I have stopped buying bread. When it’s this easy to make your own homemade bread with no work and no kneading, and you can eat it fresh and hot from the oven, this is the only way to go. No knead breads are so flexible and forgiving, you can create your own like I did. I’ve made several different versions so far but this is my favorite one.
This loaf is super crusty when it’s first baked and by the second day, it’s not crusty (no breads are the second day) but it’s still a fabulous moist loaf that’s easy to slice and eat. I make it with three equal parts of whole wheat flour (not whole wheat pastry flour), rolled oats, and bread flour or all purpose flour. I would love to make it 100% whole grain but it’s just too dense for me.
This loaf joins my growing list of no knead breads that I’ve made so far:
That’s five more ways to make this easy bread. My first recipe for faster no knead bread works well with the faster, same-day method because it uses bread flour or all-purpose flour. But when you start adding whole grains like this new multigrain bread, it really needs the overnight method. It takes more time but still no work at all.
Here’s how I do it. In the evening around 9-10:00 p.m. I mix the ingredients together (takes 2-3 minutes) and let them sit overnight. The next morning around 8-9:00 a.m. I proceed with the final steps and by noon, I have a fresh, hot, crusty loaf of delicious homemade bread. Click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones
No knead bread depends on the steam created inside a pot with a tight-filling lid. I use an enameled cast iron Dutch oven but other people have commented on my website that they had success using:
a glass pyrex dish with a lid
a stainless steel pot with a lid
a stainless steel pot with foil on top and the original pot lid over the the foil
a clay baker
a springform pan with an aluminum foil top
a pizza stone with a stainless steel bowl as a cover
several people posted that they used a black cast iron pot with a lid
a roasting pan with a tightly sealed foil heavy duty top
a heavy soup pot with a lid
a corning dish with a glass lid
a Romertopf clay pot
a crock pot bowl with a lid
two nonstick bread pans, no parchment paper – put the dough in one of the bread pans, flip the other pan upside down over the first pan and put binder clips on the two ends to hold the pans together.
an oven-safe stoneware insert (removed from a slow cooker) with a cookie sheet over it as a lid.
a cast iron skillet and foil as a lid
2 1/2 quart corning ware casserole.
Keep in mind that any lid must be tight fitting because you need to create steam inside the pot and the lid should have an oven-proof handle (not plastic). Your pot will need to hold at least 3 quarts but 5 to 6 quarts is most common. Or… You can make my No Knead Ciabatta Bread or No Dutch Oven Bread – they both bake on a pan, no Dutch oven needed. Click here for the recipes.
Blueberries are on sale! That means I need to make my lemon blueberry bundt cake today and I need it in time for dinner. I always made this amazing cake with only 1/3 cup of butter but today I mistakenly used only 3 tablespoons of butter and guess what? It was moist and delicious! This was a good mistake.
OMG – this is so delicious! And now it has even less butter. I use the zest of three lemons and a whole bunch of blueberries (one and a half cups). If you wash the berries, make sure they’re dry before adding them to the batter. Otherwise, they can sink.
It’s the fresh lemon zest that gives all the flavor so don’t skimp on the lemons. When you take the zest off take just the yellow part and avoid the white part, which is bitter.
Start with all your ingredients at room temperature and take your time. It takes 7-8 minutes with an electric mixer to get the batter just right. But what a reward! I like to top my finished cake with a simple glaze made with lemon juice and powdered sugar but you can also dust it with a little powdered sugar. Click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones
RIA MADE MY DONUTS “Hi Jenny. Thank you for sharing ur donut recipe. It taste much better when u fried them. So soft n fluffy. Event husband say, that my donut taste like a pro! Hahhaha…tq so…much!! Ria (Singapore)”
BONNIE MADE MY SIMPLE WHOLE WHEAT BREAD “Hi Jenny, I decided to make your simple whole wheat bread instead of remake again the easy white bread, I’ve used this time newly bought yeast and the bread came out nicely, so you’re right. Best regards, Bonnie”
AMY MADE MY “TUNNELS OF CINNAMON” BREAD “Jenny – I have made so many of your recipes (golabki, perogi….) but this one takes the cake. It is so easy AND so beautiful. Thank you!”
