This No-Knead Bread recipe is the best and easiest way to make perfect bread at home! No kneading is needed! This recipe is super easy to follow and makes the best bread loaf at home.
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Why This Recipe Works
This bread is exactly what your next sandwich or a steaming bowl of soup needs. A thick slice of home-baked bread. It's simply too easy not to try it. Just stir all of the ingredients in a bowl, cover, and let sit overnight. Next day, bake, slice, and enjoy!
Homemade bread is one of my very favorite things to bake. It's very gratifying and be used for sweet sandwiches (peanut butter and strawberry jelly come to mind) or loaded with cheese and meat, tomatoes, lettuce, and peppers OR dipped into thick tomato soup. By the way, this bread is amazing for grilled cheese sandwiches!
Instructions:
- Start by measuring out the flour by scooping it with a spoon into a measuring cup, then level off the top.
- Combine water, sugar, and yeast in a bowl. Add flour and stir in well.
- Cover the bowl and let the dough sit for 24 hours. It should double in size.
- Place dough onto parchment paper, shape into a ball and let sit while you preheat the oven.
- Place dough in Dutch oven and bake, covered, until the top is golden. Remove lid and bake for a few more minutes.
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What to use if you don't have a Dutch oven?
If you don't have a cast iron Dutch oven with a lid, you can use a shallow cast iron skillet and a deep cast iron skillet. Use the deep skillet as a lid. The whole setup is heavy so be aware and have kitchen mittens on hand. You need to create a closed environment for the bread to bake with steam.
What size Dutch oven should I use to make this bread?
I've tested this recipe with different sizes of the Dutch oven over the years and anything between 3qt and 5 qt will give you great results. If you want to use a bigger pot, double the recipe. Keep in mind, that if baking the bread in a 3-quart Dutch oven, the bread will have more height, while bread baked in a 5-quart Dutch oven will spread out more.
Can I make this bread with a yeast starter?
The starter, also called levain, is a mixture made with naturally occurring yeast. To make it, you mix flour with water and let it sit letting the yeast and bacteria activate. You can use it in place of yeast in this recipe. Our readers used about ¼ cup of starter to make the no-knead bread and had fantastic results!
Helpful Tips!
- sugar: There are a lot of no-knead bread recipes out there, most of them using only 3 ingredients: flour, yeast, and water. While these ingredients are indeed required, I do not think they will make the best-tasting bread. You need to add sugar to make the yeast happy and bubbling and salt to give the bread flavor. So it's 5 ingredients but the result is the best bread you will make at home.
- flour: Make sure you measure out flour the proper way. Do not dunk the measuring cup into the flour container, but use a spoon to scoop it out into the cup, then level off the top.
- slicing: Cool the bread completely before slicing or you will pull the crumb and the slices won't have the pretty air bubbles.
Variations:
- garlic and herb: add minced garlic and fresh or dried herbs to the dough before rising.
- lemon and garlic: add citrus zest and minced or roasted garlic to the dough before rising.
- cranberries and nuts: add dried cranberries (or any fruit) and chopped nuts to the dough before rising. Orange zest would be great too!
Recipe FAQs:
Yes, honey or maple syrup can be used in place of sugar.
A dough made with active dry yeast rises slower, hence the overnight step. If you are using instant yeast, you can cut the rising time to even 2 hours. Watch the dough if it doubles in size. You will also need to use more of it, I suggest 1 teaspoon of instant yeast. The bread will taste the same, but the crumb won't have as many holes.
If the dough doesn't double in size after the rising time, it means the yeast is old and it didn't activate. Start over with a fresh batch of yeast. Also, make sure you measure out the flour properly.
Yes, bread flour or all-purpose flour can be used.
More easy bread recipes:
If you like this recipe and make it, let me know in the comments below! Don't forget to rate it if you enjoyed it!
No-Knead Bread
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- ¼ teaspoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1 ½ cup warm water
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together flour, sugar, salt and yeast. Add water and stir just until incorporated. Do not overmix. The dough will be shaggy (wet and sticky, not smooth).
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit on the counter, at room temperature for 8 to 24 hours. The dough will rise and have lots of air bubbles.
- The next day, lightly flour a piece of parchment paper. Sprinkle a little bit of flour ( a tablespoon or two) on the surface of the dough. Using the bowl scraper, remove the dough from bowl and place it onto the parchment paper. With floured hands or the bowl scraper, shape into a ball, by tucking the sides of the dough underneath it.
- Preheat oven to 450° F. Adjust rack to lower position. Place Dutch oven inside. Preheat for 30 minutes.
