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Best No-Knead Sourdough Bread: Easy 5-Ingredient Recipe

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This no-knead sourdough bread recipe uses just five simple ingredients and minimal hands-on time to create a bakery-quality loaf with a crackling crust and open crumb. Perfect for beginners and experienced bakers alike, the flexible timing works with your schedule.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 500 grams (3 ¾ cups) bread flour
  • 350 grams (1 ½ cups) lukewarm water (about 90°F/32°C)
  • 100 grams (½ cup) active sourdough starter
  • 10 grams (2 teaspoons) fine sea salt
  • Rice flour or extra bread flour for dusting

Instructions

  1. Mix the dough (10 minutes): In a large bowl, combine the bread flour and salt. Add the active starter and lukewarm water. Mix with a spatula or your hand until no dry flour remains. The dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let it rest for 30 minutes.
  2. Bulk fermentation (4-6 hours at room temperature): Every 30 minutes for the first 2 hours, wet your hand and gently stretch one side of the dough up and fold it over itself. Rotate the bowl and repeat on all four sides. Do this 4 times total. After the last fold, let the dough rest undisturbed for the remaining time until puffy, jiggly, and dotted with small bubbles, increased in volume by about 50%.
  3. Shape the dough (5 minutes): Lightly flour your work surface. Turn the dough out gently. Using a bench scraper, fold the edges toward the center to create a round. Flip it seam-side down and gently rotate to create tension. Let rest seam-side down for 10 minutes, then repeat shaping once more.
  4. Cold proof (12-18 hours in the refrigerator): Place the shaped dough seam-side up in a well-floured banneton or lined bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight (aim for 14 hours).
  5. Preheat and prepare (45 minutes): About an hour before baking, place your dutch oven in the oven and preheat to 500°F (260°C). Take the dough out of the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes.
  6. Score and bake (45 minutes total): Carefully remove the hot dutch oven. Place parchment paper over the dough, invert the banneton, and turn the dough out onto the paper. Score the top with a quick, confident slash about ¼ inch deep. Lift the parchment and lower the dough into the dutch oven. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove lid and bake for another 15-20 minutes until deep golden brown and internal temperature reaches 205-210°F (96-99°C).
  7. Cool completely (1-2 hours): Transfer the loaf to a wire rack. Let cool for at least 1 hour before slicing.

Notes

Use rice flour for dusting the banneton to prevent sticking. The dough should feel alive—jiggly, puffy, and full of bubbles. Don’t skip scoring; it controls expansion and creates the ear. Temperature affects fermentation time: cold kitchens (below 70°F/21°C) may need 6-8 hours, hot kitchens may need 3. Let tap water sit to dissipate chlorine. For best results, use a well-fed, active starter that passes the float test.

Nutrition

Keywords: no-knead sourdough, easy sourdough bread, artisan bread, homemade bread, sourdough recipe, beginner sourdough, crusty bread

Find it online: https://lindabake.com/best-no-knead-sourdough-bread-easy-5-ingredient-recipe/