Easy Dutch Oven No Knead Bread recipe is made with only 4 ingredients and takes 5 minutes of prep time! If you want to make delicious homemade bread that looks & tastes like it came from a fancy bakery but actually takes very little effort, this dutch oven bread recipe is for you!
I cannot think of a time when I would turn down a slice (or two) of warm homemade bread fresh from the oven. However, I know that some people are intimidated by the idea of making their own bread.
Well, you’re in luck because this Easy No Knead Bread is the perfect recipe if you want to bake some homemade bread but aren’t fully confident in your bread making skills! It’s a no knead dutch oven bread that tastes like you slaved for hours – when you really only spent 5 minutes preparing it!
This dutch oven bread is incredibly moist and tastes like a less sour, sourdough bread! It is both dense and fluffy at the same time, and is the perfect companion to any meal (like this tortellini soup, vegetable soup, or this kale sweet potato soup)! I seriously make it all the time, because I love that it’s prepped the day before and just popped in the oven right before company comes over!
How to make no knead bread
Like I said above, if you’ve been dying to make bread from scratch, THIS is your recipe! It looks like a beautiful loaf of artisan bread from a high-end bakery, but takes minimal time, effort and ingredients!
Seriously, this No Knead Dutch Oven Bread couldn’t be any simpler. It’s made with 4 ingredients and takes only 5 minutes of active prep time! There is no kneading, no waiting for the perfect rise (twice), and no exhaustive list of instructions to follow.
Step 1. Mix together dry ingredients
The first step in making this no knead bread is to mix together the dry ingredients, flour, sea salt and yeast.
Step 2. Add Warm Water
Next, add warm water and stir. Be sure the water is around 105 degrees F, anything warmer could kill the yeast and prevent the dutch oven bread from rising.
Step 3. Stir
Stir the dough until a sticky ball forms. As you can see in the photo on the right, the dough should hold a ball shape but it will be stick to the touch, and not very smooth.
Step 4. Cover & Let Set overnight
First cover the bowl with greased plastic wrap and wrap the bowl tightly. Then place a damp tea towel over the plastic wrap. Set it in a secure, warm place in your kitchen to rest for at least 18 hours, preferably 24.
Form Dough Ball
After 24 hours, the no knead bread should look like the left photo below. The dough will rise in the bowl and have holes in it. Flour your hands and press the dough down. Then use a little extra flour to make the dough into a ball, and cover it to let it rest.
Preheat Dutch Oven & Bake
Right before you pull the dough out of the bowl, place the dutch oven into the oven and preheat it to 450 degrees F. Placing the artisan bread dough into the warm dutch oven results in a golden-brown crispy crust. When the oven is preheated, carefully remove the heated dutch oven from the oven, spray with cooking spray and put the dough inside.
Use a dish with a lid (a Dutch Oven).
This Easy No Knead Bread needs to be baked for 30 minutes covered and 15 minutes uncovered, so a lidded baking dish is critical. I use this Le Creuset 2.75 qt. dutch oven to bake mine, but most round baking dishes with a lid will work.
Cool & Serve.
Once the no knead bread is done baking, remove it from the dutch oven and place it on a wire rack to cool slightly before serving.
Serving suggestions:
Everyone who tastes this easy no knead dutch oven bread recipe loves it! My favorite way to eat it is with a warm bowl of soup or dipped into a swirl of balsamic vinegar and olive oil! Plus, the leftovers make killer sandwiches! Some of our favorite recipes to enjoy with this artisan bread:
- Homemade vegetable soup
- Easy Tortellini Soup
- Balsamic Slow Cooker Pot Roast
- Kale and Sausage Soup
- Roasted Root Vegetable Soup
FAQs about dutch oven bread
Here are some frequently asked questions about making this no knead bread recipe!
What is the best size Dutch oven for baking bread?
I recommend using a 2 3/4 quart (2.4L) dutch oven to make this bread!
How long can you let no knead bread rise?
Let it rise for up to 24 hours overnight at room temperature, or up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
No Knead Bread: Ingredients & Substituions
It only takes 4 ingredients to make this drool-worthy artisan bread. And I don’t recommend making any substitutions.
- All-purpose flour. You can replace up to 1 cup of the flour with white whole wheat flour, but I don’t recommend making any other changes. This dutch oven bread is best when made with all-purpose flour.
