This no knead bread is perfectly crusty on the outside, with a fluffy interior that’s just begging for some creamy butter. Try it with your dinner tonight!
If you think crusty artisan bread is only available from the bakery… get ready to think again! This no knead bread is made incredibly easy, and is easy to customize with add-ins for different flavor combinations!
Are you a fan of those breads from the bakery, you know, the one’s with that deliciously crunchy crust and soft, fluffy inside? Yep, this bread tastes just like that. Personally, I think it tastes even better!!
It sounds fancy and complicated, but trust me on this one, it’s not. In fact, there’s no kneading whatsoever!
I always thought homemade breads were complicated… involving a bunch of steps and rises. Granted, there are some breads like that… but this bread just isn’t one of them.
BUT SERIOUSLY… NO KNEADING??
Absolutely none! No stand mixer needed… just a bowl and a wooden spoon.
The night before you want to make the bread, you mix up your flour, salt, yeast and water with a big spoon. I like to make this a Parmesan and rosemary bread, so I also stirred in some minced rosemary and a handful of shredded Parmesan cheese.
Now just cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit out on your counter overnight and throughout the next day. So there is a bit of prep with this bread, in that you have to plan ahead and make it the night before. But that’s the only “work” there is with this bread. Seriously.
After it’s rested for a good 18 hours or so, flour your hands and cutting board really well. Turn out your dough onto your cutting board and roughly shape it into a ball. Drop the ball into a preheated dutch oven and bake. That’s it!
WHAT OTHER FLAVORS CAN I MAKE?
The sky is really the limit here! It’s great plain, and obviously with the parmesan and rosemary, but here are some additional flavor options!
- Cheddar cheese and crumbled cooked bacon
- Roasted garlic cloves
- Sun-dried tomatoes (diced up) and basil
- Diced olives
- Cheddar cheese and jalapeños
Look at that amazing texture! All those little nooks and crannies are just begging for some creamy salted butter or to be dipped in a soup/stew!
Here are some great recipes to go with this no knead bread:
- Slow Cooker Spaghetti Bolognese Sauce
- Slow Cooker Creamy White Chicken Chili
- 10 Minute Shrimp Scampi
- Slow Cooker Creamy Tomato Basil Soup
- Guinness and Coffee Irish Beef Stew
The next time you’re craving a loaf of homemade crusty bread, give this no knead bread recipe a try… I really think you’ll love it!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Ingredients
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 1/2 cups room temperature water
- 1/3 cups grated parmesan cheese
- 1 Tbsp minced fresh rosemary
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, add flour, salt, yeast, cheese and rosemary. Pour in water, use a wooden spatula to combine. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let sit on your counter for 12-18 hours (I've even done up to 24 hours).
- When ready to bake your bread, preheat oven to 450 F degrees. Add cast iron dutch oven (with the lid on) to the oven, so it preheats along with the oven itself.
- Flour your hands, counter/cutting board, and sprinkle some flour over the top of the dough itself. Remove dough from bowl and shape it into a rough ball shape. Drop ball of dough into the preheated pot, cover with lid and return to the oven.
- Bake, with the lid on, for 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake for another 15-20 minutes until golden brown and crusty.
- Bread should remove easily from the pot, so take bread out and let cool completely before slicing.
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Chef Tips
- Dough will be sticky, and unlike any traditional kneaded bread dough.
- Preheating the dutch oven is important, as it makes sure the dough doesn't stick to the bottom. If you want a little extra assurance, sprinkle a bit of flour or cornmeal on the bottom before adding the dough.
- I like to use a smaller dutch oven, about 3.5 qt, so the dough rises upwards and yields a higher loaf. Using a larger dutch oven means the dough will spread out more and won't be as high, although still just as tasty. It's all about how you want the bread to look.
- Make sure your yeast is not expired. Even if you've never opened the yeast, it can lose it's effectiveness over time. I like to buy smaller packets of yeast so I can use them before they go bad.
Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
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Paddi Thornton says
i have made this bread several times with different herbs ad chesses and it is always a hit at my family gatherings
Diane says
Can this recipe be done with instant yeast as well?
Amanda says
Yes, with no changes 🙂
Linda says
I do not have a Dutch oven. It was too heavy to life so I gave it away. Any alternative for this bread?
Amanda says
They definitely are heavy! Any heavy bottomed pot with a lid (that’s oven safe to 450°F) should work. Or if you don’t have one of those, you can try this. Boil about 1 1/2 cups of water. Add to a metal or ceramic pan (I like to use my 8×8 baking pan) on the bottom rack in the oven. Add parchment paper with shaped and topped dough to a baking sheet, and add to the middle oven rack.
Bake for 45-50 minutes, checking for doneness. This mimics the steaming effect of baking the dough in a dutch oven with the lid on for the first 30 minutes (which is what causes the bread to rise so much), and also produces a great crispy crust. Although it won’t have the same rounded boule shape.
VICTORIA says
Hi ! This looks fabulous to go with the Chunky Corn Chowdah (!) for tomorrow night, but I have a question on the baking vessel. I have an “old school” Corningware “Fleur de Lys” lidded dutch oven. Will that work instead of cast iron? And yes, I’ll throw some cornmeal in the bottom to (hopefully) prevent sticking.
