Miracle No Knead Bread

Let me paint a picture for you. It starts with a golden and ragged-looking crusty loaf of piping hot white bread being roughly torn into chunks, steam escaping, crumbs flying everywhere across the table, and it ends with that swift swooping motion as its hot n’ chewy little self dives deep into the bowl of thick soup and delivers a bit of chewy carbs sopped with flavor to your hungry, happy mouth. Honestly.

The pure bliss of this moment.

Welcome to fall, bread lovers.

I have some really good news for you today.

YOU ARE ABOUT TO MAKE BREAD LIKE A BOSS.

What Is No Knead Bread Exactly?

Well, it’s exactly as it sounds!

While many bread recipes involve a lot of kneading and proofing and rising and proofing again and Great British Bake-Off levels of stress, this one requires no kneading. The most effort you’ll put in is the quick mix you’ll do to get the flour, water, yeast, and salt combined, and the strength it takes to transfer your dutch oven into the oven (but seriously, why so heavy?).

After a hands-off overnight rest on the countertop, and quick bake, the result: perfectly crusty outsides, soft and warm insides. It is, to put it simply, heaven.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Okay, are you ready for how short of a list this is?

• all-purpose flour (bread flour can work, too!)
• salt
• instant yeast
• water (but we’re guessing you have that on hand)

That’s it! That’s literally it!

How To Make No Knead Bread

Pillowy, golden-crusted, perfectly baked homemade bread is in your future! Let’s make it happen.

1. Mix. Whisk together the flour, salt, and yeast in a large bowl. Stir in a bit of room temp water until the dough starts to form. It’ll look a little bit weird at first, just try us when we say it’ll all come together.
2. Let the dough rest. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it just sit on the counter at room temp overnight. Just forget about it until morning.
3. Form the dough. Remove the dough from the bowl and shape it into a ball.
4. Bake. Line your Dutch oven or big oven-safe pot with parchment paper. Warm it up in the oven for a half hour or so (without the dough). Add your dough, add the lid, and bake for 30 minutes. Lift off the lid and bake for another 10ish minutes until the top gets a beautiful golden brown.
5. Dunk away! Get ready to tear into this warm homemade bread and dunk and scoop it in all the things!

Variations On This No Knead Bread Recipe

Obviously we prefer this in its original, perfect form, but if you’re looking to make some changes, there are always OPTIONS.

• How to make it gluten-free: We tried this flour (affiliate link) and the results were great. A hard crust formed on the outside and the inside was soft, airy, and a teeny bit spongy – close to the real thing. Some downsides: the bread didn’t rise as much as the regular version and, of course, it didn’t have quite the same flavor.
• How to make it whole wheat: This is very similar to the original version. The texture of the dough was the same, it rose the same, and it looked the same coming out of the oven with its hard crust. The inside texture was denser with not as many air pockets. The flavor was a little bitter and texture was a bit gritty, but to be expected with whole wheat flour.
• How to add some flavor: Use whatever herbs that sound delicious to you! Mix them in the beginning to avoid kneading later.

It’s worth saying again that my motto for Pinch of Yum is RECIPES THAT REAL PEOPLE WOULD ACTUALLY MAKE. I pass all recipes that hit your eyeballs through this very practical and very important filter.

And this bread? This no knead bread that can be mixed all in one bowl with a wooden spoon in five minutes flat? This bread is on-brand. Nailed it. If you’ve never done this before, buckle up.

You’re so gonna love it in all its crispy, air-pocketed glory.