Easy Unloaf Sourdough Bread Recipe -

Last Updated on October 13, 2025 by Jamie Saechao

This easy unloaf sourdough bread recipe is tangy, soft, chewy and delicious! Featuring flat and runny sourdough starter (also known as discard), it’s been my family’s favorite and baked on repeat over the last few weeks.

unloaf sourdough bread loaf made with sourdough discard

This is the best sourdough method for busy moms or people who like to approach their bread baking with a slightly lazy hand. It’s the perfect approach for beginner baker’s- no stretch and folds, preheating of the Dutch oven, or fancy shaping required.

It’s so effortless yet turns out delicious every time! This recipe is designed so you can make it same day OR ferment it overnight.

Because we are using discard instead of active starter, this bread has a much stronger flavor! Perfect for those of you seeking out a tangy, strongly flavored sourdough bread.

Try my other popular sourdough recipes- sourdough sandwich bread, Dutch oven sourdough, rosemary sourdough loaf, and same day sourdough bread.

Ingredients

You only need a few ingredients for this chewy bread loaf:

Sourdough discard: flat sourdough starter that needs to be fed. I have used cold discard from the fridge and discard sitting at room temperature.
Water-filtered water works best.
Bread flour
Salt

Learn how to make a sourdough starter and feed it here.

Recipe Tips + Notes

I have noticed that this bread takes a bit longer to rise than when using active starter, especially when using cold discard from the fridge. Allow 1-2 more hours on average.
All purpose flour may be substituted for bread flour with no problem.
I feed my sourdough starter a 1:1 ratio, so equal amounts of flour and water each time.
Just like any sourdough recipe, temperature is key to the bulk ferment. In warmer temperatures, the dough will rise faster. This recipe was developed at 74 degrees F and took 9 hours to ferment.

How To Make Unloaf Sourdough Bread

Mix the water and sourdough discard in a large bowl with a spatula or dough whisk.

Add in the flour and salt. Mix all the ingredients until very well combined. Since we are not doing any stretch and folds you want to make sure everything is very well incorporated.

Cover with a plastic wrap or shower cap and allow the dough to ferment at room temperature until almost double in size (see notes below), or about 7-10 hours, depending on room temperature.

**This recipe was developed at 74 degrees F and took 9 hours to ferment.

sourdough unloaf ingredients mixed together in a bowl

sourdough unloaf bread after it has bulk fermented

After bulk fermentation, you can stick the dough into the fridge for a longer ferment. Or, you can continue on and bake it immediately.

When the dough is ready, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Lightly flour your work surface and dump the dough on top.

Shaping: To shape the dough, tuck all four sides into the center, one at a time. Roll the dough over so the seam is down. Now push the dough away from you with one hand, using the other hand to pull or “spin” it towards you. This builds elasticity and tension in the bread.

unloaf sourdough bread being shaped into a round boule

tension being added to unloaf sourdough bread when shaping

Use a razor or sharp knife to score the dough. I do a simple side score on this bread, but you can get more easy scoring ideas here.

Put the bread in the cold Dutch oven and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the lid and continue baking for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

Isn’t it just pretty!?

unloaf sourdough bread in cold dutch oven after being scored

For best results, the bread cool for a at least one hour before slicing!

Baking Timeline

For an overnight ferment, start the dough before you go to bed, allowing for 7-10 hours of bulk ferment time.

For a same day ferment, start your recipe early in the morning, allotting ample time for the dough to rise.

Place the dough into the refrigerator after bulk ferment to bake at a later time. The dough will continue to ferment at a very slow rate, developing even more of a sour flavor!

How To Tell When The Dough Is Fermented

Figuring out when dough is fermented can be tricky! Here are the top signs that your dough is ready for the next step:

The dough will be slightly jiggly + slightly domed.
If using a glass bowl there will be LOTS of bubbles, or air pockets, visible on the bottom and sides.
The dough should easily pull away from the sides of the bowl.

Faq’s

What is the sourdough unloaf bread method?

The sourdough unloaf bread recipe uses sourdough discard to ferment the dough instead of active sourdough starter.

What is sourdough discard?

Sourdough discard is unfed sourdough starter. It is the portion of sourdough starter that is left over after active starter has been used in a recipe, and the remaining starter has gone flat and needs to be fed.

Can I use refrigerated sourdough discard for this recipe?

Yes, cold refrigerated sourdough discard will work!

Inclusions

You can add inclusions when mixing together all of the bread ingredients. Here are a few ideas:

Add 1 tablespoon honey and 1 tablespoon olive oil to soften the loaf
Add in 1 cup of chocolate chips to sweeten things up
Add herbs like oregano, basil, rosemary and thyme for an Italian loaf!