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This No-Knead Artisan Bread has a soft, chewy interior and crisp, golden crust, making it just as beautiful as it is delicious. With minimal ingredients and no special skills required, it’s an effortless recipe that even beginners can master!
I used to make sourdough bread, but as a busy mom of four, I simply couldn’t keep up with it. Good news…unlike sourdough, this No Knead Artisan Bread is as easy as it gets and takes very little effort! I truly make it ALL. THE. TIME!
Why I Love This Bread
- Few Ingredients – Unlike packaged bread from the grocery store, the ingredient list is short…just four to be exact, all of which you may already have at home!
- Minimal Prep Time – The magic is really in the time the dough is “resting,” making the hands-on prep super simple!
- Chewy and Flavorful – This bread doesn’t even compare to the bread you’ll find at the store. It’s got a lovely chewy interior and a subtle tang from the overnight fermentation process – well worth the wait, I promise!
- Easy, Beginner-Friendly – The simplicity of the recipe makes it nearly fool-proof! Follow the instructions step-by-step and you’ll find how easy it really is to have fresh-baked artisan bread at home!
- Makes the BEST Toast – The moist, chewy center of this bread becomes super crisp when toasted. I adore it as a foundation for avocado toast or as part of a panini sandwich!
Ingredients Needed
- Flour – I recommend bread flour, but have also tested it with all-purpose flour and had great results.
- Salt – You can use Kosher salt, sea salt or pink Himalayan salt. I do not recommend table salt though it can be used if it’s the only option.
- Yeast – Use active dry, rapid rise, instant yeast…any of these will do!
- Water – You’ll want to use warm water for this. Somewhere between 85F and 105F is great.
How to Make No-Knead Artisan Bread
Before starting, please note that you’ll need 8 or more hours for the dough to rest before baking. This is fundamental in making Artisan bread! I like to prep at night and bake in the morning!
Make the Dough
To make the dough, you’ll start by combining the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Then, stir in the warm water until a soft dough has formed. Be sure to use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl so all ingredients are well-incorporated.
Scrape the sides of the bowl and cover it tightly with a sheet of plastic wrap. Keep the dough at room temperature for at least 8-12 hours. If you’re not ready to bake yet at that point, simply refrigerate.
When the 8 hours is up, you’ll notice that the dough is very soft and bubbly on top. This is exactly what you’re going for!
Form the Loaf
Sprinkle flour (bread flour or regular is fine) on a clear surface. Dump the dough out of the bowl and onto the countertop, using a rubber spatula to get it all out of the bowl, if needed.
For this next part, you can either use your hands or use a rubber spatula or bench scraper. As you look at the dough, imagine four sections (top, right, bottom and left).
Use the spatula to fold the dough onto itself 4 times (once on each of the four sides). You don’t want to overwork the dough (and lose those beautiful air pockets!), you just want to make a decently round ball.
Lay a piece of parchment paper on the counter and transfer the ball of dough to the paper. Place it in a bowl that’s similar sized to the Dutch oven you’ll be using. This will help it hold its shape. Let it rest while the oven preheats. (Don’t have a Dutch oven?! See notes in the recipe card below!)
Place your empty Dutch oven into the oven and turn it to 425F. It’s important to heat the dish you’re baking the bread in to get the perfect texture! Once the bread has rested for 30 minutes and the oven is preheated, it’s ready to bake!
BE CAREFUL! The Dutch Oven is HOT (as you’d expect)….but it’s easy to forget that the lid is also piping hot! I recommend keeping a hot pad on the handle, so it reminds you it’s hot. Some of us have learned the hard way….ha!
Bake the Bread
Remove the Dutch oven from the oven and place the parchment paper and ball of dough into it. Use a kitchen shears, a sharp knife or a bread lame to cut an “X” into the top. Cover with the lid and bake for 25 minutes.
Remove the lid (again, be careful!) and continue to bake for 10-15 more minutes. The exterior should be golden brown and shiny! To be totally sure it’s done, you can temp it with an instant read thermometer – it is fully-cooked at 190F.
Let it Cool
This is by FAR the hardest part! Remove the loaf out of the pan and let it cool on a wire rack. Let it cool for at least an hour before diving in! (If you cut it too soon, it’ll be hard to get nice clean slices that don’t look gummy!). Use a serrated knife to slice into it!
Testing Variations
Like any good food scientist, I truly LOVE playing around with ingredients to see what affect it’ll have on the product. With the bread, I wanted to try AP flour, wheat flour, adding sugar and if it was possible to bake it in something besides a Dutch oven. Here’s what I found (see photos above)…
|
Test |
Description |
Result |
|---|---|---|
|
A |
Control (Recipe as stated below) |
Great flavor, chewy interior & crisp exterior |
|
B |
All Purpose Flour (instead of Bread Flour) |
Also very good; a great alternative to bread flour. |
|
C |
Baked in a Glass Bowl (instead of a Dutch Oven) |
A bit less “pretty” but great flavor and texture. |
|
D |
Added Sugar (added 1 tablespoon to the dough) |
Proved to be unnecessary; didn’t change much. |
|
E |
Wheat (used half bread flour and half whole wheat flour) |
Gives a more earthy, nutty flavor, slightly more dense; still yummy! |
Storage Instructions
UNSLICED: Let the bread cool completely then wrap in waxed paper or parchment paper. I don’t recommend keeping it tightly sealed in a resealable bag as the moisture will migrate from the center to the crisp edges and it’ll lose it’s signature crisp exterior.