DESA-RHEA MADE DOUGHNUTS “Hello! I made donuts, however I fried them in coconut oil. Added cinnamon and a dash of pumpkin spiced. Dusted some of them with powdered sugar and the others I made a vegan cream cheese. Thank you for being my cooking inspiration :)”
AFSHAN MADE MY WHOLE WHEAT BREAD “Amazingly beautiful”
BONNIE MADE MY EASY WHITE BREAD “My unsuccessful fast & easy white bread, always work well with your recipe, 1st time went wrong, believe I made some mistake ?!” *Bonnie, it looks like your pan is too big so the loaf did not rise up. It should be 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inches. – j.j.
GRANDMAMA MADE MY CINNAMON ROLLS “Oh what a delicious breakfast we had today, Jenny! Thank you for your delicious cinnamon roll recipe! Your pretty photography in your cookbook inspired me to find a pretty setting for the rolls.”
DESA-RHEA MADE MY NO KNEAD BREAD “I love it! Thank you for this recipe. I tagged you on Instagram as well. This is the easiest bread I’ve made to date!! I love your videos too- let us know when you will hold a live cooking show, I’d pay to come see that! – A young fan xoxo” *Desarhea, how did you make it in a loaf pan? Did you cover it? Please let us know – you can respond on the recipe page (click here)– thank you. – j.j.
FARRIN MADE MY GROWN UP MAC & CHEESE “This was delicious!! We couldn’t find purple cauliflower so we had to use white and do you know the calorie content? I’m using my fitness pal to loose weight and I’m not sure how to enter it.” *I’m sorry I do not know the calorie content but I know it’s less than most recipes because it uses reduced fat cheese and 1% low fat milk. – j.j.
“FULL NAME” MADE MY TORTILLAS “Hi Jenny, I made your homemade tortillas twice already and each time they come out wonderfully. These are the best I have ever tasted and are very easy to make. My family likes them very much, too. Attached is a picture of a batch that I just made. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe, and like you said in the video, I will never want to buy store tortillas again since I can make my own. thanks again.
BONNIE MADE MY…. WOW! “Wow…new recipe..no knead multi-grain bread… will be busy again coming week Just want to let you know that beside the cinnamon-raisin bread I made last time, I made also your 1) Pepperoni pizza, I add more variety of toppings …easy & delicious 2) No knead crusty rolls ( I added mozzarella cheese filling & sesame topping)..super 3) Strawberry cake … Sort of dairy or milky taste not my favorite but my family like it 4) No knead fruit & nut bread…yummy 5) Fall-off-the-Bone ribs ( I suggest for those who cannot eat hot spice food better eliminate some chili powder or change spicy mustard to mild mustard as 7 out of 10 of my friends claimed too spicy hot for them – I & other 2 members love the spice taste) Instead of throw away the gravy from the pan before putting BBQ sauce. I kept the gravy and use for marinate chicken wings next day & top with leftover BBQ sauce … also nice
6) Potato Gnocchi with pesto sauce ( forget to make photos) Thanks Jenny
*Bonnie, the ribs should not be spicy so please check to make sure you didn’t use “powdered chili” because chili powder is a mild combination of spices, while powdered chili is very spicy. And thanks for the wonderful photos!! – j.j.
ADOLPH MADE MY FASTER NO KNEAD BREAD “hi jenny,here it is your no knead bread, I am so glad that I found your web site so far all your recipes work for me.i found a dutch oven pot at home sens in Ottawa ont. for 39 dollars,it`s doing a great job. next I will try your no knead multy grain bread .greetings from Canada (smokedinpeace)”
ALEXANDRA MADE MY FASTER NO KNEAD BREAD “Hi Jenny! I made your crusty bread/rolls, and even added rosemary/black olives in one of the loaves and it was fantastic! This is a go-to recipe for me now and I can’t help but share it with everyone! Thanks again, Alex (from Toronto!)”
DEBRA MADE MY EASY ONE-BOWL CHOCOLATE CAKE “Your chocolate cake, just out of the oven.”
MARIANNE MADE MY EASY BAKED ZITI “We LOVED this! Easy, tasty, plenty for tomorrow! Now we will fall into a pasta-induced stupor. Thanks!”
