If you’re interested in baking your own bread, this is a great recipe for beginners.
It’s a ‘no-knead’ loaf, which means you simply mix up the dough and let it rest overnight. No stand mixer, no bread machine, no kneading- just 2 minutes of prep time. The bread is baked in a dutch oven and the result is to die for; golden, crusty bread with a soft & chewy interior.
Buckle up people- this is a loooooong tutorial…
1.) Make the dough- Clear away all kitchen clutter and find yourself a nice workspace. In a large bowl, add the dry ingredients and mix with water to combine. It will look something like this…
As it becomes difficult to stir, get in there with your hands and mush everything together. It will be wet and sticky, with a shaggy appearance…
2.) Let it rise- Transfer your dough to a lightly oiled container and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest at room temperature (70 degrees) for 14 hours- overnight (Zzzz…Zzzz…)
Your dough is ready when it has puffed up in volume, about 1 1/2- 2 x the original size. You will also see lots of bubbles…
*Note: if your dough isn’t puffed and bubbly after the initial rise, place it in the microwave with the light on (keeping the door ajar). The warmth from the light will give the yeast a boost. My friend Celia gave me this tip and it works like a charm, especially in chilly kitchens!
3.) Shape the dough & let it rise again- Flour a sheet of parchment paper. Remove the dough from its container and place it on top. Fold it in half (like a book) and then fold it in half again. Don’t worry about the direction. You are doing this to release some air inside of the dough. Sorry, no photo for this one- my hands were too sticky!
When you are finished folding, add more flour to the parchment paper (be generous so that it doesn’t stick). Shape the dough into a ball by gently tucking the sides underneath itself. Place onto the paper (seam side down), like so…
Cover loosely with oiled plastic wrap…
And let it rest again until puffy. It will start to spread out slightly as it rises- this is ok. The 2nd rise will not take as long as the first, but expect to wait about 30 minutes- 2 hours depending how warm your kitchen is (Zzzz…Zzzz). If you’re impatient like me, now is a good time to use that microwave tip!
4.) Get ready to bake- About 1/2 hour before your dough is ready, preheat your oven to 500 F. Place a dutch oven (with lid) inside for 20 minutes to heat up. *Don’t have a dutch oven? See recipe below for additional bakeware options. When it’s nice and hot, carefully slide your hand underneath the parchment paper and invert the dough into the pot. The seam will now be facing up. It will look a little messy, but the top will be beautifully cracked after it’s baked. Take a look…
Place your bread into the oven, and immediately reduce the temperature from 500 to 400 F. Bake with the lid on for 40 minutes (this will trap the steam inside making the bread moist). Remove the lid, and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes or until the crust is a deep, golden brown.
*Note: To be sure that your bread is fully cooked, I highly recommend taking its temperature. Flip the bread on its side, and insert a thermometer into the bottom. It should read between 200-205 F. If not, leave it in a little longer (extra time in bread baking is a good thing). If you’re worried that the top will get too brown, put the lid back on. Better safe than sorry!
5.) Let it cool- When your bread is done, remove it from the oven and transfer to a wire rack. It should feel light and sound hollow when you knock on the bottom. You’ll also notice a wonderful crackling sound as it cools. Let it rest for at least 1 hour. Cutting it too soon might ruin the texture of the bread, resulting in a gummy crumb! Trust me, I speak from experience…
And there you have it- fabulous, no-knead artisan bread!
Are you still with me? Good! I’m almost done…
10 loaves ago (and 1 battle wound later), I had absolutely no clue how to bake bread. With practice, I’ve found that the ‘no-knead’ approach is great for beginners and has given me the confidence to take on more challenging recipes. To me, it’s truly a rewarding experience. Bake 1 loaf in your lifetime and you’ll see what I mean. And with the rising cost of bread, it is a great skill to have. This loaf cost less than $1 to make!
- 3 c. bread flour (not all-purpose) + more for dusting
- ¼ teaspoon instant yeast
- 1¼ teaspoons sea salt
- 1½ c. water
- 6 quart dutch oven
- In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add the water, and stir until combined; dough will be wet and sticky, with a shaggy appearance.
