Next Post
Sheet Pan Chili Ginger Orange Chicken and Broccoli.
This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.
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 am excited to try this. I have a no knead bread I have been making for years. I am excited to exchange the beer for the water. I have used this dough for my pizza dough as well. I usually just pull off what I need and refrigerate th rest but I like the idea of leaving it on the counter. I will report back. Thanks for all you do!
Thank you Traci! Glad you enjoyed this bread! xT
This bread was delicious and very easy to make. For some reason, though, the 3 cups of flour left my dough very runny, so after it rose for 12 hours, I ended up having to knead in at least two more cups of flour in order for it to form anything close to a ball for the final rise before cooking. Even still, this was simple to make and a huge hit – crusty on the outside and warm softness on the inside – a perfect loaf.
Thank you sooo much Trissy! So glad you enjoyed this bread! xT
Do I need to wait the full 12 hours? Could possibly 7 work? Thank you
Hi Danielle! Yes, 7 hours should work fine! xT
OK I baked it this morning! I made a couple mistakes I forgot to do room temperature beer. I poured it in straight out of the refrigerator. Also, my rapid Rise instant yeast was expired but it was a sealed up packet so I tried it anyway because that’s all I had. The flavor is super good. Mine did not rise quite as much …does not have the holes in the middle but it’s very good flavor. I will try it again and follow the directions more closely. Lol.
Thank you SO much for trying out this recipe! Loveee to hear that you enjoyed it! 🙂 xT
Made this with bread flour, rosemary, and a light lager. Let it sit for 24 hours and oh my is it good!! Definitely will be making this again.
Thank you SO much for trying out this recipe! Loveee to hear that you enjoyed it! 🙂 xT
Love this! I do not have a Dutch oven so I baked it on a parchment lined baking sheet. I formed it into a “rustic” loaf shape. Turned out fantastic! Beautiful crispy, golden brown crust!
Thank you Alicia! Sooo happy to hear that this bread was a hit for you! xT
Eating and savoring as I write this review- so so simple- I have had challenges making breads before…this will absolutely be my go-to on these cold MN days! Next the pizza dough!!!
Wow thank you so so much Jennifer! So glad you enjoyed this bread! xT
Can I sub whole wheat flour?
Hey Judy! I haven’t ever tried that flour with this bread before so I can’t say for sure! So sorry! xT
Can you use light wine in place of the beer/hot water?
Can original yeast be used instead of rapid rise?
Hi there! I personally haven’t ever tried that before so I can’t say for sure! So sorry! xT
This really was the easiest no knead bread. Loved the idea of using beer – a can of my hubby’s Old Style did the trick! LOL Added a nice tang. Perfect crust and soft, chewy inside. Would be great to dip in soup or olive oil and herbs! Thank you!
Thank you SO much! Love to hear that this bread was enjoyed! xT
What are some of the beers you’ve used for this? Would like to try the same ones!
Love all your te pies. Haven’t made this yet but wondered if something besides water can substitute the beer, as I am allergic to hops😢
Followed the recipe to a tee! Absolutely delicious!! Thank you for sharing,!
Thank you so much Steve! xT
I tried this today (started yesterday ). I followed the directions to a tee. But is was a failure.
I realize it had to be user error, I just don’t know what I did wrong. Question: when you said 2 teaspoons of yeast, do mean to dissolve it first in warm
water to activate it?
Did you use the instant rapid rise yeast? I made an oopsie last week and realized that was the issue.
Hi Kathi! So sorry this bread didn’t turn out for you! I use instant yeast in this recipe so it doesn’t have to be activated before hand! However, if you are using active dry yeast it does need to be activated! Hope this helps! xT
Hi! I would love to try this but I have a quick question first… do you score the dough before baking? From the pic it appears to have score marks but maybe that just happens naturally with this bread? Thanks!
Hi Amy! I scored it a little bit just for fun, but it’s definitely not necessary! xT
Do you have to drizzle the dough with olive oil prior to baking as initially shown in the video?
Thanks!