This is a phenomenal bread recipe. The best, EASY yeast bread you will ever make, beginners love how simple it is while bread connoisseurs appreciate the Artisan bread qualities – the thick crispy crust and chewy crumb with big fat holes like sourdough!
No knead, 3 minutes active effort, very forgiving recipe. Make this today, then the Cheese Bread version tomorrow!
Phenomenal EASY yeast bread recipe
This is an extraordinary white bread recipe with outstanding results. While it’s easy and forgiving, making it suitable for beginners, experienced bakers will recognise and appreciate the Artisan bread characteristics – large holes in the crumb like your favourite sourdough bread with that signature chewiness, and a thick, crispy crust.
It’s a gold nugget recipe, and you may never buy bread again after trying this!
Here’s why it’s so easy:
No knead, no stand mixer
3 minutes active effort – you won’t even get your hands dirty
Dutch oven (cast iron pot) ideal but not necessary
Incredibly forgiving dough, with rise times ranging from 2 hours to 3 days (yes, really, you choose what works for you)
Easy but yet no compromise on quality of bread
What you need to make this homemade bread recipe
Here’s what you need to make homemade bread from scratch – yeast, flour, salt and water. Yep, really, that’s it!
No yeast?
Make this famous Irish Soda Bread instead, or this incredible No Yeast Sandwich bread based on the traditional Australian Damper!
Yeast – my base recipe uses Rapid Rise or Instant Yeast which does not need to be dissolved in water. But it works just as well with normal yeast (“Active Dry Yeast” or just “dry yeast”) – you just need to change the order of the steps and dissolve the yeast in water first. The bread comes out exactly the same!
Best flour for homemade bread – use bread flour if you can. Bread flour has more protein in it than normal flour which means more gluten, and this makes the dough more elastic and yields a more fluffy yet chewy texture inside the bread, as well as creating the big holes you see in the photos, like sourdough bread. However, this bread is still spectacular made with normal flour too!
How to make the world’s easiest homemade bread – Artisan style!
Here are process steps with tips, but also see the video below – super handy to see the dough consistency, and how to form the dough.
1. Make wet sticky dough
Mix together the flour, salt and yeast, then add warm water and mix. The “dough” will be very wet and sloppy, not kneadable at all – this is what you want! See video at 17 seconds for consistency.
2. Rise!
Cover with cling wrap then place it in a warm place (25 – 30°C / 77 – 86°F) for 2 hours. The dough will increase in volume by double or more, the surface will become bubbly and the dough will be wobbly, like jelly. See video at 24 seconds for consistency.
OPTIONAL – develop flavour: Once dough has risen, you can bake immediately. OR, for better flavour, refrigerate for a minimum of 8 hours, up to 3 days. Time = better flavour development.
Bread in photos and video were baked immediately. I usually make this dough in the morning, refrigerate all day then bake in the evening. Or make the dough in the evening, refrigerate overnight and bake fresh in the morning! (10 – 12 hours in fridge). Beauty of this bread is that you can bake anytime!
No dutch oven? No problem! Just bake it on a tray – see the recipe notes.
3. Preheat oven & pot
30 minutes before dough has risen, or while refrigerated dough is coming to room temperature, place dutch oven (cast iron pot) in the oven to preheat at 230°C/450°F.
Hot oven + hot pot = bread rising boost!
4. Scrape dough out
Scrape dough out of bowl onto floured work surface. It will be wet and sticky and that’s exactly what you want – because we will not be kneading it! In fact, you won’t even touch it with your hand.
PRO TIP: Dough handling and shaping technique devised to minimise addition of flour. Less flour = wetter dough = bigger air pockets, fluffier bread and more moist.
5. Shape the dough very roughly
Use a dough scraper or anything of similar shape (spatula, cake server, or large knife) to fold the sides in so it roughly resembles a round disc.
Don’t get too hung up on the shaping – you’ll deform it in the next step!! This step is mainly to deflate the dough.
