Best Easy No-Knead Bread (Printable)

A crusty, airy loaf made with simple ingredients and minimal effort for a satisfying homemade treat.

# What You Need:

→ Dough

01 - 3 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
03 - 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
04 - 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water

# Step-by-Step Guide:

01 - Whisk together flour, instant yeast, and salt in a large bowl.
02 - Add lukewarm water and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until a sticky, shaggy dough forms.
03 - Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap or a clean towel and let rest at room temperature for 12 to 18 hours, until bubbles form and dough doubles in size.
04 - Lightly flour a work surface, turn dough out, fold it over once or twice with floured hands, and shape into a loose ball.
05 - Place dough seam-side down on parchment paper, cover with a towel, and let rest for 30 to 60 minutes as the oven preheats.
06 - Heat a Dutch oven or heavy lidded pot in the oven at 450°F (230°C) for at least 30 minutes.
07 - Carefully remove hot pot, lift dough using parchment paper, and place both into the pot; cover with lid.
08 - Bake for 30 minutes with the lid on.
09 - Remove lid and continue baking for an additional 15 minutes until crust is golden and crisp.
10 - Transfer bread to a wire rack and allow to cool completely before slicing.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • You barely lift a finger—just mix, rest, and let time and steam do the magic while you live your life
  • The result tastes like it came from a fancy bakery, but costs pennies and takes almost no active work
  • That crackling crust and tender, hole-filled crumb will make everyone think you spent hours fussing over dough
  • It's the bread recipe that finally made me understand why people get excited about baking
02 -
  • The long, slow rise at room temperature is not optional—it's where all the flavor develops and the gluten strengthens without any effort from you; rushing this or trying to speed it up in a warm spot will give you a dense, forgettable loaf
  • The Dutch oven must be genuinely hot, and you must keep the lid on for the first half of baking—that trapped steam is the difference between a pale, soft crust and one that crackles and shatters like real artisan bread
  • Don't peek during the first 30 minutes; I learned this the hard way when curiosity cost me steam and resulted in a bread that wasn't quite as crispy as it should have been
03 -
  • If you forget about your dough and it sits for 20 hours instead of 18, don't panic—long fermentation is very forgiving, and an extra hour or two just deepens the flavor
  • Weigh your ingredients if you possibly can, because scooping flour directly into the measuring cup can pack it down and throw off your ratios, leading to dense bread
  • Save a bit of this dough before baking it, dry it out completely, and store it as a sourdough starter for future bakes—this method can eventually become a living culture if you feed it regularly
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