No-Knead Bread Recipe (VIDEO)
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.
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
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)
This No-Knead Bread is an easy artisan-style bread that comes together fast. With only 4 simple ingredients, you can make a bakery-quality, super soft homemade 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.
Recipe Notes
*CAUTION: DO NOT USE A GLASS DISH on the bottom rack to hold water, or it may explode when you add water; just trust me on this one. Also, be careful not to splash water on the glass door of your oven to prevent shattering with strong temperature change.
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.
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
Too many cracks on a surface, how did this happened?
Anyway, im totally love your blog.
Keep doing your great works
Hi Echa, cracks on bread are fairly normal and won’t affect the texture or taste of the loaf. I’m so glad you love our recipes and blog.
I would like to make this bread but every time I go to print the recipe a section of the directions is missing. I am not sure why this happens.
Has anyone else had this problem
Thanks!
Hi Barbara, I wonder if you need to just give the page a moment to load? Try refresh and please let me know if you are still having that issue after that. Thank you for your feedback!
I have been looking for a healthy bread recipe that does not have sugar and am so glad I found this one! I made it today with some slight modifications. I used 2 cups wholemeal flour and 1/2 cup homemade seed & grain mix instead of the white flour. It didn’t rise very high but it tastes really good. Will try putting it into a loaf tin for the second rising & cooking next time.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Amanda. I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe.
This was almost perfect! For some reason, my bread was slightly undercooked (after 25 mins). But I’ve always had such success with your recipes as written that I didn’t think to knock it to see if it sounded hollow! Will cook linger next time.
Additionally, the water in my pan ran out, so my pan burned. Would put more like two cups in.
Otherwise, easy and tasty bread!
Hi Kendall, did you slice into the bread while it was still hot? If so, next time be sure to wait until it has cooled to room temperature or just barely warm. If you cut into hot bread, it will release steam and seem a little gummy inside. Also, a larger pan will evaporate water faster so you can definitely add more water.
Thanks for asking. I let it cool for two hours before slicing into it. But I could tell when I picked it up that it wasn’t quite done – I just should’ve checked it before I turned off the oven and let it cool!
I used a 9” by 13” pan for the cup of water.
also did you let it rest on rack ? can’t go from oven to a counter top or it will get soft on bottom also tap bottom it should sound hollow and be crisp when cool knife on it to thickness you want and slice but keep eye on bottom of knife and slice will be same size all the way thru take your time
This bread worked out so nice!!! My first time baking bread since high school (20+) years ago, and I looked like a pro! Tasted great! And recipe instructions were clear and easy to follow.
That’s the best! I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe!
Please always show metric measurements for all your recipes it’s better for some of us. I’d like to try this recipe so badly.. I like the way you explain everything it makes it pretty easy and I love all your recipes. Thanks for sharing!!
Hi Refilwe, We are currently working on adding metric measurements to all of our recipes but it is taking some time as we have to add them one at a time. Thank you so much for being patient! In the meantime, check out our post on measuring which should help
I’ve used the Paprika recipe app for over 5 years; it’s available for both android and iOS options.
Browse over to NatashasKitchen and select a recipe you like. Then open Paprika App and it loads the recipe. Then click download and…IT PUTS IT INTO RECIPE FORMAT in about 2 seconds. (From most recipe sites actually). So easy. Best $5 I ever spent—and it will share among devices too.
Once you save the recipe, you can ask it to convert to Metric or scale the recipe. Yes it does the math. Also has meal planner, pantry and shopping list and menu creator features. I use them all.
Natasha team: I hope they’ll become an advertiser or supporter!
Hi Natasha, I recently came across this bread recipe, and I love it. I’ve made it multiple times.
One question: why is the second proof done uncovered? I feel like most recipes suggest at least putting a towel over it for the second rise. Just a curiosity. Thanks!
Hi Gorp, it isn’t necessary at that step and the risk of it sticking to the dough is greater than the benefit of covering it so we leave it uncovered.
Makes sense. Thanks!
