Breads

Serving

No-Knead Dutch Oven Bread

Name: No-Knead Dutch Oven Bread
Total time: 800 min
Yield: 10 servings
Cuisine: Breads
Ingredients: 3 cups (430 g) all-purpose flour; 1/4 tsp instant yeast; 1 1/4 tsp fine sea salt; 1 1/2 cups (355 ml) cool water; Cornmeal or extra flour, for dusting

A rustic artisan boule with a deeply caramelized crust and chewy crumb that comes together with almost no effort.

800 minutes

Serves 10

Side

280 min prep

440 min cook

Contains common allergens

Wheat

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Good to know

Crispy

Matched from this dish's own ingredients and timing. Browse more: crispy recipes

Instructions

7 steps

1
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, yeast, and salt. Add the cool water and stir with a spatula just until a wet, shaggy dough forms and no dry flour remains; do not knead.
2
Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature for 12 to 18 hours, until the surface is dotted with bubbles and the dough has more than doubled. The long, slow ferment is what builds the flavor.
3
Turn the dough out onto a heavily floured surface. With floured hands, fold it over on itself a few times into a rough ball, then cover with a kitchen towel and rest 15 minutes.
4
Shape the dough into a tight ball by tucking the edges underneath, then place it seam-side down on a sheet of parchment dusted with cornmeal. Cover and proof 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until nearly doubled and the dough slowly springs back when poked.
5
About 30 minutes before baking, place a covered Dutch oven in the oven and preheat to 450°F so the pot gets screaming hot.
6
Carefully lift the parchment with the dough into the hot pot, slash the top with a sharp knife, cover, and bake 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake another 15 to 20 minutes until the crust is deep golden brown and the internal temperature reaches about 208°F.
7
Lift the loaf out by the parchment and cool completely on a wire rack, at least 1 hour, before slicing so the crumb finishes setting.

No-Knead Dutch Oven Bread — plated and served — Serving moment. How No-Knead Dutch Oven Bread looks plated and ready to eat — a representative photo, not a step in the recipe.

Listahan Family Score™

74/100

Good fit for most families

Allergen-friendly 90

Kid-friendly 55

Weeknight-easy 54

Budget-friendly 86

Great leftovers 87

Pantry-friendly 77

Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.

Nutrition

per serving

135

Calories

4 g

Protein

29 g

Carbs

0 g

Fat

Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.

Listahan cooking guide

Chef notes & practical guide

Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.

Cultural context

The no-knead method was popularized in the mid-2000s by New York baker Jim Lahey and the food writer who shared it, who showed that a long, slow fermentation could replace kneading entirely. Letting a wet dough rest for many hours lets the gluten organize itself, so a home cook with no mixer or skill can produce a crackly, bakery-style loaf. Baking it inside a covered Dutch oven traps the dough's own steam, which is the trick behind the crisp, blistered crust.

Listahan note

This version relies on time instead of effort, using a long room-temperature rise and a screaming-hot covered pot. It is forgiving enough for a first loaf yet produces an open, chewy crumb.

Technique cues

Mix until just shaggy and no dry flour remains, then walk away, because the twelve-to-eighteen-hour rest does the gluten-building that kneading normally would.
Preheat the empty Dutch oven until it is fully blazing hot, since dropping the dough into a hot pot gives the bottom an immediate burst of oven spring.
Bake covered for the first stretch to trap steam, then uncover to let the crust deepen to a dark, crackling brown.

Kitchen flow

Parallel prep: Mix the dough the night before so the long rise happens overnight while you sleep.
Make-ahead: After the first rise, refrigerate the dough for up to two days for deeper flavor; bake it the day you want fresh bread.
Leftover move: Cube stale slices and toast them into croutons, or blitz them into rustic breadcrumbs for later.
Cleanup rhythm: Soak the mixing bowl right after, and let the cooled Dutch oven wipe clean once the baked-on dusting flakes off.

Ingredient brief

Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.

bread flour

structure and chew

Purpose: Its strong gluten holds the gas from the long ferment, giving the loaf its open holes and chewy crumb.

Handling: Whisk it with the salt and yeast before adding water so everything hydrates evenly.

Adaptation: All-purpose flour makes a slightly softer, less holey loaf and works fine for everyday bread.

instant yeast

slow leavening

Purpose: Just a small pinch ferments the dough slowly over many hours, building flavor without any kneading.

Handling: Stir it directly into the dry flour; no blooming needed for instant yeast.

Adaptation: Use slightly more active dry yeast dissolved in the water, or a spoon of sourdough starter for a tangier loaf.

warm water

hydration

Purpose: A high water ratio makes a wet, slack dough that ferments into a light, airy crumb without kneading.

Handling: Use lukewarm water so the long rise proceeds at a steady pace rather than stalling.

Adaptation: Replace a splash with beer or whey for extra flavor while keeping the total liquid the same.

salt

flavor and fermentation control

Purpose: It seasons the loaf and reins in the yeast so the long rise does not over-proof and collapse.

Handling: Mix it thoroughly into the flour before the water goes in.

Adaptation: Fine sea salt works one to one; reduce slightly if using a coarser flaky salt by volume.

cornmeal or flour for dusting

release and texture

Purpose: A dusting keeps the sticky dough from welding to the towel or pot and adds a rustic finish to the crust.

Handling: Dust the proofing surface and your hands generously, since this dough is deliberately sticky.

Adaptation: Use semolina, rice flour, or parchment paper to keep the loaf from sticking.

Technique notes

Score the top of the loaf with a sharp blade just before baking so it expands along a controlled seam instead of bursting randomly.
Lift the dough on a sheet of parchment to lower it safely into the searing-hot pot without burning your hands.
Let the loaf cool fully on a rack before slicing, because cutting hot bread leaves the crumb gummy.

Ingredient swaps

Whole-grain direction: Replace a quarter of the bread flour with whole wheat and add a splash more water to keep the dough slack.
Sourdough direction: Swap the yeast for a half cup of active starter and lengthen the rise to develop a tangy crumb.
Weeknight shortcut: Warm the rising spot and double the yeast for a same-day loaf in about four hours.

Serve alongside

Cultured butter and flaky salt
Olive oil and balsamic for dipping
Hearty lentil soup
Sharp aged cheddar
Bold red wine
Farmhouse cider
Hot black tea

Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.

Storage & reheating

Store the cooled loaf cut-side down on a board or in a paper bag for two days to keep the crust crisp; a plastic bag softens it. For longer storage, slice and freeze in a sealed bag for up to three months and toast straight from frozen. Refresh a day-old loaf in a hot oven for ten minutes to revive the crackle.

Equipment

Heavy Dutch oven with lid
Large mixing bowl
Bread lame or sharp knife
Cooling rack

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