyway greetings from the McGrouther Spellling Family in – NZ we originated from Scotland and travelled here as early immigrants I should imagine. . There are a small number of us living here so it’s not an overpopulated name by any means. Probably all related. ,!
Interteated in the Stock book as it’s probably a dying art as Stock – so called can be bought in a packed a tasted nothing like the Lip sticky version of home made stock – using chicken carcass or beef bones.
For now
Regards
Ngaire McGrouther
Milton
Otago
New Zealand
Jenny says
Hi Ngaire,
So neat you reached out!
Brittany says
…nvm, I think It showed inacurate cups/bag from my source. I figured it out.
Brittany says
How big is the bread roll when baked properly.. height/width, my reason for asking is that I did the math and it seems that the flour would cost roughly $15.40 alone (3.5 cups) for the 1 loaf of bread . . .am I reading this wrong?
Thanks!
Tina Marie says
Thanks so much for the post — such great instructions!!!!
Question — If I use organic wheat berries, would you recommend Hard Red or Hard White wheat berries? And I assume I should grind them to bread flour consistency and then try to filter out some of the bran and germ?
stephanie says
So glad I came across your site, just starting to incorporate more of the Westin price lifestyle. I bought sourdough starter and getting ready to bake my first loaf. I have einkorn grain i generally grind myself for flour but noticed your recipe says high extraction Einkorn, can I just use my normal organic grain and grind my own?
Andrea Dvorak says
Hi Jenny,
I used your recipe here to make my first loaf of sourdough and it was awesome! I can of course tweak and improve, but it was really great – thank you!
However, When I pre-heated my enameled dutch oven (I have the same one as you use) – I noticed an odd smell. After baking, the inside of my lid was darkened too. I went to the Lodge website and discovered they specifically say DO NOT HEAT their enameled dutch ovens with no food in them!
Do you think this is a problem? Have you noticed a smell, or any change to your dutch oven over time baking with it this way (where you heat it for 30 mins with nothing in it)?
Thank you!
Jenny says
Hi Andrea,
Thanks for the advice on the enameled cast iron. I hadn’t seen that, and it’s pretty standard in no-knead recipes to preheat an enameled cast iron Dutch oven. I’ve never had a problem doing so, but will reach out to Lodge and Le Creuset for counsel.
Johanna Valenzuela says
What did the company have to say about this? I’m considering one for purchase and don’t want any problems! 😉
Jenny says
Hi Johanna,
I’d encourage you to reach out to the company you’re planning to purchase from and ask them directly.
Nicole says
I am new to baking but acquired sourdough starter from a friend and I just want to say thank you, thank you. It’s perfect, every time. I tried other recipes and had no luck.
One question: I’ve read that a longer ferment (12+ hours) produces a more sour flavor (which I love) but when I try that, I exhaust the dough. It’s limp, lifeless and unbakeable after 8 hours. Any suggestions?
Jenny says
Hi Nicole!
I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed this recipe. You might consider letting your dough rise at room temperature for six hours, and then transferring it to the fridge for six more house. This may retard the yeast enough to prevent it from overproofing while still allowing the bacteria enough time to sour the bread to your liking. I haven’t tried it, though.
Joanna says
Hi Jenny, can I use a larger dutch oven than the 6qt? For example, 7.5qt? I am getting ready to buy a dutch oven.
Jenny says
Hi Joanna,
I recommend making this recipe using the ingredients listed and equipment listed.
abby says
Can’t wait to try the recipe! One thing I’m confused about though. What is the difference between the high extraction flour and regular milled einkorn flour? Can I mill fresh einkorn flour and just use that?
Jenny says
Hi Abby,
High-extraction flour is flour that has part of the bran and germ removed through sifting, but not as much as an all-purpose flour. A high-extraction flour has about an 80% extraction rate, and an all-purpose flour will have about a 40-60% extraction rate. Jovial’s all-purpose einkorn flour is a high-extraction flour, or it was marketed as such a few years ago. Home-milled einkorn flour would be 100% extraction. You can sift the flour, removing about 20% of the flour by weight, which would leave you with high-extraction flour or you can do what I do: purchase high-extraction or all-purpose flour and when a recipe calls for whole grain flour, mill your own.
JC says
Thank you!!!! I’ve been feeding a sour dough starter since the end of August! I’ve made stuff with it: pancakes, muffins, waffles. But my bread failed 3 times and I just kept almost getting to it. Then I saw this post with the pans you use to rise the dough and the pan you cook the bread in. I ordered both from Amazon. My sister got me a kitchen aid for Christmas so I had no excuse. Making bread today with your recipe- and the tools- was like walking in the park. And the bread? It’s perfect. Simply perfect! The crust is just as I want it; the inside perfect; the weight in my hand as I cut it was just like the hundreds of boule I cut back when I waitressed at a farm to table restaurant. And the flavor? My husband and son loved it. But most of all I loved it. Thank you! Without your suggestions and guideance this bread would not have happened. I deeply thank you.
Jessie says
Two questions.
What size glass canister do you use? The link was for a 1gallon but that seems to large.
If storing the starter in the fridge and preparing for a weekly bake, do I need to bring the starter to room temp BEFORE feeding it and letting it sit for 12 hours? Or can you feed a cold starter and then let it sit for the 12 hours?
Thanks!
