Pure sourdough in a bread machine — no commercial yeast

A true sourdough loaf made entirely in a bread machine with no commercial yeast. This is more challenging because bread machine cycles are timed for fast-acting yeast, not the slow wild yeast in sourdough. The workaround: use the dough cycle for mixing, then let it ferment on its own schedule.

Yield: 1 loaf | Prep: 10 min | Total: 6-10 hrs (mostly passive)

Ingredients

• 150-200g active sourdough starter (must be at peak, recently doubled)
• 175-200g lukewarm water
• 350-400g bread flour
• 8g (1.5 tsp) salt
• 15g (1 tbsp) olive oil or softened butter
• 12g (1 tbsp) sugar or honey (optional, feeds fermentation)

Instructions

1. Mix and knead: Place all ingredients in the bread machine pan. Run the Dough cycle only (20-30 minutes of mixing and kneading).
2. Bulk ferment in the machine: Leave the dough in the machine with the lid closed and power off. The enclosed machine acts as a warm proofing box. Let rise 4-7 hours, checking periodically until roughly doubled.
3. Bake (two options):
4. Machine bake: Run a "Bake Only" cycle if your machine has one
5. Oven bake: Transfer dough to a greased loaf pan, let rise until cresting the rim (1-2 hours), then bake in a conventional oven at 375F for 30-35 minutes

Tips

• The starter must be very active and recently doubled — this is non-negotiable for pure sourdough in a machine
• This produces a denser loaf than the yeast-assisted version but with authentic sourdough flavor
• If your machine has no separate Bake cycle, use the oven method for better results
• Expect sandwich-style texture, not open artisan crumb