If you’ve never baked bread, start here. No kneading, no effort, and anyone can make it.
Four ingredients go into one bowl. You stir with a spoon and let time do the work overnight.
The result is a crisp, crackly crust with a soft, airy inside. Exactly the bread you want on the table at every meal.
It’s easy, reliable, and it works every time. I make it any day of the week.
The one thing you need is a heavy pot with a lid. Heat it in the oven until it’s really hot before the dough goes in.
No-knead bread is made from bread flour, instant yeast, salt, and lukewarm water. Stir, cover, and let rise 12–14 hours at room temperature, shape into a ball, and rise about 1 hour. Bake in a preheated pot at 480°F (250°C) covered for 25 minutes, then uncovered at 425°F (220°C) for 10–15 minutes.
No-Knead Bread (Crusty Dutch Oven Loaf)
Ingredients
Method
- In a large bowl, mix the flour, yeast, and salt. Add the water and stir gently with a spoon until you have a sticky, even dough.
- Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature (about 68°F / 20°C) for 12–14 hours, until the dough has doubled and is full of bubbles.
- Gently turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Stretch each side outward and fold it into the center, until you have a ball.
- Place it smooth side up on a piece of parchment paper. Cover and let rise for about 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, heat the oven to 480°F (250°C) with a suitable pot (such as a Dutch oven) inside, for 30 minutes.
- When the pot is very hot, lift the dough by the parchment paper and lower it into the pot.
- Bake covered for 25 minutes. Remove the lid, lower the heat to 425°F (220°C), and bake another 10–15 minutes, until the bread is golden and crisp.
- Cool on a rack for at least 1 hour before slicing.
Notes
- Give the pot the full 30 minutes in the oven. A very hot pot is what creates the crisp crust.
- Use the parchment paper as a sling. It makes moving the dough into the hot pot much safer.
- Wait the full hour before slicing. The inside keeps cooking as it cools.
- In a warm kitchen, the first rise may be faster. Look for doubled, bubbly dough.
- Bread flour → all-purpose flour (same amount; a slightly softer, less chewy crumb).
- Dutch oven → any heavy, oven-safe pot with a lid.
Frequently asked questions
Right. The long 12–14 hour rise develops the dough on its own, so all you do is stir and shape.
You need a heavy, oven-safe pot with a lid. The covered pot traps steam, which gives the bread its crisp crust and good rise.
Usually yes, in the same small amount. Some bakers dissolve it in the water first.
Most often the first rise was too short or the kitchen was cold. The dough should double and be full of bubbles before you shape it.
Keep it cut side down on a board or in a paper bag for a day or two to keep the crust crisp. For longer storage, slice and freeze.