Jessie
Tessa says
Can I use any kind of flour with this recipe? I just ordered a sourdough culture. I’m a little overwhelmed lol
Leah - life around the coffee cup says
You said you can replace the flour with spelt. I may be confused but the two flours had the same name. Or very similar. Can I replace both of them with spelt or do I need to spelt with something else? I have had failed dense sourdough for 5 years. I am so insanely psyched to try this!!!
Kari says
Hi will love to try your bread recipe Thanks for posting. I just confuse with this two flours
2 cups high-extraction einkorn flour (see sources)
1 1/2 cups whole-grain einkorn flour, preferably freshly ground
I though they are the same is it not?
Deb says
I’m a simple baker and mostly have plain white flour and water from a well. Will these ingredients work? And can this be made in a regular bread pan…my family wants the typical “bread” look.
Ariana says
I made this with white bread flour and it was delicious–though I used the cast iron pan as recommended in the recipe. Turned out beautifully.
Sarah says
Thanks for sharing this recipe! I’m excited to try it, but I don’t own a stand mixer. Is there anything else I could use to mix the ingredients for similar results? I have a bread machine with a dough setting and a food processor with a dough blade. Would either of those work?
Monica says
Hi Jenny! Can I use King Arthur’s Sourdough Starter in this recipe?
Beth Rose says
Hi, I have four kids and my parents live with us, so we have many mouths to feed and bread goes fast around here. I am so tired of buying it but have no experience, or tools for making it. How much on average do you think it costs to make a loaf of this bread? I’m trying to get an idea before I jump in and buy things!
Cathy Jennings says
I have made the starter with the Parisian loaf, and after about 10 days it was well developed. I keep it on my counter, as I bake about every other day. Other sourdough sites recommend discarding all but 4 oz. and feeding every 12 hours with 4oz water and flour, however this is a lot of waste. I chose to feed as you recommend: 1/3 c water and 1/2 cup flour once a day. I just read on this page where you recommend keeping the starter in the fridge. If I do this, how often would I feed? Still once a day? And then when would I take it out and how long would I need to keep it out before I make bread (I typically start my bread around 4PM, proof, then refrigerate overnight, then double raise.
Thanks!
Cathy
Nicola Stephen says
Hi. I just made this recipe and I am so happy with it, thank you! I have been making sourdough only for a few months and while I’ve had a few successes with different methods, this has been my favourite. It’s just so easy to do and gives such great results. I am so excited about it. Before I did this I think I was over-kneading and leaving too long to prove before baking which resulted (most of the time) in a dense flat bread. This one is the complete opposite.
Thank you again! I love it, I have just discovered you blog so will definitely be checking out more recipes!
Jennie says
I’m wondering, can I use different flowers such as hard white wheat berries. That’s what I have on hand and wanted to know how this needs to be adapted to suit more common flours. Thanks, it looks amazing and I can’t wait to try it!
Elena Tsentas says
Hello, I have made this recipe a thousand times and it has come out well, so thank you. I split one dough into three equal parts (roughly 11 ounces each) and will bake each off separately in the cast iron. I am unsure about times. i was going to try 10 minutes lid on, 5 minutes lid off… roughly a third of the time since its a third of the dough… Have you ever tried this or can you recommend any times?
Jessica says
HI Jenny! First, let me say — THANK YOU! You do a great service to so many families with your blog! I am very grateful for all of your insights and inspiration!! I received your book and a grain grinder for Christmas and I have been so excited to start grinding my own grains for bread, but it hasn’t worked out as I had expected. Granted, I wasn’t sifting at first, but the loaves I was making were very dense and the crust was very thick and hard. I finally made my first amazing loaf last night, but I had to sift it once with a regular sifter, and then gently sift again with a finer strainer. It took quite a bit of time, and I think the amount that I sifted out was at least as much as the amount of useable flour I got out of it — which didn’t make it very cost effective. I am grinding on the finest setting, but the hull (I guess that’s what it is?) doesn’t grind up so fine. I’m new to bread making and grain grinding. Is this what you have to go through each time? Do I need to sift if I decide to sprout and dehydrate the berries before grinding? Do you have any uses for what’s left over after all the sifting? I’ve been giving it to my chickens – lol! I appreciate your time, and I would be grateful for any advice you can offer me! Thanks so much! <3 Jessica
Melinda S says
I posted this in another recipe, but thought it might be germane here, also.
I have a question on sprouting grain. Due to a past experience of 50 pounds of whole grain ‘hatching’ bugs, I’ve put my grain bags into my standing freezer. I tried to sprout some of it a few weeks ago, but absolutely nothing happened. I am now wondering if I have frozen the life out of the grain? And if I have, how in the world will I be able to remove the anti-nutrients that sprouting helps to remove? Any suggestions/answers base on someone’s experience? Thank you
Shanae says
Hello I just wanted to point out that cast iron is not the best choice to bake anything in. Not because of how it actually cooks the food, but because it’s not a very healthy option. We all carry loads of heavy metals around in our bodies that shouldn’t be there and that cause toxicity. I used to love cast iron myself, but learned that each time you use it leaches trace amounts of iron into your system. Since heavy metals are already so present in all of our bodies today, I recommend trying to cut back as much as possible. One easy way to do that is not to cook with any metals. I only cook now with glass or clay, and even traded out my plates/bowls and silverware for bamboo and wooden versions. I have a big clay pot I used for this recipe and it came out great!
Jenny says
Please provide citations for your assertions.
