No-Knead Dutch Oven Bread

There is nothing quite like the smell of a freshly baked loaf of artisan bread with a crackly, blistered crust and a soft, airy, chewy interior—especially when you realize it required zero kneading and almost zero effort.

Ingredients

• 3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour (or bread flour for a chewier texture)
• ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast or instant yeast
• 1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt or kosher salt
• 1 ½ cups (360ml) lukewarm water
• Optional: A light dusting of cornmeal or flour for dusting the dough

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Mix the Sticky Dough (5 Minutes)

• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, yeast, and salt.
• Pour in the lukewarm water. Stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until a shaggy, sticky dough forms and no dry flour patches remain. It will look wet and messy—that is completely normal!
• Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel.

2. The Long Rise (12 to 18 Hours)

• Leave the bowl at room temperature (around 70°F–75°F) on your kitchen counter for 12 to 18 hours.
• During this time, the yeast will slowly ferment the dough, bubbling up and building rich flavor and gluten. You’ll know it’s ready when the surface is dotted with bubbles and doubled in size.

3. Shape and Second Rise (2 Hours)

• Generously flour your hands and a work surface. Gently turn the sticky dough out onto the floured surface.
• Lightly shape it into a rough ball by folding the edges toward the center. (If the dough is too wet to handle, just use a spatula to fold it over a few times).
• Place the dough seam-side down onto a piece of parchment paper dusted with flour or cornmeal. Cover it loosely with a towel and let it rest for about 2 hours until puffy.

4. Heat the Dutch Oven

• About 30 minutes before your second rise is finished, place a heavy 4.5- to 5.5-quart cast-iron Dutch oven with its lid on inside your oven.
• Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Warning: Your Dutch oven needs to get screaming hot so it traps steam and creates that classic crust.

5. Bake Covered, Then Uncover

• Carefully pull the hot Dutch oven out of the oven and remove the lid.
• Using the corners of the parchment paper as handles, lift the dough (parchment and all) and carefully lower it right into the hot pot.
• Place the lid back on and bake at 450°F for 30 minutes. (Trapping the steam inside cooks the inside and gelatinizes the crust).
• Remove the lid and bake for another 12 to 18 minutes, until the crust is a deep, gorgeous golden-brown.

6. Cool and Slice

• Use the parchment paper to lift the loaf out of the pot and transfer it to a wire cooling rack.
• Crucial Step: Let it cool completely for at least 1 hour before slicing. Cutting into it while it’s piping hot will release the steam and make the crumb gummy.