It looks a great recipe. Going to try it soon but I’m about confused about the yeast because it says in the recipe to add 3/4 tablespoon of yeast. I’ve been trying to get hold of a 3/4 tablespoon everywhere. Does it mean almost the full tablespoon or full tablespoon?
Hi Ap, I fill my Tablespoon measuring spoon 3/4 full, but you could also do 2 1/4 tsp which will be the same thing.
It’s my first time making this bread and it was super easy to follow!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review!
I love this bread recipe! Now I add butter and cheese per request from my husband.
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!.
At what step do you add butter and cheese? Thanks
In total I think I have made this recipe at least 10 times. The salt adds so much flavor to the bread. Follow these instructions and you will have a perfect loaf every time. I did notice my dough rises better when not placed on granite/quartz counter tops that are cold.
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review!
Hi. I’ve made this recipe multiple times, but I wanted to try making mini loaves and was wondering if I need to adjust temperature or time?
Hi Rebecca, I haven’t tested that but I think it could work. You may need to reduce the time a bit. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
Hi Natasha I’ve made the cucumber and radish salad with sour cream yummy and your mashed potatoes for thanksgiving my son and daughter and myself love it my son said oh my gosh they were the best I ever made oh I made it a long time ago and they were good once before but your way was outstanding I will be making those again thank you so much and all your recipes I love Merry Christmas to you and your family specially your children tell them Santa Claus is coming and I also am a Christian that loves Jesus Christ
– You’re so welcome! Your review is so inspiring and I thank you for sharing this with me. Merry Christmas!
Dear Natasha, Please forgive the possible repetition of this question. I read a couple of years worth of questions but couldn’t find this one. I am a new bread baker and have a 5 qt cast iron dutch oven that I’m anxious to bake bread in. Should I modify this handy-dandy recipe at all to accommodate it? Thank you for your time (and really great recipes!) Margaret
Great question! We bake this bread here in a cast iron pot that may help with heat and settings 🙂
I can attest to that glass casserole dish shattering the way a snowball would explode it smashed against an object! Kaplouie!!!
It is not like the windshield that holds itself together. It made me scream and people ran to see the explosion.
Use a metal tin, like a bread tin.
I’m glad you’re okay! Yes that is exactly why we have that note in the recipe regarding a glass pan!
This recipe worked so well for me. I am a novice bread baker and have constantly had dense hard bread. This is soft and rich. Thanks for excellent directions.
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you or sharing this with me!
I love this bread. It never lasts 6 hours in my home. This recipe is so full proof that i do the all-in method.
I whisk the flour, salt, yeast together and add the water. I find that i always have to add a little more flour to the dough.
Thank you for this amazing bread recipe.
PS. i always cut down the salt when i know that the bread will be eaten with a sharp cheese or already seasoned meat.
Sounds like you have a family favorite! I love that you think ahead with the salt!
Thank you very much for bread, my children love it, usually I baked rye bread, because kids missed about Russian black bread, but this Artisan bread absolutely delicious! God bless you!
You’re so welcome, Olga! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Hi Natasha!
In this bread recipe you recommend adding the pan with water after the oven has preheated. In the french bread recipe, you recommend adding the empty pan prior to preheating. Is there a method that you like better or one that you feel produces the more crispier crust? Thank you!
Hi Vera, the French Bread definitely produces the crispiest result 🙂
I made this and it turned out amazing!! The only thing I did differently was to incorporate a blend of garlic salt, oregano and rosemary when I did the folding. It left beautiful swirls of flavor
I’m so happy you enjoyed that Krystal! Thank you!
Beedn making bread for years and this will be the second one of these . So far so good little messy have also added cheese bits this time.
Thank you for sharing that with us, Norm!
Natasha, Couple of questions:
1) can I use buckwheat floor instead?
2) what will happen, if I do not use yeast?
3) is there anything else I can use instead of yeast? Soda?
Hi Regina, I honestly haven’t tried this with buckwheat flour but I have tried whole what and the result was more dense. This particular recipe really does need the yeast. I don’t have a baking soda bread currently but if I come up with something great, I will let you know!
