2-Hour Fastest No Knead Bread
This recipe uses MORE YEAST than my Faster No Knead Bread. The rest of the ingredients are the same. Be sure to aerate (not sift) your flour before measuring. PLEASE SEE MY METRIC CHART ABOUT THE FLOUR. - Jenny Jones
Prep Time: 3 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours
Makes: One loaf
Ingredients:
- 3 cups (360-390g /12 3/4 ounces) bread flour or all purpose flour (AERATE FLOUR BEFORE MEASURING - See How)
- 2 TEASPOONS instant or RapidRise yeast (1 packet/7 g)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups hot water (up to 130° F)
- (about 2 Tablespoons extra flour for shaping)
Instructions:
- Combine flour, 2 teaspoons yeast, and salt in a large bowl. Stir in water until it’s well combined.
- Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour.
- After 40 minutes, place a 3 to 6-quart Dutch oven with lid in a cold oven and preheat to 450° F.
- After the dough has rested for the hour, place it on a well-floured surface and sprinkle with a little flour. Using a scraper fold dough over 10-12 times & shape into a rough ball.
- Place in a parchment paper-lined bowl (not wax paper) and cover with a towel or another bowl. Let stand on counter top for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, carefully, using oven gloves, lift the parchment paper with the dough and transfer gently into the hot pot. (the dough sits inside a parchment "basket" inside the pot). Cover and bake for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, remove lid and parchment paper. Return, uncovered, to oven and bake 10 - 15 more minutes. Let it cool at least 15 minutes before slicing.
METRIC: The standard for weighing flour is 1 cup = 120 grams. But when I weigh one cup I get 125-130 grams. Please decide what works for you.
MAKE IT EVEN FASTER! See how to make it in 1 3/4 hours in my blog. Click here.
No Dutch Oven? Didn't Turn Out? Other Questions? Click here.
This is my go-to dutch oven loaf recipe!! So delightfully crisp on the outside and bouncy on the inside.
I love this recipe and share it often! Being able to whip up delicious bread so easily and quickly has brightened my busy days immensely. 10/10!
Love this recipe, but for some reason the paper gets stuck to the bottom of the bread. What can I do? Please help. Thank you.
Assuming you’re not using wax paper, which would melt onto your food, then it’s probably inferior parchment paper. Try Reynolds brand – it won’t stick.
Make this often. Always a hit. Out of parchment paper. Can I make it without? Thanks.
Apply some flour to paper before the bread placed onto . Enjoy !
Hi Jenny, how can I incorporate EVOO, basil or garlic.?
Thank you.
Can you somehow adapt it to make cinnamon rolls? Or do you have a recipe for those?
I do have a recipe for cinnamon rolls here.
I made the recipe but I divided it and made two small loaves. I am giving one to my best friend and share the remaining loaf with my neighbor. I can’t wait to try it 😂
I baked this bread last evening and it was gone before we went to bed. So one more loaf is rising now.
This is the best and easiest bread I have ever made. Five stars, Jenny!
When I make this for a single person or a couple, I split the recipe in half (I am usually taking them soup or something else with it). I bake it at the same temperature but for 15 minutes covered and then 10 minutes uncovered. It comes out perfectly, and they always comment how much they love it! Thanks, Jenny!
This bread comes out amazing every time I make a loaf weekly with this recipe. Today I made 2 so I could gift one to my neighbor. Thank you
Can you add dried fruit or nuts to this recipe?
I have a standing order from my mother in law every 4 weeks! It’s our favourite bread! Thank you for the recipe! 😁❤️
Is it the Dutch oven treatment that makes the crust so crunchy? Will this method work for a loaf of sourdough also ( hubby wants to know).
Yes, it works great with sourdough bread. I bake all my breads in the durch oven
Can you double the recipe?
I double the recipe all the time. No problems.
1st & foremost, this bread is outstanding! Thank you! I like that when I get home from work I can whip up a batch of homemade soup and at the same time I can make this fabulous loaf of crusty bread to have with it! Recipe is laminated and on my fridge!
THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! It’s perfect every time 🙂
If you add rosemary, when would you add it?
Do you brush the top with anything before baking?
TY
Kay, you’d add the rosemary to the dry ingredients and no you don’t brush the top with anything. I tried to reply to you earlier but it came up as a comment I think. lol. Idk how this stuff works because I never answer questions. Hope your bread comes out great. ❤️
Brenda from Connecticut.
I would add the rosemary when you are mixing the dough.
If you want to brush the top of the loaf do it after removing the loaf from the dutch oven. Don’t get burned 🤕
I was really tired and wanted to make this tonight. I did steps 1 and 2, then after the hour, I dumped it into a 4×9 pan and baked with salt, pepper, and herbs on top. Baked for 45 minutes with aluminum foil on it until the last 20 minutes. Very good bread and seems like it’s pretty flexible!
