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The Best (easiest) No Knead Bread. Crusty on the outside, light and airy inside, with just a little rosemary swirled throughout. It’s the easiest bread recipe, yet still impressive. It’s best served warm right out of the oven with softened butter and a sprinkling of sea salt. Serve alongside your favorite soups, chili, pasta dishes, with roasted chicken, or even on its own. This is certainly sure to become a weekly staple!
Every time I make a pot of soup or chili or even a creamy curry, I also make a homemade bread recipe. Many times I’ll go for everyone’s favorite, honey butter beer bread. And if I’m making Indian, I always, always make naan.
But on snowy Sundays in January, I make my no-knead bread. I’ve been making this for years, sometimes with rosemary, it’s delish with or without.
We LOVE it. But my no-knead bread isn’t like others. I have a little secret.
Instead of water, I use beer, which I think enhances the flavor of the bread. You don’t know it’s there, but it gives the bread more of a sourdough flavor, just without all the work.
Kind of like a “cheaters” sourdough bread in a way.
If you have my Super Simple cookbook, I use this recipe for my pizza dough too. Either way, it’s baked up, it’s delicious. But We really LOVE it as bread (plus I have a new and improved pizza dough that I’ve been making all the time now).
Here are details
Step 1: mix the dough
Using a large bowl and dough hook or just a wooden spoon, mix flour with instant yeast, you could also use active dry yeast, fresh rosemary (if you like), and salt. Now, pour over a room-temperature can/bottle of beer. If you don’t drink, use 1 1/2 cups warm water.
Mix just until the dough comes together. Do not do any kneading!
Step 2: let that dough hang out
Now, cover the dough with a towel and let it hang out on the counter in a nice warm spot for at least 12 hours. I usually let the dough sit overnight or even over two nights for more flavor.
Step 3: bake
Preheat the oven to 450°. Place a cast iron Dutch oven into the oven to preheat. Get it nice and HOT.
Shape the dough into a ball or an oval. Let it rise on a piece of parchment paper while the oven is heating. When ready, you can lift the parchment and the dough up and into the hot Dutch oven.
And then you bake it. Nothing fancy at all. Not even a stand mixer. We love this bread. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes.
Step 4: enjoy it
Slice with a sharp knife. Of course, we love this bread most when it’s fresh from the oven. Topped with really good butter and a small amount of sea salt – so yum!
Or serve it up with dinner. Soups, chilis, and slow-roasted meats are our favorites. Or use it for avocado toast. For sandwiches, the options certainly are endless.
Looking for other breads to make? Here are a few to try:
Salted Honey Butter Jalapeño Cheddar Rolls
Jalapeño Cheddar Popovers with Honey Butter
Soft Garlic Herb Cheddar Cheese Bread
Easy Pull Apart Garlic Parmesan Bread
Spinach and Artichoke Stuffed Soft Pretzels
Lastly, if you make this The Best (easiest) No Knead Bread, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
The Best (easiest) No Knead Bread
Servings: 1 loaf
Calories Per Serving: 1450 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast (rapid rise)
- 1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary (optional)
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 (12 ounce) can or bottle room temperature beer (or 1 1/2 cups warm water)
Instructions
- 1. In a bowl, stir together the flour, yeast, rosemary (if using), and salt. Add the beer and mix with a spatula until combined. Cover the bowl and let sit at room temperature for at least 12 hours, but ideally overnight. 2. Preheat oven to 450° F. Place a large Dutch oven in the oven to preheat for 30 minutes. 3. Generously dust a work surface with flour. Scrape the dough out of the bowl. It should be loose and sticky. Form the dough into a ball and place on a piece of parchment. Cover and allow to rise for 1 hour, until doubled in size. 3. When ready, carefully lift the dough and the parchment and place in the Dutch oven. Bake, covered, for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and continue baking until the bread is a deep, golden brown, about 15-20 minutes more. Remove from the oven. Enjoy with softened butter and sea salt. YUM!
This post was originally published on January 16, 2024
Hi, Can you add seed mix to this bread?
Hi Vidya,
Sure, I don’t see why not! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
Absolutely amazing bread recipe. I’ve made it a few times and always turns out great. Thanks for sharing this.
Hey Gwenyth,
Thanks so much! Love to hear this recipe turned out well for you, I appreciate you giving it a try! xx
Hi. Could you use whole wheat flour in this recipe?
Hey Jodi,
Totally, that should work nicely for you! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xT
Hi Teighan- it seems when I use wheat flour it always needs more liquid especially if using all wheat- should I adjust for that or no? I hate when I waste ingredients- thanks
I haven’t tested that with this recipe, so I would just keep everything as written if you can:)
OMG you must make this bread! So easy & so delicious!! I was worried it had t risen enough so I put it in the warm Dutch oven with the lid on for about 15 mins before baking & that got it to double in size.
