No Knead Bread Recipe: so easy a 4-yr old can make it!
It’s been almost a year since NY Times unveiled the secret to the revolutionary No-Knead Bread. And while fads come and go, this certainly is a recipe that has transcended the fickleness of foodies. It’s time to revisit the bread…. as many of us have been brainwashed by this summer’s ice cream! We’ve made close to 60 loaves since last November and I’ve got to tell you, it is still one of our family’s favorite things to eat.
I firmly believe that every person should bake a loaf of bread at least once in their lifetime. Granted, it’s easy to just drive to your local bakery to pick up a loaf, but have you ever experienced the intense joy of smelling freshly baked bread coming from your very own oven?! Foodgasmic eyes-roll-to-back-of-head, soul softly moaning as you tug a piece of warm, pillowy mound gently with your teeth. In case you’d not heard of No Knead Bread….let me tell you about it. Baking bread does sound intimidating…all that kneading and loaf-shaping business is best left to pros. But what if I told you that you don’t even have to knead or shape, that it is so easy my little son makes it.
No Knead Bread recipe so insanely brilliant - no sticky fingers, no doughy mess, no intricate measuring, no complicated kneading. Totally hands-off. The crust is thin, crisp and snaps as you cut into the loaf. The interior of the bread holey, chewy, airy and light. If bread could sing, this would be an angelic choir. in Dolby digital surround sound. Now, with that, how could you not try No Knead Bread? It only takes 3 minutes to mix and a wooden spoon. You can’t even boil spaghetti in 3 minutes!
So, without further blabbering, I’ve pimped out my son to demonstrate that baking No Knead Bread is so simple a 4-year old can do it.
Of course I had to bribe him with 2 temporary tattoos. Cheap labor. 10 cents apiece. There is nothing that says, “I’m a kick-ass no knead bread baker” more than a tattoo of a killer whale. Move over Bourdain, here comes someone cuter…
So, let’s start. 3 cups of bread flour in a big bowl.
secret: I sometimes use 1/2c whole wheat flour + 2 1/2c bread flour
1/4 teaspoon of instant yeast:
1 teaspoon of table salt
(secret: I use 3/4 tablespoon of kosher salt. Why the difference?)
Add 1-1/2 cups of lukewarm water. Sorry no pic - he dumped water before I could pick up camera. But you know what “dumping water” looks like! Stir. Use those muscles, boy. Stir like a badass-baker with whale tattoos would stir!
See? This is what it is supposed to look like…a shaggy, goopy mess.
Wrap up the no knead breaddough
Give it a kiss good night and let the no knead bread dough sleep for 12-20 hours on counter or in a nice, warm, cozy place.
secret: I’ve let it sit for as little as 8 hours and it still tastes great! I did knead with wet hands just a little tiny bit to make up for the time OR you can add a touch more yeast.
After sleeping, the no knead bread dough should look like this: (better than what I look like in the morning.)
Dump out on floured surface:
Wet your hands. This will prevent the very sticky dough from sticking to your hands. If you find dough sticking to your hands, wet again. Why not flour your hands? You could, but you want to keep the flour: water ratio pretty even. Since we are adding flour to the surface, I balance it out by wetting my hands. It is the high water content that makes this bread so deliciously light and the crust very crisp. With wet hands, grab the dough and fold over all ends towards the middle. Turn dough blob over so that you get a nice, smooth, tight surface. Try to tuck the dough ends under to get that taut surface.
Gently move dough onto a floured towel. Cover. Let nap for 2 hours. It should puff up nicely and double in size.
secret: When I run out of time, I sometimes let it sit only for 1 hour! If you let it nap in a tall, narrow bowl (pictured below), the dough rises nice and tall, about 6″ high. If you leave it out on the counter - that is fine too, the dough will rise up and also out….making a flatter No Knead Bread loaf, about 3″-4″ high.They will both taste the same, just looks a little different.
A half hour before the nap ends, slip covered pot into your oven. Crank up the heat to 450F. Let it pre-heat for 30 minutes or longer.
The perfect pot for No Knead Bread
Let’s talk about the pot. So, you know you’re going to put the pot into a very very hot oven. Make sure that the pot can withstand 450F. Generally, if the pot is cheap, flimsy, has plastic handles and a remnant from your poor college days, it’s probably not going to be safe to use in that hot of an oven. Use a 5-qt or larger cast iron, ceramic, Pyrex, stainless steel or enamel pot.
Just check your pot collection - look for large, heavy, no plastic.
