You don’t need a dutch oven to make your own super delicious and easy homemade bread. This easy white bread recipe shows you how to make your own faster no knead bread without dutch oven.
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Faster No-Knead Bread Recipe
There is nothing that equals fresh bread baking in the oven on a crisp autumn or cold winter day…it is the epitome of cozy smells.
Even people who are baking-challenged can make their own easy yeast bread at home…really!
First of all you could use a bread maker.
When grandmother passed away over ten years ago, after some time went by my grandfather wanted to learn how to cook.
It’s not that he didn’t make anything , but my grandmother was truly great in the kitchen. She could adapt and experiment and created many of her own gluten-free recipes because she had celiac disease.
This was waaaay before there were so many prepared gluten-free goods – she couldn’t just go to the store and get gluten-free pasta or bread.
If you are new to breadmaking, check out these tips for making your own bread – 5 mistakes to avoid
And if you love making homemade sourdough bread, I put together this big list of sourdough discard recipes, so you don’t have to discard the discard!
Try one of these soups to go with the fast no-knead bread:
So my grandfather bought a bread maker and learned to bake bread.
He had so many loaves of bread overflowing from his kitchen – pumpernickel, whole wheat, cheese bread, cinnamon raisin, garlic, rye – that he had to give many away because he couldn’t keep up with eating all his baked bread.
Baking was definitely part of his healing process after my grandmother passed away.
I love making fresh homemade bread too and find it therapeutic after a stressful day.
I used to make overnight dutch oven bread all the time to sell when I had my bakery business. But I don’t always have time anymore to leisurely make bread for scratch.
That’s why I wanted to make an easiest no knead bread recipe.
Another quick and delicious no-knead bread recipe is this rosemary focaccia – promise you’ll love it.
Related recipe: The Best Homemade Mayonnaise (Plus Two Fun Variations!)
2-Hour No Knead Bread
A lot of no knead bread recipes have the bread dough rest overnight to rise.
These recipes are great too but sometimes you don’t want to wait a long time for yummy artisan bread.
You want bread the same day, ya know?
Yeast still needs time to do its thing, but this recipe cuts the time down to make this 2 hour no knead bread. No overnight rise needed!
Same day homemade bread without having to knead for 10 minutes when you have kids to wrangle makes this the best no knead bread recipe in my opinion!
For another AMAZING no-knead bread recipe, try this no-knead focaccia recipe!
Faster No-Knead Bread Ingredients
This easy bread recipe only takes four ingredients: flour, yeast, salt, and water.
It’s important that you use instant yeast as this is no knead bread and we’re not giving it tons of time to rise overnight. Instant yeast will work perfectly. 
For flour, you can use bread flour or all purpose flour.
Use a large bowl and once you have mixed the ingredients together, cover the wet dough with plastic wrap.
This is how the dough looks after you mix the 4 ingredients together
Let’s talk about the water temperature for a minute.
In the recipe below I say “hot water”.
I know, this is super technical and precise.
I don’t use a thermometer for an exact temperature because I have found it really doesn’t matter that much.
You do want it to be hot, not lukewarm, not warm, you want hot.
Put your faucet over to the hot side, let it warm up, and then measure out a cup and a half. That’s it.
Room temperature water will work too, but the dough rise might take a little longer. 
And this is how it looks after the rise time
No Knead Bread Without Dutch Oven
I love no knead bread made in a dutch oven too but not everyone has a dutch oven.
Most people have a loaf pan/bread pan.
This quick no knead bread can also be made right on a baking sheet or cast iron skillet instead which is what I did here.
If you are worried about sticky dough, make sure you add enough flour so it’s soft, not sticky. You can also line your bottom of the loaf pan or iron pot with a piece of parchment paper.
My absolute favorite cookware is the Lodge brand.
They make high quality cast-iron cookware and I have slowly been replacing all my old non-stick bakeware with the cast-iron versions.
I adore this cast-iron skillet. It will last a lifetime.
I use this cast-iron loaf pan all the time, for bread and for quick loaves too.
And this Lodge cast-iron combo is a killer deal.
Since this is a no knead bread without dutch oven it won’t have a really crispy crust on the outside.
It has a soft crumb, is golden brown and so yum slathered with butter, dunked in a soup, or for your morning toast.
Let’s make this quick no knead bread!
