No Knead Bread – no kneading required, 4 simple ingredients, baked in a Dutch Oven! The result is simple perfection, hands down the best bread you’ll ever eat!
The simplicity of this no knead bread is what I love the most and the fact that your entire house will smell of fresh bread as you bake this. This bread could not get any easier, it’s even easier than the artisan bread.
The ingredients are the same as for the artisan bread but the way it’s made, totally different. The thought of baking bread in a cast iron pot with the lid on never crossed my mind years ago, but it makes complete sense. As you bake it with the lid on, it creates steam inside the pot therefore creating a nice crust on the bread. We know steam makes crusty bread, I learned this a long time ago as well.
WHAT IS NO KNEAD BREAD?
No Knead Bread was first published in the New York Times about 10 years ago. It’s a bread you make that, obviously, requires no kneading which is why it’s become so popular. You basically throw everything in a bowl, mix it up, let it sit around for a few hours and let the yeast do its work, then bake it.
The slow rise is what gives the bread that great flavor, and the baking method is what gives it that incredible crispy crust.
HOW TO MAKE NO KNEAD BREAD
Making this could not get any easier. Simply mix the flour, salt and yeast together and then add the water to it. Mix it using a wooden spoon or spatula until it’s all incorporated, no need to over mix, it will look like a sticky mess. Cover up the bowl, let it rest outside on the counter for 12 to 18 hours. Yes, if you thought you were going to eat bread today you won’t, you have to let it rest for that long, and also please do not refrigerate it.
I left mine for 18 hours overnight, and after all that time that sticky mess will rise and will become even stickier but that’s OK. You have to preheat your oven to 450 F degrees, and also preheat your cast iron pot as well.
You don’t have to use a cast iron pot if you don’t have one, any other oven proof pot with a lid on would work. When the pot is heated, be careful not to burn yourself, using a lot of flour on your hands roughly shape the dough into a round ball, you don’t have to be perfect, and drop it in the pot. Put the lid on and bake it 30 minutes, after which remove the lid and let it bake for another 15 to 20 minutes until it’s nice and golden brown. Perfection.
TIPS FOR MAKING NO KNEAD BREAD
The slow rise at room temperature is what gives no knead bread its power. I’ve been asked many times if it needs to sit around for that long and the answer is simply, yes! The yeast needs time to perform its magic.
If your bread turns out too flat, the answer is always look at your yeast. It’s possible the yeast is too old or has expired. Make sure you always use fresh unexpired yeast. Check out the recipe notes for more information on yeast.
WHY DID MY BREAD STICK TO THE POT
To prevent your bread from sticking to the pan, make sure you pan is hot enough before adding the dough. If the pan is very hot at the bottom, you bread will instantly begin to cook, letting it rise smoothly.
CAN I DOUBLE THIS NO KNEAD BREAD RECIPE
You can double it but you’ll need a bigger pot, such as a 5 or 6 quart Dutch oven. The baking time will also need to be adjusted. You will probably need to bake it for a total of 60 to 70 minutes, the first 30 minutes with the lid on. The bread will be done when the internal temperature is at around 200 F degrees.
CRAVING MORE NO KNEAD RECIPES? TRY THESE:
- No Knead Dutch Oven Whole Wheat Bread
- Sunflower and Flax Seeds Whole Wheat Cast Iron Bread
- No Knead Hot Cross Buns
- No Knead Cinnamon Rolls
No Knead Bread
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 1/2 cups water room temperature
Instructions
- In a big bowl mix the flour, salt and yeast together. Pour water into the bowl and using a spatula or a wooden spoon mix it until well incorporated.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit on your counter for 12 to 18 hours.
- Preheat oven to 450 F degrees. Add your cast iron pot to the oven as it's heating and heat it as well until it's at 450 F degrees.
- Remove the pot from the oven and remove the lid from it. If you want to make sure your bread doesn't stick to the pot you can sprinkle some flour or cornmeal on the bottom of the pot.
- Flour your hands really well and also sprinkle a bit of flour over the dough. With your floured hands gently remove the dough from the bowl and roughly shape it into a ball. Take the ball of dough and drop it into the pot. Cover the pot with the lid and place it back in the oven.
- Bake for 30 minutes with the lid on, after which remove the lid and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown.
- Remove the bread from the pot, it should fall out easily. Let cool completely before slicing into it and serving.
Video
Notes
- I used a small 3.5 qt Dutch oven. A small Dutch oven is better here so that the bread rises upwards, whereas if you were to use a big Dutch oven the bread would spread out over the entire surface of the pot.
- If the dough mixture is too dry, add a bit more water, the dough should be sticky, as seen in the video.
- To add other ingredients to the bread such as dried fruit, seeds, herbs or cheeses, add them in step 1 when mixing everything together.
- Always check the expiration date on your yeast and make sure it hasn't expired. All your yeast products whether it’s in a jar or a package should be stamped with a “Best if Used by” date. Always make sure you check this date, even when you purchase the yeast, who knows it could have been on the shelf past its expiry date.
- To keep your yeast fresh and longer lasting, unopened yeast packages or jars should be stored in a cool or dry place such as your cupboard. However, you can also store your yeast in the fridge or freezer. If you do store it in the freezer and need to use yeast for your baking, make sure you take out the amount you need and let it sit at room temperature for at least half hour before using.
- Once your yeast package or jar has been opened, you must refrigerate the yeast or freeze it in an airtight container.
