Sourdough Discard Bread (Easy, No Knead and 5 Ingredients)

By Jenna
October 13, 2025

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No Knead 5-Ingredient Sourdough Discard Bread

This artisan-style bread is made with only 5 ingredients, requires no kneading and is super simple to make.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 55 minutes
Servings 12 slices

Equipment

Ingredients
 
 

  • 1 ¼ cup warm water (between 100℉-110℉)
  • 1 tbsp instant yeast
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 4 cups all purpose flour
  • ¾ cup sourdough discard
  • Add-ins of choice (cheese, herbs, olives; see Note 4)

Instructions
 

  • In a large bowl, combine the warm water, yeast and salt and whisk
  • Let sit for 5 minutes or until foamy (see Note 2)
  • Add the flour and discard to the yeast mixture
  • Mix with a wooden spatula or by hand until a rough, sticky dough forms (if you want to add any cheese, herbs or any other inclusions to the bread, mix them in now)
  • Cover and allow to rise for 2 hours or until doubled in size (or up to 3 hours if the environment is cold)
  • When the dough has doubled in size, preheat oven to 450℉ and set aside a large piece of parchment paper
  • When the oven is preheated, place the empty Dutch oven or pot inside without the lid (see Note 3)
  • Lightly flour a large work surface and turn out the dough
  • Pinch the outside of the dough and fold towards the center 4-5 times then flip over to form a smooth ball (or just shape with your hands)
  • Carefully remove the Dutch oven or pot from the oven
  • Place the dough ball over the parchment paper then transfer to the hot Dutch oven
  • Bake for 30 minutes covered, then uncover and bake for another 15-20 minutes until golden
  • To test for doneness, flip the loaf over and tap the bottom; it should sound hollow
  • Allow to rest for at least 45 minutes before slicing

Notes

Note 1: Use a thermometer to sure the water is between 100℉ and 110℉. If the water is too cold, the yeast won’t activate. If the water is too hot, it will kill the yeast. If you don’t have a thermometer, test the water on your wrist. It should feel warm, but not hot.
Note 2: You don’t need to let instant yeast bloom, but I prefer to let it sit until foamy  before adding it to my dough to ensure it’s active. This way, you’ll know right away if there’s an issue with the yeast instead of later on when your dough doesn’t rise correctly. I also normally keep my discard in the fridge so blooming the yeast first helps ensure I don’t have any issues from adding cold discard to the dough.
Note 3: If you don’t have a Dutch oven, you can use any large oven-safe pot with a lid such as a stainless steel pot.
Note 4: This bread is delicious on its own, but you can also add in shredded or cubed cheese, fresh or dried herbs, chopped olives, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes or any other inclusions of your choice.
Nutrition Facts are calculated automatically and may be inaccurate.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 sliceCalories: 176kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 5gFat: 0.5gSaturated Fat: 0.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.1gSodium: 396mgPotassium: 50mgFiber: 1gSugar: 0.1gVitamin C: 0.001mgCalcium: 8mgIron: 2mg
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