Last updated on July 31st, 2018 at 07:58 pm
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!
I shared this recipe with you guys almost 4 years ago and I have to share it again because it is one of my favorite recipes of all time and it’s one I make often, plus I made a video for you guys! Whenever I want a crusty bread, this is the recipe I go to, it really couldn’t get any easier. 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.
Do not worry about a thing. If you think there is no way your bread will look like this, you are so wrong. This could not get any easier. If you’ve never baked bread before you could still make this. Every single time I make this, I end up with a gorgeous loaf of bread. You cannot screw this up!
But admire the bread for a minute. Is that crust not perfection? Have you seen a better looking crust than that?
Now let me tell you about this no knead bread a bit. It is the best bread I have ever made. No lie! And I’ve made a few breads in my day. It is crusty, it is crunchy and it is flavorful. You know those great Italian loaves of bread with a nice crust to them that you buy from the local Italian bakery, it’s like that, but better because you made it yourself.
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. Apparently 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.
And if I haven’t said it a million times, there is nothing better than warm bread, right out of your oven. I know you want to rush and make this right now. Oh by the way you can add other ingredients to the flour before adding the water, such as cheese, or herbs, that’s what I’m going to try next. 🙂
This recipe was originally shared Nov 10, 2012.
For other No Knead breads, try these:
If you try this recipe, please let us know! Leave a comment, rate it and tag a photo #jocooks on Instagram so we can see it. I always love to see what you guys come up with!
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!
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 1/2 cups water room temperature
- 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.
Recipe Video
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.
Nutrition: Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
★ Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to give it a star rating below!
Recipe source Simply So Good
What you’ll need:
Hi! I only have a 6 qt dutch oven. Could I double the recipe or do you think that would make it too doughy on the inside?
Do you think you could freeze the bread if you made more than one loaf?
Yes, you can freeze it, just like regular bread.
Just sampled my first attempt and….wow, it was delicious!!
Highly recommended.
Thanks Jo
Calvin
Hi Jo i your bread recipe is delicious i like it but i have question
Last night i watch how to make pizza dough become crispy in youtube.they use pizza crisper pan.then i see the ingredient with your dough is similar only they add oil.so can i make your dough become crispy only use pizza crisper pan without dutch oven?have you ever try use pizza crisper pan to make your bread?if yes is it really can replace dutch oven to make crispy your bread?thank you
We have never used that type of pan so I wouldn’t be able to give an answer from personal experience
My cast iron dutch oven is oval – will it still come out round?
It’ll come out oval
So, let me just say I found this recipe awhile ago and was so bummed I couldn’t make it same day. But I remembered it for this weekend. It’s so delicious. I added some garlic powder to the dough and before baking I added chopped fresh spinach and feta.
It look longer to bake, I guess because of the added moisture. It also didn’t look pretty and cracked on the top.
Any suggestions when you want to add things to the dough? Did I do the right thing by adding in extras right before baking? Tastes great, but I want to work on aesthetics next go around. Thanks!
If you’re going to add things on top, add dry ingredients like spices. Feta (completely drained) would be great kneaded into the dough like the garlic. I would leave the spinach out completely- it has a very high water content which will mess up the bread’s consistency.
Do I need to activate/mix the yeast on it’s own first before adding? I got active drunk yeast from store and it has directions on how to activate first. Thank you so much!
Yes, follow the instructions on the package.
Hello Jo,
I want to make your no knead bread in my dutch oven, but it is a 5 qt.
Do you think I should double your recipe so the bread will actually rise in my pot?
thank you
You could double it for sure, but you should be able to do it even without doubling it. It just might not be quite as high.
My question is answered! Thank you 🙂
I use this recipe several times a month, no joke. It is flawless. I make the dough before bed and bake it in the morning before work. My vegan partner is obsessed with it. Now I do versions with herbs from my garden, cheese, garlic, cinnamon sugar… thank you so much for this recipe!!
I usually use store bought sourdough bread for spinach dip. I’m wondering if this would be good with it? I’ve made this before and love it but can’t decide if it would be good with spinach dip….any comments are appreciated!
Yes!! Absolutely, this bread would be perfect for spinach dip!
hi Jo
My Dutch oven has a handle on the lid so it is difficult to insert or remove from the oven. So can I replace my dutch oven with a combination of stainless steel mixing bowl and aluminium baking tray? I mean, I put the bowl upside down with a baking tray as a floor to create the same conditions as the Dutch oven
thank you
Can you lower the rack in your oven so it fits better? Or remove one of them entirely while you’re baking the bread?
