This no-knead bread is a game-changer — just mix flour, yeast, salt, and water, wait a few hours, and bake to get a crusty, artisan-style loaf with a chewy crumb and large airy holes. With almost no hands-on work and no kneading required, it’s perfect for beginners or anyone who loves fresh homemade bread without the fuss.
Ingredients
- 3 cups (about 450 g) all-purpose or bread flour
- 2 teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast
- 2 teaspoons salt (not table salt)
- 1½ cups (≈ 375 ml) warm water (not boiling — comfortably warm)
- Extra flour for dusting (about 1–2 teaspoons)
Recipe Info
- Prep Time: ~5 minutes (active)
- Rise Time: ~2 to 3 hours (then optional refrigeration up to 3 days)
- Cook Time: 40–45 minutes
- Total Time: varies (about 3 hours active + waiting)
- Servings: 10–12 slices (1 decent loaf)
- Cuisine: Western / Artisan-style Bread
- Course: Bread / Side
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, yeast and salt.
- Pour in the warm water and stir with a wooden spoon (or handle) until all flour is hydrated — the dough will be sticky and loose. That’s normal and desired.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a cloth. Let the dough rise at room temperature until it doubles or more in volume, about 2–3 hours — or longer if needed.
- For deeper flavor: after the initial rise you can refrigerate the dough for 8 up to 72 hours, then bring it back to room temperature before baking.
- Thirty minutes before baking, preheat your oven to 230 °C (450 °F). If using a Dutch oven or heavy pot with lid, place it in the oven to preheat.
- Lightly dust your work surface with a little flour. Scrape the dough from the bowl onto the surface, dust the top with a little flour.
- Using a dough scraper or spatula, fold the edges toward the centre a few times to roughly shape it into a round. Don’t overwork — rough shape is fine.
- Transfer the dough onto a piece of parchment paper (seam side down).
- Carefully remove the hot preheated pot from oven, place the dough (with parchment) inside, cover with lid, and bake 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, remove the lid and bake another 10–15 minutes until the crust is deeply golden-brown and crisp.
- Remove loaf from pot, cool on a wire rack at least 10 minutes before slicing (this allows crumb to set).
Tips & Variations
- If you don’t have a Dutch oven, you can bake on a regular baking sheet: preheat oven, then fill a small oven-safe pan with boiling water to create steam — helps crust crisp up.
- For a chewier crumb and bigger holes, use bread flour instead of plain flour.
- If dough seems too stiff or dry, add a splash more warm water; if too wet and unmanageable, dust a little more flour — recipe is forgiving.
- Refrigerated dough helps develop more complex flavor — great if you want to bake bread fresh but do initial prep earlier.
- Add herbs, garlic, olive oil or seeds to the dough for a flavored loaf (just mix them in with the flour at start).
Approximate Nutrition (per serving — 1 slice of ~12)
- Calories: ~180 kcal
- Protein: ~6 g
- Carbohydrates: ~36 g
- Fat: ~1 g
- Fiber: ~2 g
- Sodium: ~380 mg (varies with salt amount)
Ingredients
Method
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, yeast and salt.
- Pour in the warm water and stir with a wooden spoon (or handle) until all flour is hydrated — the dough will be sticky and loose. That’s normal and desired.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a cloth. Let the dough rise at room temperature until it doubles or more in volume, about 2–3 hours — or longer if needed.
- For deeper flavor: after the initial rise you can refrigerate the dough for 8 up to 72 hours, then bring it back to room temperature before baking.
- Thirty minutes before baking, preheat your oven to 230 °C (450 °F). If using a Dutch oven or heavy pot with lid, place it in the oven to preheat.
- Lightly dust your work surface with a little flour. Scrape the dough from the bowl onto the surface, dust the top with a little flour.
- Using a dough scraper or spatula, fold the edges toward the centre a few times to roughly shape it into a round. Don’t overwork — rough shape is fine.
- Transfer the dough onto a piece of parchment paper (seam side down).
- Carefully remove the hot preheated pot from oven, place the dough (with parchment) inside, cover with lid, and bake 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, remove the lid and bake another 10–15 minutes until the crust is deeply golden-brown and crisp.
- Remove loaf from pot, cool on a wire rack at least 10 minutes before slicing (this allows crumb to set).
Notes
- Protein: ~6 g
- Carbohydrates: ~36 g
- Fat: ~1 g
- Fiber: ~2 g
- Sodium: ~380 mg (varies with salt amount)
FAQs
Do I really need a Dutch oven?
No — a preheated pot helps get a crisp crust and good oven spring, but you can bake on a sheet with a steam pan (hot water) instead.
Why is the dough so wet and sticky?
That’s intentional — the hydration makes the crumb airy and gives big holes. Resist adding too much flour.
Can I refrigerate the dough and bake later?
Yes — after the initial rise you can refrigerate up to 3 days. Before baking, bring to room temperature, then shape and bake.
Why does my bread crust get very dark before the loaf inside is cooked?
Oven temperatures and pot sizes vary. If crust browns too fast, wrap top loosely with foil for the last 5–10 minutes.