It turned amazing!!!
Thank you so much for another great recipe.
I really enjoy making your recipes to my husband.
I use your great ideas to plan my weekly meals.
Thank you so much
You’re welcome! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the wonderful review!
Hi Natasha, bread is super good. Thanks for sharing
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it
Hi Natasha. Today i made this bread it turned out very good we all liked it. God bless u.👍☺🌹💖
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Thank you Olga!
Hi Natasha! Can I bake this bread and not put water in second rack? For what I need put water? Thank you
Hi Alla, the water helps the crust to form. If the surface of the bread is moist, it expands easily. It can still be baked without water, or you could try to spray the wall of the oven (avoid spraying on a glass oven door though) with water to create steam and close the door right away.
Love the recipe! Rather than the water in the oven method, I used a dutch oven with a lid. Starting out, punch the dough down at 2 hours, then cover and let it rise for another hour. Preheat the oven with the dutch oven/cover in it to 450. When it’s at temperature, take out the Dutch oven and sprinkle a little cornmeal on the bottom. Flour the counter and hands well, fold the dough 3 or 4 times, shape into a ball, then place in the dutch oven. Cover the dutch oven and bake for 30 minutes- remove the lid and bake for another 13-15 minutes.
I’m glad you enjoy the recipe! Thanks for sharing your helpful review with other readers!
Amazing Bread!! Make it often 😉 This time made it half and half with whole wheat flour 😉 Came out great. Thanks for sharing your easy recipe!
My pleasure Vera! I’m glad to hear how much you enjoy the recipe. Thanks for sharing your great review with other readers!
Hi,Natasha. Thanks for sharing this recipe. Going to try it out. Have a question 3/4 tbsp is it around a tblsp? Sorry for this maybe a weared question.
Hi Olga, 3/4 Tbsp is almost 1 Tbsp. Let me know how it turns out 😀
This bread is amazing!!! My family enjoyed it tonight with butter and coffee. Thank you!
You’re welcome Anna! I’m glad to hear the recipe is a hit. Thanks for sharing your great review!
I made this once and it was AMAZING!!! However every time I try to replicate it the bread comes out tasting doughy… any suggestions? I’ve been craving it all week and I’m dying to make it (right) again!
Hi Rebecca, are you using a different type of flour? Is there anything you have changed from the original recipe or the first time you made it?
I’m using an all purpos flour. I did change the size of the baking dish that I put the water in, it seemed that the water completely evaporated when in a larger dish so I used a smaller one. Dang, could that be the cause of all my woes. I can change it back and see if that works.
Hi Rebecca, That might affect the crust but I’m not sure it would make the bread seem “doughy”
Hello Natasha, I absolutely love this bread recipe, it’s so very easy and fast to make, and the crust is fantastic $). I live in Texas, and spicy food is very popular here, so I decided to put my own spin on this recipe. I made this bread with the addition of jalapeno juice and diced jalapenos. I used one tbsp of honey, about four tbsps of jalapeno juice and added enough water to come to 1 1/2 cups liquid, added the yeast as usual, then mixed into the flour/salt, mixed it up and let rise as directed. This came out even better than I had anticipated)) So spicy and delicious) Thank you for all your great recipes, keep them coming 🙂
Oh wow that sounds absolutely amazing! Thank you for sharing your version!! 🙂
Can I use this recipe to make baguettes?
Hi Jessica, I haven’t tried with this recipe to make baguettes. I think it’s worth an experiment. The one I would use for baguettes is this Crusty French Bread.
Hi Natasha! Can I bake it in a bread pan as you do for your rye bread and is the baking dish with water needed then? Also did you ever freeze it? Would it still taste fresh? Thank you!
