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.
Hi Rosemary,
I have had a love affair with all things yeast for over 40 years. I am a bit of a traditionalist, so sheet and loaf pans were always my go to! I could never jump on the Dutch oven process that is so popular right now. However, my dear, I just made this recipe as written. And you absolutely rocked our world! We had a nice homemade minestrone and this bread. My Italian said where has this bread been all my life? Lol! I didn’t even want to tell him how easy it was to make! It will certainly be my go to from now on. I urge everyone to give this a try. You will end up with artisinal quality without the effort. Thanks a bunch! So enjoy your recipes. Stay well!
Hi Lydia, haha you see sometimes it’s good to try something new. Thanks so much stay well you too and have a wonderful Sunday. 🙂
This was great! Worked out beautifully on the first try! Great flavor and texture.
Hi Ana, thanks so much, so glad you enjoyed it.
Delicious. Crunchy outside and soft inside.
I didn’t expect this bread to turn out as well as it did. It was soft, filled with bubbles and had a lovely crust. The best part is that I now have a delicious and easy bread recipe that takes no more than three hours from start to finish. Thank you!
Hi Chiara, thanks glad you like it. Yes nothing better than fast and easy bread and good too! Have a great weekend.
This bread turned out to be quite tasty. I put the dough in the refrigerator overnight and then formed & baked the loaves in the morning. I used one loaf to make BLTs for lunch. I froze the other loaves to use later on for making French Toast. This recipe was super easy & I ‘ll be using it weekly.
Hi Konza, thanks so much, so glad you enjoy it. Take care.
Thank you for the recipe. The bread was delicious! During the transfer from bowl to baking sheet and shaping into loaves the dough fell. However, during baking it rose again. The crust was crispy and inside the loaf was soft bread. My husband also loved the bread. I will continue to use this recipe.
Hi Diann, thanks so glad you both enjoyed it. Take care.
I’ve been making no knead bread for about a year and didn’t realize that you don’t have to wait overnight for delicious bread!! I used the recipe and finished it in a Dutch oven – baked for 30 minutes after a second 30 minute rise and it turned out great!! This is my go to recipe for artisan bread now! Thank you!
Hi Mary, thanks so much, so glad you enjoyed it. Take care.
High praise from husband who said it tastes like real bread
Thanks Jill, glad you both enjoyed it.
Excellent taste. Reminds me of the bread in Italy. Quick and easy. For our taste, I needed to add a bit more salt.
Thanks Pamela, glad you enjoyed it.
I loved it! Thanks for the recipe, it was a big hit, gone in an instant. Tweaked the recipe to make half, as I thought the full recipe might be too much for just me and my husband and (surprisingly) it worked beautifully. I’ll leave the measurements I used in case anyone else wants to make a smaller (1 bread) batch:
225 gr flour (measured on a scale)
200 gr warm water (same scale)
1 teaspoon bread yeast
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon honey
I let it set for a little over an hour and a half but I helped it along by putting it in an enclosed space (oven, turned off) together with another recipient filled with very hot water in order to make a little steam/moisture. Baking time was 20 minutes plus 5 for browning.
Thanks Elisa, so glad you both enjoyed it. And thanks for the measurements. Take care.
Thanks, I tried the smaller amount recipe from Elisa, and it worked a treat.
Can you use instant yeast, and if so, what is the appropriate substitute?
Hi Sognia, yes you can use 1 1/3 teaspoons instead. Let me know how it goes.
I’ve been trying different bread recipes for approx 3 months and have been disappointed with the results until I tried your recipe. Awesome, I loved it. I will now experiment with cheese etc. I wondered if you have a recipe just as good for a tin loaf please. So excited to have found this site
Hi Jan, thanks so much, some readers have actually made this loaf in a tin, so you could try that.
I’ve made six loaves of this bread. Love it!!
I divide a batch of dough into two loaves & bake. The salt I adjust to a scant tsp. (1st batch of dough too salty). Now I’m adjusting the flour mixture, 3C flour & 1/4 cup flaxseed meal. I find I need to add a bit more water to dough if too dry. My mom & 15 yers old son love the homemade bread. Today I’m waiting on 2 loaves to finish baking. These I added some liquid whey (from straining my kefir grains ) instead of extra water. Keep you posted it turns out. 🥖
Hi Kathleen, thanks so much, so glad you enjoyed it. Let me know how the new loaves came out. Take care.
Tried this and it came out great! Crusty on the outside and pillow soft inside with nice air bubbles. Could have passed off as sourdough! Like you warned, tricky to transfer onto the baking tray and I found it hard to shape them nicely as the dough was very sticky. And I have a small table top oven so it took longer to bake and brown.
Can we add nuts or raisins or herbs into this recipe for some variation? And can you bake this in a loaf pan?
Hi Dede, thanks, I would add the seeds or nuts (whatever) halfway through stirring, so combine for a bit then add the extras and then finish combining. I have baked it in a dutch oven, so I think it would work in a pan. Let me know how it goes.
Fantastic recipe! This is the third no-knead recipe I’ve tried – and the best! I sprinkled one loaf with herbs and two with cheddar cheese. They were eaten up within the hour at my house and already there are requests to bake this again!
Hi Livi, thanks so much, so glad everyone enjoyed it. Take care.