Chewy, crusty sourdough bread is more attainable than you think! This Garlic and Chive loaf can so easily be made in your own kitchen using minimal utensils. My daughters like to stir the dough together with a large spoon. It is that easy!! Any kind of fresh herb can be added to this loaf. A wonderful fragrance filled my kitchen while this loaf was being baked. A slice is so tasty with just a smear of butter and fresh herbs.

To make sourdough bread you will need a starter. You can easily make a starter or I will ship you a small jar of mature starter for the cost of packing/shipping. Here are helpful tips on taking care of your starter…Sourdough Starter.

To have a successful baking day you do need a mature starter. If you make a starter you will need to feed it for at least 3-4 weeks before you will be able to have a successful baking day. Trust me I have learned from experience. My Bernese Mountain Dogs loved those first super dense loaves.
A bit of white flour is allowed in a loaf of bread. The bread will still be THM approved as an E. I choose to use King Arthur Bread Flour in my starter. This white flour will be fermented for 20+ hours until I bake the bread. That is why I choose to use it in the starter. In the dough I use all whole grain white wheat flour.
I receive many questions about why I use vital wheat gluten. Here is the reason I add vital wheat gluten—whole grain flour is much harder to develop the gluten that is what you get dense solid loaves. Gluten is the structure that traps gases cause the loaf to rise. By adding vital wheat gluten you will have adequate gluten to trap the gases cause your loaves to rise much better.
Whole grain flour takes longer to absorb moisture than white flour. That makes it so easy to get your bread dough too stiff. If your bread dough seems stiff — every time you do a set of stretch and folds, dip your hands in water. This added moisture will help to loosen the dough.
This article explains what flours can be used and why they are used in on-plan sourdough bread.

Garlic/Chive No-knead Sourdough Bread THM-E
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 3-4 garlic cloves,minced
- 1 1/4 cups active sourdough starter
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 2 3/4 cups White Whole Wheat Flour
- 2 tablespoons vital wheat gluten
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup minced fresh chives
- In a small frying pan over medium heat, saute minced garlic in oil until lightly browned. Set aside to cool. In a large mixing bowl, stir ingredients together starter, water, flour, and gluten until combined. You will have a rough, sticky dough. Cover and allow it to rise for 20-30 minutes. Remove lid. Sprinkle salt and sauteed garlic over the dough. Gently pick up one side of the dough, fold it in half. Repeat with all four sides of dough. Cover and allow to rise for another hour. Repeat 3 more times for a total of 4 folding times. At the last set of stretch and folds–sprinkle the chives over the dough and fold them in. Refrigerating ferment: Allow the dough to ferment for a total of 4 hours at room temperature from the time you mix it until you put the dough in the fridge. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 12 hours or longer. Remove dough from the refrigerator. Shape following the directions below. Room temperature ferment: Allow the dough to ferment at room temperature for a total of 7 hours from the time you mix it until you shape it to be baked. Shaping the dough: Fold dough in 3rds, pinching the edges together to seal the edges. Turn dough and fold in 3rds, pinching to seal edges. Lay on parchment paper. Baking in a hot baker: shape the loaf and allow it to be at room temperature while oven preheats. Place baker/lid in oven on the bottom rack and turn oven to 450 degree F. When oven is at correct temperature. Slash the loaf. Place loaf into the baker carefully by holding the sides of the parchment paper. Place lid on the Baker. Set the timer for 35 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees. Remove the lid and bake for an additional 12-13 minutes. Remove clay baker from oven. Remove loaf to a wire rack to cool. Baking in a cold baker: Line the bottom of the clay baker with parchment paper or foil. Place loaf seam side down in a clay baker. Cover. Allow loaf to warm to room temperature for 15 minutes. Remove the lid from the baker and fill with water. Allow the water to soak the lid for 10 minutes. Slash the loaf with a sharp knife. Empty the water from the lid and place it on the clay baker. Place the covered baker into the hot oven. Set the timer for 35 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees. Remove the lid and bake for an additional 12-13 minutes. Remove clay baker from oven. Remove loaf to a wire rack to cool. 12-14 slices.
- To be plan approved for THM sourdough items made with sourdough starter needs a 7 hours room temp ferment OR 24 hour fridge ferment. You can combine room and fridge temp, also. 1 hour room temp equals 3.5 hours in the fridge.
- THE 7 HOUR FERMENTING TIME IS COUNTED FROM THE TIME YOU MIX THE DOUGH UNTIL YOU BAKE IT.
Here is a helpful tip when doing stretch and folds. Dip your hands in water before touching the dough. The water on your hands will prevent the dough from sticking.
2 slices of bread are considered an E category and 1 slice an S-helper under THM guidelines.