VANESA MADE MY SIMPLE WHOLE WHEAT BREAD “Hi Jenny, here is my whole wheat bread loaf. Finally a recipe that doesn’t taste like cardboard. “
ALLEN MADE MY FALL-OFF-THE-BONE RIBS “Hey Jenny! Here is my latest rendition of ribs! Our guests loved them!”
SHAE MADE MY FALL-OFF-THE-BONE RIBS “They are fantastic!”
CLAIRE MADE MY POTATO PANCAKES “Dear Jenny, I made these for the first time, and they became an instant favorite! This recipe is truly easier than using frozen potatoes, and I had no idea raw potatoes could cook so quickly, yet be so tender. I’m a fan now of Jenny Can Cook!”
AHMAD MADE MY CINNAMON ROLLS “they tasted wonderful, at a fraction of the cost of the ones at the mall, without milk, butter or eggs coz i’m vegetarian 🙂 thank you Jenny, you do know how to cook, I give you that 🙂 “
PATRICIA MADE MY SIMPLE WHOLE WHEAT BREAD “Hi Jenny. I’ve been watching your YouTube video’s for some time now and love them you are so funny, I’d love to be your neighbor ;- When I found your web site I printed off a ton of your recipes.. I’ve made the cinnamon rolls and they were to die for.. today I made your whole wheat bread. I’ve baked bread for years but always on the look out for new recipes and this one is delicious and a keeper.. the only thing I did different was used home grown honey instead of sugar and wheat I ground myself.. The bread was easy to make and the crumb is tender.. I’m sharing your link with my facebook group so be ready for more people coming your way. Oh, I forgot, I also have made your meatballs.. in fact some are in a slow cooker with sauce for dinner tonight.. I had them already baked and frozen from another meal a few weeks ago.. their also delicious.Thanks for all the healthy recipes you’ve shared with us. Pat”
ANNE MADE MY CINNAMON-RAISIN BREAD “ThankYou for this recipe it is so so good and easy to make a keeper! Anne Ashmore”
CHITHRA MADE MY SIMPLE WHOLE WHEAT BREAD “My brown bread as per your recipe. Substituted 1/4 cup thick curds for egg. Came out very soft.”
LINDA MADE MY NO KNEAD CRUSTY ROLLS “Hi Jenny! I just made your No Knead crusty rolls. I saw it on youtube and had asked if I could bake the dough in a small bread pan. But I did it YOUR way and they are the best I have ever eaten. I just made a pig out of myself…lol A BLT and one with olive oil, tomato, oregano, salt and pepper (was my dad’s fav). Oh and a bit of cheese! ~Linda Lamanuzzi”
STAN MADE MY PIEROGI “Jenny, used your recipe for pierogies and with my wife and son. My grandma Stella used to make they for me when I was a kid. Being Polish I’ve only myself bought store bought or ate at restaurants. There really not that hard to make except the dough was tough but wife figure a good to roll them out. Love the video had it playing on the counter top while cooking. Looking forward to trying your Gulumkies cabbage rolls. Regards, Stan Liszka”
JERRY, A POLISH DISABLED VET, LOVES TO COOK “Hi, Jenny! I’m a disabled Vet, 71 that has learned to love cooking. Being Polish, I love to eat, and my plate is dutifully clean when I get up from a meal. Buscia would be proud. When I’m not cooking, I’m tending to eight sweet dogs and 4 wonderful cats the wife and I have rescued. Life is good. Thank you for a wonderful website and great videos. Sincerely, Jerry Koszut”
LIS MADE MY PACZKI & LEMON BROWNIES “Dear Jenny, thank you very much for your recipes! They are tasty, easy and quick! This week I made your Poland donut-Paczki, with 3 filling : strawberry jam, custard and chocolate custard. They are so yummy! I also made your lemon brownies, which I got the compliment for my husband for making such a delicious stuff in just 40 mins!;) Keep up the good work:) Regards, Lis K, Czech Republic”
BONNIE MADE MY CINNAMON-RAISIN BREAD “Dearest Jenny, Thanks for helping me fall in love with cooking again. With your recipes & videos I believe soon I can be a super chef. Best regards, Bonnie from Hong Kong.”
