If you love a low-effort crusty bread, you won't find anything better than a no knead dutch oven bread!
Instead of kneading, a no-knead bread relies on time to develop gluten, strength, and flavor in the dough. And thanks to the hot and steamy environment inside a pre-heated Dutch oven, it bakes up with a crunchy, floury crust!
I've got lots of great homemade bread recipes on my site, but this is the base recipe I riffed on when making my popular no-knead cheddar jalapeno bread and crusty rosemary parmesan bread recipes! And yes, I do have a whole wheat no-knead bread recipe too if that's what you're interested in.
This base recipe is moderately low hydration to make it easier to shape and handle for beginners. I also have a small batch crusty bread version of this recipe that uses just one cup of flour if you prefer a smaller loaf.
And just like in my overnight focaccia bread, this long resting period is a great hands-off way to develop strength and flavor in your dough quite literally in your sleep.
That lower hydration means this no-knead bread has a slightly tighter crumb that still has a gorgeous airy texture. It's perfect slathered with homemade butter and so much more.
5 star reader review
“Writing this review as I’m eating my fifth slice of this bread. The bread is so good I have my 2 year old daughter crying for more. We are just eating it plain with butter and I’m 100% satisfied. I am a first time bread baker and I am excited to use this recipe again in the near future(like again next week)”
—Caitlin
Jump to:
- About No-Knead Dutch Oven Bread
- A High Hydration Dough
- Ingredient Notes
- How to Make No-Knead Bread
- A Long Overnight Rise
- Shaping No-Knead Bread
- How to Shape an Oval No-Knead Bread
- Scoring and Baking
- Baking in a Dutch Oven
- Using a Banneton or Brotform (Optional!)
- Equipment Notes
- Practical Tips & Recipe Notes
- Storage Notes
- Why is this recipe in grams? I want to use cups!
- Recipe FAQ - Baking without a dutch oven, etc.
- TL;DR - Recipe Summary
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
About No-Knead Dutch Oven Bread
There are a lot of types of no knead breads, but usually when someone says they're making a "no knead" bread they're referring to a crusty white bread that bakes up in a dutch oven.
No-knead bread is exactly what it sounds like. Bread dough that requires no kneading to develop gluten and flavor. No periodic folding, no fancy equipment, nothing. Just stir the ingredients together to form a shaggy dough and letting it sit for a long period of time before shaping and baking.
I am far from the first person to ever develop a no-knead Dutch oven bread recipe. They've been around for a good long time, but saw a surge in popularity in 2006 when Jim Lahey and Mark Bittman published their version in the New York Times (later updated in 2021).
This easy homemade bread recipe is a solid recipe with enduring popularity for good reason. And there have been dozens if not hundreds of recipes spun off from it (mine included).
The four basic ingredients remain the same: flour, water, salt, and yeast, but by shifting the ratios, timing, and shaping techniques, no knead bread recipes can produce a wide variety of loaves.
I've made dozens of different no-knead bread recipes over the years, but I often find them a little fussier and also bigger than I wanted.
The way I make no-knead bread is simple and straightforward. I've removed a few finicky steps from other recipes that I always find myself skipping.
I also shrunk the overall size of the loaf to something that should feel a little more manageable in a beginner bread maker's hands. So if you're looking for an easy bread recipe for beginner bread bakers, this is a good place to start!
A High Hydration Dough
The hydration of a dough is calculated as is the weight of water compared to the weight of flour in a recipe, expressed as a percentage. So if your dough calls for 100 grams of flour and 50 grams of water, that's a 50% hydration dough. This type of formulation is called baker's percentage and makes scaling recipes up and down very easy.
No-knead doughs are often very high hydration recipes. J. Kenji Lopez-Alt of Serious Eats and The Food Lab prefers a lower hydration 70% dough but gives his a long (3-day!) rise in the fridge to develop a more open crumb. Other no-knead recipes can go as high as 98% or even 100% hydration!
The thing is, the wetter a dough is, the more frustrating (read: stickier) it can be to handle.
My no knead cheddar jalapeno bread recipe is 90% hydration dough. I did that to encourage the unpredictable shaping in the way it cracks open in the oven. You can absolutely reduce the amount of water in that recipe and end up with a dough that's slightly denser, but much easier to shape.
When it comes to this base no-knead bread recipe, I wanted something a little easier to manage. This no-knead bread recipe is 80% hydration, similar to the Lahey/Bittman loaf. It has a tender crumb with a few larger air bubbles but not so many that you can't use it for grilled cheese or sandwiches.
At 80% hydration, it may still be a bit challenging to shape the first time you try it, especially if you're new to bread making. But you'll get the hang of it very quickly.
Just remember: this is not meant to be a tightly controlled dough, so even if it's a little lumpy or imperfect or messy, that's absolutely okay.
It's an easy homemade bread recipe. As long as it tastes great, that's what really matters.
Ingredient Notes
You only need four ingredients to make this no-knead bread! See recipe card (at the end of the post) for quantities.
- All-Purpose Flour - I use King Arthur Baking Company's all purpose flour which has a higher protein content (closer to bread flour) than other brands of flour. If you're using a grocery store brand of flour, you may get better results using their bread flour.
- Salt - Salt doesn't just add flavor to your dough, it helps control the yeast activity. I use the chef-standard Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt which has larger, irregular crystals that dissolve quickly compared to other brands and styles of salt. Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt is also half as salty as other brands of salt by volume, so make sure you're measuring salt by weight! If you're using a different type or brand of salt and measuring by volume, cut the amount of salt in half.
- Instant Yeast - Sometimes called "rapid rise," "bread machine," or "instant dry" yeast. Active dry yeast will also work here, no modifications needed. Store your yeast in the fridge or freezer to be sure it stays good! If you're not sure your yeast is good, add it to the warm water. If it bubbles after a few minutes, it's good! If your kitchen is warm (70°F+) then consider cutting the amount of yeast in half.
