This no knead Dutch oven bread is the easiest bread you’ll ever bake! You just need 3 ingredient for a perfect loaf that is soft and chewy inside but crusty and crunchy outside!
A Quick Look At The Recipe
This is a brief summary of the recipe. Jump to the recipe to get the full details.
Prep Time
1 hour 10 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour
Proof Time
8 hours
Total Time
10 hours 10 minutes
Servings
10 Slices
Difficulty
Easy
Calories *
138 kcal per serving
Technique
Mix dough, rest, shape, proof and bake!
Flavor Profile
Mild, slightly salty, with a soft chewy crumb and crisp crust
* Based on nutrition panel
Mmmm!! This bread is amazing!! I was in the baking mood over the weekend and baked your whole wheat bread which was incredible!! This is the second time I have baked this No-knead bread and let me just say it’s a family favorite!!?????⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Moema Bentley
I am all about that no-knead lifestyle: everything from no knead pizza dough, to no knead ciabatta, and no knead naan bread! A crusty loaf of artisan-style, no knead Dutch oven bread seemed like a natural next step!
I know this artisan bread looks intimidating, but I promise you it isn’t! I’ll guide you step-by-easy-step through this recipe below, so you can join the thousands who have made and loved this bread!
Table of Contents
- Why You Will Love this Dutch oven bread Recipe
- What are the benefits of a Dutch oven for bread?
- Ingredients & Substitutions
- Possible Variations
- How to Enjoy No Knead Dutch Oven Bread
- Watch How to Make This Recipe
- How to Make this No Knead Dutch Oven Bread Recipe
- Frequently Asked Questions
- No-Knead Dutch Oven Bread Recipe
- Before You Go
Why You Will Love this Dutch oven bread Recipe
- A no knead bread recipe without any sets of stretch and folds. This recipe couldn’t be simpler: As in, you stir a few ingredients together, let them sit overnight, and the next morning, you shape and bake a loaf of bread. You don’t even need to do any folds to develop gluten like in no-knead sourdough bread.
- This simple recipe is actually flavorful. It’s slightly salty and not at all boring, like some basic breads tend to be.
- It’s mega-soft on the inside but with a light, tender, almost flaky crust on the outside. Essentially the texture of this bread is perfect especially considering all the work we didn’t have to do! And the air pockets in the bread slices just slay me.
What are the benefits of a Dutch oven for bread?
- A Dutch oven imitates the results of a professional steam-injected oven. Professional bread ovens have a steam injection option, which allow you to add steam at the beginning and then release the steam from the oven deck to continue baking and crisping the crust. You are essentially using the Dutch oven as a miniature deck oven, whereby you can control the release of the steam by removing the top.
- Preheating the Dutch oven with the lid, creates a small, hot mini-oven. This mini oven is small enough to trap the steam released by the bread during baking. A regular oven or even a large Dutch oven are too large and will allow the steam to dissipate. This trapped steam keeps the crust soft (delays crust formation), which allows for maximum expansion and the largest, most open crumb possible.
- Removing the lid of the Dutch oven allows that steam to escape like releasing the steam on a professional bread oven. Once the steam dissipates, the crust will begin forming and you will get that nice thick, crusty, crunchy crust!
- This technique is not just for no-knead breads. You can use this same baking technique for any bread where you want a soft, chewy interior and crunchy crust. I use this same technique for my whole wheat sourdough bread, sourdough bread recipe for beginners, and even this peasant bread.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- All-Purpose Flour: I use all-purpose flour in this easy bread recipe but you could also take a page from my same day sourdough bread recipe and use bread flour to develop more gluten, faster. If you want to use whole wheat check out this no knead whole wheat bread!
- Sea Salt
- Active Dry Yeast: I include measurements for both active dry yeast and instant yeast in the recipe card below, but I recommend using active dry yeast. It has a slower, more consistent rise and will allow your bread enough time to develop a strong gluten network before attempting to shape it.
