Making homemade fresh bread has never been so easy! This is by far the best and easiest no-knead bread I’ve ever made and trust me I’ve made a lot of bread over the past several months. I’ve not had much luck with the recipes that I’ve tried, but I’ve been tweaking and experimenting, and let me just say, wow, it’s incredible! 

This recipe is simple, you just mix the ingredients and let it sit in a bowl for 3 to 18 hours. I left mine anywhere from 6 to 10 hours before. This is a very flexible recipe and should help with the busy schedules we tend to have!

There are only 4 main ingredients for this recipe, plus the cheese and herbs of course!

Flour – I actually used bread flour, but all-purpose will work too!

Salt – Don’t forget this one!

Active Dry Yeast – you don’t need much, and it’s important to make sure your yeast isn’t expired!

Hot Water – Between 95F-110F

Cheddar Cheese – You can use whatever cheese you like, but I prefer cheddar cheese, yummy!

Herbs – I used rosemary and thyme in mine, but you can use what you prefer. You really can’t go wrong here.

Here are the ingredients that you’ll need:

• 3 Cups – Bread flour or All purpose flour (I used bread flour) (plus some for dusting)
• 1 Tsp. – Salt
• 1/2 Tsp. – Dry active yeast
• 1 ¾ Cups – Warm water 95F-110F
• 1 ½ Cups – shredded cheddar cheese (Optional) I’ve made this recipe with or without it
• 1 Tsp. – Thyme (more or less depending on your taste) (or your choice of herbs)
• 1/2 Tsp. – Rosemary (more or less depending on your taste) (or your choice of herbs)

Here are the steps to make this no-knead cheese and herb bread.

Step one: In a large bowl stir together flour, salt, cheese, rosemary, and thyme. Give it a quick stir and then add the yeast. (Salt slows down the yeast, so I wouldn’t have them in direct contact) Add in the water and mix thoroughly. The dough should be sticky. 

Step Two: Cover the bowl and let sit on the counter to rest for 3-10 hours or for up to 18 hours. You want the dough to double in size and start to have small bubbles on top.

Step Three: Once your dough has rested, place your Dutch oven in the oven to preheat at 450F

Step Four: While your Dutch oven is preheating, flour your work surface and remove the dough from the bowl. Shape into a ball, put onto some parchment paper, cover with a towel, and let rest until the oven is ready. 

Step Five: Once the oven is ready, place the parchment paper with the dough into the Dutch oven, using a knife, make a slice on the top of the dough ball. This will help it expand, plus it makes it look so much nicer! Cover and bake for 30 minutes

Step Six: After 30 minutes, remove the top from the Dutch oven and bake for another 15 minutes. 

If you don’t have a Dutch oven, do not worry! Just place a pan of water in the bottom of your oven to create a steamy environment. Use a cast iron pan or a ceramic heat-proof dish. After 30 minutes, take the pan of water out and let it continue to cook until golden brown.  ENJOY!

There are 3 different ways to tell if your bread is done. 

1. Using a thermometer, most bread is done when the internal temperature reaches 190F
2. Give the bottom a few taps, if it sounds hollow, it’s done.
3. Color. The crust for the most part should be dry and firm, and a deep golden brown color. If it’s still rather pale, give it a few extra minutes.