Foolproof Artisan No Knead Bread (Printable)

Rustic crusty loaf with chewy interior, requiring no kneading and just 10 minutes prep time for professional results.

# What you'll need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 3 1/4 cups bread flour (or all-purpose flour)
02 - 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
03 - 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast

→ Wet Ingredients

04 - 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water (about 100°F)

→ For Dusting

05 - Extra flour or cornmeal

# Directions:

01 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and yeast until evenly distributed.
02 - Add the lukewarm water and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until a shaggy, sticky dough forms. The sticky texture is normal and expected.
03 - Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Let rest at room temperature (70–75°F) for 12–18 hours, until the surface is dotted with bubbles and the dough has doubled in size.
04 - Lightly flour a work surface. Scrape the dough onto it and, with floured hands, gently shape it into a round ball without overworking.
05 - Place the dough seam side down on parchment paper dusted with flour or cornmeal. Cover with a towel and let rest for 30–60 minutes.
06 - Place a Dutch oven with its lid in the oven and preheat to 450°F for at least 30 minutes to ensure proper heat retention.
07 - Carefully remove the hot Dutch oven. Using the parchment paper, lift the dough and place it, parchment and all, into the pot. Cover immediately with the lid.
08 - Bake for 30 minutes with the lid on to create steam and develop the crust structure.
09 - Remove the lid and continue baking for 12–15 minutes, until the loaf is deep golden brown with a crispy crust.
10 - Transfer the bread to a wire rack and let cool completely before slicing to ensure proper texture and prevent gummy interior.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • You get bakery-quality crust and flavor with literally zero kneading and about 10 minutes of actual work
  • The long fermentation creates complex flavor that usually takes years of bread-making experience to achieve
02 -
  • The dough will look impossibly sticky and messy at first, but this is exactly how it should look, so resist adding more flour
  • A preheated Dutch oven creates the steam environment that gives you that professional bakery crust you can't get from a regular baking sheet
03 -
  • Let the bread cool completely before slicing, otherwise the steam escapes and you'll end up with a gummy texture inside
  • The parchment paper trick saves you from having to handle the dough directly, which keeps its shape intact

Return