Faster no knead bread without dutch oven
Ingredients
- 3 cups unbleached flour
- 2 tsp instant yeast
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 1/2 cups hot water
- 2-3 tbsp unbleached flour, to shape and transfer the dough
Instructions
- Mix the flour, yeast, and salt together in a large bowl.
- Pour in the hot water all at once and stir. Dough will be sticky and not smooth. Just get it all mixed together so you don't have mix clumps of unmixed flour.
- Cover the bowl with saran wrap and let rise for 1-2 hours.
- After the rising time is up preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Remove the saran and add another couple tablespoons to the dough just to help you handle it because it will be sticky. You don't have to knead it, remember this is a no knead bread recipe!
- Bake as one loaf for 30-40 minutes or split in two and bake the smaller loaves for 25 minutes. To know when the bread is done, it should sound hollow when you tap it.
- Devour hot (I do) or wait a bit for easier cutting (oh you people with restraint!)
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
1Serving Size:
1 gramsAmount Per Serving: Unsaturated Fat: 0g
No Knead Bread Variations
For a yummy homemade bread recipe made with whole wheat flour, try this No-Knead Whole Wheat Olive Bread.
And for a yummy breakfast bread, try No-knead cinnamon raisin bread with pecans.
For another easy no-knead bread recipe, try these 20-minute pumpkin bagels (they really take 20 minutes from start to baked!)
—–> Pin this faster no-knead bread recipe to save it for later!
Just baked this! Was an easy cooking project with my toddler while my younger monkey slept.
Yay!! Love that you made this no knead bread! Did you eat it while it was still warm? Mmmm…
haah I waited a little before I cut it. Can you make it with whole wheat flour?
Yes you can make it with whole wheat flour or a mix of the two!
Bread is my weakness and I just love it. Your bread recipe looks awesome I have to try it soon! Thanks so much for sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday and hope you will come back soon!
Miz Helen
I would love to hear what you think of this no knead bread if you try it! And thanks for hosting Full Plate Thursday!
I am going to try this thank you! I am also really enjoying your blog
Thanks Rochelle! 🙂 This bread is so easy and fun to make. I hope you love it!
I just made this bread split it into two loaves of bread much to my surprise they came out good thanks
Way to go Bob! I’m happy they turned out well for you! 🙂
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Just curious. Do you have the nutrition information for the no knead. Bread? Thanks.
Hi Susan, I don’t usually do nutritional labels for my recipes. If you want you can plug in the recipe to a calculator like this one: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076 (entering 8 or 10 slices of bread). Hope that helps!
What is the cooking time if you do use a Dutch oven?
I haven’t tested it but I would try 30 minutes with the lid on and then another 10-15 (watching to make sure it doesn’t get too dark) with the lid off to get a nice crust. Let us know if you try it how it works out with the dutch oven.
Most bread recipes call for 450 degree oven. Is 400 sufficient?
Hi Eva, thanks for your question about the bread recipe. There are a variety of temperatures for different bread recipes. Some are 450, some are 400 or 375. I have even seen 350. This temperature works well for this recipe, especially because I baked the bread right on a tray and not in a loaf pan. It’s exposed to the oven heat without the material of a pan (or dutch oven) in between. The bread should have a light golden color when done and most importantly should sound hollow when tapped.
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I just stumbled across this earlier today. As it didn’t come across as too complicated, I converted the amounts to metric, as I live in Germany and my cups are used for the sole purpose of providing my body with caffeine 😉 and gave it a try.
Not only an extremely easy recipe, but the result is/was delicious too. Thank you so much for sharing it.
Thanks for giving the recipe a shot and so happy you loved it! Easy recipes are definitely my thing. And lol on the caffeine.
I let it rise a 2nd time but noticed that step wasn’t included in the directions
Was that an error
Nope, not an error! But good eye, most would involve a second rise. This is a faster bread recipe and it still turns out light and delicious with the one rise. Adding a second rise if you have time won’t hurt it at all and will give it a bit more height!
Do you think I could use this recipe and split it into loaves even smaller than halves? So its sized more like rolls than loaves. How long do you think I should bake it if I do that? 🙂
Hi Hana! Yes you could make mini loaves or rolls with this recipe. As for cooking time, I really don’t know. I would test it at around 20 minutes but it could be more or less depending on the size of your rolls. I would love to hear how it goes if you experiment with the size!
