No-Knead Italian Bread (Dutch Oven)

loaf of crusty italian bread in a basket

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5 from 3 votes

No-Knead Italian Bread (Dutch Oven)

This No-Knead Italian Bread is so easy and delicious! Start it the night before you want to bake it.

Prep Time15

Cook Time45

Rising Time14

Total Time15

Course: Bread

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: Makes 1 loaf

Calories: 166kcal

Author: Mamma C

Equipment

Ingredients

Dough

3 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour (430 grams; can use bread flour)
½ teaspoon instant yeast (can use active without proofing it)
1 ¾ teaspoons salt
1 ½ cups room-temperature water
1 Tablespoon olive oil

Instructions

The night before you bake the bread: In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, yeast and salt. Stir with a spoon to combine. Pour in the water and olive oil. Stir with a wooden spoon to mix. The dough will be sticky.
Lift up the dough and grease your mixing bowl with cooking spray (you can use the same bowl without cleaning it first.) Place the dough back in the greased bowl and roll it around to coat it with the oil. Cover the bowl with greased plastic wrap and let the dough rise for 12-18 hours at room temperature.
When the dough has risen, it will be puffy and soft. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and gently transfer the dough to a sheet of parchment paper that you've greased with cooking spray. Lightly spray your hands with cooking spray and pat the dough into a thick, rectangular shape.
Starting at the top long edge, fold the top half over the middle. Fold the bottom half over the top fold. Fold the left side toward the center. Fold the right side toward the middle as well.
Flip over the folded dough so the seams are on the bottom. Cover with lightly greased plastic wrap and let it rise for two hours.
When the dough has 30 minutes left to rise, remove the top rack of the oven so there is plenty of space above the middle rack. Place a (6-to 8-quart) cast iron or enameled Dutch oven, covered with its lid, on the middle rack. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
When the dough is finished rising, remove the pot from the oven and take off the lid. Use the corners of the parchment paper as handles to lift the dough into the pot, along with the parchment paper. Cover with the lid and bake for 30 minutes initially.
Then, remove the lid and bake the bread for 10-20 minutes longer, until the top is browned nicely. Use the corners of the parchment paper as handles to lift the bread out of the pot and transfer it to a wire rack to cool. You can tap the bottom of the loaf to make sure it sounds hollow. If not, it needs to bake a little longer.
Store the cooled bread at room temperature, wrapped in plastic and then placed in a brown bag. It is best eaten by the next day or so for freshness. For longer storage, it's best to slice the loaf the first day and freeze it in a freezer bag.

Notes

If you use active dry yeast, you don't need to proof it first because of the long rising time.
If the lid on your pot has a plastic or rubber handle, wrap the handle in foil before using it in this recipe.

Nutrition