The Chunky Chef says
Sounds like a great combo!! I don’t have one of those, so I haven’t tested this recipe in that cooking vessel. My only concern would be that it may not be oven safe at 450°F?
Diane Boisjoli says
I am wondering how I would need to modify to make it a raisin bread. Raisin bread is usually a bit sweeter.
The Chunky Chef says
Baking recipes are more of a science than traditional cooking recipes, so without doing some thorough testing and retesting myself, I can’t say for certain how to do that.
Diane Boisjoli says
I did the basic recipe and very happy with the results
Gary says
Made this bread followed directions loaf is 7” round and about 31/2” high is this a normal size. Also there seems to be a big difference in the amount of yeast used in this type of bread. I’ve seen from 1/2 tsp to 21/2 tsp to one tablespoon. I followed your amount of yeast it didn’t rise much in 20 hours.
The Chunky Chef says
Since this is a high hydration no-knead bread, it won’t rise like a traditional bread. The dough gets puffy and bubbly instead, it’s supposed to, I promise 🙂 That sounds like a normal size, like a boule from the baker.
judith judge says
can you use instant yeast
The Chunky Chef says
I’ve not tested it, but I think that would work well 🙂
Wanda says
I made the dough yesterday (with an Italian Seasoning Blend) and let it rise for 18 hours and followed the remaining instructions to bake it today! It turned out PERFECT! I absolutely love crusty bread crust…and decided it needed a broccoli cheddar soup to go with it! Best meal I’ve had in a long time! Thank you!
Lyn says
I have made this exact recipe from another site and the only difference is my recipe says 2 tsp. of dry active yeast. Everything else is exactly the same. Wondering why there is such a difference in the yeast. Will it rise ok? Maybe mine is too yeasty. Everyone seems to like it. Must give it a try.
The Chunky Chef says
Generally when the dough rises slowly, as in this recipe where it sits on the counter for 12-18 hours, you don’t need very much yeast. It rises just fine, I promise 🙂
Cheryl says
FIrst loaf was perfect. Used the rosemary/Parmesan. Second loaf a miserable failure. Nothing added but noticed dough was really runny. Wondering if I mismeasured. Did rush and put in pit in oven at 425. Stuck terribly. Crust hard as a rock. Inside gummy. Will try again and not rush! My friend made her first loaf and loved!
Chantal Pelham-Edwards says
I’m excited to try this for my first time making bread! Could I make this in a loaf pan?
The Chunky Chef says
I’m not entirely sure, as I’ve only ever baked it as written.
Linda says
I made a loaf for my daughter with a “curb side” pick up due to distancing. It was still warm. She “dug into it” on her way home! Thank you for this absoutely easy recipe. Question…can wheat flour be used?
The Chunky Chef says
So glad you guys liked it! I’ve not tested it with wheat flour, but I would guess it would produce a denser and flatter loaf.
Mally says
This is my go to bread recipe. Set it up the day before and cook the following day. Served it to some friends for Sunday lunch, was asked for the recipe, passed it on and they made it at their house and said it was great! I think my dutch oven may be a tad large, but it hasn’t stopped me from making it over and over! Love it! Simple, quick and delicious!
Roberta says
I just mixed up a batch tonight to try this, i had a question though. My dough was not in anyway moist or damp after I mixed in the water, is that ok? should I have added more water?
I live in Georgia and we’ve not got much humidity going on right now, so I was curious. I compared mine to yours and yes mine is a little shaggy like yours, but I do see wet/damp spots whereas mine did not have any
The Chunky Chef says
Normally mine will be sticky and shaggy, but not necessarily wet. Humidity, or lack there of, does play a huge part in the amount of flour/water needed. More than likely, you’ll be fine… this dough is pretty forgiving 🙂
Kelly says
I made this for my wife but substitued Italian seasoning for the rosemary.
Absolutely delicious bread.
susan l fannon says
can i use parchment paper and also can i score the top of the bread before i bake it?
The Chunky Chef says
Yes you sure can (to both).
Kim says
Yum!!! Made this without the Parmesan and rosemary, so Just the simple bread recipe. It is amazing! How do y’all store this bread? My family of 3 (including an 8 month old) can’t finish it in a day.
The Chunky Chef says
I’m so glad you love this recipe! We usually keep ours on the counter in a closed paper bag 🙂
Liz says
This is the easiest and best bread I have made. My first loaf I made just like the recipe said with no additives. It was great. My second loaf I chopped up some ham and added some shredded cheddar cheese and Italian seasonings. Wonderful..I made the dough last night and today I decided to mix sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon into the center of the loaf. Will have to wait for it to brown and cool to let you know how it tastes. As far as measures for ingredients I just put as much as I thought looks like enough.
Debra says
Great flavor but mine is never round. Pretty much just splats into the pot😏
kate says
when adding flavors when do you add them? do you add them when you mix the dough up or right before you put it in the oven?
The Chunky Chef says
I would add them when mixing up the dough.