Sue says
You need iron, so using cast iron for cooking is healthy–especially for anyone that’s anemic.
Joelle says
Question about timing:
How long does the refrigerator starter have to sit out before I can use it in this recipe? Could you give a timeline with the recipe? Like when do you take your starter out of the fridge? 8:00 at night? Do you feed it after it comes to room temperature and then wait longer before using it? Thanks!
Wendy says
I made the starter, I made the bread, and all is well! Thanks !
Now I want to know if I can use the same method–fooling with the hydration a bit and adding a bit of molasses–and make wholewheat-cornmeal Anadama bread. I’m going to try.
Joanne says
I make this recipe once a week – as pizza! The results are amazing and we love it for dinner 🙂 Thanks for sharing and thank you for the great website! PS I use spelt flour and it works great.
Kristen says
Hi jenny! Just started making sourdough bread and already am loving watching the bread rise higher every time and the holes get bigger…one question I have: the dough is very sticky which is fine until I get ready to shape it and then I have problems getting it into a ball…any tips?!
Lisa says
Can I use my large Tupperware mixing bowl instead of glass? Can a glass loaf pan be used to bake?
jane says
Jenny and all, just a little tip to share for those who use the dutch oven: When pre-heating the dutch oven, set the lid on the rack beside the pot. This way, you don’t have to fumble with removing the lid before you plop in the dough.
Jenny says
I LOVE this tip!
Maurizio says
You’re recipe for sourdough looks great! I’ve been baking for about 4 years non-stop and it’s a rabbit hole: baking that perfect loaf of bread is fleeting! You’re article has some great info on the bioavailability of sourdough, something which I’ve been touting for a long while. People hear the word “bread” and freak out, but they don’t realize there is a world of difference between handmade, slow, naturally leavened sourdough and that plastic-bag-bread from the market.
Anyways, thanks for posting your take on this wonderful craft!
jessica says
I have a sourdough starter with white flour that is pretty new, can I just start feeding if Eikhorn flour? Or is there some sort of transition period?
jane says
Jessica- yes, Einkorn flour is perfect for feeding your starter. Any organic flour will do if u run out of Einkorn. Non-organic flour will contain herbicides from the field drying process (wheat is often sprayed in the field to kill the plant so the attached grain will dry faster for harvest), and you definitely wouldn’t want that in your starter.
Kelly says
what am I doing wrong?
I am in the process of making this now. My first rise was 12 hours. The dough is so sticky, I can’t even work with it. I resisted the urge to add more flour as I tried to dump and scrape it from the stand mixer bowl to the rising bowl. Is is now rising for the 30 minutes before I put it in the preheated dutch oven. (If it comes off the board at all, lol)
After the rise, I had to keep putting tons of flour on my hands and on the board I dumped it onto, to even be able to attempt to shape it into some sort of ball. Adding flour would negate the goal of trying to reduce the gluten content with the long fermentation, but I really had no choice. I probably lost a fifth of the dough by what was left on my hands and the on the sides of rising bowl. I used all organic unbleached all purpose flour.
Please help! 🙂
Heather says
I’m not Jenny, but this is what I have been doing… I did the 5 minute artisan bread recipes for about a year before getting hooked on Sourdough, and this is a similar technique. I mix the dough, let it sit overnight (or 8-12 hrs). Sometimes it visibly rises, sometimes it doesn’t… my house is a little cool during the winter, so sometimes it is a little slow. I’ve let it sit 18 hours before, and it doesn’t seem to make much of a difference except it gets more sour the longer it rises. I use organic white unbleached flour for all of the flour, and add a little extra water until the dough is “slack”/ sloppy because white absorbs differently than einkorn. After it rises, I preheat the oven and dutch oven and just dump the dough into the hot dutch oven, scraping it in with a spatula. No shaping needed. I haven’t had a failure yet, and this instantly became our favorite recipe. I just need to find an oval cast iron small roaster to make a shape that is easier for me to use. Thank’s for the super easy recipe!!
jane says
Heather, I’m glad I saw your “save the dough” tip. I’ve made sourdough twice now, and both times I didn’t actually get dough. It was more like a very thick batter. The first time, I did what u suggested and just scraped it into the dutch oven, rather than toss it -which I would have done had I not seen your message. Thanks! The bread got raves, but I knew it was far too dense/spongy. I’m not giving up, and I hope Kelly doesn’t either. I used less water the 2nd time (today -still got batter), and will use even less water next time. I use high extraction Einkorn, and it has a definite learning curve. I’ve mastered it with quick breads, but sourdough is a challenge. My starter is excellent, so I suspect it’s “operator error”. 🙂
Phyllis says
I have made lots of bread. I have to say this is my best loaf ever! Thank you SO much, this one is gonna be my daily bread! Besides delicious, it is beautiful with nice evenly spaced holes throughout the crumb! I am happy!
Jennifer says
Hi, would this recipe be a good bread to start with as a beginner baker? I’ve only made a loaf of bread once and it was with active dry yeast. I would love to make sourdough bread but I’m worried since I’ve only made that one loaf of bread.
Lisa Reeves says
I am very interested in the following that was said in this blog post as I bake almost everyday, although I am also a bit confused. Can anyone help me out? Does she take it out and add it directly to recipe? “I used to keep my sourdough starter on my countertop, as I baked almost daily. Yet, after a while, I had trouble getting the rise I wanted from the bread, and missed the super airy soft crumb I love in artisan sourdoughs. That was when a baker I know suggested leaving the sourdough in the fridge, unless I plan to bake within six hours. And that simple act of storing it in the cold made for much better results.”
