Easy No-Knead Bread is an artisan-style bread that’s done in 3 hours from start to finish and it’s mostly rising time. This is an easy bread recipe – you don’t even need a mixer. With only 4 ingredients (flour, yeast, salt, and water), you can make a bakery-quality, super soft homemade bread.
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Easy No-Knead Bread
We love the aroma and taste of homemade bread, including our easy Dutch Oven Bread, classic French Bread with the best crust, and of course classic Dinner Rolls. My kitchen has served as a bread-making test lab for the past month. We’ve made this bread countless times. It rises beautifully every time and you will fall in love with the spongy soft texture. It reminds me of the lovely loaves that Costco has perfected.
Many no-knead bread recipes require overnight fermentation but we love that this one is done in just 3 hours (most of which is just letting the dough rise while you go about your business). You’ll get to enjoy fresh homebaked bread within a few hours of when the craving hits.
What is the Best Flour For Bread?
Bread flour typically has slightly more protein and gluten than all-purpose flour so it is the preferred flour for bread. It can give you slightly better rise and texture. We have tested this no-knead rustic artisan bread with both all-purpose flour and bread flour. The loaves turned out perfect with either flour so use what you have on hand.
Watch No-Knead Bread Video Tutorial:
I hope this Easy No-Knead Bread becomes a new favorite homebaked bread recipe for you. If you enjoyed this video, please subscribe to our Youtube Channel and be sure to click the bell icon so you get a notification when we post a new video.
How to Make Easy Homemade Bread:
1. In a large bowl, combine warm water (100˚F) and salt. Sprinkle yeast over the top and let it sit 2 min, then stir.
2. Measure out exactly 3 1/4 cups of flour and add flour to the bowl. Stir together with a spatula just until it together (do not knead). Cover and let rise at room temperature 2 hours (until 2-3 times in volume).
3. Line a cutting board with parchment paper and generously dust with flour. Turn dough out onto the floured surface.
4. With well-floured hands, fold the dough in half, then fold in half again. Dust dough generously with flour, lift it up and form a ball in your hands. Sprinkle the parchment paper flour or cornmeal, extending 1-inch past the border of the dough since it will expand. Place dough over the flour, seam side down, and let it rise at room temp uncovered for 40 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, prepare your oven: place one rack in the middle for the bread and one rack on the bottom for the water pan. Place a rimless cookie sheet (or inverted baking sheet) on the center rack. Preheat the oven and cookie sheet to 450˚ F. Also heat 1 cup water.
6. Just before baking, score the top of the bread 3 times. Place a metal or cast iron dish* on the bottom rack with 1 cup hot water (being careful not to splash water on a glass oven door). Slide dough with the parchment paper onto the hot cookie sheet and bake at 450˚ F for 25-28 min or until golden brown.
*CAUTION: DO NOT USE A GLASS DISH to hold water or it may explode when you add water. Also, be careful not to splash water on a glass oven door to prevent shattering from strong temperature change.
Pro Tips for the Best Homemade Bread:
- Use warm water – ideally about 100˚F to 110˚F. Avoid hot water which can deactivate the yeast.
- Measure precisely – spoon flour into measuring cup and level off the top. See our best tips for How to Measure wet and dry ingredients.
- Dough Rising Temperature – A room temperature of 71˚F to 75˚F is ideal for bread rising. If your room is colder, it will take longer. Do not place dough in a hot oven to rise. If the temperature goes above 110˚F, you can deactivate and ruin the yeast.
- Don’t Rush the Rise – For the best texture and rise, do not rush the rising process. It should be 2-3 times in size when it is finished rising. If you don’t allow the full rise, the bread will be dense.
- Preheat the oven and baking sheet – putting the dough onto a hot baking sheet or pizza stone, will help form a beautiful crust.
- Scoring the bread – scoring the top of the loaf allows it to expand and creates a pretty bread that you will be very proud of. Use a sharp or serrated knife or bread scoring blade.
- Cool before slicing – If you cut freshly baked bread while it’s still hot, the steam will escape and the bread will seem doughy.
Our Top Rated Bread Recipes:
- French Bread with a true crisp crust
- Banana Nut Bread – a moist banana bread studded with nuts and raisins
- Dutch Oven Bread – A 5-seed bread with the same basic dough
- Dinner Rolls – so easy and freezer-friendly
The next day, use this bread to make the most amazing Reuben Sandwich or this restaurant copycat Chicken Bacon Avocado Sandwich.
