Soft, buttery sourdough bread made in a bread machine is the next best thing since, well, sliced bread. Super easy to make, you just dump the ingredients in and allow the bread machine to do all the work.
Recently, I’ve had some requests for a sourdough bread recipe in a bread machine. SoI bit the bullet and made one that is so delicious.
This bread is a take on my sourdough sandwich bread, but made to fit in the bread machine. It is super light, fluffy, buttery, and everything wonderful you want in a sourdough bread, but totally hands off.
The bread machine does all the work. After you dump in the ingredients, you push some buttons and it goes to work.
It really couldn’t be easier, and if you are wanting fresh baked bread for dinner or lunches (a great way to stretch the grocery budget if you ask me), then you have to try this recipe.
Why You Will Love This Recipe:
Hands off: This is a dump and go recipe. Add the ingredients and push the knead button. Kneading and baking all happens in the bread machine. So if you want fresh bread without yeast, but maybe don’t have the time or ability to make bread by hand, this recipe is a must.
Super simple: Goes along with the whole hands off thing. This recipe couldn’t be simpler.
Delicious: This recipe is one of my absolute favorites. It is so fluffy and buttery with a hint of sweetness. Any sandwich would be happy to have this as its main component.
Tips For Making Bread Machine Sourdough Bread:
- Although you can make this bread from start to finish without ever touching the dough, you have the option to remove the dough from the bread machine after kneading and remove the paddle. This will keep you from having to pull the kneading paddle out of the finished product.
- Though you could get away with just one knead cycle, I actually like to do it one more time. This ensures proper gluten formation for soft bread.
- Spritz the top of dough with water a few times to make sure the dough doesn’t dry out on top during rising. This is an optional step, but also helps the crust to turn golden in the baking step.
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FAQ:
Do all bread makers make sourdough?
Yes! Thought this will depend on the type of sourdough you are trying to make. It will make soft sourdough bread, but not that crusty, no-knead sourdough from start to finish. To get that crusty type boule, it will need to be baked in a dutch oven.
Can you use machine to knead sourdough?
Yes. You can definitely just use the bread machine to knead the dough, and then bake in the oven, if desired.
Is it cheaper to make your own sourdough?
Yes! Making sourdough bread is very inexpensive (about $.75-$1 a loaf by rough estimation using the cheapest organic flour I’ve seen at Costco). Buying a similar loaf at a bakery can cost you easily $7-8 or more.
Ingredients:
- Water – Preferably filtered.
- Unsalted butter – Using unsalted butter allows you to be able to control the salt in recipes.
- Bread flour – Bread flour yields a softer, fluffier bread. All-purpose can be substituted. Bread flour has a higher protein content, which allows more gluten strands to be produced giving you a fluffier bread.
- Granulated sugar – This helps feed the sourdough starter and gives it a slightly sweet flavor.
- Salt – Bread without salt is blah. I promise.
- Active sourdough starter – This is sourdough starter that has been fed within 4-12 hours and is super bubbly and active.
Tools you may need:
Measuring cups and spoons
How To Make Sourdough Bread In A Bread Machine
Add the water and melted butter to the bread machine.
On top of that, add the bread flour, sugar and salt.
Lastly, add the sourdough starter.
Use the kneading function on the bread machine (for my machine this is function 8). Mine is set to knead for 25 minutes. Though you could get away with just one knead cycle, I actually like to do it one more time.
After the first knead cycle finishes, I press the button again and let it knead the dough one more time, for an additional 25 minute cycle.
Next (optional), remove the dough from the dough machine and take out the paddles. That way you don’t have to pull them out later after baking.
Allow the dough to sit in the bread machine for about 6 hours, or until the dough nearly rises to the top of the bread pan.
I like to spritz the top with water a few times to make sure the dough doesn’t dry out. This is an optional step, but also helps the crust to turn golden in the baking step.
After the dough has risen for several hours, I go to the baking function (function 13 on my bread maker) and select the option for dark crust. This makes the bake time one hour.
Allow the bread to cool, then remove from the pan.