6. FLIP dough upside down onto paper
Slide a large piece of baking / parchment paper next to the dough, then flip it upside down onto the paper using the scraper so the seams from the step above are face down, and you have the smooth side up.
Slide/push the dough into the centre, then briefly reshape it into a round or slightly oval shape.
Do not get too hung up on a neat shape – this bread is supposed to be rustic! Besides, scruffier shape = more awesome crispy ridges
7. Prepare to bake!
Remove very hot pot from oven, then use paper to pick up the dough and put it in the pot, and put the lid on.
See recipe notes for no dutch oven method.
8. Bake!
Bake for 30 minutes with the lid on (this creates a steamer effect, allowing the bread to rise while it cooks before crust sets), then 12 minutes with the lid off to brown and crisp up the crust. The surface will crack – and you want this, for extra crispy ridges!! And it looks authentic, just like the Artisan bread you buy at bakeries. 😇
Cool for 10 minutes before slicing. This is important – to let the centre of the bread finish cooking (if you slice too early, it will seem a bit doughy. Patience was never my greatest virtue, so I learnt this first hand!)
Remember – you can make this bread recipe WITHOUT a dutch oven!
Why this bread recipe works – and TIPS!
Loose, sticky dough = easier to rise than firmer dough.
No kneading = rough dough, but because the dough is so soft, it puffs up enough to “smooth out” the roughness.
Super forgiving dough – too stiff, add water. Too wet, add flour. Dough not rising? Move it to a warmer place. Takes 45 minutes to rise or 5 hours? It will still work. As long as your dough is the same consistency as what you see in the video and you let it rise to double the volume, this bread recipe will work as long as the yeast is not past its expiry date!
Why you need a preheated dutch oven for no knead bread recipes – to create a steamy environment to give the bread a rise boost before the crust sets (which stops the bread from rising). Professional bakeries are equipped with steam ovens – the cast iron pot is the home method!
Don’t have a dutch oven? No problem! Recreate the steamy environment by placing hot water in a pan in the oven, and bake the bread on a tray.
Big holes in the crumb – loose dough from less flour, high oven temp and preheated pot allows the yeast to give the bread a great rise boost, creating big air pockets. Also the use of bread flour rather than normal flour helps – you get less large holes using normal flour.
Bake immediately if it’s a bread emergency….
…but you’ll be rewarded with tastier bread if you leave the dough 8+ hours in the fridge! I normally make dough first thing in the morning (it takes 3 minutes!) then bake that night. Or make dough at night and bake in the morning. (~12 hrs in fridge for both scenarios)
Why refrigerating the dough creates a better tasting bread – because the fridge slows down the fermentation of the yeast (ie dough stops rising, if it kept rising it would kill the rising power of the yeast), allowing the enzymes in the yeast to do their work, transforming starch into sugar which creates a more flavourful bread. So we let the dough rise first, then refrigerate it.
All the ways to eat this bread!
Everything you do with bread you buy, you can do with this bread. It truly has the structure of bakery bread, so there are no limits!
Eat it fresh out of the oven, slathered with butter. Make sandwiches, toast it, mop plates clean, dunk it in soups and stews. Make bruschetta, garlic bread, grilled cheese, CHEESY garlic bread or Cheese and Garlic CRACK Bread!
I hope you enjoy this crusty bread recipe as much as I do. This really is one of those gold nugget recipes that you’ll make once and treasure forever! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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World’s Easiest Yeast Bread recipe – Artisan, NO KNEAD
Ingredients
- 3 cups (450g) flour , bread or plain/all purpose (Note 1)
- 2 tsp instant or rapid rise yeast (Note 2 for normal / active dry yeast)
- 2 tsp cooking / kosher salt , NOT table salt (Note 3)
- 1 1/2 cups (375 ml) very warm tap water , NOT boiling or super hot (ie up to 55°C/130°F) (Note 4)
Dough shaping
- 1 1/2 tbsp flour , for dusting
Instructions
- Mix Dough: Mix flour, yeast and salt in a large bowl. Add water, then use the handle of a wooden spoon to mix until all the flour is incorporated. Dough will be wet and sloppy – not kneadable, but not runny like cake batter. Adjust with more water or flour if needed for right consistency (see video at 17 sec, Note 5).
