No Tools, no Dutch Oven Sourdough Bread Recipe

Step 1: In a large bowl, stir together the water, salt, and sourdough starter first. This helps the starter disperse more easily. Add your flour gradually — start with 3 1/4 cups and add more if the dough seems too wet. Mix with a spoon (Image 1) until it’s starting to come together, then switch to your hands and knead lightly just until no big flour patches remain. The dough will feel dry and completely unmanagable — that’s okay (Image 2).

Step 2: Cover the dough with something to prevent drying out — I use a shower cap most of the time, but a damp tea towel or even a plastic grocery bag works just fine. Let it rest for 30 minutes to let the flour fully hydrate. After this rest, the dough should be more elastic (Image 3). If you see dry bits, just squish them in with your fingers (Image 4).

Step 3: Do your first round of stretch and folds: grab one side of the dough, stretch it up (Image 5), and fold it over to the other side (Image 6). Turn the bowl and repeat 3 more times, one for each “side.” Cover the dough again after each handling.

During the first 2 hours of bulk fermentation, do 2–3 sets of stretch and folds, spacing them out by at least 30 minutes so the gluten can relax between rounds.

Step 4: After you mix in the starter, the dough should ferment at room temperature for about 8 hours (Image 7 is the dough before the bulk fermentation, and image 8 shows the dough after). If your kitchen is cooler, it might take longer; if it’s warmer, it might be ready sooner.

Step 5: Once bulk fermentation is done, dump the dough onto your work surface (Image 9). I usually skip the bench rest with this dough because it’s firm and easy to handle. If the top of the dough is slightly less sticky (the side that was exposed during fermentation), place that face-down on your surface.

Gently fold each side of the dough toward the center, then flip it over. Slide the dough toward yourself with your hands to create surface tension (Image 10)— this is the key to good oven spring. Don’t over-flour the surface; a little stickiness helps create that tension. You can use a bench scraper here, but you really don’t need it for this dough.

Step 6: Place the shaped dough upside down into a bowl lined with a lightly floured tea towel (Image 11). Cover it again — this time, I prefer more protection since I usually do an overnight cold ferment in the fridge. You can also leave it at room temperature for 2–4 hours if you’d rather bake the same day.

Preheat your oven to 230°C (450°F). Place a baking tray, cast iron pan, or skillet on the bottom rack — this will be your steam tray.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (Image 12). Flip your dough out of the bowl onto the parchment — you want the smooth, rounded side on top.

Step 7: Score the dough with a sharp knife — no need for fancy blades (Image 13). I usually go with a deep cross, and maybe add a few shallow lines for looks. The deep cuts help control where the dough expands during baking.

Pour 1 cup of boiling water into the hot tray in the oven at the same time you place your bread inside (Image 14). This creates steam and helps with oven spring and crust formation. Bake at 230°C (450°F) for 20 minutes.

Step 8: After 20 minutes, carefully remove the steam tray and lower the oven to 210°C (410°F). Bake for another 20–25 minutes, or until the loaf is deep golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped (Image 15).

Transfer your bread to a cooling rack (Image 15). If you don’t have one, here’s what I used to do: lean the loaf partly on a plate so one side is elevated — that way, the bottom crust doesn’t stay soggy from sitting flat. Let the bread cool fully before slicing if you want a clean crumb. If you’re planning to eat the whole thing fresh and warm, go ahead and cut in — just know the inside might turn a bit gummy if it’s still too hot (Image 16).