Kate says
Hi! Thanks for the recipe, and I’m loving your book. Would you have a best guess if this would work for making buns? How many, and how long would I cook them? My two year old loves making his own bun for snack, well, it’s usually a car or a dog bun. I would like for him to able beat his bun up, and make some extras for hamburgers.
Andrea says
Hi Jenny! I baked this bread today and I AM AMAZED! It came out so beautiful and delicious. I used all purpose and whole wheat flour. My best sourdough loaf so far. I was surprised of the little starter it uses so I was wondering if its higher on the glycemic index (cause its also less sour than what I am used to). I would love an answer if you have one!
Karen Wood says
Good tips. I haven’t tried any of the no knead breads yet. Your bread looks awesome. I am a seasoned baker of traditional breads doing it all by hand and it’s always excellent but I just made my first sourdough starter from wild grape skin yeast this fall and just bought a dutch oven. I am going to try your recipe. I haven’t been baking bread in a long time becasue I’m older and have joint problems and a small kitchen and it would be great if I can get good bread without the kneading. I love bread and haven’t even been eating it because they ruined all the grocery store bread with their new strange ingredients.
Charlee says
Hi Jenny. I have a question. I have been baking gluten/grain free for a little over a year and was wanting to make grain free bread with garbanzo bean flour and yeast. If I let the dough sit for a few days, it will sour. Is this the same as fermenting or not? And without the use of grains, is sour dough possible? Thank you.
Amanda Bell says
Hi Jenny!
Thanks for such a fantastic recipe. After not being able to get my sourdough to leaven properly, I was finally able to get a beautiful loaf. It was quite slack, but popped beautifully once in the oven. I put it in the refrigerator for it’s bulk fermentation for about 16 hours in hopes of getting a bit more tangy flavor from it-but no dice. Any suggestions on how to increase the sourness of the recipe? Could I use more starter, and alter the other flour/water proportions? Any help is appreciated, thanks!
Lauren H says
Confused on the process for the sourdough. We will be storing our starter in the fridge, and baking once a week. When is it removed to feed and how long is it left out to feed? Or can it be fed and stored in the fridge immediately? Is it removed before baking or can cold starter be added to the dough?
Sir says
I think the reason the fridge works is because the co2 gets stored as carbonic acid in the cooler temperature, the heat kicks it out of this form into gaseous co2.
Destiny Froom says
Hi Jenny
I am really new to sourdough but I don’t think I’ve got the recipe I was given figured out yet. I was taught to make a levain first and then after the rise to do a slow cold ferment in the fridge. Have you ever done this?
Marie says
Thank you for a great recipe! I was struggling with Einkorn flour performing, but this recipe solved my previous problems with it. I definitely recommend following the tips–that’s what made the difference for me:
1. Using the sourdough starter at its peak–after being fed about 4-6 hrs for me.
2. Knowing that Einkorn flour will make a wet, sticky dough–resisting the urge to add more flour
3. Handling the dough as little as possible–as per the recipe
4. Because the dough is so wet, I put the dough into a proofing basket, lined with oiled plastic wrap and then turn it out into either a hot dutch oven or a soaked clay baker. The dough doesn’t seem to deflate like others and springs right back in the oven.
In the end, it steams up wonderfully with a light brown, crispy crust and lasts us about a week of sandwiches! That’s the benefit of sourdough–it stays fresh out on the counter much longer!
Thanks again!
K says
Hi!
I just checked the Jovial website to try and find the 2 different flours you refer to you in your recipe, but could only find an all-purpose one. Will that suffice?
Marie says
That worked for me when I first started out and was too lazy to pull out my grinder 😉
Katie says
This is by the far the simplest recipe and BEST sourdough bread I’ve baked. Thank you for sharing!
I am still struggling with a bottom crust that is thick and hard. My top crust is light and crispy. Any thoughts on this? I use high extraction einkorn and then sub whole spelt in place of the whole grain einkorn. Otherwise, follow recipe exactly. Thank you!
Rachael says
Hi Jenny,
I always see circular loaves of sourdough, is there a reason I can’t bake it in a regular loaf pan?
Lisa says
This recipe made my day! I was just randomly looking at sourdough recipes. I like to bake with sourdough, but also like to avoid high gluten flours and use Einkorn a lot. We lived in France and love crusty artisan bread, but that is an infrequent treat as it requires traditional white wheat flour…. but now, this recipe!!!!! Wow, hooray- I am so excited! Thank you!!!
Joy Roxborough says
what if I don’t have a dutch oven? thanks
Marie says
Hi Joy
I cook mine in a clay baker–Romertopf–or in a La Cloche Dome baker with beautiful results. I think both, or something like it, can be found online at places like Amazon, Ebay or maybe even a local goodwill.
Sue Anderson says
I am wondering ( as has been asked before) where to buy the whole grain Elkhorn flour for the recipe, as I don’t see it on the Jovial site. Also wondering as was mentioned above about the Jovial flour not saying it is “high-extraction.” Thanks, very excited to try the recipe.
