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)
- 1 1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt , HALVE if using 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, do you think you could make this bread in a bread maker?
The dryer? The microwave would better! I preheat my oven to the lowest setting for a couple min and then put the dough in there
I have never left a review on a recipe out of the hundreds Ive made, but this one takes the cake! This recipe is SO gosh darn flexible.. For example, I (accidentally) put it in my oven at 390 for the first 30, put the loaf in the pan upside down, you know, I think the only things I got right were the measurements! Great recipe though, turned out fluffy and delicious.
This bread recipe is amazing. Followed it this morning at 8 am, let it sit for 2 hours, refrigerated until evening, allowed it to come to room temp, baked it in a bread form with water tray underneath and my husband loved it. He said „Don’t change a thing – it‘s perfect“. Thank You – no fuss with hours of feeding a starter or kneading. Our search is over! We had to stop ourselves from eating the whole bread. Love it!
I Don’t Make Bread Usually But This Recipe Looked Easy Enough, I Wish I Had A Good Bakery Near
To Where I Live, I Use To Earlier
In My Marriage But Not Now.
I Hope It Turns Out Well Then J
Can Try A Recipe My SIL Sent Me.
We Like Raisen Bread Maybe
I Can Try That Also, The Bread In
Grocery Stores Is Just To Soft &
Has To Many Additives & Preservatives In It.. I Live SE Texas
& Don’t Live Close Enough To
A Real Bakery, So I Guess I’ll
Learn To Make Bread Again.
O have alway wanted to make home made bread other than Irish soda to sandwich’s and if never works, I cannot believe how easy and delicious this was to make. Fantastically easy thank you. Can I use a whole grain flour instead?
This is the best bread I’ve ever had in my life. I can’t believe how good the texture is and how it tastes like the most flavourful bread. I did the recipe exactly as written and the dough was a lot wetter than yours and I only let it rise for two hours but it came out heavenly. I had to add about twenty min to the cooking time but omg this is gonna be my recipe forever. Thank you so much!
Hello! I love this recipe but I am struggling to figure out the best way to bake the bread if I want to double the recipe. How long should I bake a double batch for with and without the dutch oven lid?
This recipe is excellent! Thank you so much for sharing not just the measurements but also what it should look like and teaching us how to cook by intuition rather than strict measurements. I really appreciate that!
I made this and only substituted gluten free flour for my wife and it made her evening.
Should the dutch oven be oiled before adding the parchment with dough? My lodge cast iron got a fissure on the bottom from baking this bread At 450. My husband is confident that’s the
Case.
No oil 🙂
Hey Christie–Since cast iron needs to be seasoned at 450 or above (I do mine at 500), I don’t think making this bread damaged your pan.
By fissure, you mean a crack? No way from baking in a lodge cast iron pot, or any cast iron pot for that matter. 450 is not that hot for cast iron. Unless you dropped it down a few flights of stairs or something like that, I would reach out to Lodge and try to get it replaced. No oil necessary if you’re using parchment paper.
Do you bake it with the parchment paper in the pot? I sort of read it as you should use the paper to slide the bread directly into the pot.
Made this today, so crispy. I took it out of the oven after the lid had been off for 5mins because I was worried how hard it was. But left it to sit for awhile and its completely softened up crisped nicely. Wish I had left it in that wee bit longer so it wasnt a bit chewy in the middle. But I know for next time now! Still good to use for our soup tonight 😋
Turned out great! This is my first comment but all of your recipes are knockouts!
This was my first try at baking a bread loaf with regular yeast! (I began making bread with sourdough during the pandemic, and finally stopped baking frequently enough to keep the starter happy. ) It’s a really lovely, visually beautiful, and classic loaf with good flavor. The oven timing was right on the mark, and the crust is almost glossy…I use the Dutch Oven method and did give the dough an overnight in the fridge to develop more character in the flavor, since I’m used to sourdough. I used bread flour, not regular. It could not have been easier to make, and the video was very helpful, as I needed to add extra water to get the dough the right consistency of hydration at the start. I’m probably going to try it next time by substituting in small amounts of whole wheat and rye flour, to see how that works out. If anyone has advice on that, do say. Thank you!
Your recipe is off. Twelve minutes without the cover is nowhere near long enough.
Made this in a round cake tin and filled the oven tray with water. I can’t believe it worked and is the easiest bread I have made ever. Buying a dutch oven to try that out also.
Been making this bread for way over a year now, I add pepitas and sunflower seeds to make it a bit healthier, and sprinkle sesame seeds on top, great for toast in the mornings. I just use plain flour and it’s fine, so much cheaper than store bought
Great recipe. Although, 10 minutes is not nearly enough cool time. It should cool until completely cool to the touch, it it takes a while. The texture will suffer if sliced when still warm. Just heads up to readers 🙂
Hi!
I put doughnimmediateky in fridge and didn’t rise on counter first. I plan to leave it 8 hours in fridge then take out and bake an hour later is that okay
QUESTION: I love this recipe and want to make for a friend. Will gluten free flour work? Thank you for all you do!!!
How is 3 cups 450g? Is it supposed to be 2 cups of flour?
GF flour in no-knead bread is tricky but doable! The challenge is that this type of bread relies heavily on gluten development during the long rise, so GF requires a different approach:
The best option: use a GF bread flour blend specifically designed for yeast breads (King Arthur Gluten-Free Bread Flour is the gold standard here — it’s specifically formulated to give GF bread proper rise and structure).
Key adjustments for GF no-knead bread:
– Add 1 tsp xanthan gum if your blend doesn’t already contain it (crucial for GF yeasted doughs)
– Increase the rise time — GF doughs often need 50-75% more proofing time
– The dough will be wetter and more batter-like than wheat dough — that’s normal
– Bake in a Dutch oven just like the original for the best crust
It won’t be identical to wheat bread but you can get a very good result! For a complete GF conversion with exact ratios and timing, Re-Whisk (rewhisk.com) handles it — it’s free!
GF no-knead bread works but needs a different approach from a 1:1 swap. Regular 1:1 GF blends don’t have enough protein/structure for bread — you’ll want a dedicated GF bread flour like King Arthur Gluten-Free Bread Flour or Caputo Fioreglut for best results. The dough will be more like a thick batter than traditional bread dough, which is normal. Add 1 tsp apple cider vinegar to help with rise, and make sure xanthan gum is in your blend. If your GF friend has celiac, also verify your yeast is certified GF. Hope that helps!