- Warm Water: I use tap water for my yeasted bread recipes but you can use filtered water if you want.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Possible Variations
- Add some flavorful mix-ins to the dough: Add fresh rosemary and garlic like in my rosemary garlic bread or go in a sweet direct with dried fruit and nuts like cinnamon raisin sourdough bread. Add chopped sun-dried tomatoes like this sun dried tomato bread or parmesan cheese like this tomato basil bread.
- Add a little substance: Add some whole grains and seeds like in this whole grain seeded bread or by substituting some whole wheat flour and adding multigrain hot cereal like in my multigrain bread. It will take a little experimentation but isn’t that what baking is all about?!
- Master this easy Dutch oven bread and then try a no knead sourdough bread! If you don’t already have an active starter, start with my sourdough starter recipe, then read all about how to feed sourdough starter and finally bake your very first loaf with my sourdough bread recipe for beginners!
How to Enjoy No Knead Dutch Oven Bread
- As the most versatile side dish. Dip this bread in soup like 13 bean minestrone, homemade tomato soup or healthy Italian wedding soup. Brush it with garlic butter and bake for easy garlic bread or serve it next to a salad to make a light lunch. Use it to soak up all the juicy goodness from sheet pan shakshuka or slow cooker Italian meatballs.
- Transform any sandwich into a filling meal! This easy bread makes fantastic grilled cheese, bacon turkey bravo, spicy Thai veggie sandwich, or open faced caprese sandwiches.
- Use leftovers in creative ways. Make croutons or make a panzanella like this Summer tomato panzanella salad. You can even make homemade bread crumbs.
Watch How to Make This Recipe
How to Make this No Knead Dutch Oven Bread Recipe
Use these instructions to make the easiest Dutch oven bread! Further details and measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
Step 1: In a large bowl, whisk flour, salt and yeast until well mixed. Pour in warm water and use a wooden spoon to stir until a shaggy dough forms. The mixture will be wet and very sticky to the touch.
Step 2: Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place 8 to 18 hours until dough rises, bubbles and flattens on top.
Step 3: Heat oven to 450°F. Once oven is preheated, place a 6-quart Dutch oven (with cover) in oven 30 minutes before baking. You can also preheat the Dutch oven with the oven.
Step 4: Generously flour a smooth work surface or counter. Turn out the dough onto the floured surface with floured hands or a bowl scraper.
There is no need to degas or punch down the dough because just the act of transferring it will do that for you and you won’t get all sticky. This will make shaping easier.
Step 5: Dust the top with more flour and working quickly, with floured hands, fold two sides in towards the center then flip over. Re-flour hands and gently shape the dough into a ball by rotating it with both of your hands and pulling it under itself.
It will not form as tight of a ball or have a smooth surface like a more developed dough such as whole wheat bread. That is expected and don’t try to force it or it will just get more and more sticky!
Step 6: Re-flour your hands and scoop up the dough and place it on a piece of parchment paper and sprinkle top lightly with flour. Top with a sheet of plastic wrap and let rest 30 minutes. Cut the parchment to be just a little larger than the bottom of your Dutch oven, as needed.
Step 7: Remove Dutch oven from oven. Uncover dough and carefully transfer to Dutch oven, with the parchment paper beneath. Place the lid on the Dutch oven and return it to oven.
Step 8: Bake bread 45 minutes covered, then another 10 to 15 minutes uncovered until dough is baked through and golden brown on top. Cool completely before slicing, at least 1 hour.
Frequently Asked Questions
A Dutch oven is an enameled cast iron pot with a tight-fitting lid. You can use an uncoated cast iron pot but you will not want to skip the parchment paper. It will keep it from sticking.
To preserve the bread’s crunchy crust, you’ll need to store it at room temperature unwrapped either cut side down on a cutting board or in a bread box. You can store it in an airtight container at room temperature but it will lose the crispy crust almost immediately. Store at room temperature up to 5 days. It doesn’t keep as long as sourdough, so watch for signs of mold!
You can also store well wrapped in the freezer, however, I like to slice my bread before freezing so I don’t need to thaw the whole loaf at one time.
