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.
Featured comment
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.
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 (affiliate link) 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 (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.
- 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 (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. 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
(👇🏼 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!
Filed Under: All Recipes Baking Dairy-Free Dutch Oven Fall Most Popular Quick and Easy Recipes Sides Soups Spring Winter
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.
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I’ve made this bread twice. If’s fantastic and easy. Just follow instructions ,especially in regards to forming & no kneading the bread. I swear you could practically take it from the resting bowl throw it into the dutch oven amd call it a day. I might try that next time ! Mine rises nicely in the oven more than the bowl. People ” knead” lol ,to understand this dough will not look or feel like typical bread and don’t add a bunch of flour to try and make it elasticy. Just ho with it. Have faith !
Our family’s favorite bread now! I’ve made it in the dutch oven and without it, it’s fabulous both ways. I’ve also made it with “only” 5 hours of counter time and it turned out GREAT too.
This is a good dish for food lover. If you are live in the USA than you visit our restaurant in USA called firstwatxhmenu.
Just reread the notes about variations with flour and understood that you tried the same recipe with the same proportions using the other flours. Never mind my previous comment, thank you, and happy holidays!
Hi! Thanks for the recipe! I see that replies to questions about whole wheat variations give another poster’s white-whole wheat mix, but I also see that the recipe itself, perhaps updated, contains a picture and brief description of a whole wheat loaf, but no information about adjustments to the recipe proportions. Should I use the same amount of whole wheat flour as that specified for the original, white flour recipe and just hope for the best, or do you now (as of December 2024) have a whole wheat version that you at Pinch of Yum have tried?
Have you ever used homemade sour dough starter in this recipe.
Hi Barb! We haven’t tried this with sourdough starter.
My parchment paper says oven safe up to 425. How would you adjust the baking time?
Dough was flat and gloppy. I didn’t use instant yeast. Could that have been the problem?
Hi Linda! Sorry to hear that! The dough will be flat and gloppy after letting it sit overnight. It helps to flour the dough and surface well to bring it together into a (still flat, but a bit less gloppy) mound on the parchment paper.
I followed your instructions exactly and ended up with a foul, gloppy mess I couldn’t form into anything regardless of how much flour I added. Thanks for wasting my time and expensive flour
Hi Leah,
Your comment is rude and unnecessary. Every time you make a recipe for the first time, there is a risk it won’t turn out perfect. If you don’t want to have this risk, buy store bought bread instead.
I’ve been dealing with long covid for 4 years now and it is dismal…cooking and definitely baking take more energy than I have most of the time…but your no knead recipes are inspiring and I’m trying on right now…I’m looking forward to actually being able to make bread again. Thank you
Absolutely LOVE this recipe! I cannot count the number of times I have made this bread. Easy and SO delicious!!
I have to thank you for turning me into a bread maker. Although my Mom always made homemade bread, I was always afraid of any recipe involving yeast and/or kneading.
A few years ago, I stumbled upon your recipe. “I can do this!” My first try turned out so good! Since then, I have decided that I AM a bread baker!
I now make my own bread, pizza dough, focaccia bread, bagels, etc.
Every month, a dear friend of ours holds a bake sale to raise money to help homeless and needy kids in our county. Every month I make 4 loaves of this bread (plus other goodies).
Also, we have friends that say “will you please make your bread for us!”
Anyway … I could go on and on about how good this recipe is! Instead, I will just say thank you!
Thank you for turning me into a bread baker!
Could I use a 5 quart dutch oven?
Yes. Enjoy!
I’ve been making this bread regularly for a long time now. It’s so easy to mix the ingredients the night before and wake up for an easy bake that fills the home with the best fresh baked aroma, It makes the weekends civilized and peaceful and it always turns out amazing, just like the photos! I’ve also been making my own jams and spreads, so with a little soft cheese, yogurt and fresh fruit, the day starts with old world romance. Thank you so much for introducing me to this and your other recipes.!
Can I just ask….. for the warmer weather areas…… what high room temp would not be conducive. In the summer it’s as warm as 26- 30°C overnight. Will this adversely affect the proofing?
I think bread can proof anywhere from 80F to 100F. At 105F the yeast dies. So 26-30C is 78F to 86F, should be perfect for proofing.
I was wondering can I add honey for some added sweetness? And would I need to adjust any ingredients?
We’ve never tried this, so can’t say! If you give it a try, let us know how it goes!
Can i substitute self-rising flour for all purpose?
Worked great except for two times. One, I forgot to put the lid on the pot while it was baking. It was so hard I could have hammered nails with it. The other I think I didn’t get all of the dough fully moistened. It had hard spots in the finished product.
Funny story – We had visitors from France who were on a long term visit to the U.S. and stopped in to see us. They saw that I had made the bread and said it was the first real French bread they had found during their trip. Wanted the recipe, which I gave them. The irony of an American man showing a French woman how to make French bread still makes me laugh!
After multiple failed attempts with a sourdough starter, I gave this recipe a try. First time and perfect!
Did not work for me because my bread did not rise. It expanded and looked great before I put it in the oven so I know the yeast was alive. My guess is the step missing in the instructions is to slice the top before putting it in the oven.
Did you use a preheated Dutch oven? How long did you proof on the counter for? Overproofed bread tends to come out dense and flat. Scoring, or “slicing the top”, doesn’t have a significant effect on oven spring.
Thank you for offering your recipes. Corinne S.
It’s two years later, and I’m wondering if anyone has tried this recipe using rye flour.
Dorothy
I opened one packet of instant fast rising yeast, which measures 0.25 and put it in a bowl and it comes to really like a full teaspoon not a half teaspoon should I add the whole thing? Thank you for your quick responses I’m in the middle right now, trying to put the
I have added caraway powder from Penney’s, and it is delicious. a subtle true flavor. Also added caraway seeds and it works well.
When I try to transfer the raised dough to the dutch oven the dough collapses and I don’t get the bubbles in my finished loaf.
Any ideas?
Thanks
Jeff
Try reshaping it just before you transfer it. Make sure there’s some tension in the dough ball.
Easy Peary and delicious!
I loved this recipe and so floor my kids! It’s super easy and completely fool proof! I wish we could post pics of the outcome because they turned out looking amazing!
Made this bread today. Left it overnight to rise and followed the baking instructions. It turned out really yummy; crunchy exterior, soft and chewy interior as you described. Topped it with butter and honey and then tomato sauce, mozzarella and turkey pepperoni later. 😋
However, I would bake it for 35-40 minutes next time as the interior was ever so slightly sticky. Not raw, but you could tell it needed just a little more time.