Pure sourdough in a bread machine — no commercial yeast
3
Units:
Prep: 10 min Cook: 35 min
Main
- ¾ cup active sourdough starter, at peak and recently doubled
- 0.7916666666666666 cup lukewarm water
- 3⅛ cup bread flour
- 1½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp olive oil or softened butter
- 1 tbsp sugar or honey (optional, feeds fermentation)
A true sourdough loaf made entirely in a bread machine with no commercial yeast. The workaround for fixed machine cycles: use the dough cycle for mixing, then let it ferment on its own schedule before baking.
Instructions
- Mix and knead: Place all ingredients in the bread machine pan. Run the Dough cycle only (20-30 minutes of mixing and kneading).
- 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.
- Bake: Either run a "Bake Only" cycle if your machine has one, or 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
- Ingredient amounts are flexible: use 150-200g starter, 175-200g water, 350-400g flour depending on your machine size
- 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
Created: 2/27/2026, 2:28:36 PM diy
Bread machine with Dough cycle, loaf pan (if oven baking), kitchen scale