SLICED: Once you’ve sliced into the bread, you’ll want to store it in an airtight container. It’ll lose some of it’s crisp exterior, but it’ll keep the interior from drying out.
FREEZE IT: You can freeze a whole loaf or slices to use one at a time! Let it cool, then wrap with plastic wrap and store in a freezer bag. Once you’re ready to enjoy, let it come to room temperature and warm it (and crisp up the exterior a bit!) in a 300F oven for 5+ minutes.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve warm with butter and jelly or honey! I love it with my Strawberry Rhubarb Freezer Jam!
- Serve it alongside your favorite soup. It pairs nicely with my Beef & Barley Soup or Corn Chowder with Bacon!
- Use it to make grilled cheese, paninis or even as burger buns!
- Cut into slices and top with Garlic Bread Spread, toast it and serve it with your favorite pasta dishes!
- Avocado Toast. There’s no better vessel for avocados than this bread, toasted. Thank me later! 😉
Helpful Kitchen Tools
- Dutch Oven – Though you can make this in something else (see recipe notes below), a Dutch oven works SO well! There are so many different brands out there with a wide range of price. Here’s the one I have.
- Parchment Paper – As long as it can withstand heat up to 425F, you should be good! This one is good up to 450F, which is great!
- Bread Lame – This is totally optional, but is a great way to cut the nice little “x” on top of the bread before baking. You can also use a sharp kitchen shears.
- Bread Box – This is a great way to store the bread. It’ll help keep the texture as-is before slicing into it.
Other Yeast Breads to Try
No-Knead Artisan Bread
Equipment
- 1 Dutch Oven*
Ingredients
- 3 cups + 2 tablespoons bread flour* (425 grams) plus extra for dusting the work surface
- 1 1/2 teaspoons course salt*
- 1/2 teaspoon yeast Active Dry or Rapid-Rise
- 1 1/2 cups warm water (350 mL)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt and yeast.3 cups + 2 tablespoons bread flour* (425 grams), 1 1/2 teaspoons course salt*, 1/2 teaspoon yeast
- Add the warm water and stir until well-combined.1 1/2 cups warm water (350 mL)
- Use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl.
- Cover tightly with a piece of cling wrap and let rest on the counter for 8-12 hours.*
- Sprinkle flour on a clean work surface then use a rubber spatula to help remove the dough from the bowl. The dough will be very soft and wet at this point.
- Use a rubber spatula or a bench scraper to fold the dough onto itself 4 times (once on each of the four sides of the ball of dough) to help shape it into a round ball.
- Using both hands, scoop the ball of dough carefully onto a large sheet of parchment paper. Place the parchment paper and dough in a bowl similar in size to the baking dish/Dutch oven you'll be using. Let it rest for 30+ minutes.
- Place an empty Dutch oven with a lid* into the oven. Preheat the oven to 425℉, letting the Dutch oven get piping hot.
- Use a very sharp knife or a pair of kitchen shears to cut an "X" into the top of the ball of dough.
- Remove the hot Dutch oven from the oven, carefully remove the lid and transfer the parchment paper with the dough into the Dutch oven. You can trim the excess parchment paper if desired.
- Use an oven mitt to place the lid back on the dutch oven and then place into the preheated oven.
- Bake for 25 minutes with the lid on.
- Carefully remove the lid and let it bake an additional 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.
- Let the loaf cool for at least an hour before slicing.
- Enjoy!
Hello Sweet Kelsey,
We hosted an Easter brunch yesterday and I made this wonderful bread! I’ve never made any kind of bread before, but since we had close friends (like family) coming, I knew I could handle the kidding if the bread didn’t turn out like I hoped. But, it did! It was beautiful and delicious. Everyone raved about it and as we came down to about a quarter of a loaf, I thought my husband was going to hide it, so I could fix him avacado toast this morning! Thank you for such a tried and true recipe.
Reviews like this are SO fun for me to read – the reason I do what I do! Thanks for taking the time to rate and review the recipe. I’m so happy you enjoyed this bread! 🙂 ~Kelsey
Making this for the second time today! I can’t believe how tasty it is for how simple and easy it is to make.
So happy to hear this, Brianne! We make this about 3 times a week….it’s too good not to! 🙂 ~Kelsey
One of my family’s favorites and so easy! My kids request it often and love it with spinach dip. Thank you!!!
Ohhh it would be delicious with spinach dip!! So glad your family enjoys it! 🙂 ~Kelsey
If the dough is refrigerated until the next day, do you need to let it set out to rise before baking?
Hi Paige – Unless you’re leaving it for more than 24 hours, I’d leave it on the counter at room temperature overnight. If it will be longer, refrigerate, then leave on the counter for an about 30 minutes before removing from the bowl. I hope you enjoy it!!! 🙂 ~Kelsey