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Everyone NEEDS an overnight, no knead farmhouse bread recipe in their arsenal because it’s just that easy and you can’t beat the aroma of freshly baked bread in your house!
For a quicker no knead bread recipe, check out my Dutch Oven Bread.
For years bread making has been my Everest. Always admired but never conquered. I am a pretty good baker and I make all kinds of baked goods, as you know if you follow me, but for some reason working with yeast has always scared me.
I come from a long dynasty of bread makers. Every woman in my family has made her own bread…except for me.
By nature I am an overcomer; I can’t bare the fact that there is a skill I don’t possess. It seriously drives me crazy. For example, I can only drive a car with an automatic transmission. Just not cool. It’s on my to-do list.
I’ve had some practice of baking with yeast through pizza dough making, which is no different from bread so I figured it’s time to overcome my fear and get right down to it.
Although this is a simple recipe and method, I did spend some time to practice and get it just right. I’ve made this no-knead bread a lot over the last weeks, which has brought nothing but happiness to my household.
A few tweaks along the way, and I think this recipe is pretty much perfect. Give yourself some time to practice as well. In no time you’ll be an expert as well!
How to make no knead bread
As the title suggests, this particular bread recipe requires no kneading, the integral part in successful bread making. Instead of kneading the bread dough, this recipe utilises a long, 12-hour fermentation time to develop gluten.
Not only does it achieve the same result as kneading, it also develops much better bread flavour. You will be quite surprised if you have a side by side taste test with a grocery store loaf. Your homemade bread will be miles ahead in terms of flavour and texture.
How it’s different
The best part for me personally is the thick and chewy crust that is the hallmark of any good European loaf. Unfortunately, in North America it’s not as easy as it should be to get bread with this sort of crust outside of an overpriced bakery.
This particular recipe reminded me of Pain de Campagne, a traditional French sourdough country bread that I buy as often as I can.
You might ask what sets this recipe apart from every other recipe out there. The main difference is the method of baking.
The magic comes when it’s baked in a blazing hot oven inside a preheated This is an affiliate link.Dutch oven with a lid on which does 2 things: it concentrates moisture (and therefore a thick, chewy crust), and allows the bread to rise quickly.
Can you just take a look at that loaf?! How can you not fall in love immediately! And that smell of a freshly baked loaf!
Recipe Tips and Notes
- Bread benefits from time for the dough to rise, but some days you may not have the time to wait. In that case, try my quicker version of Dutch Oven Bread. Still lovely and fluffy inside with a chewy crust, but with the rising time cut to 2 hours!
- I’ve used all white flour for my bread, but it’s a simple recipe that is easily adaptable. Use a portion of whole wheat flour if you would like to adapt the loaf, keeping the total amount of flour the same.
- All purpose flour will work, but bread flour will be a better choice. The difference is a higher amount of protein in the bread flour that creates more chew and structure in the loaf. You are likely to need to add a bit extra if using all purpose flour. If your dough seems a bit runny and doesn’t hold it’s shape, add some and mix it in as well as you can.
- Remember that dough will rise quicker or slower depending on the room temperature. 12 hours is a good average, but it may be different for you if your room is a bit colder or warmer.
- When it’s time to let the dough rise, give it a sprinkling of flour and cover with a kitchen towel. The flour is there so the cotton towel doesn’t stick.
- To limit mess and make the transfer of your dough easier, you can place your shaped dough on a piece of parchment paper, then pick it up by the opposite side of the paper and lower it into the Dutch Oven. That said, I don’t use parchment paper and my bread never sticks.
- Whether you use parchment paper or not, be sure to leave the dough to rise on a well floured work surface. This prevents the dough from sticking, which you’ll be grateful for later.
- I had a lot more success with baking bread once I started using an This is an affiliate link.oven thermometer. Oven temperatures can vary widely, so using one to check yours will make sure that you aren’t baking on a cooler or warmer temperature than you think.
- You are in control of baking times. If it looks like the crust should be a bit darker, leave it in the oven for 10-15 minutes longer.
- The bread can be easily adapted in all sorts of ways. One is to add seeds like sesame seeds or poppyseeds to the top of the dough before baking.
Serving suggestions
As tempting as it is to gorge on bread when it is steaming hot and straight from the Dutch oven, it’s actually better to give it time to cool. Cutting it open too soon lets a lot of the steam escape, leading to tougher, less tender bread that dries out much faster.
Instead, leave it on a This is an affiliate link.wire rack so air can circulate, and let it come to room temperature before slicing open. Or something close to room temperature – I can never manage to wait quite that long!
Your patience won’t be regretted. Slather the bread in butter, a slice of cheese or turn it into a tasty sandwich. Perfection!
Storage and leftovers
If you don’t plan to use the bread within a couple of days, or you made an extra loaf or two, the best place to store it is the freezer. Keep it sealed in plastic wrap or something similar and use within 3 months.
