Easy No-Knead Artisan Bread Recipe

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If you’ve ever wanted to learn how to bake fresh bread but thought it was too much work, this recipe is for you. It’s simple, reliable, and once you’ve learned it, it might just become one of your go-to staples.

As someone who’s learning to bake, I make this bread often—mostly because I love how it tastes more than anything I can buy at the store. And honestly? I’m proud of my artisan bread every time I take it out of the oven 🥹. There’s something incredibly satisfying about baking your own bread. Even if it’s not perfect, it’s yours—and that makes it special.

This bread is easy to make but doesn’t compromise on quality or taste. You’ll get a golden, crackly crust and a soft, airy inside that tastes like something from a bakery.

And yes, this recipe is that simple to make!

No kneading. No stand mixer. Just a bowl, a spoon, and about 5 minutes of work. If you don’t want to touch the dough, you don’t have to! You can work the dough recipe around your schedule, not the other way around. Let the dough rise and enjoy the same day, or leave it in the fridge to bake later.

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What You Need to Bake Artisan Bread at Home

That is very simple, just four ingredients: water, salt, flour and yeast.

Flour

I use bread flour with a high protein content. More protein means more gluten, which helps the bread come out airy and fluffy. I also like to mix in some spelt flour for extra flavor. If you don’t have spelt, just use all bread flour. And if you only have regular plain flour, no problem—your loaf may not get the big holes, but it will still taste fantastic.

Yeast

For this recipe, I usually use instant yeast. You can mix it right into the flour. If you’re using active dry yeast, just dissolve it in the water first and let it sit for 5–10 minutes. Both work just fine.

Dutch Oven

A Dutch oven helps create the perfect environment for baking this bread. It traps steam while the bread bakes, which makes the crust nice and crispy—just like you get from a bakery.

If you don’t have a Dutch oven, you can still make this recipe with what you have in your kitchen. You can bake this bread in a roasting dish, a loaf pan, or simply on a regular baking tray.

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How You Can Make Homemade Bread – Artisan Style

Step 1: Mix

In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, and yeast. Pour in the warm water and mix until the dough comes together. Make sure that all flour is incorporated. You will end up with a that is soft, and sticky. Once mixed, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave it at room temperature to rise. I just use a plastic shower cap.

Step 2: Rise

If you want to bake the same day, place the bowl somewhere warm (around 25–30°C / 77–86°F) for at least 2 hours. The dough should roughly double in size, the surface will look bubbly, and it will feel wobbly. If it hasn’t doubled yet, just leave it out a bit longer.

Personally, I like to let the dough rise in the fridge overnight while I sleep. The cold slows the rise, but it also develops amazing flavor and gives the bread a light, tender crumb. That cold rise usually lasts around 10 to 12 hours.

I either prepare the dough in the morning, let it rest in the fridge all day, and bake it in the evening. Or, I make the dough in the evening, let it rise slowly in the fridge overnight, and bake fresh bread first thing in the morning. It depends on what I need the bread for breakfast or dinner.

Step 3: Preheat the Oven and Pot

Place your Dutch oven (with the lid off) into the oven and preheat to 220°C (430°F) for 20 minutes. A hot oven and pot help your bread rise beautifully. I find not preheating the lid will make it easier to handle placing the dough in the pot.

Step 4: Scrape, Shape & Flop

Scrape the Dough

Turn the dough out of the bowl onto a floured surface. It will be wet and sticky. This is how it is supposed to be. Sprinkle some flour on the dough.

Shape the Dough

Use a dough scraper (or a spatula, cake server, or even a big knife) to fold the edges of the dough in toward the middle until you have a loose round shape. Don’t stress about making it look perfect—here at Doughfriendly, perfection isn’t the goal. This step just helps release some of the air in the dough.

Flip the Dough

Place a large sheet of baking or parchment paper next to the dough. Using your scraper, gently lift and flip the dough over onto the paper. Don't worry if this does not go as smoothly. Once the dough is on the paper, you can gently reshape it into a round or slightly oval loaf. With time, you will get better at scraping, shaping and flipping.

Step 5: Set Up For Baking

Carefully remove the hot pot from the oven. Lift the dough using the parchment paper and place it inside. To help create a crispy crust, lightly spritz the inside of the pot with water—or toss in 3 to 4 ice cubes and leave them inside. Put the lid on the pot, then return it to the oven to bake.

Step 6: Bake

Bake the bread for 20 minutes with the lid on. This traps steam, helping the bread rise before the crust sets. Then, take the lid off and bake for another 20 minutes to brown and crisp the crust. You’ll see cracks form on the surface. This is what we are after. It gives the bread those crispy ridges and that authentic bakery look.

Let the bread cool for about 20 minutes before slicing. I know waiting is difficult, especially with that great smell :-). However, This step is important because it lets the inside finish cooking. If you cut it too soon, the bread might feel a bit doughy.

Watch the step-by-step video

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Ways to Enjoy Your Homemade Bread

This fresh bread is so versatile! You can, dip it into your soup or keep it simple and eat it with just some butter. Honestly, my favorite way to enjoy this bread is simple — toasty with lots of melty cheese. Pure joy!

No matter how you enjoy it, you now have an easy, reliable artisan homemade bread recipe you can keep using for years to come and share with your family.

Enjoy!

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