This No-Knead Bread is the easiest recipe ever! Flour, salt, yeast, and water combine then bake in a hot Dutch Oven to make the most delicious crusty bread.
No-Knead Bread
There are few things I love more than freshly baked bread slathered with butter and sometimes jelly. Something about it feels so old-fashioned, homey, and comforting. Maybe it’s the basicness of it that makes me have all of the feels … or maybe there is some kind of memory that I can’t truly recollect, but it conjures up enough in me that I feel somehow more connected to history or family in something so silly as homemade bread. Do you ever feel like that?
This just might be the world’s easiest bread recipe ever. If the thought of baking bread intimidates you, then this is a good recipe to start with since it’s almost foolproof! If you’re an experienced baker, this is a great recipe for those times when you don’t want to do a bunch of work – this bread recipe almost takes care of itself! Let’s be honest, we all need days like that some times. ? The best part? You’ll only need a handful of common ingredients to make this crusty. delicious bread.
What is No-Knead Bread?
Simply put, it is a type of bread baking method that uses a long fermentation or rising time instead of the traditional kneading method to form strands of gluten that gives bread its texture and chew. Generally, the dough requires little yeast and is wet or sticky.
Ingredients for Homemade Bread:
- all-purpose flour
- salt
- instant yeast
- room temperature water
How to Make No Knead Bread:
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and yeast. Stir in the water until blended; the dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest 12-18 hours at room temperature.
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Place in a 6 to 8-quart heavy covered pot in the oven and let it heat for about 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, gently scrape the dough onto a well-floured work surface. Shape the dough into a ball. Place the dough on a piece of parchment paper and cover loosely with plastic wrap.
- Once the pot is heated, remove the plastic wrap from the dough ball. Carefully lift the dough and parchment paper together and place them so the parchment paper lines the bottom of the pan (NOTE: the pot will be extremely hot so use caution when lowering the parchment paper and dough into the pot!)
- Cover the pot with the lid and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and continue to bake for an additional 10-15 minutes.
No Knead Bread: FAQs
Can you knead the bread?
Sure … you could, but that defeats the purpose of no-knead bread! ? Take the easy route on this one and use a traditional kneaded bread recipe if you *really* want to knead bread!
How does No-Knead Bread work?
Instead of the traditional kneading method, which many of us are familiar with, No-Knead Bread uses fermentation to form gluten strands that give bread its texture. Most no-knead bread recipes will call for a small amount of yeast, and the dough will be wet or sticky.
Why is my bread so dense?
This usually happens because there is too much flour. This dough should be sticky, and although it might be tempting to add more flour – Don’t do it!! Sometimes, humidity or the age of the flour might affect the density of the bread.
Why is my bread so gummy?
Check your oven temperature! Gummy bread usually occurs because the crust forms on the bread before the inside has reached its full volume.
Why is my bread so flat?
Your yeast may be past its expiration date or the water temperature could have been too hot and killed the yeast.
How did you like this recipe
I’d love to hear your thoughts! Everyone loves a great homemade bread recipe and this not only easy, but it is also a family favorite! I would love to know about your experiences with the recipe. Please leave me a comment, or ask a question if you have one!
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No Knead Bread
This No-Knead Bread is the easiest recipe ever! Flour, salt, yeast, and water combine then bake in a hot Dutch Oven to make the most delicious crusty bread.
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
- 1-1/2 cups room temperature water
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and yeast. Stir in the water until blended; the dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest 12-18 hours at room temperature.
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Place in a 6 to 8-quart heavy covered pot in the oven and let it heat for about 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, gently scrape the dough onto a well-floured work surface. Shape the dough into a ball. Place the dough on a piece of parchment paper and cover loosely with plastic wrap.
- Once the pot is heated, remove the plastic wrap from the dough ball. Carefully lift the dough and parchment paper together and place them so the parchment paper lines the bottom of the pan (NOTE: the pot will be extremely hot so use caution when lowering the parchment paper and dough into the pot!)
- Cover the pot with the lid and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and continue to bake for an additional 10-15 minutes.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1 sliceAmount Per Serving: Calories: 114Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 355mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 1gSugar: 0gProtein: 3g
Please note that the nutritional information listed on this page is an estimation based on the products I used. Ingredients and nutritional information can vary greatly between brands. Always be sure to read labels.