- When oven is ready, make a cut in the center of the dough with a sharp knife and carefully place the parchment paper with dough inside the Dutch oven. Add two ice cubes to the Dutch oven (in between the parchment and the side of the pot). Cover with Dutch oven lid and bake for 30 minutes. Remove lid and bake for 10 to 15 minutes OR until the top is golden brown.
- When the timer is up, carefully remove Dutch oven from oven. Remove parchment paper with bread and place on a wooden cutting board. Let cool completely before slicing.
Notes
- To measure out flour the proper way: do not dunk the measuring cup into the flour container, but use a spoon to scoop it out into the cup, then level off the top.
- If you are not sure if your yeast is still good, dissolve ¼ of a teaspoon of it in ½ cup of warm water. If it foams up, your yeast is still good!
- Cool the bread completely before slicing or you will pull the crumb and the slices won't have the pretty air bubbles.
- I use a silicone bowl scraper to handle a sticky dough like this one. You can purchase it on Amazon or any store.
- Please note, that the nutrition value can vary depending on what product you use. The information below is an estimate. Always use calorie counter you are familiar with.
Diane P Killman says
This was my very first No knead bread recipe I made! When I took the lid off when it was cooked, I thought wow this is just like it was made in a Bakery! I have since made 10 loaves of different kinds! Thank you for the recipe!
Janis K Bays says
This bread turned out beautifully. I was wondering if it is possible to add more sugar or if you had a recipe similar for a sweeter bread.
Christine says
Great bread. I have one question tho. Can you freeze this bread and whats the best way to freeze it . Aldo can i put it in my refrigerator. Thank you
Bonnie Eppert says
What does “pull the crumb” mean?
Anna says
Hi Bonnie! If you've ever cut into a hot bread, you know the crumb will stick to the knife and won't be pleasing visually. I hope this helps!
Sandra says
Can all purpose flour be used? Or is it better to use bread flour?
Thank you....haven't made it yet.
Anna says
Hi Sandra! Both flours work great in this recipe. Hope this helps!
Marian says
Do you think this recipe could be used to make individual rolls?
Sandra says
Can all purpose flour be used? Or is it better to use bread flour?
Thank you....
Shirley Witter says
Mine was a runny mess. Threw it out. Didn't even try to put into dutch oven. Followed directions. Yeast was good.
Tracy B. says
Beautiful bread. I let my dough proof 24 hours. Gave the bread a sourdough taste and lovely crust.
Linda says
My dutch oven cover isn't oven proof,knob would melt.
Betty says
Cover tightly with foil as lid instead. WORKED great for me. I tented it as my pan was low. Gives it room to rise.
Debbie says
Omg I have baked bread before but I don’t understand why this bread is so wet .. I couldn’t even handle it till I added almost a cup more of flour .. is this normal for this recipe…
Jodi says
Yes I had to add alot more flour. Dough was very shaggy. I couldn't get dough to form a ball until I added more flour and let rise again. Getting g ready to bake now.
Anna says
Hi Jodi! The dough should be shaggy. Flour your hands or use a silicone dough scraper to shape it. Adding more flour and letting it rise again will change the final result. Hope this helps!
Ed says
Hi, Anna. What adjustments need to be made if I use bread flour instead of all-purpose flour? Thanks!
Anna says
Hi Ed! Yep, you can use bread flour, the same amount as all-purpose. No adjustments are needed. The bread will have a more chewy texture. I hope this helps!
Eneida says
Have baked this bread 3 times and it comes out just like your picture. It is easy to bake, beautiful and delicious. Shared recipe with my two daughters and my brother . They also love it. Thank you for sharing it with us!
Lois Embry says
I love this bread and so do my grandchildren they even asked for the recipe!
Mar says
HI!
I have made your no knead bread a few times. It always comes out good and crispy! It is a very easy recipe to follow!
I was wanting to know about refrigerating the dough. At what point would I put the dough in the refrigerator? The dough is currently sitting on the counter and rising. Do I let the dough sit on the counter for 18 to 24 hours and then put it in the refrigerator? Prior to the dough going into the refrigerator, what would I need to do to the dough...would I shape the dough into a ball and then
let it sit for another 24 hours or so (would this be considered the second rise?) Or do I just transfer the dough from countertop to refrigerator without doing anything to the dough.
When I am ready to bake the bread, what steps would be necessary for the refrigerator dough?
Thank you so much for your time!
Tony says
Didn’t rise as much as I thought but it came out great and is delicious!
Lori says
This will be a staple in my home. Extremely easy. I believe my stainless steel Dutch oven added to it.
Anna says
I am so glad! Thank you so much, Lori!