Hi Tatiana, I haven’t tried it in a loaf pan but I would do everything the same except I would put the dough into the loaf pan on the last rise and make sure to remove it from the pan right away when it comes out of the oven. The water is to get the crust crisp on the outside so if you wanted the top to be more crisp, use the water and if you’re ok with it being softer, you can skip the water. It will still be good :). Fresh is always best in flavor and texture but the sooner you freeze it (once it reaches room temperature), the more fresh tasting it will be when it comes out of the freezer.
Thanks Natasha! You’re the best! I’m getting obsessed with trying your recipes one after another for like 2 months in a row I think. I need to stop checking ur blog probably, lol 🙂
You’re welcome Tatiana! I’m glad to hear how much you’re enjoying the recipes, lol. Thanks for following!
I love making this bread! Very easey to make and delishes!
I’m glad you love it Mila! Thanks for sharing!
Hi Nastasha! I was wondering can you make this bread recipe in a Dutch oven instead of the water and steam technique?
Thanks!
Hi Kristina, Here is the method we use to make it in a dutch oven. I hope that helps! 🙂
HI there! Have you ever tried this with gluten free flour?
Hi Julie, Without testing the recipe with gluten free flour, it’s very difficult to guess. I’ve scanned through the readers comments and no one has reported trying it yet. It would have to be an experiment. If you do try it, please do let me know how it worked out.
Excited to try this recipe! I am just little worried about the water in the oven. My oven is electric, and once while using this technique with cheesecake, the oven shorted out from the steam. Anyone else have this problem? That did happen several years ago with a different oven, but I’ve been afraid to try it again.
Hi Lorrainel, I also have an electric oven and haven’t had this issue so I’m not sure. I believe most modern ovens are moisture proof inside. Maybe someone else can share their insights on this question? Thanks! 🙂
Hey Natasha, Just wanna say thank you for the great recipe. Bread turned out super good and airy, hubby loved it especially with Borch
Thank you!!!!!
Hello Julia! You’re welcome! I’m happy to hear you both enjoy the recipe! Thanks for sharing your great review!
When folsing the dough, it sticks to my hands even with floured hands. Can I use oil on my hands? Will it affect the dough?
Hi Maria, that is pretty normal for it to feel a little sticky. You might add 1 to 2 Tbsp more flour next time if it was VERY sticky. I always use flour on this one and haven’t tested it with oil.
Hello. I am trying this at the moment. It is rising now. Will it be ok if I bake without putting water in the oven? Want to try just a regular bread. I have baked breads before but they always are dense. I really would like a soft and fluffy one. Will this work? Thanks!
Hi Maria, the water helps for the crust to form properly, but I think it will still work without it.
Hi Natasha, can we make this recipe with wholemeal?
Do you mean whole wheat flour? I’m not sure what wholemeal is. I have tested this with half whole wheat flour and half all-purpose flour and the bread did not rise as well and was not as fluffy.
Can this recipe be baked in a cast iron Dutch Oven?
Yes, that would work. I have a method for similar recipe here, which I highly recommend.
Hello, would this work with GF flour?
Hi Maree, Without testing the recipe with gluten free flour, it’s very difficult to guess. It would have to be an experiment. If you do try it, please do let me know how it worked out. I’ve scanned through the readers comments and no one has reported trying it yet.
HI Natasha You put flour on the bread after this is baked, is some reason in particular
Hi Marimar, I did not add flour after it was baked. The flour on top is what was there before it went into the oven 🙂
Hi Natasha this recipe has the same base of the Dutch oven bread, the only thing is that you do not put honey. I can add honey without it not changing the flavor, or is some reason why you do not add it. Thank you for all your recipes, always when I make your recipes I know that they will perfect
Hi Marimar, this recipe would work with honey – the other bread is just a little bit different flavor profile.
Before I try this, I would like to know if it would work with our Canadian flour. I know that Canadian flour is different than American for some unknown reason.
Hi Jackie, I think it would work well with Canadian flour. Canadian flour has a higher gluten content so your baked goods typically come out softer than when using American flour.