- Sea salt. I recommend pure, fine sea salt for the best outcome!
- Yeast. Active dry yeast is the best choice for this no knead bread recipe, however you can use rapid rise yeast but you will still need to let it rise overnight.
- Water. Make sure to use warm water (105 degrees). It should feel warm to the touch but not hot.
- Optional mix-ins. If you’d like to create fun varieties, try mixing in parmesan cheese, fresh herbs, roasted garlic, etc.
More Homemade bread recipes
If you are ready to take the plunge and make more bread recipes, check out some of our favorites:
- No holiday is complete without a batch of these Homemade Dinner Rolls !
- This Homemade Pretzel Bread is my husband’s favorite food ever, and everyone who tries it is obsessed!
- We make this whole wheat bread for BLTs and just for sandwiches throughout the week!
- For sweet breads, try these homemade cinnamon rolls (the best ever), and this Povitica!
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Easy No Knead Bread (Dutch Oven Bread)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 ½ tsp sea salt
- 1 ½ cups warm water 105 degrees F
Instructions
- Combine the flour, yeast, and salt in a large bowl and stir to combine.
- Add the water and mix until a loose, somewhat sticky ball forms.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap (sprayed with cooking spray) and a damp tea towel.
- Let dough sit covered at room temperature for 18-24 hours.
- After 24 hours (or at least 1 hour before you want to serve) preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
- Place a 2 3/4 quart dutch oven (or a 2.4L baking dish) with a lid in the oven while it is preheating.
- While oven is preheating, transfer the dough from the bowl onto a floured surface.
- Form the dough into a ball then cover it with a floured towel while the oven is preheating.
- Carefully remove the hot baking dish from the oven. Remove the lid and spray the dish with cooking spray.
- Gently put the dough ball into the baking dish so it’s evenly distributed.
- Cover and bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove the lid and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until the loaf is golden brown.
- Remove the loaf from the baking dish and let it cool on a rack before slicing. To keep it warm, cover with a tea towel.
Video
Notes
- All-purpose flour. You can replace up to 1 cup of the flour with white whole wheat flour, but I don't recommend making any other changes. This dutch oven bread is best when made with all-purpose flour.
- Sea salt. I recommend pure, fine sea salt for the best outcome!
- Yeast. Active dry yeast is the best choice for this no knead bread recipe, however you can use rapid rise yeast but you will still need to let it rise overnight.
- Water. Make sure to use warm water (105 degrees). It should feel warm to the touch but not hot.
- Optional mix-ins. If you'd like to create fun varieties, try mixing in parmesan cheese, fresh herbs, roasted garlic, etc.
Nutrition
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Maya Chahoud
Instead of spraying Dutch Oven with non stick spray could you use parchment paper? Will it effect the end result?
Mary
Hi! Can you double the recipe for a larger for a bigger crowd?
Laura
Yes you can! I would recommend dividing the dough in two and baking it in two separate dutch ovens!
Hoda
Hi Laura,
I’m planning to use a 2 quart Dutch oven to make this. Given the slight discrepancy (your recipe calls for a 2.75qt-sized pot), do you recommend making any adjustments to the ingredients? Or will the loaf form into shape properly in a 2qt pot? Thank you so much!
Erica
Hi Laura,
I only have a 5ct dutch oven, will that work or is it too big?
Thanks!
Erica
Laura
Hey Erica! Some people have made it with larger dutch ovens, the bread likely will not fill the dutch oven, but it will bake and taste wonderful!
Maureen Monahan
First time making this kind of bread and my family was so happy that I tried this as one of my quarantine projects! I was afraid of the salt because I didn’t have sea salt in the house but the 1.5 tsp was perfect with table salt too. Posted/tagged on IG and already shared with lots of friends. Thank you!
Nina
I took the liberty of doing 1/2 cup olive oil and 1 cup water. Although tasty, it came out a bit dense. I also added chopped Kalamata olives and fresh rosemary. I’m going to try it again perhaps either with no olive oil or 1/4 cup.
Laura
Hey Nina! For anyone reading this comment, I don’ recommend adding oil to this recipe. I recommend making the recipe as written for the best results!
Kendall
Can I make this recipe into rolls instead of one loaf?
