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!!!)
Allison says
This was seriously one of the fluffiest breads I’ve ever eaten and extremely simple to follow.
Nagi says
Woo hoo!! That’s great Allison! Enjoy! N x
Katie says
This has been my go-to bread recipe for the last several months. It’s delicious every time! Our Belgian exchange student loves this over anything bought in the bakery! It’s so easy I’ve convinced her to bake it for her family when she heads home next month. Thank you for helping us make precious memories!
Nagi says
Awwww Katie! That is so lovely! THanks for commenting!! N x
Mary Ann Quevedo Hee says
Hi Nagi! I truly enjoy your recipes and all the information you add into your recipes. I hope to try more of your recipes in the coming days. God bless you more!
Nagi says
Awwww, thank you Mary Ann!! Enjoy! N x
Stephanie says
Can I use pizza flour instead of bread flour? It should still be better than plain flour right?
Nagi says
Yes Stephanie you can use pizza flour. Plain flour will also work with this one! N x
Chami says
Hi,
This bread tastes amazing but I always find that the bottom sticks to the baking paper and cannot be separated after baking. I had to cut off the whole bottom to avoid eating the paper.
Any suggestions?
Nagi says
Sprinkle a bit of flour on the paper before you flip the dough onto it! N x
Sani says
I love it!! It turned out wonderful!! Great job explaining all the steps, adding video and being so ‘to the point’! Thank u for sharing this recipe!
Nagi says
I am glad that you liked it Sani! N x
Sue says
Absolutely the BEST. I’ve done the Sourdough thing over covid and its time consuming and that mother is a pain. Follow the recipe and it’s easy. Fresh bread every weekend and minimal cost . Thank you Nagi
Nagi says
I love sourdough too but this has a better pay-off for the amount of effort required!! N x
Karly says
Is the yeast dead and the dough bad if I got busy and accidentally turned the max three days in the fridge into 6 days?
Nagi says
You won’t know until you bake it Karly! If it smells like a beer, it could be dead and overblown but in the fridge it might survive! I would still throw it in the oven and see – you never know! N x
Saikhan says
Can you explain the sheet method a bit more. Do i add water to the same pan the bread is in or in a seperate pan and put it under the bread. need the answer asap because my bread is rising rn lol.
Nagi says
It’s in a separate pan under the bread which creates steam in the oven! N x
Vivien Wessels says
I have made this bread before from the NY times recipe. Today with your recipe and the much shorter rising time it turned out supet – much better than the American recipes with their longer rise. Thanks – you’ve done it again !
Alexa says
Made this today. Was my first attempt ever at making bread. Was a little worried my dough didn’t rise much and I used active dry yeast. But safe to say it turned out delicious! More on the flatter side but tastes great!
Nagi says
Woo hoo!! That’s great Alexa! Keep on baking! N x
Kate says
Made this loaf last weekend.
We loved it. It makes the best toast as well.
Today I made the Focacia …. Everyone should try both these recipes. My husband wanted to know why I hadn’t started making them long ago!
Oh, and the hot cross buns were also amazing.
I haven’t had much success with yeast baking before, but that has all changed.
My teenage grand daughter is coming over on Friday to try her hand at the Artisan loaf.
Thanks so much for simplifying and taking the mystery out of making bread products.
Nagi says
It’s never too late to start baking!!! I am glad you are enjoying your new skill! N x
Robin says
I have made this twice now, the first time even doubling the ingredients so I could have a loaf for home and one to take to the Easter dinner with my church family. I simply love this recipe. It’s super forgiving and easy to double and make two loaves because of the refrigeration step. I also have to make high altitude adjustments so I modify the first rise as a countertop rise and then the second rise is all refrigerated. The flavor and the crumb are truly like a sourdough bread and my favorite recipe for a sourdough-like bread. It is far superior to using yogurt with active yogurt cultures and sour cream to sour the dough. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Nagi says
Thanks Robin! I am happy that you like the recipe! N x
Christian says
This recipe is simply remarkable!
Substituted 10% of the white bread flour with rye and achieved what I’ve been looking for since coming to Oz 40 years ago: bread that has the consistency and taste of the light rye I grew up with in Vienna.
AND effortless within 2 hours max!
I just can’t thank you enough.
Nagi says
I am so happy my recipe reminds you of home!! N x
Louise says
Can I add herbs, particularly dill, to this recipe?
Nagi says
I think it would make a nice herb bread Louise! N x
Seth Ingle says
So easy, so good. Definitely adding this to the recipe box. Even a hit with the kids.
Thank you so much
Nagi says
Warm bread is the bomb!! Enjoy it Seth!! N x
Mary says
I make this bread 3-5 times a week, and it comes out the same every time. In the time it takes me to toast the last piece, I can mix a new batch of dough and get it in to rise. Only difference is I add a bit of honey or sugar. Yesterday I went to bake and the oven didn’t work. I put the dough in the frig, and waited for the repairman today. Oven will be out at least a week and I hated to throw out the dough. So I preheated my TOASTER OVEN to 450, took half the dough, put it in a small aluminum loaf pan. I wrapped the whole thing in tin foil for 35 minutes, then did 15 without after removing the foil. It was awesome! Nice big holes. Good crumb. I couldn’t believe it! Answered my question about making baguettes!
Nagi says
Wow Mary! That is so good to know and just shows that you can make things work even without the exact equipment! Well done! N x
Lori Eger says
I’ve now made this bread so many times, I’ve got the recipe memorized.
Thank you for such an easy, delicious loaf (loaves!) of bread.
I’ve tried different flours and they have all turned out great. I just took an Irish “granary” loaf out of the oven and can’t wait for it to cool down so I can cut into it!
Nagi says
Woo hoo!! You are a baking machine Lori! Enjoy!! N x
Leonie says
Why did I wait soo long to attempt this, it smells great and looks perfect but now cooling haha. I am learning so much from you and the video’s. Thank you
Nagi says
Enjoy, Leonie!! N x
Reed says
I just made a beautiful loaf of bread using this recipe. I needed some bread fast so I went with the two hour rise. I couldn’t be more pleased. I’m sure it will taste as good as it looks. Next time I’ll do the overnight rise for comparison. Thanks for the great recipe. This will become a staple in my home.
Nagi says
This one is pretty much no fail for sure!! N x
Layall says
Hi Nagi, I cooked this recipe and followed instructions down to the T. I had to use the steam method because I didn’t have the same equipment and it looked beautiful but was still alittle Doughy… can you think of why the cooking time wasn’t enough? I covered it in foil and uncovered for the last 12min as advised
Nagi says
Every oven runs a bit different – maybe yours is just a little colder than mine. Try leaving it in for another 5-7 minutes and see if you get a better result next time! N x