More bread recipes
- Easy Flatbread
- Rosemary Spelt Bread Recipe
- Rhubarb and Red Currant Jam Swirled Bread
- Sourdough Bread
No Knead Farmhouse Bread
Equipment
- This is an affiliate link.Cast iron Dutch oven
- This is an affiliate link.Oven thermometer
Ingredients
- 3 to 3½ cups/400g to 450 g cups/400g to 450 g all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting (I used 3 1/2 cups)
- ¼ tsp This is an affiliate link.instant yeast
- 1¼ tsp salt
- 1½ cups/ 375ml warm water
- flour for dusting
Instructions
- Mix flour, yeast and salt in a large bowl. Add warm water to the ingredients and mix until a sticky dough forms. Cover with a towel and let it rise on the counter for 12 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 500F/260C with Dutch oven inside.
- Turn your dough out on a floured surface, it will be flat, tuck all four sides in to form a ball and place it on a floured surface seam side down, sprinkle with more flour and cover with a towel. Don't be afraid to be generous with flour. Let it rise for 20 minutes.
- If you are short on time you can bake your bread after a 20 minute rise, and it will be a somewhat dense and hefty loaf yet still delicious. (Like mine in the pictures). Alternatively, you can let it rise for 2 more hours in order to produce a more airy loaf of bread.
- Cut slits in the top of the loaf with a sharp knife approximately 1-2cm deep to allow steam to escape and create a better shaped loaf.
- Take Dutch oven out of the oven and carefully place your dough in it, cover with a lid and bake for 25 minutes.
- Take the lid off and bake for 10-15 minutes longer to get more colour into your crust.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Help! I don’t have a dutch oven! Is there any alternative to baking it?
Joelle, any casserole dish with a lid will work. Do you have a Pyrex?
I have made this bread on a cookie sheet, with cornmeal on parchment or silicone baking sheet at 450F 30_35 minutes with pan of water in oven( put in at beginning of preheating oven. You need a bit more flour to bake this way as a free form boule or round loaf, slashing top. It gets a fabulous crust, nice and golden.
Can you clarify instruction #3 on rise time? 12 to 20 hours? Thanks!
12 to 20 hours means that the dough is ready anytime within that range. It’s a very forgiving recipe. If you don’t have time to make bread first thing in the morning after 12 hours you can leave it longer up to 20 hours.
WOW! This is my first comment I have ever responded to. I must tell everyone this is the best homemade bread I have ever made. If you like a just right chewy crust and a moist inside, then you have to make this bread. You will not be disappointed. I did let my dough rise about 2 hours first. This just became my go-to bread recipe! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe. A bread to be proud of!
So pleased to hear it, Heidi! Bread making is so addicting. 🙂
Would this recipe/method of using Dutch oven work with fresh ground whole wheat flour?
Sarah, I haven’t tried but I heard that other people have and it worked. You can try and let me know how it goes! 🙂
Mine is rising! Yours looks amazing! I’m excited to try this.
I hope you love your bread as much as we did, Dacia!
Totally, totally gorgeous, Julia! Looks 100% “artisanal” as they like to say 😉 Beautiful. And I totally agree it feels amazing to bake your own bread on a whim. SO excited for you to try more!
Thank you, Cynthia! I am grinning from ear to ear. I was so pleased with the result, I baked another one and I overheard my kids talking after taking a bite, ” I think it’s the best one she baked!” That’s a stamp of approval right there. 🙂
Hello, could I use instant dried yeast in this recipe? Thank you
Absolutely
Bread scared me off as well, it took me a while to deal with it and this very same recipe was breakthrough, because there was no kneading required it was easier to get the right texture. I’m still not the brilliant bread baker, I keep killing my sourdough starters, but I can use them. My latest revelation is a book Brilliant bread by James Morton. I highly recommend it, I barely ever follow more than few recipes from my cookbooks, but I’ve already tried more than 10 recipes. Good luck with bread baking. This one looks gorgeous!
That’s so encouraging to hear, Magda! Thank you for sharing that book with me, I will be sure to look it up. 🙂
Beautiful! I love the no-knead bread. Can’t beat it for great crust. My only issue with it was that in my house, it lasted only about 10 minutes after it came out of the pot 🙂
Hahaha I totally relate to that issue, Jennifer! I had to bake another one asap!
Beautiful bread, love the ease of this recipe!
So do I, Laura! I always get inspired looking at superb bakers like you so I thought I should venture out into bread making myself!
I agree. As an x Chef retired, I have to admit I look for these recipes Simple , easy and fresh…I was not much of a baker as a Chef Pretty much not rolls and bread.
I have a lg Dutch oven & a small Dutch oven both with lids. What size should I use?
I would use the large one, Dotty!