No Knead Bread – you guessed it, no kneading required! 4 simple ingredients all baked in a Dutch Oven resulting in a bread that is simply perfection, hands down the best bread you’ll ever eat!
The simplicity of this no knead bread is what I love the most! The ingredients for this loaf are the same as for my famous artisan bread but the way it’s made is totally different. We’re going to achieve flavor by allowing for a slow rise and a perfect crust by baking this bread in a pot with the lid on.
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. Did I mention it’ll also fill your house with the wonderful aroma of freshly baked bread?
What Is No Knead Bread?
No Knead Bread was first published in the New York Times about 10 years ago. This bread 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. Super simple right? I promise I’m not pulling your leg, this recipe is super simple and super delicious. It’s a recipe that I make often. This bread makes its way in my kitchen at least once a month so trust me when I tell you, that this really works and it really gives you the best bread ever!
Ingredient Notes
- Flour – We only need good old fashioned all purpose flour! No need for the fancy stuff.
- Salt – Believe me, salt makes all the difference, so don’t skip this!
- Yeast – I used active dry yeast today. I insist on using active rather than instant as we really want a long and slow rise to develop our flavor. I’ve included a section about yeast below.
- Water – It’s super important to make sure your water is at room temperature as it will affect the outcome of your yeast.
How To Make No Knead Bread
Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Form the dough: 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. You do not need to activate the yeast before, even though we’re using active dry yeast. The slow rising process will do the trick.
- Allow it to rise: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit on your counter or inside your unheated oven for 12 to 18 hours.
- Preheat your oven: 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. The pot is hot enough when the oven reaches 450 F degrees. Use oven mitts, as to not burn yourself.
- Shape the dough: 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. Alternatively, you can also place the ball of dough onto a piece of parchment paper, then lift the parchment paper and drop it in the pot, with parchment paper and all. This could also ensure that your bread doesn’t stick at all to the bottom of the pot. I have found that if I use parchment paper, the bread doesn’t brown so much on the sides, but otherwise it’s still crusty and delicious.
- Finish the bread: 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.
FAQs & Expert Tips For No Knead Bread
FAQs
Yes! I’ve often left the dough out for a full 24 hours with no changes to the resulting bread whatsoever. I wouldn’t leave it longer than 24 hours.
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. To prevent your bread from sticking, you could sprinkle some cornmeal on the bottom of the pot, or even use some parchment paper.
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.
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. Also do not over mix the dough in the beginning, there really is no kneading required.
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.
Yes you can, the bread will still be crusty and delicious, it will just be a bit denser.
Some Tips
- 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. Also, as mentioned above you could use parchment paper.
- Do not refrigerate the dough as it rises, yes it will be safe on your counter for 18 hours.
- Want an easy way to know if your bread is done? 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.
- 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.
What’s Yeast Got To Do With It?
- 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.
- 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.
Make Ahead
This bread can dry out a little easily so it is best to store it tightly wrapped in plastic wrap or in an airtight container to preserve it longer. You can store it like this for about 3 to 4 days right on the counter or freeze it for up to 3 months.
More No Knead Recipes To Try
- No Knead Skillet Bread Ready in less than 3 hours, Start to Finish!
- Fast and Easy No Knead Bread in less than 3 hours, Start to Finish!
- 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
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No Knead Bread
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ¾ tsp salt
- ½ tsp active dry yeast
- 1 ½ cups water room temperature
Instructions
- Form the dough: 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. You do not need to activate the yeast before, even though we're using active dry yeast. The slow rising process will do the trick.
- Allow it to rise: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit on your counter or inside your unheated oven for 12 to 18 hours.
- Preheat your oven: Preheat oven to 450°F. Add your cast iron pot to the oven as it's heating and heat it as well until it's at 450°F. Usually when the oven is done preheating your pot should be hot enough as well. Remove the pot from the oven and remove the lid from it. Use oven mitts, as to not burn yourself.
- Shape the dough: 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. Sprinkle some extra flour directly into the bottom of the pot. Take the ball of dough and drop it into the pot. Cover the pot with the lid and place it back in the oven. Alternatively, you can also place the ball of dough onto a piece of parchment paper, then lift the parchment paper and drop it in the pot, with parchment paper and all. This could also ensure that your bread doesn't stick at all to the bottom of the pot. I have found that if I use parchment paper, the bread doesn't brown so much on the sides, but otherwise it's still crusty and delicious.
- Finish the bread: 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
Recipe 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.
- 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: Nutritional information assumes 10 slices per bread and is per slice. Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
Nutrition Information:
This recipe was originally shared Nov 10, 2012.
I’ve been commissioned by my boyfriend to make him this weekly. He has no idea how easy it is for me to bake. Thank you for the great recipe.
So easy to put together. I LOVE crusty bread and this did not disappoint. Cooked mine in a Le Creuset casserole pot. Wasn’t confident that it wouldn’t stick but came out like a DREAM! Thank you- a real game changer!!!
