No Yeast Sourdough Bread Recipe (2024)

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This no yeast sourdough bread recipe is extra tangy and uses just 5 ingredients! It does take a while from start to finish but it’s 100% worth it for that tangy sourdough taste. Trust me, you’ll love making this easy bread!

No Yeast Sourdough Bread Recipe (1)

Disclosure: King Arthur Flour sent me products for no charge but all opinions are 100% my own.

There is never a bad time to make bread.

Especially if that bread is sourdough!

Even more specific – no yeast sourdough bread! Mostly because there are times when you simply cannot find yeast or you just don’t want to hit up the grocery store.

Now, because this bread uses no added yeast it takes a bit of time from start to finish.

Please don’t let that stop you from making this bread though.

It turns out super tangy and most of the work is hands-off. And by hands-off I mean you’ll basically just be waiting for it to rise after each step.

Honestly, you couldn’t ask for an easier bread recipe.

I should also note that this recipe makes 2 loaves and this freezes like a dream.

Everyone needs a loaf of sourdough in the freezer – right?

No Yeast Sourdough Bread Recipe (2)

Table of Contents

How no yeast sourdough bread works

I’m not going to pretend to be a scientist so I’m going to share what King Arthur Flour says about this bread.

“What makes the sour in sourdough bread? It’s a combination of lactic and acetic acids, created as the dough rises and ferments. Refrigerating the dough encourages the production of more acetic than lactic acid, and acetic acid is much the tangier of the two. Thus, sourdough bread that’s refrigerated before baking will have a more assertive sour flavor.”

How cool is that? Personally, I want my sourdough bread as TANGY as possible, and with this recipe that is exactly what you get.

If you’re new to the world of bread making this is a pretty easy recipe to start with. Plus, besides the waiting, it’s really easy and you’ll be rewarded with 2 beautiful loaves.

So, get that whipped butter ready because you’re gonna want to slather it ALL OVER this delicious no yeast sourdough bread!

Do you need yeast for sourdough bread?

Nope! If you read the paragraph before this it lets you know exactly why!

No Yeast Sourdough Bread Recipe (3)

Freezing sourdough bread

It’s so easy to freeze this bread and because it makes 2 loaves it’s the perfect recipe for freezing.

After my loaf has cooled I wrap it in plastic wrap, place it into a large freezer-safe zip-top baggie, and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months.

You can store your bread longer BUT I think it has the flavor when eaten within 3 months.

What can I use sourdough bread for?

Besides the obvious option – eating it plain with lots of salted butter. I also like to use my sourdough bread in a few of my favorite recipes!

  • Want a fun summertime salad? Try my Grilled Sourdough Panzanella Salad.
  • Need a fun Thanksgiving stuffing recipe? Try my Bacon Corn Sourdough Stuffing.
  • Toast it up for an easy breakfast recipe! Try my Tomato Ricotta Toast.
  • Love croutons? Try my Homemade Garlic Butter Croutons.
  • Craving one last fun Thanksgiving stuffing recipe? Try my Sourdough Kale Sausage Bacon Stuffing.
No Yeast Sourdough Bread Recipe (4)

What is sourdough discard?

Not familiar with sourdough making? That’s ok!

When you feed your sourdough you give it fresh flour and water that gets mixed into a small portion of your starter. The remaining starter can be thrown away, given to a friend, or added to a compost pile.

It seems wasteful but that is just the life of a sourdough.

Since my sourdough sits on my counter I have to feed it 2 times a day.

I obviously don’t want to be wasteful so I started coming up with ideas on how to use my leftover discard.

How can I use my sourdough discard?

There are only so many sourdough discard recipes BUT I do have a few that will make you happy.

  • First up is my sourdough discard banana bread. This bread turns out perfect every. single. time. And gives an old favorite a fun new flavor and texture. Trust me! You have to try making this bread at least once. A total banana bread crowd pleaser.
  • If you’re a fan of sweets you’ll want to make my sourdough discard cinnamon crumb cake. This cake is topped with a TON of crumbly topping and doesn’t last more than 2 days in my house. I eat it for breakfast, dessert, and a midnight snack. It’s so dang good.
  • Lastly, if you’re looking for a fun sweet breakfast bread you need to try my cinnamon raisin sourdough bread. Not only is the swirl super pretty this bread is so delicious toasted and slathered with whipped butter.
No Yeast Sourdough Bread Recipe (5)

FAQ for this no yeast sourdough bread recipe

Looking for an even tangier loaf?

