This no-knead bread has only four ingredients, and could not be simpler to make! It’s the perfect bread recipe for beginning bread makers, and so delicious that even experienced bread makers will love it.
Believe it or not, yeast breads can actually be made really easily! This no-knead bread is a great example. Some other easy breads we love include Sourdough Bread and Naan Bread.
Easy No-Knead Bread
Hello again! It’s Alicia from The Baker Upstairs, and I have the yummiest (and easiest!) bread recipe to share with you today.
Baking bread is one of my greatest pleasures in life. I love that you can mix a few simple ingredients together, and just like magic they become something wonderful. The whole is definitely greater than the sum of its parts!
I bake some form of bread several times every week, and this no-knead bread (aka lean bread) is one of my favorites to make. It’s so simple, requires very little hands-on time, and is easy to make in an afternoon. It’s pretty much just perfect!
No Kneading Necessary!
DOUGH. To make the bread, you’ll start by dissolving the yeast in the water, then stirring in the salt and flour. Don’t worry if the dough is loose and a little sticky, unlike a typical bread dough. It will turn out just great!
Cover the dough and let it rise for about two hours.
TIP: It will expand quite a bit, so make sure to use a nice big bowl for it.
How to Make No Knead Bread (Continued)
FORM LOAVES. After two hours, flour your hands, then divide the dough into two roughly equal pieces. Shape each piece into a round ball as much as possible. They don’t have to be perfect!
Let the dough rest for about forty minutes, while you preheat the oven with a baking stone inside. The dough will expand quite a bit as it rises, so make sure to give the dough balls plenty of room.
Dust the loaves with flour, then make three slashes across the top of the loaves.
BAKE. Slide the bread dough (still on the parchment sheet) onto the preheated baking stone using a pizza peel or a thin cutting board. I usually bake one loaf at a time, but if you have a larger baking stone, you could probably bake two dough balls at once.
Bake the bread until it’s golden brown and sounds hollow when the bottom of the loaf is tapped. Let it cool most of the way before slicing to help the bread hold together.
how to store + SIDES
This no knead bread is absolutely delightful with butter and honey on top, and my family loves dipping it in soup or chili. If you have some leftovers or it gets stale – don’t throw it. Make some homemade croutons out of it!
I love that it’s so simple and quick to make that I can throw it together in just a few minutes in the afternoon, and have hot bread on the table by dinner time. This bread is so good!
Because this bread doesn’t have fats like butter in it to keep it soft, it does dry out fast. It can be STORED in a plastic bag, but not for long because it will get mushy. You can FREEZE the bread by letting it cool, then placing in a freezer-safe bag in the freezer for up to 2 months.
For more yeast bread recipes, try:
No Knead Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tablespoons instant yeast
- 3 cups warm water
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour plus more for dusting dough
Instructions
- In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Mix in the salt and flour, stirring until there are no dry patches. The dough will be very soft, and looser than a typical bread dough. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place for 2 hours.
- After the dough rises, divide it into two pieces and shape each piece into a round ball. Place each ball of dough on a piece of parchment paper, and let rest 40 minutes.
- While the dough is rising the second time, preheat the oven to 450. Place a baking stone or overturned baking sheet on the upper oven rack, and a broiler pan or metal cake pan on the lower shelf. Heat the baking stone at least 20 minutes before baking the bread.
- When the dough is ready to bake, dust it with flour and cut three deep slashes across the top. Slide the dough on the parchment paper onto the baking stone using a pizza peel (or a thin cutting board). Pour a cup of water into the broiler pan/cake pan and shut the oven door quickly. Bake until golden brown, 24-28 minutes.
Thank you for saving dinner! This was perfect for soup night!
I am all about no kneading!! The less I have to work with it, the better! This bread is great for sandwiches!
Oh i love the buttery honey top! this bread was TDF!!!
This with my favorite soup… oh, i am drooling already! So excited to make this!
Love how there’s no kneading.. the best kind of bread! lol. Can’t wait to try!
This bread recipe is amazing! So easy to make and comes out perfect everytime! I love the idea of freezing it.
A quick and easy bread that comes together in no time.
So you bake the bread on the parchment paper on an overturned baking sheet – I don’t have a baking stone. Just wondered if I could bake in a dutch oven – I have seen recipes like that. Thank you.
I have not tried, but I am sure you could. I bet it would be great!
What a cozy and delicious bread. Works well serving it with soup.
Started making this at the beginning of the pandemic and keep making! My husband loves this bread so much. Another easy bread recipe that’s delicious as well
Needs better inductions for cooling, included ~in~ the recipe would have been nice so I didn’t have to come back here and search for it in the article… I needed more time when baking mine as it didn’t look crusted. Dense but tasted amazing. Def would make again. Super easy & successful!
Thanks so much for the suggestion! I will definitely look into making the instructions more complete on the recipe. Glad you liked the bread!
hello can I use bread 00 flour for these measurements ??
Can you divide the dough into smaller balls?
You bet! You’d just need to adjust the baking time if making smaller loaves.
Do you bake 1 loaf at a time, or both loaves at the same time? Maybe bake 1 & freeze the other ball of dough for a later time? Thanks!
You could do either!