No knead sourdough is a much easier way to make a true sourdough at home - this is my personal favourite, with honey, oats, and whole wheat spelt flour. The method is simple and you can use normal yeast instead of a starter if you don't have one.
Course Breakfast
Cuisine Vegetarian
Prep Time 5 minutesminutes
Cook Time 45 minutesminutes
Resting Time 16 hourshours
Total Time 50 minutesminutes
Servings 1loaf
Ingredients
600grams/ 4 cups whole spelt flour
130grams/ 1 cup rolled oats
1tablespoonsea salt
500ml/ 2 cups water
50grams/ 1/4 cup rye sourdough starter*
3tablespoonshoney*
1tablespooncoconut oil
Instructions
Add the flour, oats, and salt to a large bowl. Mix and make a well in the centre, then add the water, starter, and honey. Stir until fully combined, at least 30 seconds. Cover (I use a plate) and let the dough sit for 16-20 hours at room temperature.
Once the dough has risen, place a heat-proof lidded baking dish* into the oven and preheat to 250C / 475F. Use a spatula to pull the dough away from the sides of the bowl. When the oven is hot, carefully remove the dish and place the coconut oil in it. The oil should melt instantly. Place/pour the dough into the heated dish, cover, and bake for 30 minutes, reducing the heat to 200C / 400F after 15 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for an additional 15 minutes (45 minutes total) to achieve the gold, crispy crust.
Take the bread out of the oven and cool in the dish for 10 minutes before flipping it out onto a cooling rack, and cooling completely before cutting. I know it's hard to resist warm bread but cutting it too early can make the texture gummy. This bread keeps very well for a week on the counter, but avoid wrapping it in plastic as that ruins the crust. It's best stored in the dish that you bake it in.
Notes
• To make a regular sandwich bread, place the risen dough into a well-greased or lined bread tin. Sprinkle some flour over it, cover with a tea towel, and let it rise again for another hour. Preheat the oven to 200C / 400F and bake for 40-45 minutes, then cool for another 20 before removing from the tin. Cool completely before slicing. • If you're unfamiliar with a sourdough starter, Nataša over at My Daily Sourdough Bread has a great step-by-step tutorial that'll show you how to make your own. I started mine a couple of years ago using her guidelines and it's still going strong. * You have to use a minimum of 1/4 cup / 50 grams starter, but if you have some to use up, I often use a 1/2 cup / 100 grams, or even a little more. I don't find that it makes a difference in this recipe as it's not as exact as many sourdough recipes. ** I think that you can substitute normal yeast in this recipe, but I haven't yet tried it. I think 1/4 teaspoon of dry yeast or a pea-sized amount of fresh yeast in place of the starter will work. I'll update the recipe when I do try, but until then, substitute this at your own risk! *** Maple syrup is an ideal substitute but you could also use date syrup, coconut sugar, etc.