OK, truthfully, we haven’t tried the bread yet but, my husband is waiting like a kid on Christmas morning for it to cool enough for him to have some! In fact, as I took it out, he said “You’d better start another one!” So I did. 😛
LOL! That’s great! Let me know what you both think of the recipe please! 🙂
I am making this now – can’t wait! It’s on the final rise, but I am at our ranch and realized I don’t have parchment paper (or a silicone mat). I currently have it rising on floured aluminum foil… will that work?? Don’t want to ruin it but I don’t have the right stuff!
Hi Caroline, I haven’t tested it on foil, and my biggest concern would be sticking since silicone and parchment are non-stick. Otherwise, I think it could work fine if the other 2 options aren’t available.
Thanks – the foil worked fine, no sticking! The only problem I had was when I transferred the dough from the cutting board to the back of the cookie sheet, it deflated so my loaf was kind of flat. Next time, I would probably just let it rise on the same pan I’m baking it on. But it still tastes good!
Hello Natasha!
I made this bread today and we loved it!
I have to confess that I made a mistake and skipped a step, but it turned out delicious anyway… Next time I’ll follow the steps properly and I’m sure it will be even better.
I am vegetarian and I was wondering if you have some vegetarian recipes to share…
Thank you for the wonderful recipes, Natasha! This is my favorite recipe blog!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the bread!! I do have a vegetarian category that I have been working on although not all of the recipes are categorized as vegetarian yet. This is a good place to start.
I gave up on baking bread years ago since it always seemed so hit or miss. My grandmother’s homemade bread was legendary – the gold standard of breads, and nothing I attempted would ever come close. She recently passed away, and I decided I would try again in her honor. I found your recipe a week ago, and have since used it three times, each turning out perfectly! Only thing I changed was adding 2 tablespoons of raw honey to the yeast mixture (I do this for pizza dough) – seems to help to activate the yeast and gives the bread a subtle sweetness. I currently have a loaf in the oven, this time adding a tablespoon each of flax, sesame, sunflower, and chia seeds to give it a little crunch. Thank you so much for reuniting my interest in breadmaking – my grandmother would be proud!
So glad to hear John, thank you for sharing! 🙂
I made this yesterday afternoon and served it for lunch today. Very delicious!
Awesome! Thank you for sharing Carla!!
Natasha, I would like to say “thank you so much” for this recipe. The first attempt came out as a passable (followed the ingredients) loaf of bread which didn’t rise quite like I expected.
Making a second loaf, I added 1/4 cup of white sugar into the water, salt, and yeast, adding the sugar to help ‘kick’ off the yeast a little better. And let me tell ya, it rose triple the size as the first loaf did. I also folded the second loaf twice as directed, however, I continued to fold the underside several times in a semi-knead sense. The loaf was perfection! It had smaller air bubbles and fluffier texture, just about like store bought bread, with a semi hard crust.
I will continue to use this recipe, with the exception of adding the 1/4 cup of sugar. Nothin’ tastes better than a fresh loaf of this Artisan bread with melted butter and some homemade Wild Mustang Grape jelly. Scrumptiously delicious! It also complimented my 7-Can Dutch Oven Beef Stew better than crackers ever could. Thumbs up on this recipe.
Hi James, thank you so much for sharing your detailed review! I will definitely have to try your sugar tip! Thanks again and I hope you had a Merry Christmas Day! 🙂
Perfection!! Shared with friends. Looking forward to making more of your yummy recipes!
Thank you Sheila! I’m glad you all enjoyed the recipe!
finished product turned out just like you said. very good bread and chewey
Awesome! I’m glad you liked it Dale 🙂
First loaf turned out great–second not so good–very dense–may have baked too long. Question: can I bake bread on a pizza stone? Thanks, John B
Hi John, it would be dry if it was over-baked. Also, did you substitute any of the ingredients – maybe using a different kind of flour? Yes, you can definitely bake on a pizza stone.
Hi Natasha, really love your blog and love this bread recipe. I have made it three times now, and every time it was not as high as yours. Last time I made it, I put too little flour even though I fallowed you strategy. (the dough was runny and very sticky to handle) So I want to try again foolproof, and this time would like to use weight measurement for the flour. Would you mind including this in your recipe? Thank you.