It must be Sunday morning because I’m making breakfast cookies again. Here they are before baking. There are three things that are a constant in my kitchen (besides me)… three things that when I almost run out, I make more. They are: breakfast cookies, granola bars, and tortillas. This morning I ate my last breakfast cookie, there’s one tortilla left and I made granola bars yesterday. So it’s breakfast cookie and tortilla-day today.
Are you wondering why these three? Because you can’t buy anything even close to homemade tortillas. My granola bars are out of this world. And my breakfast cookies may not be pretty, but they are fantastic, especially if you want more fiber in your diet. Those are chopped prunes you see there… or wait… those could be pieces of dark chocolate!
My recipe uses bran cereal, whole wheat pastry flour, and oats (did I mention there are 4 grams of fiber in one cookie?). Then I add some moist chopped prunes (they do not taste like prune cookies!) and either chocolate chips or this time I chopped up some of a dark chocolate bar. And here they are all done…
These are cookies of substance, great taste and texture, and many health benefits. Dark chocolate benefits the heart and all that fiber benefits your digestive system and keeps you regular. As for prunes, besides fiber, they are very high in antioxidants. Prunes benefit your eyes, heart, immune system and can help prevent bone loss.
Just like people, don’t judge this cookie by its appearance. It’s what’s inside that matters. Click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones
Give me a giant Greek salad and a big fork and watch me go! I love Greek salad! I love all Greek food. My stepmom is Greek and I’ve been lucky enough to enjoy her cooking and as well as all the fabulous foods at those Greek festivals we go to. The Greeks love to dance and they know how to eat. Opa!
The main vegetables in my Greek salad are romaine lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, and red onion. Romaine lettuce also happens to be the healthiest lettuce to eat, so use lots. My favorite cucumbers for salad are Persian – the skins are so thin you don’t even have to peel them, but you can if you like. The red onions can be sliced super thin or cut into bigger pieces. Tomatoes can be any kind – cherry, grape, big, small, red, yellow, heirloom… whatever floats your boat. Keep in mind that tomatoes should not be refrigerated so if you want to prepare the salad ingredients in advance and refrigerate them, leave the tomatoes out and add them later, when you add the dressing.
That’s also when I add the kalamata olives and feta cheese – after the dressing is on. And try to buy a piece of feta cheese and not the one that’s already crumbled. Fresh feta cheese is better tasting with more moisture and it’s so easy to crumble. You just break off a piece of feta and crumble it easily with your fingers.
Greek salad dressing is easy to make and it’s fast too. I just put everything into a jar, shake it up, and it’s done. But try to make the dressing in advance so the flavors can blend. My Greek salad dressing recipe makes about 3/4 cup of dressing – enough for many salads so use just enough to coat your vegetebles and save the rest. It will keep indefinitely so keep it refrigerated and you can have Greek salad any time with a well-seasoned dressing.
Greek or not, try to have a salad at every meal. I do. Click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones
Today is my sweetheart’s birthday and he, again, asked for his favorite cake. It’s my fresh strawberry cake and oh my… it is so good! It weighs almost six pounds! That’s because it uses two pounds of fresh berries, two layers of white cake, and a whole pint of whipping cream.
The strawberries are sliced and mixed with sugar to bring out lots of their juices and then you build the cake. It’s a layer of cake, covered with half of the macerated strawberries as the juice quickly soaks into the soft cake below, and you cover the berries with freshly whipped cream. Don’t even think about using Coolwhip!
Then you add the second layer of cake, top it with the remaining strawberries and juice, which soaks into the top layer of cake. Now you cover the whole thing with whipped cream. OMG!!
This is clearly a special occasion cake and one of the few things I bake using butter but it’s unbelievably delicious – it just melts in your mouth. Click here for the recipe. Oh, Happy Birthday, Denis! ♥ ♥
Pssst! Don’t tell anyone these are whole wheat! Just tell them you made delicious apple pancakes for breakfast. Even I was surprised how soft and fluffy these yummy pancakes are. And there’s a ton of apples in there. I use a huge Granny Smith apple that usually weighs over a half pound, which I peel, core, and dice into 1/2- inch pieces. The batter is thick and lumpy and that’s a good thing.
