🍞 No-Knead Crusty Bread (Beginner-Proof)
You’ll need:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ tsp salt
½ tsp instant or active dry yeast
1 ½ cups warm water
Optional: 1 tsp sugar or honey (helps yeast a bit, not required)
Step 1: Mix (2 minutes)
In a big bowl, stir everything together until it looks shaggy and messy.
No kneading. No stress. It’ll be sticky—that’s perfect.
Step 2: Let it rise (8–18 hours)
Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap.
Leave it on your counter overnight or all day.
It should puff up and get bubbly.
Step 3: Shape (30 seconds)
Sprinkle flour on the counter.
Dump the dough out, fold it over itself 2–3 times.
Don’t knead. Just make it roughly round.
Step 4: Bake HOT (crust magic)
Put a heavy pot with lid (Dutch oven or oven-safe pot) in the oven
Heat oven to 450°F / 230°C with the pot inside
When hot, carefully drop dough into the pot
Bake 30 min covered, then 10–15 min uncovered until golden
Step 5: Cool (hardest part)
Let it cool 20–30 minutes before slicing (inside keeps cooking).
🔥 Flavor upgrades (no extra effort)
Want to flex on store bread?
🧄 Garlic + rosemary
🧀 Cheddar + black pepper
đź«’ Olive + thyme
🌶 Chili flakes + parmesan
Just stir them in with the flour.
🧠Pro tips (learned the hard way)
Sticky dough = airy bread
Longer rise = better flavor
If your pot isn’t non-stick, drop parchment paper under the dough
No Dutch oven? I can give you a pan + steam method
If you want, tell me: 👉 crusty artisan loaf, sandwich bread, or cheesy garlic bread next?