Round, oblong - doesn’t matter. Should be at least 4″ tall. I use my Le Creuset emameled cast-iron. Yes, my cover has a thick plastic knob - but I did call Le Creuset’s customer service and they said while their literature says safe to 400F, it is still fine at 450F. Now, I don’t know whether the gal who talked with me really had the authority to tell me such a thing….but after over 30 loaves, my pot is still unblemished. After pre-heating, remove the hot pot from oven. Now plop this wobbly dough into the hot pot. Doesn’t matter how it lands - actually, the messier it lands, the more “rustic” it looks. Shake pot a bit to even out the dough.
secret: if you aren’t using a well-seasoned cast iron pan, you can put a piece of parchment paper in the pot first so that the No Knead Bread won’t stick to the bottom.
“It looks like a belly button!“ ~Andrew
Cover and put back into the oven. Bake covered for 30 minutes. Photo below is peeking through oven door after 30 minutes. Then uncover and bake further for 15-20 minutes. To check - you can either tap the bread (should sound low, hollow, like a drum) or take its temperature (should be 210F in middle).
Here is No Knead Bread just after baking. See? I told you that “messy” turns out “rustic!” Kids- don’t you DARE tell me that your toy room looks “rustic!!!” GO CLEAN YOUR ROOM!
Remove and let cool. The No Knead Bread really does sing - the crust crackles as it cools. Listen to it!
secret: Because the bread has such high water content- the crust will not stay crisp forever. If you aren’t eating soon, you can re-crisp the crust by re-heating it in a 350F oven for 10 minutes.
Thats it! You will be rewarded with a thin, crunchy brown crust, large, open holes. The bread is slightly chewy, flavorful and perfect texture. Making your own bread is deeply soul satisfying, it makes me feel like I am so close to the earth. Eat with good butter - like Kerrygold or Lurpak - splurge on your butter for this loaf!
Just a little story for you: The first time Andrew and I made this bread together, I let him mix all the ingredients together the night before. We watched it bake together. When it came out of the oven, Andrew wanted to cut into it immediately. But we had to wait until it cooled. Then it was time. As I placed the tip of my knife into the bread and moved down through the crust, the snap and crunch of the crust gave way to tender, spongy body. I knew even without tasting it, that it was the most perfect loaf of bread that I have ever made. Andrew and I slathered butter on our slices. We sat on the kitchen floor, my hands still with traces of flour, and had a wonderful moment of just enjoying bread that we made together. Just like his Po-Po, Andrew loves bread. Each time, he would come ask, More bread please with arms outstretched. I would place a warm buttered slice in his small hands - he cradled it so gently, carefully ran to the stairs, never taking his eyes off the prize. He sat on the third step and ate his bread, wiggling his toes between bites. Three times he did this. Yes, this is my son. Perhaps one day when he is older, he will read this recipe and story and remember how his Mommy taught him how to eat homemade bread - with lots of butter and with eyes closed, totally savoring every single bite.
No Knead Bread Recipe
No Knead Bread Recipe is adapted from Mark Bittman of NY Times who got it from Sullivan Street Bakery. When the recipe first came out, it was the blogging community who took the bread to new heights, especially Rose Levy Beranbaum, author of The Bread Bible. I followed Rose’s experiments through the weeks and learned from her recipe adjustments and the why’s of how this bread works.
Yield: one 1 lb loaf
3 cups bread flour (I like Harvest King bread flour)
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
3/4 tablespoon kosher salt (or 1 teaspoon table salt)
1 1/2 cups warm water
Covered pot (five-quart or larger cast iron, Pyrex, ceramic, enamel…something that can go into a 450F oven.)
1. Mix dough: The night before, combine all ingredients in a big bowl with a wooden spoon until the dough just comes together. It will be a shaggy, doughy mess. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit 12-20 hours on countertop.
2. Shape & preheat: The dough will now be wet, sticky and bubbly. With a wet spatula, dump the dough on a floured surface. Fold ends of dough over a few times with the spatula and nudge it into a ball shape. You can use your hands if you like, just keep your hands wet so that the dough does not stick. Generously dust a cotton towel (not terrycloth) with flour. Set dough seam side down on top of towel. Fold towel over the dough. Let it nap for 2 hours. When you’ve got about a half hour left, slip your covered pot into the oven and preheat to 450F.
