No-Knead Sourdough Bread

To start a sourdough starter, make your own by combining equal amounts of flour and water until it passes the float test. This can take anywhere from 7-21 days. Stir together 1 cup of unbleached flour and warm water and continue to feed this every day the same way. When you think it’s active dollop a piece into a glass of cold water and if floats to the top it’s active.

I’ve mentioned before I like the more flour to water ratio so you can do that instead. This makes for a thicker starter as a starter is prone to thin out after lactic acid has developed (the bacteria that forms on the top.)

Homemade sourdough bread is crunchy on the outside, and soft and chewy on the inside. It’s perfect for soaking up chicken noodle soup or dipping into Meat Sauce and Spaghetti! Not to mention the wonderful panini sandwiches a loaf of sourdough bread can make!

Serve it alongside your favorite main dish or in toast! Here are delicious recipes you can pair with this bread or simply spread butter, jam, or honey on a slice!

• Chipotle Chicken Panini Sandwich (Panera Bread Copycat)
• Tomato Avocado Toast
• Grilled Chicken Melts
• Russian Tea Sandwiches
• Russian Mushroom Canapés Recipe

Sourdough bread is great with mix-ins. Add in your favorite herbs or crunchy toppings to bring out the best of your loaf!

• Honey Sourdough: add texture and a natural sweetener like honey for a rustic charcuterie board idea! Mix in cinnamon, walnuts, or pecans right into the dough before rising. Sunflower seeds make a great bread topping, simply shape the loaf and spray with water to adhere to the fine seeds.
• Nutty-Fruity: Add in your favorite dried fruits or buy a fruitcake fruit blend. Popular picks include dried cranberries, raisins, and red candied cherries. The zest of a lemon or fruit deliciously adds natural sweetness and tang!
• Jalapeno Cheddar: add 1/4 cup of freshly sliced jalapenos and 1 cup of sharp cheddar cheese into the dough before shaping. Then spray the loaf with water right before baking and gently top with a handful of shredded cheddar and a couple of jalapeno slices.
• Multi-Grain Sourdough Bread: mix a blend of pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, golden flax seeds, coriander seeds, and caraway seeds. Shape the sourdough bread loaf and spray with water before rolling the top into the mixed seeds.
• Italian Herb and Cheese Sourdough Bread: add 1 tsp of Italian seasoning and 1/2 tsp garlic powder with the salt. A blend of oregano and parmesan cheese makes a great aroma as seen in my Copycat Subway Bread Recipe.
• Olives and Olive Oil Sourdough Bread: add 1/2 cup green or kalamata olives to the dough with 1 Tbsp of oil and 1 Tbsp of rosemary.

This is how I feed my sourdough starter every time! I mix together 1 heaping cup of flour and a scant cup of warm water. I like the more flour to water ratio. Feeding a sourdough starter with this ratio works because within the time a starter can get runnier once the lactic acid bacteria forms from the fermentation (also known as Lactobacilli.)

Lactic acid bacteria called Lactobacillus is usually the black film that forms on the top to protect the sourdough starter from spoiling. After a sourdough starter sits in the fridge this is common to occur and can be fixed by simply stirring it back into the starter before feeding. Some people like to drain it, but I always keep it.

Within time your starter can appear on the thinner side which is why I prefer the more flour ratio. However, equal amounts of flour and water can also be mixed in. I love that this sourdough starter requires no precise formulas, making it approachable to maintain.

Tip: Wondering what to do with Sourdough starter? How To Use Sourdough Starter? You can make sourdough starter pancakes, waffles, crackers, crepes, biscuits, croissants, pizza dough, and so much more with a starter! Basically, anywhere where yeast or leavening is called for.

Wondering how often to feed sourdough starter? The sourdough starter should be fed every 2-3 weeks, even if you’re not planning to use it.   So, add your usual feeding amount to a cold starter straight from the fridge and give it a good stir. Place it back in the fridge if you will not be using it. This helps maintain a healthy and active sourdough starter.

When making discard-sourdough recipes, you can use a sourdough starter that has been refrigerated. However, if you have a sourdough starter that has been fed within the last 2-3 days it may just pass the float test and be ready to use without bringing to room temperature. I typically feed mine overnight for premium results.

Not sure if your starter is active? Drop a dollop of starter into a glass of cold water, if it floats to the top it is active and ready to be used in recipes.

Most grains contain gluten, however, grains like sorghum, oats, and Amaranth are considered gluten-free grains that are healthy. Experiment with brown rice flour and incorporate food starches to develop a delicious loaf of sourdough bread without gluten.

If you have celiac disease or a sensitivity to gluten, changing your diet can reverse gluten sensitivity and possibly heal any damage to the gastrointestinal lining. Read this book called [eafl id="20277" name="The makers diet" text="The Makers Diet"].

My starter isn’t rising? How to keep an active sourdough starter? Can all be commonly asked questions. If your starter smells like alcohol, it is long due for a feeding. It is important reviving the sourdough starter with feedings because then it’ll take time to rebuild it to the active state.

If for any reason you weren’t able to feed your starter within 3 weeks or more, then it will have to be revived with more than one feeding. Remove your starter from the fridge and feed it 1-2 times a day until it becomes active. This can take anywhere from 2-5 days. Black film is common in the sourdough starter that is Lactic acid bacteria called Lactobacillus and it can be stirred back into the starter before feeding. It eventually disappears after a good stir.

Sourdough bread is made with a sourdough starter. Lactic acid bacteria from fermentation called Lactobacillus works like the wild yeast in a starter. The sour qualities improve the bread texture and is healthy for the gut.

Wondering how to maintain? Maintenance on this sourdough starter is actually quite simple. Every time I’m planning to bake with a sourdough starter, I like to remove it from the fridge a day in advance and feed it. To ensure that my starter is fully active I like to feed it at least 2-3 times (once overnight, the next morning, and sometimes until the next day.)

I always bring it to room temperature before using it in recipes and it doesn’t bother me that much to have it hanging around on the countertop for a few days.

Besides activating it for recipes, you should always keep sourdough refrigerated until needed. Now if you were using a starter with potato flakes, yeast, wine, or grape juice, then the feedings may differ.

Sourdough bread is best the same day you bake it. When I bake two loaves I like to cool them and slice one for the family to eat and the other for the freezer. Freezing the bread the day of baking ensures a fresh loaf of bread when you reach it from the freezer. I do this for almost all my bread when baking in bulk.

Cool your sourdough loaf completely before storing it. Place it whole into a gallon-freezer if freezing or keep it in a bread bag at room temperature for up to 3 days in a cool dark place. You can then freeze for up to 3 months or prolong the bread life and keep it in the fridge for up to 5 days. Refrigerated bread is best for toast or reheated in hot sandwiches.

Sourdough is ready when it has been brought to room temperature with a feeding or two. Signs that the starter is active are when it foams and rises in size. Another way to test if your sourdough is active is to drop a dollop into cold water and if it floats to the top it is active.

Use sourdough starter in pizza crust, biscuits, cinnamon rolls, focaccia, pretzels, waffles, crackers, pancakes, or chocolate chip cookies! There are so many ways to use an active sourdough starter.

To make this sourdough recipe with yeast, omit the sourdough starter and use 1/4 tsp of dry active yeast. Also, increase the water by 1/4 cup. I decrease the liquid when using a sourdough starter since it is more in volume than yeast.