This is my basic buttermilk pancake recipe that I use for blueberry pancakes too. And buttermilk makes the best pancakes! The key to great pancakes is not to over-mix. Never use an electric mixer. Just combine the dry and liquid ingredients together gently by hand until just barely combined. Some bits of visible flour is fine. Then fold in the apples… gently… and you will have a thick and lumpy batter. That’s perfect.
If buttermilk is not available where you live, look at my “Substitutions” blog category. You can make your own but the real thing is better. For cooking my apple pancakes, I use a non-stick electric griddle but you can make pancakes in your largest flat pan. If it’s non-stick you don’t need to grease the pan at all but if you like, you can rub the pan first with a stick of butter.
Everyone’s stoves and griddles are different so the cooking temperature should be somewhere between 360 and 375 degrees F or just below medium-high on the stove. The pancakes should cook in about two minutes per side. For soft and fluffy pancakes, make sure to use whole wheat pastry flour and not whole wheat flour. Click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones
Boy, these are good! They’re easy to make and perfect for a 4th of July party. I’m sharing this idea for the upcoming holiday weekend because I made these Italian sub pinwheels sandwiches for a party once they were a huge hit. But this was a hard recipe to write up because I know everyone will be using different products, depending where they live and what their stores carry. But I did my best.
About the bread: Lavash is perfect for pinwheels because it’s rectangular and easy to roll to get even sandwiches. I used both whole grain lavash and white lavash in this photo but whole grain is my first choice to make these little gems as healthy as possible. I’ve seen lavash in two sizes, 8 by 10 and 9 by 12. If your store doesn’t sell it you can usually find it in a mediterranean or Armenian grocery store. But you can always use large flour tortillas as well.
About the filling:My Italian sub pinwheel is made with some traditional sub fillings like ham, salami, and cheese. But you can make this healthier by choosing nitrate-free ham and salami (I use Applegate brand ham) and I use ultra-thin sliced cheese. Mozzarella is my choice but provolone is also good here. Even the meats should be sliced as thinly as possible for easier rolling. My Italian seasoning blend (Spice Hunter brand) is a combination of basil, rosemary, marjoram, thyme, sage, and oregano. If you don’t have a blend, you can use oregano.
Peperoncini is key to making these taste just like an Italian sub. You can buy them in a jar already sliced.
Oh, and use lots of lettuce. It looks pretty and it’s a healthy green.
About serving: These sandwiches must be made ahead of time, preferably overnight, but at least three hours in advance to give them a chance to hold together and for the bread to moisten. It’s important to roll them up slowly, as tightly as you can, and wrap each roll (you ARE making more than one, right?) in foil and refrigerate. When it’s time to serve, use a sharp serrated knife to cut a little off the ends and then slice the roll into 3/4-inch sandwiches. Place them on your serving plate and keep them covered with plastic as long as you can because they will dry out if left uncovered. But they don’t usually stay around that long. I always serve them with some vegetables – either carrots sticks, cucumbers, or just a plate of crudite.
Other variations: Oh wow, I have made so many different variations. Here are some ideas:
~Turkey and swiss with mayo, mustard, and baby spinach. ~Roast beef with spicy horseradish mustard and lettuce. ~Ham & cheese with cream cheese spread and lettuce. ~Roasted and cooled veggies (peppers, zucchini, onions) with a hummus spread & baby kale. ~Chicken-pesto: Pesto spread (my spinach pesto recipe) with sliced chicken, mozzarella & baby spinach. ~Spicy: Cream cheese mixed with canned “hot” diced green chiles, sliced chicken breast, & lettuce. ~Leftover roast turkey with leftover fresh cranberries (my recipe) as a spread. (I’m making this after Thanksgiving!)
~There are endless variations: add finely sliced onion, olives, pickles, roasted red peppers, shredded carrots, etc., etc., etc.
Click here for the recipe and have a great 4th of July weekend! – Jenny Jones
I have stopped buying bread. When it’s this easy to make your own homemade bread with no work and no kneading, and you can eat it fresh and hot from the oven, this is the only way to go. No knead breads are so flexible and forgiving, you can create your own like I did. I’ve made several different versions so far but this is my favorite one.