3. Bake: Your dough should have doubled in size. Remove pot from oven. Holding towel, dump wobbly dough into pot. Doesn’t matter which way it lands. Shake to even dough out. Cover. Bake 30 minutes. Uncover, bake another 15-20 minutes or until the crust is beautifully golden and middle of loaf is 210F. Remove and let cool on wired rack. If not eating right away, you can re-crisp crust in 350F oven for 10 minutes. Best way to eat it? Smear a warm slice with some good butter (Kerrygold and Lurpac are both found in your grocery stores, usually on top shelf)
***
See the kids make German Oven Pancakes 
Also try: 
Dip bread in Olive Oil and Dukkah
Dip in Bagna Cauda
Sop up juices in Killer Cajun Shrimp
Eureka…it works!
I stumbled upon your recipe, Googling “no knead bread” recipes. Yours is one of two that I tried, beginning yesterday. While the other tasted fine as a toast bread this morning for breakfast…your bread? It is OHMYGOD DELICIOUS!!! It seems almost sinful!!!
And that delightful son of yours? If the recipe doesn’t sell itself…that handsome face will!
thanks for this great recipe and story! i was unsure if i could pull off no-knead bread but this post was a great guide, it came out perfectly!
Have you ever tried fresh bread with ganache schmeared over it?!? I used to own a bakery and my favorite treat was french bagette schmeared w/ganache (usually left over from decorating chocolate cakes or brownies). . .try it!
My mom makes your bread everyday and is always successful. She lives in Fla. When she was here last week, we decided to make it at my home in Idaho. We tried 5 days in a row and were unsuccessful. We tried different yeast, flour, adding wine vinegar, bowls and spoons. It would not do anything but sit like a heavy brick blob. Any suggestions why it won’t work in Idaho vs. Fla? We thought it could have been because of the lack of humidity so we tried to raise it on the special setting in the oven for rainsing bread… didnt work. HELP!
Ollie
love it! 3rd loaf in three days!
I have to add that I have altered this to use a greased bowl in place of the towel and I had better results ( no matter how much I floured the towel, it stuck).
This is a fantastic recipe..I make it 2x a week.
I use a very large Roosewood Pottery mixing bowl covered with a stainless steel lid for the top. I preheat both and make one loaf at a time…I keep the lid in the oven when it is off of the bowl and it is waiting for the next loaf….
It works just as well as the cast iron…
Thanks for this wonderful recipe…
s.
I use cake yeast 1/4 of a pat. Mix all the ingredients at one time..Why did you use vinegar….It is not on the list.
I also use my kitchen aid mixer…this works best and I mix it for 6 minutes…on medium.
This is a no stress bread.
s.
[...] http://steamykitchen.com/blog/2007/09/10/no-knead-bread-revisited/ [...]
For Ollie in Idaho: the effect of altitude on the yeast may be your problem. I’ll be moving to 7000 feet soon, so I’ve started looking into it. This article http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/74882/taking_the_guesswork_out_of_high_altitude.html gives a little help. Please post if you find a solution that works for you, I’d be very interested in hearing it.
I have made this recipe for the past year every which way but loose…..it is fabulous….my favorite is adding grated orange rind, raisins and walnuts…yum
also made it w/:
black olives
roasted garlic paste
dried cranberries
dried rosemary/thyme
chocolate chips
chopped almonds
I just baked my sixth No-Knead bread, and it is perfect. I am ready for some changes and would like your opinion.
What would happen if after the 20-hour rise time I drop the dough on a floured board and instead of just turning it over with a wooden spoon I actually kneed it with additional flour. I do this until the dough is soft and slightly dry. Then I continue the same as before. Heat the baking dish and proceed as in the recipe.
Using the no-knead method, is there a way to get a denser bread?
You and your site and your son and this bread recipe kick ass!
Seriously, I feel like such a rockstar today. Homemade bread and soup d’jour just in time for the papa bear and baby bear’s arrival.
Thank you for this!
Bob-
hmm…that I don’t know. I’m sure by kneading you will get smaller holes and a denser bread. Try it and let me know!
jaden
I grew up in Germany and miss their bread terribly. I tried many recipes and also a bread machine, but gave up. Your recipe was recommended by a friend and after seeing that gorgeous, handsome, tattooed helper of yours, I just had to give it a shot. I halved the recipe and used 1 cup bread flour and 1/2 cup mixed, whole grain flours and I got goose bumps when I cut it and put the first piece in my mouth. ***FANTASTIC***
I’ll definitely let Andrew know you loved it! ~j
SteamyKitchen, Jaden,
Thanks for your comments. I tried to add flour and knead after the 20 hour wait. It didn’t work well. After 20 hours rise time the dough actually looks like starter. To knead it into a soft dry dough it requires several cups more flour. After adding one cup and still have on my hands a gooyee sticky dough, I decided to wait the additional 2 hours rise and bake as usual. I still got a good loaf of bread, but I recommend sticking to the original recipe.
