9 Easy No-Knead Bread Recipes Anyone Can Bake

There’s no denying that baking bread can be intimidating. We’ve watched enough episodes of The Great British Baking Show to know it’s painfully easy for a loaf to turn out too stodgy or too dry, its crumb structure too tight or too open, and contain a multitude of other defects that’d make Paul Hollywood weep. Luckily, no-knead bread recipes offer a much easier path to homemade bread. Instead of relying on vigorous kneading to develop gluten, they use time, hydration, and a few simple folds to create an airy crumb with remarkably little hands-on work.

Lest you think no-knead bread is any less delicious than its kneaded counterpart, we proffer the following recipes. They’re ideal for beginners, but the results are impressive enough for bakers of any skill level. Full disclosure: Several recipes call for folding the dough, but that process is simple (we promise) and still far less labor-intensive than traditional kneading.

We’ve got no-knead pizza dough. No-knead cheddar-jalapeño bread. A gluten-free loaf that skips kneading, shaping, and scoring. Several iterations of no-knead focaccia, including Sarah Jampel’s “Shockingly Easy” version, which has earned a 4.7-star rating and more than 1,500 comments from enthusiastic BA readers. And here’s another thing: You don’t have to tell the people you serve that the bread is no-knead. When they ooh and ahh over its perfectly formed air pockets, just smile politely and soak up the adoration. We won’t tell.

Shockingly Easy No-Knead Focaccia

This beginner-friendly no-knead focaccia delivers everything we want from homemade bread: a deeply golden crust, an airy crumb, and plenty of olive oil flavor—all without a stand mixer, special equipment, or prior bread-baking experience.

No-Knead Fougasse

Puffy, oil-rich focaccia gets a lot of love from home bakers for good reason. But its leaf-shaped French cousin, fougasse (pronounced FOO-gehs-uh), is every bit as delicious, just as easy to bake, and—dare we say it—even more impressive.

No-Knead Pizza Dough

Jim Lahey’s three-ingredient no-knead dough develops flavor during an overnight rise, producing a crisp, chewy pizza crust with very little hands-on work. Just be sure to start the dough the day before you plan to bake. Watch him make it here →

Gluten-Free No-Knead Oat Chia Bread

Looking for an easy gluten-free bread recipe? This hearty loaf requires no kneading, shaping, or scoring. The crumb is dense and chewy, with plenty of texture from rolled oats and chia seeds.

No-Knead Cheddar-Jalapeño Loaf

Studded with sharp cheddar and fresh jalapeños, this crowd-pleasing loaf from the BA Bake Club uses instant yeast for a reliable rise. Baking it in a preheated Dutch oven creates the steamy environment needed for a deeply browned, crackly crust and a tender interior.

Listen to Jesse and Shilpa talk bread on Bake Club’s podcast →

Surprisingly Simple Sandwich Bread

A food processor does the heavy lifting here, bringing the dough together in a fraction of the time hand-kneading requires. The result is a soft, tender loaf that’s ideal for toast, grilled cheese sandwiches, and everyday lunches.

More sandwich recipes to use your fresh-baked loaf →

Cacio e Pepe Focaccia

Finely grated, well-aged Pecorino gives this no-knead focaccia its signature cacio e pepe pasta flavor while melting seamlessly into the dough. The result is light, airy, deeply savory, and just cheesy enough.

Double-Tomato Focaccia

Tomato paste spread beneath juicy cherry tomatoes delivers concentrated flavor in every bite of this summery focaccia. Even self-proclaimed raw tomato skeptics may find themselves reaching for a second slice.

Pretzel Focaccia

A quick brush of baking soda water gives this no-knead bread recipe its deeply browned crust and unmistakable pretzel flavor. The chewy exterior and airy crumb make it a fun twist on classic focaccia.