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Bread

No Knead Dough

Dinner rolls… a rustic loaf… cheesy skillet bread… you name it, this versatile No-Knead Dough can do it!

top overhead shot of rising dough

This No-Knead Dough Is One of My Favorite Life Hacks

It’s not always easy to put real, homemade food on the table. Life is busy and there are so many plates to keep spinning! That’s why I rely on a key handful of life hacks to save time (and money, and my sanity, etc).

This recipe is one of my favorite hacks, because it really delivers! You store the dough in the refrigerator for up to two weeks, taking as much as you need for a loaf, or other recipe, as you go.

You’ll love how easy it is to mix up this no-knead dough, and how many options there are for enjoying the delicious results!

I absolutely love the simplicity of no-knead bread, and this recipe for basic No-Knead Dough – created by Zoë François and Jeff Hertzberg – is at the top on my list. It’s just so good, and so easy!

side shot of a silver measuring cup filled with flour

Recipe Ingredients

  • Water: The recipe calls for about 3 cups of lukewarm water.
  • Instant or Active Yeast
  • Salt: I use kosher salt.
  • Flour: You’ll need 6 ½ cups of all-purpose flour.

How to Make No-Knead Dough

  1. Dissolve the Yeast: In a large 5-quart mixing bowl, combine the water, yeast, and salt; stir until the yeast is dissolved.
  2. Add the Flour: Dump the flour into the yeast mixture and stir slowly until just combined.
  3. Rise and Store the Dough: For the first rise, cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and leave to rise for two hours. If you’re not using it right away, store the risen dough in a lidded container in the refrigerator.
mixing bread dough with a red rubber spatula

Tips for the Best Bread Dough

  • Don’t over mix this dough. It truly is a very simple recipe, and works best when you follow a hands-OFF approach, rather than the usual methods of bread making.
  • If the dough seems to fall, or not rise very much, that’s totally okay! As long as your yeast was fresh and the water was the correct temperature (use a food thermometer to measure, if possible), the dough will be fine – even if it doesn’t look very full or puffy. But please do make sure that your yeast is fresh, and not old, or expired.
No Knead Dough in a glass container and halfway covered with a kitchen towel

How to Store this Dough Until You’re Ready to Use It

  • This dough is pretty unusual! It can be stored in the fridge in a lidded container for up to 14 days, and you can remove portions as you need them.
  • To use the dough, take what you need from the container, and let stand for 30 minutes at room temperature before shaping and baking.

What Can You Make with this No-Knead Dough?

The dough is very versatile! You can use it to make dinner rolls, a loaf, skillet bread, and more! I especially like to use it to quickly throw together some No-Knead Skillet Cheese Bread or the awesome Dinner Rolls below. 👇

ENJOY!

side close up shot of baked dinner rolls garnished with parsley
top overhead shot of rising dough
Print Recipe
5 from 6 votes

No Knead Dough

A very simple dough that can be stirred together in minutes, stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks, and used to make dinner rolls, bread, and more!
Prep Time10 minutes
Resting Time2 hours
Total Time2 hours 10 minutes
Course: Bread
Cuisine: American
Keyword: easy bread dough, homemade dough, make ahead dough, no knead dough
Servings: 24
Calories: 124kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • In a 5-quart mixing bowl or container, mix together water, yeast, and 1 tablespoon salt.
  • To the yeast mixture, add the flour; mix with a wooden spoon until all the flour is incorporated.
  • Cover dough loosely with a kitchen towel and let rise at room temperature for 2 hours.
  • If not using right away, transfer dough to a container with a lid.
  • Cover and refrigerate for up to 14 days.
  • When ready to use, let dough stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before using.
  • You don’t have to use the entire dough all at once. You can remove portions of dough to make dinner rolls, loaf of bread, skillet bread, etc.

Nutrition

Calories: 124kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 291mg | Potassium: 38mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 2mg

20 Comments

  • Jen
    Oct 5, 2020 at 5:48 pm

    5 stars
    This recipe totally excites me! I am an absolute bread lover but am always too intimidated to try and make it at home. Such an easy, fool proof recipe.

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina Petrovska
      Oct 6, 2020 at 3:23 pm

      Thank YOU! I hope you enjoy it! 🙂

      Reply
  • Beth
    Oct 5, 2020 at 6:08 pm

    5 stars
    This looks wonderful! I’m always looking for homemade recipe to try! I’m so excited to try this recipe! Can’t wait!

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina Petrovska
      Oct 6, 2020 at 3:22 pm

      Thank YOU! 🙂 I hope you enjoy it! 🙂

      Reply
  • Sandi
    Oct 5, 2020 at 6:28 pm

    5 stars
    This dough looks incredibly easy to make. I love your step by step directions!

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina Petrovska
      Oct 6, 2020 at 3:22 pm

      Thank YOU! I hope you enjoy it! 🙂

      Reply
  • Toni Dash
    Oct 6, 2020 at 2:25 pm

    5 stars
    This is really amazing!! Thank you so much for this recipe! Very easy to follow!

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina Petrovska
      Oct 6, 2020 at 3:22 pm

      Thank YOU! I am very glad you enjoyed it! 🙂

      Reply
  • Cathy
    Oct 6, 2020 at 5:33 pm

    Yassss I’m all about the no-knead!

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina Petrovska
      Oct 7, 2020 at 3:11 pm

      I hope you enjoy it! Thank YOU! 🙂

      Reply
  • Sara Welch
    Oct 7, 2020 at 2:42 am

    5 stars
    This was such an easy recipe; best bread recipe I have ever made! So excited to make some rolls with dinner tonight!

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina Petrovska
      Oct 7, 2020 at 3:11 pm

      That’s great to hear! I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂

      Reply
  • Sandra McCollum
    Oct 12, 2020 at 8:52 pm

    5 stars
    This is so awesome!! Thanks for this easy recipe!

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina Petrovska
      Oct 14, 2020 at 2:02 pm

      I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂

      Reply
  • Renee
    Feb 27, 2022 at 5:59 pm

    Hello. I may have overlooked, but I didn’t see baking instructions. Do you use a Dutch oven? What temperature? Thank you!

    Reply
  • Oralea
    Jun 3, 2023 at 2:53 pm

    Can I use whole wheat flour?

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina
      Jun 5, 2023 at 3:07 pm

      I would use half whole wheat and half all-purpose flour mainly because whole wheat flour absorbs more liquid than white flour and produces a stiffer dough and a very dense bread.

      Reply

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