I used bread flour and the dough did not rise. I tried to fix it by looking up rising fixes and it didn’t work.
Please see the FAQs.
I expect it was the yeast being dead (outdated) or your water too hot.
Try again. I’ve made this recipe many times with no failure and my family loves it. Sometimes I add cheese or olives and it’s great! Good luck!
Is 130 too hot water for yeast? That seems high. I usually do 110 at most.
Today’s yeast is more sturdy and accommodating than years ago and can tolerate water or liquid up to 130 degrees F. The killing point for yeast is 140 degrees F.
Hey,
Just to correct you here coming from another long-time baker. The ideal temperature is 115F, not 130F. You’re correct in that 140F will kill all of the yeast, but once even reaching 120F will slowly start to kill them off. The only reason hotter water is required is to dissolve the outer shell. Yeast actually multiplies best at 95F, but due to the preservation it requires warmer temperatures to first become active (warmer water being 115F, not 130F which will cause some of the yeast to start dying).
Hope this helps with any future baking! Enjoy your day.
Thank you for this info! Saving it until I memorize it! lol
First time making bread myself and it turned out great! My whole family loved it. I will definitely be making this often!
This recipe is my go to for sure !! All other recipes take 24 hours ..this one I. Only 2 and it’s easy and delicious!! I tell all my friends about this recipe
Thank you Claudette for sending me the link to the recipe. My first time baking bread and I think it came out great!!
Dear Jenny, thank you for this wonderful recipe. Your’s is the best of all no-knead recipes I’ve tried. The flavor, the ease and speed, the gorgeous texture and aroma… I make this several times a week for our family and to share.
All the Best!
Rachel
I’ve made this recipe many times and it is always delicious. Very easy and quick. I like to change it up. I made it today and added sesame seeds – delicious 😋.
This is fabulous bread. Can you make the dough ahead of time and bake it the next day?
You can see how to do the overnight version with this recipe (note at the top):
https://www.jennycancook.com/recipes/faster-no-knead-bread/
I have read that preheating empty Dutch ovens is bad for them. Have you had any issues?
That means not to preheat on the stove top, directly on a burner.
Worked out great. I left it for three hours to proof and I had added oregano and rosemary. Absolutely great bread Thank you for this quick recipe
I used 1/4c honey and cut the water to 1&1/4c water
Turned out fabulous
I also use this recipe for pizza dough!
Hi Sunny.
When using for pizza dough, do you use Jenny’s original recipe?
It appears I might be the only person who had issues with this recipe. I followed the recipe exactly….and it was extremely wet. I also remembered to aerate my flour. I had to add close to a other cup of flour to get it to form some semblance of a ball…or at least to bring the ingredients together, otherwise it was as wet as a cake batter.
What exactly went wrong here?
If you sifted the flour before measuring, that would cause a wet dough. Sifting is not the same as aerating. That’s all I can think of.
https://www.jennycancook.com/how-to-aerate-flour/
i added jalapenos to this recipe. my friends dont like cheese . came out perfect
Exact issue. Added some flour to get to appropriate consistency. I’m sure it’s my fault for not aerating
Without aerating I use a scale. Three cups of Flour would be 360 Grams.
I had never made bread before Covid hit (when any kind of yeast and flour were in short supply, as it seems many people were baking bread at that time, too). I’ve made this recipe dozens of times and it ALWAYS is successful and delicious. I’ve added herbs, or olives, or roasted garlic or all three to the dough and it bakes wonderfully. I love that I can space out, until that “uh oh, I need bread to go with the soup” moment, and it comes together so fast and easy. Thank you so much for banishing my bread making fears forever!
This recipe is so awesome. Because I find the 2 hour bread not to be as flavorful as the 4 hour bread recipe, when I make this I often add flavoring and make it into a cheese bread. The following is what I changed thanks to ideas from other commenters that I followed.
I don’t put in the 1 tsp salt per recipe. Instead I mix with the 3 cups flour and 2 tsp yeast, 2 TBS Montreal Steak Seasoning, 1 tsp fine garlic granules and 1/2 tsp garlic salt. In addition I add 2 cups Sharp cheddar cheese and 1-2 tsp Italian Seasoning.
Then after mixing all above with a pair of chopsticks (I cook with chopsticks all the time) I add the 1.5 cups hot water (120 degrees or so) and mix until no dry flour shows up as the recipe says. I weigh my flour to 380 grams and find I often have to add an additional tablespoon water but it may be because I have all the additions in there.
