We already know that homemade bread is something to be treasured but THIS bread? This bread deserves its own category. I would call it “The Kind of Artisan Bread You Thought You Could Never Make at Home,” but you can. And when you see how incredibly easy it is, you will make it just like I do… often. Even if you have never baked and the thought of baking with yeast scares you, you can make this bread. This recipe is foolproof. But you will need a Dutch oven – one that’s oven-safe and has an oven-safe handle.
A genius baker named Jim Lahey invented the process of baking bread in a Dutch oven. His original method was to stir together a simple dough, let it rest overnight for 12 to 18 hours, and bake the bread the next day. Steam is created inside the pot to mimic the professional bread ovens that create steam and that’s what gives bread that beautiful golden, crispy crust. I remember the first time I made this overnight bread, I couldn’t believe how it turned out.
And here’s the good news: It doesn’t have to be overnight because with this faster recipe, you can make the bread the day you want it and it takes less then five minutes of prep. And there’s no kneading! The main difference is that with the overnight method you use cold water and with this faster method, it’s hot water (up to 130° F will not kill the yeast). I’m thrilled to be sharing this fantastic and faster no knead bread. You can do this! Click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones
p.s. Can you make it with Gluten-Free flour? Click here.
Could dough be made in bread machine, removed and baked your way?
Several friends have arthritis and mixing dough by hand is painful.
I keep a pizza/bread stone in my oven. Out of curiosity, I baked a loaf with
the stone.(you heat the stone to your needed temperature) It was just as good with the stone and I didn’t have to move that awkward, heavy stone. Since you have to preheat anyway…why not?
Nice bread but lacking in salt!
I could never make bread, this is a wonderful bread. I can do it. Easy.
If the author of this recipe has an oven that take 30 mins or more to heat to 450 degrees,it is time for a new oven!most ovens(mine included)take 5 minutes or less!!
I have a Viking oven. What brand is yours?
Nice. This response made my morning.
I made this bread tonight, it was so good and so easy. I used a cast iron Dutch Oven and the only thing I would change (for me) would be less time back in the oven after the lid is removed as the crust was a bit dark.
Growing up in an Italian home we always had home made bread with hot sausage and Cheese made right in it. Was wondering if you can add cooked sausage and cheese to your no kneed bread? Sure would appreciate your answer. JoAnn
I always use hard white flour from the mill. Will this work in this recipe or do I have to use processed flour?
Jenny
Your bread recipe is awesome I want to make mass quantities now and sell it
warm bread with lots of butter Yummy!!
I think you’ll have lots of customers!
I have been reading the comments on the measurements of the flour and the problems with it if it is not aerated. Would it not be better and more accurate to translate the 3 cups to grams or ounces ? Jenny, I would appreciate it if you could give the measurements in metric measurements as well ?
Thanks
I just added a new metric conversion chart: https://www.jennycancook.com/metric-conversion-chart/
I tried the Bittman/Laherty bread recipe, twice. It didn’t rise as much as I hoped! I am trying this recipe now. I have a small apartment-sized oven. I tried it with the lid on my Le Creuset but — while the bread is delicious — it seemed as if the steam did not escape enough. I guess because of the small oven??? I am going to try leaving the lid about 1/8th off to see if the steam escaping earlier will help. My husband calls this my “cheap hobby,” haha, so I will NOT give up, since he considers all my other hobbies expensive.
The steam does not need to escape. My lid has a tight seal and it works every time. If your oven is small, maybe it’s not getting hot enough. It needs to be 450.
My dutch oven is 2.5 L. I think that is too small for your recipe. What do you suggest?
It is too small. You can look here for ideas: https://www.jennycancook.com/no-knead-bread-questions/
Love that no knead bread. Hubby loves it too and he won’t eat regular loaf home baked bread. I’m going to try using 1 cup of whole wheat and 2 cups unbleached white flour, to see how that turns out. Thanks for this wonderful recipe!!
Thank you so much for every reciepe loved your talk show ,I missed you on.
I followed the reciepe.didn’t have any parchment .forgot to let it rest,while the oven was preheating.which it was on the temp.it needed.I just put it in oven.Of course I can’t find the pot as well. Lol.All in all It came out.pretty good.I’m doing two more.in the morning. The cinnamon rolls are next.I love. it..THANKS.AGAIN
Have been making the no-knead bread for quite a while. the best of the best. But I was wondering if you do use the cool water method and let it rest overnight can you still follow the rest of your recipe i.e. parchment paper, time covered with towel in parchment bowl etc.
Thanks for your help
Yes.
I tried the bread today, and tho it looked awesome, it wasn’t done in the middle, ? I followed your directions, but I sifted the flour, instead of just stiring it….so will try again. so I don’t know what else to do….help? And I’m wondering if this would work with gluten free flour? Thanks!
