Make Sourdough Bread (Without Yeast) Using a Bread Machine
Sneak Preview: Create yeast-free Sourdough Bread using your bread machine’s DOUGH cycle, then bake in your conventional oven. This basic recipe requires just four ingredients: starter, water, flour, and salt.
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Yes, you can make sourdough bread in a bread machine without commercial yeast! Use the DOUGH cycle for effortless mixing and kneading, then handle the fun parts—stretching, shaping, and baking in a conventional oven.
FYI to sourdough beginners: Making sourdough may seem easy at first glance, but it can take years to perfect your techniques. I’m giving you a basic recipe with instructions for how I personally do it. However, you can use most any sourdough recipe in a bread machine as long as it’s not too big for your machine (Check your manual.)
Quick Facts About This Recipe:
- Loaf Size: 1¾ pounds
- Equipment: Works with most bread machines (no sourdough cycle needed)
- Time Commitment: ~24 hours, including overnight fridge rise
- Helpful Tools: Digital scale, bench knife, banneton or round bowl, and Dutch oven
No one will ever guess you used a bread machine to mix and knead this tasty sourdough bread.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Step-by-Step Instructions
⬇️ Jump to the recipe below for exact amounts and detailed instructions.
Mixing, Kneading, and First Rise in a Bread Machine
Shaping the dough
Baking the Sourdough
Tips That Make a Difference
- Dough rises slowly at first, then speeds up as bubbles form—timing varies from 4 to 7+ hours depending on temperature.
- Watch the dough, not the clock—learning sourdough timing takes observation and practice.
- Under-proofed dough can lead to dense spots and random large holes in the finished loaf.
- Over-proofed dough tends to spread, loses structure, and won’t rise well in the oven.
- Read how to make your own starter using yogurt whey.
Mistakes are part of the process—each one teaches you something new.
Make Sourdough Bread (Without Yeast) Using a Bread Machine
Video
Ingredients
- 1½ cups (345 g) water
- ⅓ cup (40 g) whole wheat flour (substitute with bread flour if preferred)
- 3⅔ cups (440 g) bread flour
- ⅓-½ cup (70 g) bubbly and active sourdough starter
- 1½ teaspoons (9 g) table or sea salt
Instructions
- Mixing and kneading in the bread machine: Add 1½ cups (345 g) water, ⅓ cup (40 g) whole wheat flour (substitute with bread flour if preferred), 3⅔ cups (440 g) bread flour, ⅓-½ cup (70 g) bubbly and active sourdough starter, and 1½ teaspoons (9 g) table or sea salt to the bread machine pan.Select the DOUGH cycle and press START. Use the windowpane trick to check for full gluten development.
- Bulk rise: Transfer dough to a greased, clear container. Let rest 30–60 minutes, then perform 3–4 rounds of stretch-and-folds or coil folds every 30–45 minutes. Let rise 5–8 hours at 75–77°F until airy, bubbly, and slightly jiggly.
- How to tell if the dough has risen enough: The dough should approach almost but not double its original size. Look for giant bubbles on top and many bubbles covering the sides and bottom of the dough. (This is why a clear container is helpful.) It should jiggle slightly when you shake it. The dough should slope downward at the edges of the bowl or dish.
- Preshaping: Turn the dough onto a damp or floury surface and shape it into a smooth ball. Rest uncovered 15–30 minutes.
- Shaping: Stretch into a rectangle, fold like an envelope, then roll up to make a compact package. Note: If your dough turns into a gooey mess, the dough may be overproofed. (Recovery tip: Scrape the dough into a greased 8½ x 4½-inch bread pan and make a sandwich loaf.)
- Final Shaping: Place seam-side up in a well-floured, cloth-lined banneton or bowl. Let rest for 15 minutes. Stitch if desired. Cover and refrigerate 8–24 hours.
- Bake: Preheat your oven and Dutch oven to 500°F (260°C) for 45-60 minutes.Remove the dough from the fridge, flip it onto parchment paper, and score the top.Bake at 450°F (230°C) for 20 minutes with the lid on.Remove the lid and bake at 425°F (220°C) for an additional 25 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 210°F (99°C).
- Cool the baked bread on a rack for 3 hours or more before slicing. Cutting the loaf too early or underbaking the bread may result in gumminess.
Notes
- Sticky dough? Reduce water slightly next time.
- Warm kitchen? Use less starter (40–60 g) to extend the bulk rise.
- Burned bottom crust? Place a sheet pan on the lower rack or use parchment under the loaf. A grill mat in the Dutch oven also helps.
