Don’t toss that sourdough discard! You can make deliciously crusty, light, and flavorful French bread with a sourdough starter, a few simple ingredients, and this easy sourdough bread recipe. It’s an easy dough to make and rests overnight to get just the right rise without any yeast needed. Then just shape, score, and bake to perfection! This is a tried-and-true rustic sourdough French bread no yeast recipe you will surely love.
WHAT’S COVERED IN THIS POST
- What to Do With Sourdough Discard
- A Little About Sourdough Baking
- Sourdough Bread Recipe Ingredients
- Kitchen Tools Needed
- How to Make French Bread with Sourdough Starter
- How to Knead Sourdough
- Signs your Sourdough has Finished Proofing
- Frequently Asked Questions
- French Bread with Sourdough Starter Recipe
- More Delicious Bread Recipes You’ll Love
I’ve been making and keeping my own homemade sourdough starter for many years. Making artisan sourdough bread or soft sandwich bread with sourdough is easy! And, we love the slightly tangy taste and great texture you get with sourdough recipes.
Did you know that the discard can be used to create even more delicious baked goods?
What to Do With Sourdough Discard
The name “discard” is quite misleading.
No one wants to throw away the sourdough discard. And now there’s no reason to!
Our slew of sourdough recipes includes leftover starters, like this French bread with sourdough starter recipe! It easily makes a flavorful French loaf of bread, crusty on the outside and terrifically tender and fluffy on the inside.
Here are some great ways to use your sourdough discard:
- Make sourdough pizza crust! It is so easy that even the kids can make their own pizzas.
- Use it for the Sourdough Banana Bread. The bananas balance the tanginess of the sourdough for the most tender and rich banana bread.
- Maybe you need a portable breakfast idea? Something that the kids will love? How about our Sourdough Banana Muffins? They have all the goodness of Sourdough banana bread but come in a handheld, grab-and-go option.
- You can store it! Find out how to store your sourdough starter. Save it for when you can’t bake or feed it. And, you can even dehydrate it as a backup in case anything happens to your starter.
- Give one to a friend and let them start on their own sourdough journey with a little help from you.
A Little About Sourdough Baking
Anyone who has tried making bread with sourdough discard knows that you need these 2 key things for the perfect loaf: a starter (be sure to make this quick sourdough starter before you get, well, started. It’s homemade with flour and water, and is ready in a week thanks to my no-fail tips!) and patience.
And true to form, this fantastic sourdough French bread recipe also requires these. However, unlike many other sourdough discard recipes, this one doesn’t use any yeast.
Instead, it ferments overnight to get just the right rise. So you’ll certainly need that patience, but I promise this bread is so worth it,
Let’s get started with this easy french sourdough bread recipe!
Sourdough Bread Recipe Ingredients
- Sourdough starter (see link above for the best foolproof starter recipe)
- Warm water
- Sugar
- Olive oil or other vegetable oil
- All-purpose flour (I use King Arthur flour)
- Salt
This is a sourdough discard recipe, but your discard should come from an active starter fed within the last day (if stored on the counter) or the last week (if stored in the refrigerator).
The sugar helps activate the sourdough sponge. The small amount of sugar won’t give this bread a sweet taste.
I prefer using King Arthur flour for my recipes. For me, KA flour is readily available locally, or on Amazon, so it’s easy to get. Find a quality brand that you like and stick with it. Using the same brand of flour will provide the most consistent results in your bread making.
Kitchen Tools Needed
- Serrated knife or lamé – for scoring sourdough loaves
- Baking sheet or French bread pan
Shop This Post
Buy Now →
Buy Now →
Buy Now →
How to Make French Bread with Sourdough Starter
Feed your starter 12-24 hours before starting the dough.
Note: Again, you’ll need to have already made the sourdough starter and have discard to work with for this recipe.
Although it does take some time to prepare, there are only 5 simple steps to make a perfect sourdough French bread with no yeast:
Mix the dough either by hand or with a standing mixer.
Cover the dough and let it rise (ferment) overnight.
Shape the dough, cover it with plastic wrap on a baking sheet and let rise one more time.
Score the loaves with a sharp knife.
Bake for 25-30 minutes in a preheated oven to 400 degrees F.
Serve it with Herb Garlic Butter for a tasty loaf of garlic bread with dinner.
Keep reading for foolproof tips!
How to Knead Sourdough
Because there is no yeast used, this sourdough bread recipe needs kneading to get that classic French bread texture. (For no knead sourdough recipes, see my easy overnight sourdough bread or soft crust sourdough sandwich bread recipes.)
My favorite way to knead any bread dough is with my stand mixer.
However, if you don’t have a stand mixer, you can knead the dough by hand. Use a timer to keep track of how long you knead the bread. If your arms get tired, take a break for a moment or two and resume.
This video shows how to knead bread:
How do I know if my sourdough has kneaded properly?
Here are some signs your sourdough has finished proofing.
- The dough should be smooth and pliable.
- It should stretch easily for several inches without holes or tears when stretched.
- It passes the windowpane test.
This dough is not kneaded enough. The dough isn’t as soft and pliable as it should be. When stretched, it tears in the middle.
After a minute of hand kneading:
The dough above is soft and stretchy. When stretched, it passed the windowpane test visually. It stretched thin enough to see through without holes.
