No-Knead Bread Recipe

No-knead bread is the rare baking project that rewards patience, and makes you feel like a pro baker. Flour, yeast, salt, and water come together, then let time do the heavy lifting. An overnight chill slows fermentation so the dough develops nuance and becomes easier to handle the next day. When it hits a roaring-hot Dutch oven, the pot traps steam traps inside, encouraging the loaf to spring high and set a burnished crust. 

Roasting a head of garlic concentrates sweetness and softens sharpness; the cloves mash into the dough and perfume every slice. Rosemary punctuates the crumb with an herbal aroma, while Parmesan brings umami and a bit of extra browning on top. The method is as relaxed as it gets: Whisk, stir, rest, chill, shape, and bake. There’s no kneading, no stand mixer, and no special tools beyond a Dutch oven and parchment paper.

Serve the bread still slightly warm with salted butter, or good olive oil and a pinch of sea salt. Or slice and toast it for tomorrow’s sandwiches. It’s natural alongside anything red-sauced, roasted, or stewy, too. If you’ve ever wanted bakery-style bread without bookstore-sized commitment, this is the loaf to start with, and the one you’ll bake again and again.

Why the Dutch oven is key to making no-knead bread

A Dutch oven isn’t required, but it does make that bakery-style crust by trapping steam and delivering intense, even heat while baking. If you don’t have one, you can use an oven-safe stainless steel pot with a tight lid or a baking stone/steel with an inverted roasting pan as a lid to mimic steam. 

Why do you refrigerate no-knead dough?

While it can be hard to wait for fresh bread, chilling the dough is a key part of creating flavor in this bread. Chilling slows the fermentation, building deeper flavor and making the dough easier to handle since cool dough is less tacky and easier to shape. The long, cold rise also helps gluten formation over time, substituting for kneading.

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

• Shape the bread gently, as a few surface tears are fine. The lift in the oven will open the loaf attractively.
• Confirm your Dutch oven lid is oven-safe at 450°F. Ideally, opt for a Le Creuset, Staub, or Lodge, which is meant for high heat.
• Crumple parchment so it curves with the dough and doesn’t dent the loaf.

This recipe was developed by Tricia Manzanero Stuedeman; the text was written by Breana Killeen.