No Knead Bread: so easy a 4-yr old can make it!

by SteamyKitchen on September 10, 2007 · 403 comments

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’ve 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


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{ 341 comments… read them below or add one }

susan November 29, 2009 at 6:21 pm

Veeery cute. My boy is 9 now & helps a lot. I have pix of him at 3 sitting on the counter, helping me cook, flour all over him. Question – I have solved many of my baking irregularities with measuring flour by weight instead of volume. Any idea on the flour for best results? I run into a lot of variation, especially with boy child helping & packing the flour in like it’s cement or fluffing it with his fingers. Thanks -Susan

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Diamond Dave December 2, 2009 at 10:25 pm

Looks like a competent little helper! I’ll try this…

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Aja December 12, 2009 at 6:05 pm

Thank you for sharing this recipe. I just baked it today…WONDERFUL! It was one of the BEST breads that I have made to date. It also made amazing sandwiches :)

Reply

iruma December 23, 2009 at 8:24 am

hi there,

Thank you for sharing this recipe. I have the dough sitting nicely on my kitchen ready for a long sleep tonight. Hopefully it will be ready for tomorrow xmas eve dinner. Just wondering, i am going to use pyrex to bake it, however do you think i can use alumunium foil to cover it while its in the oven? otherwise do you have any other suggestions? thanks

Reply

SteamyKitchen December 23, 2009 at 9:42 am

you’ll need a lid – the aluminum foil won’t trap enough moisture. the lid is to trap moisture and create steam for the crisp crust. if you don’t have a perfect sized lid, go ahead use foil – just know that your results will be different.

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Peg Salvage December 28, 2009 at 8:44 pm

Any ideas why I have such trouble with my dough sticking to the cloth during the 2 hour nap? I’ve tried this a few times, and each time I lose a third of my dough since it gums onto the baking cloths I use. I always flour them quite well – I’m not sure what else to try.

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Padrons January 1, 2010 at 10:46 pm

This is seriously so easy! I can’t believe I’ve been making bread any other way… and I too get a little bit of wheat flour in there sometimes, I like the flavor.
-Sylvia

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Stacy January 2, 2010 at 12:26 pm

I found this recipie about a year or so ago. I made this easy wonderfully delicous bread several times and impressed everyone. I then lost the recipe. I have been searching for it and decided to look online again. I thought how could I ever find it. As I randomly searched over all these wonderfully looking bread recipies I couldn’t stop looking for yours. As soon as I clicked on this link and saw your cute son I knew I was in luck!! Thanks a ton for this post.
Stacy
PS Im saving you in my favorites!

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Sandy January 3, 2010 at 5:48 pm

Hi, I made this a few days ago and it was great! I was going to make some more but ran out of bread flour and thought I remembered you had said something about whole wheat, so I am in the process of trying it that way. My question is, in the recipe for no knead baguettes there is sugar. I was actually surprised the original did not have some sugar for the yeast to “eat”. I’m not sure if that’s a question! Anyway, should I add sugar to the No Knead Bread or not?
Thanks!

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Elaine January 8, 2010 at 5:29 pm

Hi, Steamy! This bread looks lucious! My one question is: can you double the recipe to get a 2-pound loaf? We’re a bread-hound family of six & NEED a big loaf? Thanks so much for your help!

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SteamyKitchen January 8, 2010 at 6:10 pm

Yes, you can double the recipe, but I’d recommend making two 1-lb loafs. Making a giant 2-lb loaf is tricky in terms of timing and getting the interior cooked through w/o burning the exterior.

