Low Sodium Artisan Bread and No-Knead! - Tasty, Healthy Heart Recipes (2024)

Low Sodium Artisan Bread is the way to go when you need a good hearty bread to make appetizer plates or something that will sop up a good savory stew or gravy dish. I usually make my standard bread in a bread machine. While this makes good sandwich bread, once in a while you need something a little more robust but still low sodium. That’s where an easy no-knead artisan bread steps in that is still low sodium.

The dough literally only takes 5-10 minutes to mix up but needs 8 to 24 hours to rise. I usually make it the night before I plan on baking it and it works out perfect with no worries. If you must use it after just eight hours, you should see lots of bubbles on the surface though this dough may not rise as much as you would think.

How Much Sodium is in Artisan Bread?

The sodium level in purchased artisan bread is really hard to nail down. Store-bought bread that I’ve looked at is 350mg of sodium per cup. Really, a cup of bread? How are we supposed to evaluate that? Let us just say it is extremely high.

But not to worry about this Low Sodium Artisan Bread! It makes about an 8” round loaf so you can easily get 10 large slices at just 3mg per slice. And I’m being very generous and conservative here I think. This should leave plenty of room in your budget to add other flavorings if you desire.

How To Serve and Use Your Artisan Bread

This bread is pretty plain by itself and is best used while still a bit warm with an olive oil dip or whatever appetizer addition you plan on using with it. It is also great to use right away or later with a stew or any gravy sopping dish that good hearty bread is needed to take the abuse of being drenched in savory gravy.

The bread tends to harden up in a day or so and should be placed in a Ziploc bag and stored in the fridge. It does not do too well sitting on the counter for too long.

But if you have leftovers and it does start to harden up – don’t throw it away! Put it in a heavy-duty freezer bag and keep it in the freezer. You can later thaw and cube it up for a stuffing mix. I often make this bread just for cubed stuffing as the store-bought is so high in sodium. Or it also makes the best bread crumbles for meatloaf, just give it a few pulses in a food processor and mix into your meatloaf.

Is Plastic Wrap Required When Letting Dough Rise?

The short answer is no, plastic wrap is not required, but it should be covered. The main reason dough is covered during the rising stage is to avoid a dry crust from forming on the exposed surface. If not covered, the dough can dry out over the time required for it to rise. This crusting can cause overly hard chunks during baking, but can also actually slow expansion during the final proof.

People have used towels over the bowl for hundreds of years so it seems like it should work just fine. I wouldn’t let it actually touch the dough though as I would think then it would actually wick away some of the moisture. Plus nowadays most dough is given a surface covering of oil that helps prevent moisture from escaping.

I hate using plastic wrap to cover a large bowl. I don’t like the waste and I can never get it to stick well. What I usually do is just use an old plastic grocery bag over the top. Or recently I have a couple of clear shower caps, from the dollar store that I place over bowls that need to be covered. The caps work excellent as they have an elastic edge that holds them in place and is easy to store.

No Knead Low Sodium Artisan Bread Flavor Variations

I’ve made the garlic and rosemary before along with caraway seed that was very good, but here are some other ideas too:

• Garlic and Rosemary
• Jalapeno
• Caraway Seed
• Sunflower, & Poppy Seeds
• Sesame Seed
• Sun-dried Tomato with chopped Basil
• Lemon Zest and Thyme
• And many others!

Bonus! – How to Make Low Sodium Stuffing or Croutons?

Update: I now have a full recipe for croutons you can see here .

Once you’ve made homemade croutons or stuffing, there may be no going back. You shouldn’t be anyway on a low sodium regimen as both are super high in sodium. Besides those teeny tiny little cubes, you get in bag stuffing are so boring, right?

Just take this quick crouton recipe with the further steps to make stuffing and you’ll be all set. Keep an eye out for my low sodium stuffing recipe upcoming in the future. I made my first low sodium stuffing with this bread and it was the best I have ever had anywhere, anytime and I really think the bread made the difference, despite the low sodium. Here are the basics:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F. Rough cut the bead into cube size of choice.

• Most recipes say to drizzle olive oil in, but I don’t like the coverage doing that. Some cubes get too much, some don’t get any. I like to use a mister filled with olive oil and mist them all while slowly stirring. Then sprinkle in garlic powder, Mrs. Dash Table Blend, and Italian herb spices to taste while mixing.

• Spread the cubes in an even layer on a large sheet pan. Bake for 10 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp. If you just baked the bread, it will take a little longer to become golden brown. But if the bread is older and dry, it should brown faster. Always keep an eye on it!

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• This bread makes excellent Low Sodium Croutons
• Some bread to sop up the gravy
• Low Sodium Cornbread with Honey
• Homemade Low Sodium Naan Flatbread
• Other savory meals
• A savory Low Sodium Beef Stew
• Low Sodium Meatballs and Gravy
• Savory Low Sodium Beef Tips and Gravy

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As always, please let me know how you like this recipe in the comments! I get motivated when I hear from you and am interested to learn about how you liked and served your Low Sodium Artisan Bread. And please leave a comment or rating and share any tips you might have.

Nutrition Information – The information shown is provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be substituted for a doctor’s or nutritionist’s advice. Please understand that not everyone’s sodium requirements are the same, therefore some recipes may be higher than you’re allowed. Always consult with your doctor for your recommended daily sodium allowance.