- Transfer to an oiled container and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let dough rest for 14 hours- overnight, at room temperature (about 70 degrees). Your dough is ready when it has puffed up in volume, about 1½ -2x its original size. The surface will be dotted with bubbles. *See note below.
- Lightly flour a sheet of parchment paper and place the dough on top. Fold dough in half (like a book) and then fold it again (like a book). The direction doesn’t matter. You’re doing this to release some of the air inside.
- Add more flour to the parchment paper (be generous so that it doesn’t stick). Shape the dough into a ball by tucking the sides underneath itself, and place (seam side down) onto the paper. Cover loosely with oiled plastic wrap and let rest again until puffy in shape. This will take 30 minutes- 2 hours depending on how warm your kitchen is.
- At least a half-hour before the dough is ready, preheat your oven to 500 F. Put a (6 quart) dutch oven pot inside for 20 minutes. When the dough is ready, carefully remove pot from the oven. Slide your hand underneath the parchment paper and invert the dough into the pot. The seam will be facing up. It will look messy, but the top will be beautifully cracked when baked. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed.
- Cover with the lid and bake for 40 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown.
- To make sure that the bread is completely cooked through, take its temperature. Carefully tip the bread onto its side and insert a thermometer into the bottom. It should read 200-205 F. If not, place it back into the oven until it is ready (extra time in bread baking is a good thing). If you’re worried about the top getting too brown, put the lid back on.
- When your bread is ready, transfer to a wire rack to cool. It should feel light and make a hollow sound when you give it a knock underneath. Let it cool for at least 1 hour. Cutting it too soon might ruin the texture resulting in a gummy crumb!
 |
Emilie, what a fabulous tutorial! When you sent me a photo of that loaf, I was astounded that it was both yeasted and no-knead – it looks better than most artisan loaves I’ve seen! Thank you for the linky, and may I offer a suggestion? Go to your local hardware store, and buy yourself a pair of leather welding gloves. They’re quite cheap here (under $20/pair), and they will save your hands and forearms from burns as you’re manoeuvring the hot pot around. I’ve written about them a bit in the past:
http://figjamandlimecordial.com/2012/03/06/little-kitchen-things/
PS. Has your starter arrived yet? Heidi got hers the other day!
Hi Celia,
I actually got my battle wound from grabbing the pot without gloves! It was one of those things- the kids were running around, it was noisy and I just grabbed the 500 F pot without thinking! It was painful, but it’s getting better now. I’m going to go check out your link.
xx
Thanks! I was concerned that it was a bit too long, but I felt like I had to include every detail!
Ooo, leather welding gloves? Sounds serious
I didn’t get the starter yet- I’m waiting with bated breath! (Heidi got hers already? Wow! That was fast!) I’ll keep you posted
Oh my lord, I almost tried to spread some butter on my computer screen!
Ha Ha…thanks Sandra! My little guys scoffed this up like wolves
Emilie, your bread turned out so beautifully… just look at that loaf! A crusty gorgeous exterior and soft, tender interior. To be honest, I have never had the patience to make my own bread so this recipe is perfect for me. Your step-by-step instructions (and photos) are so helpful. I wonder if I could add a couple tablespoons of dried or fresh herbs to the mix, how that might go? I think the whole family would just love this recipe! Thank you.
Hi Kelly,
Thank you! I never thought that I would have the patience either, but after success with this recipe, I’m hooked! I’ve been making several loaves a week and just popping them into the freezer. It’s like my own personal bakery
As far as adding herbs to the recipe- I’d say go for it! I’ve never done it myself (dried or fresh) but it can’t hurt. Maybe add just a touch your first time around and see how that goes? I’m also working on a whole wheat version as well. I hope you enjoy the recipe! If you have any questions, I’m more than happy to help.
I can’t wait to try your method here. I have been addicted to artisan bread since I discovered the Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day recipe. The recipe is very similar to yours but I love cooking it in a Dutch oven.
