• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

The Kiwi Country Girl logo

  • Start Here
    • Our story
    • Family
    • Travel
  • Recipe Index
  • Farm & Garden
    • Farm
    • In the garden
  • DIY & Crafts
  • Shop
  • Freebies
    • Free 1 Week Meal Plan
    • Bread Baking Ebook
  • Blog
  • Made from Scratch Challenge
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipe Index
  • Farm & Garden
  • DIY
  • About
  • Shop
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » In the kitchen » Crusty No-Knead Bread

    Crusty No-Knead Bread

    Published: Aug 2, 2018 · Modified: Apr 14, 2019 by Laura · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Kicking off the Monthly Bread Baking Challenge with this super easy, 4 ingredient, crusty No-Knead Bread recipe! Mix the ingredients, leave overnight, shape and bake the next day! You'll all be bread makers in no time!

    Loaf of no knead bread on baking paper

    Welcome to the first Monthly Bread Baking Challenge!

    In case you missed the intro post yesterday, here's a recap:

    Monthly Bread Baking Challenge:

    • At the beginning of each month I will post a new recipe for a different type of bread. We will start slowly, and work out way up to more complicated recipes. Each recipe post will be accompanied by step by step photos and instructions, tips and tricks and a video showing you exactly how to do it.
    • I want you to bake the same recipe that month and share it with me! Comment on the post letting me know how you got on, email me, or share a picture on Instagram (and if you do, tag it #thekiwicountrygirl)

    So let's get right into it! Homemade, crusty no-knead bread!

    This loaf of bread is what kicked my homemade bread addiction back into full gear. My sister came to visit a few weeks ago and she had made a loaf of this bread - it was SO delicious! I made her send me the recipe before she left, I made a loaf that night and haven't stopped making it since!

    Pieces broken off a loaf of no knead white bread

    This no-knead bread is the perfect starting point for beginner bread bakers. As the name suggests, there is no kneading involved! It's a really simple matter of mixing together 4 simple ingredients that I bet you have already - plain flour, active dry yeast, salt and water. See?!

    The key with this bread is a really long rise time. And I mean LONG! Anywhere from 8 to 24 hours. If I want the bread ready for lunch, I mix up the dough the night before and bake it in the morning, but if you don't need it until dinner time you can start the dough in the morning and bake in the afternoon.

    This is definitely not an original recipe - I played around with this recipe that my sister uses but in the end, there was nothing wrong with it at all and I couldn't improve it, so why fix it if it ain't broke?!

    It's the most simple recipe, but let's break it down. (There is also a video at the bottom of the post which will be helpful!)

    What you need:

    • A heavy oven proof dish with a lid. A cast iron dutch oven is ideal for this, but a roasting dish with tinfoil on top will also work.

    Step 1: Mix together the 4 ingredients - plain flour, active dried yeast, salt and water. It will form a pretty wet looking shaggy dough. This is perfect.

    Ingredients for no knead bread in glass mixing bowl
    Bread dough in glass mixing bowl

    Step 2: Cover it and leave it to rise for 8-24 hours. The long rise time is how you get away with no-kneading. The long rise time allows the yeast to really do a good job in creating lots of little air pockets in the dough which leads to a nice tender bread.

    Step 3: Turn the bread out onto a well floured piece of baking paper. Use your hands to shape it into a round loaf. Leave it to rest again. While it is resting, take either a cast iron dutch oven or a roasting dish and place it in the oven as you preheat it. This gets the oven and the baking dish nice and hot which helps kick start the cooking process.

    Shaped loaf of white bread

    Step 4: After the bread has rested for 30 minutes, take a sharp knife and slash an X in the middle. Remove the baking dish from the oven and lift the baking paper and loaf of bread and place them right into the dutch oven or baking dish and put the lid on. Bake for 30 minutes covered, then take the lid off and bake for a further 15 minutes.

    No knead bread in dutch oven
    No knead bread in dutch oven halfway through baking

    Step 5: Wait for the bread to cool down enough to touch and eat!

