Sourdough has a reputation for being demanding: feeding schedules, folding every half hour, a vocabulary of its own. I tested the simplest method I could find to see how much of that is really necessary.

The method is this. Mix flour, water, salt and a spoonful of active starter in the evening. Cover it and leave it on the counter overnight. In the morning, tip it onto a floured surface, fold it into a rough ball, let it rest for an hour, and bake it in a lidded pot in a very hot oven.

That is all. No kneading, no stretching every thirty minutes, no special tools beyond a heavy pot.

The result is a loaf with a deep, crackling crust and a tangy, chewy inside. The crumb is tighter than a bakery loaf, and the shape is more rustic than round. But it is unmistakably good bread, and it fits around a working day.