The Only No Knead Bread Recipe You'll Ever Need (2024)

This is the best No Knead Bread Recipe out there! It’s so simple, absolutely no fussing with the dough (none of that folding madness!) and turns out perfect every single time!

Where did you first hear about no knead bread? I heard it first from friends of us. We were having dinner with them. Then the husband casually walks into the kitchen… And starts handling this blazing hot Dutch oven. I’m a bread baker, so I was curious and asked him all sorts of questions in disbelief.

Then, obviously, I forgot all about it, ha!

The original no knead bread recipe

I then saw this bread again in a TV show with Paul Hollywood from The Great British Bake Off. He went toSullivan Street Bakeryand made no knead bread with Jim Lahey, who is considered no knead bread’s baby daddy.

It looked so easy, but then I went on the Interwebs and tried a million recipes and they were all… Not easy. The dough was SO sloppy and wet. All the long rising and folding and proofing in floured dishtowels.

Seriously. The original no knead bread might not need any kneading, but it is NOT easy. It requires actual, serious bread making skills.

I’m not terrible at making bread, but I’m pretty terrible at planning right now. And I have mini humans who have demands. In short: I neither have the time nor patience to fiddle my bread dough for any length of time.

And thus, for my own convenience, I figured out an easy way to make no knead bread. I bake this pretty much every week. It’s so easy, just like my No Knead French Bread!

Ingredients for no knead bread

Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities!

Ingredient notes

You can replace up to HALF of the flour with whole wheat flour, but if you use any more than that the bread will become more dense.

If you don’t have any active dry yeast, you can use use instant dry yeast (which will make the bread rise faster; try using a little less than the recipe calls for for best results).

Organic yeast may be used, too, but please note that organic yeast takes MUCH longer to proof. My mom made this recipe with organic yeast the other week and had to let it proof overnight!

Step by step photos

This bread has 3 steps:

• stir ingredients together, cover and let sit for 2 hours
• heat a Dutch oven with the lid, add baking parchment, flour and dump in the risen dough
• bake for 28 minutes with the lid on and then for around 10 minutes with the lid off

OK, 4 steps: Remove from the Dutch oven and immediately slather with butter and devour because you have zero self restraint around freshly baked bread.

Or is that just me??

There is NO folding. NO need to even touch the dough. NO need to mess with getting sticky dough out of a dish towel.

It’s so easy, it’s almost ridiculous.

You really do need a Dutch oven to make this bread! If you don’t have one, this is mine I’ve been using for the past 5 years, but with an oven-safe knob:Whichever you use, just make sure the knob can go in the oven at high temperatures! Or get one here for your Le Creuset:

Other ways to use this dough

• French bread! Yes, really.
• I actually make pizza with this dough, too. See here: Easy Homemade Pizza Dough
• a massive bread. Double the recipe and use a large Dutch oven – feeds a crowd!
• Cinnamon Rolls! So good. See here: No Knead Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Serving suggestions

We love this warm after about 1 hours cooling time, or on the next day slightly toasted and loaded with butter.

And it goes perfectly with a cozy soup!

Or serve it slathered in your favorite spread! This is seriously delicious warm with honey butter, or cooled with cream cheese spread and raspberry jam.

More homemade breads

If no knead bread recipes have been annoying you beyond measure, this is THE recipe for you. No fuss, no work. Just a simple, straight-forward and ACTUALLY easy recipe for homemade bread.

Enjoy!

PSIf you try this recipe, please leavea review in the comment section and add a star rating in the recipe card – I appreciate your feedback! Follow along onPinterest,FacebookorInstagram.

Printable recipe

I first published this post in September 2018. I updated it in May 2020 to make it better for you.