No-Knead Crusty Artisan Bread - Recipe Diaries (2024)

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Are you stuck at home and learning how to make bread? This recipe for no knead crusty artisan bread is a good starter recipe for those who have never made bread before and it's pretty legit. Trust me, I've made it a lot of times now.

It makes pretty awesome toast as well. You can spread just about anything on it like peanut butter, Nutella, jam, and avocado. Also, make sure to read the tips below to help you out during the whole process!

Jump to:
  • Why You Will Love This Recipe
  • Ingredients Needed
  • How to Make No Knead Bread
  • Variations for No Knead Bread
  • Tips for No-Knead Bread
  • Other Recipes You Might Like
  • No Knead Crusty Artisan Bread

Why You Will Love This Recipe

If you are a fan of bread, then you know there is nothing quite like a freshly baked, crusty artisan loaf. However, creating this type of bread can seem daunting, particularly if you are not an experienced baker. With the no-knead crusty artisan bread recipe, however, anyone can create a delicious, homemade loaf that is sure to impress.

The beauty of this recipe is that it requires very little effort. In fact, the dough comes together in just a few minutes, and then it is left to rise overnight. This extended fermentation time is what gives the bread its complex flavor and airy texture. The result is a loaf that is crusty on the outside, yet soft and chewy on the inside.

Ingredients Needed

No-Knead Crusty Artisan Bread - Recipe Diaries (2)
  • All Purpose Flour - is a type of wheat flour that is commonly used in cooking and baking. It is versatile and can be used for a variety of recipes, including bread, cakes, cookies, and pastries.
  • Salt - bread without any salt is pretty boring and bland, gotta add some flavor to it!
  • Active dry yeast- this helps the dough rise, make sure that the yeast is still good and that it's not expired before using.
  • Luke-warm water - if the water isn't warm the bread will not rise. I've made this mistake plenty of times before trust me!
  • See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

How to Make No Knead Bread

Step 1: Combine the three dry ingredients in a large bowl, then pour in the luke-warm water.Stir until completely combined. The dough will look messy and not smooth and that is completely okay.Once combined, cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap or set a towel over the bowl; let sit on the counter overnight.

No-Knead Crusty Artisan Bread - Recipe Diaries (3)

Step 2: When the dough is done rising and ready to bake, preheat oven to 450 degrees F.Stick a 6-quart enamel-coated cast iron Lodge Dutch Oven (or similar) in the oven for about 30 minutes to heat.

Step 3: Heavily flour clean countertop or surface. Remember this is no-knead! Dump the dough onto a floured surface and shape into a round ball.

No-Knead Crusty Artisan Bread - Recipe Diaries (5)

Step 4: After dutch oven has preheated, take the dutch oven outCAREFULLY with some oven mits or hot pads. Note handles will beextremely HOT!Place the ball of dough in the dutch oven and cover with lid.

No-Knead Crusty Artisan Bread - Recipe Diaries (6)

Recipe Tip: Brush the top of the bread with egg wash to get the top a golden brown color.

Step 5: Bake at 450 degrees F for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove lid and bake for an additional 15 minutes until done. Bread will be golden in color.

Variations for No Knead Bread

Once you've mastered this whole process of baking bread you can change up the flavors a bit with this exact same method. Think cinnamon raisin bread, love cinnamon raisin bread, no knead focaccia bread, cranberry walnut bread, cheddar and garlic, the list goes on and on and you are going to be a happy camper when you eat this. 🙂

The dough can be customized with different types of flour, seeds, or other add-ins to create a variety of different flavors. For example, you could try using whole wheat flour, rye flour, or spelt flour instead of all-purpose flour. You could also add in some chopped herbs, sun-dried tomatoes, or olives for a savory twist.

Tips for No-Knead Bread

When you are ready to bake the bread, you will need to heat your dutch oven first for 30 minutes. I've tested this step before without preheating the oven and the bread didn't turn the golden brown color like the pictures show. Do NOT skip this step.

Make sure to use oven mitts or hot pads for safety, when transferring the heated dutch oven.

No Dutch Oven:Use anoven-safepot or pan with a lid on it. The dutch oven creates steam inside since it is covered.

The last ten minutes you take the cover off of the dutch oven and bake the bread uncovered so it gets those crusty brown edges.

Oh yah and if you love avocado toast try it with homemade fresh bread. You'll be amazed at how good it is. 🙂

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Other Recipes You Might Like

  • Hot Ham and Cheese Sandwiches
  • THE CHEWY Chocolate Chip Cookie
  • Ree Drummond Perfect Potato Soup
  • Simple Perfect Chili Ree Drummond

If you tried this No Knead Crusty Artisan Breadorany other recipe on my website, please please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you! Follow along on Tiktok @jennarecipediaries

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No-Knead Crusty Artisan Bread - Recipe Diaries (12)

No Knead Crusty Artisan Bread

★★★★★4.5 from 11 reviews
  • Author: Jenna
  • Prep Time: 15 min
  • Cook Time: 45min
  • Total Time: 1hr
  • Yield: 12 1x
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Description

Are you stuck at home and learning how to make bread? This is a good starter recipe for those who have never made bread before and it's pretty legit. Trust me, I've made it a lot of times now.