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Monika January 10, 2010 at 10:38 am

Hi, Steamy! Right now I am in the process of making the bread. I made one loaf all purpuse flour and second with you secret 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour but did you also add more water because it looks that the dough with whole wheat flower is dryer not as floppy like the other one. I don’t know how to explain. We will see results in couple of hours. Iam now on second rising. Thanks

Reply

Jayne January 13, 2010 at 4:40 am

I tried the recipe 2 days ago (actually made the dough and stuck it into the fridge for one day) and pinched off an orange size one today to make a mini loaf. I baked it for 25 minutes. The texture was chewy with large holes inside. Is it supposed to be like that? I expected soft. It tasted ok, only it felt like I was eating undercooked bread. hmmm…I don’t have a cast iron pan so I chose to peel a bit for this morn. Maybe more tomorrow. Can I use this recipe for pizza base and flavoured breads? I notice you used sweetened dough for your nutella one and olive oil for the pizza one. Wonder if this basic one will with as well.

Well, you can’t expect the same results if you’ve changed the dough size and wing the baking time. Just follow the recipe, master the recipe as-is – then start changing it around. ~jaden

Reply

Andrew January 14, 2010 at 2:01 am

Thanks for the great piece on no-knead bread. I can’t wait to try it. Will a Lodge 5-Quart Dutch Oven be large enough for this bread baking? I can’t seem to find dimensions on the Internet for the size enclosure to use.Thanks.

Yes, a 5quart dutch oven should be fine! ~j

Reply

Jee January 24, 2010 at 2:48 am

Jaden -
I just mixed the dough together and am letting it sleep overnight.
I was wondering – why the towel? Can’t I just put it back in the bowl I mixed it in or something? Just wondering if there is a specific reason I need to put the shaped dough on a towel. I think I’ll just put it in a bowl and let it rise then bake and see if it makes any difference.
I also don’t have a dutch oven or cast iron pot etc that can go in the oven at 450 and also has a lid. :(
So, sadly I will be baking it in a loaf pan or something. I will also let you know how this turns out.
I’ve been too chicken to try this out but am finally going for it – with me luck!!

Reply

SteamyKitchen January 24, 2010 at 5:54 am

Jee- the dough will stick to your bowl. The towel makes it easy to lift the dough without deflating.

Without a cover, you won’t be able to generate enough steam to get a crisp crackly crust.

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Jee January 26, 2010 at 1:01 pm

I used a towel and it still stuck to it but I was able to get most of it in the stoneware pan I used. I covered it tightly with foil and when I opened the foil 30 minutes the top was not as pretty as yours in the picture but I still uncovered it and went with it. I had to leave it in the oven for about 10 more minutes but it tasted great!!!
Just one question – how do you get the bread out of the pot once you’re done baking? I had a little trouble with that – thanks again for this recipe!! I think I’m gonna go buy myself a cast iron pot soon. ;)

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SteamyKitchen January 26, 2010 at 1:16 pm

try using parchment paper instead of towel – and just use the parchment paper to lift dough out of the bowl into the pot. The parchment keeps the bread from sticking in pot.

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lori February 8, 2010 at 1:28 pm

your instructions say “give it a goodnight kiss and let it sleep 12-20 hours”????? the recipe says 2 hours? Please advise.

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SteamyKitchen February 8, 2010 at 2:43 pm

Letting it sleep for 12-20 hours refers to step 1 in recipe.

There are 2 rises in bread baking. Once overnight; then form; then let rise again for 2 hours

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Susanne February 8, 2010 at 5:11 pm

Saw your website and the recipe for the NKB. If your 4 year old can make it, I figured so could I! He’s such a cutie! I can’t wait wait for my 2 yr old to start “helping” me to cook. Anyway, the bread turned out FANTASIC in my 5 qt Le Cruset pot. It was so beautiful that we video taped the crackling of the bread as we took it out of the oven. I used the parchment paper and it worked great. I will definitely be making this one again and again. It’s time to kiss my breadmaker goodbye!

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Tiffany February 8, 2010 at 11:48 pm

LoL. This made me laugh. And your son is cute. :) Thanks for an awesome bread recipe..came out wonderful and I will be making this again and again.

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Sharon February 9, 2010 at 2:21 pm

I read somewhere to add Vital Wheat Gluten to the recipe… do u recommend this?