Help! I love the taste, and the ease, but have tried five times now and no matter what I do, I cannot get the dough to not stick and fall as I put it into the baking pan. I have tried floured towels, more heavily floured towels, parchment paper, parchment paper with cornmeal. Do you have any advice for me? I saw above that Kirsten used a greased bowl and I wonder if that makes the crust more soft?
Thank you.
this looks ssoooo good!! this might sound weird, but i think that everything tastes good dipped into the perfect barbeque baked beans. surprisingly, winn dixie has one of the most mouth watering baked beans i’ve ever eaten!!!!!
i tried making a regular kneaded dough last night and it tasted ok but it was too dense and heavy, i came across this no knead bread today and after flouring my kitchen last night !!! i cant believe how easy this seems. i like a sweeter bread and having never tried this before i wonder if i should add a little sugar to the mix. has anyone tried this before?
WOW how simple and how good. i could not of asked for better results. crusty outside, soft and light inside. i have to admit i used simple all purpose flour, rapid rise dry yeast, and table salt. i did add a little sugar. i ‘baked’ it in a non stick calphalon pot, and have amazing results !!! i did use the parchament paper idea and it was so simple to do. i will be using this over and over. 5 stars.
Thanks! yay for bread. Yes, the parchment makes it so much easier.
jaden
Wow, I just finished baking this and am now waiting impatiently for it to cool. I can’t believe I just made my own bread! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!
Kalyn- I too had the same problem with the dough sticking to the floured towel. If I used enough flour to keep the dough from sticking to the towel, then the finished bread had big hunks of baked flour stuck to it, yuck. I finally had success by easing the dough onto my Silpat sheet and then tucking it into a large bowl to keep it from oozing over the edge for the 2 hour nap. I then very gently tipped it into my cast iron pot. There were a few tiny pieces that stuck to the Silpat sheet, but they unstuck themselves very easily and the bread turned out fantastic. Good luck!
Thanks for sharing this great recipe! I too have been enjoying your bread recipe, I’ve made it every day this week and unfortunatly eaten it too! The only problem I seem to have is that it sticks to the pot every time. And I end up leaving chunks of it in the pot… Has anyone else had this problem and does anyone have any suggestions?
Try putting the dough on parchment paper to rise…then lift entire thing into the hot pot to bake. That way you don’t have to worry about handling wobbly dough! Just lift dough up holding parchment paper and put into pot. The parchment paper will protect your dough from sticking to pot. ~jaden
My daughter made this bread for us for Father’s Day. She used the same recipe, from a different source, and added chopped rosemary and lemon zest. It was wonderful. I have never made bread in my life and I am determined to try this recipe this week. I looked it up online and ran across your website with your adorable little son. He makes me want to bake! Here he is, making bread, with nary a (perfectly coifed)hair out of place. Your website was fun and entertaining and I learned a thing or two about bread. Thanks!
I just made your 3 hr. french bread recipe, and it was perfect! I am drooling over this No-Knead recipe, however the only pot that I have is a stainless steal pot with a glass lid (the handle is steal with a rubber covering… i wonder if that would melt?)… I do own a ceramic crock pot… however it too has a glass lid… what would glass do at extreme heat and then being removed from extreme heat?
Amber:
User either pot and add a cookie sheet as a lid, or a pie pan/plate if it fits. There are many things that can act as a lid. The first time I made it I used my dutch roasting pan and just made a oblong loaf. Parchment paper helps sticking. I just put the parchment paper in a bowl under the dough for it’s 2 hour rest then lift the whole thing out and into my glass bowl. As long as the glass is tempered it should be safe for the oven - just don’t throw it into a cold sink full of water!! Maybe you have a corningware or pyrex dish some where. That and a makeshift lid works fine too.
Danneauxs
I think the key to keeping the bread dough from sticking to the towel is Cornmeal.
After shaping, sprinkle about a half cup of cornmeal onto the towel before giving it a 2 hour nap.
The tricky part is transferring the dough to the hot pan.
Don’t flip the bread, since you want the cornmeal crust to be on the bottom.
Great tip! thanks! ~j