This is a phenomenal bread recipe. The best, EASY yeast bread you will ever make, beginners love how simple it is while bread connoisseurs appreciate the Artisan bread qualities – the thick crispy crust and chewy crumb with big fat holes like sourdough!
No knead, 3 minutes active effort, very forgiving recipe. Make this today, then the Cheese Bread version tomorrow!
Phenomenal EASY yeast bread recipe
This is an extraordinary white bread recipe with outstanding results. While it’s easy and forgiving, making it suitable for beginners, experienced bakers will recognise and appreciate the Artisan bread characteristics – large holes in the crumb like your favourite sourdough bread with that signature chewiness, and a thick, crispy crust.
It’s a gold nugget recipe, and you may never buy bread again after trying this!
Here’s why it’s so easy:
No knead, no stand mixer
3 minutes active effort – you won’t even get your hands dirty
Dutch oven (cast iron pot) ideal but not necessary
Incredibly forgiving dough, with rise times ranging from 2 hours to 3 days (yes, really, you choose what works for you)
Easy but yet no compromise on quality of bread
What you need to make this homemade bread recipe
Here’s what you need to make homemade bread from scratch – yeast, flour, salt and water. Yep, really, that’s it!
No yeast?
Make this famous Irish Soda Bread instead, or this incredible No Yeast Sandwich bread based on the traditional Australian Damper!
Yeast – my base recipe uses Rapid Rise or Instant Yeast which does not need to be dissolved in water. But it works just as well with normal yeast (“Active Dry Yeast” or just “dry yeast”) – you just need to change the order of the steps and dissolve the yeast in water first. The bread comes out exactly the same!
Best flour for homemade bread – use bread flour if you can. Bread flour has more protein in it than normal flour which means more gluten, and this makes the dough more elastic and yields a more fluffy yet chewy texture inside the bread, as well as creating the big holes you see in the photos, like sourdough bread. However, this bread is still spectacular made with normal flour too!
How to make the world’s easiest homemade bread – Artisan style!
Here are process steps with tips, but also see the video below – super handy to see the dough consistency, and how to form the dough.
1. Make wet sticky dough
Mix together the flour, salt and yeast, then add warm water and mix. The “dough” will be very wet and sloppy, not kneadable at all – this is what you want! See video at 17 seconds for consistency.
2. Rise!
Cover with cling wrap then place it in a warm place (25 – 30°C / 77 – 86°F) for 2 hours. The dough will increase in volume by double or more, the surface will become bubbly and the dough will be wobbly, like jelly. See video at 24 seconds for consistency.
OPTIONAL – develop flavour: Once dough has risen, you can bake immediately. OR, for better flavour, refrigerate for a minimum of 8 hours, up to 3 days. Time = better flavour development.
Bread in photos and video were baked immediately. I usually make this dough in the morning, refrigerate all day then bake in the evening. Or make the dough in the evening, refrigerate overnight and bake fresh in the morning! (10 – 12 hours in fridge). Beauty of this bread is that you can bake anytime!
No dutch oven? No problem! Just bake it on a tray – see the recipe notes.
3. Preheat oven & pot
30 minutes before dough has risen, or while refrigerated dough is coming to room temperature, place dutch oven (cast iron pot) in the oven to preheat at 230°C/450°F.
Hot oven + hot pot = bread rising boost!
4. Scrape dough out
Scrape dough out of bowl onto floured work surface. It will be wet and sticky and that’s exactly what you want – because we will not be kneading it! In fact, you won’t even touch it with your hand.
PRO TIP: Dough handling and shaping technique devised to minimise addition of flour. Less flour = wetter dough = bigger air pockets, fluffier bread and more moist.
5. Shape the dough very roughly
Use a dough scraper or anything of similar shape (spatula, cake server, or large knife) to fold the sides in so it roughly resembles a round disc.
Don’t get too hung up on the shaping – you’ll deform it in the next step!! This step is mainly to deflate the dough.
6. FLIP dough upside down onto paper
Slide a large piece of baking / parchment paper next to the dough, then flip it upside down onto the paper using the scraper so the seams from the step above are face down, and you have the smooth side up.
