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Crispy, aromatic, and incredibly tasty – this No Knead Bread is everything you could wish for in a loaf of bread. It’s easy to prepare, also for beginners, with no stand mixer required.
What is No Knead Bread exactly?
A bread that doesn’t require any kneading in the process, it’s that simple. The origin of this bread comes from a New York City baker named Jim Lahey.
He invented this new form of bread, which fascinates bread fans all over the world. The recipe was first published in the New York Times. I am a big fan of the original recipe, yet I have adapted it slightly to my taste.
This bread recipe requires minimal effort. The only tricky thing about it is that the dough is very moist. Wet and sticky dough can be a bit difficult to handle, especially for beginners. But don’t worry, you can reduce the water amount used in the recipe if you are a beginner and make your baking life a little easier. You can find more details in the recipe faq or recipe card at the end of the post.
The method to make this simple homemade bread is to mix flour, water, very little yeast, and a little salt. Mix it only briefly using a spoon, DO NOT KNEAD! See, an excellent recipe if you don’t have a stand mixer or hate kneading bread.
Next, you need to give the “dough” a good night’s rest. Everything between 12 and 18 hours is perfect. The longer, the better. This long overnight rise is exactly what makes this bread so incredibly delicious and airy!
Phenomenal Bread Scent
Even if you are a longtime bread baking fan and have always kneaded your bread accurately with a stand mixer or by hand, please don’t be biased now. Because this bread really has it all!
The long resting time plus the use of very little yeast makes the bread super aromatic and keeps it fresh for a long time. The dough is very moist and sticky, which gives the bread a sourdough bread-like taste and makes it airy.
Hello Crusty Bread – For Crispy Crust Lovers
As if those arguments didn’t convince you long ago, I’ll add one more.
We are not going to bake this bread the traditional way on a with parchment paper lined baking tray. No, we bake it in a Dutch oven!
You need to place the Dutch oven in the oven and preheat it for a good 30 minutes. This step will make your Dutch oven burning hot and turns it into an oven in an oven! Makes sense? The enormous heat turns this bread in a masterpiece and which is incredibly crispy.
Don’t have a Dutch oven? Don’t worry, you can also bake this no knead bread without a Dutch oven. Use a round glass casserole with lid instead.
No Knead Bread Recipe
This step-by-step guide will help you along the way – definitely recommended if you’re a baking beginner!
The exact quantities and everything else you need to know for the recipe can be found in the recipe card below.
- Early Evening: Mix flour, salt, and instant yeast (or active dry yeast) in a large bowl. Add the water and mix until just combined. Don’t knead. Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and leave it at room temperature for 12-18 hours. The longer the dough can rest, the more aromatic it becomes.
- Next Morning: Your dough will be covered with bubbles and quite sticky, don’t freak out.
- Place it on a well-floured work surface, also sprinkle the top with flour, and fold each side into the middle, repeat one time. Let it rest for 15 minutes. → As the dough is super wet, you can be generous with the flour.
- Meanwhile, place a clean tea towel in a round bowl and dust with dark rye flour (or oat bran/all-purpose flour – use what you have at hand).
- Shape Dough: Fold the dough again and shape it into a ball. Use more flour if needed. Transfer the dough into the bowl, seam side up, and sprinkle with dark rye flour. Cover with the tea towel and let it rise for 2 hours at room temperature.
- Preheat Oven: Place a dutch oven with the lid on in the oven and preheat to 445 °F/230°C 30 minutes prior to baking.
- Bake: Carefully remove hot Dutch oven from the oven (be careful – don’t burn yourself), tilt the bowl with the dough into the Dutch oven, pop on the lid, and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for another 15 minutes until golden brown.
- Cool: Transfer the bread on a rack and let it cool before slicing.
Recipe FAQ
Are you a beginner when it comes to baking bread? Then reduce the amount of water in the recipe from 1 ½ cup (360ml) to 1 ¼ cup (300ml), so that the dough is a little less wet and easier to handle.
