Even No Beige Meals needs a crusty loaf of homemade beige bread now and then. We’ll call this one a delicious loophole.
This is, by far, my favourite bread to make at home. It’s quick, easy, and ridiculously good. Prep time is literally 5 minutes — just add flour, salt, yeast, and water to a bowl and mix. Then leave it alone! There’s no need to knead. (Wow. That’s a terrible joke. A little too on the nose. Un-kneaded, if you will.)
Seriously, it doesn’t get any easier than this!
I usually make two loaves at a time (because if you’re going to wait around for bread to rise, you might as well get two loaves out of the deal!). I swap in some whole wheat flour for a little extra fibre, too…usually 1 cup whole wheat flour and 2 cups white flour per loaf.
And while round loaves look lovely, sometimes I shape mine into ovals. Why? Sandwiches! Turns out, bread doesn’t have to be round to be well-rounded.
I’ve also done an a quick egg white wash and added sesame seeds before baking which makes a beautiful loaf.
In a nutshell
Mix → leave 12 hours → gentle shape → rise 1 hour → bake in 450°F Dutch oven.
Easy No-Knead Crusty Bread Loaf
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Ingredients
3 cups bread flour (or all purpose)
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 instant yeast
Directions
- Mix the dough
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, salt and yeast. Add the water and mix with a spoon until no dry flour remains. The dough should look rough, sticky and a bit gnarly. Don’t knead it. Cover the bowl and let it rest for 12–18 hours at room temperature. - Shape it gently
Lightly flour your work surface and hands. Carefully turn out the dough, trying not to squash the bubbles. Fold the edges toward the middle and gently turn it seam-side down. Rest seam-side down on parchment paper, covered, for 30–60 minutes. - Preheat the oven and Dutch oven
While the dough rests, put a Dutch oven with its lid on into the oven. Preheat to 450°F for at least 30 minutes. - Bake covered then uncovered
Carefully remove the hot pot. Lift the dough into it using the parchment paper and cover with the lid. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Then remove the lid and bake for another 10–15 minutes. - Cool and enjoy
Transfer the loaf to a wire rack (discard the parchment paper) and let it cool for at least 1 hour before slicing. This helps the inside finish setting and keeps the bread from becoming gummy.
Notes
- If the dough feels firm or easy to handle, it’s probably too dry. Use more water so the dough is sticky and loose.
- Optionally lightly score the top of the bread prior to baking with a sharp blade to add a little design and crusty edges.
- No dutch oven? No problem! I often bake two loaves at a time, using a stainless steel pot with a lid for the second loaf alongside the one in my Dutch oven. The loaf baked in the stainless steel pot may not develop quite the same golden color or crispy crust, but it still turns out great!
- I also tend to use 1 cup whole wheat flour and 2 cups white flour to make a ‘country’ loaf.
