No Knead Cheddar Bread (Printable)

Golden crust, rich cheddar flavor, zero kneading required for this easy homemade loaf.

# What you'll need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 3 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1½ teaspoons salt
03 - ½ teaspoon instant dry yeast

→ Cheese

04 - 1½ cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

→ Wet Ingredients

05 - 1¼ cups warm water

# Directions:

01 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and yeast until thoroughly combined.
02 - Stir in the grated cheddar cheese until evenly distributed throughout the flour mixture.
03 - Pour in the warm water and mix with a wooden spoon until a shaggy, sticky dough forms. The dough will be wet and tacky—this is correct.
04 - Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap or a clean towel. Let it rise at room temperature for 2 hours, or until doubled in size and bubbly on the surface.
05 - Preheat your oven to 450°F. Place a Dutch oven with lid or heavy baking pot inside the oven as it heats.
06 - Turn the dough out onto a generously floured surface. Shape into a rough round loaf, using just enough flour to handle it. Avoid overworking the dough.
07 - Carefully remove the hot Dutch oven from the oven. Place the dough inside, using parchment paper for easy lifting if desired.
08 - Cover with the lid and bake for 30 minutes. The lid traps steam for a crisp crust.
09 - Remove the lid and bake for another 10–15 minutes, until the crust is deeply golden and crisp.
10 - Transfer to a wire rack and cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing. Cutting while warm will result in a gummy texture.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • Almost zero active time—just stir, wait, and bake your way to bakery style results
  • The sharp cheddar creates these incredible savory pockets throughout the crumb
  • That crust develops into something magical without any fancy techniques or equipment
02 -
  • The dough should look terrifyingly sticky—adding more flour will make a dense, disappointing loaf
  • Preheating the Dutch oven is nonnegotiable for that professional looking crust
  • Parchment paper makes transferring dough infinitely safer and easier
03 -
  • Weigh your ingredients if possible—flour measurements vary wildly by how you scoop
  • Letting the dough rise in a warm spot speeds things up, but room temp works perfectly fine

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