World's Easiest Yeast Bread recipe - Artisan, NO KNEAD

Recipe video above. This super crusty homemade bread recipe is going to blow your mind! The world’s easiest yeast bread that’s just like the very best artisan bread you pay top dollar for, with an incredible crispy, chewy crust, and big fat holes like sourdough. Recipe is forgiving so don’t fret if things don’t go perfectly, it will be salvageable. SEE NOTES for options like no dutch oven, different yeast, MAKE AHEAD up to 3 days! And tomorrow, make the Cheese Bread version!

Prep time: PT5M

Cook time: PT40M

Rating

4.96 stars (2124 reviews)

Keywords

artisan bread, crusty bread, easy homemade bread, no knead bread, No yeast bread

Ingredients

3 cups (450g) flour (, bread or plain/all purpose (Note 1))
2 tsp instant or rapid rise yeast ((Note 2 for normal / active dry yeast))
1 1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt (, HALVE if using table salt (Note 3))
1 1/2 cups (375 ml) very warm tap water (, NOT boiling or super hot (ie up to 55°C/130°F) (Note 4))
1 1/2 tbsp flour (, for dusting)

Cuisine

Western

Steps

Mix Dough: Mix flour, yeast and salt in a large bowl. Add water, then use the handle of a wooden spoon to mix until all the flour is incorporated. Dough will be wet and sloppy – not kneadable, but not runny like cake batter. Adjust with more water or flour if needed for right consistency (see video at 17 sec, Note 5).
Rise: Cover with cling wrap or plate, leave on counter for 2 - 3 hours until it doubles in volume, it’s wobbly like jelly and the top is bubbly (see video at 24 seconds). If after 1 hour it doesn’t seem to be rising, move it somewhere warmer (Note 6).
Optional – refrigerate for flavour development (Note 9): At this stage, you can either bake immediately (move onto Step 5) or refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Take chill out of refrigerated dough – if you refrigerated dough per above, leave the bowl on the counter for 45 - 60 minutes while the oven is preheating. Cold dough does not rise as well.
Preheat oven (Note 7) - Put dutch oven in oven with lid on (26cm/10" or larger). Preheat to 230°C/450°F (220° fan) 30 minutes prior to baking. (Note 8 for no dutch oven)
Shape dough: Sprinkle work surface with 1 tbsp flour, scrape dough out of bowl. Sprinkle top with 1/2 tbsp flour.
Using a dough scraper or anything of similar shape (cake server, large knife, spatula), fold the sides inwards (about 6 folds) to roughly form a roundish shape. Don’t be too meticulous here – you’re about to deform it, it’s more about deflating the bubbles in the dough and forming a shape you can move.
Transfer to paper: Slide a large piece of parchment/baking paper (not wax paper) next to the dough, then flip the dough upside down onto the paper (ie seam side down, smooth side up). Slide/push it towards the middle, then reshape it into a round(ish) shape. Don't get too hung up about shape. In fact, lopsided = more ridges = more crunchy bits!
Dough in pot: Remove piping hot dutch oven from oven. Use paper to place dough into pot, place lid on.
Bake 30 minutes covered, then 12 minutes uncovered or until deep golden and crispy.
Cool on rack for 10 minutes before slicing.

Nutitrion

Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 155 kcal
Carbohydrates: 32 g
Protein: 5 g
Fat: 1 g
Saturated Fat: 1 g
Sodium: 469 mg
Sugar: 1 g

Reviews

Helena j Bolton on 2026-07-27 (5 stars):
This is a fantastic easy recipe thank you so much 😊
Remee on 2026-07-25 (5 stars):
Great recipe to make with kids. Lovely!
Catherine on 2026-07-24 (5 stars):
I went from never having made bread to making a couple of loaves a week thanks to this so so easy recipe. Sometimes l refrigerate it other times l don’t, some batches seem ‘wetter’ than others yet they all taste great. If l had known making your own bread was so quick and easy l would have started years ago.
KAYLA on 2026-07-24 (5 stars):
I've made this bread probably about 6 times so far. Turns out every time I like to add a little bit more salt for flavor because I do not generally rest it overnight. Super easy for beginner bread makers!
Sophia on 2026-07-19 (5 stars):
This is definitely my new go to recipe! It was straightforward and my bread came out beautifully. I plan on baking more and gifting to family and friends and will include a printout of your recipe. Thank you for sharing your recipe. And my deepest condolences on Dozer’s passing. It’s never easy to say goodbye to our fur babies. Our family lost our first Golden when he was almost 15 and he was the BEST! We currently have two other Goldens who also keeps us on our toes.
Rhoda on 2026-07-19 (5 stars):
I made it! I am so glad you warned about waiting to eat it. It was hard but I waited. It was as easy as you said except getting the dough onto the parchment. I'm so proud because it looks like the picture and guess what, I used my toaster oven. It's absolutely delicious.