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!!!)
Hi, what is the temperature to bake the bread? Does it stay high at 450 degrees? Thank you 🩷
Fabulous recipe very very easy!
This is the best bread I have ever made!!!
Can not believe how easy this was with such excellent results!!! I have spent years making sourdough but that takes so much time & effort (and my starter kept dying or going funky) so this was a perfect confidence boost getting back into baking. Thank you so much for the amazing recipe. The house smells amazing and the taste and look of the loaf was top notch!
I followed the recipe and left it on top of the dryer to rise. It was ready at the 3 hr mark, while oven was preheated i added some chopped walnuts and dried blueberries before putting in the oven. I left mine another 10 extra minutes to cook after the initial 30+15 minutes without the cover to get more golden. We had it for b fast the next day. Everyone loved it and i ll make it again with olives and rosemary. Thank you for sharing this easy recipe 🙂
So I don’t know if this is a dumb question but when baking the bread do you keep the oven temp at 450 when you bake the bread? Or is just just to preheat the dutch oven?
Mine looked perfect until I poured it out on the counter after rising it was very loose at this point where did I go wrong
Same here! Mine was loose and wet, so I couldn’t shape it at all!
Mine was the same and I was so sad but I dumped it in the pot anyway and it turned out FANTASTIC! IT does rise and look like bread even if you dont think it will.
Just add some sprinkles of flour to the dough and turn it over on itself with a scraper or spatula a few times to tighten it up a bit after you turn it out of the bowl. I have made this wonderful recipe many, many times and for some reason sometimes it’s a little wetter/floppier than other times. A little extra flour goes a long way.
This was my first attempt at bread making. It came out amazing … I am now hooked and can’t wait to now build on the basic recipe with different herbs and cheeses.
Thank you Nagi
I just finished this recipe and my bread came out flat and super dense. 😭😭 not sure if it’s because I forgot to preheat the Dutch oven or the fact I used bread flour maybe? It smells heavenly but not sure how it’ll taste.
We tried it and had awful results too! Bread rose but came out Really dense and gluey. Tasted good but not at all like the picture!
Bread flour shouldn’t make much difference, but a cold Dutch oven certainly would. What you aim for is what the experts seem to call “oven spring”, which is the boost the dough gets from being put suddenly into a very hot place. If your pot is cold and only warms up gradually, there’s none of that.
The recipe seems to have a typo. 3 cups of flour is not 450g, it’s around 360-380g,depending on what type of flour you’re using. If you weigh your flour for this recipe (which I highly recommend!) you’re going tk need to add a lot of extra water.
Yes, this is what happened to me. If you measure, the recipe does not work. There is just no way this is correct at all.
Yes! I noticed that as well. I weighed my flour but had to add quite a bit more water to get it to the consistency needed. The bread is in the oven right now, I hope it turns out good!
I’ve made it as is a few times and it is delicioussss but I was wondering if this recipe can be altered to make rye bread? If I use rye flour will it come out the same?
Update with brown/dark flour [Ruchmehl] 🙂
Exactly same as Nagi recipe (below post is also a simple translation/conversion of Nagi’s into EU units. BTW, 6 g Kochsalz worked better), however, instead of less flour, I started with 450 g flour with more water, i.e. 90% hydration rate (90% of flour weight. e.g. World Easiest Yeast Bread has 83.333…% hydration rate).
Came out great again, just more tasty. Thank you Nagi! xxx
Can I add garlic basli calontro what do u think?
Easy to make and turned out just like the pictures. Perfect. So good.
Thank you for all the additional notes on what to do if you don’t have something! I’m new to bread making, but it was so easy. My loaf ended up a little wonky because I had to use a cookie sheet, but it still turned out great!!
This recipe looks awesome. Thank you SO MUCH for all the helpful notes, for giving measurements by weight instead of volume where appropriate, and especially for the instructions for how to adjust for wholemeal.
One question: the super-basic version of this from the NYT cookbook (recipe by Jim Lahey) has pretty much these exact proportions, except with only 1/2 tsp yeast. Is more yeast better? How does it change things?
This recipe looks awesome. Thank you SO MUCH for all the helpful notes, for giving measurements by weight instead of volume where appropriate, and especially for the instructions for how to adjust for wholemeal.
I have made this several times and all were great. The last couple times I made two, today one of those was the cheesy version…haven’t tried that yet…made chili for supper and the bread will be for dippin! I did not worry about exact flour measurements, just made sure the end dough result was sticky as described in the recipe.
I rarely comment on recipes but I was so blown away this. I’ve been terrified of making bread for so long because of the kneading and I’m generally bad at baking. But THIS WORKED! It’s absolutely wonderful. It didn’t rise very much so i was worried but still came out perfect. I did it in a Dutch oven, followed the note about using less whole wheat flour, and sprinkled everything bagel seasoning on top. So good, will be making regularly now! Thank you!
YES!! And it was amazing though I cheated and did not wait the full rise time as I was in a hurry but YES!!
Has anyone tried this recipe as a baguette instead?
Wonderfully simple and so very yummy! I did have to add an extra 1/3 C water to obtain the consistency shown.