No Knead Bread Recipe (2024)

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Making warm and crusty homemade bread is easier than you’d imagine with this No Knead Skillet Cheese Bread. Perfect for dunking in warm soup, the cheese and parsley add extra yummy goodness!

No Knead Bread Recipe (1)

    Why I Love No Knead Bread

    • Easy. If you’ve ever felt intimidated by the idea of making your own artisan bread, this is the bread to try. You don’t need a fancy bread maker or any tools other than a mixing bowl, wooden spoon, and a skillet.
    • Cheesy. If you are a cheese lover, you will completely fall in love with this homemade bread. It’s cheesy, savory, and 100% satisfying.
    • The crust. This cheese bread has the perfect consistency, including a golden and crisp crust with a tender interior.
    • Fresh. There’s something special about homemade bread just out of the oven. It’s fresh and fills your entire house with that delicious bakery smell.

    What is No Knead Bread?

    No knead bread is a simple bread-making method that requires no kneading. The dough is mixed and allowed to rise slowly, relying on time rather than kneading to develop gluten. This results in bread with a hearty crust and soft interior, and it’s perfect for those who want homemade bread with minimal effort.

    Recipe Ingredients

    • Luke Warm Water: Activates the yeast.
    • Active Dry Yeast: Causes the dough to rise.
    • Salt: Enhances flavor.
    • All-Purpose Flour: For this recipe, I use a little over 4 cups of flour.
    • Garlic Powder: Adds a savory, garlicky flavor.
    • Onion Powder: Provides a subtle onion taste.
    • Shredded Cheddar Cheese: Adds a rich, cheesy flavor and texture. Other melting cheeses like mozzarella or gouda can be substituted.
    • Olive Oil: Used to coat the skillet and the dough, adding flavor and a crispy crust.
    • Coarse Salt: Sprinkled on top for extra flavor and texture. Flaky sea salt is a good substitute.
    • Dried Parsley: Used as a topping for additional flavor and visual appeal. Other herbs can also be used.

    How to Make No Knead Bread

    No Knead Bread Recipe (2)
    No Knead Bread Recipe (3)
    • Make the dough. Combine your water and yeast in a large mixing bowl. Add a cup of flour and salt and stir it all together. Stir in the garlic powder, onion powder, and cheese. Gradually add the remaining flour and stir everything until it is all well combined.
    • Rise. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let your dough rise for 1 hour.
    • Prepare. Grab a cast iron skillet and coat the bottom and sides with olive oil. Lightly flour your hands and transfer the dough to the skillet. Shape the dough into a round disk, cover it with a towel, and let it stand for 30 minutes.
    • Preheat. While the dough rests, preheat your oven to 400˚F.
    • Bake. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil over the top of the dough and sprinkle it with salt and parsley. Score the top of the loaf with a knife in a criss-cross pattern. Bake it for 30 minutes or until the top is a golden brown.
    • Cool and Serve. Remove the cheese bread from the oven and immediately turn it out onto a cooling rack. Let it completely cool. Then, cut it and serve.

    Recipe Tips

    • Cool it on a wire rack. To keep your bread from getting soggy, remove it from the skillet as soon as you pull it out of the oven and transfer it to a wire rack.
    • Skillet options. You do not need a skillet to make this bread. I know, it’s in the recipe title – but trust me, here. If you do not have a cast iron skillet, simply use a round stoneware baking dish instead!
    • Use good cheddar. For better flavor, opt for a better quality cheddar cheese. You can even shred the cheese yourself.
    • Double the recipe. You can double this recipe but don’t forget you’ll also need a bigger skillet. I recommend a 12-inch skillet for a double batch.
    No Knead Bread Recipe (4)

    Serving Suggestions

    Obviously, this bread goes great with a bowl of our creamy ravioli soup and a side of a salmon blt salad. It’s also great with hearty beef Guinness stew and pot roast. But don’t count it out on the side of a pasta dish, either. This chicken bacon ranch pasta or my creamy seafood pasta is fantastic. Basically, anything that is saucy is a perfect match for this bread.

    How to Store Leftovers

    The bread can be stored in a zip-top bag in a cool, dry place for up to 3 days. It can also be frozen for about 3 months.

    More Homemade Bread Recipes

    • Challah Bread
    • Cornbread
    • Flatbread
    • Star Bread
    • Monkey Bread

    No Knead Skillet Cheese Bread

    Preparing warm, crusty homemade bread is simpler than you think with this No Knead Skillet Cheese Bread. Ideal for dipping in your favorite warm soup, the added cheese and parsley kick up the flavor!

    Prep Time1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

    Cook Time30 minutes mins

    Cooling Time1 hour hr

    Total Time3 hours hrs

    Course: Bread

    Cuisine: American

    Keyword: artisan bread, cheese bread, homemade bread, homemade bread recipes, no knead bread recipe

    Servings: 10 slices

    Calories: 278kcal

    Author: Katerina | Easy Weeknight Recipes

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups luke warm water
    • teaspoons active dry yeast
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 4⅓ cups all purpose flour
    • teaspoons garlic powder
    • ½ teaspoon onion powder
    • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
    • course salt
    • dried parsley

    Instructions

    • Combine water and yeast in a large mixing bowl.

