Easy No Knead Artisan Bread

I love this no knead artisan bread recipe because it creates a fancy loaf of bread with very little work. Just throw a few ingredients in a bowl, mix it up and sit it on the counter for several hours. Not only is it easy, but it is also super delicious. Everyone will think you bought it at a fancy bakery. Except you are going to want to let everyone know that YOU made this delicious artisan bread!

How To Make Artisan Bread

In a large bowl, mix together the water, yeast, and salt using a dough whisk or spatula. Add the flour, one cup at a time, until fully incorporated into the dough. You might need to use your hands to fully mix in the last cup of flour. The dough will look sticky and shaggy. Cover the bowl with a clean dish towel or plastic wrap and let it sit for 4-6 hours.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F with a Dutch oven inside. Once the oven is preheated, let the Dutch oven heat up an additional 30 minutes.

While the oven is preheating, form the dough into a round ball shape using a floured surface. If the dough is too sticky, sprinkle a small amount of flour on top of the dough while shaping. Continue to shape and add flour until the dough no longer sticks to you.

Forming the dough and Baking

To form the dough, place fingers together in a V shape and pull the dough towards you until a smooth ball shape is created.

Place the dough onto a lightly floured strip of parchment paper. The parchment paper will be used to lift the dough into the Dutch oven. Use about a 20–25-inch strip so it is long enough to place into the oven.

Cover the dough with a clean dish towel and let it sit on the counter for 30 minutes while the Dutch oven is preheating. The dough should hold its shape on the counter and not go flat. If it goes flat, the dough needs more flour and to be reshaped.

Once it has sat for 30 minutes, Score the top of the dough with a lame or sharp knife. Using the parchment paper, lift the dough and carefully place it, with the parchment paper, inside the Dutch oven. Bake for 25 minutes with the lid on.

Remove the lid from the Dutch oven and lower the temperature of the oven to 375 degrees F. Bake an additional 10-15 minutes until browned.

Let the loaf cool for at least 30 minutes to an hour before slicing. Enjoy your delicious artisan bread!

Refrigerating the Dough

If you do not want to bake the dough after the initial 4-6 hour rise, you can store the dough, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours. Remove the dough from the fridge an hour before you are ready to bake and then follow the steps above for baking.