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–+ servings
homemade bread cut in half with a perfect crumb

Homemade Bread (No-Knead)

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Proofing Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 1 loaf
Author: Nico Pallotta

  • 3⅓ cups (500 grams) bread flour or all-purpose flour*
  • 1½ cups (375 grams) lukewarm water
  • 2 teaspoons (6 grams) instant dry yeast
  • 1 tablespoon (10 grams) salt
  • 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) sugar
  • 2 tablespoons (2 tablespoon) rice flour optional for dusting the bread basket. Substitute regular flour.

MAKE THE BREAD DOUGH

  • MIX THE INGREDIENTS: To a large mixing bowl, add 1½ cups lukewarm water, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 tablespoon salt, and 2 teaspoons instant dry yeast.
    Whisk until the yeast is dissolved.
    Add 3⅓ cups bread flour and stir with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms. The water should absorb all the flour.
    Flour mixed with water and yeast.
  • FIRST PROOFING: Turn your oven on for 30 seconds, then turn it off. We use the oven as a proofing chamber.
    Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap and let it proof in the lightly warmed oven for 1.5 to 2 hours or until it doubles in volume.
    Homemade bread dough after one and a half hours of proofing.
  • FOLDING: Dust your proofing basket with 2 tablespoons rice flour or regular flour.
    If you don’t have a proofing basket, use a sift lined with a clean kitchen cloth.
    Fold the proofed dough in the bowl with a spoon over itself 20 times (it takes 30 seconds), moving from the outside to the center of the dough.
    How to fold the dough for homemade bread.
  • SECOND PROOFING: After folding, transfer the dough onto the floured proofing basket, folded side facing up.
    You can pinch the dough four or five times to seal the top and tighten its structure.
    Put the basket in a plastic bag (I use a large freezer bag) and let it proof again.
    QUICK PROOFING: 45 to 60 minutes at room temperature or in a slightly warm oven. The dough should grow by about 50%.
    SLOW PROOFING: 8 to 16 hours in the fridge.
    Second proofing in bread basket.

BAKE THE BREAD

  • PREHEAT OVEN: Put the Dutch oven with the lid on inside the oven on the lowest rack.
    20 minutes before the second proofing is complete, preheat the oven to 450°F or 230°C with the Dutch oven inside.
    PREPARE LOAF: Remove your bread basket from the plastic and place a sheet of parchment paper over the dough.
    Gently turn the basket onto your worktop so the dough falls onto the parchment paper.
    With scissors, cut a small hole at the center of the bread. Also, cut off excess baking paper.
    Bread dough on a sheet of parchment paper.
  • PUT IN DUTCH OVEN: Now, carefully remove the Dutch oven from the oven (HOT) and put it on a coaster on your worktop or stovetop.
    Open the lid (HOT), pull up the loaf by the paper, and gently lower it into the Dutch oven.
    Close the lid (HOT) and put the Dutch oven back into the oven.
    Loaf inside a Dutch oven.
  • BAKE: Bake with the lid for 25 minutes at 450°F or 230°C.
    Remove the lid and bake uncovered for 25 more minutes at 400°F or 200°C.
    Homemade bread loaf cooked in a Dutch oven.
  • LET COOL DOWN: Remove the loaf from the Dutch oven and let it cool down on a cooling rack before cutting it.
    female hands holding a homemade artisan bread with perfect golden crust
Nutrition information is an estimate for the whole loaf.
SUBSTITUTIONS
Bread flour: You can substitute plain all-purspose flour for bread flour. My advice would be to check the protein content of the flour. It's best if it's above 12% for making bread. 
Instant dry yeast: You can substitute fresh yeast for dry yeast. In this case you'll need 3 times more fresh yeast compared to dry yeast.
TIPS
Lukewarm water should be comfortable to the touch. If it's too hot it will damage the yeast.
If the yeast doesn’t dissolve, it might be inactive. I recommend starting over with new yeast.
A shaggy dough is one without dry spots of flour. It should be lumpy, cohesive, and well mixed, but not smooth.
Proofing: Especially in winter, when room temperature is below 77°F or 25°C, it is best to let your dough proof in a lightly warmed oven to create the perfect conditions for the yeast to thrive (warm, moist, draft-free environment).
Proofing basket: You don't need one. You can use a sift lined with a clean kitchen cloth.
Folding: Folding in the bowl with a spoon is easy and effective. The dough is initially sticky but gets less sticky as you fold it. This step is essential to giving the bread structure so that it holds the air and rises as it bakes.
Dutch oven: You can substitute another pot that can go in the oven with the lid. Should not be plastic.
How do I know if the bread is cooked? The bread should be ready after 50 minutes. The crust should be golden brown and if you knock it on the bottom, the bread should make a hollow sound.
If you want to be more precise, the internal temperature should reach 210°F or 99°C. You can check the internal temperature with a kitchen thermometer.
STORAGE
Room temperature: Let the bread cool down, then store it in a plastic bag for up to 4 days. The plastic helps the bread stay moist but softens the crust. We recommend reheating the bread slices from the second day onward.
Freezer: Let the bread cool completely, then freeze it in a freezer-friendly bag. You can freeze it whole, cut it in half, or slice it. It keeps for 3 months.
Thaw and reheat: Thaw bread at room temperature. Reheat in the oven, toaster, or air fryer.
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