Storage:
Unsliced bread can be stored in a paper or linen bag. Once cut, store cut side down on a cutting board lightly covered or in a storage bag.
Baker’s Schedule:
9 PM: Feed sourdough starter so it will be nice and active the next morning.
8 AM the next day: Add ingredients to the bread machine and allow it to work its magic. Do two rounds of kneading.
9 AMish: Allow the dough to rise for about 6 hours.
3-5 PM: Bake for 1 hour. Usually it will take 6-8 hours for your bread to double to be ready to bake.
6 PM: Slice and serve.
Find More Sourdough Recipes:
- Spelt Sourdough Bread
- Sourdough Oatmeal Cookies
- Best Sourdough Banana Muffins
- Sourdough Pizza Dough
- Sourdough Pumpkin Bread
If you try this recipe and love it, I would love if you could come back and give it 5 stars!
Sourdough Bread In A Bread Machine
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups water
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 4 cups bread flour
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon salt
- 1/2 cup sourdough starter, bubbly and active
Instructions
- Add the water and melted butter to the bread machine.
- On top of that add the bread flour, sugar and salt.
- Lastly, add the sourdough starter.
- Use the kneading function on the bread machine. (For my machine this is function 8) Mine is set to knead for 25 minutes.
- Optional: After the first knead cycle finishes, I press the button again and let it knead the dough one more time, for an additional 25 minute cycle.
- Next, I just allow the dough to sit in the bread machine for about 6 hours, or until the dough nearly rises to the top of the bread pan. I like to spritz the top with water a few times to make sure the dough doesn't dry out on top. (Optional , but also helps the crust to turn golden in the baking step.)
- After the dough has risen for several hours, I go to the baking function (function 13 on my bread maker) and select the option for dark crust. This makes the bake time 1 hour.
- Pull the bread out of the bread maker and allow to cool.
Notes
- Although you can make this bread from start to finish without ever touching the dough, you have the option to take out the dough from the bread machine after kneading and remove the paddle. This will keep you from having to pull the kneading paddle out of the finished product.
- Though you could get away with just one knead cycle, I actually like to do it one more time. This ensures proper gluten formation for soft bread.
- Spritz the top of dough with water a few times to make sure the dough doesn’t dry out on top during rising. This is an optional step, but also helps the crust to turn golden in the baking step.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can I just use the dough feature on my machine then bake it after it has finished its cycle. I’ve never done one in a bread machine.
It will most likely need to rise for longer than the bread machine typically does.
Is the dough cycle the same as a knead cycle? Mine just has a dough cycle listed. Can I just do the dough cycle and leave it in there for the six hours?
Yes, that should be similar to the knead cycle if yours does not have knead listed on the machine.
I love this recipe! Have you tried it with honey or brown sugar in place of the granulated?
I have not! But both of those would be great alternatives.
I’m curious as well , would anyone know the ratio . Or just replace same amount?
Years ago, I was making bread in a machine and loving it. Last spring, I decided to learn how to make sourdough bread from scratch because my wife can tolerate very little gluten, but she can eat basic sourdough bread. I got to the point where I could make a decent loaf, but it was a three-day project. Then a family tragedy turned my world upside down and I stopped baking, but I had developed an excellent starter using Leo Maurizio’s guidance in “The Perfect Loaf” and kept it going for 5 months (with many 2-week breaks in the fridge). I wish I could share it with others instead of discarding 80% at every feeding!
I bought a KitchenArm “Smart” programmable bread machine (for about $100 and so far, I am very pleased with it) and followed their sourdough recipe with added yeast. It produces a consistent soft loaf with a tight crumb and a subtle flavor. I wanted something better and completely naturally leavened, but most recipes online either use added yeast or require hand shaping and baking. I wanted something that could be made overnight. This recipe almost seemed too good to be true.
