This is a phenomenal bread recipe. The best, EASY yeast bread you will ever make, beginners love how simple it is while bread connoisseurs appreciate the Artisan bread qualities – the thick crispy crust and chewy crumb with big fat holes like sourdough!
No knead, 3 minutes active effort, very forgiving recipe. Make this today, then the Cheese Bread version tomorrow!

Phenomenal EASY yeast bread recipe
This is an extraordinary white bread recipe with outstanding results. While it’s easy and forgiving, making it suitable for beginners, experienced bakers will recognise and appreciate the Artisan bread characteristics – large holes in the crumb like your favourite sourdough bread with that signature chewiness, and a thick, crispy crust.
It’s a gold nugget recipe, and you may never buy bread again after trying this!
Here’s why it’s so easy:
No knead, no stand mixer
3 minutes active effort – you won’t even get your hands dirty
Dutch oven (cast iron pot) ideal but not necessary
Incredibly forgiving dough, with rise times ranging from 2 hours to 3 days (yes, really, you choose what works for you)
Easy but yet no compromise on quality of bread

What you need to make this homemade bread recipe
Here’s what you need to make homemade bread from scratch – yeast, flour, salt and water. Yep, really, that’s it!
No yeast?
Make this famous Irish Soda Bread instead, or this incredible No Yeast Sandwich bread based on the traditional Australian Damper!

Yeast – my base recipe uses Rapid Rise or Instant Yeast which does not need to be dissolved in water. But it works just as well with normal yeast (“Active Dry Yeast” or just “dry yeast”) – you just need to change the order of the steps and dissolve the yeast in water first. The bread comes out exactly the same!
Best flour for homemade bread – use bread flour if you can. Bread flour has more protein in it than normal flour which means more gluten, and this makes the dough more elastic and yields a more fluffy yet chewy texture inside the bread, as well as creating the big holes you see in the photos, like sourdough bread. However, this bread is still spectacular made with normal flour too!
How to make the world’s easiest homemade bread – Artisan style!
Here are process steps with tips, but also see the video below – super handy to see the dough consistency, and how to form the dough.
1. Make wet sticky dough

Mix together the flour, salt and yeast, then add warm water and mix. The “dough” will be very wet and sloppy, not kneadable at all – this is what you want! See video at 17 seconds for consistency.
2. Rise!

Cover with cling wrap then place it in a warm place (25 – 30°C / 77 – 86°F) for 2 hours. The dough will increase in volume by double or more, the surface will become bubbly and the dough will be wobbly, like jelly. See video at 24 seconds for consistency.
OPTIONAL – develop flavour: Once dough has risen, you can bake immediately. OR, for better flavour, refrigerate for a minimum of 8 hours, up to 3 days. Time = better flavour development.
Bread in photos and video were baked immediately. I usually make this dough in the morning, refrigerate all day then bake in the evening. Or make the dough in the evening, refrigerate overnight and bake fresh in the morning! (10 – 12 hours in fridge). Beauty of this bread is that you can bake anytime!
No dutch oven? No problem! Just bake it on a tray – see the recipe notes.
3. Preheat oven & pot

30 minutes before dough has risen, or while refrigerated dough is coming to room temperature, place dutch oven (cast iron pot) in the oven to preheat at 230°C/450°F.
Hot oven + hot pot = bread rising boost!
4. Scrape dough out

Scrape dough out of bowl onto floured work surface. It will be wet and sticky and that’s exactly what you want – because we will not be kneading it! In fact, you won’t even touch it with your hand.
PRO TIP: Dough handling and shaping technique devised to minimise addition of flour. Less flour = wetter dough = bigger air pockets, fluffier bread and more moist.
5. Shape the dough very roughly

Use a dough scraper or anything of similar shape (spatula, cake server, or large knife) to fold the sides in so it roughly resembles a round disc.
Don’t get too hung up on the shaping – you’ll deform it in the next step!! This step is mainly to deflate the dough.
6. FLIP dough upside down onto paper

Slide a large piece of baking / parchment paper next to the dough, then flip it upside down onto the paper using the scraper so the seams from the step above are face down, and you have the smooth side up.
Slide/push the dough into the centre, then briefly reshape it into a round or slightly oval shape.
Do not get too hung up on a neat shape – this bread is supposed to be rustic! Besides, scruffier shape = more awesome crispy ridges
7. Prepare to bake!