You should find answers here: https://www.jennycancook.com/no-knead-bread-questions/
Thank you! Just mixed up another batch, will heat oven and pot longer for sure!
Hi Jenny, I just read more on your blog, and did not know about aerating the flour. Will try that for my next loaf. Thanks!
Love this recipe for bread. It has replaced my other ones since November 2015. In the last three loaves I added fresh rosemary and oregano with parmigiana regianno and it is gone within a couple of days. Thank you Jenny, great recipe!
Love this bread!! My 2nd loaf wasn’t so good. It was burnt on the bottom and it got stuck on the bottom. I did forget the parchment paper and maybe baked to long? I’m trying again but following your recipie to the letter!! Tks nancy
What. Can I use instead of a dutch oven
Please read the recipe at the bottom.
I don’t have a Dutch oven pan. What can I do?
Please see the FAQs.
Jenny, I just need to know if you sift the flour or just use it from the bag?
Flour is never sifted before measuring unless it’s noted in a recipe. But it should be aerated first. https://www.jennycancook.com/flour-basics/
I have made this bread twice now and it is WONDERFUL. My question is…..can I double the recipe and make two loaves? Nancy Curtis
I have never doubled it in one bowl but if you’re going to make two loaves, why not make two mixtures in two different bowls? I know for sure that will work. Otherwise, check online to see if anyone has doubled their no knead breads. There is a lot of info on this type of bread available.
The King Arthur Flour site has this recipe and doubled (tripled) it. It keeps in the refrigerator for a week or so. Use enough for one or two loaves and keep the rest in refrigerator and make it later.
Thanks for sharing this. If you can also send the link that would be helpful.
I loved your video on speeding up the process with very warm water and use your recipe regularly. But on another cooking site, someone said you have an even faster “turbo” recipe. As I was wondering why we couldn’t just pop the dough into the oven after the first rise, this seemed worth looking into! The person wrote that you explained that you put the dough after the initial rise in a cold pot in a cold oven, cover it, turn the oven on to 450 degrees, then uncover it at 30 minutes and bake for another 30 minutes. True? I hope you’ll answer to my email address as well as here for your other fans – I’m terrible at finding sites again. Another reason for hoping you created this even faster version is that it should work very well in my clay baker I dragged out from storage today – right?
People say they have made no knead bread in a clay baker but I never have. If you can find the article and send a link on the turbo recipe, it would help to investigate the process.
I couldn’t find a specific recipe, just assumed a clay baker might work well. Being a coward, I ended up putting it back in the cupboard unused.
But going back to my question, I’d really like to know if could put the dough in the oven after the FIRST rise? Is it vital that it be patted down and risen a second time? My thought is to line a loaf pan with parchment paper and pop the dough I’ve just mixed into it to let it rise (I use disposable shower caps sprayed with oil to cover, by the way). When it reaches an inch over the edge of the bread pan rim, I’d like to put it in my pre-heated 450 oven. In other words, I’d bake it after the first rise, not the second. I know it makes me sound terribly lazy given how easy your recipe already is, but would it work, Jenny?
Whoever wrote that I put the dough after the initial rise in a cold pot in a cold oven to bake was mistaken. I have never done that or wrote about it. I have only made my no knead bread the way my recipe reads so I have no idea if your concept would work. You will just have to try it and I hope you’ll report back on the result. Good luck!
I Bake With A CLAY POT & LID & Know That Bread Dough MUST Be Placed In A SOAKED, COLD CLAY POT/LID…BOTH The Lid & The Pot ((MUST BE SOAKED)) For A FULL
20 MINUTES OR It (WILL CRACK)
The Clay Pot & Lid…..ALWAYS SLIDE YOUR CLAY POT/LID INTO A ((COLD OVEN)) AS WELL…
THIS IS A MUST !!!
THE BREAD COOKS BEAUTIFULLY Inside & Out…THE SOAKED CLAY Is What Provides The STEAM…
Can you add cheese to this bread recipe?
Yes, you can.
Hi Jenny, I love your videos and thought I would try this method yesterday. I always use King Arthur Organic bread flour, but whenI used your measurements it was very dry and did not rise at all. Do you need to use extra water with bread flour? Meanwhile I’m going to try again today and check my yeast to ensure its still active. I think it would have been good if while producing your video you could have had a close up inside your bowl, to see what the consistency should be like. You did that after 3 hours and showed how loose it was, but difficult to determine in the beginning from just seeing your stir ….just a thought.
Bread flour or all purpose both work in this recipe. It could be the way you measured the flour. If you did not aerate it first, you may have used too much flour. (https://www.jennycancook.com/flour-basics/) I hope the next one turns out.