Hi Karen,
Yes! The recipe here is very similar to the Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a day (but has less yeast and is a slightly wetter dough). The method of baking in a dutch oven is amazing! It traps the steam inside making the bread moist and delicious. When you remove the lid, the outside becomes all golden and crusty. I’ve made it several times with success! If you make it, let me know how it goes. Thanks for stopping by
Wow, your bread looks fabulous. I never bother to knead my dough any more as it works so well without, but have never cooked it in a dutch oven. If I use my cast iron pan, do I need to grease it first or can I just plop the dough in?
Hi Anne,
I love cooking bread in the dutch oven! The lid traps the steam inside, and then once it’s removed the bread becomes a deep, golden brown. It’s amazing.
About your cast iron pot- The original recipe did not call for greasing the pot. I believe they recommended adding cornmeal to prevent sticking, but I didn’t do that (I’m not a fan of cornmeal texture on my bread). I read other versions of this recipe where they didn’t use anything at all, which is what I did.
I just preheated my pot (un greased) for 20 minutes @ 500F. Then I added the dough, reduced the temp. to 400F, and let it bake away. I’ve never has a problem with sticking.
If you’re a little unsure, you could always give your pan a little grease, or utilize the cornmeal method. Just make sure your pan is preheated. This might be good for the first time to test it out?
Do you plan on covering the pan with a lid? Just curious…
Hope this helps! xx E
This is just the most stunning loaf of bread, Emilie! What an accomplishment and your instructions are so helpful. I’m in a sourdough course later this month and can only hope my bread turns out so pretty!! xx
Thank you Smidge! It was a lot of fun to make and I’m officially on the bread baking band wagon! I just received some of Celia’s sourdough starter in the mail. How wonderful that you’re taking a sourdough class. I hope you learn lots so you can teach me
xx
I am very excited. Just pulled the finished product out of the over and it looks exactly like the picture. Now I have to wait impatiently for an hour until it’s cool enough to eat. Aaah! That may be the longest hour ever. I am very excited though. My daughter looked at me and said in her very blasé 19 year old way: You’re excited because you baked bread?” to which I replied “YES!”. I am sure it will be delicious! Thanks so much. I can’t wait to bake my next bread!
HOW WONDERFUL!!!!!! Don’t you just love when a recipe works out? Yes, I agree with you- the hardest part is waiting for the bread to cool! I’ve cut into it way sooner and the crumb turned out really gummy. I have no patience, but sure learned my lesson! And that’s funny about your daughter’s reaction…but trust me, I can relate to how you felt. Bread baking sure is an accomplishment! I haven’t bought bread from the store in weeks. I’m loving the fact that I can make my own now
p.s. So we couldn’t wait the full hour…family got cranky just watching the gorgeous bread…and they lovesd it…so here I am, a week later, about to bake my next loaf. I am also going to bake the individual Irish soda breads this afternoon (don’t you just love baking and cooking?!)…I’ll let you know how they turn out, of course, but I have no doubt they will be smashing!
Oh, I’m so glad that your first loaf turned out well! Quite motivating to bake more, isn’t it? I like to make a bunch of loaves and freeze them. This way I have my own little stash of fresh bread for sandwiches, soups, etc. I’m working on a honey whole-wheat version as well. I’ll share that with you as soon as I’m done tweaking the recipe!!
Emilie,
Since I have had such success with your recipe, any suggestions for making an easy and delicious, gorgeous challah? I have looked at lots of recipes but none of them have absolutely intrigued or inspired me.
Hi Sara! You know, I’ve never made challah before. But now that you’ve put the idea in my head, I will be on the look out for a good recipe. I will keep you posted!
PS- Great idea about covering your pot with foil instead of a lid. I’m glad it worked out!
Thanks for your encouragement of my bread. Yours looks absolutely amazing! What size pot do you use? I have one but wonder if it might be too big (26cm). Thanks.
Hello Alison,
Thank you!
I use a 6 quart dutch oven that is about 10 inches wide. I think yours will work just fine! If you’re a bit unsure, you could always use something smaller (see recipe for additional options!) Just make sure that your bakeware is at least 4-5 inches deep, has a lid/cover, and can be heated up to 500 F. Good luck!
Alison,
I use a deep soup pot and cover it tightly with foil since it doesn’t have a lid…and still absolute perfection!
Gorgeous bread, can’t wait to try this out!