The best oven-spring, most open crumb and crusty crust will occur if baked in a Dutch oven or Challenger bread pan, but you can also preheat a baking sheet on the center rack and a large roasting pan on the bottom of the oven. When ready to bake, place the parchment paper with the scored loaf directly on the hot baking sheet and pour at least 2 quarts of hot water into the baking pan on the bottom. Close the door as quickly as possible. Release the steam after 30 minutes by opening the door.
If you haven’t sliced the loaf yet, but would like to rewarm it for serving, preheat an oven to 400° F. Place the loaf directly onto the oven rack and bake until heated through. It will take about 15-20 minutes. You can also toast a slice at a time. Reheating a partially sliced loaf will dry it out on one side.
No knead bread and bread baked in a Dutch oven are two separate techniques that sometimes overlap! This bread recipe happens to be a no knead bread that is baked in a Dutch oven to get the most open crumb and crusty crust! You can bake any lean dough in a Dutch oven to achieve that ideal crusty crust. I bake all sourdough bread recipes using this technique.
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a star rating and let me know how it goes in the comments below! I love hearing from you and your comments make my day!
No-Knead Dutch Oven Bread
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for shaping
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast , OR ¾ teaspoon instant yeast
- 1 ½ cups warm water, about 110 to 115°F
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk flour, salt and yeast until well mixed. Pour in warm water and use a wooden spoon to stir until a shaggy dough forms. The mixture will be wet and very sticky to the touch.
- Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place 8 to 18 hours until dough rises, bubbles and flattens on top.
- Heat oven to 450°F. Once oven is preheated, place a 6-quart Dutch oven (with cover) in oven 30 minutes before baking. You can also preheat the Dutch oven with the oven.
- Generously flour a smooth work surface. Turn out the dough onto the floured surface with floured hands or a bowl scraper.
- Dust the top with more flour and working quickly, with floured hands, fold two sides in towards the center then flip over. Re-flour hands and gently shape the dough into a ball by rotating it with both of your hands and pulling it under itself.
- Re-flour your hands and scoop up the dough and place it on a piece of parchment paper and sprinkle top lightly with flour. Top with a sheet of plastic wrap and let rest 30 minutes. Cut the parchment to be just a little larger than the bottom of your Dutch oven, as needed.
- Remove the hot Dutch oven from oven. Uncover dough and carefully transfer to Dutch oven, with the parchment paper beneath. Place the lid on the Dutch oven and return it to oven.
- Bake bread 45 minutes covered, then another 10 to 15 minutes uncovered until dough is baked through and golden brown on top. Cool completely before slicing, at least 1 hour.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!Before You Go
I hope you enjoyed this easy bread recipe. Explore our lunch and dinner recipes for ways to use this delicious and easy bread!
I made it yesterday for our Sunday dinner , started it around 10 am. Baked beautifully . Will be making it again. Thanks
Awesome, Emaine! Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and comment and rate! It made my day!!
I have been making yeast breads for at least 13 years, including dutch oven breads. But I decided to try yours because of the ‘no knead’ fact. I used the 6 c flour recipe. I printed the recipe from your website and it called for 3 1/3 c water. (Your recipe now says 3 c water.) It was the worst disaster ever. No amount of added flour was able to make the dough workable. I guess I will try baking the sloppy mess and maybe I can throw it out for the birds. What a waste of 6 c of expensive flour.
Hi Leslie, I’m so sorry to hear that. I am the new owner of the site so I am not familiar with any adjustments to the recipe. I do, however, have a degree in commercial bread baking and was an executive pastry chef in Manhattan for a decade, so I bring a new level of expertise. 50% hydration, which is what this recipe calls for, is a high level of hydration. Giving the bread ample time to develop gluten on it’s own is imperative. I have not yet made this recipe myself, but it will work as written with proper proofing. Kneading dough is not actually necessary for gluten development, but it does speed it up. In lieu of active development, the dough does need time especially without folding. This dough isn’t necessarily going to be “workable” in the sense that you are used to with other recipes. It is a wet dough and will be sticky and unformed by design. The wetness of the dough will allow for bigger air pockets and a more open crumb structure if properly proofed and baked. ~Lindsey
Hello. Does this vent out on its own for a more rustic look, or do you add a slit, and maybe not in the instructions? Also, can you give me some bread 101…I am understanding you punch down where other recipes do not, they only shape before adding to Dutch Oven. Also, why isn’t sugar needed? TIA! Still learning. I was going to add some diagnostic malt to it since no sugar for more browning and crunch. Opinion?
