Speedy No-Knead Bread Recipe (2024)

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Chateau

Here is the updated recipe according to the video:

3 cups of bread flour (or 3 cups of all-purpose flour + 3 tsp of gluten)
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 tsp yeast
1/4 tsp red wine vinegar
1 1/2 cups extremely warm water

mojobo48

I used the video version. I've been baking bread for 30 years and I have NEVER gotten a crust like this. My 21-year-old picked up the loaf, and said, "How much of this can I eat?" He proceeded to have a dinner of potato soup and ate about 2/3 of the loaf. Does a mother's heart good.

Christine Staples

With a large Dutch oven, I make 1 double loaf a week as follows: 21 oz all purpose flour, 10 oz rye or whole wheat flour, 1 TB salt, 1/2 oz yeast, 10 tsp wheat gluten, 3 cups water. Combine all in large bowl, cover, set in oven w/light on for 4 hrs. Sprinkle w/flour, fold over 2x, cover w/cloth 15 minutes. Flour cloth heavily, make dough into ball, flour dough, cover with another cloth. Let rise 30 min, then preheat oven with pot inside 30 more minutes. Bake 30 minutes covered, 15 uncovered.

Josh

To my taste, this bread came out dense and a bit gummy. I've made the original version and thought it came out much better. In the future I'll invest the extra time to make it rather than this speeded-up version.

Also interesting to note that this recipe doesn't reflect the changes they discuss in the video: adding red-wine vinegar and using hot water.

Irene

It's actually 1/4 oz yeast or 2 1/4 tsp

Jocelyn

I just made this version (that is, the version presented by the chef in the video who originated the no knead bread) using 1/4 TEASPOON yeast, hot water and 1/4 tsp vinegar. Also, I used all-purpose flour (suggested in the original slow-rise version). It came out just like the slow-rise version - the quality was perfect! The exact same perfect crumb and crispy crust! Be sure to use the recipe in the video, not the one written above.

Wayne

I've been making this bread for years and love it. It's a favorite of my guests. Haven't had a problem with it. Turns out just as I expect. I always add flavors to the dry ingredients before introducing the water. In various combinations I have used cubed cheddar cheese, caramelized onions, rosemary, black pepper, sundried tomatoes, jalapeno peppers, roasted garlic or black olives. With any ingredient like the sundried tomatoes or olives, I always take time to dry them on paper towels.

Jaqueline Biggs

Hi Georgina. I am an American expat living in Britain on a narrowboat. When I lived in Pullman, WA which is not very humid, my dough came out fine. when I moved here it was always soupy. the problem is the humidity in the air here in Britain which being a maritime climate is always humid. Cut back on the amount of water you use. Try 1 1/4 and see if that doesn't help. If your dough is still too soupy then cut it back by another 1/8th until it works for you.

Cheers,

Jaqueline

Alex

It's actually not 1/4 oz yeast. Watch the last recipe in the video. It's 1/4 tsp yeast.

Willa

I made 2 loaves, rosemary olive oil and orange cranberry. I followed the written recipe. I forgot to add the additional ingredients during first mixing so I added them at second rising. The bread came out perfect. I've made Bread following Jim Lahey's 18 hour method. I find this speedy way, much easier.This bread is as good or even better.

stemo

From Lahey’s book weights are:400 grams bread flour8 grams table salt300 grams waterInstant yeast package is 7 grams or 1/4 oz

Elinor

I made this with the Jim Lahey suggestions (1/4 tsp. yeast, 1/4 tsp. red wine vinegar, HOT water, plus my own variation of a generous 1 1/2 teaspoons of the designated salt. It's come out beautifully each time. I'm going to switch to a 5-quart cast iron/enamel Dutch oven instead of a 6-quart one because it does bake up the way it lands in the pot, a little free-form, so I'm aiming for rounder. But no matter--delicious crust, texture, taste. It's my go-to bread.

Joan Butler

Love this and the traditional longer rise version. I love whole wheat so started adding 1, 1.5 cups, etc with the white flour and finally made it with all whole wheat. It is amazing. The texture is dense and bread chewy but just as I like it.

James Stolich (CookWithJames.com)

I noticed the same. I think the longer fermentation time probably helps a lot. I also noticed that in the video Leahy adds a few drops of red wine vinegar while the written recipe does not reflect this. Might this be the key to faster bread with the right taste and texture?