Awesome to hear! Glad you liked it 🙂
Is it possible to put the dough in the instant pot to rise? If so, how long? Yogurt setting?
Although I have never done this myself (yet) I looked into it and you absolutely can! I found this great article with some tips in it. You can find it here
I’ve spent the past month of Toronto’s lockdown determined to conquer no knead bread. This is – by far – the best recipe and now my go-to.
I have a tiny kitchen with a small oven, and have learned that the lower the oven rack is, the tougher the bottom. My solution is to split the dough between my smallest Le Creusets in order to bake from the top rack.
This week I started substituting 100-120 grams of Ancient Grains flour, which yields a much denser loaf in the fast version, but is absolutely wonderful in the long-rise version.
This was my first attempt at baking bread. The recipe is simple and easy to follow and turns out a delicious loaf of bread. The bottom crust was too tough, but my boys devoured it and loved it with no complaints. It was gone in minutes. I was left with the small ends and demands to make it again tomorrow. I now have a double batch rising. I hope cooking it as one loaf works just as well as a single recipe. This recipe will be on my short list for the future.
I do love this recipe! I’ve tried several different and this one has the best results by far. But I do struggle with the yeast. During my countries lockdown I bought instant yeast and most receipts call for active and I don’t know the conversion and I don’t want to waste my yeast. Help!
The only difference is you don’t have to activate one! There are details in this post about using instant yeast 🙂
I’ve been on a bread making kick lately and this is by far my favorite! Easy and delicious!
I like the recipe and I’m going to try it today. Question, though: have you tried any variation with whole-wheat flour? By that, I mean a combination of white and whole-wheat. The local Swiss bakery and supermarket bakeries have all sorts of variations. But I’m still anxious to try this myself.
Yes, I did, there’s a link to it in the post, here you go: https://www.jocooks.com/recipes/no-knead-cast-iron-whole-wheat-bread/
I made a loaf about a week ago and it turned out pretty well. However, the yeast was old (which you mentioned) and it didn’t rise quite as much as I would have expected otherwise. But still not bad. I also suspect that I didn’t leave it in the oven long enough, either but it was still good enough for me. As for the taste, I only have store-bought bread to compare it to and as I mentioned, there’s a large variety at the supermarket and at specialty bakeries.
It did, however, have that satisfying hollow sound when thumped on the bottom and it didn’t spread out at all in the Dutch oven that I used. I will certainly make another loaf within the next week and with fresh yeast, too.
Just made my first one. Fresh out of the oven came out amazing
Wish I could share a picture
Thank you
So easy. Iv made this recipe numerous times. Once corona calms down I’m going to bake up a loaf and bring to family. I’ll have to double the recipe for that. Has anyone done this with success?
how much fresh yeast one should use?
I’ve NEVER made bread before, but I got a dutch oven for Christmas and I knew I wanted to try this recipe. It turned out PERFECT. I’m completely awe-struck. Christmas miracle.
I made 2 deviations, due to my anxiety and compulsive rule-following:
1. I didn’t preheat my empty pot with my oven. It’s coated with enamel and the instructions for the pot said explicitly not to heat an empty pot. I put the dough in the cold pot, and preheated everything together.
2. My parchment paper was only good up to 420 degrees, so that’s what I baked at. I know, I’m such a dweeb. It probably didn’t matter.
Otherwise I followed the instructions for a doubled recipe, baked 70 minutes (not including preheat), and it was absolutely glorious. I’m not saying these things to suggest an alternative (I don’t know what I’m doing, don’t look over here), only to maybe ease someone’s mind if those points are giving them heartburn.
Thank you so so much for the fabulous recipe!
I love this comment so much😂 Only after I read your comment did I also see I was not to preheat my enamel coated Dutch oven while empty. While I am not always a rule following cook of the kitchen, I really do love my new Dutch oven (also a gift from Christmas) and want nothing to do with ruining it! I’m so glad for your helpful notes and am going to try following exactly how you baked your bread…because after I checked…my parchment paper too, only has a heat tolerance of 420 degrees😅
Oh I hope yours worked out!!
I love making this bread – so delicious- I do not think I will ever buy bread again. One problem I have is that the bottom of the bread is always very hard – very difficult to cut through. I do put the dough on parchment paper to bake – could that be the problem?
I love this recipe, was wondering if it could be used as pizza dough or if there is a easy pizza dough recipe you can share.
You could make a pizza bread with this for sure, but I also have a pizza dough recipe you can use 🙂
Can I have your pizza dough recipe too
Here you go: https://www.jocooks.com/recipes/pizza-dough-recipe/
FIRST TIME BAKING BREAD AND IM SO HAPPY I FOUND YOUR RECIPE VERY EASY TO FOLLOW AND THE BREAD OMG DELICIOUS
So happy you liked it!