Making no knead bread is a skill that’s been handed down for generations, with families keeping their secret recipes from everyone but their most trusted heirs. But thanks to Mary Jane Butters, you too can make your own farm fresh bread just like your great-grandma probably did a hundred years ago. And guess what? It’s a pretty damn easy process.
Mary Jane’s version begins with a sourdough starter that involved no added yeast – instead, you ferment your own. What does this mean? Well, every area has their own particular species of bacteria and yeast floating around in the air, so when you ferment your own sourdough starter, it will be a little different than a person doing the same thing on the other side of the world. That’s pretty cool, don’t you think? And by default, the only ingredients in the basic bread recipe are flour, water, and salt – so unless you’re trying to save the bacterial cultures of the world from certain death inside your digestive track, this process is 100% vegan too.
Making Sourdough No Knead Bread
If you want to start making your own no knead bread, Mary Jane has kindly provided instructions for making your own sourdough starter from scratch (here’s a PDF as well). This recipe also appeared in the January/February 2009 issue of her magazine, which I highly recommend for anyone who’s inclined towards the organic lifestyle or has a hankering for sitting on the porch, listening to the crickets chirp.
My own experiment with making no knead bread starter has been a great success. I’m in the process of trying to find a way to use flours other than white or wheat flours, preferring spelt or others for a more whole grain approach. For now though, friends and family are sure happy with my experimenting!
Comments { Add a Comment }
OMG! I love it! I’ve always wanted to do this…
My grandmother used to make bread at home. I wonder if this will taste like hers? I’d like to give it a try to find out, but I need to find organic flour first.
Denise – Go for it and report back!
Jennifer – Do you live near a Whole Foods? Any large chain health food store should carry organic unbleached flour.
I have never made bread but this seems easy. Maybe I will try it out.
Very helpful, this is something I am going to try. Thanks a bunch.
peace,
mike
livelife365
Great, Mike! If you have any questions, let me know.
You might want to try the Spelt Sourdough over at Breadtopia http://www.breadtopia.com/spelt-bread-recipe/ I’m going to grow a starter and give this one a go. I do MUCH better with spelt bread and this one sounds super yummy.
I do better with spelt at well. Let me know how it goes and I may give it a try myself!
This sounds great! I love to bake breads and making my own sourdough starter – without yeast – sounds pretty wild. I’ll have to give this a try! The PDF isn’t available still, but I’ll try the link!