- One thing to remember about your yeast, is that it is a living organism and over time it will lose activity, even if you’ve never opened the jar or package. So if you don’t bake often, buy the smaller yeast packages rather than a big jar of yeast.
- Why is my bread chewy: Usually your bread will be chewy when there isn't enough gluten formation or you're using a low-protein flour. Make sure you let your bread dough rest for at least 12 hours to give it enough time for gluten formation.
- Why is my bread dense: Usually bread will be too dense when there is too much flour. Keep in mind this dough will be pretty sticky, do not add more flour than specified. Other factors that come into play are humidity and age of flour. Little yeast, long rise, sticky dough are keys to a good, light loaf.
- I don't have a Dutch oven, what can I use instead: If you don't have a Dutch Oven, a covered metal pot would work as well, just make sure it can stand up to 450 F heat. A 4 quart Calphalon soup pot with lid would work as well. If your pot doesn't have a lid, you can cover the pot with heavy-duty aluminum foil, just make sure you seal the pot well.
- How do I know when my bread is done baking: Tap the bottom! Take the bread out of the Dutch oven, turn it upside down and give the bottom a firm thump with your thumb, or a knock and if it sounds hollow it's done. If using an instant thermometer, the internal temperature should be around 200 F degrees.
- Nutrition: Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally shared Nov 10, 2012.
What you’ll need:
OK, my first loaf was wonderful. This time I got adventurous and tried a couple of things. First I mixed the dough with the dough hook in a metal mixing bowl on my mixer. Second I used yeast from an open package but I had sealed it tightly and brought it to room temp before using. Third, I set my oven on “Proof” for the last 6 hours of the rise. What I got was a sticky glob that didn’t look or feel like my first attempt. Any ideas which of the above caused the problem. Thanks. tj
Interesting. My oven doesn’t have a “proof” option, so I’ve never tried proofing this dough in the oven. I’ve tried other dough but not this one. I almost wonder if 6 hours was too long?
I live in Tijuana, Mexico and do not have heat in my apartment. It gets down to 58 degrees now in the apartment. How will this affect the rise of my bread? (Can I let it rise in the oven? The pilot in there keeps it fairly warm).
Yes you can. It will likely rise faster in your oven.
I made this bread for the first time for a Christmas gift and it turned out perfect! i will be making this bread ALOT! thank you for sharing!
I only have a cast iron skillet. Can I use this with a tin foil tent as a lid? Or does it need to be covered tightly?
I haven’t tried it myself so I couldn’t tell you for sure. I think some readers have tried and were successful though.
Can it be cooked in a crockpot?
We have never done this in a Crockpot, however I think you’ll have trouble getting a good crust on the outside if you use that method.
I have tried to make this recipe four times and each attempt proved to be a failure. I have tried different yeast on each of those four occasions so that is not the problem. I have made from scratch yeast bread in the past and have never had a problem. I followed the instructions implicitly. This is so frustrating!! (which is why I kept at it). Each time the dough was extremely wet, didn’t rise at all and was almost impossible to form into a ball to get it in the pot. Once it was baked, it was like a rock and totally inedible. Any suggestions as to what I could be doing wrong. I refuse to give up! How can I possibly be screwing up a recipe with only 4 ingredients in it?
Hi Jacqueline! I’m sorry to hear you you’re having issues with this but I love your attitude of not giving up! Have you tried testing the yeast first? Try mixing a tsp of yeast with about 1/2 cup of warm water and 1 tsp of sugar. Give it a stir and see if it dissolves and starts frothing up. The dough should be pretty sticky, but as you can see in the video, I sprinkle some flour over the top and make sure your hands are fully covered in flour as well. Only then attempt to start picking up the dough. If it’s easier for you, pick up the dough and roughly shape it into a bowl then place it on a piece of parchment paper. Remember this is not going to be like regular dough where you can easily shape it. It’s a big sticky mess, which is why your hands need to be completely covered in flour. If you use the parchment paper idea, then just pick up the parchment paper with the dough and place it in the hot pot. Hope this helps! 🙂
Fantastic!! We are baking two loaves a night to give to our neighbors for Christmas. I am trying the cinnamon rolls next.
You will love the cinnamon rolls! I make them whenever I can- always a hit 🙂
I doubled the recipe and used my 7qt Dutch oven. It come out great!!
That’s fantastic to hear! We’ll have to try that out ASAP 🙂
Would it fit in a 5 qt? What times did you use? Thanks.
Yes, it would!
So easy and surprisingly tasty bread!!
At 65 it will be my first time making bread but I think this is something that even I can do. Do you Pam or grease the pan? How do you know that your pan is hot enough? Thanks!
You can leave the pot in the oven for an extra 5-10 minutes after the oven has come to temperature to make sure it’s hot enough. Don’t grease the pan, but you may sprinkle some flour in there right before you place the dough.
After reading some comments about the bread rising over the bowl I am stunned. My simply sat there not gaining an oz in size. I tested the yeast after the fact and got a few bubbles no froth even when adding a little sugar. It seems like the yeast is precarious, I ttied a jar in my refrig and again the same thing. Any suggestions on the yeast?
All the information I have on the yeast is listed in the recipe notes and the post. Yeast is quite picky, probably best to buy a new jar.
Hello!
When I made this bread it immediately started to rise and after about 4 or 5 hours I was almost afraid it would rise over the bowl! But then at some point it has fallen down and is about half of what it was. I am going to bake it anyway and see how it turns out. But is this normal? And if not, what would cause this?