Description
This Easy Dutch Oven No Knead Bread recipe delivers a crusty, artisan-style loaf with minimal effort. With just a few simple ingredients and no kneading required, you can create a beautifully rustic bread perfect for sandwiches, toast, or accompanying any meal. The dough uses yeast and salt combined with warm water, then it rises overnight before being baked in a hot Dutch oven to achieve a golden, crispy crust and soft, airy interior.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups warm water (105°F)
Instructions
- Mix Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, active dry yeast, and sea salt until evenly combined. Slowly pour in the warm water and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until the mixture forms a wet, sticky dough.
- First Rise: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let the dough rise at room temperature for 12 to 18 hours, or until the surface looks bubbly and has doubled in size. This slow fermentation develops flavor and texture.
- Preheat Dutch Oven: About 30 minutes before the dough has finished rising, place a Dutch oven with its lid inside your conventional oven and preheat the oven to 450°F. Heating the Dutch oven ensures a crispy crust during baking.
- Shape Dough: Once the dough has risen, lightly flour a clean surface and gently turn the dough out onto it. Shape the dough into a rough ball by folding edges towards the center. Avoid kneading to maintain the bread’s airy texture.
- Proof Dough: Place the dough seam side down on a piece of parchment paper and cover it loosely with a kitchen towel. Let it rest for 30 minutes while the oven finishes preheating.
- Bake Bread: Carefully remove the preheated Dutch oven from the oven, lift the dough using the parchment paper, and place it into the Dutch oven. Cover with the lid and bake for 30 minutes.
- Uncover and Brown: After 30 minutes, remove the lid and bake the bread for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, or until the crust turns a deep golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped.
- Cool Loaf: Using oven mitts, carefully remove the bread from the Dutch oven and transfer to a wire rack. Let cool completely before slicing to allow the crumb to set properly.
Notes
- Use warm water at about 105°F to activate the yeast without killing it.
- No kneading is required; over-handling can cause dense bread.
- If you don’t have a Dutch oven, use any heavy covered pot that can withstand high heat.
- Let the bread cool fully before slicing to maintain structure.
- Leftover bread stores well at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Keywords: no knead bread, Dutch oven bread, easy homemade bread, artisan bread, no kneading, simple bread recipe