Hello,
Thanks a lot for sharing with us your experience. Unfortunately I don’t have a dutch oven, is there any other way that I can bake this bread with? I have tried spraying water over the bread, but the results is gummy yet and after a while the breads get tough!! What can I do? Help me please….
Regards,
As long as your cookware is oven-safe and can withstand temperatures over 450°F, you can use any covered metal pot for baking bread. A 4-quart soup pot should be able to hold the bread. If the pot doesn’t happen to have an oven-safe lid, feel free to swap-in aluminum foil or a baking sheet over the top to trap the steam inside. I hope that helps!
Thank you!! 🙂
Dear Mahsa,
I used a lidded soup pan the first time. Not heavy in weight, but ovenproof, so I’d say any lidded cooking pot would work! The loaf turned out just fine.
This looks amazing. I am gluten intolerant. Can I use gluten free flour?
Unfortunately, I don’t have much knowledge of gluten-free products. If you do use gluten-free flour in this recipe, I would love to know how it turned out in case anyone else has the same question. Thanks so much!
I don’t have Instant yeast. Would active dry yeast work?
Yes, you can use that. Just be sure to dissolve the yeast in water first.
I noticed that there wasn’t any sugar in the recipe
Can you substitute whole wheat flour for white fliur
Thanks for the question! I have never made it that way but I’m guessing based on some other recipes I’ve tried, you can swap it out just fine. Just a note, sometimes whole wheat flour makes the finished product seem drier and produces a coarser texture. If you decide to give it a try, I would love to hear how it turned out in case anyone else has the same question!
I’ve made this recipe twice, now! First time, I followed it to the letter, and it made a lovely loaf, though because you recommended a 6-8 quart pan, I used a lidded soup pan, not too heavy, as it was all I have in that size. I’ve now done a second loaf, tweaking the recipe. Wanting a bit more height, I doubled the instant yeast to 1 tsp., and it did raise up a bit more, though the dough was a bit lighter, so harder to shape without a bit of extra flour on the board. I also added some seasonings and about 1 1/4 cup of sliced green olives and chopped sun-dried tomatoes. It baked up beautifully in a size 20 Le Creuset casserole, which holds about 2 quarts! It tastes better than the olive loaves I’ve bought in a bakery. My next experiment will be with some granary flour. Thanks for finally getting me to bake bread!
This is just what I want to hear! I have never baked bread but now, I really think tomorrow will be the day!
Can you make this with a shorter rise time? Just trying to figure timing if we were to have it with dinner. Thanks!
It might affect the taste and texture slightly, but you could try the shorter time as long as it has had some time to hang out before baking it.
I like adding about 1/2,cup whole wheat flour., 1-2 teaspoons flour and let my ball lof dough rise in a bowl with a bit if olive oil on second rise. I also add cornmeal or sesame seeds to the outside and make a few cuts with scissors to the ball before baking. Spritzing the uncovered loaf in the last 10-15 minutes when you take the lid off also makes crust crunchier. I have added Italian seasoning to the dough as it rises from time to time.
In the past, I used a slightly modified recipe. In it, I used wholewheat flour and 1TBs molasses. I dissolved the molasses dry yeast in 110 degree water. Then I also warmed the flour until it seemed to be around 110 degrees. By this time, the yeast was growing very fast. (Make sure the bowl used for the molasses an yeast mixture is rather large, or the yeast will grow all over the place, literally. The resting stage only takes a couple of hours. The dough is quite moist. I believe the over temperature was 375. I used olive oil to grease the loaf pan before baking. After baking, the bread is greased with olive oil as well.
Can I make baguettes with this recipe? If I divide the dough in two and put them side by side in the Dutch oven would that work? Otherwise I have a two loaf baguette pan but then I couldn’t preheat or cover it.
I just made this bread recipe, used a 7 qt Le Creuset Dutch oven, came out terrific, thank you for sharing
This is the best and easiest bread recipe! Have made it 5 times and will continue to do so! Thank you so much for this amazingly yummy and easy recipe!
I made the bread exactly like the recipe said. It’s all gone. Making another one now. My boys say it’s fantastic. Thank you!
Can you add cheese ?
sure.
Any recommendations for high altitude?
I’m unfamiliar with high-altitude baking, but found a great resource for you at King Arthur Baking