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 artisan 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.





    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.
    3.03 de 49 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 whisk, 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

    • 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.

    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 do I love Dutch ovens?

    The beauty of using cast iron pots or Dutch ovens is that they become like mini ovens inside the oven. Cast iron pots and pans are some of the best pots and pans there can be. I love how they distribute the heat and even how everything cooked in them tastes better.

    If you don’t have one, I highly recommend buying one. As you may have already noticed, it is one of my favorite cookware pieces. I use it to make soups, especially Mexican lentil soup or vegetable caldo soup.

    Why use unbleached, un-enriched flour?

    Natural Vitamins and Minerals: This flour retains its original nutrient content because it’s not subjected to bleaching or enriching processes. Whole wheat flour naturally contains essential nutrients like B vitamins (niacin, thiamin, and folate), minerals (iron, calcium, and magnesium), and dietary fiber.

    No Chemical Additives: Since it’s unbleached, no chemical agents are used to whiten or age the flour. Bleaching agents, such as benzoyl peroxide and chlorine gas, are commonly used in producing bleached flours, which some health-conscious individuals prefer to avoid.

    Natural Flavor and Color: Without the bleaching process, the flour retains its natural wheat flavor and light tan color, giving your baked goods a deeper, richer taste and appearance.

    Higher Fiber Content: Organic unbleached flour, especially when it’s whole grain, generally contains more fiber than white, bleached flour. Fiber is crucial for digestive health and can help regulate blood sugar levels.

    Organic Benefits: Being organic means the wheat has been grown without synthetic pesticides, herbicides, and genetically modified organisms (GMOs). This can reduce one’s exposure to these residues and potential allergens.

    Loss of Nutrients: The bleaching process can reduce the nutrient content of the flour. Some natural vitamins and minerals can degrade when exposed to bleaching agents.

    Artificial Add-back: Enriching flour means adding specific vitamins and minerals lost during refining. While this restores some nutrients, it doesn’t compensate for all the natural components initially present in the whole grain.

    Potential Residual Chemicals: Although the levels are typically low and within safety regulations, bleached flours might retain trace amounts of the chemicals used during the bleaching process.

    Alejandra Graf
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