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!!!)
Aarti says
This is the first time i have ever baked bread and your recipe was the easiest and the bread looked beautiful. The bread tastes amazing, but somehow, my bread comes out much more dense and not with as many holes. I have now managed to make this a few times. what can i do to make it more bouncy with holes rather than thick and dense.
Please help.
Sharon says
Hi Nagi,
I’m making your Minestrone & Bread at work this week! I can’t wait for customers response. Thank you!
Fiona Burns says
Love this bread. Make it Saturday for the week ahead. Simple easy no fuss & beats bought bread for flavour. Time to try soda bread
Hiromi Chino says
Hi, Nagi. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I finally baked my very first loaf of bread and even without a dutch oven, it came out great.
A quick question about the dough. My husband loves multigrain bread with a lot of dried fruit and nuts in it. May I just mix in pieces of nuts, dried fruit, seeds, and maybe do half a cup of whole wheat and two cups of bread flour? Would that work??? Also, do you believe if I use a dutch oven, I can make the crust come out thicker? I loved the bread but the crust could be slightly crispier and thicker. I was wondering if it would be better with a real dutch oven. Thank you!!
Nagi says
Hi Hiromi, a dutch oven holds the heat so the crust would be crispier in a dutch oven – however you could just leave your loaf in the oven slightly longer to get a harder crust. You can add nuts and seeds, I also mention wholemeal flour in the recipe notes. N x
Gloria says
Sorry, totally forgot to add the rating earlier. This is a perfect 5-star! Thank, Nagi, love your recipes!
Gloria says
I’ve never been able to successfully make bread before, but this was so easy! It was perfect and my family loved it! Could I add a bit of whole wheat or spelt flour–maybe 1/4 cup or so–without it ruining this recipe? Have you ever tried that? Love your recipes!!! (I’m in the U.S.)
Ruby says
My first time making bread and it worked perfectly. Far too easy to make too. I usually rise my doughs on my lap while watching TV because my house is always freezing and it works like a charm.
Nagi says
I love this idea Ruby!! N x
Helen says
I made this bread and baked it on a regular baking tray as I don’t have a Dutch oven, It was not as golden as yours nor did the top crack. I was wondering if I want it to be as golden as yours, wouldn’t the bottom be too hard? Thank you Nagi.
Nagi says
Hi Helen, sounds like your oven may run slightly cooler – if you leave it in slightly longer you should find the colour improves 🙂 N x
Sari says
Perfect crusty bread! I use 450gr bread flour I/o 3cups measurement. Simple & easy & love the taste of warm bread with butter on it. Thanks Nagi xx
Nagi says
Hi Sari – 450g is equivalent to 3 cups of flour so you’ve used the correct amount here. N x
Ale Baixeras says
Question – ive made these bread several times and it always comes out good but I feel like it could rise a bit more. I just noticed in the recipe it says 3 cups of flour but then it says 450g of flour. 3 cups of flour is definitely more than 450g of flour. This may be why my bread isn’t rising enough. Should this be 2 cups of flour instead?
Nagi says
Hi Ale, 3 cups equals 450g of flour (1 cup is 150g) so if you’re using 450g then you’re using the right amount, leave it out to rise slightly longer if need be 🙂 N x
Vickie Horner says
This recipe is the best and I have also made it many times. Today I am substituting Res Star’s “Instant Sourdough Yeast + Sourdough Culture.” I believe it is a 1:1 ratio. Fingers crossed!
Nagi says
Love to know how it went Vicki!! N x
Jodie Staropoulos says
Making this for the 8th time during iso getting better at it each time and so easy thanks Nagi 🤪
Colleen says
Just made this and it came out great! I don’t have a dutch oven so I baked the bread on a cast iron skillet with the water bath below and it worked like a charm!
Shannon Crawford says
Made this yesterday and it’s phenomenal! Mixed it the night before and put it in the fridge overnight for more flavor. Baked it the next morning. I don’t think I’m ever going to buy a loaf of rustic bread again. Thanks for saving me money Nagi!
Suzanne Phelps says
I made this today to have with your minestrone soup recipe. I’m in heaven looking at them sitting on my bench. Can’t stand it any longer, off to eat.
Nagi says
It’s PERFECT for dunking!! Enjoy Suzanne!! N x
Pam says
This works well with a proper Dutch oven, but does it rise as well when just baked in a flat tray.
Also does an aluminium cake tin take this heat ok ?
Thanks
linda says
can you please tell me how to avoid the bottom of bread being so hard . Have made it twice and both times the bottom crust was very hard and hard to cut.
Nagi says
Hi Linda, that could be from the heat in the pot you’re cooking it in. Traditionally they do have a hard crust – if you want to soften it to make it easier to slice, just wrap the warm loaf in a tea towel after it has been cooked – N x
Linda says
Thank you I really appreciate your quick response. Should the tea towel be damp. I never used one before and not exactly sure what it is.
Nagi says
Hi Linda, no just a dry tea towel, the heat from the loaf will create some steam and make the crust soft. N x
Chanel Vegas says
Hi Nagi, would you add additions to bread after rise or before?
Nagi says
Hi Chanel – add them to the flour mix before the rise as you won’t be kneading after. N x
Lisa Wiedecke says
My top didn’t crack. I used the refrigerator method. What was the problem?
Nagi says
Hi Lisa, it could be a number of reasons – they don’t always crack though 🙂 N x
Jen says
Hi! I was wondering if you could use whole wheat or white whole wheat flour?
Thanks!
drew458 says
I used 70gm WW + 380gm BF, kept the water to 100F, 11gm salt, 6gm SAF instant yeast. 2 hours rise, overnight in fridge. Loaf came out pretty, great crumb. Crust is not super crisp. I make complex sourdough bread, so it’s nice to do a simple recipe like this once in a while. This one is a great place to start if you are new to bread.