Thank you for your answer i wish i can do your idea that would be good.My oven is toaster oven&only have 1 rack and there is 4 ladder to place the rack.in my instructional oven book it say the lowest rack for cookies cause its near bottom heat element i am affraid if use for bread become burnt the dough at down side cause near heat element and for bread 2nd ladder from the bottom and that make the handle of the lid of my dutch oven disturb.cause sometime the handle of the dutch oven lid touch my ceiling oven make difficult to put in or take from the oven.i wish i can send you the picture to show you the situation.thank you
I see, that’s a tough one. We have only ever cooked this bread in a conventional style oven. You can try cutting the recipe in half and using a smaller dutch oven to suit your appliance.
Jo,
I just recently found your terrific recipes. I always wanted to figure out how to make those crunchy breads with the big holes, like one gets in a restaurant. With your recipes, now perhaps I can accomplish that.
I do have one question. Is there any specific reason you use all purpose flour vs bread flour for your breads? In researching the difference between the two, there’s not all that much, other than bread flour has more protein which is supposed to allow for a higher rise in the dough. Have you experimented with the two?
Thanks for your help.
The only reason I use it is because that’s usually what I have in my pantry, I haven’t bought bread flour in a long time. However, I’m sure this recipe will work just as well with bread flour if that’s what you have. 🙂
Jo,
Thanks so much for your very quick reply. I have both flours, so I’ll just go with the bread flour for the no-knead recipe. I may try both over time, to see if there is a difference in the final product.
Thanks again.
Jana T
Let me know how it turns out! Enjoy!
I love this recipe, I make it all the time, Can you tell me of there’s a way I can make it gluten free?
You can use gluten free flour and xanthan gum. We have never done a gluten free version so I can’t guarantee that the texture will be the same as ours.
Hi Jo, thank you for this recipe. My question is.. Can I substitute the active dry yeast for quick rise yeast?
Yes you can. You won’t have to proof this type of yeast, you can just mix it right in with the rest of the ingredients.
The recipe doesn’t mention proofing the yeast. Is that necessary?
If you use instant yeast, then no. Active yeast normally needs to be proofed, but not in this recipe.
Oh ok. The recipe mentions active dry yeast, but nothing about instant yeast. And it doesn’t mention the proofing step. I only figured it out through the comments.
Hi Cindy, Usually when baking instant yeast can just be added to the recipe without proofing while active dry yeast needs to be proofed. However, in this recipe the active yeast does not require proofing, just add it as stated in the instructions. The proofing is not necessary because it will proof as the dough rests for 18 hours, and will rise nicely. I hope this makes sense.
My co-worker made this and shared it at work. I was impressed and asked for the reciipe. My husband always said he wanted to make bread and I knew this could be a happy easy success and it has been! I even supplemented my 5qt Dutch oven with a 3.5qt one which we like a little better. We never handle the dough to shape it because it’s just too loose and moist.
Thank you!
Hi there, I live in a tropical country whereby the room temperature is 28-30degC. Is it still alright to leave the mix overnight at this temperature?
Yes that will work!
So very easy and delicious!!! I’ve been making artisan bread for years and this is a cinch to make! The high hydration made the dough very sticky which gave it a beautiful open crumb and a little chew to the crust – love it!
I may keep it in the oven for a few more minutes the next time to get the crust a little darker though. A definite keeper!
I used Kodiak Cakes all-purpose baking mix. I followed your instructions, but used less salt & added more water due to the density of this mix. Also, I added tumeric, black pepper & sesame seeds. The directions were easy to follow, but handling the sticky dough was not. LOL! I have to say this bread was so easy to make. After 30 minutes I lifted the lid to find a beautifully golden loaf. I baked it for 10 minutes more without the lid. I waited until it was cool enough to touch, then I sliced into it. The loaf is dense, but delicious. I think it’s dense because of the Kodiak Cakes baking mix. Anyway, I’m going to try it again, but with flour. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Thank you for the recipe it has been great fun working with being new to baking bread. My crust was pretty thick any ideas as to what causes this? Also, I used kosher salt and was told it was a little salty.
Every oven is different, and cook times can vary depending on altitude. This bread is supposed to be quite crusty, however, so that isn’t such a bad thing. You can add less salt next time if that’s your preference.