No-Knead Bread means there’s no need to fuss and no need for a fancy stand mixer either—this homemade bread recipe is EASY even if you’ve never baked a loaf before. It’s crusty on the outside and springy-soft on the inside, perfect for toasting, slicing into sandwiches, and dunking into hot bowls of soup.
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The easiest way to make bakery-style artisan bread at home.
If you’re intrigued by the whole sourdough thing, but put off by the level of commitment needed, no-knead bread is the bread for you.
Like No Knead Focaccia, this is EASY homemade bread without the schedule of stretches and folds, without the kneading, and without having to plan your day around the bowl of dough sitting on your counter.
- Instead of kneading, this bread develops gluten through a longer fermentation time. So basically, you trade off the work of traditional bread with more resting time (for you AND your dough).
- Instant yeast gives your bread the rise it needs without the guesswork of a sourdough starter, which can be intimidating for beginning bakers.
- Baking in a Dutch oven gives you a crackly-crisp crust, along with a tender interior—basically, everything you want in a bakery loaf, made in your own kitchen!
My Tips for the Perfect Loaf
- Measure with a Scale. Baking is all about accuracy, so getting your measurements as precise as possible is one of the best ways to ensure success. If you have a food scale, use it to weigh your ingredients—I have weights in grams in the recipe card for you below. If not, no worries! Just be sure to lightly spoon the flour into the measuring cup instead of scooping it.
- Look at Your Dough, Not the Clock. There can be a lot of variation in rising time depending on the temperature of your kitchen. Rather than setting a timer on your phone and coming back to the dough in 12 hours on the dot, look at the visual cues I have in the recipe. Is the dough expanded? Dotted with bubbles? Then it’s ready to shape!
- Preheat Your Oven for 30 Minutes. As your oven preheats, you’ll also be heating up your Dutch oven. A hot Dutch oven is how you get that nice oven spring and fabulous crust on your bread.
- Let the Loaf Cool COMPLETELY. Okay, I’ve been known to cut off a slice of bread fresh out of the oven, but I implore you: don’t be like me! Resist the urge! The residual heat is still “baking” the interior of the loaf even after it comes out of the oven. Cutting into it too soon may give your bread a gummy texture in the middle.
How to Make No-Knead Bread
Whisk the Dry Ingredients. Whisk the flours, the instant yeast, and the salt.
Add the Water and Vinegar. Work it in with your hands.
Rest. Cover and rest for 12 to 18 hours, or until the dough has expanded.
Shape. With floured hands, grab one side of the dough ball and fold it over itself, then turn and repeat with all sides. Dust the dough with flour, cover, and let it rest until it doubles in size.
Bake. Drop the dough into your preheated Dutch oven using a sheet of parchment paper. Bake covered for 30 minutes, then uncovered until golden brown. Cool and ENJOY!
My Favorite Ways to Use Homemade Bread
- Sandwiches. This bread is perfection for a Air Fryer Grilled Cheese or summery Caprese Sandwich.
- Dipping Into Soups. I love this crusty no-knead bread with a creamy soup like Tomato Bisque or Homemade Mushroom Soup. Soak! It! Up!
- French Toast, Strata, Stuffing and Bread Pudding. Once your bread starts going stale, you can put it to use in any of these recipes! This Overnight French Toast is a reader favorite, as is this Sausage Stuffing.
- Tartines and Toasts. I have lots of ideas for Tartines, you can do classic avocado toast, or just slather your toast with jam.
No-Knead Bread
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Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour or bread flour 387g; plus additional for dusting
- ⅓ cup whole wheat flour 38g; or additional ⅓ c (40g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon instant yeast 2g
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt 8g
- 1 ½ cups warm water 88°F to 90°F (345g)
- ⅛ teaspoon white vinegar optional to enhance flavor
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, instant yeast, and salt.
- Pour the water and vinegar over the top. With your nice, strong hands, stir until you have a damp, shaggy dough with no bits of dry flour. Cover and let rest at room temperature for 12 to 18 hours if your kitchen is around 70°F. The dough is ready when it’s noticeably expanded and the surface is dotted with bubbles.
- Lightly flour a piece of parchment paper, then turn the dough out onto the surface. It will be wet, sticky, and airy. With one hand, hold the parchment paper in place. Flour your other hand then grab one side of the dough and fold it up and over itself towards the center, as if you were trying to make the dough a slightly smaller ball. Continue to move around the edges of the dough, grabbing and folding towards the center until you’ve made it all the way around. Dust the top of the dough with flour, then place a clean kitchen towel over it and let rest at room temperature 1 hour, until it is 50% to doubled in size.
- About half an hour into the dough’s rising time, place a 5.5-quart or larger Dutch oven with the lid on it in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 450°F. Let heat for at least 30 minutes (getting that Dutch oven SUPER HOT is going to give you the best results).
- Carefully remove the pot from your oven and place near the loaf (make sure you’re not setting a hot pot directly on your counter!). Uncover and, using the parchment, carefully lift the loaf and parchment together and lower them straight down into the pot.
- Cover the pot and immediately transfer to the oven. Bake covered for 30 minutes. Uncover, reduce the oven to 425°F, and continue baking for another 10 to 20 minutes, until the loaf is a gorgeous golden brown. If the loaf isn’t browning evenly, rotate the pan 180°F as needed.
- Transfer the loaf to a wire rack and let cool completely. Slice (or just tear off a big 'ol hunk) and devour.
Notes
- TO STORE: Wrap the bread in a clean kitchen towel or place it in a paper bag to allow air circulation while preventing drying out. Store in a cool, dry place and use within 3 days or so. For longer storage (up to a week), you can place the bread in a plastic bag or wrap it in plastic, but the crust will soften.
- TO FREEZE: Place the bread in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature before using.
Nutrition
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Just pulled this bread out of the oven and I’m honestly kind of proud of myself. I didn’t expect it to look this good with so little effort. It’s got a great crust and the inside is soft and chewy. Not bad at all for a first try.
Yay! Makes me so happy to hear, Lucille! Thank you!
Made this recipe over the weekend and it turned out really well. The hardest part was waiting for the dough to rise, but it was worth it. Crusty on the outside and soft on the inside. I’ll probably experiment with adding herbs next time.
So glad you enjoyed it, Penelope! Thank you!
I wasn’t sure how this would turn out since I’m not much of a bread baker, but it really was as easy as it sounds. The crust was crunchy, the inside was chewy and soft. I finished half the loaf in one sitting. So good! Thank you!
Yay! So glad to hear, Eleonor! Thank you!