Remove very hot pot from oven, then use paper to pick up the dough and put it in the pot, and put the lid on.
See recipe notes for no dutch oven method.
8. Bake!

Bake for 30 minutes with the lid on (this creates a steamer effect, allowing the bread to rise while it cooks before crust sets), then 12 minutes with the lid off to brown and crisp up the crust. The surface will crack – and you want this, for extra crispy ridges!! And it looks authentic, just like the Artisan bread you buy at bakeries. 😇
Cool for 10 minutes before slicing. This is important – to let the centre of the bread finish cooking (if you slice too early, it will seem a bit doughy. Patience was never my greatest virtue, so I learnt this first hand!)
Remember – you can make this bread recipe WITHOUT a dutch oven!

Why this bread recipe works – and TIPS!
Loose, sticky dough = easier to rise than firmer dough.
No kneading = rough dough, but because the dough is so soft, it puffs up enough to “smooth out” the roughness.
Super forgiving dough – too stiff, add water. Too wet, add flour. Dough not rising? Move it to a warmer place. Takes 45 minutes to rise or 5 hours? It will still work. As long as your dough is the same consistency as what you see in the video and you let it rise to double the volume, this bread recipe will work as long as the yeast is not past its expiry date!
Why you need a preheated dutch oven for no knead bread recipes – to create a steamy environment to give the bread a rise boost before the crust sets (which stops the bread from rising). Professional bakeries are equipped with steam ovens – the cast iron pot is the home method!
Don’t have a dutch oven? No problem! Recreate the steamy environment by placing hot water in a pan in the oven, and bake the bread on a tray.
Big holes in the crumb – loose dough from less flour, high oven temp and preheated pot allows the yeast to give the bread a great rise boost, creating big air pockets. Also the use of bread flour rather than normal flour helps – you get less large holes using normal flour.
Bake immediately if it’s a bread emergency….
…but you’ll be rewarded with tastier bread if you leave the dough 8+ hours in the fridge! I normally make dough first thing in the morning (it takes 3 minutes!) then bake that night. Or make dough at night and bake in the morning. (~12 hrs in fridge for both scenarios)
Why refrigerating the dough creates a better tasting bread – because the fridge slows down the fermentation of the yeast (ie dough stops rising, if it kept rising it would kill the rising power of the yeast), allowing the enzymes in the yeast to do their work, transforming starch into sugar which creates a more flavourful bread. So we let the dough rise first, then refrigerate it.