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Just made this tonight. Made 2 small loaves and plan to start giving them as Christmas gifts. I keep one for me, and give the other away. I LOVE the bread, but also love the fact that I don’t have to buy bread anymore!!!!
Yay! This comment made me so happy 🙂 So glad you love the bread. I love giving and receiving edible Christmas gifts. I actually just made this no-knead bread again today to bring over for my father-in-law’s birthday 🙂
I just made this bread again, BUT — I added my 2 1/2 cups of flour, and for the other half, I added 1/2 cup of wheat germ. It came out so good, with kind of a nutty texture to it. I use the Wheat Germ for the added nutrition value, but like the added taste and texture to my bread.
So yum! Thanks for sharing your modification and how it turned out – it sounds great!
Making mine as we speak!
Will let you know:)
Yes please do! Hope you love it 🙂
All I have is regular active dry yeast. What would I need to modify? Thanks!
Hi Kelley! If you’re using active dry yeast instead of instant yeast, you could modify one of two ways. Either add a bit more rising time (I would probably add another half an hour), OR you could proof the yeast first before you mix it in. In that case, take the same amount of yeast as is in the recipe, and mix it into a small amount of water (a tablespoon or so). The water should be lukewarm (~110F) but you don’t really need to measure it, the water should just feel warmish. Let the yeast dissolve in the water and “wake up” for about 5 minutes, then it can be mixed in and the rest of the recipe followed 🙂
I just have to say this is great. Every other time I have attempted bread it has been a flop. This came out perfect. I am so happy. Thanks for posting this.
Carrie I’m so glad that this no knead bread recipe turned out so well for you! You are officially a bread maker!!
Your bread looks great. I too wld like to make it, but when I looked at conversion to grammes sites, they all vary!!! I live in the uk, so please cld you tell me the ingredients in grammes?? I really don’t want to risk disasters!, Any thanks. Maggie
Hey Maggie! This is such a forgiving recipe that even if the grams are off by a bit, it will still work. For the 3 cups of flour, use somewhere between 375 g and 400 g, plus a spoonful or two when you’re gathering the dough together, just to make it not as sticky. 1 tsp of salt is around 5 g. 2 tsp of yeast is around 12 g. I don’t think it will be a disaster at all, I think it will be delicious 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think if you make it!
Great, easy recipe. Made two smaller loaves yesterday and they turned out fabulous! Thank you for sharing your recipe, will have to make more tomorrow!!!
Yay, so happy this easy homemade bread worked well for you! I’m working on a foccaccia recipe next…so yummy…
I think I’ve been all over your website. I’ve found all sorts of interesting comments about the no knead bread. I even found I would need flour, yeast, salt and water. However, I have yet to find how much I would need of each. I contacted my friend who sent me the original email about the bread. She said it is way down at he end. Sorry, guys, not where I could seat. HELP, please. I do not tolerate soy, and my favorite Sheepherder’s bread from the store recently added soy to the ingredients.
I want to make loaves of bread that I can use for toast and for sandwiches.
Alice
Hi Alice! The ingredients and instructions for this no-knead bread are at the bottom of this post. To make it easier I’m going to email you a copy of just the recipe. Hope you love the bread! 🙂
Hi Suchot, recipe looks simple, and I can’t wait to try it! Will it still work if I use all purpose flour instead of unbleached flour? Thanks!
Hey Jessie! Yes it totally will. That’s all I have too right now and I’ve made this bread recipe with it and turns out perfectly 🙂
I live on a tiny island off the island of Newfoundland, Canada so spend a lot of time trying to find bread that is not a loaf that you can ball up and play catch with! Thank you from the bottom of my heart! I was given instant yeast from a supermarket that they used in their bakery because all regular yeast and bakery items had been sold due to covid 19 hoarding! I went on line and found your recipe. It’s out of the oven and my hubby is giving it a 2 thumbs up and it looks like it will make great toast for breakfast. Thank-you again and stay safe!
Beverley
I’m so excited to hear from a Newfoundlander! Which island are you from? My husband and I went to Newfoundland for our honeymoon 🙂 This no-knead bread makes delicious toast too, you’re right!