No-Knead Bread Recipe (Easy Artisan Bread)
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups water, warm, at 100˚F (not hot)
- 1/2 Tbsp sea salt
- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast, (7 grams or 1 packet)
- 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, (or bread flour) plus extra flour for dusting
- 2 Tbsp cornmeal , or more flour
Instructions
- In a large bowl, stir together 1 1/2 cups warm water (100˚F) and 1/2 Tbsp of salt. Sprinkle the top with yeast and let it sit 2 min, then stir.
- Measure out exactly 3 1/4 cups of flour and add flour to the bowl. Using a spatula, stir until dough comes together and is well blended. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise at room temperature 2 hours (or about 2-3 times in volume).
- Line a cutting board with parchment paper and generously dust with flour. Scrape dough out of the bowl with a spatula onto the floured surface.
- With well-floured hands, fold dough in half, then fold in half again. Dust dough generously with flour, lift it up and form a ball in your hands. Sprinkle parchment paper with more flour or cornmeal, extending about 1" past the border of the dough since it will expand. Place dough over the flour, seam side down, and let it rise uncovered at room temp 40 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare your oven with 2 racks - one rack in the middle for the bread and one rack on the bottom for the water pan. Place a rimless cookie sheet (or use the backside of a rimmed cookie sheet or pizza stone) on the center rack. Preheat the oven and cookie sheet to 450˚ F. Also heat up 1 cup water.
- Just before baking, score the top of the bread 3 times. Place a metal or cast iron dish (never a glass dish*) on the bottom rack with 1 cup hot water (being careful to not splash water on a glass oven door). Slide the dough with the parchment paper onto the hot cookie sheet and bake at 450˚ F for about 25-28 min or until golden brown. Transfer loaf to a rack and cool to room temp before cutting into it.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
This recipe was first published in 2012. It was updated March 2020 with new photos and we improved the recipe adding slightly more flour to help with forming the loaf.
I loved this bread recipe! It was so easy to make and was super delicious!
Your comment made me smile. I’m very glad that you enjoy the bread. 🙂
Natasha love your website! Do you think Canadian flour will work for this recipe?
I haven’t tested it but I think it would work. It may require a little less flour if using Canadian. I will have to test it out. I’ll put it on my to-do list.
Made this bread today with better for bread flour, I was not brave enough to try making it with Canadian flour. Easy to make and my husband was impressed. I usually make bread in the bread machine this was my first time baking the bread like this 🙂 Thank you for your recepies!
You are welcome Alena 🙂
I love your website. It’s amazing!!!! Do you think, I can add sesame seeds to the no knead artisan bread recipe?
I haven’t tried that. Do u mean sprinkled on top?
Hi Natasha,
I happened to come across your blog while searching for some bread recipes. This recipe of yours seemed too easy to be true ( I am just getting started with trying my hand at baking bread and I always thought bread baking was a very laborious and skilled art)….so I decided to go ahead and give it a try and I must say it turned out fabulous. My son ( who is a very picky eater) would just not stop eating it….. I am so glad I found u. Thanks a ton.
It’s always the best when kids love something you make 🙂 welcome to the blog!
I use the Costco white organic unbleached flour; and I also figured out why bread was sinking. Cuz of the very hot weather here in Cali the bread was over rising out side plus I now put my bread in the oven while it’s preheating and it turns out great! Thank you very much for all your wonderful recipes. God bless!
Oh that’s very interesting! I haven’t taken weather into account. I’m happy you figured it out. It may help other folks who live in your sunny state 🙂
Hi Natasha. Help! I’ve done this bread a few times and it turned out great but this last time I think I did everything the same and the bread grew so nice and big at room temp but when I put it in the pre heated oven, it sank. What did I do wrong?
What kind of all-purpose flour are you using? Bleached? Unbleached? Canadian or American? Whole wheat or regular all-purpose?
Would this work with whole wheat flour?
I have tried it with 1/2 whole wheat and it didn’t rise quite as well when baking but it still worked, just not as soft
My family was impressed. I did make my mama proud. I was impressed myself. This recepy is a keeper. No need to buy bread at the store anymore. Never thought I could actually bake something like this that is better than being bought from the store – less expensive as well. Thank you Natasha !
Question: Any way you could post recepy for ‘ Borodinsky Bread ‘? There is multiple sources on-line. However, I failed to find great recepy that is hands on like recepies on your site. I am not a baker – have you ever tried baking this delicius bread at home?
Haha congratulations on your bread success and making my our mama proud :-). I will ask my mom about the bread you are requesting. She may know a recipe
Made this bread today , turned out delish!! Thank you so much for ur tasty and easy to follow recipes!!
I’m using the same exact flour you have pictured. But i figured out what was wrong..the dough wouldn’t rise fully because the dry yeast i was using had expired..well it was exposed to air and sunlight. So im going to try a new batch with the fresh package of dry yeast. How do you store the dry yeast?