    • Add 1 cup flour and ½ teaspoon salt to the yeast mixture; stir with a wooden spoon until combined. Stir in the garlic powder, onion powder, and cheese.

    • Add remaining flour, one cup at a time, stirring until well combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise for 1 hour.

    • In the meantime, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to an 8-inch cast iron skillet and coat the bottom and sides of the skillet with the oil.

    • Lightly flour your hands and transfer the dough to the skillet. Shape the dough into a round disk; cover with a towel and let it stand for 30 minutes.

    • Preheat the oven to 400˚F.

    • Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the top of the dough and sprinkle it with salt and parsley. Then, score the top of the loaf with a knife.

    • Bake for 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

    • Remove the bread from the oven and immediately turn it out onto a cooling rack.

    • Let it completely cool before cutting into it.

    Notes

    • To freeze the dough: Make the dough as instructed and let it rise for 1 hour, per the recipe. Once risen, form the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap, and then place it in a freezer-friendly container and keep it frozen for up to a month. When ready, thaw the frozen dough on the kitchen counter, let it rise, and bake as directed.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1slice | Calories: 278kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 189mg | Potassium: 100mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 113IU | Calcium: 90mg | Iron: 3mg

    cheddar cheeseflouryeast

    No Knead Bread Recipe (2024)

    FAQs

    How do you know if no knead bread has risen enough? ›

    No knead dough doesn't rise like standard yeast breads, it only puffs up and gets bubbly. It will be a little bigger after the resting time but don't look for a much larger volume.

    Why is my homemade no knead bread so dense? ›

    Why is my bread dense: Usually bread will be too dense when there is too much flour. Keep in mind this dough will be pretty sticky, do not add more flour than specified. Other factors that come into play are humidity and age of flour. Little yeast, long rise, sticky dough are keys to a good, light loaf.

    How do you know when no knead bread is done? ›

    Bake covered for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes more. Remove the lid and bake for 15 minutes more. You can be extra-sure that the bread is done when an instant-read thermometer inserted in the top or side registers 210°F.

    How to get no knead bread to rise higher? ›

    Folding the bread a few times during its long fermentation helps move the yeast to find more food and to introduce a little more oxygen into their environment.

    At what point do you know dough has risen enough? ›

    Look: Your dough should be about double the size it was when it started. If it's in a bowl covered with plastic wrap, then use a marker to trace an outline of the dough on the plastic — the dough is done rising/proofing when it stretches beyond that mark by about double.

    How can I make my bread fluffier instead of dense? ›

    Potato Flakes or Potato Water

    Starch helps the dough by trapping the gas from the yeast in the dough and makes the bubbles stronger. This helps the bread to rise and be lighter and fluffier. If you are boiling potatoes, you can use the unsalted water in place of the water in your bread recipe to help out the yeast.

    Why isn't my no knead bread rising? ›

    Editor: Shani, it sounds that your yeast may be too old and expired, or perhaps you're not letting the dough rest adequately after shaping and before baking.

    Why isn't my homemade bread light and fluffy? ›

    Do Not Over-Knead Your Dough. The over-kneading dough is a common bread making mistake, which makes gluten too tight for bread to rise, resulting in chewy bread instead of fluffy. Kneading correctly is most important to strengthen the gluten and give your bread a perfect texture.

    Should I stretch and fold no-knead dough? ›

    The folds create better structure in three ways. First, the action of stretching and folding the dough develops gluten strands. Second, the introduction of a little oxygen during the folds also helps boost structure as oxygen is necessary for gluten formation.

    What happens if I don't knead my bread dough enough? ›

    If you don't knead your dough, your baked bread won't rise as high, and the overall texture and appearance will be dense. Properly kneaded dough promises a softer, fluffier, taller, and chewier bread.

    What are the pros and cons of no-knead bread? ›

    • Development: Light.
    • Pros: Dough develops flavor during extended fermentation. Easy.
    • Cons: Uncontrolled fermentation may cause variable impacts to crumb structure and flavor. ...
    • Example of use: If you're new to slightly softer doughs and long fermentation, this No-Knead Harvest Bread is an easy dough with delicious results.
    Sep 29, 2021

    Is it okay to let bread dough rise overnight? ›

    The proofing time for bread dough varies based on the dough's makeup (amount of preferment, flour choices, and hydration) and the temperature at which it's proofed. The dough should generally be proofed for around 1 to 4 hours at a warm temperature or overnight (or more) at a cold refrigerator temperature.

    Can I let dough rise overnight on the counter? ›

    - Uncovered container with dough you need to limit to max 4 hours in room temperature. It is possible to leave bread dough to rise overnight. This needs to be done in the refrigerator to prevent over-fermentation and doughs with an overnight rise will often have a stronger more yeasty flavour which some people prefer.

    Will dough rise if not kneaded enough? ›

    If you don't knead your dough, your baked bread won't rise as high, and the overall texture and appearance will be dense. Properly kneaded dough promises a softer, fluffier, taller, and chewier bread.

    How do you know if bread is over risen? ›

    What to look for in an over proofed loaf. Similar to the signs of over proofed dough, an over proofed loaf will be very flat, without much rise or retention of shaping. Over proofing destroys the structural integrity of the bread, so loaves that have gone over are unable to hold their shape in the oven.

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