Paraben Free Dutch Oven No-Knead Artisan Bread
There is something deeply satisfying about pulling a crackling, mahogany-crusted loaf out of a screaming-hot Dutch oven, and this recipe delivers exactly that with almost no effort. The ingredient list is refreshingly short — just bread flour, instant yeast, kosher salt, and warm water — so you know precisely what is going into every slice. That simplicity is a genuine advantage when you are trying to avoid the long lists of additives and preservatives that show up in commercial bakery products. The magic here is time: a long, slow overnight rest lets the dough develop deep, complex flavor and an open, chewy crumb without any kneading whatsoever. Baking the loaf covered traps steam in the Dutch oven, which gives you that blistered, bakery-style crust that shatters when you press it. Once it comes out and cools on the rack, you are left with a loaf that is genuinely hard to believe you made from four ingredients on your own counter.
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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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