No-Knead Bread for People Who Are Afraid of Bread
Four ingredients, five minutes of work and a hot pot. Time does the kneading while you sleep.
If you can stir, you can make this loaf. There is no kneading, no mixer and no special skill. A wet dough, a long rest and a very hot pot produce a crackling crust and an open, chewy crumb that looks like it came from a bakery.
Why it works
Kneading builds gluten quickly. Time builds it slowly. Leave a wet dough alone for 12 to 18 hours and the gluten organises itself. Baking inside a lidded pot traps steam, which keeps the crust soft long enough for the loaf to rise fully before it sets and browns.
What you need (1 loaf)
- 400 g bread flour (about 3 cups)
- 8 g salt (1½ tsp)
- 1 g instant yeast (¼ tsp)
- 300 g cool water (1¼ cups)
How to bake it
- Mix. Stir everything in a large bowl until no dry flour remains. It will look shaggy. Cover and leave at room temperature for 12–18 hours.
- Shape. Tip the bubbly dough onto a floured counter. Fold the edges into the middle to make a rough ball. Rest it seam-side down on parchment for 45 minutes.
- Heat. Meanwhile, put a lidded Dutch oven in the oven and heat to 230°C / 450°F.
- Bake. Lower the dough into the hot pot on its parchment. Bake covered for 30 minutes, then uncovered for 15, until deep brown.
- Wait. Cool on a rack for an hour. Cutting early gives a gummy crumb.
Weigh the flour. A cup can vary by 30 grams, which is the difference between a great loaf and a brick.
An enamelled Dutch oven and a digital scale are the only two tools that make a real difference to this bread.
