No Knead Bread: Unbelievably Easy, Incredibly Delicious!
This No Knead Bread recipe by Jim Lahey will change your life, as it has mine. I never buy bread anymore. This recipe is nothing short of phenomenal.
Originally published November 30, 2011.
Whenever I would see loaves like this one, I never dreamt I’d ever be able to make anything so fabulous myself, nevermind that it could be so incredibly simple!
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Well, I have made this no knead bread countless times now, and have never had a bad loaf yet! I’ve forgotten to add the salt a couple of times, but it was still fabulous. I’ve shared the recipe with friends and family who have shared it, too; it’s just an amazing discovery. You just won’t believe how easy this bread is to make.
First of all, you’ll need a 5 quart cast iron Dutch oven pot, which you can order on Amazon, delivered to your doorstep. I only use my pot for baking bread–it’s a like mini, inexpensive gourmet oven!
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Jim Lahey’s video for his no knead bread recipe is great, but I’ve added some things he’s left out such as letting the bread rise before baking (a must.)
Try this fantastic no knead pizza dough recipe, too!
I’ve also listed the ingredients at 50% more than his, so you get a larger loaf.
Note: I have attempted to make this recipe during hot summer days and it simply does not work. I have not yet tried to have it rise in the fridge because, to be honest, if it’s that hot, I just don’t want to turn my oven on.
No Knead Bread Recipe
adapted from Mark Bittman’s original recipe makes one large loaf
FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW
special equipment: 5 quart cast iron dutch oven
Before you watch the video, I’ll give you my tips:
The ingredients above make a loaf 50% larger than Jim Lahey’s recipe. This is what the dough will look like after 12-18 hours: a cross between batter & dough.
Use a spatula instead of your hand–much easier, and less messy.
After the 12-18 hrs. just work the dough into a loaf shape right in the bowl. Here’s a video of how I shape the dough.
Click Here for Jim Lahey’s No Knead Bread Video
Drop the dough onto the cloth–again, less mess; then sprinkle with more flour and oat/wheat bran.
Tips for Best Results
The video doesn’t show this, but let it rise for about two hours in the towel or until doubled in size, or your bread will not turn out properly; do not skip this step. Once it’s in the pot, I like to make a little snip with scissors, or a bread lame slice across the top. See complete, printable recipe below.
Preheat the oven AND THE POT for 20 minutes (longer than when it just comes to temperature). I bake my no knead bread on convection, 495 °F (260°C) for 30 mins., then lower to 465°F (240°C), REMOVE THE LID, and bake for 8-11 minutes longer, depending on your preference of crustiness.
If you don’t have a convection oven, 500°F (260°C) or as hot as your oven will go, then lower to about 475°F (245°C); adjust according to your own oven.
Carefully, remove the loaf from the pot immediately and place on a cooling rack.
MAKE SURE TO LET THE LOAF COOL AT LEAST 3 HOURS BEFORE SLICING!
Big brothers have also been known to finish their little sister’s entire loaf before anyone else
could get a slice! Proceed at your own risk.
Click here to watch Jim Lahey’s No Knead Bread Video
No Knead Bread: Unbelievably Easy, Incredibly Delicious!
Special Equipment
- 1 five quart cast iron dutch oven
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour (good quality, like King Arthur)
- ½ cups whole wheat (or omit the wheat and replace it with ½ cup / 70 gram more all purpose flour)
- 18 oz water
- 2 ½ tsp Maldon salt (salt varies in saltiness, so taste your salt)
- ¼ tsp dried yeast (or 3 g fresh yeast, preferably not instant or quick-rise)
- 1 Tbsp wheat germ (optional, or crushed flaxseed)
Instructions
- (See my tips in the notes section below): Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl until everything comes together. This will only take a few minutes, maximum.
- Cover with a plate or plastic wrap and let rise for 12 to 18 hours or until it's risen (about 4 times in mass and is soft and bubbly.)
- Using a spatula, mix down the dough/batter to remove all the air from it and form into a nice round in the bowl.
- Put a tea towel on the countertop and sprinkle liberally with flour and some other grain like wheat germ or oat bran to keep the dough from sticking to the cloth. Don't be shy or the loaf will stick.
- Using the spatula, dump the dough onto the floured cloth, put the edges of the cloth over the top and allow to rise for 2 hours.
Baking:
- Preheat the oven AND THE POT for 20 minutes (longer than when it just comes to temperature). I bake my no knead bread on convection, 495 °F (260°C) for 30 mins., then lower to 465°F (240°C),
- When the oven is at the 495 temperature for about 10 minutes, carefully remove the pot from the oven and put it on the counter near the dough. Lift both sides of the tea towel and dump the loaf into the hot pan. Place the lid onto the pot and put into the oven and bake for 30 minutes. After half an hour, REMOVE THE LID, and bake for 8-11 minutes longer, depending on your preference of color and crustiness.)