- Cool Water - Cool or lukewarm to the touch. We don't want warm or hot water for this recipe.
Bonus: If you have leftover whey from making homemade goat cheese you can sub it in to this bread recipe (and most bread recipes) in place of water without making any adjustments. It gives the bread a tangy, almost sourdough like flavor — basically a more intense bread flavor and is so good!
How to Make No-Knead Bread
Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. That's it. You're basically done. (I told you this was an easy bread recipe for beginner bread bakers, and I meant it!)
Of course, there are a few things you can do to make it just a little easier on yourself. Mix your dry ingredients together first: Flour, salt, and yeast. This disperses the yeast and salt throughout the flour for more even mixing.
Your last step is to add the water. Mix the ingredients together until you have a sticky, messy, lumpy dough.
It won't look smooth at all. You're just looking for all the flour to be hydrated and all the water to be incorporated.
Tovolo 12" Stainless Steel Dough Whisk
The stiff coil of dough whisk is ideal for efficiently mixing sticky, wet doughs to break up any sneaky lumps of flour hiding inside.
This is a 80% hydration dough. It's supposed to be a shaggy, messy, lumpy dough. It will be sticky to the touch and impossible to knead (because it doesn't need kneading).
Cover the bowl and let it rise at room temperature for 18-20 hours.
A Long Overnight Rise
No-knead bread relies on time to develop a gluten network — the structure that gives bread its shape and texture. The gluten network traps the gas produced by the yeast, creating air bubbles in the dough.
True to its name, there is no need to knead (and no need for speed) to develop that strength and structure in the dough.
Thanks to the long slow rise time you have a pretty big 2 hour window in which you can get to this no-knead bread dough at its peak for shaping.
Perfectly proofed no-knead bread dough will have a bubbly top that is flat or slightly domed and stretches across the mouth of the bowl.
If your dough has overproofed, it will have sunken in slightly. Slightly overproofed dough can still be shaped and baked. It will just produce a flatter loaf.
Temperature is one of the main factors in determining how quickly or slowly your no knead dough rises (proofs). This includes the temperature of ingredients in your dough, as well as the ambient temperature of the room where your dough is rising.
Depending on how cool or warm your kitchen is, your dough may rise faster or slower.
- Warmer temperatures increase yeast activity. If it's particularly warm in your kitchen (70F+), reduce the amount of yeast to 1 gram OR know your bread may be ready to shape sooner than 18 hours.
- Cooler temperatures slow yeast activity. This is why we use cold water when making this recipe. We want the a long rise time. You can also pop the dough in the fridge to slow it down if it's rising quickly and you need to buy yourself some extra time before shaping.
Make adjustments based on your kitchen environment as needed!
An even longer rise: Put this no-knead dough in the fridge immediately after mixing or after the first overnight rise. I've left it for as long as 5 days in the fridge before baking and it works just fine. As a bonus, gluten tightens up in the cold, meaning cold dough is slightly easier to shape.
Shaping No-Knead Bread
When your dough is ready to shape, turn it out onto a well floured counter. It's a sticky dough, and the flour will prevent it from sticking to the counter. Dust the top very lightly with flour too — just enough so your hands don't stick to it.
Loosely stretch the dough into a square shape. Dust any excess flour off the top of the dough.
Fold all the edges in, pressing down gently but firmly to pinch them to each other.
The dough may stick to your hands slightly, but that's okay. Don't sweat it too much. Use a light touch as you fold.
When all the edges have been tucked in, flip the dough over. You'll have a nice smooth top.
Cup your hands around the dough and gently lift and rotate it in short, quick movements to create surface tension on the top as you tuck the dough underneath.
Transfer the dough onto a crumpled piece of parchment paper for its final rise.
Crumbling the parchment paper softens it so that it fits neatly into the round space of a Dutch oven without digging into your dough.
Here's how to do it right: Crumple the paper up, unfurl it. Crumple it, then unfurl it again. Now it's ready for your dough.
Dust the top of the no-knead dough with flour, then cover it with a clean kitchen towel while you preheat the Dutch oven for 30 minutes.
How to Shape an Oval No-Knead Bread
In bread making lingo, an oval or football shaped loaf of bread is called a bâtard. There are a lot of different methods for shaping a bâtard, but with a loose, sticky dough like this, I find simple is best.
Stretch the dough into a loose square shape. Fold the top two corners in to make a point, then loosely roll the pointed end toward your body.
Apply very little pressure - you don't want to create too much tension here.
Keep rolling until the seam is against the counter and the smooth side is facing up. Gently tuck the ends under.
Proceed with the rest of the recipe as written!
Scoring and Baking
Scoring bread isn't just decorative; it creates a vent through which steam can escape. Without scoring, your bread will crack and tear open in the oven unpredictably and might even blow out at the bottom.
To get an "ear" (the dramatic, crisp flap of bread that runs the length of the scoring mark) hold the blade at a 45° angle when you make the slash.
Immediately before baking, take a sharp knife or lame and slash the top of the loaf.
You can even cut designs into your loaf if you want to. You do want at least one big, deep slash.
Carefully lift the dough in the parchment paper sling and transfer it into the preheated Dutch oven.
Try to push the paper so it's hanging over the edges of the pot. Be careful not to burn yourself!
Baking in a Dutch Oven
The confined space of a pre-heated Dutch oven traps the steam released by the dough as it bakes, creating a nice moist environment which results in a super crunchy crust.
"Steam [...] helps produce a really crisp crust. When the surface of the dough reaches 180°F, the starches in the slowly forming crust start absorbing moisture. They eventually become so saturated that they burst and liquefy. As the bread continues to cook, this starch gel turns into a brittle and glossy shell. The more moisture there is on the surface of the dough, the more abundant the starch gel, and the crisper and more crackly the eventual crust."
