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Quick and Easy No-Knead Bread
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Quick and Easy No-Knead Bread

This crusty, chewy bread is a simple, no-fuss recipe that’s perfect for beginners or anyone short on time. With no kneading required and only a few basic ingredients, you’ll have fresh, bakery-style bread right from your own oven!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Rising time2 hours
Total Time2 hours 50 minutes
Course: Bread
Cuisine: American
Keyword: beginner bread recipe, Dutch oven bread, easy bread recipe, no knead bread
Servings: 12 slices
Calories: 124kcal

Ingredients

  • 3 cups bread flour
  • 1 packet 2 teaspoons rapid rise yeast
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
  • 1 ½ cups warm water

Instructions

Mix the Dough:

  • In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, rapid rise yeast, and salt.
  • Add the warm water and mix with a wooden spoon or spatula until a sticky dough forms. The dough will look messy—that’s completely normal.

Let the Dough Rise:

  • Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and let the dough rest in a draft-free place (like a turned-off oven) for 2-3 hours, or until it doubles in volume.

Preheat the Oven:

  • A few minutes before the rising time is complete, preheat your oven to 450°F (232°C).
  • Place a Dutch oven (with the lid on) inside the oven to preheat along with the oven.

Shape the Dough:

  • Lightly sprinkle flour on your countertop and turn the dough out onto it.
  • Gently fold the sides of the dough inward about 6 times to form a round loaf.
  • If the dough sticks to your hands, lightly dust your hands with flour.

Transfer to Parchment Paper:

  • Use a dough scraper or large knife to transfer the shaped dough onto a piece of parchment paper, leaving enough excess parchment on the sides to help lift the dough later.

Bake the Bread:

  • Carefully remove the hot Dutch oven from the oven.
  • Using the parchment paper, transfer the dough into the Dutch oven. Place the lid on the Dutch oven.
  • Bake for 30 minutes with the lid on.
  • Remove the lid and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown.

Cool and Serve:

  • Using the parchment paper, lift the bread out of the Dutch oven and place it on a wire rack to cool.
  • Allow the bread to cool completely before slicing.

Notes

The dough will be sticky—that’s completely normal, so resist the urge to add too much extra flour.
Be very careful when handling the hot Dutch oven—it gets extremely hot.
For extra flavor, you can add herbs, garlic powder, or grated cheese to the dough before baking.