Kaitlyn says
I think there are several of us in the comments section who need help with this :). Can you clarify what you mean about the two different einkorn flours you’re using? The Jovial website you linked us to only shows one type of einkorn flour and it’s called 100% Organic Einkorn All-Purpose Flour. It doesn’t mention anything about being “high-extraction,” that I can tell. For those of us who don’t have access to a grain mill, is it okay to just use 3 1/2 cups of this 100% Organic Einkorn All-Purpose Flour flour in place of what you called for?
Greta says
I am wondering the same! Not sure what flour to use and am completely new at bread baking.
K says
I am wondering exactly the same thing!
Marie says
I was wondering the same thing and did some research especially since I already use Jovial’s products. Then I checked out Jenny’s cookbook at the library and it confirmed my research–page 157. In a nutshell, “high-extraction” flour is basically “all-purpose” flour or whole grain flour that has been shifted to partially remove the bran. I’d caution using regular all-purpose flour though, for a variety of health reasons. The link Jenny supplied goes to Jovial’s “high-extraction” flour even though its not mentioned as such. I’m not affiliated with Jovial but I love their flour and whole grain berries! I buy mine either from their website or from Whole Foods. The other day they had a special on the flour for 1/2 off! I keep an eye out for those special and then stock up a lot!
I hope this helps everyone!
Laura says
Thank you for this wonderful bread recipe. My whole family enjoyed it.
Erica says
Hi there!
I have bought your book and love it! I just tried making your einkorn wheat and herb bread (p.170) but in the stage where you let it rise for 12 to 18 hours, nothing happened and it definitely feels like it needs more water. (I used my very active and alive sourdough starter, which works so well for my 100% rye bread that I make).
I then looked up your website and found this recipe, which has quite a different ratio of water to flour than the book. In the book it states: 3 cups einkorn and 2 cups high-extraction einkorn with 1.5 cups water and 1/4 cup sourdough starter. Whereas in this recipe online it says only 3.5 cups flour total, water and sourdough starter the same. Is there perhaps a typo in the book or are they completely different ways to make it? I see that the resting time for the dough is 12-18 hours in the book and only 6 hours online….could you help me out?
Thanks so much! Love what you do!
Erica
Jenny says
Hi Erica, they’re two different recipes. Both were tested (outside of my kitchen) and they both work. This one has a much higher hydration and is a much looser and rustic dough than the one in the book which has lower hydration and is a firmer loaf.
Becky says
I’m wondering about the same recipe. It says dough should be loose and shaggy, but it wouldn’t incorporate all the flour without being quite firm and definitely needing kneading. I can’t find the einkorn I ordered, so I’m using whole wheat and AP, but I wouldn’t expect such a large difference in hydration. i’m adding extra water, but I’m not sure just how wet “loose and shaggy” should be.
Charlotte says
Thanks for this how-to and recipe! I’ve had a starter for a couple years now, and my bread is fine but heavy. All the recipes say to knead for a really long time. But I just tried this, and it came out wonderful! All this time, I needed your advice! I kept my starter on the counter, but now I’ll try the fridge. One question: how do you make yours ready for baking? Do you take it out and give it 3 feedings, 12 hours apart, like I’ve seen in most places? Or do you just do one feeding because you want it to be chilled most of the time?
Alicia says
Hi jenny,
The first time I made your bread I used ground eikhorn berries and just regular white flour that I had in my cupboard. Then I switched to eikhorn flour and it is just a gooey mess. I don’t own a stand alone mixer but I tried mixing it with my mix master and dough hooks, food processor and even the dough setting on my bread machine. It always is too sticky. Should I keep adding flour until it becomes stiffer? When I last tried that, I ended up with a dense, unappetizing loaf. Help me please because I would love to have a healthy bread, but delicious like my first loaf. Ps. I am feeding my starter with unable ached white flour. Could that be the problem?
Jenny says
Einkorn is super sticky, and that’s totally normal for that flour. Resist the urge to add more flour, or your bread will become dense.
Margaret says
This recipe is fantastic. I made it using a rye sourdough starter, and sprouted spelt flour. I let is rise overnight for about 12-13 hours, and because my Dutch oven doesn’t fit in my countertop over, I used a cast iron bread pan. It came out great. The first bread I’ve really been proud of, and soooo easy.
Heather says
Hi, where do you suggest buying Einkorn flour? I don’t think Whole Foods would sell it? Thanks!
Suzanne says
Hi Jennifer,
I love your cookbook! I’m trying the sourdough starter now.
I want to bake the kefir bread…so I looked up the recipe for kefir milk, and you suggest using milk kefir grains….where do I get those? Should I buy kefir at the store and mix that with the milk?
Thanks!
Suzanne
Tamara says
Hi Jenny – I have the same question as a few of the folks above, but I did not see an answer (maybe I missed?). I will move my starter from countertop to fridge, but I don’t feed every day now? I am trying to resuscitate my starter from sitting out all summer and having me be gone for a week at a time (summer travel). It’s lethargic, but I can bring it back. But in the fridge? Any instructions for starter maintenance in the fridge? I’ll check your cookbook too, which a friend bought me (yay!)
Lucia says
The last line said to take bread out of oven to cool on a wire rack. Should the bread be removed from the Dutch Oven before cooling on the wire rack?
Karen says
Jenny,
I am brand new to making bread and would like to try your sourdough recipe using Einkorn flour. One question: Can I use a KitchenAid food processor to grind the wheat berries? I was informed by Jovial Foods that it may not work because the flour might not be fine enough. What do you recommend for someone who does not own a grain mill?