Slate, "Why Does Steam Make Bread Light and Crusty?"
Cover the bread in the Dutch oven and place it in the oven. Bake it covered for 30 minutes, then uncovered for 10-15 minutes.
When you first take the lid off, your loaf will look quite pale. That's normal. The final 10-15 minute uncovered bake time is when the top will take on that gorgeous brown color.
You're looking for an internal temperature of at least 200°-210°F for doneness.
Carefully remove the baked loaf from the Dutch oven to a cooling rack. If you listen closely you'll be able to hear the crust cracking as the inside of the loaf contracts as it begins to cool!
Let the no-knead bread cool completely before slicing it. If you slice it before it has cooled, the steam still trapped in the bread will turn the starches to mush.
Using a Banneton or Brotform (Optional!)
Using a banneton or brotform proofing basket is optional here, but gives your bread a gorgeous floury spiral pattern and helps support the dough as it rises. It will add more time to the overall process, making this more of a 48 hour recipe than a 24 hour recipe.
Here's how to use a banneton or brotform:
- Dust the basket generously with rice flour, then shape the bread as instructed.
- With the smooth top of the shaped boule facing up, slide a bench scraper under and invert it into the basket. The smooth top side will be against the bottom of the basket. The seam side will be facing up.
- Dust with flour and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight.
- The next day, flip the shaped loaf out of the basket and onto the twice crumpled parchment paper, score it, and bake according to the recipe!
Letting the shaped no-knead dough rise in the fridge will give you a more flavorful loaf of bread with a slightly airier crumb.
Frieling 10" Bread Proofing Basket
A round 10" bread proofing basket (also known as a banneton or a brotform) made of natural cane. Dust generously with rice flour to prevent sticking.
Using a banneton or brotform is ideal if you plan on doing any intricate scoring designs.
Not only do they help support the bread so it holds its shape, the bread dough will also be colder when you score it, giving you more time to work before it needs to go into the oven.
Equipment Notes
You don't need to use all of the same equipment I use to make this bread, but here are the tools I used and recommend:
- Kitchen Scale - You'll need a kitchen scale to measure the ingredients for this bread recipe. You'll get the best results from pretty much any baking recipe if you measure ingredients by weight.
- Cast Iron Dutch Oven - Any 4+ quart cast iron dutch oven will work here. In these photos I'm using the round 5 quart Milo Dutch oven from Kana Goods (disclaimer: it was gifted to me by the brand). An oval Dutch oven will also work, you can either squish a round loaf in it or shape the loaf into an oval instead. I also like using the Challenger Bread Pan for no-knead breads because it has an inverted design so you don't risk burning your arms trying to get the bread dough inside.
- Parchment Paper - I've been using these pre-cut parchment sheets lately and can usually get 2-3 uses out of them!
- Dough Whisk - The sturdy wire coil of a dough whisk is designed for mixing wet and sticky doughs — the wire cuts through any sneaky clumps of flour easily! There's a reason a dough whisk is one of my favorite whisks.
- Lame - A lame (prounounced "lahm") is a sharp razor blade with a handle used for scoring bread dough. Use the corner of the blade at an angle for slashing. A sharp knife will also work. I used my Wire Monkey UFO-style lame (disclosure: it was gifted to me by the brand) for these photos.
- Bowl Scraper - A plastic bowl scraper makes removing the dough from your mixing bowl easy.
- Bench Scraper - A metal bench scraper provides broad support when lifting and flipping the dough. You can also use it to help create tension while shaping.
- Flour Duster - I always keep flour in a flour duster handy so I can easily dust my counter and bread with flour without it being clumpy or uneven.
Practical Tips & Recipe Notes
- Use lightly floured hands when shaping the dough. Too much flour will prevent the dough from sticking to itself as you fold, which will make it harder to shape. So don't go overboard.
- If floured hands don't seem to be working for you, try using lightly damp or lightly oiled hands when handling and shaping the dough instead.
- Be gentle and use very light pressure during the shaping steps to leave as much air inside the dough as possible.
- This is a great base recipe for adding lots of fun spices, herbs, cheese, seeds, and more. Just remember if you add anything wet like peppers, raw onions, olives, etc. it will add moisture to the dough. And if you add too many dry ingredients, it also can affect the dough's hydration. I recommend adding no more than 78 grams of additional flavorings/ingredients/mixins to this dough. That's about 20% by baker's percentage (20% of the total weight of the flour).
- You should absolutely feel free to experiment with adjusting the hydration levels of this recipe to find your perfect version! Keeping everything else the same, you can go as low as 70% hydration or as high as 90% hydration and see how it changes the outcome! Less water means a tighter crumb. More water means an airier, more open crumb.
Storage Notes
This no knead bread is best eaten with in the first 3-4 days after baking. You can store it at room temperature for 5-7 days. Storing it in an airtight container like a large resealable bag works well, though the crust will soften due to trapped moisture.
A cloth bag, brown paper bag, or a bread box with a controlled air vent will help the bread retain moisture while preserving the crunchy crust.
Do not refrigerate bread; the fridge temperature will make it go stale even faster.
To freeze this no knead bread, slice it first. Store it in an airtight plastic bag in the freezer with as much air pressed out of the bag as possible. Reheat from frozen in a toaster.
Why is this recipe in grams? I want to use cups!
A kitchen scale is more accurate than cup measurements and will give you the right ratio of water, yeast, salt, and flour so that your bread dough behaves the way you want it to. Depending on how much you pack the flour in and what brand of measuring cups you’re using, you may be off by 30-50 grams of flour per cup which can make a huge difference in how your bread comes out.
I tested and developed this recipe using weight measurements. If I were to convert it to cups, I would be using Google — just like you would. And since there's no set standard for what "1 cup" of flour weighs, different online converters use different amounts, which means I wouldn't be able to promise you'd get the same delicious results!