Hi Lana, without remaking the recipe, I can’t really give you the weight. Next time I make it, I will keep that in mind. What kind of flour are you using? Varying kinds of flours requiring varying amounts. For example, Canadian flour usually requires less flour than US all-purpose due to the varying gluten content. I always use American All-purpose flour for consistency unless otherwise noted (some recipes really just work better with Canadian despite many tests) 🙂 This recipe was made with US All-purpose flour.
I had a little problem and doesn’t seem that anyone else has. My parchment paper started burning in the oven and so did the extra flour. It doesn’t seem like anyone else experimented this. I couldn’t finish baking the bread because of the bad smell from the oven. But it did taste quite good even halfway baked 😉 so I want to make it again without any problems. What can I do differently? Thanks!
Hi Anna, parchment should not burn at that temperature. Are you certain you were using parchment and not wax paper? Wax paper will burn sooner. You can also try a silicone liner if you are having that issue. Maybe your oven runs hotter than normal?
Hello Natasha, thank you for such a wonderful recipe. I made this bread couple times and it’s my favorite. My whole family just loves it. I never left comments on your website before. But your website is amazing. You are a very good cook with best and easy recipes. God bless you!
Lina, you are so nice! Thank you for your sweet review and God bless you also!! 🙂
First non bread machine bread I’ve made and it turned out so well I make it every day now. Comes out nice and chewy.
Try grill steak or chicken, smother bread in Butter then Hummus. Add steak or chicken breast stripe, top with cherry tomato halves, rocket, salt, cracked black pepper and drizzle some olive oil or balsamic vinegar. Comes out as a great meal.
Thank you!
Bruce, thank you for the great review 😀. I’m drooling over my keyboard while reading your comment, sounds yummy 😋.
I made the bread tonight, it turned out fantastic! Thanks for the great explanation and the attention to the details!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe and detailed instructions. I love reading recipes that way and I want to provide the same for my readers. It’s a labor of love 😉
nice bread, perhaps need sugar with the yeast, did not rise , but was round and only 1 inch thick. something wrong with your recipe girly girl……1/8th star
Hi Vernon, I’ve made this bread countless times and it is definitely unusual that it was only 1″ thick and I’m always happy to help troubleshoot. Was your yeast fresh? Also, could your water have been too hot? If you add hot water to the bowl, it can deactivate your yeast and stop it’s rising action. The same thing happens if you let the bread proof in an oven that is hotter than 100˚F – it will cook the yeast and ruin the whole loaf. I hope that helps for next time!
great
Hi Vernon,
I make a yeast starter with my water and add a teaspoon of sugar as my yeast I getting close to expiring. I only continue when the yeast starts.
Can I make this recipe in a loaf pan? What would I have to do different?
Hi Louis, I haven’t tried it in a loaf pan but I would do everything the same except I would put the dough into the loaf pan on the last rise and make sure to remove it from the pan right away when it comes out of the oven.
I have tons of basil in my garden. What do you think about me adding this and some garlic to the dough?
I have had a few read his report good results with adding herbs to the dough to make it a flavored bread. If you try it let me know how you like it.
Wow. Thanks for the recipe Natasha. I love baking good bread. Got a little worried because it didn’t rise like your video. It did rise more once it sat for 45 minutes though. This is going to be good. It’s cooling now. 👍
Mark, you are very welcome, let me know how it turns out 😀.
Hi Natasha! This recipe is so simple and awesome! I’ve had it turn out wonderful every time I’ve made it so thanks so much for sharing it! One question though: I always seem to have the flour and cornmeal build up on the bottom of the bread after baking and it makes for a mess and I usually have to pick that off before eating it. Any way or tips to alleviate that problem? Thanks! 😊
Hi Stephanie, the only way to do this really is to use less flour and a little less cornmeal. The bread should not stick to the parchment after baking even if using less corn meal and flour.