Add 1/2 teaspoon sour salt/citric acid to the bread along with the kosher salt. This will give you an even tangier bread.

Can I easily freeze cooked sourdough bread?

Yes! I wrap my cooked sourdough in plastic wrap and then store it in a freezer-safe bag. I typically keep my frozen bread in the freezer for up to 3 months for optimal taste.

How do I defrost frozen sourdough bread?

I take it out of the freezer and let it defrost on the countertop.

How long do I have to have my starter to make this bread?

You want a nice strong starter to successfully pull off this recipe. At a minimum, you’ll want to have fed your starter for at least a week but I like to let mine go about a month before I start cooking with it. If you have a starter you have fed regularly for a year or more you do not likely have to wait this time. This is for unfed or brand new

Do I have to use unbleached flour?

It is recommended but I have made this with bleached flour and it turned out well.

No Yeast Sourdough Bread Recipe (6)

More bread recipes

  • Need a fun breakfast way to use your sourdough discard? Make my Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough Bread.
  • Want a festive fall way to make bread? Try my Pumpkin Yeast Bread.
  • How about a delicious and easy bread recipe? Cranberry Rosemary Focaccia.
  • Short on time? Try my Sourdough Discard Banana Bread.

No Yeast Sourdough Bread Recipe (7)

No Yeast Sourdough Bread

Author: Brandy O’Neill – Nutmeg Nanny

This no yeast sourdough bread recipe is extra tangy and uses just 5 ingredients and is perfect when slathered with salted butter.

4.39 from 170 votes

Print Pin

Prep Time 1 day day 2 hours hours

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 day day 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings 2 loaves

Ingredients

  • 1 cup 227g “fed” sourdough started
  • 1-1/2 cups 340g lukewarm water
  • 5 cups 602g all-purpose flour, divided
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 2-1/4 teaspoons kosher salt

Instructions

  • In a large bowl combine the starter, water, and 3 cups of flour. Beat vigorously for 1 minute.

  • Cover, and let rest at room temperature for 4 hours.

  • Refrigerate overnight, for about 12 hours.

  • After refrigeration, add the remaining 2 cups of flour, sugar, and kosher salt.

  • Knead to form a smooth dough. Knead either by hand or with a dough hook attached to a mixer.

  • Allow the dough to rise in a covered bowl until it’s light and airy, with visible gas bubbles. Depending on how active your starter is this may take up to 5 hours, or even longer. For best results, gently deflate the dough once an hour by turning it out onto a lightly flouredor lightly greasedwork surface;stretching and folding the edges into the center;turning it over,thenreturning it to the bowl.Adding these foldswillhelp strengthen the dough’sstructure, andallow you to feel how it’s progressing over time.

  • Note: sourdough bread (especially sourdough without added yeast) can be finicky and may not go exactly to the written plan. Please allow yourself to go with the flow, and not treat this as an exact to-the-minute process.

  • When the dough is ready, transfer the dough toa lightly floured or lightly greased work surface and gently divide the dough in half.

  • Gently shape the dough into two oval loaves, and place them on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover with lightly greased plastic wrap and let rise until very puffy, about 2 to 4 hours. This step could take longer but give them sufficient time to become noticeably puffy. Don’t worry if the loaves spread more than they rise, they’ll pick up once they hit the oven’s heat.

  • Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 425°F.

  • Spray the loaves with lukewarm water.

  • Slash the loaves. If you’ve made round loaves, try one slash across the center, and a curved slash on each side of it; or slash in the pattern of your choice. For oval loaves, two diagonal slashes are fine. Make the slashes fairly deep, a serrated bread knife works well here.

  • Bake the bread for 25 to 30 minutes, until it’s a very deep golden brown.

  • Remove it from the oven, and cool on a rack.

  • Store bread, loosely wrapped in plastic, for several days at room temperature or freeze for longer storage.

Notes

Recipe from King Arthur Flour

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 1220kcal | Carbohydrates: 256g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 4374mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 8g

Course Bread

Keyword bread, easy bread, no yeast, no yeast sourdough, sourdough

Did you try this recipe?Leave a comment and 5 star review!

No Yeast Sourdough Bread Recipe (8)
No Yeast Sourdough Bread Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How does sourdough work without yeast? ›

Sourdough differs from most bread in that it contains no baker's yeast, relying instead on a fermented “starter” of water and flour to provide lift. This also provides its sour flavour and chewy texture.

What happens if there is not enough yeast in bread? ›

Just remember: the less yeast, the longer the rising time (and/or the warmer the rising temperature).

