No Knead Italian Artisan Bread Recipe
This No Knead Italian Artisan Bread recipe offers a simple, hands-off approach to baking a rustic, crusty loaf with minimal ingredients and effort. Perfect for beginners, it uses a slow rise and baking technique to develop flavor and texture without kneading.
- Author: lina
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
- Yield: 12 slices 1x
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Dry Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ⅛ teaspoon instant dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- ¾ cup lukewarm water
- ¼ cup lukewarm water (for activating yeast)
- 1 teaspoon honey
- Activate the yeast: Dissolve the instant dry yeast in ¼ cup of lukewarm water mixed with 1 teaspoon honey. Let the mixture sit for about 5 minutes until it becomes bubbly, indicating the yeast is active.
- Prepare the dough: In a large bowl, combine the remaining 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour and ¾ cup lukewarm water. Add the activated yeast mixture and stir thoroughly until a sticky dough forms.
- Mix in salt and let rise: Incorporate 1 teaspoon salt into the dough, cover the bowl with a damp cloth, and place it in a warm spot. Allow the dough to rise until it doubles in size, which should take between 45 minutes to 1.5 hours.
- Preheat and shape: Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Transfer the risen dough onto a floured baking sheet and score the top lightly with a sharp knife to allow steam to escape during baking.
- Bake the bread: Bake the dough for 25 minutes at 425°F. Then reduce the oven temperature to 325°F (160°C) and continue baking for an additional 10 to 15 minutes until the bread achieves a golden brown crust.
- Cool before slicing: Remove the bread from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool for at least 15 minutes. Cooling is essential to complete the cooking process and to prevent the bread from becoming gummy when sliced.
Notes
- Use lukewarm water (not hot) to activate the yeast to avoid killing it.
- Dough will be sticky; resist the urge to add excessive flour to preserve texture.
- Allow proper rising time for best flavor and crumb structure.
- Scoring the dough helps control expansion and creates the characteristic artisan crust.
- Cooling thoroughly ensures clean slicing and optimal texture.
Keywords: no knead bread, artisan bread, Italian bread, easy bread recipe, homemade bread, crusty bread