Slide/push the dough into the centre, then briefly reshape it into a round or slightly oval shape.
Do not get too hung up on a neat shape – this bread is supposed to be rustic! Besides, scruffier shape = more awesome crispy ridges
7. Prepare to bake!
Remove very hot pot from oven, then use paper to pick up the dough and put it in the pot, and put the lid on.
See recipe notes for no dutch oven method.
8. Bake!
Bake for 30 minutes with the lid on (this creates a steamer effect, allowing the bread to rise while it cooks before crust sets), then 12 minutes with the lid off to brown and crisp up the crust. The surface will crack – and you want this, for extra crispy ridges!! And it looks authentic, just like the Artisan bread you buy at bakeries. 😇
Cool for 10 minutes before slicing. This is important – to let the centre of the bread finish cooking (if you slice too early, it will seem a bit doughy. Patience was never my greatest virtue, so I learnt this first hand!)
Remember – you can make this bread recipe WITHOUT a dutch oven!
Why this bread recipe works – and TIPS!
Loose, sticky dough = easier to rise than firmer dough.
No kneading = rough dough, but because the dough is so soft, it puffs up enough to “smooth out” the roughness.
Super forgiving dough – too stiff, add water. Too wet, add flour. Dough not rising? Move it to a warmer place. Takes 45 minutes to rise or 5 hours? It will still work. As long as your dough is the same consistency as what you see in the video and you let it rise to double the volume, this bread recipe will work as long as the yeast is not past its expiry date!
Why you need a preheated dutch oven for no knead bread recipes – to create a steamy environment to give the bread a rise boost before the crust sets (which stops the bread from rising). Professional bakeries are equipped with steam ovens – the cast iron pot is the home method!
Don’t have a dutch oven? No problem! Recreate the steamy environment by placing hot water in a pan in the oven, and bake the bread on a tray.
Big holes in the crumb – loose dough from less flour, high oven temp and preheated pot allows the yeast to give the bread a great rise boost, creating big air pockets. Also the use of bread flour rather than normal flour helps – you get less large holes using normal flour.
Bake immediately if it’s a bread emergency….
…but you’ll be rewarded with tastier bread if you leave the dough 8+ hours in the fridge! I normally make dough first thing in the morning (it takes 3 minutes!) then bake that night. Or make dough at night and bake in the morning. (~12 hrs in fridge for both scenarios)
Why refrigerating the dough creates a better tasting bread – because the fridge slows down the fermentation of the yeast (ie dough stops rising, if it kept rising it would kill the rising power of the yeast), allowing the enzymes in the yeast to do their work, transforming starch into sugar which creates a more flavourful bread. So we let the dough rise first, then refrigerate it.
All the ways to eat this bread!
Everything you do with bread you buy, you can do with this bread. It truly has the structure of bakery bread, so there are no limits!
Eat it fresh out of the oven, slathered with butter. Make sandwiches, toast it, mop plates clean, dunk it in soups and stews. Make bruschetta, garlic bread, grilled cheese, CHEESY garlic bread or Cheese and Garlic CRACK Bread!
I hope you enjoy this crusty bread recipe as much as I do. This really is one of those gold nugget recipes that you’ll make once and treasure forever! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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World’s Easiest Yeast Bread recipe – Artisan, NO KNEAD
Ingredients
- 3 cups (450g) flour , bread or plain/all purpose (Note 1)
- 2 tsp instant or rapid rise yeast (Note 2 for normal / active dry yeast)
- 2 tsp cooking / kosher salt , NOT table salt (Note 3)
- 1 1/2 cups (375 ml) very warm tap water , NOT boiling or super hot (ie up to 55°C/130°F) (Note 4)
Dough shaping
- 1 1/2 tbsp flour , for dusting
Instructions
- Mix Dough: Mix flour, yeast and salt in a large bowl. Add water, then use the handle of a wooden spoon to mix until all the flour is incorporated. Dough will be wet and sloppy – not kneadable, but not runny like cake batter. Adjust with more water or flour if needed for right consistency (see video at 17 sec, Note 5).