I keep mine in the fridge. I buy the big package of red star yeast in costco. I keep the whole bag refrigerated and also keep a lidded small jar of the yeast in the fridge for easy access.
I have to admit, I could not get this recipe down. =( tried and tried. Not sure what i’m doing wrong, I think i’m just not cut out to “bake”
🙁 Don’t give up! Maybe we can figure out what’s going on. What kind of flour are you using? Canadian or American? People have said that Canadian dough is too thick so you need to use a little less canadian flour. Can you describe what your bread is like when it’s done? or What are you having trouble with specifically?
I have made this bread about 4 times now and it comes out perfectly everytime. Very simple and so good and I love that I always have the ingredients on hand. My family loves it, thanks for posting!
That’s music to my ears. I’m so happy you like it! 🙂
So your recipe calls for yeast, but what kind? I know there are a couple of different kinds and im preety new to the kitchen:) I have read through all the comments and no one seems to have asked that question, unless I missed it somewhere?? Maybe common sense? lol
thanx:)
I use the red star brand “active dry yeast”
HI Natasha,
I just made bread but with whole wheat flour (same amount). The dough is more dense and didn’t rise as nicely as when I make it with white flour. Do you know if the baking time should be longer then the one when its made with all-purpose white flour? Thanks.Nina
I’ve tested it that same way and mine also didn’t rise as much but the baking time should be the same. My mom has a wonderful bread recipe that uses whole wheat flour that I’m planning to learn and post. It’s soft like cotton candy and so perfect.
I’d love that recipe, it’s very hard to find a good bread recipe using wheat flour! 🙁
That’s something I’m working on 🙂 Once I figure out an amazing one, I’ll let you know
I usually do a double recipe with whole grain flour (the kind that bakers have been using for centuries) – we lose most of the protein and the fibre if you buy from the store, and it doubles what you have listed above. If you use (stone ground organic wheat berries) whole grain flour I have been successful with a 2:1 ratio, the other being an organic pastry white flour. This is 2 cups whole grain flour, and 1 cup white flour.
It is very chewy and I cook it 40 min in dutch oven at 400, and then 25 minutes with the lid removed at 300 degrees to nicely brown the outside. My family is so happy that I make my own bread.
My kids like sprinkling fresh unsalted organic sunflower or pumpkin seeds on the outside just before putting it in the dutch over.
Cheers,
John
I was wondering about the inside of the bread texture is the bread suppose to be more airy and fluffy or more tight thick and “plotne”?
It’s kind of a mix of both, but airy and fluffy describes it best 🙂
I made this bread several times and love it. First time i made it was in evening kids were asleep . When they woke next bread more then half of the bread was gone…. Today i decided to change it using 1/2 whole wheat flour and 1/2 bread flour, some fresh crushed garlic and fresh chopped rosemary … Looks and smells so good but not ready yet, So we will find out soon. THANK YOU
All thank you so much for the tip! I’m so glad you are enjoying the bread. Let me know how the rosemary and garlic taste!
I am not using the canadian flour, but I do buy my flower at a restaurant depot.. restaurant quality.. maybe that is why.? but using 3 cups if fine with me.
All I can say is ” I have made 5 loafs of this bread in the last week” My family Loves it. My mother in law was so impressed with this bread, she wanted the recipe right away.. But I put 3 cups of flower not 3 1/4.. the extra 1/4 makes the dough too thick, so its 3 cups for me.. LOVE THIS BREAD!!
That’s wonderful!! Are you using Canadian flour?
So… I have a question. I do as it seems to me everything according to your recipe. But when the time comes to take the risen dow into hand to form a ball, it feels very runny and sticky no matter how much flour is on my hands, making it imposible to form. :/ when its baked it testes great and fluffy, but the bread is wide and flat… please help 🙂
Hmmm I’ll try to troubleshoot this. It sounds like a flour problem (tey addig 1 to 2 more tbsp flour. Do you measure the exact amount of flour using a dry measuring cup like the one shown in the picture? You won’t get the same amount from a normal measuring cup for wet ingredients. Mine is pretty floppy when I form the ball but not wet (I do put lots of flour on it and on my hand). You can try tucking the edges underneath without lifting it in your hand. You don’t want to handle it too much or it won’t rise as high. Can you think of anything you might possibly be doing differently?
Thank you so much for this recipe! I heard about your site from my sister and ever since I discovered it, i’ve been cooking from it almost all the time. 🙂 This bread recipe is definitely my favorite and really delicious!
Awesome! So glad you like the bread. I make it pretty regularly too! 🙂