What is the secret to sourdough bread? ›

The secret to sourdough is simple: water. The more water you add to your dough will affect how open the crumb (bigger holes and softer texture) will be once it's baked.

Does sourdough bread still need yeast? ›

A true sourdough starter relies on the natural yeasts and bacteria present in the flour and the environment. Adding commercial yeast to the mix may speed up the fermentation process, but it won't produce the same complex flavors and textures that come from a naturally fermented starter.

What happens if you make bread without yeast? ›

No-yeast breads are another option. The flavor and texture won't be the same as your typical bakery loaf. And the unusual aroma, more like cheese than bread, comes from the fermentation process that the ingredients go through. If you've made homemade yogurt, you'll know what to expect.

How to make bread rise without yeast? ›

You can substitute yeast with equal parts lemon juice and baking soda. So if a recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of yeast, you can use half a teaspoon of lemon juice and half a teaspoon of baking soda. Keep in mind that the bread will not need the typical proofing time and the dough will begin rising right away.

Why is my no yeast bread so dense? ›

There may be several reasons for a dense, cake like texture in bread. It may indicate the kneading wasn't enough for the gluten to develop properly, or the dough was proved for too short a time or the dough may have been too dry. It is also worth checking the flour you used.

What happens if you don't add yeast to bread? ›

NOTE: You cannot bake bread without adding yeast. Yeast is the catalyst that makes bread to rise and form and this is different from cake which does not need yeast. If you don't add yeast, you can not produce bread but biscuit.

Is it OK to not put yeast in bread? ›

if you don't use yeast and you don't use any other leavener, you will have a dense, possibly somewhat gooey or solid brick-like loaf. your bread will technically not be inedible but will have a thoroughly unpleasant texture and a one-dimensional flavor.

What is the secret to fluffy sourdough? ›

Keeping the lid on for the first part of baking allows steam to expand between the gluten fibers to rise the bread and create a fluffy loaf. Step 4: Remove the lid and bake for an additional 12-14 minutes or until the crust is crispy and golden brown. Once you take the lid off, the bread likely won't rise anymore.

What not to do with sourdough? ›

Here are the big errors to avoid when working with sourdough.
  1. You Bake Too Soon. ...
  2. You Use Unfiltered Tap Water. ...
  3. You Use Water That Is Too Hot or Too Cold. ...
  4. You're Impatient. ...
  5. You Don't Autolyse Your Dough. ...
  6. You Don't Let Gluten Develop Properly. ...
  7. You Don't Let the Bread Proof Long Enough. ...
  8. You Don't Form the Bread Correctly.
Apr 1, 2022

What is the best flour for sourdough bread? ›

The best flour blend for creating a new sourdough starter is 50% whole-meal flour (whole wheat or whole rye) and 50% bread flour or all-purpose flour. I recommend a 50/50 mix of whole wheat flour and bread flour.

How does sourdough starter rise without yeast? ›

Simply put: a sourdough starter is a live fermented culture of fresh flour and water. Once combined, the culture will begin to ferment and cultivate the natural yeasts found in our environment. A small portion is added to your bread dough to make it rise. Commercial yeast IS NOT required.

Can you buy sourdough bread without yeast? ›

Grain Free Planet's 100% Grain Free, Thin Sliced, Sourdough Bread | Clean Keto, Lectin Free, Gluten Free, Soy Free, Yeast Free | 0g Added Sugars, 3g Net Carbs, and 6g Protein per Slice | 6 Loaves per Pack.

Is there no yeast in sourdough? ›

But one of the most common and abundant yeasts found in sourdough starters is Saccharomyces cerevisiae, aka “brewers” yeast. And while the strain of S. cerevisiae in sourdoughs is different than the one used to make commercial yeast, they are both the same species.

Why does sourdough not have yeast? ›

There really is no difference between natural yeast and sourdough starter - they are one and the same. Sourdough starter is made of naturally occurring yeast and lactic acid bacteria. The naturally occurring wild yeast is what leavens sourdough bread.

What's the point of sourdough starter? ›

Simply put: a sourdough starter is a live fermented culture of fresh flour and water. Once combined, the culture will begin to ferment and cultivate the natural yeasts found in our environment. A small portion is added to your bread dough to make it rise. Commercial yeast IS NOT required.

Has sourdough got yeast in it? ›

Instead of using baker's yeast, sourdough bread relies on a starter: a mixture of water and flour that develops a population of wild yeast. This yeast produces lactic acid, the source of sourdough bread's distinctive tangy taste.

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