Crusty Easy No-Knead Bread
This is the bread that you can't wait to cut into as soon as you pull it out of the oven. The house smells divine and the butter is ready but patience is a virtue...or so I'm told. All you need is a few hours and you'll be enjoying this crusty white bread. Dip it in herbed olive oil, slather with butter or rip off a piece and eat it all alone.
- November 19, 2018
- 10 Servings
- 4 hr
- Print this
Ingredients
- 3 1/4 c white flour
- 1 t active dry yeast
- 1 t sea salt
- 1 1/2 c water
- extra flour for dusting
Directions
- Step 1
- Mix together the flour, yeast (just one teaspoon – NOT entire little packet if you use those), and salt either by hand or with a stand mixer.
- Step 2
- Pour in the water while the mixer is on. Use water that is slightly warmer than room temp. I throw a meat thermometer in the measuring cup and use 100 degree water.
- Step 3
- The dough will be very sticky and that’s okay! Once all the flour is mixed in, cover with plastic wrap and a tea towel and let it sit un-bothered for 2-3 hours until the dough forms bubbles at the top. It’s best that your kitchen is slightly warm during these 2-3 hours. If my house is cold I turn on the oven for a few minutes to warm it up a bit then set the bowl in there.
- Step 4
- Once the dough has bubbled, sprinkle flour on your countertop and pour the dough out onto it. No kneading is necessary. The less you handle it the better. Get some flour on your hands and fold the dough into itself once to form a loose ball. Leave it on the counter and warm up the oven.
- Step 5
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. While it’s heating up put a pizza stone, dutch oven, or cast iron pot inside to heat up as well.
- Step 6
- Carefully place the dough in the middle of the pan and put it back in the oven. With a sharp knife, make an X or a couple slashes in the top of the dough. To get the crusty outside everyone loves, put an oven-safe dish on the bottom rack with an inch or two of water inside. The steam will help the bread have a nice, crusty texture.
- Step 7
- Bake the bread for 35-45 minutes. The outside should be a rich golden color. Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack. Let the bread cool most of the way before cutting into it.
- Step 8
- Butter it, dip in olive oil, eat it all by itself or use it for avocado toast.
- Step 9
- Tip: Need more bread? Double the recipe easily. If you use yeast packets just use the whole packet instead of 1 teaspoon. You can divide the dough into two smaller loaves or make one big one. Make sure to bake it longer if you do one big loaf. This type of bread spreads out and make oblong slices about 2-3 inches tall.
