Air Fryer Sourdough Bread: Crispy Crust Without the Oven

So you’ve got a sourdough starter bubbling away on your counter, but your oven is broken. Or maybe it’s July and turning on the oven feels like a punishment. Perhaps you live in a tiny apartment with nothing but an air fryer and big bread dreams.

Good news: your air fryer can bake sourdough bread. Actually good sourdough, with a crackling crust and that chewy, tangy crumb you’re craving.

I stumbled onto this method out of desperation during a kitchen renovation. Three weeks without an oven - my starter was hungry. I was hungry - the air fryer was just… sitting there. What happened next changed how I think about small-batch bread baking.

Why Air Fryer Sourdough Actually Works

Air fryers are basically tiny convection ovens. They circulate hot air around food at high speeds, which creates exactly what bread needs: consistent heat and good airflow for crust development.

The compact space actually helps here. All that hot air stays concentrated around your dough, creating an intense baking environment. You’re not heating a massive oven cavity for one small loaf.

There are tradeoffs, obviously. You can’t bake a full-sized boule. The shape needs to fit your basket. But for personal-sized loaves or rolls? An air fryer handles them beautifully.

The Recipe: Small-Batch Air Fryer Sourdough

This makes one personal loaf, about 6 inches across. Perfect for two people, or one person who really likes bread. No judgment.

Ingredients

• 100g active sourdough starter (fed within the last 4-8 hours)
• 150g bread flour
• 90g water (room temperature)
• 4g salt

That’s it. Simple ratios that scale easily if you want to experiment.

The Night Before

Mix your starter, flour, and water in a medium bowl. Squish it together until no dry flour remains. Cover and let it rest 30 minutes. This rest, called autolyse, lets the flour absorb water and starts gluten development before you even touch it again.

Add the salt. Squeeze and fold the dough until the salt dissolves and incorporates. The dough will feel tighter, a bit resistant. That’s the salt strengthening the gluten network.

Now comes the waiting. Over the next 3-4 hours, do a series of stretch and folds every 30-45 minutes. Wet your hand, grab one side of the dough, stretch it up, fold it over the middle. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees - repeat four times. That’s one set.

After 4-6 sets (depending on how active your starter is), the dough should feel puffy and hold its shape better. You’ll see bubbles on the surface and sides.

Shape into a tight ball. Place it seam-side up in a small bowl lined with a floured kitchen towel. Cover and refrigerate overnight. This cold proof develops flavor and makes the dough easier to handle.

Baking Day

Pull the dough from the fridge. Don’t let it warm up-cold dough scores better and holds its shape.

Here’s where things get specific to air fryers:

Cut a circle of parchment paper to fit your air fryer basket. Leave some overhang so you can lift the bread out easily. Flip your dough onto the parchment, seam-side down.

Score the top with a sharp knife or razor blade. One decisive slash, about half an inch deep. Don’t saw at it.

Preheat your air fryer to 375°F (190°C) for 5 minutes. Some people skip preheating with air fryers-don’t skip it for bread.

Lower the parchment with the dough into the basket. Bake at 375°F for 25 minutes. Then reduce to 350°F (175°C) and bake another 10-15 minutes until deep golden brown.

The internal temperature should hit 200-205°F (93-96°C) if you want to check with a thermometer. But honestly, a good thump test works too. Knock on the bottom of the loaf. It should sound hollow.

Let it cool at least 20 minutes before cutting. I know - i know it’s hard. But cutting into hot bread compresses the crumb and releases all that steam you want trapped inside.

Tips I Learned the Hard Way

**Size matters more than you’d think. ** Your dough ball should have at least an inch of clearance on all sides in the basket. Bread expands. If it touches the sides, you’ll get weird flat spots and uneven crust.

**Lower temperatures, longer bake. ** My first attempt was at 400°F. The outside was charcoal - the inside was raw. Air fryers run hot and the concentrated heat is intense. Start lower than you think.

**Parchment is non-negotiable. ** Even in a non-stick basket. Sourdough sticks like cement. The parchment also helps you lift the loaf out without burning yourself or deflating the bread.

**Steam is tricky but doable. ** For the first 10 minutes, you can place a small oven-safe ramekin of water in the basket. It creates steam for better oven spring. Remove it after 10 minutes so the crust can crisp. Some air fryers hate this though-water can interfere with the heating element. Test carefully.

**Watch for hot spots. ** Rotate the bread 180 degrees halfway through baking. Most air fryers have uneven heat distribution near the heating element.

Common Problems and Fixes

Bread is pale on top: Your air fryer’s heating element is probably on the top, so the bottom gets more heat. Flip the loaf upside down for the last 5 minutes of baking. Sounds wrong, but it works.

Dense, gummy crumb: Either underproofed or underbaked. Extend the cold proof by another 4-6 hours next time, or bake 5 minutes longer. The internal temp is your friend here.

Crust goes soft after cooling: Store the bread cut-side down on a cutting board, not in a bag. Air fryer loaves have thinner crusts than oven-baked ones, so they soften faster when trapped in plastic.

Flat loaf with no rise: Check your starter. Is it really active? Does it double in 4-6 hours after feeding? A sluggish starter makes sluggish bread. Also, your bulk fermentation might have gone too long, causing the dough to overproof.

Beyond Basic Loaves

Once you’ve got the technique down, play around. Sourdough focaccia works surprisingly well in an air fryer. Press the dough into a small pan that fits your basket, dimple it, add olive oil and toppings, bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes.

Sourdough rolls are even easier. Divide your dough into 4 portions, shape into balls, and bake at 360°F for 15-18 minutes. Great for sandwiches.

Sourdough pizza crust? Stretch thin, par-bake for 5 minutes at 375°F, add toppings, bake another 5-7 minutes. The crust gets legitimately crispy.

The Honest Assessment

Is air fryer sourdough as good as oven-baked in a Dutch oven with perfect steam? No - the crust is thinner. The crumb is slightly tighter. You can’t get that dramatic ear or blistered surface.

But is it good bread - absolutely. It’s tangy, chewy, crusty, and satisfying. It solves real problems for people without ovens, with small kitchens, or who want fresh bread without heating up the whole house.

And there’s something liberating about it. You don’t need a $300 Dutch oven or a bread cloche or a steam injection setup. Just a cheap air fryer, some flour, water, salt, and a little alive culture.

My renovation ended months ago - i have my oven back. But I still make air fryer loaves when I want bread for just me-quick, small, minimal dishes to wash afterward.

Give it a shot. Your starter doesn’t care where it gets baked. It just wants to become bread.