Scale

Ingredients

  • 3 cups All Purpose Flour
  • 1½ tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. active dry yeast
  • 1½ cups luke-warm water

Instructions

  1. Combine the three dry ingredients in a large bowl, then pour in the luke-warm water.
  2. Stir until completely combined. The dough will look messy and not smooth and that is completely okay.Once combined, cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap or set a towel over the bowl; let sit on the counter overnight.
  3. When the dough is done rising and ready to bake, preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
  4. Stick a 6-quart enamel coated cast iron Lodge Dutch Oven (or similar) in the oven for about 30 minutes to heat.
  5. Heavily flour clean countertop or surface. Remember this is no-knead! Dump the dough onto a floured surface and shape into a round ball.
  6. After dutch oven has preheated, take the dutch oven out CAREFULLY with some oven mits or hot pads. Note handles will be extremely HOT!
  7. Place the ball of dough in the dutch oven and cover with lid.
  8. Bake at 450 degrees F for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove lid and bake for an additional 15 minutes until done. Bread will be golden in color.

Notes

If using Instant Yeast, the dough does not need to sit overnight, only a couple of hours.

No Dutch Oven: Use an oven-safe pot or pan with a lid on it. The dutch oven creates steam inside since it is covered.

  • Category: Easy
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 slice
  • Calories: 111
  • Sugar: 3
  • Fat: 1
  • Saturated Fat: 0
  • Unsaturated Fat: 0
  • Carbohydrates: 22
  • Fiber: 1
  • Protein: 3

Keywords: no knead crusty bread

No-Knead Crusty Artisan Bread - Recipe Diaries (2024)

FAQs

Why is my homemade no knead bread so dense? ›

Why is my bread dense: Usually bread will be too dense when there is too much flour. Keep in mind this dough will be pretty sticky, do not add more flour than specified. Other factors that come into play are humidity and age of flour. Little yeast, long rise, sticky dough are keys to a good, light loaf.

Why is no knead bread so good? ›

It slows yeast activity, giving enzymes time to break down starches that contribute sweet notes to the bread's flavor and improve browning.

Is kneaded bread better than no-knead? ›

Kneading dough builds consistency and gives structure to raw mounds of flour and water. While some no-knead recipes deliver fluffy slices through fermentation, there's a "best way" to make crusts and breads at home.

What ingredient browns crust adds flavor and improves textures of breads? ›

Sugar adds sweetness and flavor but also aids in browning, tenderizing, keeping the final quick bread moist, and acting as a preservative to increase the shelf life.

Can you overproof no knead bread? ›

Perfectly proofed no-knead bread dough will have a bubbly top that is flat or slightly domed and stretches across the mouth of the bowl. If your dough has overproofed, it will have sunken in slightly. Slightly overproofed dough can still be shaped and baked. It will just produce a flatter loaf.

What are the pros and cons of no-knead bread? ›

No-knead (Passive): In this mix-to-combine, long-fermented method, time is used to maximum effect for developing both flavor and strength. Pros: Dough develops flavor during extended fermentation. Easy. Cons: Uncontrolled fermentation may cause variable impacts to crumb structure and flavor.

Why is my no-knead bread tough? ›

My bottom crust was too hard.

Your oven may be hotter than you think. Use an oven thermometer to assure your oven is the proper temperature. Try placing a baking pan on the rack below the bread to block some of the heat.

What happens to bread if you dont knead it? ›

A failure to knead dough (unless you're working with a no-knead recipe) can lead to: Poor gluten development: When you don't knead bread, the gluten won't form properly. This can result in a lack of elasticity and strength, meaning your final product is likely to come out of the oven dense and heavy.

What is the no-knead method? ›

No-knead bread is a method of bread baking that uses a very long fermentation (rising) time instead of kneading to form the gluten strands that give the bread its texture. It is characterized by a low yeast content and a very wet dough.

How to make bread crust crunchy? ›

The best way to brown and crisp your bread's bottom crust – as well as enhance its rise – is to bake it on a preheated pizza stone or baking steel. The stone or steel, super-hot from your oven's heat, delivers a jolt of that heat to the loaf, causing it to rise quickly.

Which spices inhibit yeast? ›

Some spices such as cinnamon, ginger, and garlic have anti-microbe properties. That means that they disturb and prevent yeast fermentation. So, adding spices like these to the flour mixture is not a good idea.

What to do if homemade bread is too dense? ›

Lack of gas and fermentation that makes the dough aerate results in dense and heavy bread. In these cases, it is either necessary to allow the dough to be proof longer or move it to the warmer room.

How to make homemade bread less dense? ›

Simply put, you have to control the temperature of the bread. Allowing ample time for your bread dough to rise and the yeast to form will create the holes in the bread that give it a lighter texture. Letting your dough get puffy and grow before it goes into the oven is critical.

How can I make my bread fluffier instead of dense? ›

Add Sugar

Adding sugar weakens the gluten structure, absorbs water, and eventually makes the bread lighter and softer. As a result, sugar improves the bread's taste, structure and texture. Yeast also eats up sugar to produce carbon dioxide, which raises the dough and makes bread fluffy.

Why is my homemade bread dense and heavy? ›

Too much extra flour worked into the dough while folding and/or shaping can cause dense bread. Over mixing can cause a dense loaf by the weakening and breakdown of the gluten (not likely to happen if you fold dough or hand knead). The flour you used is a whole grain with coarse bits of bran and grain in it.

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