Seriously Crispy No-Knead Bread Recipe for Crunchy Crust

Forget getting out the mixer or the bread maker to make perfect homemade bread. This seriously crispy no-knead loaf needs no mixer, no dough hook and no hand kneading. With just a few pantry ingredients and a little patience, you’ll get a crisp crust and tender crumb.

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I discovered this method after seeing it on my friend Jo’s site and immediately wanted to try it. I’m not a dedicated baker — I prefer simple, forgiving recipes — so “no knead” was exactly what I needed. The technique is easy enough that my four-year-old stood on a kitchen chair and helped make the dough with almost no mess.

When we took the bread from the oven, the golden crust and wonderful aroma were proof that this foolproof method works. We both stood there grinning — proud and ready to slice.

The Technique

The secret to this insanely simple recipe is time: the dough rests and ferments for 18–24 hours. That long rise develops flavor, creates a light, open crumb and contributes to a crisp crust. Baking in a covered Dutch oven helps, too — it radiates heat and traps steam so the crust crisps while the interior stays moist and chewy.

There’s more science behind the method, but for home baking the important thing is this: the process is simple and it works.

1. Mix: Combine warm water and active dry yeast in a measuring cup. It’s a good idea to proof the yeast for a few minutes — you should see small bubbles as fermentation begins. Add the yeast-water to a bowl with flour and salt, then mix with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until a rough, cohesive dough forms.
2. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it somewhere warm to rise for 18–24 hours. I keep mine next to the stove where it stays gently warm. After the long ferment the dough will be bubbly and soft.
3. Generously flour a work surface and scrape the dough out of the bowl using a bench scraper so none is wasted.
4. Shape the dough briefly — about 30 seconds — into a round. Place it on a sheet of parchment paper to make transferring into the Dutch oven easier, and cover again to rest while the pot heats.
5. Preheat a 3.5-quart Dutch oven in a 450°F oven for 30 minutes with the lid on. A smaller, taller pot encourages the dough to rise up for a round loaf. When the pot is hot, transfer the dough with the parchment into the Dutch oven, cover and return to the oven.
6. Bake covered for 30 minutes, then remove the lid and bake another 15–20 minutes until deeply browned. A thermometer is useful — the loaf I removed at 205°F was perfect.

We could hardly wait for it to cool. Once it was cool enough to slice, my little helper and I slathered butter on slices and ate more than half the loaf in about twenty minutes.

The next day we served the bread with Avgolemono soup and she insisted on another piece to dip. This bread is an excellent soup dipper — crispy outside, soft inside.

Seriously Crispy No Knead Bread

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• Author: Mila Furman
• Total Time: 65 minutes
• Yield: 1 loaf