No-Knead Sourdough Bread

Rounds (and rounds) of testing made this best-ever loaf possible.

By Tina MartinezPublished: Oct 24, 2025

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mike garten

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Yields:

Total Time:

1 hr 10 mins

Making bread from scratch is always in vogue! After baking over a dozen loaves, our Test Kitchen perfected the ultimate no-knead sourdough recipe. With its crisp, golden crust and soft, tender crumb, this loaf delivers bakery-level results with minimal effort. It's perfect for everything from morning toast and sandwiches to gourmet grilled cheese.

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Ingredients

350 g
(1 1/2 cups) warm water
10 g
(1 tablespoon) kosher salt
100 g
mature starter
500 g
white bread flour, plus more for dusting

Directions

1. Step 1In large bowl, whisk together water and salt. Whisk in starter until mostly incorporated. Add flour and, using bowl scraper or wooden spoon, mix until shaggy dough forms. Cover with damp towel and let rest on counter 30 minutes.
2. Step 2Using hands, pick up dough and fold over itself 4 to 5 times counterclockwise. Cover with damp towel and repeat folding every 30 minutes for 2 hours, replacing damp towel after each time. Let rest in warm spot, still covered, until doubled in size, 2 to 4 hours.
3. Step 3Lightly flour clean kitchen towel or flour sack and top with dough, seam side up and shaped into a ball. Place towel with dough in clean bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
4. Step 4When ready to bake, position oven rack in lower third of oven and heat oven to 475°F for 30 minutes. Place large Dutch oven (without lid) or cloche (with lid) on lower rack and heat for 30 minutes.
5. Step 5Meanwhile, on work surface lined with parchment paper, turn out dough, seam side down, and peel off cloth. Using hands, shape dough into ball. Using lame or very sharp paring knife, score one 6-inch-long slash in center on top.
6. Step 6Carefully remove Dutch oven from oven (or remove cloche and uncover) and add dough with parchment. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until crust is golden brown and crisp, 25 to 30 minutes.
7. Step 7Using parchment, carefully transfer bread to wire rack and let cool at least 2 hours before slicing and serving.

Test Kitchen Tip: If you are using a cast iron cloche, breads can bake up much darker, so take yours out at the 22-minute mark.

Did you make this recipe? Comment below!

Tried + Tested

King Arthur Classic Fresh Sourdough Starter

$13 at kingarthurbaking.com

This sourdough starter makes it simple (and stress-free!) to begin your sourdough journey. Included is a living culture (a descendant of a decades-old New England starter) and a booklet explaining how to get started, and offering care tips and recipes.

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