- Rise: Cover with cling wrap or plate, leave on counter for 2 – 3 hours until it doubles in volume, it’s wobbly like jelly and the top is bubbly (see video at 24 seconds). If after 1 hour it doesn’t seem to be rising, move it somewhere warmer (Note 6).
- Optional – refrigerate for flavour development (Note 9): At this stage, you can either bake immediately (move onto Step 5) or refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- Take chill out of refrigerated dough – if you refrigerated dough per above, leave the bowl on the counter for 45 – 60 minutes while the oven is preheating. Cold dough does not rise as well.
- Preheat oven (Note 7) – Put dutch oven in oven with lid on (26cm/10" or larger). Preheat to 230°C/450°F (220° fan) 30 minutes prior to baking. (Note 8 for no dutch oven)
- Shape dough: Sprinkle work surface with 1 tbsp flour, scrape dough out of bowl. Sprinkle top with 1/2 tbsp flour.
- Using a dough scraper or anything of similar shape (cake server, large knife, spatula), fold the sides inwards (about 6 folds) to roughly form a roundish shape. Don’t be too meticulous here – you’re about to deform it, it’s more about deflating the bubbles in the dough and forming a shape you can move.
- Transfer to paper: Slide a large piece of parchment/baking paper (not wax paper) next to the dough, then flip the dough upside down onto the paper (ie seam side down, smooth side up). Slide/push it towards the middle, then reshape it into a round(ish) shape. Don't get too hung up about shape. In fact, lopsided = more ridges = more crunchy bits!
- Dough in pot: Remove piping hot dutch oven from oven. Use paper to place dough into pot, place lid on.
- Bake 30 minutes covered, then 12 minutes uncovered or until deep golden and crispy.
- Cool on rack for 10 minutes before slicing.
Recipe Notes:
- Fridge up to 3 days – Rise dough per recipe, then leave in bowl and refrigerate up to 3 days. Flavour gets better with time. Dough will stay bubbly for a day or two, then will deflate – that’s fine. Shape into round and place on paper per recipe, then leave for 45 – 60 minutes to take the chill out of it, then bake per recipe. Cold dough won’t rise as well.
- Bread in photos & video is 2 hr rise, immediate bake.
- Cooked bread – great fresh for 2 days, then after that, better warmed or toasted. Keep in an airtight container or ziplock bag. This stays more fresh than usual homemade bread, especially if you use bread flour.
- Freeze cooked bread for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Information:
More bread recipes
Life of Dozer
Just keeping a close eye on it for me….
Good job Dozer. Here’s your treat. Look, I even buttered it for you! (PS He’s in his robe because it’s a rainy day yet I still took him to the beach!!!)
Bianca says
Has anyone else’s baking paper stuck on the bread? How did you get it off? Apart from this, BEST BREAD EVERRRRRRRRRRRRR.
Jill says
I was worried about mine burning if I make this, Parchment paper says 425 degrees max. It burns at a higher temp for me.
Amanda says
I made this tonight for dinner and my baking paper decided to stick to the bread (I don’t have wax paper so I know I didn’t use the wrong one). I tried to peel the paper off straight away and noticed it was stuck, so I put maybe 1.5tsp water into the hot pot and placed the bread back in there and the steam released it 😊
Delicious, isn’t it?! 😋
Mandy says
For the parchment paper sticking problem…. I cut up a non stick baking sheet made out of some sort of high temp plastic….to the shape of the bottom of my Dutch ovens…. turned out great. Love this recipe 😍
Amanda says
Are you referring to those silicone baking mats?
If so, I wouldn’t recommend it. Once cut the fiberglass inside it exposed and can lead to serious health issues.
I’m in the baking business community and one lady done this a noticed her hands were getting irritated over time (to the point now that steroid creams won’t even heal her hands). Eventually they figured out it was from the fiberglass in the mats and while in the oven it leached into the foods.
Just thought I’d share (if that’s the mat you have used) 😊
Bianca says
I’ll definitely try that thank you!!!!
Elizabeth says
Made two times already in the last week! First time was too wet (my fault) and second time was perfect. Both taste AMAZING!! I use my Dutch oven to bake it. Very easy recipe that’s very forgiving too for a
Newbie baker like myself.
