Crusty No Knead Bread tastes amazing and is so easy to make! This simple recipe has just four ingredients and takes minutes to mix together. Your house will smell heavenly in no time!

No knead bread baked inside of a cast iron pan with parchment paper

Sliced bread on a cutting board with a tea towel on the side

I am so excited to share this crusty no knead bread recipe with you today! Who doesn’t love a warm, from the oven, piece of buttered crusty bread? The thought of making homemade bread can seem daunting, but this method is stupid easy.

Can I tell you how delicious my whole house smelled while this bread was baking? This bread has all the perks of homemade bread but without all of the work. With just four ingredients, it literally took me ten minutes to measure it out and mix it together.

The longest part of this recipe is the time it takes to rise. So after you mix the ingredients, sit back, watch a movie, do some laundry and before you know it, it’s time to bake!

Here is what you will need:

Special equipment

Cast iron skillet (I used a 10-inch. You probably don’t want to go any smaller than that.)

Ingredients

3 1/4 cups (439g) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups (360g) warm water

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together, flour, salt and yeast.
Add the warm water and mix together with a large spoon until combined.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and then cover with a tea towel.
Put the bowl in a warm place and let the dough rise for 3 hours.
After two hours have passed, put your skillet in the oven. On the bottom rack, add a pyrex baking dish or bowl filled with 2 inches of water. Preheat your oven to 475° F for 45 minutes.
Once the dough has risen for 3 hours, has doubled in size and the top is bubbly, turn it out onto a floured board or counter. With floured hands, quickly form the dough into a ball. DO NOT KNEAD.
Carefully remove hot cast iron skillet from the oven and line with parchment paper. (If you do not have parchment, you can add a couple of teaspoons of cornmeal to the skillet to keep the dough from sticking.)
Add the bread dough to the skillet.
With a sharp knife, make a large “X” onto the top of the dough and return to the oven.
Bake for 30-45 minutes until the bread is golden brown.
Transfer bread to a wire cooling grid for 30 minutes before slicing.
Enjoy!

Dry ingredients mixed in a mixing bowl with a whisk

No knead bread baked in a cast iron pan with parchment paper

Crusty No Knead Bread

Michele Wendt

Crusty No Knead Bread tastes amazing and is so easy to make! This simple recipe has just four ingredients and takes minutes to mix together. Your house will smell heavenly in no time!

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Rising time 3

Total Time 3 40

Course Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine American, French, Italian

Servings 8 slices

Calories 254 kcal

Equipment

Cast iron skillet (I used a 10-inch. You probably don't want to go any smaller than that.)

Ingredients

3 1/4 cups 439g all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups 360g warm water

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together, flour, salt and yeast.
Add the warm water and mix together with a large spoon until combined.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and then cover with a tea towel.
Put the bowl in a warm place and let the dough rise for 3 hours.
After two hours have passed, put your skillet in the oven. On the bottom rack, add a pyrex baking dish or bowl filled with 2 inches of water. Preheat your oven to 475° F for 45 minutes.
Once the dough has risen for 3 hours, has doubled in size and the top is bubbly, turn it out onto a floured board or counter. With floured hands, quickly form the dough into a ball. DO NOT KNEAD.
Carefully remove hot cast iron skillet from the oven and line with parchment paper. (If you do not have parchment, you can add a couple of teaspoons of cornmeal to the skillet to keep the dough from sticking.)
Add the bread dough to the skillet.
With a sharp knife, make a large “X” onto the top of the dough and return to the oven.
Bake for 30-45 minutes until the bread is golden brown.
Transfer bread to a wire cooling grid for 30 minutes before slicing.
Enjoy!

Notes

This bread is best eaten the day it is baked. You can store it in a sealed food storage bag for 2-3 days. You can soften it in the microwave or toast it as well.

This bread freezes very well and can be frozen for up to 3 months in an airtight bag or container.

Keyword Bread, crusty bread, easy bread, french bread, homemade bread, No knead, No knead bread

Baked bread in a cast iron pan with parchment paper and a tea towel next to it

I’m going to close this post by telling you that THIS bread is going to make you feel SO fancy. You can make homemade bread for your family and they will think you are amazing! Side note….you do not have to tell them how easy it was to make.

Serve up this bread with my tomato beef kluski. Goes perfect with soup or pasta! This bread is definitely my new fave. I hope you love it!

Sweet regards,

Michele

Recipe adapted from Mashed