Laura
Hey Kendall, I do not think that this would translate well into rolls. I am not sure though, as I have not tried it. But my gut says no!
Dan Jung
This is my first time making bread. I was reading comments and I want to say congratulations too. Though it looks like it happened a few years back. I found that I had to add extra water. When I mixed it all I had flour in the bottom of the bowl that wouldNot mix in unless I added more water. Thoughts?
Laura
Hey Dan! Thank you! yes this post was written a while ago! We’re up to 5 kids now! LOL! It sounds like maybe you may have measured your flour differently and used a bit too much flour! The dough is usually pretty moist, so that would be my only guess! But you did exactly what I would’ve done, just added a touch more water.
Lauren
I really want to make this bread, but am concerned the bread wont rise if I don’t activate the yeast BEFORE putting it in the flour. Is this not a concern?
Laura
The yeast activates overnight. As long as you do not use water that is too hot (which would kill the yeast), the bread will rise overnight!
Callie
Mine has come out a little flat, any idea what I’ve done wrong? 😞 x
Laura
Hey Callie! Did you let it rise for a full 18-24 hours? Did you bake it in a 2.75 qt. dutch oven?
Vee
Will instant yeast work in this recipe and if so how much is needed?
Laura
Hey Vee! I think it should work just fine! You might want to decrease the yeast to 1 1/2 tsp!
Mimi
Laura this bread is delicious. I have made this a few times now and I am never tired of it. I might have to try it with some spinach dip. Thank you for sharing.
Kelly
I cannot say enough good things about this bread. So easy and delicious! Made this twice and it makes me feel like a master baker. The only thing wrong with it is there is somehow never enough!
Gemma
I can’t believe this needs no kneading! It looks better than anything I can buy from my local bakery. I have to try it, it looks delicious xo
Mary
Quick and easy. Just plan for overnight rising. The crust is phenomenal! I drizzled a bit of olive oil over the top during the last 15 minutes of uncovered baking. Yum!
Luann
When using gluten free flour-what needs added ? I tried making this recipe with only changing out the flour and it never cooked through. It was undone in the middle.
Chrissy
Hi! Wondering if you’ve tried experimenting with herbs/spices/flavors or substituting in yogurt/beer for a faux sourdough?
I’m intrigued by your recipe because it has much more yeast than I’ve seen in overnight no-knead breads — the famous NYT one has only a 1/4 tsp vs your 2tsp! Your recipe gives me the confidence to up it a lot!
Candis
Hi, nice recipe congrats on the new addition to the family ☺ wanted to ask if you ever tried mixing yeast and warm water separately first then combining if that will help lessen waiting time to one hour? Will still make and wait overnight first and experiment after.
Jenae
Can this be baked in a bread pan? Or what can you use if not a ceramic Dutch oven?
Laura
Hey Jenae! It needs to be baked in a dish with a lid. I have used one of these round baking dishes with a glass lid before: click here
Vitamix 5300
I made this bread last night with a cajun turkey breast, mashed potatoes & gravy, & a nice garden salad. It was delicious!
Liz @ pumpkin & peanut butter
This looks AMAZING! I’ve only ever made bread before in my bread maker but this looks just SO easy! PS Congrats on the birth of your baby girl!! I’m SO excited for you and your family!
Aryn
Wow that looks amazing! I had no idea you could make bread this way! Thanks for sharing!
I don’t have a covered casserole dish though and I’d like to try making this for my family as Easter gifts. Do you think it would work in a loaf pan covered with tin foil? (I may try it anyway, but if you have any thoughts, let me know!)
Kelli McGrane
Love how easy this is! Best of luck with your new arrival 🙂
Tara | treble in the kitchen
I don’t think anything beats the smell or taste of fresh, warm, homemade bread 🙂
Emily
WOW, it’s so beautiful. I think you would make a killer bread for the Great British Bake Off; I was just watching it last week.
Praying for the arrival of the little girl. <3
Allie
Hi, I’m currently making this wonderful bread! Do I keep the oven at 450* While baking?? Thank you for sharing
Laura
Yes!!
Tais
Hey Laura, so excitiiiiing! A mum knows when the time is approaching! So happy for you! Wishing you a blessed time, whenever it happens!
Love,
Tais