No-Knead Overnight Artisan 3 Ingredient Bread

Foolproof No-Knead Bread for Beginners

You know how some people have that cherished heirloom recipe they are known for? Well I've fully embraced the fact that this simple 3 ingredient bread is now my signature bake. I initially wanted to create this beginner bread recipe for my baking besties who are new to bread, since it's literally foolproof. There's no kneading involved, like my Dutch oven no-knead whole wheat bread. Which means there's no way you can over-knead it (ew, tough, dense bread) or under-knead it (hello, sad, flat loaf).

Just 3 Ingredients = Perfectly Soft Bread + Crispy Crust

And since there’s only 3 ingredients (you heard that right!), I still wanted to find a way to maximize the flavor in this bread. Which is why we’re doing a long fermentation in the fridge. There’s a lot of nerdy baking science behind this technique including amylase, lactic acid bacteria, esters, etc. Basicallyyy, this technique creates a naturally sweet, slightly tangy flavor & a chewier, more structured texture. Yay, science!

Of course, you can always take it a step further by layering this bread with meat, veggies, and cheese in a delicious artisan sandwich. Or turn it into a sweet breakfast slathered in my whipped honey raspberry butter.

Finally, for that artisan crispy crust, we're baking it in a Dutch oven, similar to my German Dutch oven potato bread. However, if you don't have a Dutch oven, don't worry! I have a full recipe to bake a drool-worthy, no-knead artisan loaf on a baking sheet instead.

Let's Gather Our 3 Ingredients

• Flour: I recommend using bread flour, which creates a deeper-colored crust and chewier texture than all purpose flour.
• Yeast: Since the dough is rising overnight in the fridge, there's no need for a quicker rise with instant yeast. However, if that's all you have on hand, you can swap that in for the active dry yeast.
• Salt: It's important to use table salt or fine sea salt. Kosher salt granules are too big, and they won't distribute evenly throughout the dough.

Let's Bake Overnight No-Knead Bread!

For the full step-by-step directions and ingredient quantities, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

1. Whisk the bread flour, active dry yeast, and salt.

2. Mix in the warm water until it forms a dense dough.

3. Cover the bowl & refrigerate overnight.

5. Proof the dough on parchment paper sprinkled with flour.

7. Bake covered for 25 minutes & uncovered for 10-15 minutes.

4. Shape the dough into a large ball.

6. Score the top of the loaf and place into the Dutch oven.

8. Allow your bread to cool for at least one hour before slicing.

Should You Let Dough Rise First or Go Straight to the Fridge?

After testing this recipe both ways, I found that sending it straight into the fridge after mixing it provided a better bread-y, slightly tangy flavor and overall texture once it was baked. Since we aren’t kneading the dough, a long, slow, cold rise right after mixing helps the gluten develop, makes the texture super chewy and airy. Which is how we'll easily achieve the perfect bakery-style bread at home!

However, if you only have 8 or so hours to let your bread rise in the fridge, then you can certainly let it sit out for an hour or two on the counter to jump-start the rising process.