Miracle No Knead Bread! this is SO UNBELIEVABLY GOOD and ridiculously easy to make. crusty outside, soft and chewy inside – perfect for dunking in soups!
Miracle No Knead Bread
There’s a reason we are calling this MIRACLE NO KNEAD BREAD.
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I have made this several times now and it always comes out great!! I am so nervous about cooking with yeast but this recipe is a piece of cake.
Merideth
This is a fan favorite recipe that’s part of our Fall 2022 SOS Series! View the full series.
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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.
In This Post: Everything You Need For No Knead Bread
- Watch How to Make No Knead Bread
- The Bread for Non-Bread Makers
- Ingredients for This Bread
- Make No Knead Bread
- Variations on This No Knead Bread Recipe
- No Knead Bread: Frequently Asked Questions
Prefer To Watch Instead Of Read?
The Bread For Non-Bread Makers (SOS-Friendly!)
You are going to serve this bread with your rocked-out homemade soups and the praise will come flowing from family and friends and neighbors alike, and people are not going to be able to stop. This is your moment for Martha-Stewart-level domestic greatness within the normalcy of a regular person life, and we are going to milk it.
Please scan your brain right now for these lurking thoughts: “I don’t make bread.” “Bread baking takes too long.” “Yeast-y recipes scare me.”
Friends, let the record show that I am in your club. I am on that team. I have less than zero percent patience for bread recipes and therefore I do not make bread, at all, ever, and I only have two teeny exceptions:
- I make brioche from Artisan Bread in 5, like, three times per year, because it makes for perfect tea rings and homemade French toast bakes and cinnamon rolls and for the times that the baking diva within comes alive. Also it’s VERY EASY.
- I make this Miracle No Knead Bread, inspired from my friends, fellow bloggers, Jim Lahey, and people of the internet, and I make it a minimum of 250 times every fall and winter because it is the opposite of fancy. Which is confusing because it FEELS fancy to pull a loaf of homemade bread out of the oven, especially when it is tucked into that rustic and beautiful Laura-Ingalls-Wilder-esque red Lodge Dutch Oven* that we swoon over every year when the leaves start turning, but seriously – I would, and do, on a regular basis, make this bread for weeknight dinners. We don’t call this Miracle No Knead Bread for nothin’.
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Form the dough. Remove the dough from the bowl and shape it into a ball.
- 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.
- 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* 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.
- How to make it CHEESY: We’ve got a recipe for that! Check out our No Knead Cheese Bread.
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.
No Knead Bread: Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this if I don’t have a Dutch oven?
You will just need an oven-safe pot or pan with an oven-safe tight-fitting lid. Please check instructions on whatever you use to ensure it can be heated to 450 degrees (empty for instruction #2).
Will active dry yeast work for this bread?
Yep! Just make sure to activate the yeast first according to package instructions.
Why didn’t my bread rise?
We’d recommend using fresh yeast for this recipe. Expired yeast can lead to bread that won’t rise.
Miracle No Knead Bread
- Total Time: 18 hours 40 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
Miracle No Knead Bread! this is SO UNBELIEVABLY GOOD and ridiculously easy to make. crusty outside, soft and chewy inside – perfect for dunking in soups!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
- 1 1/2 cups room temperature water
Instructions
- DOUGH PREP: In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour, salt, and yeast together until mixed. Stir in the water until a chunky, thick dough forms. If it needs a little more water, add a few more tablespoons, just enough to get it barely wet throughout. It’s gonna look scrappy and weird and you’re going to question me on whether or not this will work, but it will. Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest for 12-18 hours at room temperature. Overnight is ideal here, kids.
- PREP FOR BAKING: When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 450. Stick a 6 quart enamel coated cast iron Lodge Dutch Oven (or similar) in the oven for about 30 minutes to heat. At this point, the dough should be big and puffy and pretty loose, with little bubbles in it. Gently scrape the dough out onto a well-floured surface. (Remember: NO KNEAD.) Gently shape it into a ball with flour on the outside, set on a piece of parchment, and cover with plastic while your pan heats up.
