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Easy, soft Italian No-Knead Bread! This easiest recipe is packed with extra nutrition from the flax meal and steel-cut oats. It will quickly become your go-to bread recipe that your entire family will love.
Try our ciabatta bread next!
Why you’ll love this recipe
This will easily become your go-to bread recipe that your entire family will love. There are A LOT of bread recipes out there…
This is a tried-and-true recipe that our family has made for decades. You can trust it, and I promise you will love it. Try more Italian-style breads: Fast Italian No Knead Ciabatta Bread and No Knead Italian Focaccia Bread
This is an easy, versatile recipe for those who may not have much experience with bread baking. I have made it in a cast iron Dutch oven or a loaf pan! You can make the dough in the evening, let it rise overnight, and bake it in the morning—only about 30 minutes in the oven!
Simple Ingredients
- Warm water (might need a little more)
- Instant yeast
- Steel cut oats
- Ground golden flax meal
- All-purpose flour (or bread flour)
- Salt
How to Make No-Knead Bread
This bread is so easy to make! You mix everything in a large bowl, let it rise, shape the dough, let it rise again, and bake!
Instructions for making the no-knead bread dough
Dissolve the dried yeast into the warm water in a large mixing bowl.
Add the steel-cut oats and the flax meal and mix well (I use a fork).
Add flour and salt to the mix and incorporate well.
The dough will be sticky and slightly wet. If it seems dry, you may need to add a little more water.
Cover the bowl with saran wrap and let it rise on the kitchen counter for at least 8 hours- up to overnight.
The dough will double in size. For best results make sure it is at least 75 degrees F.
Instructions if you want to add mix-ins to the bread (optional)
My mamma makes this bread every week. She usually makes two baguette loaves for Sunday dinner.
We walk into my parents’ home, and the smell of homemade bread fills the air—instantly making our mouths water and feet run towards the kitchen. The loaves are gobbled up between the adults and the grandchildren in the same evening.
FAQs
The no-knead bread method is a simple technique where you mix flour, water, yeast, and salt into a dough, then let it rise slowly over 12-18 hours. Instead of kneading, the long fermentation process develops the dough’s gluten, resulting in a chewy, crusty bread with minimal effort.
Yes, you just need to activate, or “bloom”, the yeast before you use it. To do this, mix ¼ cup of warm water (about 110°F – no hotter or you will kill the yeast) with a teaspoon of sugar and the same amount of yeast called for in the recipe, stir, and then let it sit for 5-10 minutes. You will know the yeast is alive and ready to use when it starts to look foamy or bubbly. Then you can add the activated yeast into the dough.
The most common reason for bread not rising is that the yeast is expired – yeast is a living thing and must be used by the expiration date for best results. It is also possible to kill yeast by using water that is too hot. Anything above 110 degrees Fahrenheit will kill your yeast and cause the dough to not rise properly. The temperature and humidity of your house can also affect rising times and height.
Yes, you can make this recipe with gluten-free flour.
Expert Tips
- Use high-quality flour: A good Italian bread starts with high-quality flour, preferably bread flour for a chewier texture or a mix of all-purpose and bread flour.
- Hydration is key: A higher water content in the dough will create steam while baking, contributing to a soft but crusty exterior. The dough should be a little sticky when kneading.
- Slow rise for flavor: Allowing the dough to rise slowly in a cool place or overnight in the fridge develops flavor and a better crumb structure. Don’t rush the process.
- Steam in the oven: For that ideal crust, add steam to your oven by placing a pan of water on the bottom rack or spritzing the inside of the oven with water before baking.
Following these tips will give you a beautifully soft yet crusty loaf every time!
Variations
Optional Mix-Ins:
See the step-by-step process below for how to add mix-ins.
- walnuts
- raisins
- olives
Optional Toppings:
If you want to add toppings, sprinkle the loaves with the topping after the second rise and just before putting them in the oven
- sesame seeds
- pumpkin seeds
- poppy seeds
How to Store
For easy storage, I wrap the loaf in parchment paper then place it in a gallon zip lock bag. This keeps it fresh for 5-7 days at room temperature.
You can freeze the loaf in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Let it thaw in the fridge overnight before enjoying it.
Serving Suggestions
This bread is also delicious with butter and jam for breakfast, as a sandwich bread, or even a plain slice on the go!
Use this bread to soak up this delicious Classic Italian Tomato Sauce (Sugo al Pomodoro). You can also use it to make the best Thanksgiving stuffing!
Who can resist the smell and taste of hot, chewy, tender bread with a perfect crunchy crust? Not me!