Signs your Sourdough has Finished Proofing
Sourdough undergoes a fermentation process during the overnight proofing. Here are a few signs that your sourdough has finished proofing (and is fermented):
- It has doubled in size. In cooler temperatures (less than 75º) this may take longer.
- You can see bubbles in the dough. There are finger-tip-sized bubbles on the top and sides of the dough and smaller bubbles underneath.
Sourdough fermentation takes hours, and your dough will need at least 6 hours and possibly 12 hours until the sourdough has proofed. Keeping the dough between 75º and 85º will speed up the fermentation process.
Under proofed dough is stiff and the surface of the dough is smooth.
Properly proofed dough shows bubbles on or below the surface. It’s soft, and the impression stays when you press your finger into it.
Over-proofed sourdough may spill over the sides of the bowl during proofing. To avoid over-proofed sourdough, set a timer per the recipe card and keep the dough at 85º or lower.
Sourdough scoring
The scoring for this sourdough bread recipe is simple but necessary to keep the bread from cracking. Use a very sharp knife or lamé for sourdough scoring. I prefer to use a lamé or a serrated knife.
Here’s a link to my favorite lightweight, non-stick French bread pans.
TFN Tip: For a clean score, use quick, even motions. Sourdough scoring is only about 1/4″ to 1/2″ in depth. Side slashes work best for scoring loaves of French bread.
Frequently Asked Questions
Since you can’t skip the overnight fermentation process in this sourdough bread recipe, I recommend you instead try this Easy Homemade French Bread recipe. It uses yeast and is not a sourdough discard recipe, so it’s quite faster but equally tasty.
When it’s ready to bake the dough should be doubled in size with visible bubbles in the dough. See above signs your sourdough has finished proofing where I explain this a bit more.
Yes! Bread flour has a bit more protein in it, which will add more gluten to the recipe.
Weighing your baking ingredients is more reliable for baking. For those of you without kitchen scales, I’ve listed the cup measurements in the full recipe card below.
When my sourdough bread is past its prime, I slice it into cubes and dry or toast it to make sourdough stuffing. I always have a bag of cubed sourdough in the pantry ready to use.
Your dough will dry out during the fermentation overnight, especially in areas with low humidity. The top layer of the dough will get a hard crust that prevents the dough from rising.
Sourdough starters create their own wild or natural yeast, so an active starter is all your need for this easy no yeast sourdough French bread recipe.
French Bread with Sourdough Starter Recipe
Sourdough French Bread Recipe
Equipment
- Sharp, serrated knife or lamé for scoring sourdough loaves
- Baking sheet or French bread pans
Ingredients
- 1 cup (240 grams) sourdough starter
- 1 ½ cups (283grams) warm water
- 2 Tbsp (25 grams) sugar
- ⅓ cup (80 grams) olive oil or any plant-based cooking oil
- 4-5 cups all-purpose flour divided, or bread flour
- 2 tsp (15 grams) salt
Instructions
Mixing the sourdough bread sponge
- Combine starter, water, sugar, oil, and 3 c flour in a medium bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer. Stir using a dough whisk or flat beater until a thick, sticky dough forms. This is called a sponge. Cover and let rest for 30 mins.
- Add salt to the dough, and slowly add the last 1-2 cups of flour, 1/2 cup at a time until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
Kneading by hand
- Add 1 cup of flour on the countertop and knead in one cup of flour at a time until the dough is no longer sticky. Then knead for 10 minutes by hand until the dough is soft, smooth, and elastic. See video below for more tips. You should be able to stretch the dough for 4-5" without it tearing. Use a timer to time kneading and take short breaks if your arms get sore.
Stand mixer kneading
- Use the dough hook at low speed to mix the dough until it cleans the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl. Knead in mixer for 5-7 minutes, until a soft, smooth, and elastic dough forms. You should be able to stretch the dough for 4-5" without it tearing.
Overnight rise (fermentation)
- Place dough into a large greased bowl turning the dough over, and cover with a clean damp towel or plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place (75º to 85º is ideal) overnight or for 8 hours (or until dough is bubbly and has doubled in size).
Preparing the Sourdough French Bread loaves
- Cut the dough in half. Flatten each half to a 5" x 7" rectangle (i use my fingertips to gently deflate or degas the dough). Then tightly roll on the long side. Pinch the ends to seal them.
- Place dough on lightly greased french bread pans, or place length-wise on a large parchment lined baking sheet. Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise for 1 1/2 – 2 hours, until the loaves have increased in size and look puffy.
- Preheat oven to 400ºF (205º celcius). Using a very sharp knife or lamé quickly score loaves with 3 – 4 diagonal slashes. Make scores about 1/4" to 1/2" deep.
- Bake for 25 – 30 minutes. The loaves should be golden on the outside and sound hollow when tapped.
PREVIOUS
Tara says
I love this recipe and return to it again and again. I find that if I follow your instructions to use starter that’s been fed at some point in the last day or so, it is just perfect. I’m always on the line of getting to catch the starter when it’s at its peak, so this recipe is an absolute lifesaver. I miss the mark for peak for my sandwich bread and so I just scoot on over to this recipe and make French bread from the discard instead! Thanks so much for a great recipe!