Enjoy this recipe, it’s such a fun one to play with. Thank you Jenny, it’s so fun to see you on YouTube after seeing you on TV back in the day!
Sorry, wanted to make a correction to my comment above. Only put in a sprinkle of garlic salt. Two TBS Montreal Steak Seasoning and a tiny sprinkle of garlic salt is plenty for the recipe. Don’t put half a tsp of garlic salt in addition to the Montreal Steak Seasoning, that was a typo and would cause your bread to be too salty and may even inhibit rising. Anyway, I just made a loaf of cheese bread doing what I said and it is delicious with crunchy cheesy top and tender cheesy loaf inside. Yum!
Miss your videos, anything coming up
Hi Jenny! How can I bake this bread in a loaf pan?
Let ve your recipes 💕
Yes you can make this bread in loaf pans…just put a pan of hot water below the loaves to add steam which makes a crispy crust. Two smaller loaves may require less time in the oven at 450 degrees.
Can you double the recipe?
I double the recipe and bake two loaves. They fit just right in my large Dutch oven.
Are there any adjustments that need to be made for high altitude? Thanks!
Jenny Jenny Jenny…..this bread recipe is absolutely perfect and comes and just right every time! So simple to make and so yummy to eat. Many thanks for sharing your time and talents.
All The Best,
LuAnn in Western Oregon
Hi made this bread for the first time very easy to make, but unfortunately it has a very crusty top and very hard on the bottom. Had to to cut the top and bottom off as it was far to hard to eat, can you help me as I would like to make it again. 🇨🇦
Reduce heat to 400. Bake to final internal temperature of 205f. After the bread cools put in a paper or plastic bag and it will soften overnight
I read that to soften your top crust to put a damp cloth or even a big bowl over your bread as soon as you take it out of the oven. This will trap the moisture and your crust will dry “soft”! Let it cool completely. I tried this and it worked!
Just made this bread for the first time. It is fabulous! Except… My parchment stuck to the bottom of the bread and I can’t get it off at all. I’ve used parchment paper many times and not had any problems whatsoever so I’m wondering if I might’ve done something wrong.
Assuming it’s not wax paper, which is not suitable for the oven, it’s likely an inferior brand of parchment. I use Reynolds and it never sticks.
Thanks for the reply. I “inherited” a bunch of parchment from someone so perhaps it is inferior as you mentioned. I will try a different brand next time. But I cut off the crust with all the parchments stuck to it, and I am very much enjoying my bread!
I would love for you to do more of these videos and recipes. I have made a lot of your recipes and my family loves them!!
Thank you 🙂
Hi Karen, I usually wad the parchment paper up in a tight ball, un-wad it and put it in a bowl before transferring the dough to the bowl for the second rise. I’ve never had a sticking problem with this method. Hope this helps.
Hi, I love making this bread. I have been experimenting with different variations (garlic, seeded etc). I am now preparing a Sour Dough started. How do I incorporate this into the process. Can it be done/adapted with this methode?
Recipe is solid, but it needs more information on how to scale it into 2x or 3x batches
Get calculator and multiply it times 2 or 3….🙄
Such a great recipe and so easy too. I add 1 cup of diced Kalamata olives to the dough. I started making this bread for a variety of holidays, and now I get requests to bring it every time! Highly recommend. It’s divine.
I just tried this and for some reason my dough was very sticky and when proceeded to roll in a ball (with more flour) it did not hold shape and kept spreading flat. Not sure what I did wrong. I am baking it now, we’ll see how it comes out.
I love your recipe, I have made it and give it for gifts, now that’s its Christmas season, that’s what friends are getting..Best recipe and so easy.
I make this bread all the time now. It turns out perfect EVERY time.
Thank you for the recipe Jenny. x
I made as per your recipe, but I left the parchment paper on after removing the lid. Turned out perfect.
I’m hosting a gathering, and have time in the morning to do the prep, but not the time later in the day to let it rise, etc. as I have an afternoon commitment. Can I prep it but have it rise for a lot longer, so I can bake it fresh for evening supper?
hey, I have prepped then put it in the fridge until later. It worked out very well. Just make sure you put in a warm place with plenty of time to rise before you baked it.
Did you ever get a reply about prepping early and baking much later?
I’ve let it sit all day, it rises, but I just punch it back down and do the final step of the recipe/ prepping it while the Dutch oven is heating up in the oven. It has been the best no fail bread for me.
Does this recipe work in the bread machine? I knowni need to put water first, fix the flour with the salt andnpour on top, then finally the yeast. But wonder which programe would be more appropriate. They all have 2 knead and 3 rising cycles… maybe better to use just the dough setting, leave it there for 2 hours then use the bake setting?!
