Ready to learn how to make the easiest No Knead Crusty Bread at home? I’ve got step by step photos and directions to teach you how to bake it in your own kitchen!
RECIPE IS BELOW IN PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD BUT BLOG POST IS FULL OF “HOW TO MAKE IT”, TIPS, INFORMATION AND FAQ
I absolutely love this No Knead Crusty Bread. Its not your typical sandwich bread but it’s amazing with soups and stews.
To be honest, my 2 year old is perfectly content with tearing off a huge chunk of this homemade crusty bread and just nibbling on it while he watching his morning cartoons!
Why You Should Make this No Knead Crusty Bread…
- No knead bread is a great bread recipe for those that can’t knead bread due to time issues or things like arthritis in hands. and
- This no knead bread is made with panty staple items. .
- Perfect to serve with soups, great for sandwiches, and perfect with meals like Penne alla Vodka and Beef Stroganoff
QUICK GLANCE AT INGREDIENTS FOR No Knead Crusty Bread:
- all-purpose flour
- salt
- yeast
- warm water
(AMOUNTS IN RECIPE CARD BELOW)
You’ll also need:
- Plastic Wrap
- Parchment Paper
- Large Dutch oven with lid or oven safe bowl – I love mine from Loge Dutch Ovens and the Le Creuset Dutch Ovens I have –
- an Oven
How to make No Knead Crusty Bread:
- Making the bread dough:
Start the bread making process by pouring the yeast into warm water and letting sit undisturbed for 5 minutes.
In a very large bowl, combine flour and salt. - Mix it mix it
Whisk the dry ingredients together and once yeast had bloomed for 5 minutes, add the water and yeast to flour.
Use a wooden spoon or spatula to stir everything together.
- Let it rise!
Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rest on counter for 8 hours. I’ve let this bread rest for 4 hours, 8 hours, 12 hours and 24 hours to test how we liked it. We like the when it rises for 8-12 hours.
- leave it alone
If you’re kitchen is particularly cold, place the bowl into the oven (with the oven off) or inside the microwave (turned off) for it to rise. However, it should be ok on the counter.
Place a kitchen towel over it and add a note so your family doesn’t touch it and ruin your work.
- See it has doubled in size!
- Divide it in half!
Cut two pieces of parchment paper the same size as the lid of a dutch oven or the size of the oven safe bowl you’re using to bake the bread.
After dough has risen, flip dough out onto a floured surface and cut in half. Use floured hands to tuck edged of dough under itself to create a smooth dough ball. - Let it rise again! Yep, again!
Place each dough ball onto a piece of parchment paper. Cover lightly with a clean tea towel and let dough rise again for 30 minutes.
Try not to handle it too much after it’s risen for the 2nd time. The more you handle it the flatter it seems to bake. - Get the oven ready
Set oven racks in oven to the lowest rack possible. Place dutch ovens or baking bowl into the oven. (lids removed)
Preheat oven to 450F with baking dishes inside (without lids). -
Once ready to bake, carefully remove dutch oven or baking bowl from oven. THESE WILL BE HOT! PLEASE BE CAREFUL!
- Mark that bread.
Slice the top of the bread 3-4 times with a sharp knife.
Lift bread using parchment paper as a sling and carefully lower bread and parchment paper into the super hot dutch oven or baking bowl. - Time to bake
Add lid to pot and place back into oven. Bake bread with lid on for about 45 minutes.
After 45 minutes, remove top and bake bread for 10 minutes. - Let it cool
Remove from oven and let cool for 5 – 10 minutes and then transfer out of baking dish onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
- When you slice it, the top is crispy!
Once bread is cooled, slice with a serrated knife and enjoy with your favorite jam, jelly, soup or stew!
Please remember that this is a crusty bread, so the crust is going to be very crispy. You may start to cut into it and say, “Holy Heck, this is hard bread” but don’t worry, the crust its just extra crispy but the bread inside is worth it! haha.
