No-Knead Small Sourdough Loaf Recipe
This small sourdough loaf is moist on the inside with a crisp delicious crust. I love that it is no-knead, making it perfect for beginner bread bakers. Plus, as a small batch sourdough loaf it works well for gifting, smaller families, or as a snack!
This small loaf sourdough bread recipe makes two small loaves which will serve 6-8 slices each.
Note: In the pictures I’m showing two different types of sourdough bread. The lighter one shows the result of this recipe. The darker one is my sourdough wheat bread recipe, which you can find linked at the end of this post.
This post may contain affiliate links for your convenience.
If you are a sourdough novice, I highly recommend reading through the entire contents of this article prior to jumping to the recipe. This will help you understand the process and cover some FAQs.
Tools You’ll Need
Sourdough Bread Quick Facts
If you are a beginner sourdough baker, the terminology found in sourdough recipes can be confusing. There is a lot to learn when you’re new to sourdough, so here are some quick facts and terminology to get you started.
What Is Sourdough Starter?
Sourdough starter is the ingredient that makes sourdough bread rise. Think of it like an alternative to yeast.
It is a combination of flour and water.
When you create sourdough starter over a period of 7-14 days, you are developing a live fermented culture of the flour and water.
Traditional breads typically use active yeast to make them rise. Sourdough uses sourdough starter!
How Do I Make Sourdough Starter?
You can make sourdough starter right in your own kitchen over the course of a 7-14 day fermentation process.
If you are new to sourdough baking and want to create your own sourdough starter, you will find this article very helpful.
If you do not want to make your own starter, you can purchase it, or ask a friend to gift you some!
Once you have an active and alive sourdough starter, you can keep it forever! You just need to feed it regularly. So if a friend or relative already has starter, they can pass some on to you easily.
Do Smaller Loaves Take Less Time To Bake?
Small batch sourdough bread takes about 15 minutes less time to bake than larger rustic loaves. However, they still pack the same unmistakable sourdough flavor and all the health benefits!
Is It Cheaper To Buy Or Make Sourdough Bread?
Homemade sourdough bread is generally cheaper to make than to buy at a store. Sourdough bread is made with very simple ingredients, flour, water and salt, which most people have on hand!
Is Sourdough Healthier Than Bread?
Sourdough has some amazing qualities that yeast breads lack.
It offers more vitamins and nutrients, has less gluten, and is easier to digest than white or wheat bread. Plus, it is made without any sweeteners or oils.
It is an amazing option to consume in place of yeast breads and other baked goods.
Small Sourdough Loaf Baker’s Schedule
Baking sourdough is very simple, no matter the size of the loaf that you make. This recipe produces two delicious loaves that are perfect for toast, sandwiches, or a side at dinner.
Follow this simple baker’s schedule to take the guess work out of making sourdough bread!
This schedule prepares your bread dough the day before. You will bake the bread the next morning. You can adjust your timeline as needed if you want to bake your bread in the evening.
FEED SOURDOUGH STARTER
7:00am: The day before you will bake your bread, feed your sourdough starter. You must use an active, mature starter for this recipe. Your starter should peak, and then begin to come back down before you mix your bread ingredients.
MIX BREAD INGREDIENTS
7:00pm: The night before you bake your bread, 8-12 hours after feeding your starter, mix all ingredients together.
7:15pm: Do your first set of stretch and folds to help produce gluten and structure to your loaf. (See full recipe for details.)
7:30pm: Do your second set of stretch and folds.
7:45pm: Do a third set of stretch and folds, then let rise overnight in a bowl. Cover your bowl with a damp towel and place in a warm room, away from drafts or cold walls.
SHAPE & RIPEN
6:00-9:00am: Check your dough when you wake up to see how it has progressed. If you live in a warm climate, your dough will likely be ready sooner than those who live in a cold climate.
Your dough should be almost double in size, jiggly, and show signs of bubbling. Do the poke test to see if it has proofed properly. Poke a floured finger into the dough. It should be soft and spring back.
Once ready, shape your dough with a series of stretch and folds. (See full recipe for details.)
Place shaped dough in a parchment lined bowl and let rest uncovered in the refrigerator 1 hour. (The parchment allows for easy transport to the dutch oven later but is not required for baking.)
Preheat oven during that hour with your dutch oven inside. Your oven must be hot.
BAKE
One Hour After Shaping: Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Carefully take your dutch oven out of the oven and place the dough inside. Score the dough as desired, cover, and bake in pre-heated oven.
Let cool before slicing.
Full Recipe Details
Now that you have the baker’s schedule in mind, let’s talk details!
Baking bread is more an experience than simply following a recipe. The temperature of your home, water temp, type of flour you use, and stage of your sourdough starter can all impact your final results.
If you’re an experienced bread maker, then you’ll know there are a million variations that are possible for a simple sourdough loaf. But I’m here to make this as simple as possible for my novices!
As you make more loaves, study the process, and get familiar with what to look for, you can easily branch out into using a variety of flours, adjusting hydration, and adding things like seeds and herbs.