- Larger batch? Use the 1½× button to make two loaves. If your machine strains or overheats, stop the cycle immediately.
Equipment
Nutrition
All images and text ©️ Paula Rhodes for Salad in a Jar.com
FAQ
Usually to maintain the right temp for starting or feeding a sourdough culture—not baking a full loaf.
Some bread machine sourdough recipes sneak in a little instant yeast to hurry things along. This one doesn’t—your starter does all the work. It takes more time, but that slow rise is what gives sourdough its wonderful flavor and character.
It can’t create the high heat or steam needed for a crisp crust and good rise.
Bread machines restrict the shape; ovens let you make boules or batards not to mention a beautiful crispy crust when using a Dutch oven.
No. Artistic scoring and dramatic oven spring require conventional baking.
Use a baking stone and a pan of boiling water for added steam.
Final Thoughts
Don’t be discouraged if your bread doesn’t turn out perfect the first time. It’s not as easy as you might think. Enjoy the challenge and keep practicing. Meanwhile, don’t hesitate to send me pictures and questions if you want somebody to celebrate or commiserate with you.
More Recipes and Posts Related to Bread Machines:
Need help troubleshooting? Please email me: Paula at saladinajar.com–photos welcome!
Thank you for a recipe that works every time!! I generally substitute the whole wheat with rye flour. I learned that rye flour helps bread stay fresh longer, and I enjoy its flavor. Recently I made cheese bread in a loaf pan with this (baked at 400 degrees) and it was delicious.
I have a question: do you know why sourdough bread takes much longer to brown in the toaster than store-bought or yeast-raised breads?
Hi Jane,
Funny that you mention baking in a loaf pan. I just saw somebody on Instagram doing that and covering it with another same-size loaf pan for the first half of the bake. And now you are saying you did it. I’m taking that as encouragement to give it a try.
In regards to your question–I have a theory. I think it’s because sourdough tends to contain more moisture. I’ve noticed that when I toast a slice a sourdough bread from a freshly baked loaf, it takes a lot longer to brown. With every day that passes, the bread takes less and less time to toast. Also, sugar causes bread to brown faster. If your loaf has no sugar it won’t brown as fast as a loaf that does.
One more thing: Today I sliced some sourdough that was 6 days old. It was getting very dry sliding into the “too stale to eat” zone. So I ran the slice quickly under running water, squeezed out the excess water, and toasted it. It was fabulous and soft again…but it did take a little while to toast.
Hi Paula, my bread machine has two dough cycles–“basic dough course” (for active dry yeast; the cycle is 1 hour and 50 minutes) and a “quick dough course” (for rapid rise yeast; the cycle is 45 minutes). How long is the dough cycle that you are using? I want to make sure to select the right dough cycle. Thank you!
I would always select the basic dough course. The rapid rise cycle does not give enough time to develop the yeasty flavor. I never use it.
I loved your recipe from April 2021 which made a slightly larger loaf using 500 gr of flour total. Where can I find it?
Hi Ruth,
I added that version to the notes for you.
I don’t have a bread machine, and am wondering if this method is transferable to a KitchenAid with a dough hook?
Hi Mary,
Absolutely yes. The bread machine is actually just a “mixing machine” in this recipe. You can do it just as well with your KitchenAid.
Can you substitute whey for the water for a more sour flavor as in your sourdough loaf recipe without affecting this process?
In this particular recipe, there is no added yeast. So you can not substitute whey for starter as the bread will not rise. If you want to try using whey in bread to test the flavor, I recommend my French bread recipe. It won’t be the same as sourdough, but the flavor is slightly different when using whey.
Great idea! I will try this for my next loaf, thank you! A tip for the bulk rise is to let it rise 25% to 50% in the container. I mark the top of the dough level on the outside of the square container with a pen, measure it and put another mark where the 25% rise will be. When the dough reaches that height I know it’s ready.
Hi Tam,
Thanks for leaving this tip. I have also used large rubber bands to mark where my dough is at the beginning of the bulk proof and another one where I want it to be at the end. It’s easy to forget how far the dough has come, right?
Hi Paula,
I would like to make this recipe but put it in a pullman pan for a sandwhich loaf. Also want a soft crust. Should I put the top on the pullman pan? Any advice? I do not want to use yeast or sugar.
Thanks for your reply,
PattiAnn
Hi PattiAnn,
Yes, I have done this before. I would put a top on the Pullman pan for the first half of the baking time. Then remove the top so it can brown. With some experimentation, you might decide you need to leave the top on a little less or a little more time. I would love to hear how it turns out for you.