All the ways to eat this bread!
Everything you do with bread you buy, you can do with this bread. It truly has the structure of bakery bread, so there are no limits!
Eat it fresh out of the oven, slathered with butter. Make sandwiches, toast it, mop plates clean, dunk it in soups and stews. Make bruschetta, garlic bread, grilled cheese, CHEESY garlic bread or Cheese and Garlic CRACK Bread!
I hope you enjoy this crusty bread recipe as much as I do. This really is one of those gold nugget recipes that you’ll make once and treasure forever! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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World’s Easiest Yeast Bread recipe – Artisan, NO KNEAD
Ingredients
- 3 cups (450g) flour , bread or plain/all purpose (Note 1)
- 2 tsp instant or rapid rise yeast (Note 2 for normal / active dry yeast)
- 2 tsp cooking / kosher salt , NOT table salt (Note 3)
- 1 1/2 cups (375 ml) very warm tap water , NOT boiling or super hot (ie up to 55°C/130°F) (Note 4)
Dough shaping
- 1 1/2 tbsp flour , for dusting
Instructions
- Mix Dough: Mix flour, yeast and salt in a large bowl. Add water, then use the handle of a wooden spoon to mix until all the flour is incorporated. Dough will be wet and sloppy – not kneadable, but not runny like cake batter. Adjust with more water or flour if needed for right consistency (see video at 17 sec, Note 5).
- Rise: Cover with cling wrap or plate, leave on counter for 2 – 3 hours until it doubles in volume, it’s wobbly like jelly and the top is bubbly (see video at 24 seconds). If after 1 hour it doesn’t seem to be rising, move it somewhere warmer (Note 6).
- Optional – refrigerate for flavour development (Note 9): At this stage, you can either bake immediately (move onto Step 5) or refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- Take chill out of refrigerated dough – if you refrigerated dough per above, leave the bowl on the counter for 45 – 60 minutes while the oven is preheating. Cold dough does not rise as well.
- Preheat oven (Note 7) – Put dutch oven in oven with lid on (26cm/10" or larger). Preheat to 230°C/450°F (220° fan) 30 minutes prior to baking. (Note 8 for no dutch oven)
- Shape dough: Sprinkle work surface with 1 tbsp flour, scrape dough out of bowl. Sprinkle top with 1/2 tbsp flour.
- Using a dough scraper or anything of similar shape (cake server, large knife, spatula), fold the sides inwards (about 6 folds) to roughly form a roundish shape. Don’t be too meticulous here – you’re about to deform it, it’s more about deflating the bubbles in the dough and forming a shape you can move.
- Transfer to paper: Slide a large piece of parchment/baking paper (not wax paper) next to the dough, then flip the dough upside down onto the paper (ie seam side down, smooth side up). Slide/push it towards the middle, then reshape it into a round(ish) shape. Don't get too hung up about shape. In fact, lopsided = more ridges = more crunchy bits!
- Dough in pot: Remove piping hot dutch oven from oven. Use paper to place dough into pot, place lid on.
- Bake 30 minutes covered, then 12 minutes uncovered or until deep golden and crispy.
- Cool on rack for 10 minutes before slicing.
Recipe Notes:
- Fridge up to 3 days – Rise dough per recipe, then leave in bowl and refrigerate up to 3 days. Flavour gets better with time. Dough will stay bubbly for a day or two, then will deflate – that’s fine. Shape into round and place on paper per recipe, then leave for 45 – 60 minutes to take the chill out of it, then bake per recipe. Cold dough won’t rise as well.
- Bread in photos & video is 2 hr rise, immediate bake.
- Cooked bread – great fresh for 2 days, then after that, better warmed or toasted. Keep in an airtight container or ziplock bag. This stays more fresh than usual homemade bread, especially if you use bread flour.
- Freeze cooked bread for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Information:
More bread recipes
Life of Dozer
Just keeping a close eye on it for me….

Good job Dozer. Here’s your treat. Look, I even buttered it for you! (PS He’s in his robe because it’s a rainy day yet I still took him to the beach!!!)

