No-Knead Crusty Artisan Bread

Are you stuck at home and learning how to make bread? This recipe for no knead crusty artisan bread is a good starter recipe for those who have never made bread before and it's pretty legit. Trust me, I've made it a lot of times now.

It makes pretty awesome toast as well. You can spread just about anything on it like peanut butter, Nutella, jam, and avocado. Also, make sure to read the tips below to help you out during the whole process!

Jump to:

• Why You Will Love This Recipe
• Ingredients Needed
• How to Make No Knead Bread
• Variations for No Knead Bread
• Tips for No-Knead Bread
• Other Recipes You Might Like 
• No Knead Crusty Artisan Bread

Why You Will Love This Recipe

If you are a fan of bread, then you know there is nothing quite like a freshly baked, crusty artisan loaf. However, creating this type of bread can seem daunting, particularly if you are not an experienced baker. With the no-knead crusty artisan bread recipe, however, anyone can create a delicious, homemade loaf that is sure to impress.

The beauty of this recipe is that it requires very little effort. In fact, the dough comes together in just a few minutes, and then it is left to rise overnight. This extended fermentation time is what gives the bread its complex flavor and airy texture. The result is a loaf that is crusty on the outside, yet soft and chewy on the inside.

Ingredients Needed

• All Purpose Flour - is a type of wheat flour that is commonly used in cooking and baking. It is versatile and can be used for a variety of recipes, including bread, cakes, cookies, and pastries.
• Salt - bread without any salt is pretty boring and bland, gotta add some flavor to it!
• Active dry yeast - this helps the dough rise, make sure that the yeast is still good and that it's not expired before using.
• Luke-warm water - if the water isn't warm the bread will not rise. I've made this mistake plenty of times before trust me!
• See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

How to Make No Knead Bread

Step 1: Combine the three dry ingredients in a large bowl, then pour in the luke-warm water. Stir until completely combined. The dough will look messy and not smooth and that is completely okay. Once combined, cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap or set a towel over the bowl;  let sit on the counter overnight.

Step 2: When the dough is done rising and ready to bake, preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Stick a 6-quart enamel-coated cast iron Lodge Dutch Oven (or similar) in the oven for about 30 minutes to heat.

Step 3: Heavily flour clean countertop or surface. Remember this is no-knead!  Dump the dough onto a floured surface and shape into a round ball. 

Step 4: After dutch oven has preheated, take the dutch oven out CAREFULLY  with some oven mits or hot pads. Note handles will be extremely HOT! Place the ball of dough in the dutch oven and cover with lid. 

Recipe Tip: Brush the top of the bread with egg wash to get the top a golden brown color.

Step 5: Bake at 450 degrees F for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove lid and bake for an additional 15 minutes until done. Bread will be golden in color.

Variations for No Knead Bread

Once you've mastered this whole process of baking bread you can change up the flavors a bit with this exact same method. Think cinnamon raisin bread, love cinnamon raisin bread, no knead focaccia bread, cranberry walnut bread, cheddar and garlic, the list goes on and on and you are going to be a happy camper when you eat this. 🙂

The dough can be customized with different types of flour, seeds, or other add-ins to create a variety of different flavors. For example, you could try using whole wheat flour, rye flour, or spelt flour instead of all-purpose flour. You could also add in some chopped herbs, sun-dried tomatoes, or olives for a savory twist.

Tips for No-Knead Bread

When you are ready to bake the bread, you will need to heat your dutch oven first for 30 minutes. I've tested this step before without preheating the oven and the bread didn't turn the golden brown color like the pictures show. Do NOT skip this step.

Make sure to use oven mitts or hot pads for safety, when transferring the heated dutch oven.

No Dutch Oven: Use an oven-safe pot or pan with a lid on it. The dutch oven creates steam inside since it is covered. 

The last ten minutes you take the cover off of the dutch oven and bake the bread uncovered so it gets those crusty brown edges.

Oh yah and if you love avocado toast try it with homemade fresh bread. You'll be amazed at how good it is. 🙂

Other Recipes You Might Like 

If you tried this No Knead Crusty Artisan Bread orany other recipe on my website, please please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you! Follow along on Tiktok @jennarecipediaries

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