This no-knead Dutch oven bread is the easiest bread you’ll ever make—all you need is a bit of time and 5 ingredients! The bread takes about 3 hours and 15 minutes to proof and bake, and there’s little work involved. You don’t even need a mixer. It’s almost entirely hands-free. A brief mix and with time to rise, you’ll have a fabulous loaf of homemade Dutch oven bread in no time!
How To Store Homemade Bread
- Homemade bread has a relatively short shelf life because there are no preservatives. Cool the bread completely, then place it in a breathable container, such as a bread box or paper bag. The air circulation helps maintain the crust’s texture.
- If you don’t have a breathable container, wrap the completely cooled bread in plastic wrap or foil.
- Store the bread at room temperature. Refrigeration can delay staling and slow down the growth of mold, but can also cause moisture loss.
- Freshly baked bread lasts from 2 to 3 days at room temperature, or 4 to 5 days in the refrigerator.
- Frozen bread lasts for several months. To freeze, wrap individual slices tightly in plastic wrap or foil, then place the slices in a resealable freezer bag. Remove as much air from the bag as possible.
No-Knead Dutch Oven Bread
Briefly mix the 5 ingredients, give it time to rise, and bake in a Dutch oven! It couldn’t be easier to make a loaf of fresh, homemade bread!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Rest/Proof: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours 25 minutes
- Yield: 20 servings 1x
- Category: Bread, Yeast Bread
- Method: Bake
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 1/2 cups flour, 15 1/2 ounces, plus more for sprinkling
- 1 1/3 cups water, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or melted butter
- 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast or rapid rise
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, water, olive oil, instant yeast, and salt. Mix until all ingredients are moistened and a soft dough is formed. It will look shaggy and wet, but that’s okay.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for about 2 hours, or until doubled in bulk.
- Sprinkle a large sheet of parchment paper — about 12-by-16 inches — with flour. Moisten your hands with water and gather the dough into a ball. Place on the parchment paper and gently shape it into a round loaf.
- Sprinkle the dough with flour and grasping the ends of the parchment paper, lift the dough and paper into a large bowl. Cover with a towel and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 450 F. Place the covered ungreased Dutch oven in the oven. If the knob of the Dutch oven is plastic and not safe at the high temperature, remove it. If bake bread frequently in your Dutch oven, you might want to replace the plastic knob with a metal one.
- Carefully remove the hot pot from the oven.
- Transfer the paper and dough ball to the hot Dutch oven. Score the top of the loaf, if desired.
- Put the lid on the Dutch oven and bake, covered, for 20 minutes.
- Remove the lid and continue baking for about 15 to 20 minutes longer or until golden brown.
- The loaf should register about 195 F in the center on an instant-read thermometer.
- Cool on a rack.