Basically, if you convert this recipe to cup measurements it will have a higher rate of failure. I don’t recommend it!
Recipe FAQ - Baking without a dutch oven, etc.
Can I make this bread without a Dutch oven? I tested this on a sheet pan in a 450°F oven with an ice cube on the sheet pan to create steam and it does work, but the crust isn't quite as nice and I find the open space of the oven results in more bread blowouts on the bottom even when you properly vent the top. The confined space of the Dutch oven really will give you the best results.
Why did my bread bake up flat? Getting a nice tall loaf of bread depends on proper proofing, your shaping technique, and can be affected by the size of your Dutch oven. I got the best results baking this in a 5.5 quart Dutch oven. If you used a bigger (7+ quart) Dutch oven, if your dough was overproofed at all, or if you didn't create enough gentle surface tension when you shaped the dough, these are all things that can cause a loaf to bake up with a flatter shape.
Can I make this with whole wheat flour? Yes, with some modifications. Check out my whole wheat no-knead bread recipe if you're interested in that.
TL;DR - Recipe Summary
- Mix the flour, salt, and yeast. Add the water and mix into a sticky dough.
- Cover and rise for 18-20 hours at room temperature.
- Turn the dough onto a well floured surface. Dust lightly with flour.
- Tuck the edges of the dough up to form a ball. Flip so the seam side is down. Transfer to a crumpled and flattened sheet of parchment paper.
- Dust the top with flour, cover and rest 30 minutes while the Dutch oven preheats at 450°F.
- Score the top of the dough. Then place the dough in the Dutch oven.
- Bake for 30 minutes covered, then 10-15 minutes uncovered.
- Let cool completely before slicing.
📖 Recipe
Crusty No-Knead Dutch Oven Bread (Overnight Rise)
Ingredients
- 390 grams all-purpose flour
- 7 grams diamond crystal kosher salt (see notes for other types of salt)
- 2 grams instant yeast (use 1 gram if its warm in your kitchen)
- 312 grams cool water
Instructions
- Mix your dry ingredients (flour, salt, yeast) together in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients for the water.
- Pour the water into the middle of the dry ingredients and mix until well combined. It will be shaggy and messy. That's okay. Cover the bowl and set it aside at room temp to rest for 18-20 hours (or in the fridge for up to 7 days). You're looking for the dough to double or triple in size with a flat, bubbly top. Depending on the ambient temperature in your kitchen, the dough may be ready a little before the 18 hour mark, or be fine slightly past the 20 hour mark. You have a pretty big window of time to work with here!
- During the final hour of the rise time, preheat oven to 450°F. When the oven reaches temperature, place a Dutch oven inside, covered, and let preheat for 30 minutes at 450°F. Crumple a piece of parchment paper into a ball. Flatten it out, then crumple and flatten it out again.
- While Dutch oven preheats, generously flour a clean countertop. Gently release the dough from the sides of the bowl and turn it out onto the counter. Dust the top lightly with flour, just enough so your hands don't stick.
- Gently stretch the dough into a loose square. Dust any excess flour off the top. Fold the corners of the dough across itself to pull it into a round shape with the edges pinched together on top. Flip the loaf over so the seam side is underneath. Cup your hands around it and lightly lift and rotate the ball of dough against the counter, tucking the dough underneath itself as you go to create surface tension on top.
- Use the bench scraper to lift the ball of dough onto the flattened piece of crumpled parchment paper. Dust the surface of the dough lightly with flour, cover it with a clean dish towel, and let it sit until the Dutch oven finishes preheating.
- Carefully remove the Dutch oven from the oven. Take the lid off and set it aside. Score the top of the loaf to create a vent for steam to escape. Gather the corners of the parchment paper together, pick the dough up and place it inside the Dutch oven. Put the lid back on the Dutch oven.
- Bake with the lid on for 30 minutes (don't peek!), then remove the lid and bake another 10-15 minutes until deeply golden brown on top.
- Transfer the fully baked loaf to a cooling rack and let cool completely before slicing.
RECIPE NOTES
- Gluten firms up in the fridge; if you find the sticky dough is too hard to handle at room temperature, you can pop it in the fridge for up to 2 days prior to baking. It will be much easier to shape while it's cold. Let it rest at room temperature for 1 hour after shaping and before baking.
- To freeze: Slice the baked bread, then place in an airtight bag in the freezer with as much air pressed out as possible. Reheat from frozen in a toaster for 2-3 minutes.
- If using a banneton or brotform, dust the basket well with rice flour, then transfer the shaped loaf of dough smooth side down into the basket. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Then proceed with the recipe as written!
- For a long, cold rise, refrigerate the dough immediately after mixing or after at least 12 hours at room temperature. It will be fine in the fridge for up to 5 days!
- Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt is half as salty as other brands of salt by volume, so make sure you're measuring salt by weight! If you're using a different type or brand of salt and measuring by volume, cut the amount of salt in half.
Caitlin
Writing this review as I’m eating my fifth slice of this bread. The bread is so good I have my 2 year old daughter crying for more. We are just eating it plain with butter and I’m 100% satisfied. I am a first time bread baker and I am excited to use this recipe again in the near future(like again next week). I let my dough rise for 15 hours before putting it in my oval 5qt Dutch oven. I left it in for 11 minutes without the lid on as it stated 10-15 in the directions. My crust is part chewy part crunchy and very good. Next time I’ll keep it in longer to try it a bit more crunchy. Fantastic recipe! Feeling confident enough to try whatever you have coming next.
Rebecca Eisenberg
So glad you enjoyed it!!! Welcome to the world of making bread! 🙂
Tia
Made it, loved it, devoured it. Sadly I didn’t even get a picture, we ate it so fast. Can’t wait to make it again!
Rebecca Eisenberg
The mark of a great recipe is one that disappears before you can even take a photo! So glad you liked it. Enjoy it!!
