Easy No Knead Crusty Bread Recipe

This no knead bread recipe is SO easy you will certainly Impress your family & yourself with this no knead bread. Bakery quality without the bakery price, only 5 ingredients, no mixer or bread machine needed!

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Ingredients breakdown

• Salt: Makes your bread flavorful, helps tighten the gluten structure in bread, and stops your dough from rising to fast.

• Yeast: Active dry yeast & Instant yeast are my top choices for this no knead bread recipe. Yeast releases carbon dioxide that makes bread rise, giving it that light spongey texture!

• Sugar: Activates the yeast, and helps contribute to the browning of your loaf. Sugar keeps moisture in the finished product which makes your bread stay fresh longer. Because it’s scratch made and not filled with preservatives like store bought bread!

• Water: Make sure to use warm water, it should feel warm to the touch. Never use hot water, it will kill the yeast.

Into a bowl, add your flour, salt, yeast, and sugar and mix. Next add your water, mix everything until it just comes together. Its a no knead dough… so dont knead it! Although It will look like a sticky and shaggy dough don’t add more flour or water, trust me!  Cover with plastic wrap and a towel, and let rise on the counter or somewhere warm for 12-18 hours.

Once it has risen, scrape your dough out and set it on a lightly floured surface.

Without over kneading, shape your dough into a nice round loaf, pinching the bottom to keep it round with a smooth top.

Set your round loaf onto a piece of parchment paper and back into the bowl, cover and let rise for and additional 30 minutes. Preheat your oven.

Once your oven is preheated your loaf with parchment into yourDutch oven, bake for 30 minutes covered. After 30 minutes take the lid off your Dutch oven to start browning your loaf.

Uncovered baking time depends on your oven, and how soft OR crusty you like your bread. I do 10 minutes uncovered. Try 7 minutes uncovered for a softer crust, just keep an eye on it!

Add anything you’d like, get creative and have fun with it! A few of our favorites are; jalapeño & cheese, cinnamon raisin, and roasted garlic. You can add any dried fruit, chopped nuts or herbs work well too.

When adding mix-ins to your dough, I recommend adding them into the flour mixture so they equally distribute. This also helps avoid over working your dough, which can make it tough and chewy, instead of soft and fluffy!

The Recipe: