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 this be made in a bread Maker?
Such a great recipe. Just wanted to let you know that I tried it with adding raisins and cinnamon….its amazing. Such a versatile recipe. Thanks.
Good to know Dawn! Thanks! N x
This was so easy to make and looks so beautiful! Your idea to create the steam effect is genius. I only had a roasting tin with a lid and it worked perfectly!! Beautiful crispy crust and soft and fluffy inside. Also being able to keep dough in the fridge to make bread in advance is so convenient! Thank you for this FANTASTIC recipe
I just making this bread for the first time. It is simply amazing
Hi, has anyone ever tried this with raisins?
I’ve already done the recipe using rosemary and garlic and it was fantastic.
Hello! Thank you for the recipe. I have never made bread before and this was fun. It was sooo tasty! Thank you!!
Hi I made this bread many times and yesterday I tried it with stone ground whole wheat flour. I used a 1/4 cup less flour as per Nagi’s notes and baked the loaf same as the white bread loaf and it was perfect.I also added herbs and onion powder, so yummy.
Just made this bread and added fresh minced garlic cloves to the dough and made my own dutch oven with a tray of water, the bread turned out PERFECT! Thanks for the great recipe!!
Bayan I’ve made this using whole roasted garlic cloves, the huge chunks of garlic are mouth watering. I also added fresh rosemary leaves. Just amazing.
Oh. My. God.
This bread is PERFECT!
When I first read the recipe, it seemed like a lot of work. Once I read it through a couple of times, I realized that it’s quite simple.
I used table salt, so cut it back to 1 1/4 tsp. as suggested, but I still find it a tad salty. The next time, I will only use 1 tsp.
I also found that my dough was a bit dry, even after following instructions. I had to add another 2 1/2 Tbsp. water, it was perfect.
I like a bit denser bread, so let it rise only 1 hour. It turned out exactly the way I like. I love the crunchy crust!
I may have to bake another loaf in a couple of days because I keep taking slices before it’s cooked at all!
I can’t find a way to edit my comment…I wrote that I was stealing slices before it was cooked. No. I was stealing slices before it was COOLED. 🙂
Wow! This bread was SO yummy!!! Great instructions! A couple of things that happened:
1. I got too involved in the old Judy Holliday movie I was watching, so the bread rose for more like 3.5 hours. Didn’t hurt a thing. Still turned out wonderful!
2. I cooled the bread and then put it in a zip lock bag, which softened the crispy crust. However, right before sitting down to stew, I put
the loaf in a 350 oven for about 15 to 20 minutes and the crust crispiness came right back!! Woohoo…. Yep, 4 of us ate almost the whole dang loaf🤦🏽♀️😂
Thanks for the feedback Pam! Good details to know! N x
Thanks for sharing your Artisan Bread recipe. So easy and so good. The instructions were easy to follow and I appreciated the helpful hints.
Currently making this now! Really excited to see how it turns out but now I’m wondering if you can add some herbs to it, like maybe some rosemary. Has anyone tried that?
Yes! I added dried basil (dried at home) to my flour before adding the water. It came out amazing. Experimenting with cheeses and kale next!
First time bread-baker here! This is exactly the kind of bread I wanted to make. It was simple and enjoyable! My local grocery store had everything I needed. I didn’t refrigerate it and it tasted great! I think I could’ve baked it a little longer, but I was impatient and excited. Absolutely making this again! Thank you for sharing.
This recipe called for Kosher salt and the only one I could find was a coarse salt. The bread came out very salty so I guess the next time, I need to cut the recipe in half. Also, it was very doughy and I’m wondering why. I added more water and wonder if that’s why. Any suggestions?
I have made this recipe quite a few times and I love it! I have never made bread before this. I am wondering now if I could use this recipe to make some small rolls. The reason I ask is because my oven is gone and all I have to use for the next month or so is my air fryer / convection oven. What would you suggest? Have you ever tried small rolls in a convection oven?
I would think small rolls would not be a problem. I have done so with other recipes of this type. I use my bench knife -but any sharp knife should do. And when it is ready to bake, I put the dough on a parchment on a cookie sheet. I butter the knife with soft butter and repeat with each cut Then cut the dough into the sizes I want–usually about 2″x 2″ (American here). I move them slightly apart from each other. Basically I cut the dough into squares. Then bake for about 20-22 minutes (check your oven, they vary. I have a table top oven that is not very big, and cannot use the steam. they still come out amazing. I use the same method with soda bread and scones, and tried that with this type of bread. worked well.
Hello Nagi, may I ask will the dough rise much in the refrigerator? And how big of a container do I need to use if the dough is to leave in the fridge for say 2 days? Thanks so much!
This was so easy! And it turned out great, Loved the crispy crust. I was disappointed that the crust got softer when I stored it in a container. What’s the best way to store it so the crust stays crispy?
I added 1 1.2 cups of warm water (warmth was comfortable and not hot), but the bread was super dry. How much more water should I add? Or how much in increments to add until the right consistency? Will adding more water ruin it?
I added more water probably closer to 1 3/4 cups. I just mixed until the consistency resembled the video. Came out great.
I’ve been following a similar recipe that uses the same amount of flour, but 1 & 2/3 cups of water. Yes, more is ok.
Thanks. I’m going to try it again but with 1 & 2/3 cups water. Thanks.
I meant the dough was dry (not the bread–it was a flop because of me). I made this once before and it turned out great. I don’t know what I did re: the water then.
Mine as well 3 cups of flour to 11/2 water isn’t right. How did yours turn out
I’m usually very hit and miss when it comes to bread making but this is the easiest and best one yet, hardly any effort to mix together and then I let it rest in the fridge overnight. This will be my go to loaf when winter arrives as it will be perfect for soups and stews, it makes phenomenal toast and toasted sandwiches as well.
I made this bread for the first time today and it really is foolproof! I didn’t have a Dutch oven so I used a roasting pan with lid, it only took 30 minutes to cook in it altogether. It was a little salty but my fault for using table salt and not reading the notes. So fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside, perfect!