Small Sourdough Loaf ingredients
FEED SOURDOUGH STARTER
As stated in the baker’s schedule above, you will want to feed your sourdough starter in the morning. Let it rise and fall (may take 6-10 hours) before incorporating into bread mixture.
STEP 1: MIX FLOUR & SALT
First, place a large mixing bowl onto your kitchen scale and zero it out.
Then, spoon bread flour into the bowl until you measure 520 grams.
Next, add 2 tsp fine sea salt. You can alternatively use kosher salt if you don’t have sea salt on hand.
Mix dry ingredients together.
STEP 2: MIX WATER & SOURDOUGH STARTER
In a separate smaller bowl, add 375 grams of warm water. Then, mix in 90 grams of active sourdough starter. Stir together until the starter is dissolved and the water looks cloudy.
STEP 3: MIX WET & DRY INGREDIENTS
Next, take your dry ingredients and slowly incorporate the wet ingredients with a spatula or wood spoon handle. Mix thoroughly until no flour is left.
This will produce a shaggy dough that is fairly tough. If you have issues fully mixing the flour, add 1 tablespoon of warm water and stir some more. The dough will be sticky, but should not be runny.
Cover the bowl with a towel or plastic wrap and let rest 30 minutes. The dough will loosen up as it rests.
STEP 4: STRETCH & FOLDS
After the dough has had some time to rest, do three to four sets of stretch and folds 15-20 minutes apart. You will do these right in the bowl, no need to place on a floured surface.
You can learn how to do both types of stretch and folds needed for this recipe in this video tutorial. Note: I’m showing wheat dough in the first set of stretches and regular sourdough in the second set. However, both methods of stretch and folds are the same for either dough.
For this set of stretches, think of your dough as a round ball segmented into fourths. Wet one hand, take ahold of 1/4 of the dough and pull it straight up, then fold it over on top of the rest of the dough.
Turn your bowl slightly, then take the next 1/4 and do the same. Repeat this process around the dough ball until all four segments have been stretched up and folded back down. Do this again one more time for a total of 8 stretch and folds.
Wait 15-20 minutes to let the dough rest.
Repeat another set of only 4 stretch and folds.
Wait 15-20 minutes. Repeat another set of 4 stretch and folds if needed.
This process helps strengthen the gluten in the bread.
Cover the bowl with a wet towel and let sit to proof (rise) in a warm place overnight. If you live in a cold climate, make sure you place the dough in your warmest room, away from drafts or exterior walls.
STEP 5: FINAL STRETCH & SHAPE
The next morning, check your dough first thing.
Your dough should be almost double in size, jiggly, and show signs of bubbling. Do the poke test to see if it has proofed properly. Poke a floured finger into the dough. It should be soft and spring back.
If it is hard, it needs more time to proof. You can try placing it in the oven with the light on (but not the heat) for an additional hour. Check again.
Once the dough is ready, you will do your final sets of stretch and folds.
Divide Dough Ball In Two
At this stage, remove the dough from the bowl and use a dough cutter to divide in half.
You are now working with two dough balls to create two small loaves. Follow the below instructions for both sets of dough, individually. You will need an additional bowl on hand.
Wet both hands, place them on either side of the dough and scoop it up in the middle. Let the dough hang down on both sides a foot in the air. Let it stretch down a few seconds, then place it back in the bowl, folding over itself.
Wait a minute, turn the bowl, and repeat this process.
Wait 15-20 minutes and repeat a second set of stretch and folds in the same manner. If your dough is runny, you will want to repeat this process again a third time.
Do your third and final set of stretch and folds, then place each dough ball directly into its own tall sided bowl lined with parchment paper.
STEP 6: RIPEN DOUGH IN REFRIGERATOR
Place your two bowls with the sourdough dough into the fridge, uncovered.
Pre-heat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Place two dutch ovens in the oven as it preheats. Time for one hour.
Baking Tip
If you only have one dutch oven, you can leave one ball of dough in the fridge while the first sourdough loaf bakes. Then, remove from the fridge and cook the second loaf once the dutch oven is available.
After the hour is up, your dough will have had time to firm up in the fridge, and your oven and dutch ovens will be nice and hot.
STEP 7: BAKE AND COOL
The final step is to bake your small loaves of sourdough! If you wish, you can score the top for appearance sake. It is fairly easy to make beautiful designs. Otherwise, simply score one side where you want the dough to bloom for a more rustic loaf.
Bake at 450 for 18 minutes, covered. Then, lower the heat to 425, remove the lid, and bake 15-20 more minutes. Your bread should read 205 degrees when taken with a thermometer.
Your oven may vary, so make sure you aren’t over baking around the 25 minute mark from the start of your bake time.
Let your bread cool in the dutch oven for 10 minutes, then remove and cool completely on a cooling rack.
Enjoy!
Free Printable Recipe Card
Small Sourdough Loaf Artisan Bread
Small sourdough loaf, moist on the inside with a crisp delicious crust. This beginner sourdough loaf recipe produces two small artisan loaves.