Awesome! I will try that next time I make it. I made a loaf the other night for some out of town relatives and they were very impressed! They’re also picky eaters! Thanks so much!
Hi Natasha, this has become our go to family bread. It’s so easy and delicious! Thank you for the wonderful recipes!
I am so happy to hear that! Thanks for sharing that with us 🙂
Can i make this bread in a breadmaker ?
Hi Irina, I haven’t tried baking it in a bread maker so I’m not sure if it would work – the bread maker doesn’t allow for as much rising time as this recipe calls for and I have found that when you make it rise too fast (as in a warm oven), it doesn’t rise as high in the oven. If you experiment in the bread machine, let me know. If you’re just asking about making the dough portion in the bread maker, it’s not necessary at all since there is no kneading required.
Thank you
I just made this bread. First time making homemade bread. IT IS amazing!! Perfect. I used King Arthur organic I bleached bread flour. Thank you for the recipe!
I’m so happy to hear that you had a great experience with your first bread loaf. That’s awesome! 🙂
I had never made bread before and I tried this recipe out just today and it came out beautifully! Your video helped me so much, your way of explaining the process was really simple for me to grasp. Thanks so much! I will definitely use this recipe in the future!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your awesome review 🙂
Adderley, I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review! 😀
ok, finally I made it. Yesterday I made this bread with a bread flour and rapid rise yeast. I made sure that my warm water is about 100-105 F not hotter or colder because as you know if water is hotter then it will kill yeast if colder then it will take more time for proofing. So I made two loaves. First loaf came out good but 25 min in my electric oven was too much. Second loaf I baked only for 20 min and it came out soooo delicious. My three little munchkins could not stop eating this bread. By the way they ate almost entire loaf. Another change that I have made is the baking technique. I baked on my pizza stone and water in the bottom…. Actually same technique that you just posted French bread recipe.
Next time I will try french bread recipe.
Definitely I will keep this recipe…
by the way exactly one year ago, I have tried to make this bread but it didn’t work. My batter didn’t prof for like 4 hours. So I ended up to throw it in the garbage. So after starting to searching what could be the problem and it was yeast that was expired for 1 year. I bought in store expired yeast (by the way it wasn’t on sale :), hahaha), from now on I am always checking yeast expiration date.
Thanks for sharing this recipie
I’m so glad you figured it out! Yes, it is very important to make sure they used is not expired. Thank you for writing and sharing that. I’m sure someone else will really benefit from your comment!
Thank you for sharing your experience :). I hope you love the French bread also 🙂
I’ve baked bread kneading it etc for years.Tried this Artisan it will not rise it a flat load made it twice this week what could it be?
Hi Shirley, what is a “flat load.” Are you sure your yeast isn’t expired and making sure to proof it at room temperature (never warmer than 100˚F – or it will kill the yeast)? I hope that helps!
As a guy that hasn’t made bread in almost 20 years (I was ten or eleven and my mom guided my hand) I found this amazingly easy and delicious. First batch was a little chewy. I believe it was because I used a giant mixing bowl which meant I had to mix it a lot more before rising and tookabout ten minutes longer than it should have.
Is there any way to get the same bread taste in a different shape? Form it into more of a store bought loaf? It would be an amazing grilled cheese for the kids.
Hi Joel, I haven’t tried putting this in a bread loaf pan so I’m not sure how well that would work. If you try that, make sure you remove it from the pan right after it comes out of the oven and set it on a cooling rack so the sides don’t get too soft/soggy.
Hello,I just finish tasting the bread I made with a little butter!
Yummy! It’s very good and crispy but the only problem I have is that my bread didn’t rise like the picture.
I didn’t have 3/4 Tbsp measurement so I did the math and I put 3 1/4 tsp.
My daughter loved it with cheese.
For my first time,I did good.Can I try with whole wheat flour and add thank you for sharing this recipe with us.
I always check your blog for some yummy recipes and I tried a lot of yours.