- Rise: Cover with cling wrap or plate, leave on counter for 2 – 3 hours until it doubles in volume, it’s wobbly like jelly and the top is bubbly (see video at 24 seconds). If after 1 hour it doesn’t seem to be rising, move it somewhere warmer (Note 6).
- Optional – refrigerate for flavour development (Note 9): At this stage, you can either bake immediately (move onto Step 5) or refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- Take chill out of refrigerated dough – if you refrigerated dough per above, leave the bowl on the counter for 45 – 60 minutes while the oven is preheating. Cold dough does not rise as well.
- Preheat oven (Note 7) – Put dutch oven in oven with lid on (26cm/10" or larger). Preheat to 230°C/450°F (220° fan) 30 minutes prior to baking. (Note 8 for no dutch oven)
- Shape dough: Sprinkle work surface with 1 tbsp flour, scrape dough out of bowl. Sprinkle top with 1/2 tbsp flour.
- Using a dough scraper or anything of similar shape (cake server, large knife, spatula), fold the sides inwards (about 6 folds) to roughly form a roundish shape. Don’t be too meticulous here – you’re about to deform it, it’s more about deflating the bubbles in the dough and forming a shape you can move.
- Transfer to paper: Slide a large piece of parchment/baking paper (not wax paper) next to the dough, then flip the dough upside down onto the paper (ie seam side down, smooth side up). Slide/push it towards the middle, then reshape it into a round(ish) shape. Don't get too hung up about shape. In fact, lopsided = more ridges = more crunchy bits!
- Dough in pot: Remove piping hot dutch oven from oven. Use paper to place dough into pot, place lid on.
- Bake 30 minutes covered, then 12 minutes uncovered or until deep golden and crispy.
- Cool on rack for 10 minutes before slicing.
Recipe Notes:
- Fridge up to 3 days – Rise dough per recipe, then leave in bowl and refrigerate up to 3 days. Flavour gets better with time. Dough will stay bubbly for a day or two, then will deflate – that’s fine. Shape into round and place on paper per recipe, then leave for 45 – 60 minutes to take the chill out of it, then bake per recipe. Cold dough won’t rise as well.
- Bread in photos & video is 2 hr rise, immediate bake.
- Cooked bread – great fresh for 2 days, then after that, better warmed or toasted. Keep in an airtight container or ziplock bag. This stays more fresh than usual homemade bread, especially if you use bread flour.
- Freeze cooked bread for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Information:
More bread recipes
Life of Dozer
Just keeping a close eye on it for me….
Good job Dozer. Here’s your treat. Look, I even buttered it for you! (PS He’s in his robe because it’s a rainy day yet I still took him to the beach!!!)
Can I use whole wheat flour for this recipe?
I bake this once a week. It is such an easy recipe. I use 1.5 x the recipe to get a larger loaf and adjust the baking time. It’s wonderful. I haven’t bought store bread in 3 months.
I made this today and I added a bit more water than suggested as the dough looked nothing like the video. But after cooking it it was very dense and still wet in the middle.
I wanted to make some homemade bread for my hubby for Valentine’s Day! Not only was this so easy to make but he said it was incredible! It’s hard to get a compliment on food for him so that speaks volumes! So glad I found this recipe! It’s so easy I plan on making it every week!
I was kind of forced to try this recipe due to current food shortages in FNQ, caused by severe ongoing flooding. The only flour I could get is “type 00” and it still worked really well. I let the dough rest in the fridge overnight and baked it in the morning. Turned out beautifully although could have baked for a little longer than the times given in the recipe, but I can adjust this for next time. Will definitely do this again, can’t believe how easy & simple it is.