Traci H
Super easy and super good!!! Thanks Rebecca
Rebecca Eisenberg
So glad you liked it!!! 🙂
Ashley
I’ve been making bread for years and am always trying new recipes. This bread is one of the easiest and tastiest I’ve ever tried! AMAZING work 😍
Rebecca Eisenberg
I love this so much!! Keep enjoying the bread!
Ali M
This was by far the easiest loaf I have ever made! This recipe is definitely a keeper! And likely a weekly event😉
I’d love to try it in a Pullman pan to make a more traditional sandwich loaf. Thoughts?
Rebecca Eisenberg
I'm so glad you liked it! I haven't tested it in a loaf pan or Pullman loaf pan, but I'm sure there's a way to make it work — you may have to do some experimenting on your own to figure it out!
Danny
I don’t know what happened but this dough is unbelievably sticky and impossible to work with. It’s stuck to the parchment, it made a mess of my counter and my bowl. It rose nicely and filled the bowl but immediately flattened upon being handled. I don’t think this is going to work…
Rebecca Eisenberg
It sounds like a few things may have happened… but first; did you measure by weight? If not, that’s the problem. If you did measure by weight then it sounds like you may not have used enough flour on your counter during shaping! Especially if you’re new to sticky no knead doughs, it can be tricky learning to shape them at first. My cheddar jalapeño bread is a much higher hydration and uses a different shaping technique where you don’t have to flip the dough over or anything; you can always try that instead! Good luck!
Danny
I think you’re right about the flour on the counter actually! This was only my second loaf ever and it was quite different than the other recipe I tried. I definitely lost some dough to the stickiness but I managed to add flour and shape and bake it and it turned out great (albeit smaller than expected due to my being too conservative with the flour). Way more flour on the counter next time! Thank you 🙂
Rebecca Eisenberg
Hi Danny! I just caught an error in my recipe — I had written 340 grams of water instead of the correct 312 grams of water! That’s likely why your dough was so much wetter than it should have been. The fault is entirely mine. My apologies, the recipe has now been updated accordingly!
Dave
I just discovered this site and can't wait to dig in. I think I missed something in the description. I calculate 87% hydration but in the text it is mentioned this is an 80% hydration dough, am I missing something?
Thanks for sharing all of your baking!
Rebecca Eisenberg
Oh my goodness — GREAT catch! I don't know how that happened. The water should actually be 312 grams. I've updated the recipe accordingly! Thanks so much for catching that and I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Dave
Thanks for the prompt reply and, again, this site is a wealth, I’ll give it a shot this week.
Jess
Hi Rebecca, I’ve made this a few times and would like to double the recipe and make it….what would you recommend in terms of the amount of yeast and cooking time?
Rebecca Eisenberg
Do you mean double it and bake it as one loaf or double it to make two loaves? I haven't actually tried this, so it's hard for me to say exactly in terms of the yeast, I think I would say keep it the same because you want that long rise, or you could try increasing it to 3 grams, but I definitely wouldn't double it and use 4 grams. In terms of cooking time, you have a lot of room to play around — I'd say covered for 40 minutes, uncovered for 10-15 minutes. You can always check it with a thermometer to be sure it's done — you're looking for an internal temp of 190°-200°F!
Cheryl
Such a lovely recipe and so easy to follow the instructions! I can’t wait to try more recipes. So hard not to eat the final result all in one go. Thank you!
Rebecca Eisenberg
😍😍😍
Kate Walker
If I leave it in the fridge to proof for a few days, I’d there a chance it could overproof still?
Rebecca Eisenberg
Putting the dough in the freezer basically slows down the fermentation process. So it can definitely still overproof but that process happens much slower. If you use it within a few days it’ll be fine. If you leave it for up to a week…it will probably be overproofed slightly. I’ve left it for up to 5 days and it’s been just fine! But yes, at some point even in the fridge it will overproof.
Barbara Parland
Already making plans for a second loaf! Easy to follow recipe. I highly recommend people follow you on Instagram and/or YouTube to see your helpful little videos. The visual is so valuable for me to know the dough looks right. I love that you explain the why of things!
How do you think this would turn out with bread flour instead of allpurpose?
Rebecca Eisenberg
I think it would work just fine with bread flour! The dough may be a little stretchier, so just make sure you have plenty of flour when shaping.
Morganne
It say this can go straight into the fridge for a rose. But is there a combo? Can I let it rise for 4 hours, shape, and throw it in the fridge to bake in a couple of days?
Rebecca Eisenberg
After 4 hours the gluten structure is not developed enough to shape. You can let it rise at room temp overnight and then shape it and then it can go in the fridge for another 12-24 hours before baking. But you really need that initial rise to allow the gluten to develop without kneading.
Kathy Wieneke
My breads in the oven now, but my dough is very very wet. I had a little hard time trying to change the grams into cups in teaspoons. Can you print another recipe just using cups & tablespoons and teaspoons?
Rebecca Eisenberg
Your dough is too wet because you converted the recipe to cups and teaspoons, which I explained in the blog post is an inaccurate way to measure and will have a high rate of failure! Try again with a kitchen scale if you’d like the recipe to work as written.
Kathy
My bread looks good but it stuck to my parchment paper
KimH
We are loving your bread recipes! Made mini baguettes 2 night in a row so opted for this overnight one instead to have a bigger loaf to enjoy today!
Bonnie
This recipe finally motivated me to buy a Dutch oven. It's so good and easy! Will be making it again (and the cheddar jalapeno version as well).
Dennis
Hi Rebecca
I’ve made this 10 times and the only Problem I’m having is the bake time. I’m up to 50min covered and 20 uncovered, temping is at 207.5. Thermometer comes out moist. Oven calculation is correct. After cooling for 2 hours, some have still been wet and needed to go back in oven. It’s delicious. Any suggestions Thanks
Dennis
Rebecca Eisenberg
Are you measuring by weight?