All your recipes are very good. 🙂
Hi Marie, You might add slightly more flour next time. Did you mean 2 1/4 tsp? There are 3 tsp in 1 Tbsp. I’m so glad you liked it. I just made a similar bread – I’m working on developing it this week and I can’t resist a fresh slice of bread with butter. :). If you make this with whole wheat, I’d recommend mixing it with bread flour or it will be pretty dense with just whole wheat flour.
I believe Marie meant she did not have a 3/4 tsp to measure with so she used a 1/4 tsp three times. 🙂
I’m not sure because that would only be 3/4 tsp but the recipe calls for 3/4 Tbsp
Excellent bread, easy to make., thanks so much, Natasha!
I’m so happy to hear you loved it. Thank you for the awesome review!
Hi Natasha.
Do you have recipe for Нарочанский (Belarus) bread?
I don’t have it yet but adding it to my list of recipes to try 😀.
Hello Natasha, could I bake this bread in a dutch oven (cast iron) instead of using the water pan? Would it take the same amount of time?
Thanks!
Hi Ella, I personally haven’t experimented baking this in a dutch oven. I’d suggest lining with parchment paper in the dutch oven though to prevent sticking. I’ve had readers write in to tell me they used a dutch oven successfully but I can’t say if the results are as good without trying it myself.
Thank you for your quick reply.
I’ve heard that using a dutch oven produces a very nice, moist bread (in essence, what you are trying to create with the pan of water). I’ll make the bread the way you directed :). A cast iron baking dish should be safer than a glass one?
Yes cast iron would be safer. 🙂 Let me know how you like it. Next time I make this bread, I’ll try to get out of auto-pilot and make it in a dutch oven. It sounds easier than having to do the water dish. If you test it before I do, let me know what you think of the dutch oven method and I will do the same 🙂
Thank you Natasha for experimenting, sharing, and delivering a no hassle scrumptious artisan bread recipe. Your recipe is by far the best I have made. (MADE IT TWICE IN ONE DAY) I love the outer crunchiness, the inner softness and the perfect color…couldn’ brag enough!
The taste and texture brought back found memories of the European cuisine.
We’ll done. Look forward to savoring additional recipes from your site.
Anna
Thank you so much! I really appreciate your awesome review 🙂
Hi Natasha, Thanks a lot for your recipe and guided video!!! I’ve made bread several times and they all turned out very good. For the 1st time, the dough was very sticky, I couldn’t pick it up from the parchment paper or even hold it. Flour was all over my counter. It was a disaster but finally I floured the surface a lot and could manage it. I think it’s the same case as Lindsey. For the following times on, I use the microwave dish instead of parchment paper to dump dough out and shape on the floured surface dish. It is completely easy to handle. It might be helpful for others who got the sticky issue with dough.
One thing I concern is my bread after baking is always crusty on the skin layer (outside) and soft inside. After cooling down or a few hour later it turns out very hard on the surface. If we want to serve I need to preheat a little bit but it’s still a bit hard (the browning surface is quite thick). If we serve it on the next day, it’s even harder after each time preheating. Is there anyway to keep it soft or making it thin skin like the ones we buy from the stores? I prefer it soft at room temp. and crusty when preheated. Thanks for your comments!
I’ve never considered using my microwave dish. That is an awesome suggestion and thank you! AS far as hardening on the outside. I wonder if maybe your oven runs a little hot? I usually have the opposite happen, it’s crisp when it comes out of the oven and softens on the outside with time. Also, are you using the dish with water to create steam in the oven?
when i take my bread from the oven i cover it with foil, and leave till bread cools down, and after this it still nice and soft. Hope it help you to enjoy this delicious bread 🙂
If you place your bread in a plastic bag and seal it after it cools, it will soften on the crust from the moisture on the inside.
I love the bread and it tastes great, however it was kinda runny and therefore baked really flat. Do you have a suggestion? Can I bake it in a cast iron pan?
Hi, if it was ‘runny’ it could be that the flour to liquid ratio was off. If you are looking to bake in a cast iron pan or dutch oven, you will love our dutch oven bread.