Lactose Free Dutch Oven No-Knead Artisan Bread
Crusty, bakery-worthy bread is one of those things that feels intimidating until you realize it only takes four ingredients and a little patience. The long, slow overnight rise does all the heavy lifting, developing deep flavor and that signature open crumb without a single minute of kneading. Baking it inside a preheated Dutch oven traps steam in the early stages, which is exactly what creates that shattering, mahogany crust you'd expect from a professional loaf. Since the recipe is built entirely from flour, yeast, salt, and water, it's naturally free of any dairy — no substitutions needed, no label-reading required. This is the kind of bread that makes your kitchen smell incredible and your guests assume you've been baking for years. Let it cool fully before slicing, and you'll be rewarded with a tender, chewy interior that holds up beautifully whether you're dunking it in soup or piling it with your favorite toppings.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- 3 cups bread flour, plus more for dusting
- ¼ tsp instant yeast
- 1 ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 ½ cups warm water (about 110°f / 43°c)
Instructions
- 1
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the bread flour, instant yeast, and kosher salt. Pour in the warm water and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until no dry flour remains and a shaggy, sticky dough forms — about 1 minute. The dough will look rough and uneven; that is correct.
- 2
Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap or a plate and let the dough rest at room temperature for 8–12 hours (overnight is ideal), until the surface is dotted with bubbles and the dough has roughly doubled in size.
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