More Delicious Recipes for YOU
- Cheese and Broccoli Pasta Bake with White Sauce
- Red Wine Braised Chicken and Plums Recipe
- BEST Italian Beef Short Rib Ragu
- Authentic Italian Pasta Puttanesca Sauce
- Pork Tenderloin with Shallots and Fennel
- Easy Homemade Cornbread
💙 MADE THIS RECIPE AND LOVED IT? 💙 Please leave a ⭐️STAR rating and COMMENT below- I love connecting with you! Tag me with your creations on Instagram and find me on Pinterest.
Print
No-Knead Bread Recipe
- Total Time: 12 hrs 45 min
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
Description
The softest and most delicious homemade no-knead bread recipe. This bread has a few unique ingredients that separate it from hundreds of others. This will soon be your tried and true bread recipe!
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups (500 ml) of warm water (might need a little more)
- 1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
- 1/4 cup of steel-cut oats
- 1/4 cup ground golden flax meal
- 4 cups (500grams) organic all-purpose flour, Italian 00 flour, or Kamut flour
- 2 teaspoons of salt
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl dissolve the yeast in the warm water.
- Add the steel-cut oats and the flax meal and mix well (I use a fork to mix). Add flour and salt to the mix and incorporate well. Mix with a wooden spoon or dough hook for about 2-3 minutes.
- The dough will be sticky and slightly wet. If it seems dry, you may need to add a little more water.
- Cover the bowl with saran wrap and let it rise on the kitchen counter for at least 8 hours—up to overnight. The dough will double in size.
- After the first rise, transfer the sticky dough to a floured surface and shape it into one large boule or two baguette-shaped logs. Transfer onto floured parchment paper. Sprinkle with additional flour on top. Cover with a kitchen towel. If using mix-ins, see *notes. Also, see the **notes if you bake the bread in a single loaf pan without a lid.
- Let rise again for 50-60 min (on the parchment paper covered with a towel).
- With a sharp knife score the dough with 2 longitudinal cuts for each baguette OR 2 scores on top of the large round boule.
- Preheat oven to 450 F. Meanwhile, place a 6-quart Dutch oven (or heavy cooking pot with oven-safe lid) in the oven as it preheats.
- When the oven is preheated to 450 F, take out the Dutch oven and place the baguettes or the large boule inside (with parchment paper). Place back in the oven to bake for 33 minutes with the lid ON. After 33 minutes, check if the top of the bread is golden brown. If you like it darker brown, remove the lid and cook an additional 6-10 minutes.
- Put the bread on a cooling rack and let cool completely. Or, take a slice when still warm and enjoy :).
Notes
* Mix-Ins: If using mix ins 1) divide the dough in half 2) roll each dough on a floured surface into a rectangle. Sprinkle desired toppings evenly on the dough 3) fold the dough over on itself about four times (as pictured) 4) this will create two baguettes 4) Continue to Step 7 in instructions.
**If you are baking your bread in a traditional single-loaf bread pan, Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place your dough directly into your greased bread pan (or bread pan lined with parchment paper) for the last rise. Once the dough is double in size (about 1 hour), bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes until the top is golden brown.
If you’ve seen it on my Instagram, here is the link to everything you need for our signature “bread box,” where you can keep everything in one place to make this bread easily!
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 35
- Category: Savory
- Method: Italian
- Cuisine: Italian/ French
This bread recipe is unique and deliciousโฆ We absolutely loved it and it will be my go to recipe whenever I want to take bread to someone. It made a large loaf and stayed fresh for several days. I especially loved organizing all of my ingredients into a handy bread boxโฆ it couldnโt be easier! I grind my own flax seed so I added a little coffee grinder to my bread box. I will make this weekly!
Yes, the bread box makes it so much easier and I’m happy you love it! I love that you grind your own flax!
Iโve been making this bread several times a week because my kids devour it. Itโs so easy to make and so delicious, plus the house smells amazing! Thank you for sharing your momโs recipe! โค๏ธ
Yes! You can’t beat the smell of homemade bread. Happy you enjoy this weekly bread!
Easy and so delicious!
Yes! Thanks. We love this bread and make weekly. ๐
Trying to eat less glutenโฆ..can you make this gluten free??
Yes, you can make with GF flour. Try Cup4Cup.
Delicious! Used 3/4-1 C sourdough discard instead of instant yeast and turned out great!
Great to know the substitute for those interested! Sounds so good! Yum.
Bread has great flavor and so very easy to make!
Yes, we love it for those reasons as well!
Delish! So soft and moist โค๏ธ A great recipe to start your bread making journey!
Yes! Happy you loved it!
Delish! So soft and moist โค๏ธ A great recipe to start your bread making journey!
I LOVE making this most easy and delicious bread! It is absolutely ๐ฏ AMAZING!
Happy you love ti as much as we do! It is a true staple. Enjoy!
Truly, the best bread ๐
totally a new favorite bread!!! amazing!
YAY! So happy you love it as much as we do.