I honestly can’t think of anything that might be causing this especially if it’s reaching a minimum of 200F when you temperature check it.
The only thing I can think is that even slicing after 2 hours may be too soon — expert bread makers often recommend waiting 12 or even 24 hours before slicing. You want the starches inside to be fully set before you slice or the steam trapped inside can make them mushy! I find usually at least 2-3 hours of cooling is fine, but in your unique case you may need to wait longer?
Diane
My first attempt is in the oven and can't wait! One question: the lengthy instructions say to let it rest for 18-24 hours, but the recipe says 12-18 hours. I had the bubbly, flat top at 15.5 hours so I went for it with fingers crossed it works. Can you clarify the different rest times indicated?
Rebecca Eisenberg
Aha, thanks for catching! The time should be 18-20 hours. This bread is VERY forgiving and has a pretty big window of time in which it can be shaped — I find its best between 18-20 hours, but it certainly will still work even if you shape it a bit sooner than that or a bit after that. It will hold the flat bubbly top for at least two hours, so as long as you're somewhere in that window you're good! One of the tricky things about bread recipe writing is that there are a lot of variables in people's individual kitchens that can change how quickly the bread is ready — there's absolutely nothing wrong with shaping it at 15.5 hours if it looks ready! I try to explain all the variables in the lengthy blog post so that you can feel empowered to adjust the timing based on what your dough is doing. Which is exactly what you did! Good job! The timing discrepancies were just an error where my updated version of the post didn't save the 18-20 hour time estimate; I've just gone in and updated the post so it's all consistent! But please do know that 18-20 hours is an estimate — you didn't do anything wrong by shaping it at 15.5 hours!
Diane
Thank you! It turned out AMAZING!
Rebecca Eisenberg
Hooray, I'm so glad to hear that!! Enjoy the bread!
Dan Donovan
Wow. Excellent and tasty! So simple. Nice structure.
Louise
Amazing, easy and absolutely delicious 🍞I wish I was able to leave a photo. Thank you for sharing this beautiful recipe 💓
Marissa
Can you note specific measurement of using active sourdough starter instead of instant yeast?
Rebecca Eisenberg
Unfortunately I can't — sourdough would require a different recipe and I can't speak to how it would adjust the timing of this recipe! You can sub in some discard in place of flour and water to give it a more sourdough like taste, but you would still need the commercial yeast in the dough. To sub in discard, reduce the amount of flour and water by 50 grams each and stir 100 grams of discard into the water before adding it to the dough.
Chrissie
I tried this no-knead method. It was a success, really tasty and so quick and easy. Mixed the ingredients in-between our meal the night before, left it overnight and cooked it next morning. Much easier than kneading.
Paula
Most sourdough bread recipes use 20% active starter; you could try that 😃
Rebecca Eisenberg
You’d still likely want to use some commercial yeast in addition — the starter alone may not be enough to leaven it!
heyjerzygirl
Hi Rebecca this is my first time making this bread but have made the small batch crusty bread a few times. I have 3.5 qt. dutch oven which is large enough for the small batch but wanted to know if this recipe would fit? What size do you use? If my 3.5 qt is too small I was thinking of using this recipe but making a few of the small batch crusty breads. I'm hoping I won't run into any problems since I'd have to back them one at a time.
Rebecca Eisenberg
I haven’t tried this in my small 3 qt Dutch oven, it might be a tight fit. I usually use a 5 quart Dutch oven when I make it. You can definitely divide it to make a few smaller loaves if you prefer!
Alice Poole
I’m excited to try this recipe after reading the comments! Do I need to adjust for elevation? I am at 4200 ft. Thanks!
Rebecca Eisenberg
Eeeeek I don’t have any experience baking at specific elevations like that so I can’t tell you for sure how to adjust this recipe. But I know if you google around there should be some helpful guides from other bakers who can tell you how you might have to adjust it! If you give it a try with any adjustments please let me know how it turns out!
Alice Poole
Thanks! Will do. I’m going to bake your recipe for a full size loaf in a few days and will let you know. I appreciate your prompt reply!
Rebecca
What other breads do you use your challenger pan for?
Rebecca Eisenberg
I use it for any bread you can make in a Dutch oven! So I've used it for other crusty breads like my mini baguette recipe, my cheddar jalapeno no-knead bread, and I also use the base sometimes to make focaccia recipes like my onion and pepper focaccia. I don't just use it for bread either — I used it in this roasted chicken recipe too!
Rebecca
Thank you. My hubby got me a Cuisiland bread pan for Christmas. I have your no knead bread in the fridge to be my first loaf in the pan.
Rebecca Eisenberg
Oh that's so fun, what an absolute honor! Enjoy the pan and the bread! 🙂
Celesta Miceli Carlson
I’m kind of surprised by your use of cool water. I have never made bread that
Specified cool water. Anyway I don’t know what I did wrong but my dough never rose. It’s not my yeast . I’m going to try again . Can you give me a temperature range for the water?
Rebecca Eisenberg
It’s cool water because we’re relying on time to allow the dough to rise rather than temperature or kneading. The dough should still rise even if you put it in the fridge. Are you *sure* it’s not your yeast? Otherwise, is your kitchen just very cold? That would slow down the rise time. But even when I put this dough in the fridge immediately after mixing it will still rise. So even if you used ice cold water that shouldn’t really affect the rise really. You can try using a slightly more lukewarm-to-warm water if you want, maybe around 75F? Let me know how that works for you. If it still doesn’t work, it’s definitely your yeast.
Christine
Thank you so much for this fabulous recipe, I can see that it's going to become part of my routine now as I can make it so easily on a regular basis - so much better than bought bread! I wondered about trying it with wholemeal flour but I think that the water content would need to be adjusted, do you have any advice on that, please? Thanks!