- BAKE: Remove the plastic from the dough. Lift the dough and parchment together into the pan so the parchment lines the bottom of the hot pan (be careful not to touch the pan since it’s very hot). Bake, covered, for 30 minutes. Remove the cover and bake another 10-15 minutes to get the exterior nice and golden brown and crispy. Voila! Done. Miracle no-knead bread, you boss you.
Equipment
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Notes
Based on comments and questions, we decided to try this recipe with both gluten-free flour and whole wheat flour! A few notes for each: 1. Gluten-Free: We tried this flour* 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. 2. Whole Wheat: This was 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.
- Prep Time: 12 hours
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: no knead bread, homemade bread, easy bread
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(👇🏼 pictured here dipped in Chicken Wild Rice Soup. cannot recommend that situation highly enough.)
You can read about ten other things I love to do with my adorable red Lodge Dutch Oven in THIS POST from years back. Yes, I am that much of a superfan.
Soup Recipes To Enjoy This Bread With
Truly there is nothing better than swooping a piece of this piping hot bread into some cozy, creamy soup. Here are our favorites:
- The Best Detox Crockpot Lentil Soup (healthy, creamy, YUM)
- Simple Homemade Tomato Soup (maybe even with our No Knead CHEESE Bread?!)
- Instant Pot Wild Rice Soup (our favorite pairing)
- Instant Pot Minestrone Soup (like a hug in a bowl)
- Basic + Awesome Broccoli Cheese Soup (cheese and bread, can’t go wrong)
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One More Thing!
This recipe is part of our collection of easy baking recipes. Check it out!
September 28, 2022
Nice to meet you!
I’m Lindsay and I ♡ FOOD. I used to be a teacher, and now making food and writing about it online is my full-time job. I love talking with people about food, and I'm so glad you're here.
Did you make a recipe? Tag @pinchofyum on Instagram so we can find you!
OMG I made this and it was delicious! Thank you Lindsay!
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I made this yesterday and it turned out fantastic, just as the photos and recipe described. Was so easy and got a big thumbs up from my husband. I used yeast that was a few months expired and a cast iron Dutch oven ,and it still turned out as expected. I will get some new yeast and be making this again soon.
The measurements in grams & ml are completely wrong! I made flour soup! Worst recipe ever.
Plastic, plastic, and yet more plastic.
Try covering with silicone cover/shower cap whilst leaving to rise first time.
Try leaving it to rise on non stick tray liner, cover as above the second time, rather than plastic.
Its true, if you toggle to metric you get given near enough a 100% hydration dough with the sites conversion.
The first couple of times I made this, it turned out great! Our son loved it. Now the last several times, it hasn’t risen when baked. I’ve checked the yeast expiration date, I’ve put in the oven over night thinking it was too cool in the winter. Any ideas? If it hadn’t turned out originally, I wouldn’t be so baffled. Thanks in advance!
The action culminates in a rapid swooping motion as the hot and chewy small creature dives deep into the bowl of viscous soup and brings a drift hunters little of chewy carbohydrates sopped with flavor to your hungry, joyful tongue. Honestly. This moment, in all its perfection.
Your measurements for no near bread is wrong. You have the same measurement in grams and oz for all three baking choices. Probably confused some bakers.
SO SO SO DELICIOUS AND EASY … This is now our go-to bread recipe, no more buying it at the store! Thank you so much Lindsay!!! xoxoxo
Made this last night to go with my POY crockpot chicken and wild rice soup and it was a success! As someone who has only ever baked very involved loaves of bread, with lots of kneading and rises, this was an epiphany! Worked great at Denver’s altitude, although maybe didn’t rise as much as it would at a lower altitude. Still got a really great loaf – my husband was skeptical but even he was impressed with the final product. Also to note – went straight with measuring the flour weight vs measuring cups and it worked great! No issues with a runny dough here 🙂
I tried this last night. Good results. A little dense and salty. I am making it again tonight. A little less salt, and a little more yeast. We will see how it works out in the morning. A very easy recipe. Quite good results. Better toasted.