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SteamyKitchen February 9, 2010 at 3:03 pm

You can if you want – it just adds more gluten, but I don’t find the need to use it.

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Nikki February 16, 2010 at 1:30 am

I just did two loaves of this bread… and I’m so impressed with the results… I can’t even get over the fact that this was my first time ever making bread.

Thank you so much for this recipe! – and thank Andrew for me for the demonstration! lol

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JAn Roseland February 24, 2010 at 4:54 pm

I made my first loaf of no-knead bread and was I surprised! It looks so very good and when I cut into it it has the holes I have been looking for in homemade bread, The only thing I am questioning is should the bread be damp on the inside? Am I doing something wrong, Or is it supposed to be that way? I do not have a cast iron pot ( I have ordered one) so I used the liner from my crock pot. But the little tab on the lid did come off! No big deal there tho. Thanks for any help.

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SteamyKitchen February 24, 2010 at 5:19 pm

If the bread is still wet in the middle, you’ll need to bake longer.

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Rosa February 25, 2010 at 6:48 am

Adorable boy! Glad I found your page – it’s my favourite no-knead one and I love the other recipes too. It helps that I have 2 boys of my own!

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heather March 1, 2010 at 2:33 pm

hello…..i tried making this bread today. i need your help! im no bread maker! and im not 4yrs old……..i think maybe i should have had my daughter (4yr old) to help me out. hee hee anyway, i used parchment paper as you said and it ended up sticking to the bottom of the bread. also, the bread was dense….not like the usual rustic bread ive eaten. any help would be appreciated! thanks for your time!

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SteamyKitchen March 2, 2010 at 8:09 am

Hi Heather – gosh there are so many factors at play here. Was your oven temperature right? Was your yeast fresh? Did you follow instructions exactly without any changes?

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Seth March 2, 2010 at 7:11 pm

Thank you, thank you! My bread machine broke recently and I fell upon this recipe. Easy, peasy & delish…I love it! I’ll be making this bread for my 3rd time this evening and I don’t think I’ll need to buy another bread machine now.

Seriously I don’t know how this works. My machine recipe used a bit more flour (4 cups) but 8 times more yeast (2 teaspoons!) as well as a Tbl. of sugar. On top of that, it didn’t taste as good. I always thought that it was the sugar that activated the yeast and the salt that held it back but whatever – somehow this works perfectly.

Two quick questions if I may. I’ve been using bread machine yeast but should/can I use regular less expensive yeast? Also would this recipe double well?

Thanks for a great recipe, amusing article and awesome photos of your cute boy. Did I say thank you?

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SteamyKitchen March 2, 2010 at 9:01 pm

Seth- aww thank you! I’ll let Andrew know he has a fan.

re: yeast – use the less expensive yeast!

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heather March 3, 2010 at 1:21 pm

thanks for your response….i will try again and let ya know! the yeast was brand new. however, you say ‘instant yeast’ and i used dry active yeast….is that the same thing?

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heather March 5, 2010 at 12:59 pm

ok, so i tried it again and used a different yeast. not sure the difference between the 2 besides the look. (see how much im NOT a bread maker?) my motherinlaw gave me some and i used it. the bread turned out much better! i also didnt use the parchment paper, instead dusted the bottom of the pan w/ some flour. that worked perfectly!! i was also a little ambitous and threw some sun-dried tomatoes in the dough just before baking. it was nice. have you tried to use other ingredients like this……maybe olives??

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Tatuaje Cigars March 6, 2010 at 10:13 pm

I love when you don’t have to work very hard and you still get such an awesome product! This was really fun to use as a base for my pizzas on Sunday Funday (tradition at our house). It was so easy to make and the kids really enjoyed it. Kudos.
-Sylvia

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Andrea March 18, 2010 at 10:36 pm

I just sliced a piece of my first loaf, baked using your instructions. It’s fabulous–thank you!

Reply

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