Rebecca Eisenberg
You could try subbing in up to 20% of the flour by weight with wholemeal flour, but you might have to play around with the hydration a bit. You'll have to see what works for you — it can really vary by type of flour!
Christine
Thank you!
Christine
We've found that 275g white flour, 115g brown flour, 2g yeast, 7g salt and 315g water makes a good brown loaf that's not too heavy but still works well with the no-knead process - hope that's useful!
Emily
Hi Rebecca,
I’ve made this recipe a few times now and am head over heels with it! I’d never made bread before and this was such a gentle easy way to get into it 🙂
I am currently working on a batch of the crusty Parmesan rosemary bread and I made a batch of this classic no knead to sit in the fridge until we’ve gotten through the cheesy bread first. I was looking at my dough and it hasn’t risen at all really in the last 18 hours in the fridge, is that normal? My fridge does run cold so I’m not too surprised. Should I take it out and allow to rise for 18-20 hours once I’m ready to take it out of the fridge? Any other tips once you’ve put it in the fridge? Thanks so much 🙂
Rebecca Eisenberg
Wooo! So glad you're enjoying this process! If the dough hasn't risen much in 18 hours in the fridge, you can definitely bring it out to let it rise at room temperature until it has that nice flat, slightly domed and bubbly top. It may not take 18 hours, however, so you'll have to keep an eye on it. The fridge will definitely slow down the rise, but it should still rise there — it might take more like 24-48 hours to reach its peak though.
Maria
I've baked bread a good amount of times and wanted to try an overnight recipe. Using King Arthur's Bread Flour (which should have a 1 to 1 equivalence to All Purpose), the dough is incredibly wet. With the flour to water ratio being almost 1:1 I expected it to be runny but this is not manageable. I used a scale to measure everything - unsure where it went wrong.
Rebecca Eisenberg
I’m so sorry this isn’t working for you! However, King Arthur’s bread flour does NOT have a 1:1 equivalence to all purpose flour. Bread flour is higher protein and is a thirstier flour — if anything you should have ended up with a drier dough. I’m also not sure where you went wrong here, but I would recommend using the same type of flour I did if you’d like to achieve the same results. As I wrote in my ingredient notes, I only recommended bread flour if you’re using a generic or grocery store brand of flour that has a lower protein content (for a bread flour), since I use King Arthur’s all purpose flour which has a higher protein content than most all purpose flours, making it closer to a bread flour already. Based on what you’re describing, I think you need more flour to help handle the dough in shaping or you can add more flour to the dough and perform some sets of folds in the bowl and let it rest a bit to see if that adds structure! Good luck!
Joann
This was so good! It was hard to wait for it to cool but it was worth the wait! We devoured half of it immediately and my 5 year old asked for a PBJ immediately. I will be making this weekly and sharing the recipe with everyone I know! Just one question, the bottom of mine almost burned but the inside was perfectly baked and top golden brown. I assume I just left it in the oven too long but is that normal for it to be pretty dark brown on the bottom? Either way, I’m going to make it again and can’t wait to try other recipes on your site! Thanks so much for this wonderful recipe!
Rebecca Eisenberg
So glad you liked it!! And the dark bottom can happen sometimes just based on your oven — put a sheet pan under the Dutch oven, it should help insulate it so that the bottom doesn’t get too dark!
Joann
Thanks for the quick response! I’ll definitely try that next time I make this..which will probably be in a few days lol.
Nicole
I am NEVER buying bread again!! This bread was SUPER EASY to make and tasted SOOO GOOD! It reminded me of Carrabbas bread so I made their olive oil dipping sauce! I wish I could post a picture because it was perfect! Initially I forgot to score it when I put it in the oven, but I remember 15 minutes into the bake so I hurried up and put a knife to it. Other than that this was PERFECT!! THANK YOU!!!
Carrie
This was sooo delicious and easy to make once I got over my fears of bread making. It was also fairly forgiving of the few mistakes I did make (accidentally added too much water then had to pour some out, for example). This may become a new staple in my house!
Rebecca Eisenberg
I’m so glad to have helped you over your fear of breadmaking! You’ll be making all kinds of other breads soon! Enjoy!
Mary D
Many of the “no-knead” recipes have a 2 hour rise just prior to the placement of the dough into the hot Dutch oven. Just want to be sure I’m not missing this in your version. Thanks.
Rebecca Eisenberg
Nope, there’s no rise there, it just rests during the 20-30 minutes the Dutch oven finishes preheating. You could let it go a little longer if you wanted to, but I’ve never had an issue baking it after just 30 minutes!
Caitlin
I cannot praise this recipe enough! I made it exactly as directed and let it rest on the counter for 18 hours. This recipe is easy, straightforward, and produced an exceptional loaf of bread. I will definitely be making this again!
Rebecca Eisenberg
I’m so glad you liked it! Happy baking! 🙂
DeeDee
Such a great recipe! I’m a fairly regular bread baker and I used Rebecca’s excellent step by step instructions to shape my loaf into a batard, the first time I’ve done that! It was absolutely delicious and we devoured it with salty butter as an accompanyment to dinner. I’m certain I’ll add this to the regular baking rotation!
Jade
Hello, it happen to me two time now and I don't know if you can help me.
When I'm shaping my bread, I'm forming it into a ball, flip it, and tight the ball. But after the shaping, I can see my dough is fallen/torn apart and it's just very flat and sticky.
Do you have any idea what's happening? (And yes I measure with a food scale)
Rebecca Eisenberg
Thank you for letting me know you measured with a kitchen scale, that rules out the first thing that could cause this! The other thing could be that you need more flour on your counter during shaping or that your dough has overproofed. Shaping does take a little bit of practice, so it might be that you're stretching the dough too much or not enough. And if the dough has overproofed, I would recommend trying a cold rise in the fridge instead. Since gluten firms up in the fridge, shaping cold dough is a bit easier and the dough is less likely to collapse on you. Good luck!
Laina
This recipe is great!!
