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Easy No Knead Bread Recipe

MelissaKNorris
This easy no-knead artisan bread recipe takes just 5 minutes a day uses only 5 ingredients. It has a soft and fluffy inside and perfectly crunchy crust, everything bread should be without all the work!
4.22 from 329 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Course bread
Cuisine American
Servings 32 servings
Calories 93 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 3 cups water lukewarm (about 120 degrees)
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons yeast
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons salt kosher or coarse sea salt is best
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 6 1/2 cups flour unsifted, all-purpose or bread flour (see notes for whole wheat)

Instructions
 

  • In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and warm water. Allow to sit for 6 to 8 minutes until water is foamy.
  • Add salt and vinegar. Mix in flour a cupful at a time until it's all incorporated. Dough will be slightly wet.
  • Cover your dough with a tea towel and set it on top of the fridge (or a draft free warm place) to rise for about 2 to 3 hours, or until the dough has at least doubled in size.
  • Cover dough (make sure it can still breathe, don't seal completely) and place in fridge for 8 hours.
  • Take 1/2 of the dough (or 1/3 for a smaller loaf) out of the bowl, it’s very wet, so lightly flour your hands, and pull it into the shape of your loaf. Dust the top with flour and slash it with a sharp knife (flour keeps your blade from sticking) and let it rise for about 40 minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit with cast iron Dutch oven inside.
  • Remove dutch oven from stove and carefully place one loaf into Dutch oven. Cover with the lid and bake for 25 minutes, remove lid and bake for another 10 minutes until golden on top. (No cast iron Dutch oven, see notes for alternate baking instructions)

Video

Notes

  1. No cast iron Dutch Oven, no problem: Place a metal broiling pan in the oven on the lowest rack and preheat to 450 degrees. Place loaf on a cookie sheet, cast iron skillet, or baking stone and place in oven. Quickly pour a cup of HOT water into the broiler pan and shut your oven. Bake for 45 minutes.
  2. Flour. Use unsifted all-purpose or bread flour. Spoon flour into measuring cup and level. You can use whole wheat or fresh ground, but reduce flour to 5 1/2 cups and increase only if the dough is too wet and won’t hold any type of shape. I’ve successfully done half whole wheat and half all-purpose at the full 6 and 1/2 cups.
  3. The dough will be wet. This is intended to be a wet dough, don't keep adding flour expecting a loaf to form. We call this a "free-form" loaf of bread. Because it's no-knead, it needs to be wet in order for the gluten to form properly.
  4. Flour your hands and work-surface. Using well-floured hands and work-surface will help tremendously in keeping the dough from being too sticky. You don't want to go crazy with the flour, but a well-coated surface is helpful.
  5. Wait to slice into the bread. I know it's difficult, but try to wait at least 20 minutes before slicing into your loaf. If you slice into a hot loaf, you'll end up with a gummy center that will seem underbaked.
  6. For a softer crust - If you're not a fan of the crispy crunchy crust, you can immediately brush your loaf with butter when it comes out of the oven. This will soften the crust just a bit so it's not so crunchy.

Nutrition

Calories: 93kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 3gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 329mgPotassium: 29mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gCalcium: 4mgIron: 1mg
Keyword Artisan bread, Bread recipe, no-knead bread
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