No Oven Sourdough Bread | Soft Inside, Crusty Outside
This no oven sourdough bread recipe is the perfect way to enjoy homemade bread without a traditional oven. Using just flour, water, salt, and starter, plus the salt-in-pan “micro oven” method, you’ll bake a loaf that’s soft and airy on the inside with a crusty golden outside. Simple, budget-friendly, and perfect for small kitchens or anyone who loves homemade sourdough!
Equipment
- Mixing bowls (2)
- Measuring cups & spoons as needed
- Wooden Spoon
- Clean Kitchen Towel
- Bread tin (9 × 5 inch)
- wide heavy pan with lid
- Trivet, metal plate, or heatproof stones
- Baking Paper
- Sharp knife or razor for scoring
Ingredients
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup active, fed sourdough starter
- 1 ½ cups room-temperature water (start with 1 cup and add as needed)
- 1 ½ tsps salt
Instructions
- Mix the DoughIn a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and salt, then set aside. In a separate bowl, combine the sourdough starter with 1 cup of water and mix until well blended. Add the dry ingredients into the wet and stir with a wooden spoon. Once the mixture thickens, switch to your hands and knead lightly, adding the remaining water a little at a time until you have a very soft, sticky dough. (The exact amount of water will vary depending on your flour brand and even humidity, so add gradually.)Cover the bowl with a towel and let the dough rest for 20 minutes.
- Stretch and FoldWith lightly wet hands, perform a set of stretch and folds: pick up one corner of the dough, stretch it gently upward until it resists, and fold it over the center.Rotate the bowl and repeat with all four sides. Cover and rest for 20–30 minutes.Repeat this process 4–6 times over the next 2–3 hours.
- Bulk FermentationAfter the final fold, cover the bowl and let the dough bulk ferment at room temperature for at least 8 hours (or overnight) until it has doubled in size and looks airy and bubbly.
- ShapingTransfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gently fold it in from all four corners to build surface tension and form a tighter round. At this stage, you can wrap the dough in a clean kitchen towel, place it in a suitable container, and refrigerate for 4–5 hours (or until needed). Remember: the longer it rests, the tangier and more sour the flavor will be.When ready to bake, bring the dough back to a lightly floured surface and shape it to fit your bread tin. Place the shaped dough on baking paper, generously flour the top, and score patterns using a sharp knife or razor blade.
- Preheat the Salt-in-Pan “Micro Oven”Pour about 2 cups of salt into a wide, heavy pan. Spread evenly to cover the base.Place a trivet or heatproof plate over the salt and set your empty bread tin inside.Cover with a lid and preheat over full flame for 10 minutes.
- Bake the BreadTransfer the shaped dough (with baking paper) into the preheated tin. Cover the pan and bake on the lowest flame setting for 30–35 minutes. Invert the loaf back into the pan and bake another 15–20 minutes to brown the other side.
- CoolingAllow the bread to cool slightly on a rack before slicing. This resting time helps the crumb set and makes slicing easier without squashing the loaf.
Video
Notes
Pro Tips for Success
- Wet your hands before stretching and folding to prevent sticking.
- Don’t skip scoring—it allows controlled expansion and gives a rustic finish.
- Check doneness by tapping the base of the bread; it should sound hollow.
- Cooling for at least 1 hour improves flavor and texture.