No-Knead Bread Recipe in a Dutch Oven

Fluffy, crusty and unbelievably easy to make no-knead bread. So good that you can't stop yourself from making it frequently!

You only need flour, yeast, salt, and water, and the dough rises slowly to create a soft interior and a crisp golden crust. It's perfect for beginners, great for everyday baking, and works well for toast, sandwiches, and serving with soups like Butternut Squash Soup, Broccoli Cheddar Soup and many more!

Why This Recipe Works

• Long, Slow Rise: Letting the dough rest for several hours does most of the work for you. As it sits, the dough develops structure on its own, which is why this loaf turns out soft and airy without any kneading.
• High Hydration Dough: This dough is supposed to be wet and sticky. Don't worry about it looking messy, that extra moisture is what helps the bread rise beautifully and stay tender inside.
• Hot Dutch Oven: Heating the pot before baking makes a big difference. The hot pot traps steam and helps form that crisp, golden crust that feels like bakery-style bread.
• Simple Ingredients: You only need flour, yeast, salt, and water. Nothing fancy. These four ingredients work well together and give you consistent results every time.
• Beginner-Friendly: If you've never made bread before, this recipe is a great place to start. There's almost no hands-on work, and the dough is very forgiving. You just mix, rest, shape, and bake. The dough does the rest.

Ingredients

Here are the ingredients to make no-knead bread.

• All-Purpose Flour - This flour keeps the recipe simple and accessible. It creates a soft interior, but you can use bread flour if you prefer a slightly chewier texture.
• Instant Yeast - Instant yeast makes this recipe easy. It doesn't need to be activated in water, and a small amount is enough to help the dough rise slowly over several hours.
• Salt - Salt adds flavor and balances the dough. It also supports the gluten structure as the bread rises.
• Warm Water - Warm water brings the dough together and helps the yeast activate. The dough will be sticky, which is exactly what you want for no knead bread.
• Flour for Shaping - A small amount of flour is used when folding and shaping the dough. It prevents sticking and makes the dough easier to handle.
• Optional Add-Ins - You can customize the loaf with herbs, cheese, or different flour blends if you want variations for future batches.

Steps

Follo these fool-proof steps to achieve that artisan-style bread.

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and yeast. Create a well in the center and pour in the water. Mix until a wet, sticky dough forms.
2. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place for 6-8 hours, until doubled and bubbly.
3. Lightly flour a piece of parchment paper. Transfer the dough onto the parchment, fold it over itself 3 times, and shape into a round ball. Cover and let it rise for 1 hour.
4. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Place a Dutch oven with its lid inside the oven while it preheats for about 30 minutes.
5. Carefully remove the hot Dutch oven, then lower the dough inside using the parchment as a sling. Score the top with shallow cuts if you like.
6. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes more, or until the crust is golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 210°F.
7. Transfer the bread to a wire rack to cool before slicing. Enjoy!

Some Tips

1. The dough must be wet and shaggy when all ingredients are combined. Shaggy means a bit lumpy. Not the usual smooth dough you always see when you make regular breads or pastries.
2. Let the dough have a slow and long rise, for at least 6 hours or more in a warm place. Then give it a second rise for another one hour after that.
3. Shape the dough in a tight round ball for the bread to get a much better rise. You will see air pockets inside your bread.
4. To store, wrap the bread tightly and keep at a room temperature. The bread is good to consume within 3 days.
5. Make variations on this bread by replacing the type of flour. You can make it gluten-free, whole wheat, add some herbs and cheese!

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