No-Knead Bread Recipe

This No-Knead Bread recipe is the most delicious homemade bread and a super easy recipe too! Crusty outside, but soft and chewy inside. It leaves you with a loaf of fresh and delicious made from scratch. It’s the perfect addition to just about any meal (BONUS: Your house will smell amazing!)

No-Knead Bread recipe

There is nothing quite like making homemade bread. The process of making artisan bread from scratch is so therapeutic. From the rising dough, the smell of fresh-baked bread in the oven, and the final product: a delicious food item that can be enjoyed as a snack or addition to just about any meal.

Bread is a staple in our household. My family loves those restaurants that bring freshly baked bread or breadsticks to the table as an appetizer. So, I love it when I can get in the kitchen and make any sort of homemade bread for my family.

I love this recipe. It is very easy to make, and the end result is a delicious loaf of bread. I love serving it freshly baked out of the oven, while it’s still warm. Usually, we don’t have any leftovers. It’s that good!

What is No-Knead Bread?

No-Knead Bread gets its name from the method you take to making it. Typically when making homemade bread, you would knead it. Kneading bread is the step in which you work the dough by hand, to give it a better structure and texture.

This is considered to be an important step in bread making. But, no-knead bread breaks this rule.

Instead, it has a longer rising time. During this time it forms the texture on its own. Saving you the step of kneading your bread by hand.

Ingredients

The beauty in bread making comes in the form of a very short ingredients list. There aren’t too many items that go into making a good bread. Usually, you just need water, flour, and yeast!

Here’s exactly what you’ll need for your no-knead bread recipe:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ tsp sea salt
• 2 tsp active dry yeast
• 1 ½ cups warm water (105 degrees F)
• ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
• ¼ cup flour, for cutting board

Optional Ingredients to Add

The fun part about this easy bread recipe is that you could make a different type of bread every time by adding in some fun ingredients!

In my initial ingredients list I mentioned the addition of parmesan. I recommend leaving this in each time for the added flavor and texture.

But, you can play around with adding in some other items as well. The options are endless, from herbs and seasonings to various cheeses.

Here are a few of my favorite additions:

• Italian seasoning
• Rosemary
• Roasted Garlic
• Fresh herbs
• Everything But the Bagel Spice (I find this at Trader Joe’s)

How to Make No-Knead Bread

1. In a small mixing bowl, add warm water and active dry yeast. Let this sit for 10-15 minutes.
2. In a large mixing bowl, add your 3 cups of flour, salt, and parmesan cheese.
3. Pour in yeast/water mixture and mix with a large spoon.
4. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let sit out at room temperature for 18 – 24 hours to let the dough rest. This can be the hardest part of all, waiting! But this time is important to make sure the bread has the correct texture.
   
5. When ready to bake the bread, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place a 3-quart dutch oven (cast iron) with the lid on in the oven and bring it up to 450 degrees.
6. On a large cutting board, sprinkle about ¼ cup flour.
7. Place the dough on the cutting board and flip over to coat with flour and shape the dough into a ball using floured hands.
8. Place dough in the preheated HOT dutch oven and cover with the lid.
9. Place dutch oven back in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
10. Remove the lid and continue to cook for another 15 minutes, or until the top of the bread is golden and crusty.
11. Remove bread from the hot dutch oven and let it cool.
12. Slice and serve.

Pro-Tips

Tip 1: Keep in mind that the dough in this recipe will be sticky, unlike other regular kneaded dough.

Tip 2: Preheating the dutch oven ensures that the bread will not stick to the bottom or sides of the dutch oven. This is a very important step to ensure you get the best final result. Don’t skip this step!

Tip 3: This recipe calls for a smaller dutch oven, a 3 quart-sized one. It can also be made in a regular-sized dutch oven as well. It will spread out more and be flatter, vs taller in the smaller one.

Tip 4: Be patient! The hardest part of this recipe is giving the bread time to rise on its own, but this is also the most important part of making no-knead bread.

How to Store Bread

Storing bread can be tricky. It’s important to store it correctly so that it doesn’t dry out, without keeping it too moist and risking mold. This is especially true for no-knead bread. It doesn’t have any added fat to keep it moist and soft, so it tends to dry out quickly.

The best option for storing bread is a bread box. This will keep it moist but will not trap moisture and make it moldy. If you don’t have a bread box, the next best option would be to wrap the bread in a dry cloth towel and place it inside a paper bag.

How about some Quick Bread Recipes!

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Recipe | Lemon Blueberry Bread | Monkey Bread Recipe | Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread | 7-Up Biscuits

Homemade bread is the ultimate comfort, whether it’s in the process of making it, the smell as it bakes, or that first bite of a warm slice. This No-Knead Bread is just that. It’s easy to make and a delicious recipe that can be enjoyed as a snack or addition to just about any meal.