I added garlic, grated cheddar cheese and crumbled bacon!!! OMG…. awesome flavor and tasted great toasted with butter. I also cut an X in the top with scissors and misted it with water before putting the cast iron lid on. SO GOOD! THANK YOU
Barbara,
When did you add the garlic, cheese etc…?
So glad my mom told me about your recipes a few years ago. All of them are a hit. Your bread recipes are so adaptable, today I substituted 1 cup flour for rye flour, added 2 teaspoins gluten to help the rye. Then, instead of parchment paper and a duch iven, I used horseradish leaves. I removed the horseradish completely after the suggested bake time and allowed to brown. Perfect!
P.S. Watched you with my mom back in the day and mom always loved telling me how proud she was you were Polish!
I also used a stone to support the horseradish leaf “Dutch oven” I made.
Thank you, Jenny.
How I have mistreated this recipe, which I call 3-2-1 bread (3c flour, 2t yeast, 1t salt). I save the flour from the counter, add it to the bit of dough that sticks to the bowl with a bit of water in a jar, let it stand for an hour or 2, and refrigerate till I put it in the next loaf. I’ve added cheese, oats, onions raw or roasted, prunes, grated apple and cinnamon, and today leftover mashed potatoes and pumpkin seeds. No dutch oven, I put it on a stone, pour boiling water in a pan on the floor of the oven, reduce the heat after 10 minutes and cook 40-50 more. I always use convection. It doesn’t fail. Once or twice I have slightly undercooked it, but that was my fault. 🙂
How long do you refridgrate dough? Do you let it come to room temp before baking?
When adding other ingredients when do you add them?
What do you preheat oven to? Do you
pre-heat the stone too? After how many minutes do you turn the temp down and to what for how long?
How much water in your recipe?
I made 1/2 recipe. Second rise in a mini 5 ” banneton. Baked in CI pot. Wonderful bread & perfect size for two.
Thanks Jenny.
Made your 2-hour No Knead loaf, which I’ve made several times, but decided to experiment today. Added a large handful of Gerbs Super 5 Dried Fruit Mix, another handful of Anthony’s Organic Pumpkin Seeds and approximately 1 1/2 TBLS organic honey. After the 1 hour rest, followed directions, but formed into a loaf and rested on parchment paper in an oblong tinfoil pan. I then baked it in my clay loaf baker with lid (amazon.com). My husband and I agreed it’s the best “breakfast” loaf ever! It rose and baked so beautifully that I took a picture and sent it to you.Thanks for this incredible, versatile, forgiving recipe!
Great idea. Thanks for the tip. Will try it.
What temperature do you bake it on??
The recipe indicates 450°F.
There’s absolutely no reason to make any other Dutch oven recipe! Hands down the easiest and best! I make it at least once a week!!!
My dough is very wet, can’t shape, I know I followed the measurements, but I did 3 flours..1 1/2 Cup white, half a cup whole wheat, 1 cup of soft white wheat…🤷🏻♀️in oven now with fingers crossed☺️
What a gorgeous loaf of bread I made today! And so easy. It tastes like heaven. That chewy crust is to die for. Thanks so much for sharing this great recipe
I love how you can play around with this recipe! Today I used 1 cup all purpose, 1 cup dark rye and 1 cup whole wheat. From another recipe I learned to add 3 tablespoons molasses and a 1/4 cup cocoa powder – for a loaf of dark rye bread.
You just made pumpernickel bread – it sounds delicious!
I place loaf back on Dutch oven once it has cooled down on Wax Paper cutting is much easier crusty top bottom cut able .
Hi. I read your comment. It is not Wax paper you use for baking …it is Parchment paper only. Big Difference. Take care
That is correct. Wax paper should never be used in an oven or with heat – it will melt into the food. Parchment paper is the only one to use.
Hi Jenny made your 2hour no knead bread this morning for the 2nd time and it came out again wonderful. I do put some Beagle Seasonlng on top and we love the taste very much. Thanks for sharing this great Bread Recipe.
Love this recipe! Made many times! Today, I experimented by adding 1 cup rolled oats, three tbs honey, and bumped water to 14 oz. Just came out of oven, smelling amazing!
Why on earth is the bottom of my baked 2 hr recipe hards as h…?
I’m actually cutting into my good bread board I’m sawing through the bottom.
I’ve tried wetting my parchment paper that sits in the bottom of a cast iron pot.
I’ve taken to wrapping my lof in plastic wrap to keep it soft. HELP
Sharon
Please see the FAQs.
I spray my hot baked loaf with a butter flavored baking spray when it first comes out of the oven. Let it continue to cool on a baking rack until ever so slightly warm. Then wrap in saran wrap. Prevents the hard crusty exterior.
I have a bread cuter and it work wonderful never can cut it with a knife.