Since I made the dough from the recipe I missed out on the vinegar.

Margery Eriksson

I had never baked bread before and I jJust made my third loaf, using this recipe. However, I did what the video suggests: adding a dash of red wine vinegar and using hot water. Amazing crust! Delicious bread! One suggestion: if you substitute whole-wheat flour (I used 2 c. bread flour, 1 c whole wheat), it does takes longer to rise.

kz

Follow the comment quantities and also add a LOT more salt!

Lawrence

Hi, I like a quick/stir bread because it’s forgiving and I can add things like fennel seeds, oregano, rosemary, etc. This recipe is very good with Mr. Lahey’s modifications — tasty with a nice crumb. I appreciate “Chateau’s” ingredient list per the video. One thing: I live in the East Bay of the San Francisco area, and maybe that’s why I feel there’s too much water. With 1 and 1/2 cups, the dough was mushy, and I had to slowly sprinkle in more flour. But I’ve started to use less water.

M. S.

This was a complete bomb. I followed the recipe to the letter, adding the vinegar as suggested in the video. The dough remained a gluey mess after 4 hours of fermentation, then slid like a mass of silly putty into the hot Dutch oven. It remained flat but emerged with a beautiful, crunchy crust. Too bad the interior remained WET! I’ll stick with the original no knead recipe from now on.

Sare

It was fine—nothing special, even after the videos change in the recipe. I definitely prefer the longer-rise recipe. There’s not a lot of flavor to this bread. Maybe adding more salt and some cornmeal would help? It was fun to experiment with, but now I know!

added rosemary

This was my second time making the bread and I added rosemary to it. Great addition. It was so tasty.

notes from the first time

Used the alt recipe with the red wine vinegar and warm water. Would add more salt next time.

Ngrimmick

I have a Breville oven so I proofed the dough at 80 degrees for 4 hours using the revised recipe. It came out great! The browning probably want even necessary b/c I used a Staub Dutch oven that has the black interior. I used parchment in the Dutch oven & the bread was well browned after 10 minutes with the top off. Great recipe!

CLHK

This worked well for me, and as I made before I read all the reviews, omitted the the vinegar. I typically use warm water for bread, so that I got. The dough was a wee nightmare (second rise, it spread….thank Goodness I let it rest on parchment,). I just gathered it all up…parchment and all, dropped it into Dutch oven, and it made a delicious, fast loaf of bread!

mary

Increase the yeast to 1/2tsp but keep everything else the same. Gives a nice round loaf instead of the flat one in the video and pics. Delicious. We make this weekly. I’ve been adding sesame seeds to the crust and it adds a really nice seedy texture.

Erica

Peter, for most bread recipes the recommended water temperature is 110-115 degrees Fahrenheit, 43.3 to 46.1 C.

Peter N.

Why would he say (in the video) use "extremely warm" water? That is NOT helpful! Could we get a temperature on either the C or F scale?

Kai

I prefer this revised version to the original No- Knead Bread recipe. King Arthur bread flour, *8* hour rise, and always preheat the Dutch oven.Per America’s Test Kitchen, I make sure the internal temperature of the bread is at least 210 degrees; this eliminates the “gummy” texture some other reviewers have mentioned.

tomcat

Instead of oil, I rolled it in cornmeal before the 30 minute rising part of the recipe, then turned it out on parchment paper before it went in the 5 1/2 quart anodized aluminum dutch oven with the parchment paper. It made a beautiful and delicious loaf of bread! I will make this often.

SmartyCat

Gosh, Ive forgotten this. My one non-positive is the inner bread feeling wet sometimes.

Pete Mack

Note: if you have all-metal large mixing bowls or other vessels, you can make this without a crackpot. I managed to do two at once with baking sheets, aluminum foil, and a domed "lid." Resulted in a flatter loaf, but still moist, large crumb, and crunchy crust.

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Speedy No-Knead Bread Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why is my homemade no knead bread so dense? ›

Why is my bread dense: Usually bread will be too dense when there is too much flour. Keep in mind this dough will be pretty sticky, do not add more flour than specified. Other factors that come into play are humidity and age of flour. Little yeast, long rise, sticky dough are keys to a good, light loaf.