Penny Wood says
Nagi, I shall blame you for all the weight I put on eating bread and butter. !
Melanie says
I don’t typically write comments on recipe website’s, but this recipe was one of the best. It turned out perfect with little to no work!
Rosemary says
Your bread is so beautiful ! I followed your instructions. I did let it rise for 3 hours then I put it in the refrigerator. I took it out to get to room temperature. But the top didn’t crack. What did I do wrong?
Jennifer says
Could I add garlic cloves? Like a roasted garlic bread? If so would they be raw? I’m so looking forward to this!
Angela says
I have a cast iron French sauce pan with a lid. Would this be suitable to cook the bread or is it too shallow? Thanks
Val says
I haven’t scrolled through all 2000 reviews yet, but I’m wondering if anyone has found a way to make this gluten free. My dad has been diagnosed with celiac and he loves this bread but can no longer have it due to the gluten 😞
Janis says
We tried this bread recipe with Einkorn flour it came out delicious and my husband loved it.
Robin Francis says
Thanks. Came out perfectly just like you said. But I only had unbleached white flour. I shall try and find bread flour.
Diane says
I have been making this bread for a couple of years now , it turns out every time , my husband loves it , I make it all the time !
Can i substitute whole meal grain flower 100% , I’m not eating white flour ?
Is this considered a sourdough bread , what is the difference between this and a sourdough ?
Elizabeth says
Not a sourdough! Sourdough uses a “starter” which has yeast, flour, and water left to ferment and get that funky sour taste. Most like a rustic loaf— Easy, quick, and delicious!
Liz says
Sourdough starter does not contain yeast – only flour and water left to ferment over a series of days whilst being fed more small amounts of flour and water in the meantime.
Ash S says
This recipe is absolutely incredible! Tasty, beautiful bread that is SO easy to make (it really is foolproof). I have made this more than 25 times – the bread has impressed so many people – nobody would guess how easy and fast it is. I typically make it in between meetings while working from home. I do not have a dutch oven and the result is just perfect. Thank you for sharing this. I did want to try adding raisins next time – would you recommend this? Thanks!
Bec says
It’s ok. No bread makes me angry too. Look at the video. If your dough doesn’t have the same consistency, adjust it (as the recipe suggests 😉) The type of flour, water, temperature, altitude result in slight variances. Thankfully this recipe is very forgiving.
Trevor says
This is fantastic. Cooked mine in my Le Creuset casserole and it is perfect every time. Tried it with all white, two thirds white and one third wholemeal, two thirds white and one third cobber mixed grain, and all cobber mixed grain. Found I needed to slightly reduce the water when using a grain mix flour. So easy and the results are sublime.
Pam says
I’ve made this recipe and was pleased with the outcome. Have you ever tried adding nuts or seeds to this recipe?
Joann says
Me to!
MT says
Outstanding!. Bread turned out perfect. I let it rest in the fridge for 24 hours. Crispy crust with a light fluffy centre.
Thank you for sharing such a great recipe.
Kathy Kasperski says
Absolutely easy and delicious!!! 👏🏻😋😄
Necia says
Can I still bake this at 350? My oven won’t go any higher and we can’t afford a new one yet. I assume it would have to go longer, just asking if you think it would work.
Anne says
Okaaaay do you all really just cool it for 10 minutes???? Isnt that way too fast? I’ve baked this twice and the first time around it was still doughy inside after 10min rest. The 2nd time, I cooled it for 1hr as suggested by other blogs and it was much much better… Any thoughts?
Christy says
Hi, I’m an experienced baker, and my best tip, would be to treat warm bread as you would warm cake. In other words, DO NOT slice into it until it has FULLY cooled. Because the bread is still developing it’s crumb (Or the large air pockets) as it cools. Cutting into it too soon destroys them and results in a doughy looking and dense textured bread. So, I know it’s difficult to wait for it to cool, but I waited 1hr 30 minutes for mine, and the crumb was amazing!!
Belinda says
Wow! Such a strong response, are you okay?
I’ve used this recipe twice and on both occasions I needed a little more water than Nagi wrote. What’s going wrong with yours?