    Hands holding crusty no knead bread loaf

    Tips for making the perfect no-knead bread:

    • If it is cooler where you live, use warm water to give it a boost. This isn't essential and it will still work using cool water but in the middle of winter when you are leaving it on the bench overnight, I've found using warm water helps a lot.
    • Active dried yeast is what I use but instant yeast or Surebake yeast will also work. If using Surebake yeast, you will just need to use 1 teaspoon instead of only ½ teaspoon. Instant yeast can be directly substituted.
    • If you don't have a cast iron dutch oven/casserole dish, use a roasting dish covered in tinfoil. This is what my sister uses and her bread turns out perfectly!
    • Using a serrated knife to create the X on the top is easier for me than just a regular sharp knife.

    I can't wait to see how you get on! And if you make this, don't forget to comment below, email me a picture or share on Facebook or Instagram and tag it #thekiwicountrygirl.

    And here's the video showing you exactly how to do it

    Happy bread baking!

    This bread is absolutely perfect served along side a bowl of bacon hock and vegetable soup and if you happen to have any leftover, it also makes the BEST garlic bread! Slice it, spread with butter and crushed garlic and put under the grill for 10 minutes. Perfect!

    Loaf of no knead bread on baking paper

    Crusty No-Knead Bread

    The most amazing 4 ingredient crusty no-knead bread recipe!
    4.72 from 7 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 45 minutes
    Rising time: 1 day
    Total Time: 1 day 55 minutes
    Servings: 1 loaf
    Author: Laura

    Ingredients

    • 3 cups flour (approx 420 grams)
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon active dried yeast (see recipe note 1)
    • 1 ½ cups (375ml) warm water (see recipe note 2)

    Instructions

    • Add all ingredients to a medium sized mixing bowl and stir to combine. Cover and leave to rise at room temperature for 8-24 hours.
    • Using well floured hands, turn the dough out onto a floured piece of baking paper and shape into a round loaf. Leave to rest for 30 minutes (while the oven is preheating)
    • While the bread is resting, place a cast iron dutch oven or other heavy oven dish  with a lid (see recipe note 3) in the oven and heat the oven to 220°C/430°F.
    • Once the bread has rested, use a sharp knife to slash an X in the middle of the loaf. I find that using a serrated knife gets a cleaner cut.
    • Using oven mitts, remove the dutch oven or oven dish from the oven and carefully place the baking paper with the bread in the dish. Place the lid on (or cover with tinfoil) and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for a further 15 minutes.
    • Remove from the oven and allow to cool before slicing and eating!

    Notes

    1. I use active dry yeast but instant yeast or Surebake yeast will also work. If using Surebake yeast, you will just need to use 1 teaspoon instead of only ½ teaspoon. Instant yeast can be directly substituted.
    2. You can use room temperature water but I have found that if it is colder where you are (e.g. in the middle of winter) using warm tap water gives the bread a nice little boost.
    3. A heavy cast iron dutch oven with a lid is what I use to bake the bread, but if you don't have one, my sister uses a roasting dish with tinfoil as a lid and this works perfectly well too. Use what you have!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 1384kcal | Carbohydrates: 288g | Protein: 41g | Fat: 4g | Sodium: 2353mg | Potassium: 458mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 1g | Calcium: 67mg | Iron: 17.4mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Tag @thekiwicountrygirl or tag #thekiwicountrygirl!

    Recipe from It's Always Autumn

    « Monthly Bread Baking Challenge
    10 Reasons to Keep Backyard Chickens »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Christine says

      July 04, 2022 at 5:32 pm

      Hi would anyone know if we can substitute with rye flour? and if so do we need to modify the cooking /baking process? Much thanks

      Reply
    2. Ada says

      June 28, 2022 at 5:40 pm

      5 stars
      Hi Laura, I love making this bread! Works perfect every time and super easy. I’ve seen you make this on Facebook story and just wondering what seeds or extras you add and rough quantities?
      Kind Regards, Ada

      Reply
      • Laura says

        July 10, 2022 at 8:50 pm

        Hi Ada, I have been adding about 2TBSP each of linseed, rolled oats and sunflower seeds! Sometimes I add slightly more water too

        Reply
    3. Royston says

      February 07, 2022 at 11:41 am

      Hi Laura. Can high-grade flour that I use in breadmaker be used or is plain flour better suited to this version?