Hi Jenny. Love your videos and recipes, and I have stopped buying bread as well. My question is, can you use Rye flour in this bread. Being of European descent, I LOVE rye bread and was wondering if I can substitute.
Thanks, awaiting your answer
I’m not sure. I think rye flour would make an already heavy and dense loaf even moreso. If you try, I would start with just 1/2 cup of rye flour. You just gave me an idea. I love rye bread too so I may try but I would use 2 cups whole wheat, 1/2 cup bread flour, 1/2 cup rye flour, and some caraway seeds. I’ll let you know when I try it. Let me know if you do too.
Monika, I tried this recipe with rye and bread flour and it came out too dense but veryyy tasty. I think I may have used too much rye( 2 cups) and 1 c of bread flour. I also used the long method. I am planning to use 1 cup rye and 2 bread flour to see how that turns out. I loved the flavor.
I love your website. It has recipes I will actually use! One problem though — what size Dutch oven should I buy for the bread recipes? I didn’t find anywhere that size was mentioned. BTW, I also loved you and your talk show.
A 5-quart Dutch oven is ideal but I have used a 3 and a 6-quart and they both work too. (I added this info to the recipe so thanks for asking).
Hi, Jenny! I recently gave up bread in my diet – well, okay, about 90%, LOL… and gave away my bread machine for that reason. Now I don’t regret it because I can make THIS bread! Everyone loved it. Thank you! I look forward to trying a lot more of your great recipes. 🙂
Hi Jenny,
Have watched the video and it sure looks very easy but the sad thing is I do not have a Dutch Oven – an it made in our regular ovens and if yes, do I use the parchment paper etc.
Also watched your braided cinnamon tunnels etc., it was wonderful to watch but all I need now is the recipe – please could you e mail same to me.
Many thanks for your help,
YVONNE DPENHA
Hi Jenny…My wife and I recently found, and love your website. We have enjoyed many of your stovetop recipes. However, we live near 5500 ft altitude in the near foothills of Denver. We are not having too much success in following your recipe for the Dutch oven bread. What changes do we need to make to successfully make delicious tasting bread. We have used all-purpose, wheat, white-wheat, and a product named ‘High Altitude”…. only to learn that the latter refers only to where the flour was produced ! What would be your recommendations for any of your ‘baking’ recipes? Thanks dear Jenny ! Bud & Annette – Colorado
I have no experience with high altitude but looked around a bit. It found a great post from someone online that should be helpful:
She says, “I’ve made this bread a few times now and have learned a little bit about how to adjust it to high-altitude baking. (I live in Denver, altitude here is 5280). I thought I would share in case there are other mountain-dwellers wanting to make this bread. First, because water evaporates faster at higher altitudes, you will need more of it. 1 3/4 c. seems to work well here. Second, yeast rises more (and faster) here because there is less air pressure, so you need to do something to retard the rise…cooler temperatures, slightly less yeast, slightly more salt, and/or creating more “pressure” on the dough during the second rise by using a damp towel are all potential answers. Third, gluten is very important at altitude because it adds more structure to the bread and makes it less likely to over-rise and then fall flat. Don’t substitute all-purpose flour if you are making this bread at high altitude. Finally, dry air plus increased evaporation tends to make the bread extra crusty, so if you don’t want to hurt your mouth, leave the lid on until the last 5-10 minutes of baking. I hope that if there are any other mountain-dwellers contemplating this recipe, they find this information helpful.”
thanks for the tip about high altitude I was so discourage with my first no knead loaf. but I going to try with the new advice and will let you know. love your show very yummy!
I remember Jenny Jones from many years ago – she had her own television show. In watching her Jenny Can Cook videos, I am reminded how warm and wonderful she was and still is. And funny. I enjoyed her little story about washing the autograph off the baseball. I was surprised that she is such a great cook. I am also surprised that she is still beautiful after all of these years. She has a good heart, and that is what keeps her so young looking. Anyway, I baked my own whole wheat loaf using her instructions, and it came out great. Today I’m going to make a loaf using white flour per her instructions. Great website, great recipe. Oh, Jenny, marry me, and I’ll take you to the Casbah.
I followed the recipe but my bread does not rise like your bread. My bread is about 1/2 rise compared to your bread.
Please try to explain what I am doing wrong.
Thank you.
Tony Previte
I’m not sure if you mean it didn’t rise in the bowl before baking or didn’t rise in the oven while baking. Please give me a little more information and I will try to help. Did you watch my video? Did you change anything in the recipe at all? How long did you preheat your oven? Did you preheat the pan and lid? What kind of pan did you use for baking? What kind of yeast did you use and was it fresh? What kind (brand) of flour did you use? Let me know and we will get to the bottom of this. It’s important to me that my recipes work for everyone.
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