Sourdough Without a Stand Mixer

Real sourdough only needs flour, water, salt, and time. Here is the no-knead method we use for our weekly Saturday loaf.

Sourdough is genuinely intimidated by gadgets. The best loaves come from hands that move slowly. Mix bread flour, water, starter, and salt in a wide bowl until shaggy. Cover with a damp cloth and walk away. The dough does most of the work in the next four hours.

During bulk fermentation, do three rounds of stretch and folds spaced thirty minutes apart. The technique is simple: wet your hand, lift one side of the dough up, and fold it over. Rotate and repeat four times. By the third set the dough should pull from the sides of the bowl and feel airy and alive.

Shape into a tight boule on an unfloured counter, transfer seam side up to a banneton, and refrigerate overnight. The next morning, score and bake covered in a hot dutch oven for twenty minutes. Uncover for the final fifteen minutes to develop the crust. Cool the loaf completely on a rack before slicing, even though every part of you wants to cut it open the moment it leaves the oven.