The Easiest Bread EVER (No Knead!)

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How good is the smell of warm bread? There’s nothing like a fresh loaf in the oven to make the house feel so cozy!

Growing up I loved coming home and knowing immediately that Mom had been baking fresh bread. Coming in from the cold, that smell warmed you right up, and most of the time it meant that there would be homemade soup not far off either. 

When I went off to university, I used to bake my mom’s bread recipe every Sunday. It made me feel like I was home even while living away (it didn’t hurt that baking from scratch saved us a ton on our grocery bills too). As good as the end result was, I have to admit, the process was a pain! It took so long, required a ton of kneading and I think I used everything in my kitchen (which meant I also had to clean everything in my kitchen- my least favourite part of the job). 

I got out of the habit of baking and sharing food after graduation, which in hindsight, sucked. As with many of us, the pandemic lit a fire under me. Rather than picking up new hobbies, I wanted to rediscover my old ones! I decided to start baking again, and really perfect the things I loved. The first thing on my list was bread! I dug out Mom’s recipe and felt the kneading sores of years past in my forearms. I wanted something simpler. As I relayed my carby woes to a friend, she told me about a dutch oven loaf that she used to have growing up. I had no idea you could use a soup pot like a dutch oven to make bread. The only problem was, she didn’t have the recipe. 

So I got to work, first buying myself a new, very large (and very heavy) cast iron dutch oven (My Lodge 5-quart cast iron dutch oven has become one of the most used items in my kitchen). If I was going to do it, I was going to do it properly. After some trial and error, and some tweaking along the way, I wound up with the best loaf. It contained only four (seriously!) ingredients, required no kneading and could be made, start to finish, in under three hours! I shared the recipe with my friend, who now makes it regularly too. I even got to make this bread for my parents last summer, during my first trip home post-pandemic. It’s now my Mom’s only go-to bread recipe- she raves about how good her grilled cheese sandwiches are now.

What you’ll need

You’ll need four basic ingredients for this bread.

Flour- I use all-purpose flour, or you can use a combination of all-purpose and whole wheat. Try a half/half mix to make sure you still get a good rise, as whole wheat tends to result in a heavier dough.

Water- as if this can really be considered an ingredient. Make sure your water is warm but not hot for activating the yeast. Around 40C/105F (I can’t be bothered with a thermometer but so I usually make my best guess based on whether I could comfortably wash my hands in the water). If it’s too hot it will kill the yeast, too cold and the yeast won’t activate for your rise.

Yeast- I use active dry yeast, but instant also works.

Salt- table salt or coarse salt works, it will all dissolve in the water.

You’ll also need some basic kitchen supplies for this recipe, the most important being a dutch oven. I use a Lodge 5-quart cast iron dutch oven and I absolutely love it. The size is perfect, I love the minimalist look to it, and it has become a staple in my kitchen.

You’ll also need a large mixing bowl, parchment paper, measuring cups, and a rubber spatula. That’s it! It’s seriously so simple.

Ingredients

4 Cups flour (all-purpose or 50/50 mix with whole wheat)

2 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast

1 ½ teaspoons salt

2 Cups warm water

Extra flour for handling the dough

Method

1. In a large bowl, add flour. Make two small wells on either side of the flour. Add yeast in one and salt in the other. This is just to prevent salt and yeast from touching, ensuring a more even mix. 
2. Using your rubber spatula, gently mix the flour one side at a time and then all together.
3. Add the warm water and slowly mix until everything is combined. The dough will be shaggy and quite sticky.
4. Cover the bowl with a clean dish towel and leave it to rise for about 1 hour and 30 minutes (until it’s roughly doubled in size.
5. Lay a large piece of parchment on the counter and dust with flour. Dump the dough onto the parchment. 
6. With floured hands, reach under the dough, pulling small sections over the top until the dough forms a loose ball.
7. Turn the dough seam down, lightly flour the top and cover again with the dish towel.
8. Heat the oven and dutch oven- it is important that the dough goes into a very hot dutch oven so that the crust has a chance to get nice and crispy. While the dough is in its second rise on the parchment, preheat the oven to 230C/450F and place the dutch oven with lid on into the oven.
9. After about 30 minutes, remove the dutch oven from the oven (it will be VERY hot!) and remove the lid. I recommend wearing oven mits that reach your forearms and keeping your face back because there will be a rush of steam when you open the lid. Turn the oven down to 220C/425F.
10. Pick up the doughball by grabbing all four corners of the parchment and dropping it into the dutch oven, parchment and all! 
11. Put the lid back on and put the dutch oven into the oven to back for around 40 minutes. Depending your oven it could be slightly more or slightly less. When you open the dutch oven the top of the loaf should be burst but not burnt. Try not to open the dutch oven too much during the baking process because you want the steam to remain inside.
12. Remove the lid only from the oven and continue baking for about 10 minutes, or until the top of the loaf is a beautiful golden brown.
13. Remove the dutch oven from the oven and pull the bread out by lifting the parchment corners again, transferring it onto a cooling rack.
14. I recommend waiting until the bread has fully cooled before slicing it, as it will continue to bake from the residual heat as it cools. Cutting while hot will result in a gummy slice- just wait, it’s so worth it!

FAQs:

Q: Can I use whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose?

A: Yes, you can substitute up to 50% of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat. The crumb will be a bit denser but still delicious!

Q: How long will the bread stay fresh?

A: Wrapped tightly in plastic or stored in a bread box, this loaf will stay fresh and delicious for 3-4 days at room temperature or up to a week in the refrigerator. You can also freeze slices for longer storage.

If you give this a try or have any questions please let me know in the comments! Bon Appétit!