Air Fryer Recipe
Air Fryer Sourdough Bread
This recipe adapts traditional sourdough bread-making for the air fryer, offering a quicker way to enjoy its classic taste and texture.
Ingredients
- 200g active sourdough starter
- 500g strong bread flour
- 350g water
- 10g salt
Method
- Feed the sourdough starter 4-8 hours before baking to ensure it's active and bubbly.
- In a large bowl, mix the starter, flour, water, and salt until combined. Let sit for 30 minutes to an hour.
- Perform the stretch and fold method every 30 minutes over 2 hours to strengthen the dough.
- Let the dough rise at room temperature for 4-5 hours until doubled in size.
- Shape the dough into a round and let it rest for a few minutes.
- Place the dough in a floured proofing basket or bowl and let it rise for 2-4 hours.
- Preheat the air fryer to 200°C for 10 minutes, using an oven thermometer to check accuracy.
- Line the air fryer basket with parchment paper, transfer the dough, and make slashes on top.
- Air fry at 200°C for 25-30 minutes, rotating halfway for even browning.
- Remove the bread and let it cool on a wire rack for at least an hour before slicing.
Why this works in an air fryer
Stretch-and-folds align gluten so the wet dough can trap fermentation gas, while the air fryer’s fast convection dries and browns the crust quickly. Scoring gives steam a controlled escape route; otherwise the expanding loaf splits at weak points. Cooling lets the starch gel set so the crumb does not turn gummy.
Equipment notes
Assumes a 5-6 litre basket that can take a roughly 18cm round loaf with at least 3cm clearance above it; smaller drawers are better with a half batch. In a single-drawer air fryer, centre the loaf and rotate once; in a dual-zone model, use one drawer only, expect slightly faster browning, and check 5 minutes early.
Common pitfalls
- Top dark by minute 15 but loaf feels heavy or sounds dull underneath? Drop to 170-180°C, tent loosely with foil, and continue until the base is firm and hollow-sounding.
- Loaf spreads flat when turned out? The dough is over-proofed or gluten is underdeveloped; shorten the final proof next time and add one extra stretch-and-fold set during bulk fermentation.
- Crust pale and leathery after 30 minutes? The basket is too crowded or the parchment is blocking airflow; trim the parchment close to the dough and extend cooking in 5-minute bursts.
- Random side blow-out instead of opening at the slash? The cut was too shallow or the surface dried during proofing; score 1cm deep at a low angle and cover the dough during the final rise.
Variations & substitutions
- Replace 50g of the strong white flour with wholemeal flour; it absorbs more water and ferments faster, so expect a slightly tighter crumb and check proofing earlier.
- Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the dough for a softer crust; it browns a little quicker in the air fryer, so watch the top after 20 minutes.
- Fold in 75g grated mature Cheddar after the first stretch-and-fold; leaked cheese can brown fast, so use parchment and check the base halfway through.
- Add 1 teaspoon caraway, fennel, or nigella seeds with the flour; seeds on the surface toast quickly, so brush off loose ones before air frying.
Storage & reheating
Keeps for 2 days at room temperature wrapped in a tea towel or 3 months frozen; reheat slices in the air fryer at 160°C for 3-5 minutes, or a larger piece for 6-8 minutes.
Nutrition
Calories: 250