TO STORE THIS BREAD:
If it hasn’t been cut open, this bread can sit on the counter for a few days with no problem. However, once it’s been cut, place uneaten pieces in a resealable bag or closed paper bags to keep it fresh.
BREAD DRIED OUT BEFORE IT’S ALL EATEN?
If you didn’t manage to eat all of the bread before it dried up, don’t toss it out! You can use dried bread to make amazing recipes like these:
- Garlic Chive Parmesan Croutons
- ‘Ohana Pineapple Banana Bread Pudding with Banana Caramel Sauce
- Jack Daniels Bread Pudding
IF YOU NEED JAM RECIPES FOR YOUR BREAD TRY THESE:
IF YOU NEED SOUP RECIPES TO HAVE WITH YOUR BREAD TRY THESE:
- BBQ Hamburger Soup
- Slow Cooker Loaded Potato and Shrimp Chowder
- Broccoli and Cheese Pasta Soup
- French Tomato Pumpkin Soup
- Creamy Corn Chowder
MORE HOMEMADE BAKERY RECIPES TO FALL IN LOVE WITH:
Frequently Asked Questions
No-knead bread is bread that is make using a long rising time instead of kneading to form the bread and its texture.
No knead bread takes about 55-60 minutes to bake in the oven.
If it hasn’t been cut open, this bread can sit on the counter for a few days with no problem. However, once it’s been cut, place uneaten pieces in a resealable bag or closed paper bags to keep it fresh.
No Knead Crusty Bread
No Knead Crusty Bread
Ready to learn how to make the easiest No Knead Crusty Bread at home? I've got step by step photos and directions to teach you how to bake it in your own kitchen!
Ingredients
- 6 cups all-purpose flour + extra for dusting
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon yeast
- 3 cups warm water
- Plastic Wrap
- Parchment Paper
- Large Dutch oven with lid or oven safe bowl
Instructions
- Pour yeast into warm water and let sit undisturbed for 5 minutes.
- In a very large bowl, combine flour and salt.
- Once yeast had bloomed for 5 minutes, add the water and yeast to flour.
- Use a wooden spoon or spatula to stir everything together.
- Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rest on counter for 8 hours.
- Cut two pieces of parchment paper the same size as the lid of a dutch oven or the size of the oven safe bowl you're using to bake the bread.
- After dough has risen, flip dough out onto a floured surface and cut in half.
- Use floured hands to tuck edged of dough under itself to create a smooth dough ball.
- Place each dough ball onto a piece of parchment paper.
- Cover lightly with a clean tea towel and let dough rise again for 30 minutes.
- Set oven racks in oven to the lowest rack possible.
- Place dutch ovens or baking bowl into the oven. (lids removed)
- Preheat oven to 450F with baking dishes inside (without lids).
- Once ready to bake, carefully remove dutch oven or baking bowl from oven.
- Slice the top of the bread 3-4 times with a sharp knife.
- Lift bread using parchment paper as a sling and carefully lower bread and parchment paper into the super hot dutch oven or baking bowl.
- Add lid to pot and place back into oven.
- Bake for 45 minutes.
- After 45 minutes, remove top and bake bread for 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let cool for 5 - 10 minutes and then transfer out of baking dish onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
- I bake this bread in a dutch oven but I know some others have baked it in cake pans and oven safe bowls with success however baking in a glass bowl at 450F scares me so I opt for the dutch oven.
- I've let this bread rest for 4 hours, 8 hours, 12 hours and 24 hours to test how we liked it. We like the when it rises for 8-12 hours.
- Try not to handle it too much after it's risen for the 2nd time. The more you handle it the flatter it seems to bake.
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Can this be made in loaf pans?
Hi Jo Ann, You should be able to but I haven’t tested it in load pans. If I were going to try it in loaf pans I would probably reduce the baking time to 30 minutes.