Jenny says
Karen, if you don’t own a grain mill, you might try a high-powered blender like Vitamix or BlendTec. Other than that, you should probably purchase ground flour.
Agnes says
Hi,
I just started to experiment with sourdough, since I learned what yeast is really about. I find sourdough a much more natural and healthier way to bake bread. Thanks for the recipe, I tried it yesterday (it was a little different from the one I used to follow), the bread came out great. At first the dough was a little watery, but then everything got better in the oven. Maybe it’s the flour I used. Also I do not own a dutch oven, therefore I usually use a big jena glass bowl with a lid, and it works just fine. (but I did put the dutch oven on my wishlist 🙂 )
Thanks again.
Jill says
hi Jenny! my first loaf is in the oven now! I don’t have a Dutch oven and wondered if a pan of hot water under the baking bread method from artisan bread in 5 minutes would work? also I noticed the amount of starter in this recipe is diff from the recipe in your cookbook, is that due to different flours or some other reason? Thanks!
Jenny says
It’s a different recipe entirely. The tray under the baking bread might work, but I haven’t tried it.
Kristi says
Hi Jenny.
Could I get away with using fresh ground einkorn for all of the flour??
Jennifer says
Made this recipe today using my San Francisco Sourdough starter from Cultures for Health. I used King Arthur all purpose flour and KA white whole wheat. This was the best loaf of bread i have ever made!!! The crust was crispy and the inside soft. The only issue is that I used the very same dutch oven and some of the enamel chipped off when removing the bread 🙁
Jenny says
Oh no! I would call lodge about that.
John says
Seitenbacher makes a good stourdough starter mix. It’s marketed as a “instant sourdough” but if you add flour and water in the 1/3 ratio starter, water, flour leaving it for a day, discarding some and repeating the process. By the fourth day you’ll have a really robust German sourdough starter. I use spelt and it works perfectly and I can put it in the fridge for two weeks without touching, then pour out the hooch on top or even mold, add water and flour and it springs back to life. Also, a romertopf clay pot gives really good results.
Thanks for the tip on not over kneading.
Susan says
You recipe has a lot less starter than Sally Fallon’s in Nourishing Traditions. I tried using my food processor to mix all of the ingredients for dough for the 1st time, and the dough stopped the blade from spinning. The whole thing was way too sticky to handle – it was a mess and a lot of time. Ended up taking it out and doing it by hand, but texture was much stickier than what you show on your video. I watched another video saying that you want to knead for at least 10-20 minutes to develop the gluten, so you are saying it’s not necessary?
Terry says
I’ve read that it is difficult to keep an einkorn starter thriving long term due to the low gluten content. I has also read a couple of blogs that added either mashed potato, potato water and honey to the starter to solve this problem.
Any comments or experience? This is the first bread I have ever attempted.
I have purchased the Parisian starter as suggested by Jenny and am on Day 1 of creating my starter using the Jovial Einkorn flour.
Jenny says
False, false and false. Gluten content has nothing to do with the efficacy of sourdough starters, and potato, potato water and honey won’t do anything to help your starter. Logically, if gluten is a problem (it isn’t), additions like potato and honey won’t do anything to help since these are gluten-free.
Caroline says
Thank you, Jenny! I’ve been thinking of trying both sourdough and Einkorn flour because I’ve read that they are much better for people who have problems with modern wheat (as I do). I’ve never baked bread before, and I don’t want to invest in a mixer. I’m hoping I can get at least a tolerable bread without one. Any suggestions for doing my best without one? Karen’s comment above was helpful. Keep in mind that I’m a complete novice at this.
Is it possible to use a bread machine? I think I have one gathering dust.
Kate Baumann says
I bake sourdough bread regularly for the guests in our guest house, and it is very popular. When I have formed it, I place it in a lightly greased corning ware casserole with lid, or a watered and lightly greased Roemertopf. After final rise, they are placed in the cold oven (lid on), then the oven is preheated for 15 minutes. After that the baking begins, for my recipe 30 minutes lid on, then another 20 without the lid. It turns out wonderfully!
We don’t get many types of flour here in the Caribbean, so not sure if I’ll be able to try this recipe, but I do want to try a no-knead sourdough bread one day soon!
Natasha says
Hi Jenny,
I’m sure you get loads of comments, but I couldn’t refrain from thanking you for this recipe. For the first time, I feel proud (in a healthy way) of the bread I baked. In the past, I have always felt shy and embarrassed if there were guests to share in our bread. My old recipe was also a whole wheat sourdough, but it turns out so differently that I felt I had to apologize for it. The family always said they love it and ate it heartily, but they also noticed that not everyone else cared for it.
With this recipe, it not only looked beautiful but tasted delicious and had a lovely texture. I am not ashamed of my bread anymore! Yay! Thank you! The family raved over it, saying it is their favorite bread I have ever made, and I am definitely not going to hesitate in sharing it with others. 🙂 You’ve made my day.
Tami O'Brien says
I have my starter, made from Einkorn. How would I go about substituting pre ground white Einkorn flour in this recipe?
Laura says
I’m so excited! I decided to try making my own sourdough starter and I’m happy to report that it’s working! It’s three days old. I can’t wait to bake with it!
Rene, Oregon says
Glad to see your recipe. I just got some rye sourdough culture and some whole grain rye flour and I have a bit of one of those older flours like whole grain einkorn flour. I want to make sourdough rye bread and think I will have to use some sort of wheat type flour to keep it from being flat as a pancake. Could you suggest proportions. I would like it to be mostly rye if possible. Thanks!
