Ingredients
You only need five ingredients to make this loaf:
- 3 cups (360 g) all-purpose flour
- 1½ cups (360 ml) warm water
- 2¼ tsp (7 g) instant yeast
- 1½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp honey or granulated sugar
That’s it. No eggs, no milk, no butter in the dough, and no special flours.
A Closer Look at Each Ingredient
All-purpose flour is the foundation of this loaf. It has enough protein to build structure while keeping the crumb soft and tender. Because this is a no-knead recipe, the long, slow rise does the work that kneading would normally do, helping the gluten develop on its own.
Warm water wakes up the yeast and hydrates the flour. The dough here is wetter than a traditional kneaded dough, which is what creates a soft, open crumb. Make sure the water is comfortably warm, never hot. Water that’s too hot can kill the yeast and prevent your bread from rising.
Instant yeast is what makes the bread rise. In this recipe, it’s stirred into the warm water with the honey or sugar and left for a couple of minutes to get going before the flour goes in.
Salt adds flavor and helps regulate the yeast. Bread without enough salt tastes flat, so don’t skip it.
Honey or sugar gives the yeast a little food and adds a subtle sweetness. Honey creates a slightly sweeter, more tender sandwich loaf, while sugar keeps things more neutral.
Instructions
Add the warm water, yeast, and honey or sugar to a large mixing bowl. Stir gently and let the mixture sit for about 2 to 3 minutes so the yeast can begin to wake up.
Next, add the flour and salt. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, stir everything together until a soft, sticky dough forms and there are no large pockets of dry flour left.
There is no kneading required. Simply mix until the ingredients are evenly combined. The dough will look shaggy and rough at this stage, and that’s exactly how it should look.
Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap, a clean kitchen towel, or a lid. Place it in a warm, draft-free spot and let the dough rise for about 1½ to 2 hours, or until it becomes noticeably puffy and nearly doubles in size.
The exact rising time depends on the temperature of your kitchen. In a warm room, the dough may be ready closer to the 1½-hour mark. In a cooler kitchen, it may need the full two hours or a little longer. Look for a puffy, bubbly surface and a dough that has clearly grown in volume.
Lightly grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan. Once the dough has risen, gently stir it down with a spatula to release some of the larger air bubbles. Transfer the dough into the prepared pan.
With lightly oiled or wet fingertips, smooth the surface as evenly as you can. Wet or oiled hands keep the sticky dough from clinging to your fingers.
Cover the loaf pan loosely and let the dough rest for another 30 to 45 minutes. The dough should become puffy and rise noticeably toward the top of the pan.
While the dough finishes its second rise, preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
Place the loaf in the preheated oven and bake for about 35 to 40 minutes, or until the top is beautifully golden brown and the loaf sounds hollow when gently tapped.
If the top starts browning too quickly, loosely cover it with foil during the final part of baking. This protects the crust while the inside finishes cooking.
Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Then carefully transfer it to a wire rack and let it cool completely before slicing.
For an extra-soft crust, lightly brush the warm loaf with butter right after removing it from the oven.
It’s hard to wait, but cooling matters. Slicing too early can leave the crumb gummy because the bread is still finishing its cooking from residual steam. Once cooled, slice and enjoy the soft, fluffy texture and lightly golden crust.