Description

This Best No Knead Artisan Bread Recipe offers a simple and effortless way to bake crusty, golden-brown artisan bread at home without the need for kneading. Using a combination of all-purpose flour, sea salt, yeast, and warm water, the dough ferments overnight to develop flavor and texture. Baking the dough in a preheated Dutch oven creates a perfect crust, resulting in bakery-quality bread that’s perfect for sandwiches, toast, or accompanying any meal.

Ingredients

Scale

Dry Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons coarse sea salt
1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast (or instant yeast)

Wet Ingredients

1 ½ cups warm water (about 110°F)

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Combine dry ingredients: In a large bowl, mix together the all-purpose flour, coarse sea salt, and active dry yeast until evenly distributed.
Add warm water: Pour the warm water (around 110°F) into the dry ingredients and stir thoroughly until a shaggy, sticky dough forms.
Rest and ferment dough: Cover the bowl with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and leave it at room temperature for 12 to 18 hours to allow the dough to rise and develop bubbles.
Preheat oven and pot: After fermentation, preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C) and place a Dutch oven or an oven-safe pot with a lid inside to heat for 30 minutes.
Shape the dough: Lightly flour a clean surface and gently turn the risen dough out. Shape it into a round loaf without kneading.
Bake covered: Carefully take the hot Dutch oven out of the oven and place the dough inside. Cover with the lid and bake for 30 minutes.
Bake uncovered: Remove the lid and continue baking for an additional 10 to 15 minutes until the crust is deeply golden brown.
Cool the bread: Transfer the bread onto a wire rack and let it cool completely before slicing to ensure the crumb sets properly.

Notes

Using a Dutch oven or oven-safe pot is crucial to create steam which helps develop the crispy crust.
The long fermentation time enhances the flavor, so avoid rushing this step.
You can use either active dry yeast or instant yeast interchangeably.
Make sure the water is warm but not hot to avoid killing the yeast.
Allowing the bread to cool fully prevents it from becoming gummy when sliced.