Hi Nagi! I found this no-knead recipe one day when I was having very bad luck with sourdough starters. I just wanted to be able to bake some bread, and fill my house with that wonderful smell. It was my quarantine goal to learn how to bake bread, and with all the frustration I’d had, I was thrilled to see your recipe come up in my search for “easy yeasted bread”. I ran to the store to buy yeast and more flour, and immediately went home to start baking. The experience was wonderful, as is the bread. It fired up my desire to bake, and I’ve baked 2-4 loaves almost every day for the past two weeks. I have two batches in the refrigerator now so I can bake them fresh tomorrow to give to a friend. Since I enjoy baking more than I could ever eat, I’ve started making appointments to bring a loaf of this wonderful bread to friends, while we visit (socially distanced, of course) for a bit. I’m a recent retiree, wondering how I’ll spend my days, and I have to tell you I think that I’ll bake a lot, and give away a lot to my friends, that will keep me in touch with them, while giving me two activities to fill my time. It’s a joy all the way around, and I am so grateful to you for opening my eyes to the joys of baking bread!
I do have to tell you that in my own work with your recipe, I have cut out the parchment paper altogether. I find I get a better color on the bottom without it, and I save those steps. I go from the board to the heated pan, and it works great. I am even able to add some cuts to the dough before putting it back in the oven. I use the pan of water on the rack below to fill my oven with steam, and bake for 43 minutes, uncovered the entire time, in a well heated pot. It falls out of the pan with a slight tap on the counter top. I baked whole wheat for the first time yesterday, it was amazing also. In two weeks, about 10 of my friends have enjoyed this moist, beautiful bread, thanks to you. I will continue to bake for my friends, and to enjoy my time with them when I stop by to drop them off.
This makes me, and my friends and family, all very happy! Beautiful bread, and beautiful simplicity in the recipe. I love it! My next experiments with it will be to make cinnamon rolls, mini loaves (for single friends) and a garlic variation. I can just imagine this coming out of the oven alongside a beautiful meal, baked with whole cloves of garlic stuffed inside!
Hi David, I love hearing this!! Yes, everyones oven works differently so little tweaks here and there can definitely improve the loaf to suit your style! The reason I use the paper is to get the loaf into my dutch oven safely without burning my arms – it’s happened way too many times 😂
hi there CHEF. is you get a burn immediately if not sooner wet surface cover with sugar pain gone I 30 seconds. and no blister. sugar was used during Civil War to cure wounds from burns
Thank you for the recipe Nagi! I just found your website n going to have a try. Wondering if I can get the bread flour and yeast from supermarket like Coles?
You sure can! I hope you give it a try May! N x
Beautiful bread just too much salt but great!
Hi Rod, sorry you thought there was too much salt – can I ask what type of salt you used here? N x
The ingredient list calls for 3 cups flour (450 grams). According to King Arthur Flour, 1 cup of bread flour weighs 120 grams. So the math doesn’t work for me. So which is it, 3 cups or 450 grams? Thank you!
Hi Greg, 1 cup of flour here weighs 150g, if you’re ever unsure go off the grams listed in my recipe as that’s standard no matter where you are located! N x
Am usually afraid of attempting Bread (failed several times) but I’ve baked this twice now, and both times excellent as the recipe promises. Thank you Nagi!
WAHOO!!! You’ve got it now Mae! N x
Love this recipe so much! If I wanted to double the recipe, how would that affect the cooking time? We go through the small loaf so quickly, I’m hoping I can make a bigger one
Hello! Does it matter if we use convection bake or regular bake?
Nagi – This bread is amazing!! I make it nearly every day – my children say that they can’t ever go back to shop bought bread!! My husband prefers a wholemeal bread with seeds. Is it possible to do this recipe with half wholemeal and half Strong White Bread Flour?? Any advice? X
Hi Nicky, I’m so glad you love it!! I talk about wholemeal flour in the notes – N x
Hi Nagy..I am looking at an olive bread I made from another site and I have serious doubts! How would you suggest using your Artisan recipe with olives? Or do you have an olive recipe I haven’t found? Thanks a Jay (again)
MagyI’m so excited I found you with this beautiful recipe of bread. I’ve been killing my self trying to conquer the Sourdough difficult journey! No luck yet! Anyway,since I have plenty of starter can I use some with your recipe? Thank you. Luz
Really easy for beginners like me. Thanks Nagi for this recipe and many others I have tried.
I have been making artisan bread for past 2-3 years. My last 2 breads, did not rise much and bread turned out heavy and doughy. WHY?
It’s always best to weigh ingredients over using measuring cups. Also, if the room wasn’t warm enough, you may have needed more rise time.
Amazing. Just so easy and tastes as good, if not better, than the higher end bakery equivalents. Thank you.
This bread recipe is absolutely wonderful! Have made it several times- even when it doesn’t rise as much it still tastes absolutely delicious!
Hi Nagi, this turned out great! I’m going to use this as my regular daily bread recipe now. It’s the easiest high-hydration dough recipe I’ve used. Do you recommend folding it all during the fermentation like a lot of other no-knead recipes? Or do you find it better just hands-off?
Also, do you have any tips to increase the oven spring?
Thanks again!
Hi Nagi, I am using normal dry activated yeast and the package says to add a tsp of sugar and dissolve in water. Can I skip the sugar and just follow your recipe?
Hi Lindsey, yes it should be find to skip. N x
Hi Nagi I have made the soft rolls and Artisan bread with great success and now I want to try your yeast free sandwich bread, is it ok to use spelt flour
Hi Gwen, I imagine it will be more dense with spelt flour and ill require more water – something I need to test! Would love to know if you try! N x
Thanks Nagi I may try it and will let you know the result
Hi Nagi, thanks for sharing this recipe and I’ve baked for more than 6 times using this recipe and never gets bored of the taste. =)
I’m so glad you love it Annie! N x
It was really dry so I had to add more so maybe I went too far…it absolutely delicious by the way and my husband said it was an amazing 1st ever attempt …
Nagi please help! I just tried this for the first time, never attempted bread before. I used fast acting yeast & bread flour and I used the non- Dutch oven method with water in a pan. It’s a bit flat? Solid crust but not “artisan looking” what did I do wrong? 🙂
Hi Vicky, sorry you’re having issues here – was the dough on the wetter side? Too much water can result in a flatter loaf. N x
Have tried making bread twice before and failed.
This was the best recipe ever and so easy.
Beautiful bread!! will definitely be making this again and again.
Love all your recipes Nagi, Thank you x
I’m so glad you nailed it Theresa, thanks so much for letting me know! N x