Hey Allie,
Amazing! Thank you so much for trying this recipe, I am so glad it turned out well for you! xxT
Made the No-Knead Bread recipe out of your Super Simple cookbook which included a tablespoon of EVOO in the dough and it said it only needed to sit for 2 hours, which I was excited about. My mistake was using cold beer from the frig – duh! Definitely need room temp beer (as mentioned in this version of the recipe) to avoid it taking so long to proof. Absolutely loved the crust and turned out like the picture. Will try adding the rosemary for the next one and let it hang out longer before baking. Thanks for an awesome recipe!
Hey Col,
Amazing! Thank you so much for trying this recipe, I am so glad it turned out well for you! xxT
Hey!
I tried this recipe and I set my smoke alarm off a few times, so I decided to stop. What brand of parchment paper do you use? I’m having a hard time finding one safe for 450.
Hi Ashley,
So sorry to hear this! are you using a dutch oven? My parchment is from Whole Foods. Next time, you could trim down the sides of the parchment so that nothing is sticking out of your pot. I hope this helps! xx
I’ve made this twice and it is FIRE. Just made 2 loaves today. One question ..how do you store it after it’s made ? It can last me thru the week but the plastic bag was not good last time. Appreciate it. TY!
Hey Kelly,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe, I am so glad to hear you have been enjoying it! I store in an airtight container on the counter. If you live in a more humid climate you could slice and freeze. I hope this helps! xx
TY! Will do. I live in NY so currently cold !! Cheers.
I made this bread this weekend for the first time (and I can assure you, it will be the first of MANY). Just glorious, and so, so easy. Baked up with the most delicious crust and tender inside. Can’t wait to make it again!!!
Hey Wendy,
Yay! So glad to hear this bread turned out well for you, I appreciate you making it and your feedback! Have the best week! xT
Can I use perfect rise active yeast or does it need to be instant.
Hey Derek,
You bet, you will just want to proof your yeast in warm water first and then you can follow the recipe as written. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
I have been tinkering with no knead breads for a couple of months trying to find the right recipe and I finally have!!!! My hubby this one is the best one yet. I did it with sparkling water instead of the beer.
My question is, how do you store the left over bread? I look forward to your advice.
Thank you for all of your wonderful recipes.
Hey Lisa,
Fantastic! Thanks so much for making this recipe and your comment, so glad it turned out nicely for you! I store in an airtight container on the counter. Happy Sunday! XxT
Mine looks nothing like that before and after cooking. Just seemed to be a sticky mess
Hi Kara,
Sorry to hear you had some issues with this bread. Was there anything you may have adjusted? Did the dough rise correctly? please let me know how I can help! xx
Can I use wheat flour?
Hi Shari,
Yes, that will work nicely for you. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
I am so confused. I have your “Super Simple” recipe for No-Knead Bread and it says to let the dough rise for 1-2 hours and the recipe above says 12 hours.
Needless to say, I am trying to make a Gluten Free version (using a GF 1:1 flour) and am not having much success. I increased the yeast to 2 tablespoons as some of my GF recipes call for that amount of yeast with 3 cups of flour.
Any suggestions? I suppose I can try this recipe and let it rise for 12+ hours and see what that does. The bread is super dense since it hasn’t risen enough. I didn’t rate your recipe as I am trying to modify it and don’t want to give a “false” rating.
Hi, in the video, you put olive oil on the dough before it sat. Do you recommend this?
Hi Deanna,
Yes, that works nicely:) Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
Have you ever tried doubling the recipe? I have a large Dutch oven and I think I’ll try it.
Hi Amy,
So sorry, I have never tried doubling the recipe, for best results I would do 2 batches. I hope this helps! xT
Did yours turn out OK? Mine did the same and it wouldn’t stay in a ball. It’s just flat. I used fleischmann’s instant yeast.
Hello! I have the same problem.. it wouldn’t stay in a ball.. i used the same yeast.
Would love to hear the answer!
Also, clarification question, – where do you put it while it’s rising after “putting into a ball”? Do we just put it in the mixing bowl again and cover with a towel?
Hi Alejandra,
Sorry to hear you are having some issues. What kind of yeast did you use? If your dough is not staying in a ball form, it sounds like the dough did not rise properly. You can place in a mixing bowl and cover with a towel. Please let me know if I can help in any other way! xT
Great flavor but did not rise much and dough was super sticky..even stuck to parchment paper! Wondering what I did wrong? (Let rise overnight) Thanks
Hi Wendy,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe, so sorry to hear the dough was so sticky. What kind of yeast did you use? Did you use beer or water? I’m wondering also if your dough needed a warmer spot in your kitchen to rise. Let me know! xx
Hi,
I’m a bit confused. I have your Super Simple recipe book, which says to let the dough rise for 1–2 hours—not 12 hours or overnight. I came here looking for answers to see if I was doing something wrong, but maybe I just need to let it rise longer? Or is there a reason for the difference?
I’d appreciate any clarification.
Hi Ali,
The recipe in the cookbook and this recipe are completely different and the methods are not meant to be the same. If you are following the recipe from the cookbook you will want to continue following that bread as written. I hope this helps! xx