- If you don't have a convection oven: 500°F (260°C) or as hot as your oven will go, then lower to about 475°F (245°C); adjust according to your own oven.
- Carefully, remove the pot from the oven, and the loaf from the pot immediately, and place on a cooling rack.
- Cool for at least 3 hours before slicing.
Notes
- PLEASE NOTE: THIS RECIPE REQUIRES THAT YOU PLAN AHEAD! I usually mix my dough in the evening (9 pm or later) then when it is ready in the morning or afternoon, I put it on the cloth to rise for 2 hours and bake it. If you cannot be home for 3 hours during the time that the bread is risen, plan to make it at a different time.
- The ingredients above make a loaf 50% larger than Jim Lahey's recipe. It will be a cross between batter & dough.
- Use a spatula instead of your hand--much easier, and less messy.
- After the 12-18 hrs. just work the dough into a loaf shape right in the bowl.
- Drop the dough onto the cloth--again, less mess; then sprinkle with more flour and oat/wheat bran.
- MAKE SURE TO LET THE LOAF COOL AT LEAST 3 HOURS BEFORE SLICING!
Nutrition
Let me know how yours turns out!
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I really want to try this recipe but I don’t have the cast iron pot. Can I use something else??
No, it’s really a must have for this recipe, unfortunately. I bought a cast iron pot JUST to make this bread and have never used it for anything else.
Okay, thanks for your reply😊
Judy C. I made it last night using 2/3 white and 1/3 barley. It makes for a Hearty taste and texture. Next time I’ll add ground flax seed and sesame seeds. I’m on a roll! (pardon the pun)
Awesome! So glad it worked and you enjoyed it, Judy! Can you leave a 5 star rating, too, please? (In the printable recipe card)
Dear Christina,
My house is really drafty and my oven does not have a light in it. Where is the best place to let my bread rise?
Also, will the dough start to shrink if I leave it to rise too long?
Thanks,
Judy
Hi Judy, just let it rise in the oven (covered.) Why does it need a light? And yes, when dough overproves it will shrink or collapse. Let me know how it turns out! CC
Thanks, Christina. One more thing: I had JUST bought a 16 oz package of Instant Yeast! (The only one available). Is there any way I can use this for your bread?
By the way, thanks to you, I bought a beautiful bunch of rapini. I made it your way and I love it! I’ve eaten if for the past 3 days.
Judy
Yes, instant and rapid rise is the same! :) Oh my goodness, I’m so happy you discovered rapini! I love it and it’s so nutritious! Yay!
In the recipe it says to use dried yeast not instant hence the confusion. I have used this recipe for several years given to me by a friend I had also increased the quantity to double did not know where she found the original recipe. I have mad it both with rapid rise and instant. Having done a little research it seems instant works well in recipes where you would normally premix the yeast with water and sugar. This recipe is very forgiving. I have left for a second rise for more than 3 hours and never had a problem with shrinkage or collapse.
Hi Louise, dried yeast comprises all sorts of dried yeast, and rapid rise and instant are the same thing. The rapid rise and instant are not the best to use in this recipe (although it work) because the whole basis of the recipe is an extremely slow rise. I would recommend traditional dried yeast or fresh yeast. It is an amazing recipe; Jim Lahey is a genius! :)
after an 18 hr I watched your video about turning the dough onto a floured towel. My dough is quite wet in comparison to the dough in the video? Should I add more flour to get a similar consistency to yours next time?
Thank you!
Rae
First of all, how did it turn out? If it turned out fine, then I wouldn’t change a thing. Let me know the end result we’ll go from there, Rae. Hope it was fab!
Christina, the bread turned out really well!! I might add a smidge more flour just to see what happens. thanks for sharing your recipe and responding to questions, I really appreciate it!
Happy to hear it, Rae, thank you!! If you think the dough was too wet/runny, it is supposed to be. If you add more flour, I think it will change the outcome of the recipe, but give it a try if you like! Lmk what you think! CC
My dough seemed a little unwieldy after I turned it out onto the floured cloth. It just wanted to spread and spread more than rise up! I used a 6 qt dutch oven to bake, and the loaf ended up quite flat. Is this because of the larger size dutch oven, or was there something weird going on with the second rise? Or is it normal for it to be flat? First rise was about 13 hours, and second was 2 hours at about 76 degrees F.
Yes! That’s what it does, Sarah! Don’t have any expectations regarding regular bread dough as it’s sooo different. It will spread on the cloth and won’t really rise up very much. However, yes, using a 6 qt Dutch oven will make it a bit more flat as it’s wider. Your rise times seem perfect! How did it look inside and taste?
Thanks! Making it again!
Wonderful, Sarah!!