No-Knead Bread was all the rage back in 2011 when I was new to blogging. Minimal ingredients and lots of patience results in a magnificent loaf of homemade bread!

Simple and rustic, this is an Easy Bread Recipe you’ll want to make again and again. This craggy loaf is perfect to serve with soups, stews, or any dish where you’re dying to soak up a delicious sauce with a slice of bread. Plus it makes delicious croutons!

Slices of this Easy Bread Recipe with a pat of butter on a small white plate.

Why You Must Make

Jim Lahey, of Sullivan Street Bakery, was the brainchild of this unusual no-knead bread recipe. All my foodie friends were buzzing about this recipe after it appeared in the New York Times.

It’s unique as the dough is wet and bubbly after resting overnight, the long fermentation time allows for more flavor development, and the baking technique in a Dutch oven traps steam in the pot. You’ll notice a slightly more yeasty flavor and a nice coarse, open crumb. You’ll definitely love a warm slice with a smear of cool, creamy butter!

No-Knead Bread in a blue Dutch oven.

Ingredient Notes

The list isn’t too long, but you may not have all of these ingredients and cooking supplies on hand.

  • Bread flour – it has a higher gluten content compared with All-Purpose Flour
  • Instant yeastPRO-Tip: I use Red Star Platinum Yeast, do not use Rapid-Rise yeast as it doesn’t work well with this wet dough.
  • Kosher Salt – If you use regular table salt, you’ll need less
  • Olive oil – Helps keep the bread soft a little longer
  • Instant Read Thermometer – helpful for testing the water temperature and bread for doneness, but not necessary to purchase just for this recipe
  • Dutch Oven

How to Make

  • Plan for the first, longer, resting period to be done overnight.
  • The dough should rest in a bowl covered with plastic for a minimum of 12 hours, but up to 20 hours.
  • So mix up the dough ingredients in the evening, place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover and let rest on the countertop overnight.
  • Using only a fraction of the yeast used with bread you’d knead, the dough is given ample time for the yeast to activate with an overnight resting.
  • Next is the 2-hour “rising” time nestled in a flour-coated towel, before being dumped in a super hot Dutch oven and baked.
No-Knead bread slices on a cutting board.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is No-Knead Bread?

The name says it all. The ingredients in a no-knead bread are stirred together instead of kneading by hand or with the dough hook of a stand mixer. There are two resting periods, the first being up to 20 hours. The second is a short two hours before the loaf is baked. This New York Times No Knead Bread is an easy option for beginner bread bakers. Just make sure to buy the correct yeast.

How Do You Store This Easy Bread Recipe?

Due to its high water content, no-knead bread is best on the day it is baked. You may want to cut the loaf in half after it’s cooled, and freeze half if you’re unable to finish the loaf within a couple of days. I added a tablespoon of olive oil to Jim Lahey’s no-knead recipe as the added fat helps keep the bread a little moister, but it will still get dry pretty fast.

If you want to keep the integrity of the crust, just place the cut end down on a cutting board and cover with a paper sack. Storing in plastic will soften the crust, but it can be re-crisped in the oven at 350º for 10 minutes.

What Kind of Bread is No Knead Bread

It’s a crusty yeast bread with a soft interior that’s easy to make and consistently provides good results.

Why is My No Knead Bread Flat?

It could be that your yeast is old or expired and this prevented the bread from rising properly.

Why is My Bread Dense?

Most likely, you added too much flour. The dough is very sticky, but that’s normal. There is no need to add any more flour than what is called for in the recipe.

How Long Can You Let the Dough Rise?

Follow your specific recipe. No knead bread dough needs a much longer rising time than regular yeast bread. This timing will depend on what recipe you use. For this recipe, the first rising time is 12-20 hours and the second rising time is 2 hours.

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No Knead Bread in a Dutch Oven
Photo from January, 2011.

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No-Knead Bread Recipe slices on a small white plate

No Knead Bread

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Additional Time 2 hours
Total Time 3 hours 20 minutes
Yield 1 loaf

The easiest bread you'll ever make! Only time needed, no actual kneading!

Ingredients

  • 3 cups bread flour
  • ¼ teaspoon instant yeast (I use Red Star Platinum Yeast)
  • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt or 1 teaspoon table salt
  • 1 ½ cups warm water (70-80 degrees)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil plus more for greasing the bowl

Instructions

    1. Mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl with a wooden spoon until they come together.  It will not be a cohesive dough. It will actually be pretty messy looking. 
    2. Transfer to an oiled bowl. Cover with plastic and let sit for 12-20 hours on the countertop.
    3. After the waiting period, the dough will be wet and bubbly. Dump the dough onto a floured surface.  Then with a wet spatula or wet hands, shape the dough into a ball. 
    4. Set the dough ball onto a well-floured cotton towel (do not use terrycloth), seam side down.  Fold the towel over the dough.  Let rest for two hours at room temperature. It should double in size.
    5. When the dough has risen for about 1 1/2 hours, put a 5 quart or larger cast iron pot into the oven and preheat to 450º. 
    6. Cover the handle of the lid with aluminum foil if it's not heat-safe at that temperature. If you're unsure, just do it for peace of mind. You can use any pot that size with a lid that can withstand that temperature. 
    7. Remove pot from oven and dump the dough into the pot, seam side up. Shake the pot a bit to help distribute the dough evenly. 
    8. Cover and bake for 30 minutes.  Uncover and bake another 15-20 minutes, until the crust is golden. 
    9. If you're new to baking yeast bread, You can use an instant-read thermometer to see if the interior of the loaf is up to 200º if you're unsure if it is done.  Remove the loaf to a rack and allow it to cool.

Notes

Recipe slightly adapted fro Jim Lahey

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1 slice

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 134Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 310mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 1gSugar: 0gProtein: 4g

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