No-Knead Crusty Bread · Classic
No-Knead Crusty Dutch Oven Bread
Four ingredients, five minutes of stirring and an overnight rest give you a crackly, golden loaf with an airy inside. It's a weekend project that's almost all waiting.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 15 hr
- Serves
- 10 · 1 round loaf
- Level
- Medium
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, about 390 g, plus more for dusting
- 1 ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp instant yeast
- 1 ½ cups warm water, about 100°F, like a warm bath
Steps
- In a large bowl, stir the flour, salt and yeast together. Pour in the warm water and stir with a wooden spoon until there's no dry flour left. The dough will be wet and shaggy.
- Cover the bowl with a plate or plastic wrap and leave it on the counter until the dough has more than doubled, is covered in bubbles and jiggles when you shake the bowl. This takes 12 to 18 hours at room temperature.
- Dust the counter and your hands with flour. Scrape the dough out, then fold the edges into the middle all the way around to make a rough ball. Flip it seam side down.
- Set the ball on a large piece of parchment, dust the top with flour and cover loosely with a towel. Let it rise until puffy.
- About 30 minutes into the second rise, put a covered Dutch oven (5 to 7 quarts) on the middle rack and heat the oven to 450°F (230°C) so the pot gets screaming hot.
- Using oven mitts, take out the hot pot and remove the lid. Lift the dough by the parchment and lower it, paper and all, into the pot. Cut a slash across the top with a sharp knife if you like, then cover.
- Bake covered so the loaf steams and rises.
- Remove the lid and keep baking until the crust is deep golden brown. The inside should read 205 to 210°F on a thermometer.
- Lift the loaf out with the parchment and cool on a rack at least 1 hour before slicing. The inside is still finishing as it cools.
Tip: Water hotter than about 115°F can hurt the yeast. Warm to the touch is perfect.
Tip: Some older enameled Dutch oven lids have plastic knobs that aren't rated for 450°F. Swap in a metal knob or check the maker's limit first.
Tip: Active dry yeast works too: use the same amount and stir it into the warm water first.
Storage: Keep cut side down on a board, uncovered, for 1 day, then in a paper or bread bag up to 3 days. Refresh slices in a hot oven or toaster.
Make ahead: After the first rise, the dough can be refrigerated up to 2 days. Let it sit out 1 hour before shaping.
Estimated nutrition per serving: 140 calories · protein 4 g · carbohydrates 30 g · fiber 1 g · sugars 0 g · fat 0 g (saturated 0 g) · sodium 260 mg. Estimate from USDA FoodData Central; not medical or dietary advice. Based on 4 of 4 ingredients.