Why is my no knead bread not rising enough? ›

My dough didn't rise.

No knead dough doesn't rise like standard yeast breads, it only puffs up and gets bubbly. It will be a little bigger after the resting time but don't look for a much larger volume. Your yeast may not be fresh and should not be used past the expiration date.

How do you know when no knead bread is done? ›

Cover with the lid and bake for 30 minutes, then remove the lid and bake for another 20 to 30 minutes, until the loaf is beautifully browned; the bread's internal temperature should be 200°F or more. (If at any point the dough starts to smell scorched, lower the heat a bit.)

What is the secret to success when making quick breads? ›

Quick breads are typically mixed by hand, and it's important not to overmix the batter. Overmixing can cause the gluten in the flour to develop, resulting in a tough and chewy bread. Mix the batter just until the ingredients are combined, and then stop. If there are a few lumps in the batter, that's okay.

How do you make bread lighter and fluffier? ›

Add Sugar

Adding sugar weakens the gluten structure, absorbs water, and eventually makes the bread lighter and softer. As a result, sugar improves the bread's taste, structure and texture. Yeast also eats up sugar to produce carbon dioxide, which raises the dough and makes bread fluffy.

How to get no-knead bread to rise higher? ›

Folding the bread a few times during its long fermentation helps move the yeast to find more food and to introduce a little more oxygen into their environment.

What temperature kills yeast? ›

Too Hot to Survive. Regardless of the type of yeast you use, if your water reaches temperatures of 120°F or more, the yeast will begin to die off. Once water temps reach 140°F or higher, that is the point where the yeast will be completely killed off.

How to make bread rise more? ›

But almost as good as a proofing box is taking a Mason jar filled halfway up with water, microwaving it for two minutes, then putting your bowl of dough into the microwave with the jar to rise. The other thing you can do is place your lidded container or bowl of dough into a second, larger bowl of warm water.

Can too much flour make bread not rise? ›

The big lesson here: too much of any ingredient can make your bread not rise—even flour. Too much flour can make your dough stiff and dry. And we all know what happens if there's not enough liquid for the yeast to use: It doesn't work how it should.

What are the pros and cons of no-knead bread? ›

Pros: Develops dough without adding additional flour (as with traditional kneading). Effective method, especially with slack doughs such as baguettes. Cons: Takes time and repetitions to master.

What happens if you use too much yeast in bread? ›

Because yeast does not divide much in bread dough (only 20-30% increase in cell numbers in 4 hours), what you start with is what you end up with in terms of yeast numbers. This can affect the bread by adding a "yeasty" taste if you put too much into the dough.

What's the purpose of an egg in a quick bread? ›

By surrounding small particles of fat, the egg helps make the quick bread batter smoother, thus contributing to volume and texture. In addition, when eggs are beaten, they incorporate tiny air bubbles that expand with heat in the oven, contributing to volume.

What is the main thing to avoid when making quick breads? ›

TIPS FOR MAKING QUICK BREAD

Baking is a science, and certain ingredients like flour and leavening agents need to be measured and added exactly how the recipe suggests. Avoid overmixing the batter as it can lead to tough, dense quick bread that may sink in the middle.

What is the quick bread method? ›

Quick breads are prepared by the blending-, creaming-, or biscuit-method which determines the final texture and crumb of the finished product. The blending-method, also known as the muffin-method, combines the wet ingredients in one bowl and dry ingredients in a second bowl before mixing together.

What to do if homemade bread is too dense? ›

I've seen three major reasons for bread to come out too dense (other than dead yeast). The first is that you need to add more liquid. When you're mixing the dough, if the dough feels tight/tough, add some additional liquid. A wetter dough will result in a more open, soft crumb.

How to make homemade bread less dense? ›

Simply put, you have to control the temperature of the bread. Allowing ample time for your bread dough to rise and the yeast to form will create the holes in the bread that give it a lighter texture. Letting your dough get puffy and grow before it goes into the oven is critical.

Why is my homemade bread dense and not fluffy? ›

The usual reason why bread becomes too dense is due to using flour with low protein content. When your loaf is spongy and heavy, you might have also put too much flour into it or made the dough in a cooler or too warm setting.

Why is my homemade bread so dense and heavy? ›

If the fermentation is too fast or too slow, too long or too short, or not as predicted, dense bread is often the result.

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