I've made it twice now and it's came out wonderful both time. The first time, since I don't have a Dutch oven, I used a big steel stockpot with a lid, and damp parchment paper. Came out amazing, but the crust was a little uneven. Still delicious though.
The second time, I wanted to make a double batch because it got eaten so fast at the event I took it to that I wanted to make two loaves. So this time, I used my biggest baking sheet, preheated it while the oven was preheating + an extra half hour, then put the loaves on damp parchment paper again and covered them each with a small steel bowl for the first 30 minutes, then uncovered for 15.
They came out so evenly browned and the crust is just beautiful. I did get a couple little "butts" from the parchment creasing them as they baked, but that's just gonna happen in a confined space. Otherwise, they are just beautiful and I think that worked really well as a Dutch oven alternative.
Can't wait for them to cool enough to cut into them!
Rebecca Eisenberg
These are such good tips for anyone else who wants to bake this without a dutch oven! The damp parchment paper tip is so smart — thank you for sharing. Enjoy the bread!
Katie
This is such a delicious and easy recipe! The flavor is amazing because of the long rise and it bakes up into a perfect boule. I live at 6500 feet above sea level making it very difficult to get bread to rise and bake properly. I’ve tried other no-knead recipes but this is the only one that has actually given me the loaf I’m looking for. I did use bread flour because that tends to give extra structure at altitude, but no other tweaks necessary. Thank you for finally giving me a go-to bread recipe!!
Suzanne
I measured with a kitchen scale and everything came out great except that the crust is very very hard and difficult to cut. I baked it in a dutch oven at 450 F for 30 minutes with lid on and 10 minutes with lid off. Any suggestions? Thanks!
Rebecca Eisenberg
Make sure you're using a sharp serrated bread knife in a sawing motion back and forth to cut through the crust! Don't apply too much downward pressure, let the sharp teeth of the knife saw through the crust. Alternately, if you store the bread in an airtight bag overnight the crust will soften slightly and be easier to cut.
JJ
It's my first time to try and put a dough in fridge before baking. How many minutes (or hours) do i have to wait when i put it out before i can bake in oven?
Rebecca Eisenberg
Are you putting it in the fridge before or after shaping it? If you're shaping it after taking the dough out of the fridge, I like to give it at least 30 minutes at room temp (the time it takes for the oven to preheat). If you've already shaped it and let it rest in the fridge in a proofing basket, you can bake it pretty much immediately after taking it out of the fridge and scoring the top! Enjoy the bread!
JJ
Thanks for replying! Appreciate it 🙂
Cate
Question!! Sometimes, after the 18 hour mark, my dough has tough spots on the top. Even sometimes the entire surface is like, congealed. I keep it covered, in a metal or glass bowl, and either in a dry place or in my off oven with the light on. What am I doing wrong 😭
Rebecca Eisenberg
Hmmmm… Tough spots like it’s dried out? Do you cover it so it’s airtight or just with a kitchen towel? If you use a kitchen towel those spots are likely the surface drying. If it’s air tight then it might be that there were some clumps of flour that didn’t get fully hydrated during the mixing and rising process. Does it bake up fine in the end? If so, I wouldn’t worry too much about it!
Cate Blaufuss
I usually just cover with a towel. But if you think Saran Wrap over the top would be a good trick then I’ll try that! Because either way the bread always comes out perfect!! My coworkers are always amazed because it tastes so fancy, and I love telling them your recipe is only 4 ingredients!
Rebecca Eisenberg
Aha, that’s probably what’s happening! A towel is fine for doughs with a shorter rest time but for one with a long rise time the towel allows for some air to get in which is probably drying out the top of yours. Try plastic wrap and see if that helps! Good luck and keep on enjoying the bread!
Kathy
This is my family’s favorite recipe. Even my 13-year old granddaughter makes the bread for her family. So easy to make. Can the recipe be doubled or tripled? One loaf is not enough. If yes, does all the ingredients increase accordingly (double or triple) or do they change?
Rebecca Eisenberg
Yes it can be doubled or tripled, but I wouldn't increase the yeast at all. If it's VERY COLD in your kitchen, you could go up to 3 grams, but even that might cause it to rise faster than you want!
Phyllis Anderson
I use cups and ounces in my recipes. Not familiar with grams. Could you please put your recipes in cups to make it easier for me.
Rebecca Eisenberg
No. Please see my website FAQ for why I don’t do this.
McJanine
I have made this one a few times now. I do find that doing a few folds early on during the first rise does help the gluten strength. (I have done it both ways). I let it rise in my banneton until it doubled again for the second rise and it worked out fine, although it did take more than 30 minutes. No biggie. This is a nice recipe.
Emma
Why are we crumbling the parchment paper then flattening back out?
Rebecca Eisenberg
Great question, Emma! I explained in the blog post: "Crumbling the parchment paper softens it so that it fits neatly into the round space of a Dutch oven without digging into your dough." It just makes it easier to fit into your Dutch oven.
Jeff
Can I put homemade jalapeño jam in this recipe?
Rebecca Eisenberg
Yep! I wouldn’t use too much, wait until the dough has been mixed together and then stir in it so it’s still pretty streaky.
Lip
Hey! I have a question, and i’m not sure but i’m pretty confident i got the measurements right, but instead of regular all purpose flour i used kamut flour, which does have a slightly higher protein content. anyways my dough ended up on the drier side after mixing, so much so that i technically could knead it? i’m not sure what went wrong but i’ll add a little more water and hopefully we’ll see in the morning.
Rebecca Eisenberg
I haven't ever worked with kamut flour, but given that it's a whole wheat flour that's probably why it ended up so dry. Bread recipes that use 100% whole wheat flour are pretty tricky to pull off, since whole wheat flour struggles to develop a strong gluten network on its own. If you want to use kamut flour I would try it in my whole wheat no-knead bread recipe instead.