Fast and Easy No Knead Bread
A No Knead Bread that is fast, easy and delicious. No 18 hour rising time, just 2 hours and baked to perfection. Fresh Homemade Bread just in time for dinner.
Sometimes you just want fresh bread out of the oven especially on the weekend. And yup that was me this past weekend. And I wanted the least amount of work possible and as quick as possible.
I found quite a few of these amazing no knead bread recipes, but I wanted it for lunch and not ready the next day.
So you know that NYT’s No Knead Bread that takes 12-16 to rest and then you bake it? Well this isn’t it! This is better.
How to Make the Best No Knead Bread:
- In a small bowl let the yeast, 1/4 cup of the lukewarm water and honey sit for 5 minutes.
- In a big bowl add the flour and make a well in the middle.
- Add the yeast mixture, remaining lukewarm water and salt.
- Stir it all together, then cover the mixture with a tablespoon of flour.
- Cover the bowl and let it rest for 2 hours.
- Move the mixture to a parchment paper lined cookie sheet, divide into 3 loaves and bake.
- And there you have Easy No Knead Homemade Bread.
Looking further I found an Italian Food Blogger, Misya, who made a No Knead Bread Recipe with the resting time of 1 1/2 hours! I knew I had to try it. And try it I did, 3x already!
I have been reading up on this no knead bread for awhile now and I always thought it was interesting and worth trying. Every time I went shopping I kept thinking I had to buy a dutch oven.
But I never did. For this No Knead Bread Recipe you don’t even need one, a plain ordinary cookie sheet is all you need!
Why does this Bread have a short rising time?
I will be honest and say I am not sure why it works could be the high temperature or the extra yeast, but it does work, and it is so good. This recipe makes 3 small loaves and let me tell you nothing like Homemade Bread warm from the oven.
The first time I made this recipe I made two loaves, but to be honest, three loaves baked better. This recipe can also be doubled if you want.
And look at that crust!
How to tell if your Yeast is Active:
How to test yeast to make sure it is fresh, in a small bowl add 1/4 cup of warm water then add 1 teaspoon of sugar and 2-1/4 teaspoons of yeast. Wait 10 minutes. If the mixture bubbles, then the yeast is still good.
Can I substitute active dry yeast with instant yeast?
Yes you can, for every teaspoon of active dry yeast substitute with 3/4 teaspoon of instant. The yeast does not need to be activated in warm water and sugar, add the yeast directly to the flour in the mixing bowl and then add the lukewarm water, salt and sugar, and continue with the recipe.
Can the dough be refrigerated to Bake later?
Yes you can refrigerate the dough to rise, but it’s best to use it within 48 hours. Another option would be to freeze the dough but be sure to use it within 2 weeks. Just thaw it overnight in the fridge.
How to Store Baked Bread:
If the Baked bread is a crusty loaf then it should be stored unwrapped at room temperature. But once the bread has been sliced be sure to place the bread in closed paper bags. If the bread has a soft crust then it should be stored in an airtight plastic bag or container and stored at room temperature.
How to Freeze Homemade Baked Bread:
- Be sure to let the loaves cool completely before freezing.
- Wrap the loaves individually in plastic wrap (be sure to wrap tightly).
- Then wrap either in foil or place in air tight freezer bags.
- Bread will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
How to Thaw Frozen Bread:
Remove the bread from the bag and wrapping and let it thaw overnight in the fridge. The loaf can be warmed up in the oven at 350F (180C) for about 3-5 minutes.
More Delicious Yeast Breads you may enjoy!
So if you do try it, you have to let me know how it turns out. I am dying to know that it turned out for you too. Enjoy!
Fast and Easy No Knead Bread
Ingredients
- 3½ cups + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour (450 grams total, if you double or triple the recipe double or triple this amount)
- 1½ cups + 3 tablespoons lukewarm water / divided (396 grams total, if you double or triple the recipe double or triple this amount)
- 1¾ teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon honey or sugar
Instructions
- In a small bowl add 1/4 cup (60 grams) of lukewarm water, 1 teaspoon of honey (I mixed these together then added the yeast) and yeast. Let sit 5 minutes then mix to combine.
- In a large bowl add the flour, make a well in the centre and add the yeast mixture and remaining water (1 1/4 cups + 3 tablespoons / 340 grams), start to combine with a wooden spoon, then add the salt and combine well. Sprinkle the top with 1 tablespoon of flour.
