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All you need is a little patience for the best result. The smell of freshly baked bread is amazing and I’m certain you will love this recipe. You can easily make different variants of this bread as well. It is always time for fresh bread so are you ready for this easy no knead bread recipe? Let’s get started!
Super Easy Bread Recipe
Don’t you just love walking into a bakery? I could be in there all day long. The smell of freshly baked bread has something comforting.
Freshly baked bread doesn’t need much, some butter or old cheese would do just fine. But are you put off by all the work that goes into baked bread?
First the kneading of the dough then it has to rise and you have to knead the dough some more before it can actually go into the oven.
Well, not this easy bread recipe. This is literally the easiest bread recipe ever. I showed you before how you can make no-knead pizza.
This time I am showing you how to make this easy no-knead bread. Made famous by Jim Lahey, I have made this easy no-knead bread recipe many times.
No-Knead Bread Ingredients
This bread requires a limited number of ingredients. You probably have the ingredients in your cupboard as we speak.
This recipe needs:
- 3 cups of flour
- ¼ tsp yeast
- 1 tsp salt
- 1½ cup of warm water
- 2 tsp of sesame seeds
How To Make No-Knead Bread Recipe
You start by combining the flour, yeast, and salt in a large bowl. Make sure the ingredients are well combined before you add the warm water.
The water needs to be really warm water to properly activate the yeast. Now put your hand in and swirl the flour mix and water.
As soon as it comes together and the flour is absorbed by the water you are done. Like in, your work is done.
Okay, cover the bowl with some cling film. I cover the bowl with a tea towel as well and then set it aside for the next 20 to 24 hours (usually overnight).
Leave it and forget about it.
The next day preheat your Dutch oven in a 500℉-550℉/250℃ oven (set the oven as high as it can go, see note in the recipe.
Put the Dutch oven in the oven as you heat the oven.
Then take the dough out of the bowl on a lightly floured surface. Fold the dough top to bottom and left to right into a ball.
Put it on some sesame seeds or flax seeds where the fold is.
Take the Dutch oven out of the oven and put the dough in the fold side up. Put the lid on and back into the oven for 30 minutes.
After the 30 minutes, take the lid off and bake for another 15 minutes so you get a nice golden crust. Let it cool and ready is your bread.
Tips And Warning!
- Warning – When you remove the lid from the Dutch oven check the bread after 5-7 minutes to see if the crust is not baking too fast or even burning. Every oven is different and can color the crust really fast.
- Oven – you can put the covered bowl in the oven to proof the dough as it is draft free. Do not heat your oven just put the bowl in the oven, close the door and let it rise.
- Use the dough – I let it proof overnight and let it sit for 20 hours or more. If you want you can use the dough earlier like between 4-6 hours. Just check to see if the dough has at least doubled in size.
Easy No Knead Bread Recipe Options
- Whole wheat flour – substitute the all-purpose flour for whole wheat flour. This bread will be a little tougher than when you make it with all-purpose or bread flour and it will not be as fluffy and have fewer air pockets
- Mediterranean bread – add some chopped sun-dried tomatoes and diced black olives to the dough. Put this in when you fold the dough before it goes into the oven. You will get a nice Mediterranean bread
- Nuts and seeds – add some chopped nuts, sunflower, or pumpkin seeds when you make the dough and sprinkle them on top for some added flavor
- Cinnamon and raisins – make a sweet bread by adding some cinnamon, raisins, and currants when you combine the water and flour mix
- Cheese – combine a cup of mozzarella cheese when most of the dough is combined. Put some cheese on top for the final 15 minutes
- Garlic and herbs – put some fresh parsley, rosemary, and basil in the dough. Add garlic after the dough has risen. Garlic impacts how much dough rises
How To Store No-Knead Bread
Put the bread in a plastic airtight bag that will keep it fresh for a day or two. Slice the bread and store it in the freezer where you can keep it fresh for a least a month.
When the bread has gone stale sprinkle with water and put it in the oven or toast it in the toaster or skillet.
Recipes You Can Make With No-Knead Bread
You can make various tasty recipes with no-knead bread like:
- Oven roasted tomato bruschetta – this might be one of the easiest appetizers around, all you need besides this bread are some tasty tomatoes.
- Grilled cheese bacon sandwich – you can make a great lunch dish with cheese, bacon, sundried tomato, and avocado.
- Authentic simple pan con tomate – a delicious breakfast or mid-morning snack that is popular throughout the whole of Spain.
Other Bread Recipes
If you love bread then you will like the following recipes also:
I hope you love this recipe as much as I do. Have fun making this easy no-knead bread recipe!
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Easy no knead bread recipe
Easy no knead bread recipe is the answer if you love freshly baked bread, with lots of air pockets and a crunchy crust.
Ingredients
- 3 cups of flour
- ¼ tsp yeast
- 1 tsp salt
- 1½ cup warm water
- 2 tsp of sesame seeds
Instructions
- Combining the flour, yeast and salt in a large bowl. Add warmwater to activate the yeast.