I’ve made this recipe 3 times and it’s been phenomenal every single time. Last night added 2tbsp. rosemary like another commenter suggested and it was also incredible!!! Thank you for such a fool proof easy peasy delicious recipe!
Hi, silly question but do you put greaseproof paper in the Dutch oven too
Superb! Try adding finely diced fresh rosemary! It’s amazing! Interested in what other “add-in’s” others have used??
I use a bulb of garlic cut in half horizontally. Put it in a ramekin or muffin tin cut sides up, drizzle with evoo, roast until garlic is soft and starting to carmelize on to cut sides. let cool enough to handle, press garlic meats out of paper sheaths from non cut ends. add when you are mixing everything together. insanely good.
Also have added herbes de province, rosemary by itself, or everything bagel seasoning. Anywhere from 2 tsp to 4 tsp according to taste.
I’ve made this with rosemary and rosemary asiago cheese. Delish!
I added in finely chopped red onion, green chillies and coriander and it was delicious!
The bread has good taste and is really easy but it keeps coming out flat not sure what I’m doing wrong if anyone could help that would be amazing
I baked this today after 2 nights in the fridge. It was so good. So tasty, crusty, delicious hot out of the oven with butter and Vegemite. I’m never buying white bread again. This is so easy.
Y’all, this is the best bread recipe ever. I’ve made it hundreds of times. You don’t have to overthink it or presciently measure it, just scoop some flour (I’ve used all kinds — unbleached, regular, bread, whatever I have on hand), a little salt, a little oil, instant or regular yeast (let it bloom) and let it do what it does. I usually prep dough in the morning, let it rise in the microwave as I cook, then dump it on some paper and transfer to a pot with a lid. It turns out perfect every single time. The only thing I do different is sub 1/3 of the water for almond milk (hubby is lactose intolerant) just because it makes a softer crumb, more like what you would get with store bought bread. It gives you that super crisp outside with a soft, fluffy inside. Is truly the best. Thanks so much for this recipe.
Hi! I saw you used pot with a lid, does any pot with a lid work and the same way? I have a stainless steel pot and I was wondering if that would work
This is a simple and delicious recipe. Turns out every time. Sometimes I use bread flour, sometimes all purpose flour, sometimes a mix. I’ve mix 1/2 whole wheat and 1/2 bread flour. I have added a teaspoon of dried Italian seasonings and 1/2 teaspoon each of garlic powder and onion powder. My grandsons love it and request it whenever they know I am coming to visit or when they are coming to our house. The recipe has never disappointed me. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Easy and fun to make, but my bread didn’t brown, unlike the bread in the photos. Did I do something wrong?
Baking a loaf of bread was a bucket list item for me. Thanks to you, this old geezer finally did it. Instructions that a third grade student could follow, are very clear, easy to follow. Four ingredients and no-kneading was just what I hoped to find. My first attempt turned out just like the picture. What I couldn’t see in the picture, I smelled with my nose. The aroma was just what I remembered when Mom made bread. The taste and texture were comparable to fresh bakery bread.
First loaf is gone in two days, second loaf is rising. Thank you so much for sharing. I’ll be checking out other recipes I see on your page. Bring on the jam!
i’ve been wanting to make my own bread for a while now.
i was the perfect one to start with.
turned out great and everyone loved it.
The bottom was a little tough (chewy). Is that normal?
I make this recipe often and have been for about a year- it’s fool proof and makes a delicious loaf everytime! 10/10 easy and delicious fresh bread.
can I refrigerate for only 4 hours?
I am NOT a baker, or baking inclined person – this recipe was so easy, and the bread turned out AMAZING! Crusty, light, delicious!
If I cut into the bread too early and it’s still doughy how can I revive it? Or did I totally ruin it and have to start over?
This was so easy and delicious for a beginner bread maker! Outside was perfectly crispy and the inside was so soft.