Easy No-Knead Crusty Bread

Quick, easy and delicious 4 ingredient bread in under 4 hours! If you're looking to tip your toes into bread baking, this is a great place to start! There’s no kneading required and only 10 minutes of prep time, then let the bread rise and bake until it’s golden brown and crusty on the outside, but still soft and chewy on the inside. As much as I love baking with sourdough, sometimes I want to quickly get fresh bread on the table and for that I love the simplicity of using instant yeast.

Baking bread can be intimidating. It may seem like a complicated process, but it's honestly quite simple, especially this no-knead recipe! If you're a first time bread maker then this recipe is for you!! You'll impress yourself and everyone who eats it! I promise.

And as an experienced bread baker, I still love this recipe when I'm short on time. I wasn't kidding when I said it only takes 10 minutes of prep time.

Yes, you do still have to wait for the dough to rise, about 2-3 hours, but that doesn't require any physical work on your end. Once the dough has doubled in size, transfer it from the bowl to a parchment lined dutch oven and bake!

This no-knead crusty bread is seriously perfect for so many things! Dipping in soup, making grilled cheese, serving with eggs, toasted with butter and honey... the options are endless.

And if you're looking to get into sourdough baking, I have a great beginner-friendly sourdough bread recipe for you with lots of step-by-step photos and many 5 stars reviews!

What is no knead bread?

No knead bread is meant to be a quick and simple way to make delicious crusty artisan bread without all the extra bells and whistles and, as the name says, without kneading the dough. It’s meant to be rustic, easy and very beginner friendly. It’s a fast way to get a homemade loaf of bread on the table.

Traditionally, you knead bread dough using your hands (or a dough hook attachment on your stand mixer) until the dough becomes smooth and elastic before you let the dough rise. But, no knead bread skips that step!

Only 4 ingredients needed

• Bread flour. I recommend bread flour, but if you’re in a pinch you can get away with using all-purpose flour. Bread flour has a higher protein content, giving the bread that more soft and chewy texture we all love when it comes to crusty bread!
• Instant yeast. For a quick rise I use instant (quick rise) yeast. I provided instructions in the notes section of the recipe card for using active yeast, which will increase the rise time to about 12-18 hours - this is great for an overnight rise!
• Salt. Don't forget the salt! One time I forgot to add salt and the bread was NOT good. I ended up throwing it away. It's amazing what salt adds to the recipe. So much flavor. Without it, all I could taste was yeast.
• Water. The water should be between about 110-120 degrees F. If the water is too cold the yeast won't activate. If the water is scalding hot it will kill the yeast. BUT, don't let that scare you. The temperature doesn't have to be exact. You just want the water to be about the temperature of warm bath water.

Commonly asked questions

What if I don't have a dutch oven?

You can still make the bread! The reason behind using a dutch oven to bake bread is that it locks in steam, allowing the center of the bread to rise and evenly bake without the outside of the bread cooking too fast (otherwise the outside would burn and the center of the bread would still be doughy). Removing the lid during that last 10-15 minutes lets the steam release, allowing the bread to get its crusty, golden exterior.

But, if you don't have a dutch oven, here is a good article I found on different ways to create steam in your oven without one: How to Make Crusty Bread without a Dutch Oven. But, I highly recommend buying a dutch oven if you plan to make baking bread a regular thing. You can also use your dutch oven to make roasts, soups and stews. Click here to check out the dutch oven that I have and love! I like Lodge because their prices are reasonable and the quality is good.

How do you shape no knead bread?

There’s no one way to shape no knead bread and it certainly doesn’t need to be perfect. No knead bread is meant to be simple and rustic. But, here’s what I like to do. Stretch the dough into a rectangle shape then fold the ends over the center, roll it up, and use my hands to shape it into a ball and create a little surface tension. In this video I show you how!

Can I use active yeast?

Yes! You can definitely use active yeast in place of instant yeast, but please keep in mind that the dough will also take much longer to rise with active yeast, about 12-18 hours at room temperature.

Can I use all-purpose flour?

Recipe variations

Inclusions are a fun way to kick up the flavor in your bread! Once your dough is combined and shaggy, mix in your inclusions, using your hands if needed. Here’s a few ideas!

• Jalapeno cheddar. 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese and 1 diced jalapeno.
• Cinnamon raisin: 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 tablespoon cinnamon and ¾ cup raisins.
• Rosemary: 1 tablespoon of dried rosemary. 
• Chocolate chunk: ¾ cup dark chocolate chunks or chips.

The options are endless! Get creative!

Storing

Storing at room temperature

Before the bread is sliced, it can be stored at room temperature for 1-2 days uncovered. Once you slice into the bread, store in a plastic resealable bag for up to 3 days at room temperature. Although the outside of the bread will lose its crusty texture, the inside will stay nice and soft.

Freezing

You can freeze a whole loaf or slice the bread first. Wrap the bread in plastic wrap then place inside a resealable plastic bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Let thaw in the plastic bag at room temperature. Thawing in the bag helps the bread retain its moisture.

If desired, you can reheat the bread in the oven once it has thawed. To do so, wrap the bread in aluminum foil and place in the oven at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until warm.

More recipes you'll love!