Love this easy no knead bread recipe.
I have made it several times never disappointed. I double the recipe.
Here’s my question: can the dough rest in banttons with rice flour?
Thank you
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Do you have a recipe for multi grain bread made similar?
I have used your dutch oven recipe over and over.
Thank you for sharing.
Michelle
Hi, Michelle! Unfortunately we don’t have a recipe like that on Pinch of Yum, but it’s helpful to hear this is something you’d want to see!
First time bread maker here! And I love this recipe, it’s easy to follow very well written. I made two loaves and they are beautiful and taste delicious!!
Thank you for this wonderful recipe !
Hello. This is my go to recipe for bread! I am wanting to make it and then give it to friends. How do you suggest I give it? If its hot and I’m taking it to a friend’s house then should I wrap it a cloth but I was trying to wrap it in something I can leave with the person. Any suggestions? We usually eat this bread all at once but should I store in a baggie over night?
Thank you.
If bringing this to a friend, you could let it cool, store it in a plastic bag, and give instructions to rewarm it in the oven. Hope this helps!
Can you freeze this dough? If so, how do you handle it out of the freezer?
Hi! I froze half my loaf and it worked out great. I sliced it all the 1st day, and then put half of the slices in a ziplock freezer bag, and then into the freezer. From the freezer I just popped the slices right into the toaster. If you don’t want toast, You could probably just let it defrost on the counter, in the bag.
We haven’t tried freezing this dough before, so we unfortunately don’t have insight yet.
I wondered if I doubled the recipe may i cook in one large dutch oven or do I need to do two separate loaves
Hi, Kathleen! We’d probably suggest two separate loaves here. Enjoy!
I’ve made this bread a couple of times and it’s fantastic, absolutely foolproof. However, today was the first time I watched the accompanying video. If the Dutch oven has to be heated for 30 minutes, how is the person in the video handling the pot with her bare hands?!? She’s pressing the parchment paper against the Dutch oven and then proceeds to pick it up with bare hands!
I make this bread all the time, and every single person who has tried it gives rave reviews. It’s amazing how such an easy-to-make bread turns out so much flavor! Cannot recommend this highly enough. (Pairs great with a creamy chicken noodle soup if you really want to up the good vibes)
The family loves this bread and I love how easy it is! The last time I made it, I popped an empty metal loaf pan in the oven to preheat along with the dutch oven, then put the dough inside that (on parchment), then put the filled loaf pan inside the dutch oven & covered it. It worked! I ended up with a beautiful loaf that we used for slicing. I have a batch proofing right now.
I’ve made this bread 3 times this Fall/Winter and it’s literally AMAZING. My family raves about it each time I make it, it’s simple, doesn’t take long, and has only a few ingredients. 5 starsss
Which is odd since it SEEMS elegant to take a loaf of baked bread out of super mario bros the oven, especially when it is snuggled inside that charming and picturesque red Lodge that evokes Laura Ingalls Wilder. Every year when the leaves begin to change, we drool over the Dutch Oven*, but really
This recipe is as simple as it is perfect. I’ve made 4 or 5 now and can attest that the longer you leave it, the better the result. I left it about 26 hours most recently and my wife (very discerning palate) said it’s as good as any bread she’s ever had. PRO TIP: mix in 1/2 Tsp of Herb Salt Seasoning before adding the water, and then sprinkle about 1/4 Tsp over top just before sending it into the oven. I’m sure you could do just as well with herb de provence.
Is it OK if I use Fleishmanns rapid rise instant yeast to make the no knead bread?
Yes!
I am a really really dumb person that read the thing as 11/2 not 1 1/2 so maybe ad an extra space because I just wasted all those ingredients and gonna have a salty and horrible bread for thanksgiving because I’m an idiot.
Hi There-
This recipe with the gluten free flour is good, not great yet! I’ve tried to add more yeast, add a little sugar for the yeast to grow on… Any chance you can work your magic and help the Gluten free version be better?! It was so dense it was kind of hard to eat, but it’s close! Help us bread starved gluten freeers? 🙂
It looks unbelievably good!