      Reply
    4. Chris Long says

      September 16, 2021 at 7:35 pm

      Hi Laura, I have made many attempts at this recipe..it looks and tastes awesome the top/side crust is fine but the bottom is always too tough/chewy texture..hard to cut with a knife.
      I cook it in a dutch oven but only let it rise for an hour or so..do you think that could be the cause?
      Do you know how I can fix this thanks.
      Thanks

      Reply
      • Laura says

        June 14, 2022 at 10:06 am

        Hi Chris, it seems like a funny thing but I find that using a good quality baking paper in the bottom of the dutch oven actually makes all the difference to the loaf not being too brown and tough on the bottom!

        Reply
    5. Madeleine says

      September 27, 2020 at 10:02 am

      Hey there, what a cool discovery. I’m just making mine now, waiting for it to bake! 😊 Two questions as I just want to make sure I’m getting the bread as fluffy as possible: 1) Mine came out extremely wet. I didn’t want to play with the promotions on my first time, but is it supposed to be so sticky that it just barely stays in a loaf shape and gets all stuck to my hands? 2) Does handling the dough partway through the rise mess it up?

      Reply
      • Laura says

        November 13, 2020 at 8:01 am

        Hi Madeleine! It is quite a wet dough but if it is too sticky to handle and shape, add a bit more flour. It should hold it's shape as it rises. And I would try to leave it alone as it rises too. Laura

        Reply
    6. iulia simtion says

      September 23, 2020 at 9:10 pm

      5 stars
      Hi Laura, I started making this bread in lockdown (April 2020) and i haven’t stopped since. It is exactly my kind of bread and it really is easy peasy! So thank you very much. You’ve made this bread enthusiast very happy!

      Reply
    7. Leora says

      May 10, 2020 at 7:54 am

      Hi — do you activate the yeast first? And if so, with what other ingredients (water and sugar?). I see that this recipe doesn’t call for sugar....

      Reply
      • Laura says

        May 16, 2020 at 8:40 pm

        Hi! No need to activate the yeast first as it has such a long resting/rising time that it does what it needs to do over this time!

        Reply
    8. Effie says

      April 25, 2020 at 10:29 am

      My first attempt was very successful. Only question was after sitting overnight it had quite a firm top which was hard to knead back in. I put a tea towel on the top.

      Reply
      • Laura says

        May 03, 2020 at 8:56 am

        Hi Effie, try using a damp tea towel, that should help! Laura

        Reply
    9. Fiona says

      April 17, 2020 at 2:30 pm

      Hi Laura
      Not sure if you're still running this site as last messages in 2018 but will give it a whirl anyway. I've just made this bread successfully this morning and really pleased with how easy it was. Only problem is it disappeared by lunchtime. I'd like to double the recipe and my Dutch oven is large enough to take it. Just wondered what you'd suggest I adjust the 30min/15m cooking times to and if you'd keep the temp at 220?
      Thanks a mil.
      Fiona

      Reply
      • Laura says

        May 27, 2020 at 8:57 pm

        Hi Fiona! I've never doubled the recipe myself but to start with I would stick with the 30 minutes at the beginning and then go from there - it may need another 30 minutes uncovered but just keep an eye on it! Would love to hear how you get on! Laura

        Reply
        • Fiona Halliwell says

          August 24, 2020 at 12:52 pm

          Hi again Laura

          So here we are again all making bread in lockdown - working from home has its advantages 🙂 I did try the double recipe a couple of times but it just doesn't make as good a loaf at all - less taste and less rise - I'm sure there's a method to fix those but I'm not overly concerned, I'm just making two at the same time and cook one after the other. My question today though is about a wholemeal version - I've tried it twice now with the same quantities, extended the lid-on cooking time by 10mins, but not getting the same consistency or rise. Would you put slightly less water and perhaps a little more yeast? So tasty though! 🙂

          Thanks
          Fiona

        • Laura says

          March 08, 2021 at 2:16 pm

          Hi Fiona, sorry, I totally missed this comment! It has taken me SO much trial and error to get the wholemeal version right. I find the best I can get is using half white flour, half wholemeal flour, and adding slightly more water. Once I've perfected it, I will post my recipe! Laura

