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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
I always look to you first for any recipe! This came up on my instagram feed 2 days ago and O.M.G.!!! This is the BEST bread ever!! I make killer sourdough but as you know that takes a lot more time and careful measuring. I Baked the first loaf plain, no herbs or anything, used 2 cups white and 1 wholewheat all purpose flour, to go with home made turkey soup on a cold snowy day 😋 another loaf is mxed up ready for tomorrow, with big chunks of Imperial extra strong cheddar. I didn’t think to score the loaf before baking, I am assuming that is what you did to get that lovely crack? Do you think this would work as well with 0% alcohol beer? I want to try making buns with this recipe too, have ypu tried that? THANKYOU for an amazing super easy recipe!
Aw thank you so much Janet! So glad you loved this bread! I haven’t ever made this into buns, but let me know if you give it a try! xT
I have made this bread 3 x in one week. It is so good. My husband and I ate the whole loaf in one hour the first time I baked it.
Thank you for giving this recipe a try! Hope you have a great rest of your week! 🙂 xT
I have been making this for years. Fools proof! Even living above 7,000 feet!
Why is your bread so brown inside??
Thanks Christie! Have a great week! 🙂 xT
Gadszook!! Just came out of oven. It’s beautiful, can’t wait to grab a chunk! Used a lager, added dried rosemary.
Thank you for giving this recipe a try! Hope you have a great rest of your week! 🙂 xT
This is like soup! Seems like it needs way more than 3 C of flour for 1 can of beer.
Oh no! Is there anything you did differently? Thank you for letting me know! xT
The beer in this recipe is a great alternative to water for a recipe that’s been around since the 1940s. Jim Lahey made it famous again in 2006 when the New York Times published it from his book Bread. And yes it works both in the mountains and at sea-level. The purpose of the dutch oven is that it traps heat and moisture in order to create a similar environment to that of professional baking ovens. You can absolutely use water or non-alcohol beer, light or dark beer as you wish. Room temperature liquid helps begin the fermentation…ice cold beer not so much. Fantastic update to a classic recipe.
Yummy. I forgot to heat the Dutch oven first and it was still good. I would add more salt to recipe and use a darker beer than I used(pale ale). Yummy with honey and butter.
Thank you for giving this recipe a try! Hope you have a great rest of your week! 🙂 xT
Is this bread recipe specifically for high altitude?
I have the same question! How should we adjust if we’re not at a high altitude like you?
Hi Michelle! Yes, you can make this recipe in a high altitude area! xT
No, I meant, was this recipe specifically formulated at high altitude or at sea level? Of course you can make recipes at any altitudes but, for baking especially, they need to be adjusted accordingly.
Can I use non-alcoholic beer for the sourdough bread?
Yes, that should work just fine! xT
Hi, what size dutch oven are you using?
Hi Angie! I usually use a 5 or 7 qt dutch oven to bake this bread in! xT
Would pumpkin ale work in this recipe? Can’t wait to try it!
Hi Lynne! I haven’t ever tried that before so can’t say for sure! xT
I did use the pumpkin ale and it was delicious! Went well with the chili I made. Thank you for all your wonderful recipes!!
What kind of beer did you use?
I’m excited to try this recipe out! Tieghan, would a cast iron frying pan work, depth wise, if I don’t have a dutch oven?
Do you leave parchment paper on when baking?
Can’t wait to try this one! Going to prepare it tonight to bake for my family tomorrow. Thank you for sharing!
Hope you enjoy this recipe Brooke! xT