Citric Acid Free Classic No-Knead Bread

Total time16 hr

Prep time10 min

Cook time50 min

There is something deeply satisfying about pulling a golden, crackling loaf out of a screaming-hot Dutch oven, and this recipe delivers that bakery-worthy result with almost no effort. For anyone navigating a citric acid sensitivity, homemade bread is often the safest route — many commercial loaves sneak in citric acid as a preservative or dough conditioner, making label-reading a constant chore. This recipe keeps things beautifully simple: just flour, instant yeast, kosher salt, and water, so you know exactly what you're eating with zero guesswork. The long, slow overnight rest does all the heavy lifting, developing a complex, slightly tangy flavor and an open, chewy crumb without a single additive. A covered bake traps steam to give you that blistered, crackly crust, and the final uncovered stretch turns it a deep, gorgeous mahogany. Patience is the only real skill required — the dough practically makes itself while you sleep. Once you slice into a warm loaf this clean and this good, store-bought bread will be very hard to go back to.

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Ingredients

8 servings

3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
King Arthur Baking Company Unbleached All-Purpose Flour Gold Medal Flour All-Purpose Unbleached - 5 Lb Bob's Red Mill Organic All Purpose Unbleached White Flour - 5 Lb Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Unbleached White Flour - 5 Lb Pillsbury Best Flour All Purpose - 5 Lb
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¼ tsp instant yeast
1 ½ tsp kosher salt
1 ½ cups water, room temperature

Instructions

1
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, instant yeast, and kosher salt. Add the water and stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until no dry flour remains and a shaggy, sticky dough forms — about 1 minute. The dough will look rough and wet; that is correct.
2
Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and let the dough rest at room temperature for 12 to 18 hours, until the surface is dotted with bubbles and the dough has roughly doubled in size.

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