Hi Erin, I am the new owner, so I have not made this particular recipe, but I do have a degree in commercial bread baking along with 10 years of professional experience. It does look like Stephanie scored the bread with one slice on the top. I always score my sourdough bread because it allows for a controlled, larger rise. It will still work if not scored, so don’t stress if you didn’t do it! Punching down the dough is just to degas it and this will happen naturally as the bread is shaped, so it isn’t totally necessary.
Let’s talk about sugar and browning! You don’t need sugar for a nice, caramelized brown crust. Flour has sugars in it and the bread will brown as long as it is baked hot enough. Savory sourdough bread rarely has enough sugar to promote significant browning. Sugar is a wonderful addition for flavor and also to give the yeast something easy to snack on. Sugar jumpstarts the fermentation process because the yeast can start digesting that rather than getting to work on the sugars in the flour, which is less readily available. You can add diastatic malt but it isn’t necessary to make bread or get a browned crust. This type of malt has enzymes in it that will help break down the sugars in the flour to make it more accessible for the yeast. Again, all of that will happen naturally with just yeast, flour and water. It just takes time. I hope that helps! Happy bread making! ~Lindsey
Did you or should I slash the bread right before baking?
Hi Sandy, I’m new here so I haven’t made this recipe yet, but it does look like Stephanie did score the bread with one slice on the top. I always score my sourdough bread because it allows for a controlled, larger rise. It will still work if not scored, so don’t stress if you didn’t do it! ~lindsey
The information that yuou have shared about the dutch oven bread etc. Thanks for the valuable information.
I have made this recipe a few times now (adjusted for my altitude at 8500 feet) and it’s been great every time! I’m wondering if you’ve ever tried making whole wheat bread this way. Should I add a little more water if subbing whole wheat flour? Thank you!
Amazing, Stephanie! Thanks for coming back to comment and rate! You made my day! I actually have tried making a whole wheat no knead bread and it works. I have not tried the substitution with this particular recipe, but I would not add additional water. Whole wheat flour needs more time to hydrate than all-purpose, but you are giving it ample time to hydrate and create gluten. Happy baking! ~Lindsey
I have now tried to make this bread 3 times the first two were all sloppy using1/12 cups of water as instructed to the 3 cups of flour so tried using 1cup instead which seemed to be like the video consistancy all my ingredients were fresh,but now the yeast amount doesn’t seem enough as it doesnt rise enough what is wrong with this recipe I have reached out three times to this website to no avail please answer my questions
I tried to make this recipe and used 3cups flour and used the 1/12 cups of water as stated in the ingredients and my dough is all sloppy and nothing like the posted video are the amounts listed incorrect as I have done this twice now with the same result
Hi Pamela, Unfortunately I am the new owner and I haven’t made this recipe myself, so I cannot comment specifically. I do have a professional background and a degree in commercial bread baking so I come with some knowledge here. This dough is 50% hydration, which is high. That guarantees that the dough will be incredibly sticky but it will work. Time is your best friend here, because the gluten will develop all on its own without any kneading. When working with doughs like this, try dipping your hands in cold water before touching it rather than flour. It can do the trick. But also just know it is supposed to be sticky and wet and your hands will be covered in dough. Find the joy in the mess! ~lindsey
What can I cook it in if I don’t have a Dutch oven?
I put this together last night and sat it a cold oven. I forgot to turn on the light for a little heat. About 12 hours later it didn’t seem like it had risen much. I put the bowl in warm water while I put together the Clam chowder and some gumbo. I followed the recipe for resting and baking. My dutch oven was in use so I used a deep, heavy stainless pan with a lid. The bread was baked in parchment. It turned out great! The crust was hard and chewy and the interior was screaming, butter me! The loaf wasn’t huge, but there was still a piece left after 4 adults ate the rest while dunking it in chowder and gumbo. Dang! It is so yummy!