Karen says
Hi Rene,
I thought I’d let you know that I’ve had great success making 100% rye sourdough basically using Jenny’s no-knead method – before that you could build houses with my rye! I put the flour, salt and starter (100% rye starter) in a large bowl and add water then literally just mix it with a spoon until it is a solid mass but still very wet, no more than a couple of minutes mixing and nothing approaching kneading. I cover with cling film and let rise for 10-12 hours when it doubles in size, then, with wet hands so the dough doesn’t stick to them, shape it roughly with my hands, then put on a floured surface and roll in flour to cover then put it in a loaf tin lined with baking parchment. I then let it rise for another 8-10 hours, usually overnight. I then bake it in a hot oven for 45 mins to an hour, until you get a hollow sound when you tap the bottom – I do take it out of the tin after around 40 minutes and peel off the baking parchment. The result is a lovely and quite open (for rye) texture, moist but not too ‘heavy’, just the way I like a rye and just the right level of ‘sour’ flavour. I was so pleased to read Jenny’s no-knead explanation about how it makes the dough contract and become over-dense , it also makes it far less work! Good luck!
Natalie says
Hey Karen, could you please let me know the exact recipe you use, how much rye flour and everything? I really want to make your sort of bread since it sounds delicious!
Karen m says
I would love to know too!
Emma says
My husband has been using the Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day method to make our bread with delicious results. I am excited about using this recipe and doing a sourdough bread. I have made sourdough in the past but this seems less hands on than the recipe I used before.
MCJam says
So, what is “high extraction” flour?
Joyce says
Hi, Jenny,
Thanks for sharing this recipe. I started making my own sourdough bread recently and had a couple of successful ones with Bob’s Red Mill organic all-purpose and whole wheat flour but failed miserably with einkorn flour. Since your recipe is tailored for einkorn flour, I will definitely give it a try!
Can you please elaborate on your tip of storing the sourdough starter in the fridge? How often do you feed it when it’s in the fridge? And how long in advance do you take it our prior to making the bread? I assume you still have to feed the starter a few times after taking it out of the fridge?
Thanks a lot!
Beatriz says
Hello Jenny,
Where do I store my starter jar while I am feeding it? It is my third day today and I have been putting my jar in the pantry where is dark and cold for a few hours and then on my counter for a few more hours to check which place is better but I am not sure.
Thank you.
Rose says
I leave my starter in the bottom pan cupboard, which is beside the kitchen sink, there is a furnace vent under the kitchen sink so the entire area is always very warm
I also rise my sourdough in there.. in an oiled glass bowl covered tightly with plastic wrap
Andrea says
Hi Jenny!
I’m very excited to try this. My question is, can I use other flours such as Red Fife etc? I have a few heirloom wheat flours I’d love to try and just need to know if it needs to be part in bleached bread flour as well.
Mahalo!
Andrea in Honolulu
Jenny says
You can absolutely use this recipe as a base for others. Keep in mind that the hydration levels might need to change based on the type of flour you use, so use this as a base recipe and work around from there.
Anna_PMorgan. says
I have inherited the secrets of healthy bread baking from my mother. She was inclined towards rustic sourdough baking technique. I think the best part about the overall process is the healthy benefits offered. The method is nutrient friendly and enriches the goodness of several vitamins. Rest, you have already listed the wonders in the finest way. Thanks for sharing wisdom, I am glad that I came across this beautiful post 🙂
Delondra says
I would also love to know if this recipe can be made gluten free 🙂
Jodie says
Hi, great recipe, would like to know which of the sourdough starters would be the one to use from the site you noted. tysm
Tami says
I’ve made my starter from Einkorn flour. I only have the pre-ground all-purpose Einkorn. What changes in your recipe would you suggest for using this flour?
Donna says
You don’t mention oiling or greasing the Dutch Oven. Doesn’t the bread stick to the pan?
Jenny says
Nope, the bread bakes clean and doesn’t stick.
Anna says
do you do a glutenfree version. no wheat/rye/barley/oats?
Karen Schleis says
This has been added to my fermentation frenzy. I just can’t get enough!! Ever since I read an article about a woman who makes sourdough bread for people in cancer treatment (it’s healing), I knew I would start making it. Next I have to BUY your cookbook!
Anna says
Hi Jenny, just read your recipe . I was trying to make a bread from this flour with the exception of adding fresh grounded one from the berries. I do my own sourdough from rye and wheat already for long time with good results. Do it for my husband only since I am GF . Would like him to be too but he is not ready . That’s why I am trying to do at least less damaging bread ( sourdough , no bromide and so forth) . As soon as I knew about Einkorn I started to try do something from it , with no good results at all! So , couple QQ for you : can I do starter with Einkorn flour from the beginning or it’s better to gradually add it to existing starter I already have ? Also , how the texture of this bread you make versus regular flour ? Mine was very dense and not fluffy at all . Is there special tricks to it like , for example, I noticed you have short proofing time .
I appreciate your help on this issues.
claire says
Great recipe. I really want to start making my own sourdough bread but I would need a gluten free version. ANyone know of any good recipes that look as tasty as this one? Jenny do you have one by any chance?