Ingredients
- 520 grams bread flour
- 2 tsp fine sea salt
- 90 grams sourdough starter
- 375 grams warm water
Instructions
- If you are new to baking sourdough, it is recommended for you to read my entire blog post with notes prior to starting.
- Morning: As stated in the baker's schedule (see full post), you will want to feed your sourdough starter in the morning. Let it rise and fall (may take 6-10 hours) before incorporating into bread mixture.
- Evening: First, place a large mixing bowl onto your kitchen scale and zero it out. Then, spoon bread flour into the bowl until you measure 520 grams.
- Next, add 2 tsp fine sea salt.
- Mix dry ingredients together.
- In a separate smaller bowl, add 375 grams of warm water. Then, mix in 90 grams of active sourdough starter. Stir together until the starter is dissolved and the water looks cloudy.
- Next, take your dry ingredients and slowly incorporate the wet ingredients with a spatula or wood spoon handle. Mix thoroughly until no flour is left. This will produce a shaggy dough that is fairly tough. If you have issues fully mixing the flour, add 1 tablespoon of warm water and stir some more. The dough will be sticky, but should not be runny.
- Cover the bowl with a towel or plastic wrap and let rest 30 minutes. The dough will loosen up as it rests.
- After the dough has had some time to rest, do three to four sets of stretch and folds 15-20 minutes apart.
- Wet one hand, take ahold of 1/4 of the dough and pull it straight up, then fold it over on top of the rest of the dough. Turn your bowl slightly, then take the next 1/4 and do the same. Repeat this process around the dough ball until all four segments have been stretched up and folded back down. Do this again one more time for a total of 8 stretch and folds.
- Wait 15-20 minutes to let the dough rest. Repeat another set of only 4 stretch and folds.
- Wait 15-20 minutes. Repeat another set of 4 stretch and folds if needed.
- Cover the bowl with a wet towel and let sit to proof (rise) in a warm place overnight.
- Next Morning: The next morning, check your dough first thing. Your dough should be almost double in size, jiggly, and show signs of bubbling. Do the poke test to see if it has proofed properly. Poke a floured finger into the dough. It should be soft and spring back.
- Once the dough is ready, you will do your final sets of stretch and folds. At this point, you will divide your dough into two dough balls with a dough cutter.
- Place both dough balls into their own bowl. Repeat this process for both dough balls:
- Wet both hands, place them on either side of the dough and scoop it up in the middle. Let the dough hang down on both sides a foot in the air. Let it stretch down a few seconds, then place it back in the bowl, folding over itself.
- Wait a minute, turn the bowl, and repeat this process.
- Wait 15-20 minutes and repeat a second set of stretch and folds in the same manner.
- Wait 15-20 minutes. Do your third and final set of stretch and folds, then place each dough ball into its own clean, parchment lined bowl.
- Place both bowls with the sourdough dough into the fridge. Pre-heat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and place two empty dutch ovens into the oven as it preheats. (See recipe note if you only have one dutch oven.) Time for one hour.
- Remove bowls from fridge. Place dough individually in two preheated dutch ovens, score as desired, and cover with the lids.
- Bake at 450 degree oven for 18 minutes. Then, remove the lids, lower the heat to 425 and bake 15-20 more minutes. Your bread should read 205 degrees when taken with a thermometer.
- Let your bread cool in the dutch oven for 10 minutes, then remove and cool completely on a cooling rack.
Notes
- Step 14: If your dough is hard, it needs more time to proof. You can try placing it in the oven with the light on (but not the heat) for an additional hour. Check again.
- Your oven may vary, so make sure you aren't over baking around the 25 minute mark from the start of your bake time.
- If your bread didn't rise properly, your starter may not have been active enough. Or, sometimes people use hot water instead of warm, which can kill your starter. Aim for water around 75-80 degrees.
- If you only have one dutch oven, you can leave one ball of dough in the fridge while the first sourdough loaf bakes. Then, remove from the fridge and cook the second loaf once the dutch oven is available.
- Sourdough Novices: If you don't have success the first time, try try again! Repeat the same recipe so you aren't changing too many variables. This will give you a chance to learn from the process to see what you might need to change next time.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1 sliceAmount Per Serving: Calories: 104
How to Make Sourdough In A Loaf Pan
No dutch oven? You can easily make sourdough bread in a loaf pan with a few minor adjustments. Check out this full recipe for details.
Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread
If you’re looking for a small batch of whole wheat sourdough, you’ll enjoy this recipe!
Complete The Meal
I hope you love these rustic small sourdough loaves! I have this recipe on repeat weekly at our home and I hope it becomes a staple in yours as well.
Make sure to save or Pin it for later!
If you’re looking for more quick and healthy recipes, check out these next to complete the meal!
Or, if you’re looking for a hearty soup to go with your sourdough, try one of these recipes.
You can also visit my recipe archives here.
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~Sarah
Oh! I need to make small loafs.
What if after letting the dough rest overnight covered on the counter it has risen but is still sticky and takes no shape.
How can you save this to ensure it bakes well?
It sounds like it has over proofed (sat for too long). Bake it anyway and just try again next time!