NAIT’s no-knead sourdough bread recipe and method

No yeast? No problem

Makes one 850-gram loaf

Ingredients

426g  Bread flour
270g  Water
5g      Diastatic malt
9g      Salt
165g  Liquid levain (starter)

Method

  1. Feed levain 8-10 hours before beginning. Add 75g untreated bread flour and 75g water to 15g levain.
     
  2. Mix by hand for 1-2 minutes until all ingredients but salt are incorporated. Let rest for 30 minutes. This stage is called autolyse, during which starch breaks down into sugar and gluten begins to form, which gives bread structure.
     
  3. Hydrate salt with just enough water to dissolve it, incorporate and mix 1 minute by hand.
     
  4. Cover and place in fridge overnight.
     
  5. Next day, remove from fridge, place dough on floured surface and give it a four-way stretch and fold. Keep at room temperature for 3-4 hours.
     
  6. Round and rest for 15 minutes.
     
  7. Round and place on flour-dusted parchment or a dusted banneton (proofing basket). Proof (i.e., allow to ferment) at room temperature for 3-4 hours. Preheat dutch oven at 480 F (minimum 45 minutes).
     
  8. Remove dutch oven from oven. Gently place proofed loaf into dutch oven, cover with the lid and bake at 480 F for 30-35 minutes.
     
  9. Remove lid after 25 minutes. Continue to bake until top is a rich golden color.


Recipe provided by Baking and Pastry Arts chair Alan Dumonceaux (Baking ’05), a past competitor in the Bakery World Cup.

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