- Cover the bowl and place in a warm draft free area and let rest for 2 hours.
- After 1¾ hours has passed pre-heat oven to 420° F (220°C). And line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper, sprinkled with flour.
- With the help of a spatula transfer the dough (floured side up) onto the prepared sheet. Divide the dough into 2-3 parts, shape into logs approximately 2 inches apart. Bake for approximately 25-30 minutes. (Bread is done when tapped on the bottom and there is a hollow sound). Enjoy!
Notes
Transferring the dough to the cookie sheet can be a bit tricky, so if you have trouble with this you can just lightly sprinkle the cookie sheet with flour, flip the dough onto the cookie sheet and lightly sprinkle the top with flour and bake.
If you substitute with instant yeast use 1 1/4 teaspoons.
Nutrition
Updated from February 20, 2018.
Wow, never made bread before and this worked beautifully! Recipe is very forgiving for newbie bakers.
Hi, can I use instant yeast? If yes, how much water do I need to use for the recipe?
Hi Denise you can use 1 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast, but just add it to the flour then add the water (same amount) and salt and continue with the recipe. Let me know how it goes.
The best fast and easy o knead recipe I’ve made. Followed recipe except for baking instructions. I placed dough in a Dutch oven that I preheated in oven at 450 degrees F. WIth cover on. Placed dough and parchment in Dutch oven, covered and baked for 35 minutes, removed cover and baked additional 10 minutes. It was perfect. Thank you for the recipe.
Thanks Lila, thanks so much, glad you enjoyed it. Take care.
Will it be alright to substitute warm water with warm milk? 🙂
Hi Christine, I really don’t know because I have never made it with milk, milk might be too heavy so I would stick with water.
The dough didn’t hold its shape after being transferred to cookie sheet. It kinda spreads sideways. What did i do wrong?
Hi Kin, maybe next time add a bit more flour and bake it in a dutch oven instead, that will help to hold the shape. Hope that helps. Be sure to heat the dutch oven in the oven while it is pre-heating then carefully place the dough and the parchment paper directly in the dutch oven.
I made three small loaves and simply could not wait to cut into it. It was delish! My husband snuck into the kitchen and cut a few slices off whilst I was upstairs. He loved it!
Thanks Sandra, glad you both enjoyed it. Take care.
I’ve made this bread numerous times now and it’s brilliant! Can’t fault how the bread turns out, it’s so tasty and nice and crusty on the outside. I use honey with the yeast and add a little more salt due to personal preferences. 10/10, passed the recipe on too!
Oh and I forgot to add that the bread is super sticky before you bake it. Try to resist adding more flour be because it doesn’t need it!!
Thanks Teresa, so glad you enjoyed it. Take care.
I have been hesitant to make anything with yeast is it during the stay at home. I decided to make this today. It turned out great! My dough was a bit sticky after the 2 hours so I sprinkled a bit more flour on the outside and let it rest covered for bit longer. It did raise a bit more. All three loaves turned out nice. Ate the smallest one with supper tonight. I’m just so glad I didnt waste the flour and yeast as they are hard to come by at the moment.
Hi Fern, thanks so much, glad you enjoyed it. Take care.
Hi.. going to try baking bread for the first time. Question: I read that some ladies added herbs to this recipe. At which point do we add the herbs? When we are mixing everything together or after the dough has risen and just b4 baking ?
Hi Paula, add the herbs when you are mixing everything together. Let me know how it goes.
Very quick and easy turned out well.
Delicious!!! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! Question- is it ok to use bread flour? Thanks again!
Hi Shanon, thanks so much and yes bread flour is fine to use. Take care.
I tried this twice and none came out good. I am not sure what I am not doing right. Inside is like not cooked well, and outside is very hard shell. what could be the problem
Hi Shahnaz, it could be your yeast is no longer active or your oven temperature is off.
Very tasty and fast to make
I was skeptical but I tried it. Absolutely delicious bread! We enjoyed the first loaf at dinner (there are only two of us). Will freeze one loaf and enjoy the other one at breakfast. Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful recipe!
Hi Pam, thanks so much, glad you enjoyed it. Take care.
I’ve used this recipe twice. It’s amazing! The problem with baking bread is that I’ve always needed to plan a day ahead if I was making it for dinner, but this recipe is so quick and delicious, I can make it in just a few hours. Thank you!
Hi Lisa, your welcome, glad you enjoyed it. Take care.