No Knead Cheddar Bread (Print Version)

Rustic golden loaf with crisp crust, tender cheesy crumb. No kneading required.

# What You Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 3 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1½ teaspoons salt
03 - ½ teaspoon instant yeast

→ Cheddar

04 - 1½ cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated

→ Wet Ingredients

05 - 1¼ cups lukewarm water

# How to Prepare:

01 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and instant yeast until evenly combined.
02 - Add the grated sharp cheddar to the flour mixture and toss thoroughly to distribute the cheese evenly throughout the dry ingredients.
03 - Pour the lukewarm water into the bowl and mix with a wooden spoon or spatula until a shaggy, sticky dough forms. The dough will feel wet and loose—this is normal for no-knead bread.
04 - Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Let the dough rise at room temperature for 3 to 4 hours, or until doubled in size with visible bubbles on the surface.
05 - Preheat your oven to 450°F. Place a Dutch oven or heavy oven-safe pot with lid inside the oven to heat for at least 30 minutes while the dough finishes rising.
06 - Lightly flour your work surface and hands. Gently turn the risen dough out and shape it into a round loaf. Place the shaped dough on a piece of parchment paper for easy transfer.
07 - Cover the dough with a clean towel and let rest for 20 to 30 minutes while the oven and Dutch oven continue to heat.
08 - Using heavy oven mitts, carefully remove the preheated Dutch oven from the oven. Lift the dough by holding the parchment paper and lower it into the hot pot.
09 - Cover the pot with its lid and return to the oven. Bake for 30 minutes to create steam for a crisp crust.
10 - Remove the lid and continue baking for 10 to 15 minutes until the crust turns deep golden brown and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. Transfer to a wire rack and cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The crust gets impossibly crisp while staying tender inside, like bakery bread but without the arm workout
  • Sharp cheddar melting through creates these incredible cheese pockets that make every slice different from the last
02 -
  • The dough will feel impossibly sticky and wrong, but resist every urge to add more flour or youll lose the tender crumb
  • That Dutch oven needs to be screaming hot when the dough goes in, or you wont get the dramatic oven spring
03 -
  • The parchment paper sling is non-negotiable for me now, after burning my arm trying to slide dough into a searing hot pot
  • Let the bread cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing, or the steam escapes and the inside turns gummy and dense

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