    10. Ruth says

      August 24, 2018 at 1:45 pm

      Hi Laura! I've made this bread a few times now and it's great, has worked perfectly so thanks 🙂 Just wondering if you've tried to make this recipe in more of a loaf tin (more sandwich friendly lol)? I'm going to try it and see how it works out, but do you think I'd need to adjust cook times at all? Thanks, Ruth

      Reply
      • Laura says

        August 26, 2018 at 7:55 pm

        Hi Ruth! That's great, I'm so happy you love the bread! Great question - I haven't tried this! It may need an extra 15 minutes or so as I imagine the loaf tin will have a smaller surface area than the casserole dish, so it will be a more compact loaf. I would check it after 45 minutes, but if it looks like it needs longer, probably an hour (total) would be plenty. I'm interested to try this now too, I might actually do it overnight tonight and let you know how I get on!

        Reply
    11. patricia says

      August 16, 2018 at 7:26 pm

      I left the dough overnight in quite a warm kitchen and now it's so liquid that I can't shape it - any ideas what I can do?

      Reply
      • Laura says

        August 17, 2018 at 9:17 am

        Hi Patricia. That's so strange, I haven't had that happen before! Check that your yeast isn't expired - that's always the first thing to do when having bread troubles! Other than that, I would try stirring some extra flour through it (juts enough so that you can pull it together into a loaf) and try baking it anyway and then next time use an extra 1/2 cup of flour and see if that helps. Sorry it didn't work out for you! Laura

        Reply
    12. Lorraine Beatson says

      August 11, 2018 at 10:57 am

      I made this yesterday and am about to cook it but it appears very sticky and floppy and not like yours. Should I throw it out and start again or will it be okay to cook. Kind regards Lorraine

      Reply
      • Laura says

        August 13, 2018 at 1:09 pm

        Hi Lorraine, I would still cook it and see how it goes...keep me posted and if it didn't work we will try to figure out what might have gone wrong!

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Laura!

    I live on a farm in rural New Zealand with my husband Josh, our kids Sadie, Macey & Finlay and our black lab Sage. We're all about simple & delicious, family friendly recipes that are made from scratch as well as tasty treats! Read More…

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

    Multi Cooker Recipes

    Bowl of bacon bone and vegetable soup on table with slice of buttered bread

    Bacon Hock and Vegetable Soup (slow cooker and instant pot)

    White rice in a bowl with Crock Pot Multi cooker

    Multi Cooker Rice (Instant Pot)

    Shredded chipotle chicken in a bowl

    Multi Cooker Shredded Chipotle Chicken (instant pot or slow cooker)

    Plate of hard boiled eggs

    Multi Cooker Hard Boiled Eggs (Instant Pot)

    Pan of devilled sausages with mashed potato

    Devilled Sausages

    Whole pumpkin in instant pot/multi cooker

    Instant Pot Pumpkin Puree (Multi Cooker)

    Popular Recipes

    Pan of devilled sausages with mashed potato

    Devilled Sausages

    Overhead of bowl with potato salad, chives and tea towel in background

    Easy Potato Salad Recipe

    Homemade beef burger with fries in the background

    Homemade Burger Patties (Josh's secret recipe)

    Close up of scoop of cheesy mince pasta with herbs on top

    Cheesy One Pan Mince Pasta

    My all time favourite Carrot Cake recipe - loaded with grated carrot, crushed pineapple and crunchy walnuts and smothered in cream cheese frosting, this will become your favourite carrot cake recipe too! | thekiwicountrygirl.com

    My Favourite Carrot Cake Recipe

    Homemade Burrito Spice Mix (or taco seasoning) - the perfect blend of spices to make your favourite Mexican meal in minutes! Perfect for beef burritos, nachos, chicken strips for tacos, refried beans or anything Mexican! | thekiwicountrygirl.com

    Homemade Burrito Spice Mix (with free printable labels)

    • Recipe Index
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact me

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    As a Mighty Ape Affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 Brunch Pro on the Brunch Pro Theme

    710 shares
    • Pinterest
    • 102Facebook
    • Email
    • Print
    710 shares
    • 102