HI Suchot,
We live on Change Islands on the north-east coast of Newfoundland. It is about an hours drive north of Gander. Thanks again for such a great recipe!
Let me know if you ever make a return visit to Newfoundland.
Kind regards, Beverley
Hey Beverley! I just looked up Change Islands – SO gorgeous!! We’ll let you know if we do visit again, someday we would like to bring our daughter to Newfoundland 🙂
Thank you so much for this recipe. I am looking forward to getting started but the recipe calls for 2 tsp of instant yeast. I only have active yeast and the package says it has about 2 1/4 tsp. Do I need to measure exactly 2 tsp or can I use the whole package?
Yay! Glad you’re going to try this easy homemade bread recipe 🙂 Usually if you sub active yeast for instant yeast it’s 1:1 but the extra 1/4 tsp is absolutely fine, so yes use the whole package. Because of the size of the little granules of yeast, you’ll want to add a bit more time to the rise if you’re using active yeast instead of instant yeast. Another 15 minutes or so should be good. Active yeast also needs to be “woken up” in a bit of water first, before adding it to the other ingredients. Put it in a dish with a bit of lukewarm water and wait 5 minutes for it to be a bit bubbly/foamy. Definitely don’t pour it into the measuring cup of hot water that’s called for in this recipe – this will kill the yeast and the bread won’t rise. Here’s a good article on subbing active yeast for instant yeast: https://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-difference-between-active-dry-yeast-and-instant-yeast-54252. Hope you love this no-knead bread! 🙂
Hi! Thanks for sharing the recipe! May I know the temperature of the hot water please? Sorry cause I don’t have a hot water faucet. Thanks 🙂
Hi! I just checked and I use water that is about 100 degrees F. Hope that helps! 🙂
Can I use bread flour in this recipe?
Yes absolutely! 🙂
Hi! thanks for posting the real temperature
mi suggestion if that you always specify it! 🙂
gonna try your recipe but I am uncertain about temperature because you said you use a tray and the hot air is around the dough. I made another recipe last month and that was exactly my problem, the bread did’t cook well because of the recipe made for a tray and I used a baking pan and realized the problem for not gettng well cooked was the pan …because didn’t have the air around …
I stuck to your recipe because I saw at first the use of loaf pan, but don’t see anywhere about you mentioning the temperature for this – the loaf pan, Can you help me?
Hi Teresa. Thanks for your interest in my homemade bread recipe! The temperature is included in the recipe. I have made this no-knead bread both ways – in the loaf pan and directly on a baking pan (not in the loaf pan first). It turns out deliciously both ways. I use the same temperature. If you’re using the baking sheet method, make sure add a bit of extra flour when you’re forming the loaf shape so it doesn’t spread out too much. Hope that helps!
Can this recipe be turned into a raisin bread?
Hi Martie! Yes it could! I often use this simple bread recipe as a base for different variations. You could add a cup of raising and some cinnamon or whatever you usually like in your raisin bread. The only thing I would do is either soak the raisins or I would make sure there aren’t too many on the surface of the bread dough. With the high heat in this bread recipe, I wouldn’t want the raisins to get overcooked 🙂
I made your bread recipe tonight, without raisins but it came out tasting fantastic! I did have one small issue, the bread stuck to my cooking sheet. Should I have put cornmeal on the cookie sheet first?
I’m glad you loved the homemade bread! Depending on how much flour you use when you’re bringing the dough together with your hands, it might be stickier or less sticky. You could use cornmeal on the cookie sheet, or even a small layer of flour (just where the bread is, not over the whole sheet). If your dough is less sticky, you won’t need to do this, but it won’t hurt either! 🙂
I just made this today for the first time. It looks great, haven’t tried it yet. My question is, there were gel like strings here and there on the top crust. Is that normal? What causes that?
Hi JoAnn! So happy you tried this easy homemade bread recipe! I’m not sure exactly? Were the strings cooked? This is after it came out of the oven?
Hi, this looks great!
If I were to use wholemeal flour, would I keep the same amount of water? Thanks
Hi Ash! Thanks! 🙂 Yes you can keep the same amount of water with a wholemeal no-knead bread version. Just make sure you’re using regular all-purpose whole wheat flour (not pastry wholemeal flour – but it would say pastry so you’re likely totally fine!) I hope you love this no-knead homemade bread recipe.