Make tasty no-knead bread with just 3 ingredients

Have you ever considered buying a fancy bread-making machine? What about a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment? Let’s face it: Fresh-baked, homemade bread is amazing, but it isn’t always worth the extensive upper-body workout. Luckily, with this recipe, there’s no need to knead!

This no-knead bread does need to rise for a significant amount of time, so start this recipe the day before you want to eat it, but the results are so impressive and delicious that it’s definitely worth the wait. Plus, once you have the basics down, you can mix up the type of flour you use (spelt works well, as does buckwheat or pumpernickel) and add extras such as nuts, seeds or dried fruit to really make this your own. If you want to make this loaf last even longer, slice the bread and put it in the freezer, so you can defrost slices as you want them.

Servings: 8
Prep Time: 15 hrs, 10 mins (including resting)
Cook Time: 50 mins
Total Time: 16 hrs

3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 5/8 cup water, room temperature

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, yeast and salt.

2. Add the water gradually, and mix with the whisk and then a spoon until a shaggy dough forms.

3. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set in a warm place to rest at least 13 hours.

4. Lightly flour a work surface and turn out the dough.

5. Lightly sprinkle the dough with flour, and fold it over itself twice, roughly shape it into a ball, and transfer it to a basket generously coated in flour.

6. Cover the basket with a flour-coated towel, and let rise about 2 hours, until doubled in size.

7. Half an hour before dough is ready, heat the oven to 450 F, placing a glass or ceramic dish that has a fitted lid and is large enough for your dough in to heat up with the oven.

8. Once the dough has risen, remove the baking dish from the oven and place the dough into it.

9. Shake the baking dish slightly to allow the dough to settle.

10. Cover with the fitted lid and bake 30 minutes.

11. Remove the lid and bake an additional 15 to 20 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.

12. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Enjoy!