In the above video you will see me doing the stretch and folds in 2 loaves of bread. The first loaf is a higher hydration — the Garlic/chive Loaf. The second bowl of dough is Pumpkin Cinnamon. You will see that the dough is stiffer.


This post has affiliated links, if you purchase items through these links, I receive a small commission but your price doesn’t change. Your purchase help support this blog, keeps new recipes coming, and assist with our move to a mission outreach of our church. Below are a few of my favorites listed under the affiliate store I purchase them. I love the spatulas to mix my sourdough starter and no-knead bread dough..
I love my Princess House Fantasia Bowls with lids that I use when making sourdough bread. Also, after using many kinds of knives, I am sold on the Princess House serrated bread knife. It is awesome!! My friend Kirsten is a great person to contact for Princess House. www.princesshouse.com/Kbrubaker

Just look at this lovely Baking Set from Bighorn Exchange. It has everything you need in one package!


Roasted Garlic & Chive No-knead Sourdough Bread THM E
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 3-4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 1/4 cups active sourdough starter
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 3 cups White Whole Wheat Flour
- 2 tablespoons vital wheat gluten
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup minced fresh chives
Instructions
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In a small frying pan over medium heat, saute minced garlic in oil until lightly browned. Set aside to cool. In a large mixing bowl, stir ingredients together starter, water, flour, and gluten until combined. You will have a rough, sticky dough. Cover and allow it to rise for 20-30 minutes. Remove lid. Sprinkle salt and sauteed garlic over the dough. Gently pick up one side of the dough, fold it in half. Repeat with all four sides of dough. Cover and allow to rise for another hour. Repeat 2 more times for a total of 4 folding times. At the last set of stretch and folds–sprinkle the chives over the dough and fold them in. Refrigerating ferment: Allow the dough to ferment for a total of 4 hours at room temperature from the time you mix it until you put the dough in the fridge. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 12 hours or longer. Remove dough from the refrigerator. Shape following the directions below. Room temperature ferment: Allow the dough to ferment at room temperature for a total of 7 hours from the time you mix it until you shape it to be baked. Shaping the dough: Fold dough in 3rds, pinching the edges together to seal the edges. Turn dough and fold in 3rds, pinching to seal edges. Lay on parchment paper. Baking in a hot baker: shape the loaf and allow it to be at room temperature while oven preheats. Place baker/lid in oven on the bottom rack and turn oven to 450 degree F. When oven is at correct temperature. Slash the loaf. Place loaf into the baker carefully by holding the sides of the parchment paper. Place lid on the Baker. Set the timer for 35 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees. Remove the lid and bake for an additional 12-13 minutes. Remove clay baker from oven. Remove loaf to a wire rack to cool. Baking in a cold baker: Line the bottom of the clay baker with parchment paper or foil. Place loaf seam side down in a clay baker. Cover. Allow loaf to warm to room temperature for 15 minutes. Remove the lid from the baker and fill with water. Allow the water to soak the lid for 10 minutes. Slash the loaf with a sharp knife. Empty the water from the lid and place it on the clay baker. Place the covered baker into the hot oven. Set the timer for 35 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees. Remove the lid and bake for an additional 12-13 minutes. Remove clay baker from oven. Remove loaf to a wire rack to cool. 12-14 slices.
To be plan approved for THM sourdough items made with sourdough starter needs a 7 hours room temp ferment OR 24 hour fridge ferment. You can combine room and fridge temp, also. 1 hour room temp equals 3.5 hours in the fridge.THE 7 HOUR FERMENTING TIME IS COUNTED FROM THE TIME YOU MIX THE DOUGH UNTIL YOU BAKE IT.
You will find many more recipes in the spiral bound 600+ page Around the Family Table Cookbook. All recipes are sugar-free and label with the correct fuel. Books can be purchased using this link. We have now added additional items to our store… Sourdough Starter Kits and more. Buy It Now.


So you soak the lid of the clay baker when you are using it hot? I just got one and have never used it so I want to make sure I’m doing it right!
You can soak the lid when it is cold but don’t add water to a hot baker…it will crack.
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