No-knead 3 ingredient bread

Make delicious bread at home with this no-knead 3 ingredient bread recipe. You only need flour, yeast, salt, and a good cast iron Dutch pan. Bake for a crispy crust and chewy texture. It's easy to make and perfect for daily baking.
A loaf of bread in a cast iron pan.

About this recipe

I believe the number of ingredients in our food affects its quality. Fewer ingredients mean less processing and are better for us. I was taken aback after reading the lengthy list of ingredients on a store-bought loaf of bread.

Bread should only have three ingredients: flour, yeast, salt, and water, to mix everything up. Make this recipe for no-knead homemade bread for sandwiches, croutons, etc.

A white bowl on a table.

homemade bread Ingredients

  • All-purpose flour. I used organic, unbleached, un-enriched, all-purpose wheat flour.
  • Yeast. Use active dry yeast or instant dry yeast.
  • Salt
A bowl of dough on a wooden board.

How to make 3-ingredient no-knead bread

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl until a sticky and loose dough forms, using a dough whisk, your hands, or a wooden spoon.

Cover the dough and let it rise for 3 hours at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator. The dough should double in size and feel sticky and airy.

A loaf of bread in a skillet on top of a wooden cutting board.

To shape the dough, dust your hands with flour and form it into a ball on a floured parchment paper. Let it rest for 30 minutes.

Bake bread in a preheated Dutch oven at 450ºF for 30 minutes with the lid on. Then, remove the lid and continue baking for another 15 minutes. Be careful when handling the hot Dutch oven.

FREQUENTLY asked questions

Can I make it gluten-free? Yes, use 1:1 flour; I like cup4cup flour for baking bread. A quick heads up: the texture may slightly change.

Can I use whole wheat flour? Yes, but your bread won’t be as light and airy as all-purpose flour. It may be a bit denser.

Can I add some flavor? Absolutely! Feel free to add olives, herbs, grated cheese, chiles, or whatever you crave.

Why use unbleached, un-enriched flour?

  • Natural Vitamins and Minerals
  • No Chemical Additives
  • Natural Flavor and Color
  • Higher Fiber Content: Organic unbleached flour, especially when it’s whole grain, generally contains more fiber than white, bleached flour.
  • Organic Benefits: Being organic means the wheat has been grown without synthetic pesticides, herbicides, and genetically modified organisms (GMOs).




A loaf of bread in a cast iron pan.

No-knead 3 ingredient bread

Alejandra Graf
Make delicious bread at home with this no-knead 3 ingredient bread recipe. You only need flour, yeast, salt, and a good cast iron Dutch pan. Bake for a crispy crust and chewy texture. It's easy to make and perfect for daily baking.
3.17 de 53 votos
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Resting time 12 hours
Total Time 12 hours 45 minutes
Course Baked goods
Cuisine American
Servings 1 loaf
Calories 1394 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Ingredients
  

  • 3 cups flour
  • teaspoon salt kosher
  • 3/4 teaspoon yeast
  • cups warm water

Instructions
 

  • Mix all the ingredients. First, mix all the ingredients using a dough hook, your hands, or a wooden spoon in a large bowl until a loose and sticky dough forms.
  • Let it rise. Cover and let it rise over the counter for 3 hours or in the fridge if you let it rest overnight. It should double in size. You are looking for a sticky, air-filled dough after 3 hours or for 8 to 12 hours. 
  • Shape the dough. Dust your hands with flour, turn the dough over a lightly floured parchment paper, and form a nice ball. For this step, there are two methods: place the dough on a baking sheet with parchment paper and flour or take the dough out from the first bowl and put it in a clean, greased bowl. Either way works; cover it with a clean kitchen towel and let it rest for half an hour.
  • Bake. As soon as you shape the dough, place your Dutch oven in the oven and preheat to 450ºF for 30 minutes. After that, with glove mittens and being extra careful, remove the Dutch oven from the oven and place the bread dough in it. Bake for 30 minutes with the lid on; remove the lid, and bake for 15 minutes more.
  • Enjoy. Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool for 20 minutes before slicing.

Notes

How to store homemade bread?
  • Cool completely: Before storing the bread, it is crucial that it cool completely to room temperature.
  • Wrap properly: Wrap the bread in wax paper, aluminum foil, or a cloth bread bag.
  • Use plastic containers or bread bags: If you prefer a less crunchy crust, you can store the bread in a plastic bag.
  • Always store at room temperature: Store bread at room temperature for about 2-4 days. Place it in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight and heat sources.
  • Freeze it: Cut the bread into slices and place them in a freezer bag.
    Do not store it in the refrigerator
  • If the bread is hard: If the bread has hardened, wet the bread lightly with water and put it in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for a few minutes. This will return some of the crispy texture to the crust.
Extra Notes
  • Depending on the humidity and the city’s altitude, you must adjust the time in the oven. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t get the best results the first time; keep trying until you get the perfect homemade bread.
  • No-knead bread without a Dutch oven. If you don’t have a Dutch oven, you can use a 2 x 8-inch cake pan, a round cake pan, or any other bowl or pan that can support very high oven temperatures.
  • You can also form two rectangles and bake them like baguettes. The longer you leave the dough to proof, the better its flavor. You can leave it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.

Nutrition

Serving: 1piezasCalories: 1394kcalCarbohydrates: 290gProtein: 42gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 3518mgPotassium: 488mgFiber: 13gSugar: 1gVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 72mgIron: 18mg
Keyword homemade bread, no-knead bread

information

Nutritional information of this recipe is only an estimate, the accuracy for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Did you make this recipe?Tag @piloncilloyvainilla on Instagram and hashtag it #alecooks so we can all see your creations.

Alejandra Graf
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3.17 from 53 votes (49 ratings without comment)
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