Anita H says
I tried this recipe using my whole grain gluten free flour mix of buckwheat, oats, corn, and flax. I have always had good sucess substiting this flour mix but I wanted to start using sourdough so I tried this recipe. the bread barely rose at all after 12 hours so I baked it anyway. It was dense but tasted good. I tried it again, once again with the same flat results. So I decied to try spelt flour. Amazing bread! What I was missing originally was the gluten!
[email protected] says
This is perfect timing… my family and I have stopped eating sprouted bread, sourdough and grains in general to help heal my oldest daughter’s cavity. It is going really well and I hope to reintroduce sourdough back into our diet… we love sourdough so much.
This recipe is perfect for an every day bread… Thank you so much Jenny!
Heather @ My Overflowing Cup says
Thank you so much for the recipe. Both no-knead and sourdoughs are among my favorite bread recipes. There isn’t much that is quite as delicious as fresh baked bread smothered in butter. Your photos are just beautiful!
Debbi says
I’ve never trued the cast iron dutch oven trick, how do you get the loaf out after cooking without burning your hand?
John says
Just pry it gently around the sides with a spatula
Ruth says
I put a circle of parchment paper in the bottom of the Dutch oven. This makes bread removal so easy!
Grae says
I agree with Ruth. I also use parchment, but I just tear off a sheet and wad it up in a ball so it’s more “pliable” and then smooth it out, dust with a little flour and dump the dough on it. Once it’s time to put it in the Dutch oven, I just pick it up, paper and all and put it in. It bakes great, the only thing is that you will see a few little wrinkles around the sides where the parchement was once it’s cooked. When bread is done cooking, just lift it out by the parchment and set on rack to cool.
Talia says
Oh thank you so much for this! I saw your newsletter, and before I clicked the link, my first thought was, “I wonder if I can do this with Einkorn?” It’s the only flour we have in the house and I bought the dry blender for my Vitamix just so I can grind the wheat berries. I loooooove it, but it does not rise very high in cakes and is stickier than regular flour. I have often read the no-knead recipe and longed to try it, and now your recipe is the perfect motivation! I know it will take a few tries to get it right.
One question, in your link you said you use bread flour to feed your starter. Is it possible to use Einkorn instead?
Thank you! Talia
Jenny says
Yes! You can absolutely use einkorn flour to feed a starter. I often do, because it’s what I mostly have around the kitchen.
Talia says
Thanks for letting me know. But I saw you did not recommend the whole grain. I was going to buy the parisian starter because I saw a recipe for Einkorn French Bread that I would probably faint dead away if I could make properly. So I will try to perfect my skills on your recipe first. We don’t eat a lot of bread, maybe once a month, or pasta (I love the Einkorn pasta as well) and eat mostly modified Paleo. But great bread once in a while is a treat.
Alicia says
Hi jenny,
I am excited to make this recipe. I am not clear on what the difference is in the two flours. Is it possible to use the einkorn wheat berries, grind them in my vitamix and use the one resulting flour in place of the two? Thank you.
Laura says
Finally succeeded at Sourdough using this recipe, the details and recipe are greatly appreciated, might have to bake this beautiful bread daily now too, thank you! 🙂
beccah larsen says
So i am going to attempt to make sourdough bread for my first time…i am a little confused about the flour…you said use 3 cups of high extraction einkorn flour and then 1.5 cups of whole grain einkorn flour….whats the difference? Do you grind the wheat berries to get the whole grain flour? This is all new to me and i just want to get it right 🙂 thanks for the recipe and im excited to try it out!
Linda Ciampoli says
This is exactly my question. Could I use 4.5 of the jovial einkorn to get the same results? I don’t have a grain mill or access to one.
Jislayne says
I can’t wait to try this. You mentioned to store the starter in the fridge. When should I take it out and feed it to make the bread?
Thank you!
Erica says
On the other recipe page it says 12 hours before baking, so I’m taking mine out tonight and will bake tomorrow; I’ll let you know how it goes!
Erica says
Well, it turned out to be what my partner called “the best bread I’d ever made”. So I guess taking it out the night before works! I thought it could have risen a bit more, but it wasn’t terribly warm today. Good luck, and thank you Jenny for a fantastic recipe!
Jenny M says
Thanks for the recipe Jenny. I’m looking forward to trying it!
stephanie cottell says
Hi Jenny! I’ve made natural sourdough off and on for over ten years with varying results. I was informed, when I first learned, that dough mixers weren’t appropriate for natural cultures because they cut through the dough, which was too “rough” on the microbes. I was instructed to knead as long as possible (20-30min). But though tasty, my bread is often heavy as you described with over handled dough. I don’t have a mixer, but I will try less kneading and see what happens! And an enameled dutch oven is now on my wish-list…
Jenny says
Ha! There seems to be so many myths when it comes to cultured foods and microbes. I can assure you that the standmixer works beautifully, but, even if you don’t go there, handling the dough less will typically yield amazing results as long as your hydration levels are relatively high.
Sheena says
What about using a hand mixer with dough hooks like this one…
http://www.amazon.com/KitchenAid-KHM920A-9-Speed-Mixer-candy/dp/B004MTAWEO/ref=sr_1_14?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1419814874&sr=1-14&keywords=hand+mixer
Would that work?
Emily says
thanks for this tip. though not using a mixer, I think my dense (some might say failed) sourdough loaves (still delicious), the over working the dough, even with the slap and fold method. in midst of trying your long pyrex covered recipe. thanks!