- Now put you hand in and swirl the flour mix and water. As soon as it comes together and the flour is absorbed by the water you are done
- Cover the bowl with some cling film. Let it rise in a warm place for the next 20 to 24 hours
- Pre heat your Dutch oven in a 500℉-550℉(see note)/250℃ oven
- Take the dough out of the bowl on a lightly floured surface. Fold the dough top to bottom and left to right into a ball. Put it on some sesame seeds of flax seeds where the fold is
- Take the Dutch oven out of the oven and put the dough in the pan, fold side up
- Put the lid on and back into the oven for 30 minutes
- Take the lid of and bake for another 15 minutes so you get a nice golden crust
- Let it cool and ready is your bread
Notes
The prep time is without the proofing time of 20-24 hours. Some ovens are restricted to 500℉ pre heat as high as it can go. If that is 550℉ pre heat at 550℉ else on 500℉.
Click To Play Recipe Video
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Nutrition facts
Calories: 140; Fat: 0.7g; Carbs: 28.8g; Protein: 4g;
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17 Comments
Lisa|Tiny Kitchen Capers
03/26/2018 at 8:01 pmThis looks so easy! I have got to try this!
Mireille
03/26/2018 at 8:41 pmHi Lisa, this is indeed so easy and it tastes so good. Give it a go ?
Customer essay
03/28/2018 at 1:13 amThank you for your sweet message.
Richard
04/03/2018 at 2:11 pmHi.
In the written directions it says preheat the oven to 550 degrees but in the video is say 500 degrees.
Which is correct?
Mireille
04/03/2018 at 2:24 pmRichard,
Some ovens are restricted at 500℉. So I have added a note in the instructions to set the oven as high as it can go. If that is 550℉perfect. If that is 500℉ it will work as well. Hope this helps.
Simone
04/03/2018 at 9:29 pmWondering if this recipe will work with whole wheat flour?
Mireille
04/04/2018 at 5:19 amSimone,
This recipe will work with whole wheat flour as well. As I mentioned in the post the bread will be a little tougher compared to when you make it with white or all-purpose flour. There will be less air pockets in it but you can still make it following the instructions.
ben
04/05/2018 at 7:44 pmDoesn’t yeast normally require some sugar in order for it to rise and/or create air pockets? Is this using Regular/Active Dry Yeast or the Rapid-Rise/Instant/Bread-Machine type yeast?
I’ve been thinking of substituting Glycine for sugar in the my bread machine recipes.. not sure if it’s 1-to-1, nor if yeast will eat the Glycine, but I’m gonna experiment!
BTW, do you have any thoughts on substituting some portion of the flour (25%?), with an ancient grain flour (ex. Amaranth)? I assume there’s a limit to how much gluten can be removed before the bread won’t rise?
Mireille
04/05/2018 at 8:22 pmBen,
If you want to get fast activation of yeast you can add sugar however in this recipe it is all about letting the yeast do its work. That takes time (about a whole day), together with the warm water the yeast gets activated. Really no sugar is required in this recipe. I have made it many times without sugar.
You can substitute part or the whole of the all purpose flour for wheat or other types of flour. What I have seen though is that when you include full grain types of flour it will not rise at much and the end result is not as fluffy. These types of flours is tougher than all-purpose flour. So you can sub but either take longer for it to proof or accept that it will not rise as much. I would say give it a try before adjusting the recipe. Hope this helps.
Tomas
04/06/2018 at 10:09 pmYou already have the required sugar in the flour. When flour comes in contact with water, enzymes will start to break down starch into sugar that can be digested by the yeast bacterias. The yeast bacteria will create carbon dioxide that will create the required gas pockets. The same thing happens when you create a sourdough starter. So there’s no need to add any extra sugar.
Mireille
04/07/2018 at 8:22 amTomas, thanks for the yeast lesson.
Kim
07/05/2018 at 5:07 pmWould this recipe work using a 1-to-1 gluten free flour?
Mireille
07/05/2018 at 5:37 pmKim,
I have never made this recipe with gluten free flour before. My first response is that it should be possible to make this recipe with gluten free flour. As you do not have the gluten you might need a binder in the recipe like flaxmeal or xanthan gum. It also depends whether there is a binder in the gluten free flour. I would advice to check if there is a binder in the flour and give it a go.
Jaime
02/28/2019 at 2:05 amMade half recipe. When trying to fold it was very sticky, trying several times. Our it at 550F, but it burned the bread when lid opened, maybe 5 to 10 minutes should I ave been enough, I think it depends on the type of oven and if it’s the full recipe. Trying again with full recipe and using multigrain bread flour.
Mireille
02/28/2019 at 6:42 amHi Jaime,
This instructions are indeed for the full recipe. When my dough is really sticky I sprinkle some additional flour on it to make it more manageable. I always put the dough on top of a piece of baking paper so I can easily lift it into the pan.
I can imagine that when you bake with less dough the cooking time reduces. It is also dependent on the type of oven. Some ovens get hotter than other even though it is set to the same temperature. Would suggest you set the timer to 5-7 minutes the next time to see if you crust is golden. If not just add an increment of 5 minutes to be sure your bread is not burned.
Be aware that when you use a multigrain or whole wheat flour your bread might become tougher/compact than with just white flour
Hope your bread will come out right the next time!
Melissa
07/28/2020 at 5:48 pmHi.
I’ll try it this weekend. So exited!
I have a question. Should i leave it roomtemperature for 24 hours? Or should i put it in the fridge?
Thankyou so much
Melissa
07/28/2020 at 5:51 pmOhhh i’m sorry. Just read that i must leave it in a warm place!
Thanks