Can I freeze this bread? Yes, for up to 3 months in a freezer bag. Defrost directly for 10 minutes in the preheated oven at 355°F/180°C for the best result. Or slice the bread before freezing and defrost in a toaster.
Can I use different flour? If you prefer a slightly darker and healthier bread, you can use half whole wheat and half all-purpose flour.
What should I do if I don’t have dark rye flour at hand? That is not a problem at all. Replace it with either oat bran or wheat flour.
More Bread Recipes You’ll Love:
- Turkish Pide Bread (No Knead)
- French Brioche Bread
- Homemade Pita Bread
- Vegan Soft Pretzels
- Swiss Braided Bread
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📖 Recipe
No-Knead Bread
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Ingredients
- 3 cups (390 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp salt
- 0.5 tsp instant yeast
- 1 ½ cups (360 ml) warm water see notes if you are making bread for the first time
Dough Shaping
- 1-2 tbsp all-purpose flour for dusting
- 1-2 tbsp dark rye flour OR oat bran, all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Early Evening: Mix flour, salt, and instant yeast in a large bowl. Add the water and mix until just combined. Don't knead. Cover with a plastic wrap and leave it at room temperature for 12-18 hours.
- Next Morning: Your dough will be quite sticky, don't freak out. Place it on a well-floured surface, also sprinkle the top with flour, and fold each side into the middle, repeat one time. Let it rest for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, place a clean tea towel in a round bowl and dust with dark rye flour (or oat bran/all-purpose flour – use what you have at hand).
- Shape Dough: Fold the dough again and shape it into a ball. Use more flour if needed. Transfer the dough into the bowl, seam side up, and sprinkle with dark rye flour. Cover with the tea towel and let it rise for 2 hours at room temperature.
- Preheat Oven: Place a dutch oven with the lid on in the oven and preheat to 445 °F/230°C 30 minutes prior to baking.
- Bake: Remove hot Dutch oven from the oven (be careful – don't burn yourself), tilt the bowl with the dough into the Dutch oven, pop on the lid, and bake for 30 minutes. Take off the lid and bake for another 15 minutes until golden brown.
- Cool: Transfer the bread on a rack and let it cool before slicing.
Notes
- Credit Note: This recipe is adapted from the famous No-Knead Bread by Jim Lahey published in The New York Times.
- Dough Resting Time: The dough needs to rest anywhere between 12-18 hours, the longer, the better.Â
- Water: The dough is quite sticky and difficult to handle when using 1.5 cups of water, but gives this bread so much flavor and makes it super airy, kind of how you know it from sourdough bread. If you are making bread for the first time, I highly suggest only using 1 ¼ cup (300 ml) water.
- Wholewheat Flour: If you prefer a slightly darker and healthier bread, you can use half whole wheat and half all-purpose flour.
- Dark Rye Flour: Make a pretty and crunchy crust. Can easily be substituted by oat bran or all-purpose flour.
- Dutch Oven: Makes this bread incredibly crispy. If you don’t have a Dutch oven, use a round glass casserole with lid.
Hi, can this be made in a fan oven?
Yes, of course, Kite. Just lower the temperature to 210°C/410°F.
I make homemade soups all winter. This is my go to bread to complement soup suppers. Everyone loves it,
You can’t imagine how happy I am to hear that, Sara! I am glad you are taking the time to make homemade bread. Soups are wonderful for the winter and even better if you can dip a homemade bread inside.
All the best,
Aline
Can I use an aluminum Dutch oven?
Hi Carolyn. I have never used an aluminum Dutch oven to make this recipe (I don’t own one). But as they are very similar (the iron one withstands a higher temperature – doesn’t matter in the case when you use your oven at 445°F/230°C), I don’t see any reason why you can’t use it. Make sure to preheat it in the oven and don’t burn yourself ? And please let me know how it went Carolyn!
I know no-knead bread and love it. It is easy to make and so delicious.