I roughly converted 4 cups of bread flour to 516g and 1/2 cup of 1:1 starter to 135g. I modified it a little because I couldn’t program a 6-hour rest. I set the machine to do two 25-minute kneads five minutes apart, then a half hour rest, then a total 3-hour rise and a 1-hour bake. I thought the dough would rise a little faster because the machine heats up. I dumped the dough after the kneading, removed the paddle, rolled it in gluten-free flour and put it back in the machine, but I don’t think that was necessary. I went to bed worried I’d end up with a brick or a breadsplosion.
I woke up to a beautiful loaf. It rose just over the top. After thorough cooling we cut it, and it was terrific, with a crustier crust, airier crumb, and better flavor than the yeasted version I was making. It’s also good lightly toasted if, like me, you like it a little drier and firmer inside. This will likely be my go-to recipe. Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed it!
I’ve made it five times, and it always comes out well. Thank you! If I wanted the machine do the preparation and then bake it in the oven, what would you suggest for time, temperature, and technique? Would it need some additional shaping and proofing? Would the baking instructions from your “No-Knead Sourdough” recipe work? How about in a loaf pan?
Thanks so much for sharing this! I have a KitchenArm too and I wanted to try sourdough without the yeast, but wasn’t sure how to get the bread machine to do the work. I want to taste the difference using “traditional” sourdough starter compared to the one provided in their manual.
Thanks Lisa for the recipe, I’m excited to try it.
How do I make or buy a sour dough starter
You can usually buy sourdough starter at a local sourdough bakery, a dry starter online, or make your own https://www.farmhouseonboone.com/make-sourdough-starter-scratch
Just confirming the accuracy of the ingredients. I never use unsalted butter and just leave out the added salt ingredient. The formula that I was told to take away 1/4 tsp for every stick of butter. But your recipe is 1/2 Tbl salt for 1/4 C butter? I’ll try it, just double checking.
Yes, that’s how I make it!
I just made this. After the dough only cycle on my machine (a Cuisinart bread maker, which I think is probably the same exact as the Amazon one), I let it sit in the pan for a few hours, then took it out, kneaded it by hand for a bit, and then put it in a bread pan and left it in the oven for about an hour on the proof setting, and then left for a few hours, shutting the proof setting off but leaving the light on. When I got home, the dough had risen up to the edge of the pan, much more than I expected. I wasn’t sure what temperature I should set it at or for how long, so I started at 350ºF for 25 minutes, and then monitored it from there. After 25 minutes, I continued to bake it for another 25 minutes and got a perfect loaf. Also, to make a crusty top, I poured enough water to fill a full sheet pan and put it in the oven on the rack beneath the loaf as it baked.
I just started my sourdough journey a few weeks ago. Slowly learning from my missteps. This recipe was the best tasting and lightest loaf I have made. Gave me the boost I needed to keep going with traditional way as well. Thanks for the recipe. Delish!
Love to hear this! Enjoy the journey!
I’ve made this twice now with no luck. Two loaves that just wouldn’t rise. I have the same bread maker and have used it successfully for years with yeast doughs. I used the same settings you suggested but neither will rise and the first one had some uncooked dough in it as well. My starter is two weeks old and active and bubbly. It rises for other things, like hot dog buns and flatbread. Any suggestions? I’m new to sourdough. Love your recipes and channel. Thanks for sharing your home with us.
Hmmm. It’s hard to know if it is something with the machine or what. Is the starter really active and bubbly before you start the dough? Can the dough pass the windowpane test after kneading? How long are you letting it rise? Sourdough bread can take a long time to rise, especially as the temperature cools.
This bread recipe sounds absolutely mouthwatering! I’m eager to give it a try. When it comes to the starter, should I use equal amounts of water and flour by volume or weight? Or is there no significant difference?
This post should answer all your questions on your starter: https://www.farmhouseonboone.com/how-to-care-for-sourdough-starter
My first try was AMAZING… now I am feeling more confident to explore this more, today used the potato starter and it was perfect once again. Now I am wondering about this… placing the dough in the bread maker attachment in fridge over night for a long ferment so it can be baked in the morning for fresh lunch time bread. We are not a bread at dinner eating family, so we often seem to miss out on that day fresh bread. Lisa do you think this would work ? any warnings / concerns ?